Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 181 The Bandits' Defeat and the Losses of the Battle (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Pfft!"

A flash of cold light, and specks of blood splattered onto the grass.

Xu Fu couldn't help but groan, his burly body staggering to the side.

He, Zhao Zong, and Xu Hua joined forces to besiege the bandit leader. Although they were well-equipped, they were ultimately no match for the huge gap in cultivation level.

After several dozen rounds, all three were exhausted and were about to fall into a disadvantageous position and be defeated by the thief.

"Whoosh!"

An arrow flew through the air and pinned a bandit who was trying to get close enough to take advantage of Xu Fu to the ground!

Zhao Xian, who was in the distance, put down his war bow, calmly drew an arrow, nocked the arrow, and aimed into the distance!

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot out again, and a bandit fell to the ground a hundred paces away!

Zhao Xian did not hunt randomly, but specifically targeted those fierce bandits who charged and attacked fiercely. Before long, more than ten fierce bandits had fallen to Zhao Xian's arrows.

With Zhao Xian's assistance, the situation on the battlefield gradually turned around.

Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, Zhao Ji, and others formed a battle formation, dividing and surrounding the bandits. Xu Dejing led his Daoist followers like arrows released from a bow, piercing straight into the heart of the bandits!

"kill!"

Suddenly, a roar echoed through the mountains and forests.

Xu Dejing leaped over Xu Fu on the ground and pounced on the bandit leader like a tiger descending a mountain!

"Well done!"

The bandit leader cleaved Xu Hua away with a single blow, then raised his blade and slashed at Xu Dejing's open defense!

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

In the blink of an eye, the two beams of cold light collided fiercely, sparks flew, and the two were entangled together like two whirlwinds.

Xu Hua and Zhao Zong helped Xu Fu up from the ground, and the three of them immediately moved away to a distance.

"Brothers, let's go into battle and fight the enemy!"

In the distance, Zhao Ze, leaning on his sword, gazed into the distance and suddenly shouted.

Upon hearing this, the auxiliary soldiers under his command also showed eager expressions.

"The first and second sections come first, followed by the third and fourth sections, with the fifth section bringing up the rear!"

"Rush!"

As Zhao Ze gave the order, the auxiliary troops of more than fifty men lined up in an orderly manner, and then slowly advanced with their spears in front!

After Zhao Ze's auxiliary troops were deployed to the battlefield, everyone in the camp except for the Daoist civilians who were guarding the grain and cleaning up the battlefield had already been mobilized!

However, there is one person I've forgotten!

In the mountains and forests, a figure was hidden in the treetops, surveying the surrounding situation.

"The first team of the first hamlet should be considered the strongest team of Daoist practitioners under my elder brother's command!"

"Besides that, there's Zhang Gong's archer squad!"

Zhao Hong sat astride a thick branch, pondering to himself.

"These thieves are quite strong; there are four first-rate martial artists alone. Add to that the veteran thieves, and their strength is comparable to that of ordinary county soldiers!"

"No wonder that Lord Chen couldn't do anything about these bandits!"

"The county soldiers of Rongtai County and Ronghuai County are probably all birds of a feather!"

Changing direction, Zhao Hong looked into the depths of the mountains and forests.

It was the height of summer, and the mountains and forests were lush and verdant, a verdant expanse as far as the eye could see.

"There must be no one else behind this group of bandits!"

Thinking of this, Zhao Hong sat up straight, took down the bamboo box on his back, opened the box, and took out a very strange falcon.

"Go and inform my elder brother!"

After stroking the bird's head feathers twice, Zhao Hong tossed the falcon aside with both hands, and it immediately flapped its wings and flew towards the battlefield below!

"Hey!"

Before long, sharp screams echoed through the air!

Hearing the bird's call, Zhao Xian looked up and saw the falcon drawing strange lines in the air. A smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

In the blink of an eye, several arrows shot out!

Then Zhao Xian's arms seemed tireless as he shot arrows one after another towards the battlefield a hundred paces away.

In the distance, Xu Dejing and the bandit leader were still locked in a fierce battle!

"Snap!"

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out, and then half of the blade fell to the ground!

After repeated collisions, the bandit leader's weapon could not withstand the enormous force and broke first!

Seeing this, Xu Dejing was not about to let this opportunity pass. He immediately let out a long roar, and the ring-pommel sword in his hand flashed through the air!

