Chapter Forty-Six: The Eradication of the Bandits

“Young master, I was sold by my family. The bandits bought me and locked me up on the mountain behind that big gate, together with more than ten other girls.” Hearing Qi Jun’s question and sensing hope in his voice, the young girl hurriedly knelt and spoke.

Qi Jun hadn’t expected such a circumstance and quickly helped her up.

“Mister? Is everything alright?” came the voice of a county trooper from below.

“All taken care of. Go and turn the winch—open the gate!” Qi Jun replied, then looked back at the girl. “Do you know exactly where they are?”

“Yes, I do. If you go up from this main gate, you’ll reach their stronghold. In the center of the stockade, there’s a big courtyard. Behind the courtyard is another gate to the fort. They’re locked in the house behind that gate.”

“There are two gates?” Qi Jun was surprised. The third-in-command among the bandits hadn’t mentioned this to him before. Qi Jun couldn’t be sure whether there was any hidden danger behind the second gate.

“Mister, the gate’s open!” The same county trooper returned.

“Signal Captain Sun and the others—have them come over.” After saying this and comforting the girl a little more, Qi Jun left the watchtower.

By now, the rain had eased somewhat. Qi Jun walked to the entrance and glanced down at the fleeing bandit, who had already been shot dead, his body bristling with arrows. The county troopers stood in two lines, awaiting his next command.

Qi Jun left two troopers to tidy up the scene and tend to the girl, then led the rest back to the drawbridge, where Sun Jiu and his men were already waiting.

Passing through the raised gate, Qi Jun slipped into the small room just beyond. The bandits inside, fast asleep, were defenseless and met a silent end.

Qi Jun looked up; the blurry outline of the bandit stronghold was now in sight.

“Liu Fuyuan, get ready to breach the gate!” Qi Jun signaled to Liu Fuyuan, who immediately gathered his men and drove the wagon forward.

Sun Jiu was curious as to how Qi Jun would break through the gate, but Qi Jun stopped him.

“Captain Sun, don’t be impatient. Let’s wait here until they succeed, then we’ll charge in.” Qi Jun had no intention of revealing the existence of the catapult to Sun Jiu, knowing that if Sun learned about it, so would Feng Qinian.

Qi Jun was determined not to fall into one of Feng Qinian’s schemes again.

Sun Jiu, seeing Qi Jun’s air of confidence and realizing he didn’t want them to know, grew only more curious, but he stifled his eagerness to find out and waited quietly for the moment of breakthrough.

About a quarter of an hour later, Qi Jun heard the thunderous crash of stones against the stronghold gate, followed by the splintering of wood.

Qi Jun knew the signal for the general assault had sounded. He raised his crossbow and led the villagers forward.

“Brothers, now’s our time to shine! We county troopers can’t be outdone by the villagers—follow me!” Sun Jiu shouted, waving his hand. The troopers roared in excitement and charged toward the bandit camp.

Startled awake by the collapse of the gate, the bandits scrambled out, hastily pulling on their clothes. At the sight of their shattered gate, panic and confusion seized them.

In the dark, rainy night, the bandits huddled together, fumbling to light torches, yet saw no sign of their attackers.

When they finally sensed danger from above and raised their torches, they saw dozens of stones hurtling down through the rain and mist.

Red-eyed Eagle, the bandit chief, was awakened by the commotion in the courtyard. He shoved aside the terrified woman at his side, threw on his clothes, and rushed out—only to witness the devastating rain of rocks upon his men. He stood stunned in the rain, shaken to his core.

He stared with bloodshot eyes, unable to fathom how Panlong Ridge, which he had fortified and managed for more than ten years, could fall so suddenly and so easily to an enemy he didn’t even know.

As he watched a group of villagers, led by a scholar, pouring in through the collapsed gate, his pupils contracted sharply.

He realized—what had brought him down was neither the government troops nor his rivals, but these “mud-legged” peasants whom he had always scorned and oppressed.

Sensing his fate was sealed and knowing what awaited him at the hands of the authorities, the remaining bandits, like desperate beasts, howled and charged at the villagers and troopers pouring in through the breach.

One after another, bandits were shot down by arrows and bolts from the villagers and troopers, and the rest were quickly surrounded by the overwhelming numbers. After a flurry of cold steel, the resistance was soon silenced.

Red-eyed Eagle stared blankly at the sight of all his followers lying dead, a bitter, unwilling smile creeping onto his lips.

“Red-eyed Eagle, surrender! Don’t waste your life in futile resistance. From today on, Panlong Ridge is no more,” Sun Jiu advanced a couple of steps, pointing his crossbow menacingly.

“Heh… who would have thought Panlong Ridge would meet such a fate…” The bandit chief shook his head, then turned his bloodshot eyes to Qi Jun. “I know that man Feng doesn’t have the ability for this. It’s you I have to thank for today’s disaster, isn’t it?”

Qi Jun was taken aback by the old villain’s sharp perception. Since the doomed deserved to know, he nodded his acknowledgment.

“Young man, you’re more capable than those officials…” Red-eyed Eagle sighed, his eyes narrowing suddenly. “Then come with me!” In a flash, he raised his hand and shot a hidden dart straight at Qi Jun.

As Red-eyed Eagle raised his hand, Sun Jiu sensed the danger and fired his crossbow. Both arrows flew at once.

Qi Jun, feeling the peril, instinctively twisted aside but was a moment too slow. The hidden dart struck his left arm. He felt a chill, then a stabbing pain spreading from the wound.

A wave of drowsiness overcame him; the shapes around him blurred, and he could barely speak.

“Behind the stockade… save them… hurry…” With his last strength, he uttered the words for rescue before losing consciousness.

Red-eyed Eagle also had a crossbow bolt protruding from his chest. He died, but a twisted smile of triumph remained on his lips.

“Mister! Are you alright?”

“The dart’s poisoned!”

“Medic! Where’s the medic?”

“Quick, get him down the mountain…”

The villagers cried out as they jostled around Qi Jun. Liu Kui hoisted Qi Jun onto his back and dashed down the mountain. Sun Jiu left a detachment of troopers to secure the area and guard the supplies, then followed with the rest.

At the foot of the mountain, the commander and Deng Fang, who were guarding against a possible bandit counterattack, heard the shouting from up the path and thought Qi Jun’s party had succeeded and were retreating. They hurried to meet them.

When they saw Liu Kui carrying Qi Jun, surrounded by anxious villagers, Deng Fang’s heart sank.

The commander and the troopers left behind wore the same worried expressions. To lose such a rare talent to bandits would be a tragedy.

“Brother Jun!” Deng Fang shouted, rushing forward, tears streaming down his face, mingling with the falling rain.