Hearing that there was still a way out, the five bandits all felt a glimmer of hope. They even felt that Dian Wei's face had become a little more amiable.
"Sir, we will tell you everything we know."
Dian Wei nodded slightly, squatted in front of the first bandit and asked:
"Which faction are you from? Why are you attacking us?"
The bandit furrowed his brows and fell into thought. However, Dian Wei did not give him a chance to think, and directly took out a short halberd from his waist and cut off his head with a swing.
The blood spurting from the neck sprayed on Dian Wei's body. Under the moonlight, his robe soaked in blood looked even more terrifying .
"Hesitating, are you thinking about how to deceive me?"
The bandits who just thought Dian Wei was amiable suddenly felt like he fell into a cold cellar. How could he be amiable? He was clearly a demon from hell!
Dian Wei smiled coldly. Of course, he did it on purpose. It was not only to deter this group of vicious bandits, but also to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.
Let them weigh their choices. They lie, they die. Then, he walked to the second bandit and squatted down. The second bandit was immediately frightened and did not dare to hesitate any more, and immediately said:
"We are the bandits on Xiangtang Mountain."
"The secret informant we placed near the Chidao said that there is a group of hungry people composed of old and young women and children who was defenseless"
"So under the leadership of the leader, we took advantage of the night to rob you."
Dian Wei sneered:
"Humph! Just robbery? Do you think I'm a fool? Be honest if you don't want to die!"
Another swing and another head were separated. When Dian Wei walked to the third bandit. The bandits' body trembled very much and loudly exclaimed:
"It's not robbery, it's not robbery, it's murder, we planned to kill you all!!"
Dian Wei continued to ask:
"Why do you want to kill us?"
The bandit hesitated.
Swish!
Another head flew.
The fourth bandit was almost scared to death but in order to survive. He still forced himself to talk.
"You, tell me."
"E-Eat! We want to eat people!"
The fourth bandit said with all his strength, "We don't know how to farm, so we ran out of food."
"The rich people are hiding in their castle, and we can't take it down for a long time."
"The hungry people on the road are poor, and there is no food for us to rob."
"So the leader took us to kill people and eat their flesh."
"A-And Extra human flesh can also be used as reserve food."
"We usually send secret spies to observe near the road, and then try to pick off the old and weak people to attack, they are the easiest to kill."
"E-Especially when we attack at night. "
As soon as he finished his words,the people around him instantly showed disgust. Eating human flesh...It's simply insane. Although there are always people who eat human flesh to survive in famine years, they would only do so after someone dies or they will eat their own children.
There are almost no such people who kill and eat people openly like this group of bandits.
"You! You heartless beast!!"
The old man Gao Ping also heard the bandit's words, and angrily stepped forward with his crutches and hit the bandit on the head with all his strength again and again.
Dang! Dang! Dang!!~
The bandit was knocked unconscious immediately but Dian Wei did not stop him.
It doesn't matter even if he dies, they had it coming anyway. Seeing Dian Wei slowly walking towards him, the body of the last bandit couldn't help but tremble.
He kept repeating:
"I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, I will definitely change my ways in the future, and I will turn over a new leaf!"
Dian Wei laughed, squatted down and asked:
"You have the same option, talk and I can consider letting you go."
The bandit nodded repeatedly:
"I will tell you everything I know."
Dian Wei asked: "How many people have you robbed and killed so far?"
"...M-More than 500 people!" said the bandit.
Hiss!Everyone present took a breath of cold air.These are more than 500 people!Not more than 500 chickens! How terrible! They have completely lost their humanity.
Dian Wei's eyes widened:
"How many people do you have in total? Who is the leader? Tell me clearly ! "
The bandits nodded:
"We have two leaders, more than a hundred people and fifty horses."
"This time, the secret spy found you first. Most of you are old, young, women and children, and have little resistance, so the leader personally brought half of the men and all the war horses to rob and kill you at night."
"The second leader took the remaining half of the people to stay in the village to guard."
As soon as the voice fell, Dian Wei looked at the Gao family. The Gao family was not stupid, and they immediately understood that they were the target of this group of bandits.
If it weren't for Dian Wei's help and the dry food biscuits... They would probably have all become dry bones on the ground by now.
