Black Tiger Stronghold destroyed

Fu Zhiqiao and Cheng Yexuan talked for an hour.

Xie Zhuo had been waiting impatiently for a long time and wanted to break down the door several times, but he held back after considering her plan.

After Fu Zhiqiao went down the mountain, Cheng Yexuan sat alone for a long time before finally striking the drum in the center of the mountain stronghold to gather everyone together.

As the drums sounded, hundreds of people soon gathered in the open space at the entrance of Black Tiger Stronghold. They looked at Cheng Yexuan with a hint of unease in their eyes.

In the village, drums are usually only beaten for important events.

Cheng Yexuan: "The reason I have gathered everyone here today is because a large number of government troops have been assembled at the foot of the mountain. They intend to storm Yanshan and annihilate us. The government has invited the famous Xiaoqi Army as their help. I'm afraid our Black Tiger Stronghold is doomed this time."

After he finished speaking, the bandits below all changed their expressions and began whispering among themselves.

A voice trembled as someone asked, "Second Brother, what do we do?"

Black Tiger Stronghold was quite strong, but they lacked the resources to contend with the elite cavalry.

They dared to contend and fight with the government officials and soldiers, but they were no match for the well-trained warriors. If the elite cavalry were determined to destroy Black Tiger Stronghold, their only fate would be death.

"The only way to save your lives is to disband the stronghold."

"Huh? Disband the stronghold? Where do we go then?"

"no!"

"The bandit group is Tiger's life's work; we can't just disband it like this."

“We are all refugees, we only became bandits because we had nowhere else to go. If the village is gone, what will we do?”

"I can't leave. I will never surrender easily. I'd rather fight them to the death!"

There were all sorts of opinions, and after the discussion gradually subsided, Cheng Yexuan said, "Leaving still offers a glimmer of hope, while staying means certain death for everyone. If we are caught by the authorities, we will surely be paraded through the streets, torn apart by five horses, and left to rot in the wilderness."

The soldiers from down the mountain will be at their doorstep tomorrow; they have no time to think.

"When we first became bandits, all we wanted was a place to stay. Rest assured, brothers, if you are still willing to follow me, I, Cheng Yexuan, swear here and now that from this day forward, as long as I have a bite to eat, you will all have your share!"

Soon someone stepped forward and declared, "I have no parents, and I am only fortunate to have been taken in by my second brother. Wherever you go, I will go. I, Wang Dazhu, swear to follow you to the death!"

“What’s there to be afraid of? At worst, it’s just death! Second brother, I’ll go with you.”

With one person taking the lead, the rest followed suit and expressed their opinions one after another.

Some chose to leave the mountain and make a living on their own, while others were willing to continue following Cheng Yexuan.

After making their decision, everyone gathered together and divided the remaining grain in the village. Those who chose to go down the mountain took their share of the belongings and left, while those who chose to follow Cheng Yexuan stayed on the mountain to make final arrangements.

Soldiers were already guarding the way down the mountain, so they could only retreat in batches.

Deep in the Yanshan Mountains, a small group of people were heading down the rugged mountain path. They were hiding in the forest, waiting for the Black Tiger Stronghold and the Valiant Cavalry to start fighting so they could escape in the chaos.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, scouts down the mountain reported that the soldiers had assembled.

The enemy's advance was fierce, and Wang Qi was somewhat worried: "The news is true, the elite cavalry is coming."

Cheng Yexuan nodded and said without hesitation, "Yes, as we agreed last night, we will feign resistance. You take the opportunity to lead your troops to retreat to the east, and I will guard the gate."

Wang Qi objected: "How can that be? I should cover the rear."

Everyone knew that retreating first would increase their chances of survival; Cheng Yexuan wanted to save their lives.

Cheng Yexuan smiled and said, "You don't need to worry, I've already made arrangements."

At Cheng Yexuan's insistence, Wang Qi took out a whistle and put it in his mouth. The whistle made a sound like a bird's chirp, which was a secret signal among the bandits, meaning that they could retreat.

