Chapter Fifteen: The Bandit Suppression

Feng Mu turned to the steward beside him and said, "Someone, escort Wanqing back to rest."

After everyone had left, Feng Mu looked up at the sky, shaking his head with a sigh. The Mengla were attacking with overwhelming force, having already seized several cities in quick succession. The Imperial Court was in a state of shock, and rumors swirled that they were already considering paying reparations to sue for peace. The entire frontier defense line was retreating repeatedly, teetering on the brink of collapse.

He had to secure an exit strategy for himself. When he first entered officialdom, he had dreamed of achieving great things, but the depths of the bureaucratic sea were vast and treacherous. Decades of rising and falling in the political tide had shown him the true nature of the world. Now, only power and wealth were the goals worth pursuing; all else was irrelevant.

When Lin Shize returned to the village, the sound of hammering from the blacksmith's shop was incessant. The apprentices, stripped to the waist, were drenched in sweat. There were still too few men he could rely on. At most, he could mobilize forty for this bandit suppression mission, and there were not enough blacksmiths to forge the necessary quantity of triangular arrowheads. How could he recruit more hands?

As Lin Shize pondered this, Li Gui ran back, drenched in sweat. "Chief, you called for me?"

Lin Shize told Li Gui to sit and rest, then said, "Take a few of the men and scout the situation at Lone Mountain. We are going to march a hundred miles for this campaign; we must be fully prepared."

Li Gui asked with some confusion, "Chief, we are going to suppress bandits at Lone Mountain?"

Lin Shize smiled. "A wealthy benefactor is giving us thousands of catties of grain and silver to clear them out. How about it? Are you interested?"

Upon hearing of such a windfall, Li Gui’s eyes lit up. Lately, he became ecstatic whenever he heard the word "battle," knowing it meant a hefty reward would follow. He stood up immediately. "Chief, don't you worry. I’ll take the men right now. Leave it to me!"

The other soldiers nearby, hearing of the mission, crowded around and asked, "Commander, when do we set out? The boys have been drilling for days and are itching for action."

Lin Shize slapped the back of one man's head and said sternly, "Don't be reckless. Remember, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Don't get careless just because they are bandits. How many great generals have drowned in a shallow puddle?" He chased them off with a few kicks and shoves, ordering them back to their training.

Deep down, Lin Shize was pleased. The men’s morale was high, and their fighting spirit was sharp. He would use the bandits to test the results of their recent training. Finally, he instructed Da Hu to have someone keep a close watch on the movements of Feng Mu and Lin Feng. Those two were intertwined in countless ways, and there was certainly something suspicious going on.

The next morning, Feng Mu sent people over to deliver the grain. Gou Dan, standing on the watchtower, saw a dozen old ox carts approaching slowly. He opened the rear gate to meet them. The lead official, seeing Gou Dan’s bandaged frame and pale face, and noting the scrawny stature of the soldiers behind him, clearly did not see them as elite warriors.

The official said with disdain, "This is what my master has sent for you."

Gou Dan nodded and said, "Call the villagers over."

Over a dozen villagers and soldiers began unloading the grain. The official recognized a few of the villagers; they had begged for food in the county seat before, and he had chased them away himself. *And these are the elite frontier troops the magistrate spoke of? They aren't even as good as my own yamen runners.*

After unloading the grain, the official left for the county seat without even a word of greeting. Gou Dan watched his retreating figure, his eyes cold and silent.

Two days later, Lin Shize learned that Li Gui had returned and immediately summoned everyone.

"Chief, it's all been scouted out," Li Gui said, pulling out a roughly drawn map. "Lone Mountain is over a hundred miles to the west. There are three villages at its base. According to what I gathered, these bandits appeared suddenly about a year and a half ago."

"Suddenly?" Lin Shize asked.

Li Gui nodded. "Yes. The villagers say this group of over a hundred men just appeared one day, occupied Lone Mountain, and built a stronghold. They rarely come down. The mountain has steep cliffs on three sides, with only one path leading up."

Lin Shize frowned in thought. This group of bandits was utterly bizarre. If they were bandits, why didn't they descend to raid? What were they eating? If they didn't even touch the villagers at the foot of the mountain, why would they target a government grain transport?

Li Gui continued, "The terrain at Lone Mountain is easy to defend and hard to attack. With their numbers, a frontal assault would be costly. And the strangest thing is, there is a group of Mengla people in the village."

"Mengla people?" Liu Wu asked, surprised. "Are you sure? Why would they be in a village on our side?"

"It’s definitely the Mengla. Even though they are disguised as a common merchant caravan, I am certain," Li Gui said firmly.

Lin Shize stared at the map and muttered, "The Lin family, the county yamen, the bandits, the Mengla... the water is getting deeper by the day."

"It seems this is a trap meticulously prepared for us."

The men looked at each other, not quite grasping his meaning.

Lin Shize explained, "These bandits are likely a blade in the hands of Feng Mu and Lin Feng, meant to lure us in. Since we already know about their collusion with the Mengla, we have become a thorn in their side."

Zhao Tai’s eyes flashed with cold intent. "If that’s the case, Chief, we shouldn't go. Lone Mountain must be a web of traps waiting for us. Why don't we go tonight, kill Feng Mu and Lin Feng, and frame the Mengla for it?"

Lin Shize shook his head. "They are in our sector; a rash move would only invite suspicion. Lin Feng is not a threat, but Feng Mu is a seventh-rank imperial magistrate. Once the main camp investigates, we won't be able to absolve ourselves."

Lin Shize’s finger traced the map slowly before stopping abruptly on Lone Mountain. "We took their money, so we must deliver the service. Since we promised Magistrate Feng, we will keep our word."

"Tomorrow, cook the meal at the fourth watch, set out at the fifth. Target: Lone Mountain!"

The men stood up in unison, saluted, and declared, "Yes!"

That night, Zhao Dahu came to Lin Shize’s tent. "Chief, Lin Feng has been with Feng Mu for the past two days. They’ve sent three waves of men to Lone Mountain, and there are people watching us constantly. Someone just returned to Feng County; they’ve likely reported our situation to Feng Mu."

Lin Shize sneered. "Dahu, tomorrow, dress a few dozen villagers in our gear to confuse them. We must create the illusion that we haven't left yet. We shall play the part of the mantis stalking the cicada, while the oriole waits behind."

Before dawn the next day, Lin Shize arrived at a hidden path behind the village. Forty soldiers stood ready. Lin Shize walked past each one, adjusting their armor. