Time flies, and more than twenty days have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Lin Mo gained a deep understanding of why so many monarchs, ministers, and heroes in ancient times fell into depravity and indulged in wine and women all day long.

It smells so good!

After indulging in a life of debauchery, it's time to send troops to wipe out the bandits in Shu.

At the south gate of Xichuan City, Lin Mo mounted his horse, clad in bright armor, his long cloak billowing behind him, exuding a regal aura.

When he entered the city, he led more than 800 elite soldiers, marching in with great pride and high spirits.

On this expedition, he still led only eight hundred soldiers.

"Your Highness, are you sure you don't want to bring more men?" asked Zhao Zhen, a general from Xichuan who came to see Lin Mo off. He was one of the few people who respected Lin Mo.

"No need. They're just some bandits. Eight hundred elite soldiers are enough!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen frowned. "I must remind you, the bandits in Shu are no ordinary people!" he said. "As far as I know, the leader of the Shulong Mountain stronghold was originally a general."

Later, due to certain events, he was persecuted by treacherous officials in the court, which led him to become an outlaw. His officers and soldiers followed him up the mountain, making them far more formidable than ordinary bandits!

"No problem!" Lin Mo laughed. "I will definitely wipe out these bandits of Shulong Mountain in one fell swoop!"

Zhao Zhen gave a bitter smile, "Then Your Highness, please allow this humble servant to lend you a hand!"

Lin Mo was overjoyed to hear this, but still refused. "Zhao Zhen, I can see you're sincere. But I'd rather you stay in Xichuan City and do something else for me!"

"What is it?"

Lin Mo waved his hand, signaling Zhao Zhen to come closer, and then whispered to him, "Keep an eye on Yang Fei for me. If he dares to make any rash moves, immediately report to General Qiao Shan!"

This was Lin Mo's plan, and it's also why it took more than twenty days to set off.

Xichuan City is now Lin Mo's capital. The system has also given a notification that once it is judged to have "fallen," the system will automatically disappear.

Therefore, he had to ensure that Xichuan City was absolutely safe.

That old bastard Yang Fei is wicked. Lin Mo should have seen it from the last banquet; he knew that old guy was going to do something bad.

He didn't want to be stabbed in the back while he was on the front lines fighting bandits.

The four thousand elite soldiers who had previously been redeemed from the system had become a formidable force under Xu Chu's intensive training for over twenty days.

Qiao Shan's injuries have fully healed after more than a month. With this veteran general guarding the city, the Xichuan City base camp is now impregnable. Not to mention Yang Fei's three thousand garrison troops, even if all the troops at Jianping Pass were added, it would be more than enough to deal with them.

After making thorough preparations, Lin Mo decided to lead his troops out.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Zhao Zhen immediately bowed and replied.

~~~

They left the city at dawn, and along the way, they saw ruins everywhere, villages were mostly empty, and sometimes they could even see exposed bones in the wilderness.

Bandits roamed the Shu region so much that the people couldn't even take care of spring planting this year. Delaying spring planting meant that they would have no harvest this year.

Without a harvest, people will go hungry, and if they are not well-fed, they will take risks and become outlaws.

Thinking of this, Lin Mo's mood became heavy. There were hundreds of thousands of people in Shu. If this continued year after year, the bandits would soon form a huge force, and an uprising might break out.

At that time, how many more people will be displaced and how many will lose their lives?

Now that I am the King of Shu, I cannot allow the people in my fiefdom to suffer, nor can I allow this to become a pretext for the Empress to punish me!

With this in mind, Lin Mo led his troops to the largest bandit stronghold in Sichuan to wipe out the bandits of Shulong Mountain.

As they approached their destination, it meant that war was about to break out, and everyone couldn't help but feel tense.

Even the soldiers spawned by the system were on high alert at this moment.

Around noon the next day, just as Lin Mo was about to dismount to rest and eat, he suddenly saw clouds of dust rising from the road ahead, and heard the thunderous sound of horses' hooves.

"Could they be bandits from Shulong Mountain?" Lin Mo wondered. He immediately ordered, "Be on guard! Be on guard!"

Looking at the cavalry unit from afar, Lin Mo noticed their extremely fast speed and the considerable distance of several miles, making it impossible for him to ascertain their origins or numbers.

His eight hundred elite soldiers quickly sprang into action.

Under Xu Chu's command, they formed a defensive formation with Lin Mo at the center, gazing menacingly into the distance.

The sudden change in circumstances caused even the seasoned veteran Xu Chu to unconsciously tighten his grip on his double axes.

As the enemy approached, Xu Chu's expression changed. He narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "My lord, there is no need to panic. Their formation is chaotic, they are dressed in tattered clothes, and they don't even bother to tidy their hair. They are a complete rabble!"

"Your Highness, this humble general only needs a hundred cavalrymen; we will surely slaughter them until they run for their lives."

Lin Mo frowned upon hearing Xu Chu's words.

If the other party is a bandit, would they be wearing a magnificent suit of armor?

Moreover, the roads in Shu are rugged, so how could cavalry possibly form neat square formations?

Lin Mo looked seriously at the charging cavalry and said slowly, "Although these bandits are simply dressed, they are extremely fierce. We must not let our guard down!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chu was immediately displeased. "My lord, please do not boost the morale of others and diminish our own prestige. Please allow me to lead three hundred elite soldiers to go and kill them without leaving a single survivor."

Lin Mo refused repeatedly, "Xu Chu, this enemy force has at least two thousand men, and they are all cavalry. What do you intend to do by charging in?"

"Oh, yes!" Xu Chu scratched his head. "I remember now. When the Prime Minister encounters this situation, he usually forms a long spear formation to meet the enemy!"

"Ah, you're not completely stupid!" Lin Mo chuckled. "Form ranks and prepare for battle!" he immediately ordered.

As he spoke, he drew his sword.

Upon approaching, the bandits of Shulong Mountain sounded their horns.

"The mournful sound was low and drawn out, like a cold wind from the north, sending chills down one's spine."

"As expected of someone from a regular army background, Zhao Zhen wasn't lying to me!" Lin Mo frowned immediately. "He looks like he'll be tough to deal with!"

Soon after, the enemy appeared before them.

Lin Mo finally recognized them. These men had dark skin, were lean, and wore various kinds of leather and armor stolen from somewhere. Their faces were hidden behind half-helmets. They wore gloves and carried various weapons.

When the bugle call stopped, a hissing sound filled the void.

Seeing this, Lin Mo suddenly waved his hand, and the archers of the Great Xia Dynasty who were lying in ambush on both sides unleashed a rain of arrows. The bandits of Shulong Mountain spurred their horses and galloped away, shouting as they ran.

The arrows of the Great Xia army rained down on them like hail, ten arrows, a hundred arrows, countless arrows in an instant.

Many bandits fell to the ground, their shouts turning into wails.

At this moment, the second wave of attacks fell from the sky, and the archers nocked their third arrows.

However, cavalry is extremely fast and cannot be stopped by arrows.

After losing dozens of lives, the bandits of Shulong Mountain were already upon them.

Lin Mo shouted again, "Defensive formation!"