Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 186 Bandits Descend the Mountain, Steadfast as Mount Tai (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Meanwhile, more than ten miles away at Feilong Mountain, there was a great deal of noise.

The council chamber was filled with noise and endless arguments.

The scholar in blue robes who was watching the soldiers drill outside the camp that day was none other than the Wu family leader, who had been sent down the mountain to gather intelligence on the orders of the Flying Dragon Mountain chief.

After observing outside the camp for half a day, he hurriedly returned to Feilong Mountain with his entourage and reported everything he had seen and heard to the leaders on the mountain.

This is why the leaders are still arguing about how to deal with the troops below the mountain.

Inside the council hall, the lights were on, and the seven leaders stood on the left and right, each sticking to their own opinion and arguing endlessly.

"What can two hundred soldiers do, even if they are well-trained? Can they compare to our hundreds of brothers from Flying Dragon Mountain?" A burly man with a dark complexion and a thick beard shouted, waving his fist and speaking with disdain.

"Sixth Brother is right!" another leader immediately stood up and echoed. "They're only two hundred men, and they don't even have cavalry. If we, the Flying Dragon Mountain forces, send out hundreds of men to fight them head-on, we'll surely crush them completely. Why bother with a sneaky night raid!"

At this point, he deliberately glanced provocatively at Cheng Niu'er across from him, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Cheng Niu'er was already seething with anger because of the defeat at Mangniu Mountain. Now that he was being provoked in public, he immediately stood up and shouted angrily, his eyes wide open, burning with rage.

"A stray dog ​​like you dares to make a racket here?" the leader retorted without backing down.

"You!" Cheng Niu'er's face turned red, and he clenched his fists, ready to step forward and fight the leader. The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.

As the farce escalated, the leader, seated in the main seat, finally lost his temper, slammed his hand on his chair, and roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

In an instant, the hall fell completely silent!

The leaders all straightened up, quickly composed themselves, and sat properly in their chairs, no one daring to say another word.

The chieftain, his face grim, surveyed the crowd before finally fixing his gaze on Chief Wu. He asked in a deep voice, "Chief Wu, you have come down the mountain and witnessed the soldiers there. In your opinion, what should we do now?"

"I believe we should send troops as soon as possible to crush this group of government soldiers!" Chief Wu immediately stood up, his face solemn, and replied in a deep voice.

Seeing that the chieftain remained silent, seemingly hesitant, Chief Wu stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and urged urgently, "Chieftain! You must not delay!"

"If we allow Zhao Xian to continue training his troops at the foot of the mountain, and his soldiers grow stronger and more capable, then Flying Dragon Mountain will face annihilation!"

"Bang!" As soon as these words were spoken, a burly figure slammed his hand on the table in front of him and stood up abruptly. "Wu Jian! How could a mere two hundred soldiers put my Flying Dragon Mountain in danger of collapse!"

"What my second brother says is absolutely right!"

Another leader chimed in, his face showing utter disdain.

Seeing that the hall was about to descend into another argument, Chief Wu hurriedly looked at the chief and said solemnly, "Chief, why don't we send one or two chiefs to probe the situation tonight?"

"Another night raid!"

Unexpectedly, the leader who had just spoken immediately let out a cold laugh.

"Chief, urgent report!"

Suddenly, a figure holding a letter high rushed into the hall.

Upon seeing this, the leaders immediately stopped talking and looked at the newcomer.

"Bring it here!"

Upon seeing a chicken feather stuck to the letter, the leader's expression immediately turned serious, and he shouted.

Immediately, a close attendant stepped forward, took the letter, and then presented it to the table.

Picking up the letter, the chief glanced at the signature, then opened it and examined it closely.

"Bang!"

The table in front of him suddenly exploded and shattered!

Countless pieces of wood shot and flew in all directions!

But all they saw was the chieftain holding a letter, his face ashen.

"Chief, who sent the letter? What does it say?"

Seeing this, the leaders exchanged glances, and the burly man sitting to the right of the chief immediately asked.

"A letter from Zhang Bao of Qinghe Township reports that a new troop of elite cavalry has appeared in Ronghuai County in recent days!"

"Swift as the wind, fierce as fire, wherever they go, all bandits, large and small, are annihilated!"

"In just five or six days, more than ten groups of bandits have been brutally murdered by this cavalry!"

Looking around at the several leaders in front of him, the chief leader said with a gloomy expression.

"Such a thing has happened?!" The second leader of Flying Dragon Mountain, on the lower right, was immediately shocked. He then pressed for details, asking, "Does Zhang Bao know who did this?"

"This cavalry unit is coming on strong; Zhang Bao has no idea where they're from!"

The chieftain shook his head and said in a solemn voice.