In the blink of an eye, countless knives fell on the bandit leader!

The ring-pommel sword clashed violently with the iron armor, scattering countless sparks.

The bandit leader was forced to retreat under Xu Dejing's fierce attack!

Although the iron armor blocked Xu Dejing's sword, the immense force transmitted from the blade was absorbed by the bandit leader!

For a moment, the bandit leader was also in a state of agitation, and waves of intense pain surged through his body.

Seeing Xu Dejing's attacks becoming increasingly fierce and his swordsmanship becoming more and more fluid, the bandit leader, a veteran of countless battles, was well aware that he had already fallen into Xu Dejing's rhythm!

If this continues, I will surely be beheaded!

Upon realizing this, the bandit leader already had the idea of ​​retreating!

"roar!"

Suddenly, the bandit leader leaped backward and roared at Xu Dejing opposite him as he landed!

In an instant, it was like a thunderclap!

The loud noise startled several Taoist priests and thieves nearby, who covered their ears, saw stars, and fell to the ground!

Xu Dejing, who was directly in the line of fire, was startled by the sudden roar and his vision went black.

When the bandit leader saw Xu Dejing's attack suddenly stop, he did not take the opportunity to pursue him. Instead, he turned around and ran wildly towards the distant mountains and forests!

"Pfft!"

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind came from behind him. The bandit leader bent down and rolled forward, narrowly avoiding the arrow flying from behind!

Seeing that he had dodged the arrow, the bandit leader's lips curled up slightly. After getting up, he suddenly changed direction and continued to run wildly into the mountains!

Watching this scene from afar, Zhao Xian calmly drew an arrow, its shaft engraved with intricate patterns, and nocked it onto his bow.

"Stanning celebrities!"

With a soft shout, the arrow suddenly flew out, appearing behind the bandit leader in the blink of an eye like a streak of blue lightning!

In a split second, the bandit leader suddenly shifted his body to the side, attempting to avoid a fatal blow!

Unexpectedly, the talisman arrow also changed direction in mid-air!

"Pfft!"

A sharp arrowhead pierced through his chest!

The bandit leader didn't change his pace and continued charging forward!

Just as he was about to escape into the mountains, his body suddenly went limp and he knelt down.

Looking at the dense forest so close at hand, the bandit leader suddenly revealed a bitter smile.

"He who hunts geese all day long has ended up getting his eyes pecked by one!"

A murmur faded away in the mountains and forests with the wind.

With their leader dead, the remaining bandits lost their will to fight to the death and fled into the mountains and forests!

Those who surrender will not be killed!

Suddenly, a young figure leaped out of the forest, his ring-pommel sword flashing coldly as he slashed down two people in quick succession!

"Get out of my way!"

A ruthless thief, however, disregarded everything and swung his broadsword at him head-on!

Unexpectedly, the young man merely swayed and appeared beside the ruthless thief like a swimming fish.

The ring-pommel sword in his hand lightly sliced ​​across the thug's neck!

In an instant, a fountain of blood gushed forth, and the headless corpse ran forward several steps before collapsing to the ground!

"kill!"

Seeing that the group of thieves wouldn't listen, the young man also drew his knife and charged!

Meanwhile, the pursuers had caught up, and with the two sides attacking from both sides, many bandits died under swords and spears in the blink of an eye.

"surrender!"

"I surrender!"

Suddenly, one of the thieves dropped his spear and knelt down.

Once the first one was made, a second one followed, and before long, all the remaining bandits on the battlefield had surrendered.

However, a small number of thieves still managed to escape into the mountains!

"Don't pursue a cornered enemy!"

Seeing that some bloodthirsty Daoist civilians were about to chase them into the mountains, Zhao Zheng and his officers immediately shouted loudly.

"Clean up the battlefield! Take stock of the casualties!"

"Kill any wounded bandits on the spot!"

"Auxiliary troops, quickly treat the wounded!"

With the situation settled, Zhao Hong, following Zhao Xian's instructions, strode quickly across the battlefield and roared loudly!

Although Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, and other military officers were also very tired, there were still many things to deal with after the battle, so they forced themselves to work and directed their soldiers to quickly clean up the battlefield.

"Ah Ping, Ah Sheng, you two probably haven't slept a wink tonight!"

"For the next two months, it might be like this every day!"

