Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

The iron ruler handle protruding from under the straw mat has already been seen.

His smile froze for a moment, and then he reached behind him.

Wu Yan took a step forward, his long sword thrusting horizontally towards Wu Yan's chest, pushing him back three steps until his back slammed against the wall.

The others rushed towards the windows on both sides, only to find two rows of archers already standing outside...

Short shouts and muffled thuds echoed from the courtyard.

Every time they entered a courtyard, several thieves were trapped inside.

Some tried to climb over the wall, but after climbing halfway, they were pushed down by strong young men outside the wall with carrying poles.

Some tried to storm the gate, but as soon as it opened, a row of archers outside had already drawn their bows.

Others were hidden in woodpiles and cellars, but were identified by villagers. Several strong young men went up and lifted the lids, and the people underneath could only surrender.

Wu Yan always walked at the front of the group. He entered three houses with courtyards, and there were several people in each house.

This time, he encountered fierce resistance. Wu Yan's eyes widened and he became murderous. In the midst of flashing swords, he killed two bandits and knocked the remaining one to the ground.

Seeing that there were formidable people in the house, Sun Jizu quickly grabbed his gun and went into the courtyard. A bandit picked up a stool and threw it at him, but he dodged it and flicked the stool with the tip of his gun, sending it flying far away. Before the bandit could run away, he was shot down by two archers.

The fighting grew louder, startling seven or eight people huddled in the backyard. They rushed out as soon as the door opened, clutching sickles, machetes, and sticks.

Sun Jizu blocked the doorway, and with a swift movement of his gun, he knocked the first person who rushed out to the ground.

The second and third pounced on them in quick succession.

He retracted his spear and thrust it back, the tip of which pierced the second man's shoulder, causing the man to fall backward.

The third man hesitated for a moment, but the gun barrel had already swept across the back of his knees, and he knelt down and never stood up again.

The bandits behind him were stunned by his three shots and stood at the back gate, unsure whether to go in or out.

Zhao Xie remained standing two steps behind Sun Jizu.

One hotheaded young man took advantage of the fact that Sun Jizu was being held up by three people, jumped down from the side wall, and went straight for Sun Jizu's back with a short knife in his hand.

Zhao Xie sidestepped and blocked, his sword sheath striking the man's wrist, sending the short sword flying out of his hand.

Without turning his head, Sun Jizu thrust the butt of his spear backward, striking the man squarely in the throat, killing him instantly.

Zhao Xie sheathed his sword and stood still, his eyelids twitching involuntarily.

The sky gradually brightened.

The small hill to the east was edged with gold, and the morning light shone down from the treetops, illuminating the tiled roofs and earthen walls of the courtyard.

The sounds of fighting and screams echoed through the village, eventually alerting the remaining bandits.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the direction of Zhuangwei, mixed with hoarse shouts.

More than twenty bandits rushed out, their clothes disheveled, some barefoot, some carrying only a wooden stick, desperately rushing towards the end of the village, trying to break out from there.

Outside was a small grove of trees. The morning light had not yet penetrated the woods, and the shadows of the trees were filled with people. When the bandits had rushed about thirty paces away, a short whistle suddenly rang out from the grove.

Twenty bows were drawn at the same time.

The sound of arrows piercing the air was particularly crisp in the morning breeze.

The first volley of arrows pierced the charging crowd, and the three men at the front fell to the ground without a sound.

The people behind paused, and the second volley of arrows arrived.

This volley was even more accurate, targeting those still charging forward.

Four or five more people fell down, some clutching their chests, others rolling on the ground clutching their legs.

The remaining people panicked.

They couldn't see how many archers were hidden in the woods, only the dense shadows of people among the trees. When the morning breeze blew, the bushes at the edge of the woods swayed slightly, revealing the outlines of row after row behind them.

At first glance, there are at least two or three hundred people.

"Oh no! An ambush!" someone shouted.

