Chapter Fifty-Seven Guarding the Mountain

“Wait!” Qi Jun shouted, halting the county soldiers who were about to close the portcullis, forcing himself to calm down.

“This gate can withstand chopping and fire, it’s nearly impossible to break through from outside. They’ll go for Dragon Claw Peak first!” Qi Jun slapped his forehead, looking toward the direction of Dragon Claw Peak. “Sun Jiu, you take ten county archer and crossbowmen to defend Dragon Claw Peak. The mountain path there is so narrow only one person can pass at a time—it’s the perfect spot for an ambush. Hold them off as long as you can. Give me enough time, and I’ll find a way to drive them back!”

“Sir, I truly should’ve listened to you and stationed more men at Stone Mouth Cliff—then we could’ve held on longer. It’s my fault! I never expected such a large bandit force to appear out of nowhere…” Sun Jiu was about to head for Dragon Claw Peak, but suddenly stopped and turned, self-reproachful.

“There’s no use talking about it now! Take your men to Dragon Claw Peak immediately. If they seize that spot and open the gate, it’ll be too late for anything!” Qi Jun had no thought of blaming Sun Jiu. Though there’d been a lapse in the defense, no one could have foreseen such a sudden crisis.

“Sir, it’s not that I fear death—I’m just worried for you… Should I leave a few more men with you?” Sun Jiu looked at Qi Jun, his eyes full of concern.

“If Dragon Claw Peak falls, it won’t matter how many I have here!” Qi Jun was growing impatient with Sun Jiu’s hesitation, urging him on.

Sun Jiu gave Qi Jun a solemn cupped-fist salute, then led the archers and crossbowmen toward Dragon Claw Peak to set up defenses.

“You lot, with me! Move all this wood and stone onto the mountain path! The rest, tear down that wooden house—I’ll give you further orders when I return!” Qi Jun pointed to a group of county soldiers, gesturing them over as he picked up a stone and ran outside the portcullis.

The soldiers hurried to follow, gathering up rocks and wood in their arms. The rest grabbed tools and rushed to dismantle the wooden house Qi Jun had indicated.

Inside that house, the woman who had arrived with the caravan and several other women cowered in confusion, watching the soldiers rushing about. Overhearing talk of a bandit attack, terror once again gripped their hearts.

Seeing the county soldier who’d escorted her trying to rush outside, the woman chased after him, grabbing his sleeve and sobbing, “Didn’t you tell me there were no more bandits at Panlong Ridge? What’s going on? I don’t care, I want to go home—take me home right now!”

The soldier, irritated by her tugging, shoved her away and scolded, “You think I want to die here? I don’t know where all these bandits came from either! Get in my way again and I’ll cut you down!”

Frightened into silence, the woman shrank back a few steps, then collapsed weakly to the ground.

As dusk deepened and the soldiers worked feverishly, the woman was overwhelmed by regret and despair.

Sun Jiu soon arrived at Dragon Claw Peak with his men. He posted several on the watchtower, stationed others to block the mountain path, and formed a defensive ring around the winch.

A deep chasm separated Dragon Claw Peak from the portcullis. From the watchtower, Sun Jiu could clearly see Qi Jun and his men piling stones and wood into a barricade on the mountain path before the gate.

The barricade had barely reached waist-height when the first bandits appeared around the bend ahead.

“Archers! When the bandits come within range, fire in staggered volleys. If they get close to the barricade, drive them back with your blades! If you can’t hold, fall back!” Qi Jun, placing a stone atop the barricade, shouted to the soldiers behind him.

“Yes, sir!” they answered, nervously loading their crossbows.

Qi Jun wasted no time, hurrying back into the compound. The wooden house was nearly dismantled, wood scattered everywhere.

“What now, sir?” a county soldier called, dropping his load and running to him.

“Find axes and saws—shape this wood as I instruct,” Qi Jun ordered, mind racing.

These bandits were the remnants of Panlong Ridge, led on a raid by their second-in-command, Split Mountain Leopard, only to have their stronghold captured by Qi Jun when their defenses were down. In the days since, they’d hidden from the county soldiers and endured mockery and humiliation from rival gangs they once scorned, dreaming of reclaiming their lost glory.

Under Split Mountain Leopard’s direction, the bandits gathered and, before sunset, ambushed near Panlong Ridge, planning to strike after dark.

When scouts returned with news that Stone Mouth Cliff was undefended, Split Mountain Leopard was elated. He realized that if such a crucial pass was unguarded, then the county soldiers were either too few or too lax.

Abandoning stealth, he decided to attack at once, tossing silver extorted from wealthy merchants among his men to stir their spirits.

“Brothers! The county soldiers are few—take back our stronghold, and the silver and women are ours for the taking!” he cried from a treetop, answered by a chorus of wild cheers.

The vanguard charged up the mountain, only to be stopped short by a barricade of wood and stone that hadn’t been there before. Stunned, they hesitated at the bend.

“Come on, brothers! Move those rotten logs and stones!” the leader shouted, and the bandits surged forward.

As they neared within fifty paces of the barricade, several county soldiers with bows and crossbows suddenly appeared.

“Kill!” With a wave, a county crossbowman unleashed a volley of bolts into the bandit ranks.

“Take cover!” The bandit leader realized the danger, shouting for his men to duck.

But the path was hemmed in by a chasm on one side and a sheer cliff on the other—there was nowhere to hide. The volley was deadly accurate; several bandits, including the leader, fell with agonized cries, while the rest retreated in panic.

As the archers reloaded, their comrades behind them rose and let fly another volley.

With the twang of crossbows, more bandits fell amid the throng.

“We can’t get through—what now?” a bandit gasped, peering nervously at the corpses strewn across the path.

“Damn, we forgot shields,” the bandit captain muttered, then quickly devised a plan. “You, grab those corpses—use them as cover!”

Again the bandits charged, this time raising the bodies of their fallen comrades as shields. The next volley thudded harmlessly into the corpses; the bandits drew ever closer.

“Throw stones—aim behind the bodies!” one county soldier cried desperately.

He hurled a stone into the crowd; with a yelp, a bandit was struck, the body-shield toppling. “It works! Keep throwing!” another soldier shouted.

A hail of stones rained down, forcing the bandits to halt, clutching wounded faces and howling. In the confusion, the soldiers loosed another volley, felling more bandits.

“Drop the bodies—just charge!” the captain, injured by a stone, bellowed angrily.

Riled by arrows and stones, the bandits roared and charged again, heedless of the danger. Several fell, but those with blades reached the barricade before the soldiers could reload.

“They’re here! Draw blades!” a county man tossed aside his crossbow and unsheathed his sword with a ringing cry. The others followed suit, glaring fiercely at the oncoming bandits.

Though Qi Jun had ordered a retreat if they couldn’t hold, not one thought of falling back.

They remembered the people who had suffered at the bandits’ hands, the women left in misery, and their own honor as soldiers.

That day, having witnessed Qi Jun’s justice and execution of the bandits in the courtyard, their loyalty and fighting spirit were burning brighter than ever.

“Come on, you bastards! Let’s fight to the end!” one county soldier shouted, stepping forward and swinging his blade at the onrushing foe.