Wait, no. With the degree of cruelty of this group of bandits. They would not even have their bones intact , but would be turned into soup.
"Dian Wei, we can't thank you enough. If there is any need in the future, our Gao family will follow you to the death."
Dian Wei waved his hand:
"It's okay. I'll always fight injustice. What's more, they are a group of extremely vicious bandits."
Then, Dian Wei asked the bandit:
"Where did you get these war horses?"
These bandits ride quite expensive horses. Any horse can be exchanged for several acres of high-quality farmland. They are just a group of bandits so where did they get so many excellent war horses?
And judging from their previous charge formation, this group of bandits certainly haven't rode a horse for long. Their riding skills are obviously not proficient.
The last bandit hurriedly said:
"These war horses were obtained by the lobbying of the second leader of our mountain."
Lobbying? Everyone present was puzzled.
Gao Ping stepped forward and asked Dian Wei:
"Dian Wei, can I ask him a few questions?"
Dian Wei nodded:
"No problem"
Gao Ping squatted down slowly with his cane and asked:
"You said you have two leaders. What are their names?"
The bandit said:
"Our big leader is called Wang Yue, but we don't know the name of the second leader."
Seeing Dian Wei's eyes narrowed, like he was gonna devour him, he quickly explained:
"We really don't know the name of the second leader. We usually call the second leader when we see him."
Gao Ping asked again:
"Do you remember what he looked like?"
The bandit nodded:
"I remember, our second leader is close to 7 feet tall with a sturdy body, but he always wears robes and a crown, and has a scholarly aura. He is about thirty or forty years old."
Gao Ping frowned slightly, and then asked again:
"Do you remember anything else?"
The bandit quickly searched his memory and said:
"I remember that the big leader is always very respectful when he sees the second leader. Sometimes he calls the second leader Mr. "
"Also, the second leader is often not in the mountain village, and always comes back after being away for a while."
"Oh, by the way, the second leader also has a beautiful beard, I remember it very clearly."
A man with a beautiful beard, in his thirties or forties, with a burly figure but with the demeanor of a scholar? After hearing this, Gao Ping frowned.
It stands to reason, If a person with such distinctive characteristics is famous, he should have heard of him. However, he did not recall this person. It seems... This person is not very famous. Plus, who would do such a wicked thing as purposely eating human flesh?
Dian Wei stepped forward and asked:
"Chief Gao Ping, did you find anything?"
Gao Ping shook his head:
"No, but from his description, the second leader is either a descendant of a wealthy family or a descendant of a poor family."
"But why is this person so lacking in morality? He actually proposed using human flesh as food?"
Dian Wei did not understand. Even a descendant of a farming family like him could not do such a thing as eating human flesh.
Then, he squatted down and looked at the bandit coldly:
"It seems that you are useless."
The bandit was stunned and said hurriedly:
"No! I-I am useful, sir, you are asking these questions to seek revenge, right?"
"I can lead you."
"Our stronghold is not small, you may not be able to find the right way if you go in by yourself"
The desire to survive made his mind unusually active.
"Okay, I will trust you for once. "
Dian Wei looked at him in surprise, and then whispered in his ear, "But if I find out that you are deceiving me, I will cut you flesh by flesh and won't let you die…"
The bandit almost fainted when he heard what Dian Wei said. He knew, with this demon's character. He means what he say.
Then, Dian Wei walked to the bandit who was knocked unconscious by Gao Ping just now.
"If that's the case, then you are useless. "
Swish!
With one halberd strike, the head was cut off. Dian Wei thought he was kindhearted. He actually chopped off their heads directly so he didn't die painfully.
The neck sprayed out like a fountain. Some even reached the last bandit's face terrifying him. His only thought was to survive as long as possible.
Suddenly, Dian Wei remembered. During the escape of this group of bandits, he seemed to have killed the leader with a small halberd. Afterwards, he and the Gao family gathered all the bodies of the bandits together.
However, because of Dian Wei's violent beheading before. Nearly half of the bodies of this group of bandits were separated from their heads, and they were almost unable to be pieced together. But it wasn't a big problem.
As long as the head was still there, it would be fine. Then the bandits were pulled over for identification. The bandits were pressed and walked over one hideous corpse after another.