"Chief Cheng!" Suddenly, the scholar in the blue robe turned to look at Cheng Niu'er at the very back, a solemn expression on his face. "Does Zhao Xian have any cavalry?"

Upon hearing this, all the leaders, including the chief, looked at Cheng Niu'er.

Feeling the sharp gazes of the crowd, Cheng Niu'er trembled and hurriedly said, "I was in charge of attacking the rear supply train that night, so I didn't see any cavalry!"

"However, there's a good amount of fodder among the supplies!"

"Chief!" The scholar in the blue robe turned to look at the chief, "These must be cavalrymen sent by Zhao Xian!"

"He left behind a feint in Dongzhu Township, while secretly dispatching his cavalry to sweep through the entire county!"

"Aside from our Flying Dragon Mountain bandits and the elusive Zhuhe bandits, which other gang in the county could possibly be their match for these dozens of cavalrymen?"

At this point, the scholar in the blue robe looked around at the other leaders and shouted, "What if only my Flying Dragon Mountain remains in Ronghuai County? What then!"

"Whoosh!"

Upon hearing this, the leaders all stood up abruptly, their faces turning ashen!

"Chief, we cannot allow that cavalry to slaughter us so wantonly!"

"Chief, let's lead the brothers down the mountain!"

The crowd was in high spirits and spoke urgently.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down. The leader looked around at everyone, his expression now normal, and said calmly, "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit!"

"A night raid is not a fair and square method!" Having said this, the leader glanced at Cheng Niu'er, paused, and continued, "Send a message to the brothers in the mountains: leave the mountains tomorrow morning and head straight for Dongzhu Township!"

"We must utterly crush Zhao Xian's troops in one fell swoop!"

"As you command, Chief!"

The leaders all responded in unison with a resounding roar!

"Chief, since we're going down the mountain to fight tomorrow, how about tonight~"

Suddenly, a thin leader smiled sinisterly.

"Open the cellar to get the wine, slaughter the cow and cook the meat, then boil some spirit rice porridge!"

"Let the brothers have a good meal and drink!"

Upon hearing this, the leader immediately shouted in a deep voice.

"Thank you, Chief!"

The leaders shouted in unison once again.

After discussing for a while, everyone got up to take their leave.

Before long, only the chief remained in the council hall.

"Zhao Xian!"

After a moment of contemplation, the leader looked outside the hall, a ruthless glint in his eyes!

On the other side, after leaving the council hall, the leaders went their separate ways.

After all, they all had close brothers by their side, and their bandits were stationed in different areas, so they would not gather together.

This is also to put the big boss at ease!

Cheng Niu'er, as a newly arrived leader, seems to be valued by the big leader, but in reality, he is stationed in the most remote area.

After many twists and turns, Cheng Niuji finally returned to his barracks.

Night had fallen, and the mountains were quite cool. Several bandits on night watch, carrying long spears, kept plunging their heads down like chickens pecking at rice.

"Snapped!"

Seeing this, Cheng Niu'er was furious and immediately slapped the nearest bandit.

"If you dare to oversleep again, your grandfather will break your heads!"

With a sharp shout, Cheng Niu'er pushed open the door and entered the barracks. As soon as he closed the door, his expression turned cold.

The candlelight flickered, and Cheng Niu'er's face was filled with uncertain emotions!

The envoy ordered him to lead his people to Flying Dragon Mountain, and he has now safely ascended the mountain.

But the fact that Feilong Mountain plans to launch a full-scale attack on Zhao Xian tomorrow is truly beyond his expectations!

"I wonder if the deployment of troops from Flying Dragon Mountain was within the expectations of the envoys!"

"Or should we send a message to the envoy?"

Upon thinking of this, Cheng Niu'er's face also showed a hint of interest!

"Da da~"

Just then, a knock on the door startled Cheng Niu'er from her reverie.

"Who's outside?"

Looking outside, Cheng Niu'er shouted in a deep voice.

"Chief Cheng, I'm from the kitchen, bringing wine and meat for the brothers!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Niu'er immediately got up and walked outside.

Upon exiting the room, they saw a thin man waiting respectfully outside.

"Distribute these to my brothers!"

After glancing at the wine and meat behind the man, Cheng Niu'er naturally gave his orders.

"I will obey Chief Cheng's orders!"

The gaunt man bowed again, then turned and directed his servants to begin unloading the wine and meat.

At the same time, bandits from the surrounding area also swarmed in!

"Send a message? How do I send a message?"

"I'm afraid that before the news even spreads beyond Flying Dragon Mountain, that bastard will have chopped off my head!"

Thinking to himself, Cheng Niu'er waved to his close servants to fetch some wine and bring it inside.

