My lord, spare his life!

The devastating news plunged the air into a deathly silence.

Sun Ban steadied herself, forcibly suppressing the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind. Although she didn't look up, she knew all eyes were on her, waiting for her next move. Sun Ban lowered her eyelids, not letting anyone glimpse her true emotions.

"How many of the thieves split up?"

Her troops were not the only ones stationed at the granary.

With such tight security, how many troops would the bandits need to send to breach the granary? Could it be that their allies have secretly betrayed them, just like Wang Ba did? But what good would that do them?

Wang Ba's territory was in Dongxian, and his secret plot with Zhang was profitable. However, the assets of several people in Hu County were in the mountains, which conflicted with Zhang's interests. From Chesi County to Zongren County, Sun Ban could see that Zhang Yang had no interest in cooperating and coexisting with others. What he wanted was absolute possession and control over all the powers within the counties. He would never delegate power to the local powerful clans.

They wanted to continue acting as local tyrants under Zhang Yang, but that was unlikely. Sun Ban frowned, pondering the key point.

"About two hundred people?"

Sun Ban stared in shock and disbelief, his emotions finally showing. Like the others, he instinctively leaned forward in astonishment: "Are you sure it's over two hundred people? Not over twenty thousand?"

Even with over 20,000 people attacking the granary, it would be quite a challenge.

Not to mention there were only two hundred or so people.

More than two hundred men couldn't even cross the heavily guarded city walls and deep moats, let alone attack the granary, which was heavily guarded.

Sun Ban's heart pounded wildly, his face turning ashen: "Damn it! You're saying that Zhang the traitor only sent a mere two hundred men to capture a city defended by over ten thousand of your troops? You couldn't have done that even against ten thousand pigs, let alone ten thousand men!"

These people are worse than pigs!

Sun Ban's words were really harsh.

However, everyone was understanding towards her, because they were even angrier.

They originally planned to withdraw their troops and rest in the city where the granary was located before making further plans, but they received absurd and terrible news on the way.

The messenger, with a mournful face, revealed the truth.

These two hundred-plus people sneaked into the city under the cover of a torrential downpour, using the moat system. They didn't kill any enemies; their only purpose was to create disturbances and damage the floodgates, allowing rainwater to soak the grain. The garrison braved the heavy rain to salvage the situation. The soaked grain was still edible for a short time, but it would mold and rot eventually, becoming unusable…

Sun Ban clenched his fists, suppressing his anger.

"My lord, the most urgent thing is to get there first, and then make further plans. We need to assess the losses before we can take the next step."

"This is the only option for now." They hadn't taken much supplies with them when they retreated, and they desperately needed to replenish them. These remaining troops had nowhere to stay, making them extremely vulnerable to being discovered by Zhang's spies and scouts.

Sun Banqiang roused himself and mounted his horse.

The crowd followed in silence.

Although they didn't say it aloud, they knew that their remaining forces were no match for Zhang Yang's main force. Yesterday, in order to cover the retreat and delay the enemy, they had lost a significant amount of combat power, forced to abandon several thousand elite troops and choose relatively weak points for breakthrough. In other words, the only way to turn the tide was to attack the enemy's supplies—the easiest method. But where were Zhang Yang's supplies?

Zhang Boyuan also has quite a few men.

Every person, every horse, has a mouth.

The daily consumption adds up to a considerable amount.

Whether it was military transport or something else, the target was extremely large. As a result, after searching for so long, our scouts still couldn't find the grain transport route, let alone any trace of Zhang Yang forcibly conscripting cooks to transport grain in the area; there wasn't a single clue.

It's a real prickly hedgehog.

The remaining troops, demoralized, moved toward their destination.

Some people, when they're down on their luck, find even drinking water a struggle, while others, when they're on a winning streak, are blessed with good fortune, and military achievements seem to fall into their laps. This saying perfectly describes Sun Ban and Guan Zong.

Guan Zong pulled off a major heist and escaped unscathed; it was impossible for him not to be in a good mood. On his way back, scouts who had been lurking underwater discovered the tracks of a remnant force first.

"How many people? Whose flag are they flying?"

"The Sun family's banner has roughly two or three thousand men." But this number is not accurate, it's just a rough estimate, and there could be more. The scout said, "These men are very vigilant. I wonder where they suffered a defeat, and their morale is low."

He dared not get too close, nor dared to look too closely, for fear of being discovered. He hid in the water to observe, and only came ashore after the other person had been gone for a long time.

The scouts carefully investigated and found the buried cesspool.

Judging from the scale of these latrines and the condition of the feces, the body of this remnant seems to be slightly inflamed.

Guan Zong laughed and scolded, "You're so naive, you don't believe me. In this mountain area, whose family could they possibly lose to? Naturally, it's ours. So they really did get a good beating from Xiao Xiuying and the others, which is quite an insult."