Zhao Xian put away his bow and quiver, then, without turning his head, began to joke.

Walking briskly behind them were Liu Ping and Liu Sheng, along with their deputies and bodyguards, the brothers Zhao Duan and Zhao Bing.

"With the military commander in front of us, we can sleep soundly!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ping immediately replied with a smile.

"Haha! Ah Ping has learned this trick now!"

Zhao Xian continued his joke, then his expression turned serious, and he ordered, "I'm afraid we won't be able to sleep tonight. You two, take Zhao Duan and Zhao Bing and immediately register their military merits and count the spoils of war!"

"Anyone who secretly fights for the spoils will be severely punished!"

"I will obey your command, General!"

The four of them shouted in unison.

After the four left, Zhao Xian began to patrol the camp and treat the wounded.

Although he had a batch of healing pills, he couldn't just use them up!

After all, we haven't even entered Ronghuai County yet!

Under the command of military officers at all levels, the casualty situation was first reported to Zhao Xian.

"Thirty-seven were killed in action, fifty-four were wounded, and not a single person is missing!"

"What were the casualties among military officers at all levels?"

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, then looked at Zhao Zheng in front of him and asked in a solemn voice.

"Eight corporals were killed in action, four platoon leaders were killed in action, and about ten others were wounded!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng's face also showed a serious expression, and he replied in a deep voice.

"Of the twelve officers who died in battle, seven were members of my Zhao clan!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian's expression changed slightly. He exchanged a glance with Zhao Zheng and remained silent for a long time.

After some time, Liu Ping and Liu Sheng also came over.

"Sir, seventy-five heads have been taken and fifty-five bandits captured!"

"The spoils of war captured included three sets of iron armor, five sets of leather armor, eight low-grade weapons, thirty-five ring-pommel swords, and sixty-three spears!"

"In addition, there are twenty-two war bows, over five hundred arrows, and twenty-three other weapons of various kinds!"

"As for valuables, there are very few! Only a little over a thousand talisman coins!"

After the briefing, Zhao Xian had a clearer understanding of the gains and losses in this battle!

"Zhao Hong, take this order and, together with Captain Xu and his cavalry, proceed immediately to Nankou Township!"

"Summon all village and township officials, along with doctors, oxcarts, and laborers, to this place immediately!"

"Bury the bodies and transport the wounded!"

"Anyone who neglects their duty will be executed!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Hong beside him and gave him instructions.

"Zhao Hong (Xu Dejing) obeys!"

Upon hearing this, the two immediately bowed and turned to hurry away into the distance!

A moment later, dozens of riders rushed out of the camp like a gust of wind and galloped away!

"Deceased, prepare your appearance and send you back to Crouching Tiger Village!"

"The injured should all remain in Nankou Township for treatment!"

"As for the prisoners, they shall be handed over to the local officials of Nankou for sale!"

"The money obtained will be used as compensation for the injured and deceased!"

Looking around at the officers and soldiers before him, Zhao Xian said solemnly.

"Sir, should we report the sale of prisoners to the county authorities first?"

Liu Ping stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said.

"Can!"

After a moment's thought, Zhao Xian agreed to the matter.

"Come with me to visit the wounded!"

After saying that, Zhao Xian walked towards the direction where the auxiliary soldiers were.

Upon arriving at the military tent where the wounded soldiers were staying, we lifted the curtain and were immediately hit by a strong stench of blood!

Cries of agony rose and fell!

A soldier was bandaging the wounded soldier's wounds with burlap, but his movements were very rough, causing the wounded soldier to curse loudly in pain!

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately bent down and pressed down on the wounded soldier, then instructed the auxiliary soldiers on how to bandage the wound.

"Team Leader Zhao, once all the linen is used up, it needs to be boiled in a pot!"

"After drying them thoroughly, then use them on the wounded soldiers!"

Zhao Ze responded in agreement.

Then, Zhao Xian pointed out a few more shortcomings, and Zhao Ze also took out a piece of white paper and ink stick and wrote them down.

"Sir, am I finished?"

Suddenly, a wounded soldier looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a wry smile.

Zhao Xian glanced at his empty sleeves, smiled, and said, "It seems I won't be able to farm myself anymore!"

"The only solution is to have your strong servants do the farming for you!"

"Sir, you're joking. My family is dirt poor; where would I find a strong servant?"

