Chapter Thirty-Four: Variables

“Hey! Isn’t that Master Qi?”
A sharp-eyed villager spotted Qi Jun among the county soldiers and called out joyfully.
Liu Kui and the clan elder, upon hearing this, looked carefully and were equally delighted. At that moment, Qi Jun was discussing something with Magistrate Feng; hearing someone shout his name, he looked toward the sound and saw the villagers gathered at the entrance, watching. He immediately went over to greet them.
When Qi Jun explained that the county soldiers, led by Magistrate Feng, had come to suppress the bandits of Panlong Ridge, the crowd erupted in cheers. The clan elder promptly led the villagers to kneel in gratitude before Magistrate Feng and the county soldiers. Normally, Magistrate Feng would not interfere, but here, before Qi Jun, he wished to appear benevolent and draw closer to Qi Jun. He hurriedly made a show of stopping the villagers from kneeling and personally helped the clan elder to his feet.
“Sir, we’ve suffered so much at the hands of the bandits. You must avenge us...” The clan elder tried to kneel several times but was stopped by Magistrate Feng, who moved to tears.
“Elder, you are the ones who clothe and feed us! When our parents are in trouble, how can we stand by and do nothing? Rest assured, since we are here, we will dismantle Panlong Ridge and bring every bandit to justice!” Magistrate Feng declared solemnly.
Qi Jun cared little whether Magistrate Feng was merely putting on a show. He found Liu Fuyuan in the crowd and handed him a drawing, instructing him to craft components according to its specifications as quickly as possible. Then he sought out Captain Sun, hoping he would assign men to assist Liu Fuyuan.
Captain Sun readily agreed, selecting several county soldiers to follow Liu Fuyuan, and sent another group to fell trees in the woods across the riverbank.
Seeing this, nearly all able-bodied men among the villagers, save the elderly, women, and children, stayed to help the county soldiers. Watching the bustling activity on the riverbank and at the edge of the forest, Magistrate Feng was greatly surprised.
“Usually, the people avoid county soldiers as if they were the plague. Never before have I seen such a scene here in Dongling Village. How odd! How odd indeed!” Magistrate Feng mused.
“Magistrate Feng, it’s not odd at all. In the past, your men would strike or curse the people, extorting from travelers at the city gates. Today, you come only to suppress the bandits—not to collect taxes, nor to conscript men. Naturally, the people are delighted, welcoming you with food and drink.”
Qi Jun, unconcerned with Magistrate Feng’s opinion, seized the chance to vent his long-held dissatisfaction with the county soldiers’ conduct. Magistrate Feng sighed, silent.
Everyone worked through the morning, stopping only when the sun was nearly overhead to rest and eat. Qi Jun found a shaded spot to sit and ponder tomorrow’s battle plan when suddenly he sensed someone approaching from behind.
He stood up, alert, and stepped back, then froze slightly when he saw who it was.

“I... I brought you some water...”
Yu Niang was startled by Qi Jun’s sudden movement, almost spilling the bowl in her hands, her cheeks flushing pink.
“Yu Niang... Oh, thank you...” Qi Jun awkwardly wiped his sweat. He was indeed thirsty, so he accepted the bowl Yu Niang handed him and drank it in one gulp.
“Thank you for last night...” Yu Niang took the empty bowl, gathering her courage. “I told my mother... She insisted I invite you to our home for a meal, please... don't refuse.”
“It was nothing, as long as you’re safe. You don’t need to feed me...” Qi Jun scratched his head, knowing Yu Niang’s family was struggling. Last night, she had wandered farther than usual to gather wild vegetables, which led to her late return and the dangerous encounter with the two bandits.
Supporting her mother and younger brother was already difficult enough; if he ate a meal there, the three would surely go hungrier. Besides, Qi Jun had no intention of seeking any reward for his actions, so he politely declined Yu Niang’s invitation.
Unexpectedly, Yu Niang’s eyes filled with tears. “Though I am poor, I know one must repay kindness. Please, do not refuse this humble meal.”
“This...” Qi Jun saw Yu Niang was about to cry and was at a loss. Not knowing what to do, he turned and suddenly noticed a county soldier galloping towards them.
He realized urgent military news must have arrived, so he quickly prepared to leave. Yu Niang, seeing this, tugged at his sleeve.
“Yu Niang, the situation is urgent. I appreciate your kindness, but I must go...”
“Master Qi, please wait!” Yu Niang called after him, her face reddening as she removed a red string from her neck, offering the small keepsake to Qi Jun with bowed head. “This is my lucky charm. The battlefield is perilous—please be careful!”
Qi Jun looked at the small wooden token threaded on the red string, its surface inscribed with faint characters. It still carried Yu Niang’s warmth, and his heart beat faster.
“Thank you. I’ll keep it for now, and return it to you when I come back.” Qi Jun gripped the token, hastily turning and fleeing as if escaping.
“No... no need...” Yu Niang whispered, watching his departing figure.
The mounted county soldier was a scout dispatched by Captain Sun to monitor Panlong Ridge. Arriving before Magistrate Feng, he dismounted, saluted on one knee, then stood and reported, “Sir, the bandits of Panlong Ridge are heading toward Dongling Village!”
“How many? How far away?” Magistrate Feng and Captain Sun were startled, immediately asking.

“About a hundred men, all on foot. They should arrive in less than an hour.” The scout took the water Captain Sun handed him and drank a few mouthfuls before answering.
“The situation has changed. We can’t wait until tomorrow.” Qi Jun was alarmed and began to think.
“How did they know we were in Dongling Village?” Magistrate Feng’s face was full of shock and confusion.
“They likely don’t know we’re here,” Qi Jun recalled every detail of their departure from the city, confirming there were no leaks. “The villages closest to Panlong Ridge are Dongling Village to the east, Baishigou to the south, Mengjiawan and Songjiazhai to the west, and Hecha Village to the north. If they send a hundred men to search each direction, they’ll quickly determine our position. Besides, if they knew we were here, they wouldn’t send only a hundred men.”
“That’s right. We have only fifty men. Our plan was to wait for the commander to ambush near Panlong Ridge, lure the enemy into attacking, then encircle and annihilate them,” Captain Sun said, slapping his forehead. “But since the bandits know we’re coming, there’s no need to wait for us—they can simply come down and attack us directly!”
“Master Qi, what do you think we should do now?” Magistrate Feng asked anxiously. Facing an attack by over a hundred bandits, he was clearly uneasy.
“The most urgent task is to stop these bandits and seek the opportunity to wipe them out. If they escape, our position will be exposed, and we risk being surrounded by several groups of bandits from three sides.” Qi Jun thought quickly and soon devised a plan.
Though over a hundred bandits were heading toward Dongling Village, they were still unaware of Qi Jun’s presence.
Qi Jun could use this, taking advantage of the terrain and the element of surprise to launch an ambush.
But the county soldiers alone were not enough; Qi Jun needed to do one crucial thing before the battle began.
He had to break the chains of fear in the villagers’ hearts, lessen their dread of the bandits, and have them join the fight. As a great man of later generations said, the power of the masses is boundless.