It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

Qinghe Miao stared intently at Huang Wulang:

"Have you ever thought about taking down this gang of bandits? To eliminate any future troubles?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Wulang's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He leaned forward slightly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes, and asked mysteriously:

"Could it be... that the Taoist priest can summon a large army? I wonder which general's troops he can enlist to assist in the battle?"

If there is truly an external force available, he would naturally be happy to see it succeed.

Chapter 47 Rest

Qinghe Miao shook his head:

"Just me."

"Just the Taoist priest alone?"

Huang Wulang's interest immediately waned considerably, and he said somewhat awkwardly:

"Master, it's not that Wulang is cowardly and doesn't want to rid the village of this scourge. It's just that the people in the mountains can only cultivate a few acres of poor land and go hunting in the mountains to barely make ends meet and protect themselves."

"Master, your supernatural powers are truly admirable, but I am simply not up to your level. Please, Master, do not joke about this."

“I’m not joking, Lord Huang.”

Qinghe Miao's smile remained unchanged, but instead appeared even more resolute as he stated his thoughts:

"What do you think would happen if I could sneak in and kill most of their leaders and core members without them noticing, leaving them leaderless?"

Qinghe Miao's attitude and the content of his words made Huang Wulang hesitate for a moment.

He scrutinized the young Taoist priest before him again, and asked carefully:

"Their leader, 'Lu Bashan,' possesses the strength of a 'middle star,' though slightly inferior to mine. However, his subordinates are no pushovers either, mostly military personnel. Once they coordinate, ordinary martial artists are no match for them."

Even if the Taoist priest truly possesses extraordinary abilities to eliminate their leader, the enemy still has about a hundred desperate men, and their camp is quite fortified due to the terrain. With our limited manpower, a direct assault would likely come at a high price.

Most importantly, he still can't figure it out.

Even if they win easily, what will they gain, and what will the other side gain?

As they said before, it is still a chaotic world.

In this world, young men are precious in every clan, and bandit suppression is a losing proposition.

Unless you have an absolute certainty of victory and the potential profit is enormous.

"If we can win easily, why would we need to launch a full-scale attack?"

Qinghe Miao sneered:

"A mere mid-level star, a hundred or so people, I have my own ways to deal with most of them. I only need some reliable men to attack while things are in disarray after I have succeeded. Their main tasks are to intercept fleeing soldiers, guard prisoners, and move swans."

"At that time, I will not take any of the armor or weapons from the stronghold. The money, food, and goods captured can be divided among us. I have only one request: the treatment of the prisoners must be in my opinion. So, you're not even willing to take advantage of this freebie?"

"This……"

It was like a pie falling from the sky; Huang Wulang was a little stunned by the surprise.

Armor, bows, and crossbows! You can never have too many!

But he was no fool; suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he asked in a muffled voice:

"How confident are you, Taoist priest? And why are you helping me like this? I really don't understand."

He couldn't rest easy until he found out the reason.

"I'm 98% confident, it's as easy as taking candy from a baby. Otherwise, why would I take all the crucial risks and risk my own life? Just to joke with you?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Hemiao knew that the other party was interested, but was still weighing the risks and details.

So he relaxed, added fuel to the fire, and, using a feigned retreat as a tactic, waved his sleeve and said:

"If Master Huang is unwilling to participate, that's fine too. I'll just lead the people myself. My only concern is that the people I bring don't have much experience, and some mistakes are bound to happen."

I only ask that Lord Huang won't be envious and ruin the harmony between our two families. As for why I'm doing this..."

At this point, Qing Hemiao breathed a sigh of relief and said casually:

"It's simple. I'm just naturally fastidious and don't like my things; others just covet them. Since Lu Bashan has sent spies, he's already got his hands on them. Rather than waiting for them to come knocking on my door, I'd rather go and pay them a visit first. That's all."

Upon hearing this, Huang Wulang's eyebrows shot up sharply.

This Taoist priest, though young, has the heart of a bodhisattva, yet he is quite domineering.

In reality, the cheapness of "getting it for free" is quite different in nature.

Qinghe Miao's words just now really convinced Huang Wulang completely.

He weighed the options rapidly in his mind.

The clan hardly needs to bear the risk of casualties in the attack, as the main fighting force is handled by this mysterious Taoist priest.

Two tigers cannot share one mountain. The presence of such a group within a radius of several hundred miles is a threat to them.

Now they only need to send men to attack the outskirts to collect the spoils...

This is something I never dared to dream of!

Even if the plan fails, he can simply turn around and leave, with limited losses. At worst, he can come back and continue to hold the fortress.

As for the excuse Qinghe Miao gave, does Huang Wulang believe it or not?

He mostly believed it.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there were countless abstract decisions to be made.

Qinghe Miao's reason is simply perfectly normal in comparison.

