Volume 1 Chushan Bandits Chapter 56: Avoid the Real and Attack the False
Although there were three more bandit scouts coming from behind, Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang also rode their horses to the nearby area and shot arrows repeatedly, forcing the enemy cavalry to be unable to get close to Xu Huai, while they went to Xu Huai to provide support.
Lutai Village is adjacent to Xiema Mountain, and they even pay tributes secretly every year to avoid harassment. Therefore, Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang are considered to be the best fighters among a hundred in Lutai Village, and the bandits in Xiema Mountain are all aware of this.
Of course, what frightened them even more was Xu Huai who rushed out and shot and killed one person and two others.
If Xu Huai was still out there alone, the bandits would certainly have surrounded and killed him. But now, in addition to the young man's bravery that was terrifying, there were also good men like Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang protecting him. There were also hundreds of soldiers from the tribe standing on the wall, and they were only a hundred or two hundred steps away from the river beach. How could they surround and kill him?
"You reckless guy, aren't you afraid of scaring us to death?" Xu Wukun cursed in fear.
Xu Wukun jumped off his horse and let Xu Huai, who had just fought hard, get on the horse. Seeing that the bandits did not dare to surround him, he led the horse and slowly retreated.
Those selected as scouts are all elite and cannot be equated with ordinary bandits; the armed farmhands in Lutai Village are about the same level.
Xu Huai rushed out alone, killing three people and injuring one in less than thirty breaths. The tribesmen on the village wall were of course excited.
Seeing this, Xu Wufu could only hold back his words of reprimanding Xu Huai for being reckless, and said to Pan Chenghu in a cold voice: "My Xu family has nothing to do with Xiema Mountain, but we will never be threatened by anyone. Today, Mr. Pan owes my Xu family a life, so you should pay me back with three lives!"
If he doesn't say so, what else can he say?
Speaking softly at this time might not necessarily save the dozens of detained tribesmen, but would instead make other tribesmen look down on him.
In the past, Yuhuangling had been kidnapped and extorted for countless times by thieves. Among the family heads of all generations, there were many who refused to surrender and were willing to fight to the death with the thieves.
The fact that the Xu family was able to gain a foothold in Tongbai Mountain was definitely not due to their constant tolerance.
If Xu Huai was captured or killed by the enemy soldiers, Xu Wufu could still scold him for being reckless, stupid and causing trouble.
However, Xu Huai killed three people in a row, and anyone with a discerning eye was frightened by the enemy soldiers, while the morale of his own soldiers was high. How stupid must Xu Wufu be to blame him at this critical moment?
If we want to blame someone, we have to wait until Pan Chenghu really goes on a killing spree and ends up killing dozens of captured members of the tribe.
Pan Chenghu, who was sitting on the horse, also felt a little silly at this moment.
He killed one person to establish his authority, and then threaten Xu Wufu with the lives of dozens of Xu clan members, forcing Xu Wujiang and others to withdraw from Jinshagou. At the same time, he demanded that the Xu clan give up building a new village on the east slope of Lion Camel Ridge and return to the previous state of non-interference.
He didn't even have time to utter a threatening word before three people on his side were killed.
What should he do?
He killed the dozen or so members of the Xu family who were captured by him. Should the two sides start a bloody battle directly, fighting to the death, or should they take a break first?
Damn it, how could the Xu family produce such a reckless person? Can you let me finish my threats before taking action?
Do I need to continue saying harsh words now?
…
…
"Let's go back now!"
After Xu Huai, surrounded by Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang, met up with seven stunned newbies, he saw that the Xiema bandits would continue to fight for a while, so he whispered to Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang.
Withdraw to Xinzhai and no longer care about the affairs here?
Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang were slightly stunned. Xu Huai had killed three people in a row, and there were still dozens of Xu family members in the hands of the thieves. Instead of waiting to see what decision Pan Chenghu would make next, they just withdrew now?
"The main force of the enemy troops is here, Xiema Mountain is empty!" Xu Huai explained in a low voice to Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang.
"..." There was a flash of ecstasy in Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang's eyes.
They had been bandits, and had fought in the army for several years before finally retreating back to Tongbai Mountain. Their hearts were hard.
Dozens of ordinary tribesmen fell into the hands of Pan Chenghu and his gang of thieves. They now had the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and seize Xiema Mountain in one fell swoop. Is there any need to ask what choice they would make?
It is hard to imagine that Xu Huai was only sixteen years old and had never experienced any war, but his mind was more iron-blooded and determined than theirs.
There was no existing road going south from Jinshagou to Xiemashan along the deep riverbed, so it was very difficult to force their way through. However, they and Xu Wujiang led more than 20 elite soldiers to catch the enemy at Xiemashan by surprise before the main force of the enemy troops could return for support, so they might have a chance to do so.
Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang also thought that this plan was feasible, so they immediately took their men back to the new village.
However, this scene made the bandits and village warriors in front of Qingliuxi Bridge dumbfounded.
What is this?
Pan Chenghu killed a member of the Xu clan, so Xu Wukun, Xu Wuliang and Xu Huai came with their men, retaliated, killed three bandits, and then just left?
The shit is all mixed up!
How can a stick be so irresponsible?
Pan Chenghu was even more embarrassed. He sent people to chase these people through the narrow area between Qingliu Creek and Lutai Village to make sure that there was no ambush on the east side of Lutai Village. Was it not a trap to trick him?
However, he said nothing, watched the reckless guy kill his three elite men, and just walked away without giving him a chance to say a harsh word. How would his brothers view him?
"well!"
