Chapter 1440: Complacency
Chapter 1440: Chapter 1440: Complacency
"What? Those bandits haven’t left yet?!" Ji Zhenniang almost fainted again from fear, but she quickly covered her mouth and dared not cry.
Gu Jinli nodded: "They might not have left... There’s something unusual about today."
Looking at the way the bandits charged down, they seemed very well-trained and well-equipped. Why would they run away just after a brief encounter?
This doesn’t seem like a robbery; it feels more like a performance, fleeing right after the act.
But the bandits indeed suffered casualties, and twenty-one of them died.
Brother Qin mentioned that the rule in Great Chu is that as long as you kill ten or more enemies at a time, it counts as a merit. These twenty-one just reached the number for merit.
And these twenty-one died too easily, as if they were giving their lives away. Seeing Vice General Xue and the soldiers so happy, they would likely think these fierce bandits were exaggerated, and might develop a sense of underestimation.
"Of course it’s unusual, when the Westward Army was robbed by bandits, how could it be ordinary?" Ji Zhenniang retorted, thinking Gu Jinli was getting more foolish.
But she’s very scared now, so after saying this, she kept silent and curled up in the carriage, hugging herself.
Xie Huaihua took the animal skin blanket, covered Ji Zhenniang, and comforted her: "Madam, don’t be afraid. It’s alright; we have a few thousand people here. Whatever bandits come, we can wipe them all out."
The talk of a few thousand sounds nice, but in truth, there are about two thousand soldiers, and the rest are relatives or servants, who are burdens. Really encountering fierce bandits, the soldiers might struggle just to protect the relatives, let alone kill the enemy.
After hearing this, Ji Zhenniang stubbornly said: "Who’s afraid? I’m just cold!"
"It’s the slave’s mistake, Madam, please calm down." Xie Huaihua had figured out some of Ji Zhenniang’s temperament, knowing it was best to go along with her at times like this.
After hearing this, Ji Zhenniang glared at her but said no more, continuing to tremble in fear.
Gu Jinli, on the other hand, lifted the carriage curtain, observing the situation outside. Her servants were doing well; Feng Jin brought some skilled people who surrounded the vehicles of the women and children. Meanwhile, Xiong Da and Aunt Xiong went from carriage to carriage telling everyone: "Everyone, stay in the carriage and take out the knives you’ve brought just in case."
Everyone complied.
More than two quarters of an hour later, Qin San Lang and Xie Cheng rode over.
Qin San Lang said: "Xiao Yu, we’re at the corpse pile up ahead; it’ll be a while before we can leave."
Gu Jinli responded: "Hey, I know."
Xie Cheng came over to comfort Ji Zhenniang, asking her through the carriage: "Zhenniang, Zhenniang, are you alright? Were you scared?"
Xie Cheng’s question brought tears to Ji Zhenniang’s eyes: "Waaah, I want to go home. I miss Zhuzhu."
Wanting to go home but not insisting on it was an improvement.
Xie Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and consoled her: "Zhenniang, don’t be afraid. It’s alright, the bandits have been driven off."
Ji Zhenniang: "They’ve just been driven off, not killed. They’ll come back for revenge!"
Xie Cheng was momentarily at a loss for words, and replied: "We’ll be leaving shortly. The bandits’ hideout is nearby, they won’t keep following us. You don’t have to worry."
Ji Zhenniang almost went mad from fright: "What? The bandits’ hideout is nearby? Then why are we still here? Shouldn’t we quickly escape before they come back with reinforcements and kill us all?!"
Xie Cheng was about to lose his mind too; why is she so hard to reason with?
"Hahaha!" Gu Jinli couldn’t help but laugh, earning a fierce glare from Ji Zhenniang and a scolding: "Gu Xiaoyu, what are you laughing at? What if the bandits come following your laughter? Shut up!"
Gu Jinli said: "I don’t want to laugh either; it’s just that you two are so amusing. No wonder you’re a couple."
This made Ji Zhenniang blush, and she stopped arguing with Xie Cheng, saying: "Hurry up, we can’t stay here any longer."
"Mm, don’t worry, Zhenniang, the army will set out soon." Xie Cheng said and rode away with Qin San Lang.
Just over a quarter of an hour later, the road was cleared, and the corpse pile was built. The army moved again, crossing the county border into the territory of Hundred Wolves County.
Gu Jinli peeked out the carriage window, astonished at the surrounding routes and terrain.
The border between the two counties is actually a mountain pass, with slopes on both sides, the road cutting through the middle of the slopes. This is a dead end, the easiest place for an ambush, and not a place to linger.
After a victory, Vice General Xue and his men let down their guard, staying here for a good hour. Half an hour is a long time. If the bandits came back, firing arrows from the slopes specifically targeting the soldiers’ families, many relatives would certainly die.
Gu Jinli frowned tightly; could a deputy general without any sense of caution really win battles? On the battlefield, he’d likely just add to the corpses.
Qin San Lang was also worried about this. He had tried to warn Vice General Fang, saying this place is too easy for an ambush, and with the bandits’ hideout likely nearby, it’s not wise to stay long, suggesting he tell Vice General Xue to just pile the corpses, distribute the spoils when camping at night, and move on.
But Vice General Fang hesitated and then refused, saying Vice General Xue was in high spirits. As they were of the same rank, it wasn’t appropriate to advise him, and they had many people, not fearing the bandits, who didn’t seem strong anyway.
Qin San Lang was only a Company Commander. With the deputy general’s stance, there was nothing more he could do but have You Ping and the others stay vigilant and keep silent.
Luckily nothing happened, and the army safely passed through the checkpoint, entering the boundaries of Hundred Wolves County.
High on a distant mountain, four black dots watched the army leave.
These four dots were people on horseback, wearing dusty gray robes, their heads and faces covered.
"Ha, this is the so-called Westward Kangrong Army? They’re simply vulnerable. Going to the Northwest Battlefield, they’d be just a pile of corpses." The real Nine Villages bandit leader of Hundred Wolves Mountain mocked disdainfully, looking down on the so-called Westward Kangrong Army.
However...
"This time, we lost twenty-one brothers for nothing. One brother costs twenty taels of gold, you need to pay more."
One brother, twenty taels of gold—ten taels more than they had agreed upon.
Ding Changwu sneered at this: "Boss Bai, isn’t your price increase a bit much?"
This was ten taels of gold, not ten taels of silver.
Boss Bai laughed: "The Ding Family shouldn’t mind the extra. The extra gold isn’t for us, the Nine Villages of Hundred Wolves Mountain, but a tribute to Lord Ghost. Lord Ghost is an esteemed guest; since he took the trouble to come, he deserves a share."
Besides, behind Lord Ghost stands the Eagle Food Gang, the second-largest bandit gang in the Northwest, only second to the Rongshan Gang. They foster the most fearsome bandits, who not even the Northwest Army dares to provoke.
"Chang Wu, you insolent fool, when is it your place to speak here? Slap yourself three times to apologize!" Uncle Dong, sent by the Ding Family to assist, recognized Boss Bai from the Nine Villages, and berated Ding Changwu angrily upon hearing this.