Upon hearing this, the wounded soldier replied with a wry smile.

"Why not?"

"Once you recover, I will give you a strong servant and an ox, how about that?"

Zhao Xian looked at the wounded soldier and said with a smile.

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, the wounded soldier looked astonished, unable to believe what he was hearing!

"You crippled people, I will give you all healthy servants and oxen!"

"For those with minor injuries, two thousand coins!"

"Seriously injured: 5,000 coins!"

"Those who perish will be rewarded with 10,000 coins!"

"Fields, servants, and oxen are all acceptable!"

Looking around at the wounded soldiers in the military tent, Zhao Xian spoke solemnly.

"I have informed Nankou Township that the deceased will be transported to Wohu Township, while the injured will remain in Nankou Township to recover!"

"I will never let you shed blood or tears!"

After speaking, Zhao Xian bowed deeply, turned around, and walked out of the military tent.

The same was true for Zhao Zheng and the others behind him.

"We thank you, General!"

"I am willing to fight to the death for my lord!"

After Zhao Xian had taken a few steps, shouts and cries came from inside the military tent!

As the sun rose in the east, the camp was finally tidied up. Although it was still stained with blood, it looked much neater.

A pile of severed heads, a pile of headless corpses, and the heads of three top-tier martial artists placed separately to the side.

Dozens of prisoners crouching on the ground.

There was a pile of swords and spears, and a pile of armor.

The rich aroma of rice porridge wafted through the air above the campsite.

"Let us endure this hardship and first order our soldiers to finish their meal and get some rest!"

As Zhao Xian strolled through the camp, he gave instructions without turning his head.

Zhao Zheng and the others behind him responded in unison.

"Distribute all three sets of iron armor, along with the captured leather armor and the leather armor of the fallen!"

"The same applies to sharp weapons!"

"Furthermore, damaged swords, spears, and arrows should be replaced as soon as possible!"

As Zhao Xian uttered his orders, everyone nodded in agreement and departed.

Only Liu Ping and Liu Sheng remained behind Zhao Xian.

"Sir, the casualties this time are numerous. Where did the reward money come from?"

After a moment, Liu Ping finally couldn't help but ask.

"Those prisoners!"

"At today's market price, one would cost at least 20,000 coins!"

Zhao Xian immediately replied without hesitation.

"Marshal, I'm afraid that's still not enough!"

Liu Sheng, who had been mentally calculating for a moment, then chimed in with his own words.

"These captured weapons!"

Zhao Xian pointed to the pile of weapons in the distance.

"These weapons are badly damaged; those in slightly better condition have already been selected by us. The rest probably won't fetch much money!"

With a slight frown, Liu Sheng said helplessly again.

"If we don't wipe out these bandits, their target will be Nankou Township!"

"Now that we've wiped out these bandits for Nankou Township, how could they not be grateful to us?"

Upon hearing Liu Sheng's words, Zhao Xian turned around, looked at the two people in front of him with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression, and said solemnly.

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ping and Liu Sheng exchanged bewildered glances.

These bandits were clearly after them!

How come, in the words of the military commander, it has become that they came straight to Nankou Township!

Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck their minds, and they both suddenly realized what was happening!

"I see!"

"So, this is what the military commander is planning!"

The two of them muttered to themselves, and a sense of admiration naturally arose in their hearts for Zhao Xian!

"You two should take inventory of this batch of weapons again and sell them to wealthy households in Nankou Township according to quantity and market price!"

Zhao Xian then gave the two of them another instruction.

"And the heads of these thieves~"

Liu Ping pointed to a pile of pickled food in the distance.

"We can't force Nankou Township to admit to these heads!"

"After you two have taken inventory, write me a letter, affix the official seal of the Military Commissioner, and have it delivered to the county by the clerk of Nankou Township!"

"With these heads in the hands of the county officials, they'll surely be able to carve out a large chunk of meat from Ronghuai County!"

"We won't ask for more; it'll still be one thousand talismans for each head, and ten thousand talismans for the bandit leader!"

After giving his instructions, Zhao Xian returned to his military tent to rest for a while.

After an unknown amount of time, the clattering of horses' hooves woke Zhao Xian from his sleep!

Rubbing his temples, Zhao Xian got up and walked out of the military tent.

I looked up at the sky and realized it was already dusk.

