57

Lu An shuddered and shouted, "What's going on up ahead?"

The group of charging bandits had already stopped one after another. After a long while, someone finally shouted, "Boss, there's a long ditch ahead. A dozen of our brothers are stuck in it. We're still exploring the way..."

Lu An was furious: "What are you standing there for? Light up the fire!"

Before their torches were lit, the village suddenly burst into flames, completely illuminating the road.

I saw seven or eight tunnels dug in front of the originally flat village gate. Each tunnel was only calf-deep, but three feet wide, making it impossible to cross. There were also sharp wooden nails inserted in the back of the tunnel. If you accidentally tripped and leaned forward, you would be stabbed to death.

Unfortunately, these tunnels are located in a staggered and overlapping manner. Even if you step over one, there will be another one right behind it. There is only a narrow road in the middle that can accommodate three or four people. You have to walk around it carefully to avoid all the pits.

Wouldn't it be fatal to encounter this thing in the middle of the night? The ten or so people who rushed to the front were all hit by it. Some screamed in pain, while others died in the pit.

Seeing this, Lu An felt all the hairs on his body stand up: "Hurry over, don't just stand there!"

It's true that he is better at naval battles, but he can also recognize such an obvious trap. If he stays at the edge of the tunnel for too long, won't he be spotted by the enemy?

However, his words were a little late. He saw four or five short spears flying towards him and falling into the crowd. Several screams were heard again.

Lu An's head was sweating and he screamed, "Charge! There are not many of them, just charge!"

The short spears were thrown from those two watchtowers. How many people could stand on them? And is throwing a spear that easy? I'm afraid I'd lose my strength after just four or five throws. As long as I could get through this messy tunnel, I could climb over the wall and get in!

Following his shouts, the thieves blocking the tunnel finally started to move again and headed towards the village gate.

But now there was no way to move quickly. The narrow path twisted and turned, and there were wooden spikes on both sides. Who could run? But if they stopped, they might be targeted by the spear throwers. Everyone was terrified, their heads hunched, and they wished that all the gods and Buddhas would protect them and help them escape.

Unfortunately, it was different from what they expected. The short spears on the watchtower never stopped firing, four or five each time, fiercely and accurately, taking away more than ten lives in an instant.

Fortunately, these pirates were all desperate criminals, so they dared to charge forward desperately despite the spears flying at their heads.

No matter how difficult the road is, there is always a way out. After finally passing this fatal short track, several people immediately climbed up the wooden fence like crazy, trying to climb inside.

The second in command said that whoever opens the gate first will be promoted to captain and rewarded with 100 taels of silver! Such a huge reward, I have to fight for it even if it means death!

The wooden fence was really not high and could be climbed in a few steps. However, the moment they emerged, a short command sounded.

"kill!"

With a shout, the shining spear tip pierced right in front of their eyes. Some people were caught off guard and had their throats pierced, their eyes gouged out, and they fell off the wall, but some people jumped with all their might and struggled to climb back into the village.

As long as his feet could touch the ground, he could fight with a sword and break through the gun formation. However, the expected solid ground did not appear, and the man's feet were empty and he fell directly to the bottom of the pit.

It turned out that there was a deep ditch dug behind the fence. Those who jumped in without any preparation were knocked unconscious. Before the thieves could react, several men with swords and shields rushed over. The blades flashed and blood splattered everywhere.

Cheng Xi wasn't standing on the watchtower at the moment. Instead, he stood behind the auxiliary soldiers, his hand on the hilt of his sword, constantly reminding them: "Don't panic, keep your hands steady, and keep your eyes on the wall. Don't worry about those who jump in, there will be others to finish them off. Remember, every kill you make will earn you military merit, so don't waste this opportunity."

Even though they had experienced fighting at sea, the auxiliary soldiers had never seen such a situation.

However, ten days of training had ingrained the "rules" into their bones. Those heads popping out of the wall were indeed easy to deal with. There was no need to fight, just poke them. Why bother thinking about it? At first, some people were worried about the thieves jumping in, but after a while, they realized that the deep pit was too effective. Sword and shield soldiers could easily take care of people. What was there to worry about?

As a result, everyone became more and more adept at fighting, became more and more relaxed, and gradually learned to cooperate.

Some people poked the head, some poked the neck, and some poked the chest. As soon as you showed up, three or four long spears were thrust at you. There was no chance to dodge.

Such an easy fight has never happened before. The gang leader's methods are really powerful!

They killed them easily, and the bandits outside the village were already in chaos.

After desperately trying to break through the pit, they tried to rush into the camp, but found that the low wooden fence had become a dead end that they could not climb over.