The scout scratched his head and chuckled.

Winning a battle means receiving a larger reward later.

Guan Zong spat out the grass in his mouth, his eyes darting around as he considered what he could do. However, his side only had a little over two hundred men, all skilled in water combat but no match for land combat; going up there would be suicide.

But if he didn't do something after encountering him, how could he show that Guan Zong was loyal and capable? Even if he couldn't do anything to Sun Ban, as long as his lord knew that he had tried his best, how could he not value him?

Sometimes, seeing that working hard and working hard both earn the same impression points, Guan Zong is happy to be the former.

He instantly had an idea and beckoned, "Come here."

Since these people are so agitated, let's cool them down.

Add some water poison to the other person's drinking water.

"Whether it's edema or diarrhea, let's teach them a lesson." The two hundred-plus men under Guan Zong's command were all carefully selected by Xiao Sui and her team, each specializing in their own field.

The scout said, "Hehe, I'll do whatever the general says."

The food was heavily guarded, making it difficult to tamper with; Guan Zong's men couldn't infiltrate. However, the drinking water was different; this remnant force had to send people outside to fetch water. This made it much easier for Guan Zong's men to tamper with it.

"Report—"

Sun Ban tidied himself up, and instead of looking as disheveled as when he first escaped, he exuded a broken and melancholic air.

"Speak, what is it?"

Thirty-four people suffered from persistent diarrhea and vomiting.

During marches, soldiers couldn't just relieve themselves anywhere if they had an upset stomach. While the specifics of this practice varied among different warlords, the general logic remained the same. If a soldier had diarrhea and couldn't hold it in any longer, he had to report it, registering his name and the time, and then two men would accompany him. If a soldier deserted under the pretext of needing to relieve himself, his entire squad and platoon would be implicated, even facing execution under military law. Under such rules, soldiers generally held their urine if possible.

Thirty-four people suffering from diarrhea and vomiting is no small matter.

"What kind of problem did you check?"

Sun Ban frowned, fearing that an epidemic might have broken out among the soldiers. An outbreak would be a further blow to her already dire situation, given the lack of medical supplies. Therefore, she had no choice but to resort to the most ruthless method.

"They must have eaten something unclean."

"It's better to have an upset stomach than to be sick. Let them rest here until they've recovered a bit before catching up," Sun Ban decided after a moment's thought. This decision was considered merciful by some warlord leaders. These burdens couldn't be carried around; keeping them would expose intelligence, so some would simply kill them without hesitation.

"Yes, ma'am."

They initially thought only thirty-odd people had diarrhea and vomiting, but in less than half an hour, over a hundred more had joined the problem. Sun Ban realized the seriousness of the situation and ordered a thorough investigation of the food, but the food was found to be safe. The few items that had been soaked in rainwater hadn't had time to mold or rot, and were perfectly safe to eat after washing. Even if someone had poisoned the food, the soldiers shared it, so only those from the same pot were poisoned.

Sun Ban had someone cook another pot.

She ate it herself and experienced no discomfort.

"Since it's not a food issue, it must be the water. Where did you get the water from?" Sun Ban didn't immediately suspect someone had poisoned the water source; they were getting running water. If there was anything wrong with the water, it was most likely that it was mixed with human and animal waste, causing diarrhea and vomiting if accidentally ingested. "Is there any left?"

The soldier brought a water bag.

The water bladder contained the water from the previous meal.

The military doctor took a small sip and his expression suddenly changed. "It's water poisoning," he said.

Someone poisoned the water!

This water poison originates from the malevolent spirits associated with water ghosts, and is considered the most filthy substance in the water. Strictly speaking, it cannot be considered a poison, but rather a kind of impure, yin energy. It has a remarkable effect upon contact with the filth of the human intestines, causing violent intestinal peristalsis.

Sun Ban's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he felt a strong sense of suffocation and crisis: "The thieves are chasing us?"

Did they secretly poison the water source?

How could the soldiers fetching water be completely unaware?

If she hadn't drunk different water than the soldiers, would the poison have entered her mouth so silently? The fact that the enemy used this water poison instead of potent poison is certainly a provocation.

The military doctor examined Sun Ban's pulse but found no signs of water poisoning.

This did not reassure Sun Ban.

In the past half day, so many people suffered from diarrhea and vomiting that Sun Ban could not keep them all in place—he said he would let them rest and catch up later, but in this situation, most soldiers deserted.

She had no choice but to stop and rest on the spot.

Strengthen vigilance and do not allow any suspicious persons to approach. If anyone does, whether they are enemies or woodcutters from the mountains, kill them all.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

Guan Zong ordered his men to keep a close watch from a distance, but finding no opportunity to strike, he scoffed in boredom, "This woman is really stingy. She only drugged a few hundred people, and she's already so wary of me."