Suddenly, He pointed to a man whose back was deeply pierced by a small halberd and said:
"That's him, this is our leader. "
The Gao family all looked at Dian Wei in surprise. They didn't expect that Dian Wei, who looked big and strong, could be so skilled in throwing a small halberd.
Dian Wei was not too surprised. This was all expected. Since the big leader has been killed, there is only one second leader and some small fish left.
Gao Ping stepped forward and said:
"Dian Wei, are you going to take revenge tonight?"
Dian Wei nodded:
"After eating horse meat, I will take this bandit to Xiangtang Mountain."
"Are you here to persuade me?"
Gao Ping shook his head:
"No, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, that's how it should be."
"But their initial target is our Gao family after all, so I want to send a few people to follow you, Dian Wei, to take revenge."
Dian Wei waved his hand:
"No no, Chu Yan and I are enough."
"Don't look at their large numbers, but they relied on the convenience of fast horses to gain advantages before."
"But the mountain is my home ground and many of you are injured. What if the bandits come again after we leave?"
Gao Ping also thought of this situation.
He sighed. At this time, Gao Shun suddenly jumped out and said:
"Grandpa, let me go with Brother Dian Wei."
"Don't worry, with my martial arts, even if I can't defeat them, I can run away." Gao Ping thought for a while and nodded to indicate that he agreed.
"The horse meat is cooked, everyone come and eat."
The Gao family who were roasting horse meat shouted.
Dian Wei patted Gao Shun on the shoulder:
"Let's go. Only when we are full can we have the strength to kill people."
"Okay!"
Gao Shun smiled heartily and followed Dian Wei to the bonfire.
…
In the lobby of Xiangtangshan Stronghold.
A middle-aged man with a height just under 7 feet, a beautiful beard and a slender face twisted his beard. He looked into the distance.
"Strange, it should be foolproof, why do I feel so uneasy?"
However, at this moment. Several bandits rushed in in a hurry.
"Second leader, b…bad news."
The second leader of the mountain stronghold said softly:
"Catch your breath, what a going on?"
One of the bandits said:
"It failed, the robbery failed, there are several tough guys among that group"
"We couldn't beat them at all. Even the big leader was killed."
As soon as the voice fell, the second leader's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief:
"What? Wang... The big leader is dead?"
The bandits on the opposite side nodded:
"Yes, we all saw it with our own eyes."
"We had no advantage after the battle, and even lost several brothers and horses in a row."
"The big leader saw that the situation was not right and decisively told us to retreat."
"The retreat itself was very successful."
"We had already run far away, but the leader was still killed by a demon on the opposite side with a hidden weapon."
After saying this, all the bandits were panting.
They looked frightened. In fact, they concealed one fact. That is, the leader fell off his horse after being stabbed by the small halberd but he did not die immediately.
They were all scared at that time, scared they would be the next to be shot down by the throwing halberd so no one turned back to rescue the big lead, they all fled without looking back and the leader died of excessive blood loss in the end.
After listening to them, the second leader frowned. Then he quickly relaxed and comforted the people in front of him:
"We are all very sad about the death of the leader, but this is not your fault."
"Life and death are unpredictable. No one expected this situation today."
"Everyone, please accept my condolences."
"You have worked hard on this trip today."
"Why don't you go back and change your clothes and rest early. When you wake up tomorrow morning, I will distribute the gold in the stronghold for each of you?"
The currency used in the Han Dynasty was mostly gold and copper coins. Silver was only used on a small scale. It was not until the Sui and Tang dynasties that it was widely used.
At this time, one gold was worth a lot of money.
One gold could be exchanged for 10,000 copper coins. Even an ordinary family could not save so much money in a year.
The bandits did not think much about it and readily accepted it, they felt that the second leader was really considerate.
"Thank you, second leader. Then we will go back and rest first."
"Go in." The second leader said.
Afterwards, several bandits left the mountain stronghold lobby. However, when they left. The second leader, who originally showed a compassionate smile, suddenly became serious.
He thought that with his caution and arrangements, even if Wang Yue couldn't dominate the whole area, he should be able to dominate most of it.