No sooner had Wang Qi led his men away than a scout came to report: "Second Brother, the soldiers are only five li away from the village."

"Obey my orders and do not act rashly." Cheng Yexuan led his men westward, to the center of the village. He wanted to lure the soldiers there and then use the mountainous terrain to wage guerrilla warfare, trying to delay the situation and give the people in the east more chances to escape.

The elite cavalry, as expected of battle-hardened soldiers, routed the bandits.

The bandits were overwhelmed by the whistling arrows and had no chance to fight back. As their momentum waned, the bandits' attack weakened, and the soldiers' morale soared. Fortunately, Cheng Yexuan had already ordered tripwires to be set up in the forest, which slowed down the cavalry's pursuit. Cheng Yexuan took the opportunity to lead his men into the mountain stronghold.

Wang Qi shouted, "Tell the brothers to guard the gate closely and not let them get close!"

Once the stronghold is breached, their fate is predictable.

Wang Qi swallowed hard. "Second brother, what do we do? Those soldiers are about to catch up!"

What else could we do? Survival was the priority, of course!

The soldiers came prepared, and the bandits suffered many casualties. In addition, some of them had already left, and now they could not hold on any longer. Cheng Yexuan immediately ordered, "Tell the brothers to retreat!"

However, during the retreat, a hail of arrows rained down upon them.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Suddenly someone shouted, "It's a rain of arrows! Take cover! Everyone take cover!"

However, it was too late. A dense rain of arrows fell, screams rang out, and one by one, the bandits were shot and fell to the ground.

The arrow pierced the air and struck Cheng Yexuan in the shoulder.

"The boss!"

"Retreat quickly! The leader has been hit by an arrow!"

The bandits' pitiful cries echoed through the forest.

"Run! We're doomed!"

"Oh no! The leader has been hit by an arrow! Everyone, run!"

The elite cavalry and the government-appointed soldiers operated separately. The government soldiers had never participated in the elite cavalry's formal training, and joining the team rashly could easily lead to trouble.

Luo Zhenhai's 500 elite soldiers were the vanguard, with cavalry and infantry charging ahead to kill the enemy. They were all seasoned warriors who had defeated countless powerful enemies, so how could mere mountain bandits be a match for them?

The government dispatched 500 soldiers to patrol the mountains and forests, blocking the bandits' escape routes.

Cheng Yexuan was indeed hit by an arrow, but the injury was not serious. He had a chance to avoid the arrow, but he gritted his teeth and continued to act out the scene.

Fu Zhiqiao is right. If Black Tiger Stronghold chooses to retreat without a fight, the government will think they are avoiding direct confrontation, preserving their strength, and waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback. In addition, General Luo Zhenhai's personal involvement shows the government's determination to suppress the bandits. They will not give Black Tiger Stronghold any chance to breathe. Only by fighting them in a fierce battle and then suffering a crushing defeat and retreating can the government lower its guard and stop pursuing them to the point of extermination.

She calculated every step perfectly.

It was because Fu Zhi Qiao notified them in advance that Cheng Ye Xuan listened to her and made certain arrangements, which is why so many people were able to escape. Otherwise, the casualties at Black Tiger Stronghold would have been even more severe.

Cheng Yexuan knew that if they really fought the cavalry head-on, the Black Tiger Stronghold would suffer even greater losses.

With the bandits losing their leader, it became a one-sided crushing performance by the elite cavalry.

"General, shall we continue the pursuit?"

Luo Zhenhai saw a group of bandits fleeing in disarray. Their leader had been shot by an arrow and his life was uncertain. The bandits were already severely weakened and no longer a threat. "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. Let's go check out the stronghold."

His purpose in this trip was not to kill all the bandits, but to destroy Black Tiger Stronghold.

