Chapter 109: Huanglong Mountain

While the Bai Family Fortress was bustling with preparations to defend against the invasion of the bandit army from Huanglong Mountain.

Deep within Huanglong Mountain, in an unnamed valley.

More than six thousand bandits were packed together in the valley, creating a great hubbub.

These six thousand people weren’t all battle-ready soldiers. Half were elderly and weak, women and children, with no fighting capability at all. Of the other half, the three thousand, most were ordinary young adults of low combat strength, not much different from the youths of Gaojia Village.

Only the leading thousand were hardened fierce bandits.

These thousand men actually came under several well-known, renowned martial figures and outlaw leaders.

One outlaw leader was called Bu Zhan Ni (historical figure) from Luochuan County. Under him were five hundred fierce bandits, a thousand young adults, and fifteen hundred elderly and weak, women and children.

Another was called Zuo Guazi (historical figure) from Yichuan County. He similarly commanded five hundred fierce bandits, a thousand young adults, and fifteen hundred elderly and weak, women and children.

The two were evenly matched, each accounting for half the bandit army.

Bu Zhan Ni was happily gnawing on a rabbit leg. His men had caught a rabbit in the mountains that day and, treating it like treasure, presented it to him. After roasting it, he invited Zuo Guazi to share the meal. The two outlaw leaders ate joyfully, taking bites in turn.

Bu Zhan Ni tore off a piece of rabbit meat with his teeth. Chewing, he mumbled, “Guazi, there’s no going back to my Luochuan County. The patrol officer of Luochuan has blocked the Huanglong Mountain pass with troops. That fellow has led border armies before—tough guy. If I go down the mountain to return to Luochuan, I’d run right into him.”

Zuo Guazi, his mouth slick with rabbit grease, mumbled back, “Hey, I can’t go back to my Yichuan County either. For fuck’s sake, there’s this official in charge of grain transport in Yichuan named Hong Chengchou. Damned tough! My several thousand men actually couldn’t beat a bunch of his servants. He led his household guards, hacking his way after me all the way into Huanglong Mountain. That bastard is still blocking the mountain pass even now. I don’t dare go back.”

Bu Zhan Ni’s jaw dropped. “Household servants that fierce? Just who is this Hong Chengchou?”

Zuo Guazi said, “How the hell should I know?”

Almost in unison, the two said, “Seems we can only go to Chengcheng County now.”

Huanglong Mountain lay at the junction of three counties: west to Luochuan, north to Yichuan. And south? That would be Chengcheng County. Since they couldn’t go to Luochuan or Yichuan, naturally only the road to Chengcheng County remained.

Bu Zhan Ni said, “I heard Chengcheng’s patrol officer Cheng Xu is a useless bastard. When Bai Shui Wang Er rose in rebellion, that good-for-nothing chased Wang Er for months but failed to even lay a hand on him.”

Zuo Guazi laughed. “I heard that too. That coward is terribly afraid of death. The slightest stir will send him scurrying away with his troops.”

Bu Zhan Ni chuckled. “Hehehe, then it’s settled. We’ll send some men first to case the area around Chengcheng County, find out what’s going on downhill. Then we’ll dig up some food from within the county.”

Zuo Guazi laughed too. “Before I fled into the mountains, I heard the new Chengcheng County Magistrate Liang Shixian was distributing congee to help the citizens. Means he still has food supplies! We’ll charge into Chengcheng County, chop that damned newly appointed dog official limb from limb, and snatch all his grain for ourselves!”

Bu Zhan Ni said, “Good! Let’s do it!”

…

Chengcheng County suddenly felt the winds of tension once more.

News of a large bandit army amassing in Huanglong Mountain swiftly reached the county town. Panicked, the townspeople remembered the last time Bai Shui Wang Er caused chaos. The wealthy families suffered terribly then—many wives and daughters dishonored, spouses slain, families decapitated. Though some managed to flee, their homes were plundered clean.

Even some poor folk lost their tumbledown wooden shacks when the bandits set fires that spread wildly, forcing them into destitution on the streets.

Everyone in all of Chengcheng trembled like startled birds.

The newly arrived county magistrate, Liang Shixian, certainly couldn’t simply sit and watch, nor did he want to die mysteriously like Zhang Yaocai. He promptly mobilized the thirty-plus constables. Each constable recruited three to five helpers, forming a force of over a hundred “soldiers.” He then urged farmers near the county town to take up arms, form militia groups, and assist the government in resisting the bandits.

Organizing such a large force so suddenly demanded vast amounts of weapons. Liang Shixian sent for the artisan master of the official workshops: “Quickly assemble all permanent workers and rotating workers. Exert all efforts to forge weapons to meet the militia’s needs.”

The artisan master wore an awkward expression. “Reporting to County Lord, the artisan households in the official workshops are insufficient… I fear… we cannot manage…”

“What?!” Liang Shixian was astonished. “Why are the artisan households insufficient?”

The artisan master answered, “For some reason, many artisans have recently run away one after another lately, especially the rotating workers. Each suddenly had the courage to pay their artisan registration fee then walk away clean. The massive official workshop is now deserted and quiet. Only a few permanent workers remain. ”

Liang Shixian: “!”

The artisan master added, “Just yesterday, I submitted the artisan registration fees collected from dozens of rotating workers to the Clerk. County Lord can verify it by asking him.”

The Clerk hurriedly handed him a register. Liang Shixian looked down: listed were a row of names, all rotating workers, each having paid between six to thirty years worth of artisan registration fees.

Clearly, there was no hope of them returning to work anytime soon.

Liang Shixian, knowledgeable in many matters, instantly activated his reasoning within his mind. The information he’d just reviewed whirled through his thoughts: possibilities spun dizzyingly like a revolving lantern, before finally “ding” – all the deductions merged into one conclusion.

Someone helped them!

Liang Shixian snorted. “There’s someone who needs artisans working for him, so he produced a large quantity of silver to pay the registration fees for them. This person commands significant resources and must be a prominent family, village head, or powerful elite near Chengcheng County. Finding him shouldn’t be hard. Since these rotating workers were willing to come pay the fees, it means they don’t want exile; they fear becoming rootless refugees. Surely one among them revealed his destination. Investigate immediately!”

The Clerk rushed to investigate, returning shortly to report quietly, “They went to Gaojia Village.”

“Gaojia Village?”

Liang Shixian certainly remembered Gaojia Village. The grain he’d used earlier to distribute congee for relief came from Gaojia Village’s Li family.

“I understand,” Liang Shixian said. “So it’s the Li family. No wonder they have such resources. The Li family is a kind-hearted family. We must extend courtesy. Clerk, go personally to the Li family. Ask them to lend us some weapons. Once we drive back these bandits, every weapon will be returned in full—no pilfering!”

Clerk: “I fear the Li family might be unwilling…”

Liang Shixian: “Use reason, appeal to conscience. I act for Chengcheng’s citizens, not personal gain. The Li family is a kind-hearted family. They absolutely cannot refuse to assist.”

Clerk: “I understand, master. I’ll go pay a visit to Gaojia Village.”