"I didn't expect that the plan was destroyed before it was even implemented "
"I don't know whether it was his bad luck or mine."
The second leader stood with his hands behind his back and looked to the east.
"Forget it, death is common and unpredictable, and I have almost paid off the debt I owe him for saving my life. "
The second leader is named Cheng Li. He is from Dong'e, Dongjun, Yanzhou. Five years ago, he encountered a wolf pack while traveling.
All the guards died by the wolf's fang. At that critical moment, Wang Yue showed up and saved him. After that, the two became good friends. Of course, although they are good friends. But in fact, the two did not have much interaction and had hardly met each other in five years until the end of last year.
Because of the continuous drought, the grain harvest declined for many years. Wang Yue's family was almost broken up. In the end, he was the only one left and was forced to go to the mountains to become a bandit.
The mountain was short of a counselor. Wang Yue personally visited him and invited him to join. As good friends, he would naturally not agree to join the gang. After all, he learned literary and martial arts and sold them to the emperor's family.
What's the matter with becoming a bandit? But considering Wang Yue's rescue, the grace of life and his own talents and ambitions for so many years have nowhere to display could finally be used.
Finally, he agreed to join the gang in another way. That is, to become a nominal leader.
He would stay here for half a month every two months then use this half a month to plan the development of the mountain stronghold for the next two months.
Everything went well before. With his plans, he stole fifty Hequ horses from a horse merchant from the north. Of course, he didn't leave any loose strings.
After all, even if you are a bandit. It is not good to have a bad reputation for stealing from the rich so the horse merchant from the north had been dealt with by them a long time ago.
There is no evidence. Naturally, what they say is what is true. It was also his idea to rob and kill the hungry people passing by as food. There is no other way. Not to mention the drought in the land for years. The land can no longer grow food.
Secondly, would he expect a group of bandits who are used to living on the edge of a knife to farm? In your dreams!
It is also difficult to rob the rich. Affected by the drought, most of the rich families' crops have also failed or been reduced. Those who are less affected and have sufficient food reserves were all basically local big families.
With the hundreds of bandits in Xiangtang Mountain, what is the difference between attacking them and sending them food? So in the end, they had to set their sights on the hungry people passing by.
In addition to losing your morals and feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Human flesh is actually the easiest food to get during this period. It doesn't hurt Zhongde (Cheng Li's name) anyway.
And these hungry people have been hungry for too long. They don't even have the strength to resist. So in just a few months, they robbed and killed more than 500 people.
Of course, these bandits might dare to kill people but most of them were unwilling to eat human flesh directly. So he thought of another way. That is to mix human flesh with other food and don't tell them about it.
This way the problem is solved. It is also because of the sufficient food that the reputation of Xiangdan Mountain gradually spread. Unfortunately, it didn't grow and become stronger.
The leader of the mountain stronghold died, and a large number of war horses were lost.
People can be recruited after death but if war horses are gone, it is not easy to make up for it.
And from the words of the people who escaped back, he could imagine the fierceness of the killer. One person fought dozens of bandits charging on horseback. Killing people is like killing chickens and dogs. It's so terrifying!
And that's not all, he also knows how to use hidden weapons. Even if you can't win and want to escape, there is still a risk of being killed.
Cheng Li glanced at the lobby of the mountain stronghold:
"It seems that it's time for me to leave."
Anyway, Wang Yue is dead, and the favor will naturally disappear with the death of the person. He doesn't plan to avenge Wang Yue.
What's more, the mountain stronghold may have been exposed.
No one knows when that demon will suddenly come on the mountain so it's best to leave quickly. As for taking the bandits in the mountain stronghold with you? The more people there are, the greater the risk of exposure. So... I would rather live than die with my friends.
Cheng Li could only apologize silently to the bandits in the mountain stronghold. Then, he quietly went to the mountain stronghold warehouse. Packed up all the gold and silver.
Taking advantage of the night, he left Xiangtang Mountain overnight from the path that only he knew.
It was quiet in the middle of the night and the rest of the bandits were still sinking in their dreams.
…
Back in Zhaojiazhuang
After leading the livestock back to the shed,
Zhao Lin, a tall and thin villager, was carrying an iron hoe on one shoulder and an iron sword on the other.