Countless people were thrown off the wall with screams. Those who were skilled and brave enough to dodge the bullets and jump away were killed without a sound, as if they had jumped into a den of ghosts.

The short spears on the watchtower showed no sign of stopping. If they stayed in the tunnel for a little longer, it would still be a dead end.

Is this still the same camp? Didn't we say there would be fewer people in the camp?

No matter how brave they were, they couldn't withstand such a scene! Within a quarter of an hour, the thieves collapsed and fled back crying and shouting.

Some were unlucky and were killed by spears or fell into pits on the way.

"Boss, we can't get in!" The leader's voice was already filled with tears, and he was almost scared to death.

It's no wonder he acted like this. It had only been a short time, and seventy or eighty people had been killed. Many who were not yet dead were still howling there, their cries shaking the sky, and their screams were continuous. Yet, the village was still quiet, which made people feel scared just by looking at it.

Lu An was also trembling at this moment, and he said with all his strength: "The thieves have planned it in advance. It seems that a frontal attack will not work. Let's rest for a while, wait for the waiters to seize the secret passage, set fire to the village, and then rush forward in one go!"

Seeing the disbelief on everyone's faces, he quickly added, "There must not be many people in the village, otherwise they would have rushed out long ago. Why would they make so many arrangements? As long as we wait a little longer, there will always be a chance!"

Now that the leader had spoken, everyone stopped talking and just watched eagerly, hoping that the fire would start soon.

…

It is not an easy task to circle the island in a small boat at night. Even though the three small boats were full of elite soldiers, it took a long time to reach the shallows at the back.

There are many reefs and a long beach here, which is not suitable for anchoring ships. Only these small boats can go ashore.

The boat stopped at the shore, and the leader jumped out, wiping the sweat off his face. "The leader has probably already started attacking the camp. This is a good opportunity for us to sneak in. If we can light a fire in the camp, we will be the biggest heroes of this battle. Everyone, cheer up!"

With this encouragement, everyone picked up their weapons, lit torches, boosted their morale, and ran forward on the soft sand.

The secret passage was hidden among the trees at the end of the beach. It was dark now, so there was definitely no one guarding it. If we just rushed in, wouldn't the money and the woman be easy to get?

No matter how long the beach is, it will eventually end. When they finally stepped on solid ground, the group immediately increased their speed and plunged into the woods.

Listening to the hurried footsteps, Lin Meng shook his neck and tightened his grip on his long sword. After waiting for most of the night, the enemy finally appeared. It was worth it for him to lead his men to guard this place. If he couldn't get the credit on the front line, he couldn't let go of the meat that was right in front of him!

The bright torches came quickly, and when the enemy's figure finally appeared before him, Lin Meng gathered his energy and roared.

"kill!"

…

Lu An waited from midnight until dawn, but the fire in the village did not start.

However, the crying wounded were silent. It was not known whether they were dead or they were afraid of being hit by a spear if they screamed too loudly.

Looking at the still quiet camp, Lu An's face turned ashen. He stood there like a clay or wooden statue, at a loss, his mind in chaos.

The people around him couldn't stand it any longer and whispered, "Boss, let's retreat first. This camp is too strange. I'm afraid we won't be able to take it down in a short time."

He understood the logic, but with half his men inexplicably gone, how was he supposed to capture the camp? And what could he offer to negotiate with the Red Flag Gang and regain control of Luoling Island?

After standing there stupidly for an unknown amount of time, Lu An finally withdrew his gaze and said, "Let's retreat."

It's true that he worked hard for the Lu family, but he couldn't really lose his life in a muddle.

I'm afraid this matter still needs to be informed to the mistress and the third young master. How to arrange it will depend on the instructions from above.

It's a pity that I worked all night in vain. I don't know how to recapture those ships that were used to lure the enemy back...

The boss looked so bitter and resentful, how could the others have any morale? A group of people dragged themselves towards the dock. However, before they even reached the dock, someone screamed in surprise: "Boss, look at the dock, something's wrong!"

Lu An quickly looked up and saw that the two boats parked on the shore had disappeared, replaced by a dozen boats flying red flags. Could they be the Red Flag Gang fleet that they had "lured away"? How did they return so quickly? Where did the extra boats come from?

However, there was no time for him to think about it. Just as he was in confusion and didn't know where to escape, a group of people suddenly came out of the dilapidated shack beside him. Each of them held a long knife in their hands, with gleaming eyes, and pounced on him like hungry wolves.

Lu An's face turned pale as he shouted, "Wait, we are willing to surrender! I am from the Lu family and would like to have a good talk with your gang leader..."