Pan Chenghu wanted to stop the rascal, but he knew that it was impossible to reason with such a rascal. He mainly wanted to ask where his parents were.
Xu Wuqi frowned and looked at Xu Huai and his companions who were walking through the stone valley to the foot of Lion Camel Ridge. He whispered to Xu Wufu, "Pan Chenghu is hesitant, as if he is frightened by Xu Huai's recklessness. We may have a chance to buy Xu Zhen and his companions back!"
Xu Wufu's expression changed several times, and he raised his voice to Pan Chenghu and said, "Master Pan, you have come from afar, so I will definitely not be rude. I have already prepared 1,000 taels of silver and some wine and food. Please don't embarrass us, Master Pan. From now on, we are still friends, not enemies..."
…
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"What? We're going to attack Xiema Mountain through the Jinshagou Riverbank at this time?"
Xu Guanshan and Su Laochang stood on the cliff and looked at the battle just now. Although it was not very clear, they could still make out that Xu Huai killed three bandits in a row. However, they did not expect that they did not wait for the follow-up results. After rushing back, Xu Wukun immediately suggested to attack Xiema Mountain at this time.
Su Di's father, Su Laochang, was fine, he was just hesitant and weighing the options in his mind. However, Xu Xin'an's father, Xu Guanshan, used to make a living by farming and hunting in the village, and also did some odd jobs. The adventurous spirit in his heart had long since disappeared, and his faces were full of disbelief.
Xu Wuliang and Xu Wukun did not explain much to Xu Guanshan, and accompanied Xu Huai to the rear camp where Xu Wujiang was hiding. Liu Qionger also followed eagerly.
At this moment, he saw Xu Xin'an and Xu Sihu also hiding in the back camp. After asking, he learned that they were patrolling in the mountains before and heard the alarm bell. Not knowing what happened, they walked over to see what was going on.
Of course, they also found it incredible that they were rushing to Xiema Mountain at this time:
"There are no strong enemies around Xiema Mountain. Pan Chenghu thought that he could intimidate the Xu family by marching out with all his strength. It is indeed possible that there are no soldiers left in Xiema Mountain at this time. If we set out now, we will have a chance to take advantage of the opportunity and attack Xiema Mountain - but what is the point? When Pan Chenghu leads the bandits back, can we take over Xiema Mountain with our limited manpower?"
Xu Xin'an was still worried about his whereabouts being exposed, and said anxiously: "Once our whereabouts are exposed, will the prefecture and county sit idly by and do nothing?"
Their desertion from the army and their fall to bandits is a matter of reputation for the prefectures and counties - the prefectures and counties may turn a blind eye to some stubborn bandits in the mountains, but they are unlikely to let them go easily.
Of course, Xu Xin'an also felt that what Sihu said made sense. Pan Chenghu had 300 men, while they only had a few of them. If they took Xiema Mountain by surprise, they would have to give up and withdraw in the end. Why bother?
"A surprise attack on Xiema Mountain does not necessarily mean we have to seize it now. We should first burn Xiema Mountain to ashes, so that Pan Chenghu cannot gain a foothold there and is forced to find another place to stand. Then, Xiema Mountain will naturally become ours, right?" Liu Qiong'er was very thoughtful. She had followed all the way to the rear camp and had already figured out the key points to follow. She couldn't help but interrupt, "There is no need to worry about your whereabouts being exposed. Just go in with masks on, burn Xiema Mountain, and then withdraw. Who can point out that it was you who burned Xiema Mountain? When we seize Xiema Mountain in the future, we will have this dangerous place as our base and recruit soldiers. Why should we be afraid of our identities being exposed?"
Everyone looked at Liu Qiong'er, but they didn't expect that she, a woman of a romantic background, had a mind that was more insightful and resolute than most of the people present.
Xu Xin'an and Xu Sihu looked at Liu Qiong'er, wondering if this vicious plan was thought up by this woman from the beginning?
In their opinion, Xu Wukun and Xu Wuliang have more experience, but they are not necessarily smarter than them. Xu Huai’s brain has become clear, but when he heard from the front camp that he had just killed three bandits in front of Lutai Village, it doesn’t seem like he has suddenly turned into Zhuge Kongming?
Liu Qiong'er saved herself from talking too much, and covered her lips and said, "I'm just talking. After all, some members of the Xu family are still in Pan Chenghu's hands, and Pan Chenghu may vent his anger on Lutai Village in the future - you still have to consider these consequences carefully."
Xu Guanshan and others might still be indecisive, and they were really worried that Pan Chenghu would vent his anger on Lutai Village after seeing Xiema Mountain burned to ashes. But if Xu Wujiang and others were hesitant about everything, wouldn't they have decided to become bandits resolutely?
The surprise attack on Xiema Mountain and then setting it on fire made it impossible for Pan Chenghu's bandits to gain a foothold in Xiema Mountain. Even though their limited manpower would not allow them to occupy an area as large as Xiema Mountain in the future, it also solved the most pressing threat to the south of Jinshagou.
Otherwise, who knows whether Xu Wufu would take advantage of the trouble caused by the bandits in Xiema Mountain to incite his clansmen to do something to them?
"After you fight hard, do you have enough energy left to attack Xiema Mountain together?" Xu Wujiang made up his mind and asked Xu Huai.
"After this break, we can still fight again!"
Xu Huai used his shoulder as a hammer to knock the running horse over, and then killed a man with a stabbing move. This consumed a lot of energy, but when he rushed back, Xu Wukun helped him lead the horse, and he had already rested on the horse's back for a while.
Whether or not he could set fire to Xiema Mountain was crucial to his future success, so he couldn't be afraid of hard work at this critical juncture...