"General, what should we do now?"

"What should we do? Of course, we should go back and claim credit!"

Only a fool would continue to wait for an opening if there's no opportunity to strike; the effort isn't worth the reward. Guan Zong isn't the type to keep a low profile after making a great contribution; he not only wants to boast, but he wants to boast everywhere, so that even a passing dog knows what he did.

"Eh!"

Guan Zong left with his men.

But this caused Sun Ban to be on edge for two days because of him.

Guan Zong informed Zhang Yang through Zhang Daji, and with Zhang Daji's help, he knew where Zhang Yang's army was and successfully rendezvoused with them.

I saw many unfamiliar faces along the way.

Guan Zong mentally calculated how many soldiers Zhang Yang had captured this time, and whether he could negotiate for more. After all, he was addressed as a general, and how could a general not have soldiers under his command? The more soldiers a general had, the more prestigious he was. He walked with lightning speed, afraid that if he slowed down even a step, the benefits would be divided up by his unscrupulous colleagues.

"stop!"

Guan Zong was stopped by someone.

He said impatiently, "Who's the blind fool?"

He turned his head and saw a ghost.

Seeing Wang Hongtu's face in broad daylight at his own camp was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight! Guan Zong tensed up instantly, wary of Wang Ba suddenly launching an attack, but fortunately Wang Ba didn't.

Wang Ba merely sized up Guan Zong, who looked travel-worn, a hint of doubt in his eyes, his brows furrowing in confusion. Guan Zong then remembered that he still looked like a young boy, not the way Wang Ba remembered him.

I might be able to fool myself.

Guan Zonggang's idea was nipped in the bud by reality.

Wang Ba said with disgust, "What happened to you? How did you end up like this?"

This guy was incredibly flamboyant; he wasn't even wearing his clothes properly. His shirt was wide open, revealing large expanses of tanned skin, his chest muscles clearly defined, the lines subtly visible, his body's contours taut and fluid. The cuffs were folded up above his elbows, revealing clearly defined, thin muscles.

And that face—

"You scoundrel, who did you try to possess?"

"Bullshit! I was born this way, what do you mean by possession?" Guan Zong was furious. Wang Ba was a complete scoundrel!

You didn't used to look like this.

"I wasn't born this old." He also had a vibrant and beautiful youth, though his bloom was short-lived, but when he did bloom, he was breathtakingly beautiful.

Wang Ba's gaze lingered on Guan Zong's face for a moment.

And you know what—

Guan Zong's youthful appearance does bear some resemblance to Guan Si, meaning his looks are above average. Although he's older, he still looks incredibly young.

Wang Ba frowned.

Guan Siyao was using his elder brother to vie for favor...

He felt that his son was under a lot of pressure.

Guan Zong: "What's with that expression?"

"If you're going to dress properly, then dress properly. This sleazy, vulgar way of putting on airs looks undignified. You may be shameless, but Zhang Jun is. You have to think about her eyes; why force her to look at an old hag like you?"

Guan Zong: "...Am I putting on airs?"

This was the first time in his entire life that he had used this word to describe him.

Wang Ba commented: "He strikes poses and acts coquettishly."

Enraged, Guan Zong gripped his clothes tightly with both hands, his teeth grinding together as he cursed, "You damned bastard, one day I'll tear your shell apart, tear you apart by five horses, and boil you into soup!"

Wang Ba was satisfied with the other party's actions; not only was his chest covered, but his neck was also firmly covered, making him look much more pleasing to the eye.

He sneered, "You think you have that chance?"

That bastard only knows how to talk big. Guessing that Guan Zong was going to see Zhang Yang, Wang Ba pointed him in the right direction: "Get lost there."

When Guan Zong arrived, Zhang Yang was throwing people in the martial arts training ground.

A figure far larger and taller than Zhang Yang was being tossed around like a punching bag by her. The figure was persistent, being thrown around again and again, yet still getting up like a wild beast, roaring as it charged at Zhang Yang. Guan Zong watched for a while and noticed something strange.

The sandbag that was thrown down—

Why is there a noticeable red mark around the other person's neck?

Looking at this person again, his eyes were bloodshot like a wild beast's, his breathing was rough, his steps were heavy, and his movements were completely haphazard, possessing only brute strength.

"Who is this person?"

"It came back to life yesterday."

? ?|??w?`)

Old Guan and Wang Qi are currently the two most generous people. The more generous they are, the more conservative and stingy Guan Si becomes. Wang Qi is a complete savage, disliking clothing. Old Guan, on the other hand, takes advantage of his age and does whatever he wants.