Mountain bandits are people, and people can't be killed all the time. But every time a bandit stronghold is destroyed, there's one less. It's not an easy task for bandits to rebuild a stronghold.

Luo Zhenhai led his soldiers straight to Black Tiger Stronghold, but when they arrived, they found that the bandits had already fled. The soldiers searched the stronghold inside and out, but found no treasure. In the end, they set fire to Black Tiger Stronghold and burned it down.

The soldiers scoffed: "Those bandits are all cowards who fear death. They must have known they couldn't beat us, so they ran away with the money."

"Haha, wherever our elite cavalry goes, the enemy is always terrified."

Tiles were torn off, houses were demolished, and flames soared into the sky; Black Tiger Village was annihilated in an instant.

Not only did they burn down the village, Luo Zhenhai also sent men to guard the road down the mountain to prevent any survivors from escaping.

*

The fire was not extinguished until the morning of the following day.

Li Wenkang was overjoyed upon hearing the news, but his only regret was not finding the treasure he had stolen from Black Tiger Stronghold.

However, it would be good enough to receive credit for suppressing bandits.

At the victory banquet, Li Wenkang took the initiative to toast: "The elite cavalry is indeed as brave as rumored. It is all thanks to General Luo's skillful leadership. Today, I will definitely report the bandit suppression to the court and tell the world about General Luo's achievements."

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became harmonious.

Luo Zhenhai smiled broadly: "Sir, you have devoted yourself to the people of Qingzhou, and we deeply admire you."

Because of the Black Tiger Stronghold's crushing defeat, other forces in Qingzhou became very restrained and no longer dared to cause trouble.

With the threat of bandits gone from Yanshan, the people returned to their normal lives.

A few days later, Cheng Yexuan found Fu Zhiqiao.

He came alone. Black Tiger Stronghold was destroyed, and the others had nowhere to go, so they temporarily fled to other mountains to hide.

As the storm gradually subsided, he immediately came to Fu Zhiqiao to fulfill his promise.

Fu Zhi Qiao wasn't surprised to see him at all. "Has the Boss made up his mind?"

Cheng Yexuan was a little curious: "Why did you choose me?"

If you trust someone, don't doubt them; if you don't trust someone, don't use them. Fu Zhiqiao has nothing to worry about. Cheng Yexuan's willingness to stay in Black Tiger Stronghold for so long because of a promise made to Jin Feihu already proves that he is a man of his word.

Fu Zhiqiao didn't even look up. "Why would the infamous Ghost Rakshasa be content to stay in the mountains and be a bandit?"

When they met at Black Tiger Stronghold last time, Fu Zhiqiao noticed Cheng Yexuan's hands. His hands had calluses from years of holding swords and knives, which was not something an ordinary commoner would have. There must be a hidden story behind it. After returning, she had someone draw a portrait of him to investigate.

Cheng Yexuan is a notorious assassin in the martial arts world, codenamed Ghost Rakshasa.

He was highly skilled in martial arts and a ruthless killer. As long as you could afford the price, he could solve your problems. Once, after he successfully assassinated his target, the employer, relying on his influence, coerced Cheng Yexuan to work for him. In a fit of rage, Cheng Yexuan killed him.

After that, he lived a life of being hunted down by his enemies. He disappeared in a fight, and there were rumors in the martial arts world that he had died long ago. Who would have thought that he was still alive and well and had become a bandit leader?

Cheng Yexuan remained expressionless. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. The people in the village will still be yours. But from today onwards, you are mine."

“This world is actually unfair. Some people are born into wealth and luxury, while others struggle in the mud. Now there is a chance to escape the mud, and I believe you won’t miss it.” Fu Zhi Qiao said, handing him a contract of servitude.

Fu Zhi Qiao no longer calls him "Big Boss".

"However, let me make this clear from the start: those who work for me must obey my orders. If anyone disobeys..."

The unspoken words were understood by both of them.

Cheng Yexuan's tightly furrowed brows relaxed; perhaps this really was a good opportunity.