When a person dies, their eggs face the sky; if they don't die, they'll live for ten thousand years!

If you're going to do it, at least do it well enough to die a full-bodied bastard!

The next morning, as dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

The bugle call had already sounded in the camp, and the sleeping soldiers naturally got up and followed behind the squad leaders and sergeants, preparing to line up and practice their boxing.

Before long, all the teams had assembled and began practicing each move under Zhao Xian's guidance.

By the time the ten repetitions of the boxing technique were completed, the sun had already risen in the east.

After breakfast and a short rest, the soldiers lined up again to practice their weapons!

Meanwhile, in the camp behind the military tent, several auxiliary soldiers were gathered around several cooking stoves, adding water and firewood.

The rich aroma of medicinal soup lingered in the air above the campsite for a long time.

Everything was in perfect order.

Meanwhile, outside Feilong Mountain, groups of bandits walked along the country roads, shouting and yelling, showing off their power!

Wherever he went, pavilions and houses closed their doors, and pedestrians fled in panic!

Fortunately, the bandits' target today was only Zhao Xian, and they did not harm the villages they passed through.

"Quickly, hurry to the village pavilion and report that the bandits of Feilong Mountain have come down the mountain!"

A decisive village headman, upon seeing the black flag fluttering in the distance, immediately dispatched his soldiers on horseback to the village to deliver the message!

As for himself, he kept the doors and windows tightly shut and ignored the bandits passing by his pavilion!

Sending messages to the village and protecting one's own life—these actions are perfectly justifiable!

At 3:45 AM, a rider came from the west and galloped to the camp gate.

"The bandits of Flying Dragon Mountain have come down the mountain!"

"The bandits of Flying Dragon Mountain have come down the mountain!"

The guard tightened the reins, and the horse galloped for more than ten paces before finally managing to stop, but it couldn't help but rear up and neigh.

"Go and issue a notice immediately!"

The soldier on horseback roared at the guards outside the camp gate, then turned his horse around and galloped towards the village.

"Bandits from Flying Dragon Mountain?"

"You all stay here and guard the camp gate. I'll go and inform the commander!"

The squad leader on duty outside the camp gate immediately changed his expression, gave a few instructions, and then turned and hurried into the camp!

A moment later, a furious roar echoed through the camp: "All teams, disperse and prepare for battle!"

"Team Leader Zhao, immediately bring over the freshly brewed tonic soup and distribute it to the soldiers in each unit!"

On the earthen platform, Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Ze behind him and gave instructions.

"Liu Ping, go to Fellow Daoist Chen immediately and see if he has any more elixirs to replenish your strength."

"If there are any left over, distribute them immediately to the team leaders!"

"promise!"

Liu Ping responded with a shout, then turned and left.

"Liu Sheng, immediately take a few soldiers to the rear and retrieve all the arrows, then distribute them to the archers!"

"promise!"

"Both platoon leaders, go and reassure the soldiers!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Zheng bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

In the blink of an eye, only Zhao Xian remained on the earthen platform.

Looking around the camp, one could see soldiers from various units inspecting their weapons in an orderly manner, with some soldiers even showing a hint of excitement on their faces!

"The morale of the troops is high!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yan and Song Ming behind him were also very satisfied.

Before long, all the soldiers in each unit were ready.

The sun was blazing, and the heat was unbearable.

Moreover, there couldn't be any trees blocking the view inside or outside the camp, so there was no way to get shade.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately took out an exquisite spirit-suppressing wooden box from his storage bag and handed it to Zhao Zheng, who was standing to the side.

"This place is full of cooling talismans!"

"One copy for each military officer of every rank!"

The cooling talismans inside the box were made by Zhao Xian himself, and there weren't many of them. It was impossible to distribute one to every soldier!

We can only prioritize the military officers at all levels.

Time passed slowly, and panicked shouts echoed along the official road.

Zhao Xian sat atop the high platform, gazing into the distance. He could only see dust billowing and figures appearing and disappearing in the mist.

As the bandits drew closer, a closer look revealed a dense, multitude-like mass of hundreds of people!

"These bandits even have a flag?!"

Looking at the black flag flying high among the bandits, Song Ming said with considerable surprise.

"Feilong Mountain is now considered the biggest bandit stronghold in Ronghuai County!"

Zhao Xian nodded slightly and said with a smile.

Meanwhile, within the bandit group, several leaders, surrounding their chief leader, were also looking towards the camp.

Upon seeing the wooden fence, barricades, and deer fortifications outside the camp, the leaders' expressions became quite solemn.

"These soldiers look quite professional!"

"I wonder if it's just for show!"

One of the ruthless bandits shouted.

"Chief Cheng, you've fought these government soldiers before, so you'll lead the charge!"