Chapter Sixty-Two Reinforcements

“Sir, the captain has taken the men to fight the bandits. So what should we do now?” The county militiaman behind Qi Jun looked at Captain Sun Jiu, who had just left with the troops, and asked in confusion.

These two county militiamen were specifically assigned to protect Qi Jun. Ever since Qi Jun had been wounded by the Red-Eyed Eagle’s hidden arrow, Sun Jiu seemed to have developed a sort of paranoia about Qi Jun being harmed.

Qi Jun was not only the favorite of Sun Jiu’s superior, County Officer Feng, but also an important collaborator of his. He constantly worried that Qi Jun might fall victim to such an attack again, so he selected two reliable men from his subordinates to follow Qi Jun and ensure his safety.

Now, these two men found themselves in a dilemma, unsure whether they should follow the main force or continue to guard Qi Jun.

“This Sun Jiu…” Qi Jun sighed, noticing their indecision. He took the lead and started walking after the others.

By the time they opened the portcullis and stepped outside, Sun Jiu was already assembled with the county soldiers behind the barricade, fully prepared for combat.

“Sir, you should go back. We have heavy crossbows. I’ll make sure none of them get away!” Sun Jiu, his gaze fixed ahead, spoke with absolute confidence.

“They haven’t even reached halfway up the mountain yet. Send a scout to check the situation first,” Qi Jun said, a note of resignation in his voice as he patted Sun Jiu’s shoulder. “Don’t get careless just because we have heavy crossbows. Weapons are important on the battlefield, of course, but in the end, it’s people who determine victory or defeat.”

“People? Sir, I don’t get it. These heavy crossbows make dealing with bandits as easy as child’s play. If only we’d had a few more from the start, we wouldn’t have lost so many men.” As he spoke, Sun Jiu’s eyes dimmed as he recalled the fallen soldiers. “It was my fault. If only I’d stationed men at Shizui Cliff, they wouldn’t have gotten up here so quickly…”

“All the ifs in the world won’t change anything. Let this battle be a hard-earned lesson.” Seeing Sun Jiu’s deep remorse, Qi Jun offered a few words of sympathy.

“Yes… but this lesson came at too great a cost…” Sun Jiu took a deep breath and looked back at Qi Jun. “Sir, tell me—why shouldn’t weapons matter so much?”

“Come on, I never said weapons aren’t important. That’s not what I meant…” Qi Jun started, then shook his head. “Forget it. I can’t explain it all at once. Just send out a scout first. We have no idea how many are coming or what weapons they have. If you line up your men here and they catch you off guard, what then?”

“You’re right, sir—you always think of everything…” Embarrassed, Sun Jiu rubbed his forehead. He knew that someone as learned as Qi Jun saw things differently than a rough soldier like himself. He stopped arguing and quickly dispatched a scout to investigate.

The torch-lit group at the foot of the mountain quickened its pace as it climbed, the leader constantly urging those falling behind to hurry. It was clear they had just completed a forced march along the mountain trail; every one of them was drenched in sweat, their steps faltering with exhaustion, yet they pressed on without complaint.

The county scout hid among the thick branches of an ancient tree halfway up the mountain, watching as the torch-bearing group drew closer.

As they approached, he could see from their weary movements just how exhausted they were. The scout grew suspicious—if these men intended to attack Panlong Ridge in this condition, their chances seemed slim. Yet, given their numbers, he dared not let his guard down and decided to observe a little longer.

When the group passed beneath him along the mountain path, the scout suddenly spotted Deng Fang among them.

He immediately realized these were not enemies but reinforcements. His anxiety instantly gave way to delight, and he hurried off to report.

“Did you get a good look?” Qi Jun, both surprised and relieved by the scout’s report, double-checked with him.

“There’s no mistaking Young Master Deng—he’s a giant among men. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but from his clothing and the way he walked, I’m sure it was him.” The scout recalled carefully and nodded with determination.

By then, the torch-lit column had already rounded the bend in the mountain path, heading straight toward Qi Jun and the others.

“Who goes there? Stop at once!” one of the county soldiers shouted, bow in hand.

“I’m Deng Fang! Brother Jun, Captain Sun, are you all right?” came Deng Fang’s booming voice from the group.

Realizing it truly was Deng Fang’s reinforcements, everyone’s hearts were finally at ease. Even Qi Jun let out a long-held breath.

If the bandits had attacked again, Qi Jun was confident he could hold the line, but it would surely have cost more county soldiers their lives.

As the group approached, Qi Jun saw that Deng Fang had brought the anti-bandit squad from East Ridge Village.

“Deng Fang, what brought you to East Ridge Village?” Qi Jun grabbed Deng Fang’s arm in surprise.

“Brother Jun, it was pure chance. I was planning to buy some good food from the county and bring my apprentices here so we could all have a good drink tonight. But as I returned and reached the foot of the mountain, I saw the bandits climbing up. I sent Xu Sheng back to the county camp to alert Commander He and bring reinforcements, while I went to East Ridge Village to find Liu Kui. Who would’ve thought we’d arrive first?” Deng Fang recounted the events in one breath, so tired his vision swam.

“Sir, are you all right?” Once Deng Fang finished, Liu Kui approached, still worried. Behind him stood Liu Biao and Liu Fuyuan, both with anxious expressions.

The three squad leaders circled Qi Jun, checking him over several times, and were truly relieved only when they confirmed he was unharmed.

“Well done, everyone!” Qi Jun looked at the assembled men, heartfelt gratitude welling up as he clasped his hands in thanks. “You needn’t worry—the attacking bandits have already been wiped out.”

“Thank heavens! Those bandits deserved to die, trying to storm Panlong Ridge like us…” Liu Kui cursed, though his words were tinged with confusion.

Earlier, when Liu Kui had learned that Panlong Ridge was under heavy attack by bandits, he’d been beside himself with worry, immediately gathering the anti-bandit squad and racing up the mountain to help.

Now that the crisis was over and Qi Jun was safe, the adrenaline that had kept everyone going suddenly drained away. Each man was overtaken by fatigue from their relentless march.

“Sun Jiu, quickly take everyone inside to rest and prepare some food and water for them,” Qi Jun instructed, urging Sun Jiu to lead the villagers back into the fortress to eat and recover.

Watching the men help each other as they made their way slowly toward the stronghold, Qi Jun’s heart filled with doubts.

From the county seat to Panlong Ridge, half the journey followed a relatively flat official road, while East Ridge Village was closer but only accessible via the winding, rugged Dragonwhisker Path.

By rights, if Commander He’s men had hurried at full speed after receiving the message, they should have arrived as the bandits began their assault on the barricade.

The county soldiers had been scouring the mountains for the remnants of the Panlong Ridge bandits, yet there had been no warning of so large a force gathering. Whether this was negligence or a deliberate cover-up required thorough investigation.

As these thoughts swirled, Qi Jun sensed there might be more behind the bandit attack than met the eye. He took out several banknotes he’d found on the corpse of the “Mountain Panther,” deciding to pursue this lead.

Whoever was plotting behind the scenes, Qi Jun did not intend to let them go unpunished.