He was strolling around the village. Of course, he was just showing off. After all, who wouldn't? He couldn't find his way home without walking around the village a few times.
"Hey, Zhao Lin, why are you back again?"
"Yes, this is the iron hoe and iron sword that the Lord God gave me."
"I didn't ask."
"This iron hoe can turn wasteland into fertile land with just a wave, and this iron sword can cut iron like mud."
"No, Zhao Lin, what are you talking about?"
"That's right, I was the only one who got two artifacts."
"???"
"Oh, it's just that I was a little bit luckier, I know a little bit more, and the great god appreciated me a little bit."
"Goodbye!"
It was Zhao Lin's turn to be confused.
Wherever he went, all the villagers went home on their own and closed their doors swiftly.
Zhao Lin pouted when he saw this. You are all jealous! Just when Zhao Lin passed by his house for the third time. A young woman in her twenties came out.
She grabbed Zhao Lin's ear:
"Zhao Lin! Are you listening to me!? Passing by the door three times without entering?"
"If I don't bring you in, how many circles will you continue to do, huh!?"
"Such a glorious thing, but you made it so embarrassing. How will I face the the villagers in the future?"
Zhao Lin hurriedly said with a smile:
"O-ow ow, my wife, I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"
"What was wrong?"
Zhao Lin:???
If Yun Yi saw this, he would laugh like a pig. It turns out that relationships in the late Eastern Han Dynasty were no different then modern times, of course with maybe some slight change.
…
Back to the wilderness, late at night.
Even with the bright moonlight above, the road ahead is still unclear. But it is in this environment, a two-horse carriage is galloping forward.
Chu Yan was driving the carriage while Dian Wei and Gao Shun were sitting in the carriage, looking at the bandit who was hiding in the corner without saying a word.
"You better be right."
The bandit smiled miserably, if he dared to be a little dishonest, his head flying would be the least of his problem.
Gao Shun looked at Dian Wei and asked curiously:
"Brother Dian Wei, what kind of person is the god?"
Dian Wei thought for a while and said:
"The god has a very broad mind and extraordinary magic power. He can create things from nothing and create a solid wall with a wave of his hand."
"You would've definitely be amazed if your see it in person"
Chu Yan outside the carriage also agreed and said:
"That's right. When I first saw the god, he used his powers to summon thunder."
"My God, it was really scary."
"Such a thick granite wall was smashed to pieces by the thunder that fell from a clear sky."
"If a person was struck by it, I don't think even ashes would be left ."
Hiss! After hearing this, Gao Shun took a deep breath. Creations? Summoning thunder? Is this the power of a god? It's so terrifying!
Then, he asked curiously:
"Brother Dian Wei, can you tell me how you met the god?"
However, as soon as the voice fell. Dian Wei became very silent. Chu Yan, who was driving the carriage, laughed:
"Brother Gao Shun, This is your brother Dian Wei's dark history."
Dian Wei retorted angrily:
"Shut up you bastard!"
"And you speak as if this is also not your dark history."
As soon as he was refuted, Chu Yan choked up and stopped talking. Dian Wei was not wrong, it is indeed his dark history. He talked big and boldly about defeating Dian Wei. As a result, Dian Wei just barely used any strength and knocked him out.
Originally, Gao Shun was only slightly curious about this matter. If Dian Wei really didn't want to say it he wouldn't mind. But seeing these two words and expressions, it made him more curious.
"Brother Dian Wei, tell me."
Dian Wei waved his hand:
"No, no, it's not good."
Gao Shun smiled cunningly:
"Then I'll ask Brother Chu Yan."
Dian Wei:???
Gao Shun laughed:
"Brother Dian Wei, tell me, I promise not to tell anyone."
Dian Wei shook his head like a rattle:
"No, no, Chu Yan knows, if you want to know, just ask him."
Chu Yan also laughed:
"Since he is embarrassed to say it, I'll tell you."
"It was actually very simple. It was the first robber Brother Dian Wei attempted and he just happened to encounter a god."
"Huh?? Robbing?"
Gao Shun looked at the two of them with a puzzled look. Seeing that the matter had been revealed by Chu Yan, Dian Wei simply broke the jar and threw it: "hey you can't completely blame me!"
