Chapter 267: Killing My Way Through
Chapter 267: Killing My Way Through
Seeing the rebel band in Guyuan, Liang Shixian panicked a bit. He shouted anxiously to the hired guards beside him: “Where is our Captain Ghost? Is he not here yet?”
A hired guard whispered softly: “We are dozens of li from Bai Family Fortress. It will take some time to contact Captain Ghost, and it will take more time for him to lead his troops here. It won’t be this quick.”
Liang Shixian asked urgently: “So what should we do then?”
Fang Wushang, on the other hand, wasn’t this anxious: “County Magistrate, we have a city wall after all, and tens of thousands of civilians helping us defend. This rebel band in front of us has at most eight hundred men. With such numbers, wanting to capture a county town guarded by so many of us isn’t easy. Captain Ghost will surely arrive in time for reinforcements.”
Liang Shixian then felt a bit more relieved.
At this moment, the rebels had reached under the city wall. Their leader, clad in a general’s uniform, rode out on horseback. It was their rebel chief, North Water Wolf. Not only did he adopt a nickname, but he also covered half his face with a cloth, held down by a helmet, revealing only a pair of sharp, gleaming eyes.
This covered-up look was quite similar to Cheng Xu’s style.
He rode alone to a spot not far from the county gate, reined in his warhorse, and laughed loudly: “I’m from Guyuan, named North Water Wolf. You can call me Commander Wolf. Who is the Chengcheng County Magistrate? Have him come out to speak.”
Liang Shixian rushed with pride and climbed onto the rampart: “I am Liang Shixian, the Chengcheng County Magistrate.”
Commander Wolf glanced at Liang Shixian and scoffed: “I’m a soldier and I don’t like fancy talk, so I’ll speak plainly. The court owes us three years’ pay—three whole years. The brothers behind me can hardly live on. Since the court won’t pay, we’ll take it ourselves. Hand over all the silver from the Chengcheng county treasury, and send out dozens of carts of grain. Make me happy, and I won’t attack your little town.”
Liang Shixian wasn’t flustered now, thinking to himself: This Commander Wolf might be like the last Captain Ghost, both harboring good intentions. With my silver tongue, I can persuade him to surrender—a wonderful result.
He cleared his throat: “Commander Wolf, I deeply sympathize with your years of unpaid wages, but rebellion is a capital offense. Why not lay down your weapons? Talk this out. I have friends at Donglin Academy who might help win you some concessions…”
Before he finished, Commander Wolf flew into a rage: “Shut up! Civil officials know nothing but lies! Three years with no pay—how many civil officials have spouted that tune to me? Not one liang ever reached my men. I’ve lost trust in you pen-pushers. The court owes us, and we’ll take it back with our own hands.”
Liang Shixian: “…”
Commander Wolf: “I don’t want to talk to anyone now—I just want to rob.”
Then he turned and pointed at the Guerrilla Li Ying tied up and gagged on a horse behind him: “Do you recognize that man?”
Liang Shixian: “Of course, that is Guerrilla General Li Ying.”
Commander Wolf: “When I demanded pay in Bai Shui County, this idiot suddenly charged out with the officials against me. Now he’s like this.”
Li Ying pleaded: “It’s not true, Commander Wolf. I never meant to stop you from robbing. I was just fleeing from Captain Ghost, passing by your territory… totally by chance. Rob wherever you like—I’d never ruin your fun.”
A respectable third-rank Guerrilla degrading himself to “your subordinate” before a mere fifth-rank commander to save his life was disgraceful.
Commander Wolf snorted angrily: “Nonsense! The border army in Guyuan has no such thing as Captain Ghost. You were obviously lying in ambush, trying to ambush me! Overestimating yourself, you were captured. Now you’re spinning lies to beg for your life.”
Li Ying wailed with grief: “He wants to protect his relatives, so he can’t use his real name—that’s why he calls himself Captain Ghost, just like you use Commander Wolf. I truly was chased horribly by him, fleeing blindly from Chengcheng County to Bai Shui County, straight to you. It wasn’t an ambush—I wouldn’t dare try it with a thousand guts… Commander, please think clearly.”
Commander Wolf growled: “Shut your mouth! Say another word, and I’ll chop you to pieces and feed you to the dogs.”
Li Ying was terrified and instantly shut up: He screamed inwardly about the injustice—I’m telling the truth and you won’t believe it! Would you only be happy if I lied more?
Commander Wolf turned back to Liang Shixian on the wall: “Don’t delude yourself with lies about calming me down. Killing my way from Guyuan all this distance, I’ve sent nearly a thousand souls to their deaths. Annoys me, and I’ll slaughter every man, woman, and child in Chengcheng County.”
Before he said this, Li Daoxuan had been feeling sympathy for him up in the sky—three years unpaid, a bit angry was understandable. If in later times, some boss didn’t pay for three years and you stabbed him, Li Daoxuan would applaud you.
But hearing him boast about “killing my way” and “dead souls under my blade,” Li Daoxuan’s face darkened.
How many areas must he have passed on this journey from Guyuan to near Xi’an? How many villages? Burning, killing, and looting along the way… surely not some villainous boss, all innocent bystanders!
Indeed, not only Li Daoxuan thought this, but Liang Shixian in the city also changed from sympathy to fury: “What did you just say? You… you owe wages from the court, but you… slaughtered commoners along the way?”
Commander Wolf sneered, his gaze icy: “Great Ming owes me silver. Raiding wildly in its territory—what’s wrong with that?”
Liang Shixian: “…”
Li Daoxuan heaved a deep sigh.
Liang Shixian shouted: “Unreasonable! Completely unreasonable! You’re simply…”
He didn’t finish when Commander Wolf suddenly pulled a Kaiyuan Bow from his back, drew it, nocked an arrow—one swift motion. From the move to the flight, it took just a blink. The arrow left the bowstring and sped straight toward Liang Shixian’s face.
Liang Shixian had no time to react—the arrow was at him.
Lucky Fang Wushang stood beside him, snatching a shield from a hired guard nearby and blocking it before Liang Shixian.
“Thud!”
The arrow struck the shield, its tail quivering slightly.
Commander Wolf spat in disgust: “Tch! Blocked?” He reined in his horse to retreat.
As he retreated, Fang Wushang already had his great bow drawn and fired an arrow straight at Commander Wolf.
Commander Wolf seemed eyes-bewitched, instantly ducking below the saddle and vanishing. The arrow whistled through empty air. Then he flipped back into the saddle like lightning, not looking back, and galloped into his group.