At most, we should be more careful to prevent this from being a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

"Master, you have no idea! Life in these mountains is really hard! The land is barren and the weather is cold, so food production is not much, and you can't even save up a few grains a year."

In the past, they could barely make ends meet by hunting and gathering wild produce. But in the last two years, the number of refugees has increased significantly, and the resources in the mountains to sustain life are limited... For the hundreds of people in the fort, life is becoming increasingly difficult!

Having made up his mind, Huang Wulang's expression changed, and he said earnestly:

"I heard that you had food there, so not only the refugees outside, but also some people in our fortress wished they could go and work for you in exchange for food!"

Now that you, Daoist Master, think so highly of us, Huangjiabao, how could we possibly refuse? Besides, Daoist Master, your abilities are extraordinary; I, Wulang, trust you! We, Huangjiabao, will do this! As for the specifics of how to proceed, please instruct us, Daoist Master!”

"simple."

Qinghe Miao didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:

"You guys help me figure out their key positions. I'll sneak in at night and take care of those who need to be killed one by one. Once I've killed enough, I'll destroy or open the gates to let your people in. What do you think? When do you think we can make our move?"

The plan was simple and straightforward, like inviting friends to hunt rabbits in the mountains behind the village.

As for whether Huang Wulang had ulterior motives, he didn't really care.

If you have any questions, talk to his system that can travel between the two worlds.

At worst, we can expand the scope of the "physical exorcism" and deal with both sides at the same time.

You can never have too much experience.

"So hasty?"

Huang Wulang was truly shocked upon hearing this.

This young Taoist priest has quite the audacity, or rather, quite the arrogance!

He had assumed that the other side would have some ingenious plan that they hadn't considered.

However, upon hearing such an almost arrogant statement, after the initial astonishment, he felt both absurd and excited, and was inevitably stirred by a surge of heroic spirit.

Whether someone is a hero or an arrogant coward, we'll only know after they actually succeed!

What if it actually works?

He thought for a moment and gave a rough estimate:

"Then... it should be appropriate after New Year's Day."

"Oh? Why does it take so long?"

Qinghe Miao frowned.

Yuanri was the New Year during the Tang Dynasty.

"Master, you are unaware of this."

Huang Wulang's expression was strange, and he looked...

"If it's just about finding out what's really going on, we've lived in this mountainous area with them for years, and we have some spies both overtly and covertly. It wouldn't be difficult if we just put in some effort."

But now the weather is freezing cold, and the risks have increased significantly. If heavy snow were to block the mountain passes, even raiding would be inconvenient. The reason the enemy hasn't come down the mountain to raid recently, but has only sent out scouts to observe, is precisely because New Year's Day is approaching, and they need to hibernate and rest.

Chapter 48 The Festive Atmosphere

Qinghe Miao's arrival was too coincidental.

Once the bandits received the message and gathered more intelligence, they had already looted enough supplies to prepare for the New Year.

Moreover, insulation technology was not advanced at that time.

Those bandits aren't cattle or horses; their underlings aren't willing to work in this awful weather!

Similarly, it would be extremely inconvenient for Huang Wulang and his men to send troops out of the fortress at this time.

The weather is cold and the roads are slippery, making people and horses move slowly. If they get stuck or encounter wind and snow, the consequences could be disastrous.

Therefore, Huang Wulang guaranteed that as soon as the end of the year was over, they would strike first and catch the other side off guard!

"Ok."

Qinghe Miao pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Although I was slightly annoyed that having to wait until after the New Year to fight a "monster" would affect my leveling progress, I was still a little unhappy.

But when it comes to specific military campaigns, these ancient people were naturally more professional.

He had worked at the bottom of society in his previous life and knew all too well that professional matters should be left to professionals.

You absolutely must not mess around with it.

Perfect timing, since he's also looking forward to the New Year in his main world, the two times can be coordinated.

So he suppressed his impatience and waited patiently for the next year to take action.

And so, the matter was tentatively settled.

Now that both parties have reached a cooperation agreement, their relationship is naturally closer than before.

Huang Wulang was very enthusiastic and immediately ordered someone to prepare a relatively clean and tidy room for Qinghe Miao to stay in the fort.

This will facilitate future discussions on details and communication.

That evening, a banquet was held in Huangjiabao. Although it was not extravagant, it was quite lavish for a place in the mountains.

Huang Wulang personally accompanied him and also invited several prominent figures from the clan who held considerable status and martial prowess to participate.

The banquet featured mostly wild game from the mountains, its aroma filling the air. The long, rough wooden table was laden with delicacies that would be considered culpable in later generations.

The taste... was rather bland for Qinghe Miao.

This stirred something within him, but he didn't show it on his face, only stopping himself in his tracks.

It's true that landlords and powerful figures are rarely portrayed satisfactorily in film and television works.

Qinghe Miao never let go of his suspicions about Huangjiabao.

We'll discuss everything after we successfully cooperate in suppressing the bandits.

Bringing these things up now would only add more variables.