"I originally wanted to go to Ju County to find the great sage Zhang Jiao to ask for the miracle water but I accidentally got lost and ended up in Changshan County."
"I was so hungry so I planned to rob someone for food."
"But then I encounter a god instead."
"Not only did the robbery fail, but I couldn't run away. The god waved his hand and created several granite walls to block my escape route."
"Hehe, fortunately, the god was merciful and forgave my mistakes and accepted me."
Gao Shun was immediately happy when he heard this. He thought that it was Brother Dian Wei's sincerity and simplicity that moved the god so he was accepted.
Chu Yan was also laughing outside the carriage. Dian Wei choked when he heard it:
"You dare to laugh at me? If I hadn't went easy on you, you be 6 feet underground by now"
Gao Shun immediately turned into a curious baby:
"Brother Dian Wei, what do you mean?"
Dian Wei said:
"Oh, when I was robbing, Chu Yan also followed the god then he volunteered to get rid of me."
"I was hungry at that time and couldn't even exert much strength, and he was knocked down by me in a few swing."
Chu Yan's face flushed, and he said embarrassedly:
"Brother Dian Wei, you are slandering me!"
Dian Wei smiled and asked back: "Then were you knocked down by me in one go?"
Chu Yan shrank his head, speechless. Not long after, several people finally arrived at the foot of Xiangtang Mountain.
Dian Wei took the bandit out like a chicken: "Tell me about the situation inside."
The bandit nodded and said: "Although there are not many people in our mountain stronghold"
"Under the planning of the second leader, there are three lines of defense in total. Each line has an open guard and several hidden ones."
"As long as any sentry finds the enemy, then can quickly beat the gongs and drums to alert the others in the stronghold."
"So if we want to launch a sneak attack, it will be difficult."
Dian Wei stared at the bandit: "Then do you know the situation of the guards?"
The bandit hesitated, and then saw Dian Wei's evil look. He said quickly: "I only know that all the guards are arranged by the chief himself. It changes every day."
Dian Wei, Chu Yan and Gao Shun looked at each other. This defense is quite tight! It doesn't look like an ordinary bandit stronghold at all, it looks more like a military camp. However, judging from the performance of the bandits who were robbed and killed before, it is impossible to be a military camp.
After all, whether it is the officials and soldiers of the court or the private soldiers of the various aristocratic families, they can't be so weak. And they aren't afraid at all. In terms of force, even if the remaining bandits are all added together, they can't beat them.
Though they will have to be careful of the guards otherwise, the bandits in the mountain village will flee in all directions. Xiangtang Mountain is so big so it'll be difficult to deal with the runners.
"Brother Dian Wei, what is the plan?" Chu Yan asked.
Dian Wei thought for a while and said:
"Let's do it according to the original plan. We deal with the guards quietly."
"If we are discovered by the guards, charge in with all your might."
"Don't give these bandits a chance to react."
Chu Yan and Gao Shun nodded in agreement. Dian Wei smiled coldly at the bandit. Then he used the short halberd and swung it a few times scaring the bandit. Then, the three of them, led by the bandit traitor, walked along the mountain road to Xiangtang Mountain.
"The first line of defense is at the foot of the mountain."
The bandit pointed to another bandit who was already dozing off against a tree, "Look, there is the guard."
"There should be a few secret gaurds around."
Dian Wei, Chu Yan and Gao Shun nodded. They immediately focused their attention and carefully observed the situation around them. It was late at night and the bandits who served as the guard had fallen asleep on the side of the road.
"Bandits are bandits, with such poor discipline."
Dian Wei and the other two shook their heads.
However, they ignored the guard and searched for the secret guards nearby.
Thanks to the drought there were hardly any trees on Xiangtang Mountain. Almost all they could see were yellow earth slopes. This also made it harder for the guards to hide.
"Shh, look to the north, does it look like there is a person there?" Dian Wei said in a low voice.
There weren't many bandits in Xiangtang Village. There were only about hundred people in total so naturally there wouldn't be too many secret sentries.
After a while, Dian Wei and others found all the secret guards of the first line of defense at the foot of the mountain. There were only two people and they were not alert at all.
