Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chen You arrived at Luo Hu Mountain with the others and observed that the mountain was easy to defend but difficult to attack. If they attempted a forced entry, it would likely result in countless casualties.
"Miss Li, although I have not studied military strategy, I believe you can see that this place is easy to defend and hard to attack. A direct assault is certainly not a wise choice," Chen You said, looking at the figure in black.
"There’s no need to call me 'Miss' all the time; my name is Li Yushuang. Just call me by my name. Luo Hu Mountain has steep cliffs and is indeed a place that is easy to defend and hard to attack," the figure, who was indeed Li Yushuang, replied.
At this moment, Li Yushuang furrowed her brow, realizing that the situation was much more challenging than she had anticipated. However, the doctrines of the Black Lotus Society were clear, and since this person was also a formal member of the society, they had to complete this task no matter what. As she pondered over strategies to confront the enemy, she listened intently.
"Miss Li, I suggest you hold your main forces back for now but arrange them in formation to intimidate the bandits inside the stronghold," Chen You proposed again.
"Arranging a formation? What good would that do? This place is already easy to defend and hard to attack; if we spread our forces without concentrating our strength on one point, it will be even harder to break through," Li Yushuang replied, puzzled by his suggestion and looking down on him even more.
Chen You remained calm. "Do you know of the ancient sage Zhang Yide? With one shout at Changban Slope, he repelled an army of three hundred thousand? Now Miss Li needs to create confusion so that the bandits inside cannot discern reality from illusion."
"If we arrange our forces, even if we appear to be only one or two hundred people on the surface, those bandits will surely not believe it. Thus, they will hesitate to act rashly. This will also increase my chances of successfully infiltrating the stronghold."
Upon hearing this, Li Yushuang found his method plausible and was about to speak when she suddenly realized something.
"What did you just say? You want to infiltrate the stronghold?"
Li Yushuang's eyes widened as she looked at this oblivious scholar before her.
"Without infiltrating the stronghold and relying solely on a direct assault, we would likely suffer significant losses. I am a believer in Buddhism and do not wish for too many of our Black Lotus Society comrades to perish here," Chen You said while feigning a self-sacrificing demeanor.
Although Li Yushuang questioned Chen You's abilities, she was touched by his sincerity.
Though his strength might not be impressive, he did possess a good heart and some determination.
"However..."
"What's the matter?" Li Yushuang looked at Chen You.
"You all need to stage a few frontal feints. It's best to set up a show of force while actually conserving your strength. Just arrange for a few of your men to occasionally harass them, while the rest can rest. It will be at night when we officially launch our attack."
Li Yushuang carefully considered the feasibility of this plan and, after confirming its practicality multiple times, accepted the suggestion.
Thus, the members of the Black Lotus Society arrived at the entrance of the Luo Hu Gang, forming a line about a hundred meters from the gate, with a dense forest behind them.
They set up tents close to the edge of the forest, making it appear to any uninformed observer as if thousands of elite soldiers had come to their doorstep.
The Sentinel at the gate quickly reported this situation, and after several rounds of communication, the news reached Kau Shanhu's ears.
"What? You say there are thousands of soldiers camped outside? How is that possible? Go check again!"
Kau Shanhu's roar echoed throughout the meeting hall. The people inside became increasingly restless upon hearing the news; they had already gathered there, but no one dared to provoke Kau Shanhu at that moment.
Cong Yunhu, the second-in-command of the Luo Hu Gang, spoke first. "Boss, I think these are most likely the county's official troops coming to hunt us down. In my opinion, as long as we have our lives, we don't need to worry about resources later. It's better to retreat."
The others chimed in, "Yes, Boss. With thousands of official soldiers, even ten of us wouldn't be enough to stand against them."
"Boss, I think we should retreat to the back mountain for now. We can come back once the soldiers have left."
As several people spoke one after another, Kau Shanhu grew increasingly irritated.
"Shut up! All you know how to do is run! We haven't even confirmed the situation ahead. If this information is wrong and I flee now, I'll just be a laughingstock. Besides, those people are definitely not official soldiers. I've been in this business for so many years; if the government didn't have some connections, I would have been taken down long ago."
Kau Shanhu looked at those advocating for retreat with great frustration. Even more troubling was that he began to suspect whether that official had already considered him expendable.
With his expression shifting between anger and contemplation, Kau Shanhu ultimately decided to go take a look himself.
Upon reaching the entrance of the camp, he clearly saw the tents set up before him and was taken aback.
Thus, the people of Luo Hu gang were anxious, while the members of the Black Lotus Society only occasionally sent a few individuals to shoot arrows, with no other actions taken.
Finally, after waiting until evening, the Sentinel guarding the gate felt a bit more at ease. After all, the soldiers would not choose to attack the village at night.
At that moment, he saw a few people walking out in front of the village. Were they coming to shoot arrows again? He really didn't understand what good that would do.
The Sentinel looked disdainfully at the members of the Black Lotus Society below the fortress.
Wait, something was off; there seemed to be more people than before. No, this was an attack!
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The Sentinel immediately sounded the gongs and drums that signaled an enemy attack. After a moment of chaos, the people of Luo Hu gang gathered at the entrance of the fortress.
The members of the Black Lotus Society finally arranged themselves and prepared for a feigned attack. Although it was said to be a feigned attack, if Li Yushuang could find an opportunity for a strong assault, she would not let it go.
At this moment, Kau Shanhu saw the members of the Black Lotus Society and gritted his teeth, saying, “Not soldiers! Brothers, kill them!”
“Brothers, charge with me!” Li Yushuang shouted.
Then, the bandits and the Black Lotus Society clashed together.
At this time, Chen You had already taken advantage of the night to sneak up beside the fortress, accompanied by a dozen skilled members of the Black Lotus Society.
After exchanging glances with Jiang Baihe, the latter leaped over the fortress with Chen You and entered the village.
Inside the village at this moment were only seven or eight elderly and infirm individuals acting as Sentinels. Unfortunately, due to the thick darkness, no one noticed Chen You and his companions' infiltration.
Arriving at an open area, Luo Hu gang covered a considerable area. After a brief discussion among Chen You and the others, they decided to split up and act independently.
At this moment, the Black Lotus Society was engaged in fierce combat with the bandits of Luo Hu gang. Li Yushuang, who initially planned a feigned attack, decided to switch to a full-on assault after realizing that the bandits were of average strength. Although the Luo Hu gang bandits were not particularly strong, they fought fiercely and without fear of death, resulting in a back-and-forth battle.
Chen You cautiously made his way through the area and soon arrived at a courtyard. The red bricks and green tiles were out of place compared to the wooden houses typical of Luo Hu gang. Moreover, there were only a few bandits guarding this location, indicating that it was not an ordinary place.
After receiving Chen You's signal, Jiang Baihe swiftly eliminated four bandits in a flash and pushed open the door. Upon entering, Chen You immediately spotted Yi Tsuhua, bound and restrained.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared that this place was specifically designed for pleasure, likely constructed by Kau Shanhu for training purposes.
Since being captured, Yi Tsuhua had already come to terms with her fate. Although she had hoped that the scholar would come to rescue her, she understood that he was too weak and never truly believed she would be saved. Perhaps he could find money to ransom her, but where would he find a thousand stones of grain?
Just as Yi Tsuhua was lost in thought, a figure appeared before her.
"Mr. Chen?"
Comment 0 Comment Count