The bandits turned and fled, rushing back along the path they had come from. Seven or eight corpses were left behind at the end of the village, lying haphazardly on the grass, the fletchings of their arrows trembling slightly in the morning breeze.

The sounds of fighting in the front yard gradually subsided.

Sun Jizu wiped the bloodstains on the tip of his gun on the sole of his boot and looked up in the direction of Zhuangwei.

The absence of sounds of fierce fighting indicates that the bandits who were trying to escape have been frightened away.

He withdrew his gaze, glanced at the corpses lying haphazardly in the courtyard, and then looked at the houses in the village that had not yet been searched. "Take a headcount. Send the wounded to the back, and those who are not wounded can rest here for a while."

"Two teams of volunteers are dismantling nearby doors, bricks, ceramic jars, and other items to block the road! Quickly!"

His voice wasn't loud, but his unquestionable authority made everyone shudder and quickly get into their own actions.

The archers began to gather their weapons. Some squatted down to check their blades, some collected the arrows that could still be used, and some leaned against the wall, panting, their eyes showing a mixture of excitement and fear.

Wu Yan stood in the courtyard, his chest heaving, blood still dripping from the tip of his knife.

He didn't rest, but walked to the courtyard gate and looked into the depths of the manor, his brows furrowed. "Brother Sun, I'm afraid the remaining bandits have already been alerted."

Sun Jizu nodded.

He could hear noises coming from deep within: someone moving things to block the road, someone shouting orders, someone yelling and arguing, and the sound of metal clanging.

These sounds indicate one thing: the remaining bandits have not dispersed; they are regrouping.

"Approximately how many people are left?"

Zhao Xie walked over from under the eaves, his sword already sheathed, but his fingers were still on the hilt. "We shot back twenty or thirty people at the end of the village, and with the ones we cleared along the way, there are about a hundred left."

"A hundred or so people?" Sun Jizu read those three words aloud, his expression relaxing slightly.

A moment later he looked up at the sky, "They're about to charge."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a hoarse, furious shout came from deep within the manor.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of footsteps exploded out, as if an earthen wall had suddenly collapsed.

A hundred or so bandits poured out of the alley. They did not scatter and run away, but huddled together tightly. Those in front held up door panels as shields, while those behind held broadswords, axes, and sharpened bamboo spears.

There was no panic on their faces, and their eyes were frighteningly bright.

A desperate struggle!

Wu Yan took a step forward and stood in the middle of the alley.

He held his long sword horizontally in front of him, the reflection of the surging crowd on the blade.

Sun Jizu planted his gun on the ground, then forcefully swung his left hand. "The volunteers will split into two teams, left and right, using the wooden gate as cover to hold off any charge. The archers in the rear will split into two groups, hiding behind the courtyard wall. When the bandits get close, they will stand on higher ground and fire arrows!"

The archers quickly took their positions, drew new arrows from their quivers, and aimed the arrowheads at the approaching enemy.

Everyone held their breath.

The bandits' footsteps grew closer, accompanied by heavy breathing and suppressed curses.

A moment later, the first rank of bandits rushed to within fifty paces.

Wu Yan did not wait for them to crash into him.

He rushed towards the door panel.

The long sword slashed down diagonally from the upper right, the blade striking the door panel and sending wood chips flying.

The person behind the door was so shocked by the force that their hands went numb, and they loosened their grip, causing the door to tilt by half.

Wu Yan's second knife had already been inserted through the gap in the door panel, the tip of the knife piercing into the shoulder socket of the person behind the door panel, and then twisting violently.

The man screamed and let go, falling backward as the door panel crashed to the ground.

The bandits in the back row tripped over the fallen door panel, causing their formation to falter for a moment.

At that very moment, the archers standing on both sides of the courtyard wall released their arrows simultaneously.

The arrows pierced through from the side, specifically targeting the fierce bandits who charged at the front with their knives.

With three quick, swift sounds, three people fell to the ground simultaneously.

As the bandits' charge slowed, those behind stepped on the bodies of those in front to continue surging forward.