They fell asleep on the slope and didn't even notice that Dian Wei and Chu Yan had sneaked up to them. Dian Wei waved his hand signaling the other two immediately took action. They grabbed the secret guard's neck and killed him.
Snap! The two secret guards died quietly in their sleep. One of them, Dian Wei's hand was too strong, and he actually twisted Du's neck 360 degrees. Bht it didn't matter since the guard can't complain.
When Dian Wei dealt with the secret guard, Gao Shun also snuck up at the side of the open guard and also easily broke his neck. Then the three of them continued to set off with the traitorous bandits.
The second and third lines of defense were on the mountainside and the top of the mountain respectively. In addition to the two obvious guards. There were a total of five secret guards hiding in different locations.
But without exception, they were all discovered and when they were discovered, then met the same fate as the others.
Entering the mountain stronghold. Under the guidance of the traitorous bandit, they found the bandits' residence as soon as possible. Because they were all temporary bungalows, there were often more than a dozen bandits living in one room.
Dian Wei and his men sneaked in. Then they took out their weapons and acted separately and neatly. When they chopped down the last person, the strong smell of blood gradually filled the place.
Dian Wei, Chu Yan and Gao Shun walked out of the last room covered in blood but they looked relaxed as if nothing happened.
If they did not miss anything, then all the Xiangshan bandits had been killed. Afterwards, Dian Wei took the traitor bandit and identified the dead bandit:
"Is your second leader among them?"
However, the traitor bandit shook his head:
"No."
"No?"
The bandit carefully identified them one by one and shook his head again:
"No."
Dian Wei sighed lightly and said regretfully:
"This man is quite smart. He should have guessed that we would go up the mountain to retaliate and escape."
Chu Yan also nodded:
"Yes, it's a pity, but I didn't expect this second leader to be so alert."
Dian Wei shook his head:
"Forget it, let's search for gold and silver in the mountain village at the end. If there is any, take it away and burn this sinful place."
They walked all the way. Walking past the kitchen and arriving at the warehouse. The scene inside was horrifying, there was dried human flesh everywhere. Many of them were old, young, women and children, and Dian Wei and the other two felt chilled to the bone. It was like a purgatory on earth.
Then, the three searched the mountain stronghold again but only found a small amount of gold and silver on the body. There was nothing in the warehouse.
Judging from the traces, the second leader packed up all the gold and silver and took them away when he escaped.
After checking to make sure nothing was left out. The three of them piled all the bodies of the bandits in the lobby of the mountain stronghold then they set fire.
The flames flickered. The three of them walked in front of the traitor bandit again.
Dian Wei said:
"I said that if you cooperate well, I can let you live."
After these words came out, the traitor bandit was stunned, and then overjoyed in an instant.
He didn't expect Dian Wei to actually give him a way out.
"Thank you, sir, thank you!"
After saying that, he was about to run away.
However, he was picked up by Dian Wei before he ran two steps.
"Sir, didn't you say you would let me live?"
Dian Wei said, "Don't worry, I'm a man of my words."
"you can leave with you live but not without punishment"
"I haven't settled the score with you for trying to rob and kill us ."
"So, I'll take your two legs as compensation."
As soon as the voice fell. Dian Wei swung hus short spear and a pair of legs fell.
"Ah!!!" The bandit screamed. The severe pain almost made him faint.
Dian Wei came forward and said, "you can go now, your life and death are now in the hands of Lady Luck"
After saying that, Dian Wei took Chu Yan and Gao Shun away from Xiangtang Mountain. As the mountain stronghold continued to burn. The sparks became more and more intense, and finally filled the sky.
More than ten miles away from Xiangtang.
"Phew~."
Cheng Li tightened the reins and turned his head to look in the direction of Xiangtang Mountain. Although it was far away, he could still vaguely see the hot red flames on the mountain.
He couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. "If I hadn't run fast enough, I would have been buried in the sea of fire."
"No, I'd better return home as soon as possible."
Then, he recalled what he had done in the past. After confirming that there was no evidence left to expose his identity, he immediately turned the horse's head and took out the whip to whip it hard.
"Hah!."
Under the starry night, he rode a fast horse to Dong'e County, Dongjun, Yanzhou.