"Sir, people from Nankou Township have arrived!"

Upon seeing Zhao Xian emerge from the military tent, Zhao Bing immediately spoke to report.

"Um!"

Zhao Xian's gaze swept across the camp and landed on a large group of people rushing towards it.

At this moment, the piles of corpses and heads at the camp entrance, resembling a small mountain, shocked the officials from Nankou Township who had rushed there!

"Wow!"

Suddenly, one of the officials, unable to bear the pervasive stench of blood, vomited.

With this person taking the lead, the other officials immediately bent over and vomited.

This scene naturally made the soldiers waiting for their meal in the camp burst into laughter!

They seem to have forgotten that they also vomited uncontrollably after last night's battle!

"Walk!"

Upon seeing this scene, the village head of Nankou Township, though pale-faced, suppressed his abdominal cramps, let out a low shout, took a deep breath, and strode forward!

And it was this one breath that almost made him vomit on the spot!

"Jiang Zhuo, the clerk of Nankou Township, greets Lord Bingcao!"

"We pay our respects to Lord Sergeant!"

All the officials bowed deeply in reverence!

"Please rise, gentlemen!"

Zhao Xian stepped forward to help Jiang Zhuo up, then smiled and looked at the officials behind him!

"Sir, such a victory has been achieved before even entering Ronghuai County; we are truly filled with admiration!"

After Jiang Zhuo stood up, he looked at Zhao Xian with admiration and cupped his hands in greeting.

"These bandits actually planned to launch a night attack on Nankou Township. As a sergeant, how can I let them act recklessly!"

'

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian also spoke with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression.

"The Sergeant's actions truly earn our respect!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuo naturally praised him once again.

"Um?!"

Suddenly, Jiang Zhuo came to his senses and looked at Zhao Xian with disbelief.

"Sergeant, these bandits are planning to attack Nankou Township?!"

"Of course!"

Zhao Xian immediately smiled faintly.

"This time, my troops have saved Nankou Township from disaster!"

"Come, follow me into the military tent for a meeting!"

After saying that, Zhao Xian turned and walked into the military tent.

After a short while, Zhao Xian finished explaining his meaning, and the military tent fell silent.

Nankou Township official looked at his superior with a blank expression, not knowing what to say.

Township officials were mostly sons of prominent families in the village, and the Nankou Township official was no exception.

"Sergeant, according to you, these fifty-five prisoners will be sold to our Nankou Township?"

"Twenty thousand talismans each?"

After a long silence, Jiang Zhuo looked at Zhao Xian and asked.

What are your thoughts, everyone?

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, then looked at the people inside the military tent.

Apart from the officials of various pavilions, most of the others who accompanied the Nankou Township official were wealthy households in the village.

A common surname.

After all, only their family owns an oxcart!

"Twenty thousand talismans each, that's reasonable!"

Suddenly, someone spoke in a low voice.

"You've struck gold! These aren't just farmers who toil year-round; they're seasoned warriors, experienced in combat. Taking them home to guard your homes will ensure your safety!"

Upon receiving a meaningful glance from Zhao Xian, Liu Sheng immediately smiled and praised him.

"Buy a thief to guard your house?"

"That's a great idea!"

Before Liu Sheng could finish speaking, someone muttered something under their breath.

"They were all impoverished people who couldn't survive, and had no choice but to become bandits in the mountains!"

Seeing this, Liu Sheng spoke up again to explain.

"Those weapons, they all seem to be rusted and worn, yet they're being sold at market price?"

Since their own family's wealth was at stake, the wealthy families of Nankou Township in the military camp naturally couldn't let Zhao Xian manipulate them at will.

"Ahem!"

Suddenly, Jiang Zhuo, the head of Nankou Township, raised his hand in a salute to Zhao Xian and said with a smile, "We are extremely grateful to the military officer for leading the troops to wipe out the bandits who were eyeing our Nankou Township!"

"I'm willing to offer 50,000 coins as a reward to the soldiers under the command of the Military Officer. What does the Military Officer think?"

Upon hearing this, the military tent fell silent once more.

"Sir, if we had known this would happen, we should have let those bandits go last night and allowed them to rush into Nankou Township!"

"Three hundred bandits are probably no threat to the people of Nankou Township!"

Zhao Ji, who was in the lower left corner, suddenly sneered and said without any mercy.