However, no one heard what he shouted. The roar of killing filled the air, drowning out the slightly shrill scream.

The battle finally ended at daybreak. It had become an ambush, naturally driven by the bounty of heads. Even the bandits' pleas for mercy were futile, and they were slaughtered in pieces. In the end, only about thirty survived, including those who were trapped at the village gate. Truly, only one in ten survived.

Seeing Yan Yuan leading the team back, Cheng Xi praised him: "Ayuan, you are the first to achieve success this time. If you hadn't returned in time, how could we have fought so beautifully."

This was the truth. The biggest problem with fighting on two fronts was the lack of instant communication, so there was no plan for coordinated operations. Yan Yuan's mission was simply to contain the enemy ships, return immediately after the battle, and trap the enemy on the island.

Fortifications were set up on the island, and people were ambushed in the secret passages and on the broken ships to prevent sneak attacks and seize the pirate ships.

As a result, the bandits were defeated in front of the village gate and their sneak attack failed. When they returned to the dock, they found that their boat was gone. In despair, they either fled with their heads in their hands or surrendered.

When the fleet returns, we can gather our forces to encircle and suppress them, and accept their surrender. Unexpectedly, the battle on Yan Yuan's side ended too quickly, and the time of his return was also cleverly chosen.

Knowing he had blocked the enemy, he did not attack them head-on, but instead ambushed a group of people in an abandoned shed and fought a decisive and decisive battle of annihilation.

This tactical quality can be said to be outstanding, and it also made Cheng Xi amazed.

Faced with the praise, Yan Yuan felt a little ashamed: "It is thanks to the master's planning that we have achieved such a victory. The layout inside and outside the village gate is really brilliant. It directly destroyed the enemy's morale. If not, how could I have won so easily?"

This is Yan Yuan's heartfelt words. Everyone can dig a pit, but not everyone can dig it like this.

The arrangement of these traps is in line with military tactics. Not to mention hundreds of bandits, even someone riding a horse might not be able to get through. There are only a few spear throwers on the island, and they are unable to show their full power. If they are combined with archers to shoot from all sides, they can directly kill this group of bandits in front of the village.

The big pit dug behind the wooden fence was even more vicious, completely cutting off the last ray of hope. It was truly a stroke of genius!

If he had not suffered a great loss in front of the village and had not been distracted by the attack, he would not have had the opportunity to arrange an ambush and wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.

Cheng Xi laughed and said, "Let's stop flattering each other. How many boats did you rob?"

Cheng Xi is very familiar with position defense, especially the attack and defense of this kind of camp.

Not to mention the military strategies and tactics left over from the era of cold weapons, the mission examples she had learned were extremely diverse, with all kinds of strange and bizarre things.

It just so happened that these idiots had the audacity to attack at night. Aren't they just asking for heads? She cared more about the fleet's gains than the battle on the island.

Seeing Cheng Xi's calmness, Yan Yuan quickly calmed down and reported: "The thieves left six ships. I used some tricks to capture five of them and sank one. However, there were not many people on the ships. I guess they were all brought here."

They actually put all their forces into attacking the island. Isn't this too desperate? Cheng Xi frowned: "Is the bandit leader still alive?"

"He was beheaded." Yan Yuan reacted quickly, "Is the boss worried that something is fishy?"

Cheng Xi said, "Ships are the foundation of pirates. This deployment of forces is too desperate. Is that second-in-command from the Lu family?"

"Indeed, he was sent by the Lu family, which is why Jiang Da sent him out to resist the Qingfeng Gang's fleet." Yan Yuan replied.

Cheng Xi pondered for a moment: "Then this island may not be as simple as Lu Jian said."

Yan Yuan's heart tightened. "If this island is really that important, we'll be facing the relentless pursuit of the Jiangdong Lu family. Isn't it too dangerous?"

This is also a key issue. The situation is already dangerous enough. If a powerful family comes along and fights to the death, who can withstand it? All previous arrangements may have to be adjusted.

"Look for any surviving small leaders and interrogate them thoroughly to find out the truth. For the rest, proceed as planned. Even if someone from the Lu family comes, it's impossible for them to arrive so quickly." Cheng Xi paused, a smile forming on his lips. "Besides, if there really is something going on, Lu Jian will definitely be prepared."

Would such a meticulous guy not have a backup plan?

In the future, the Lu family’s struggle will become increasingly intense. The more dangerous it is, the more benefits they will gain.

The Red Flag Gang is just a startup now and its strength is still too weak. Naturally, it has to resort to some unconventional means to grow faster.

Besides, she was still waiting for the ship to Hepu to return, and she didn't know what she could bring back.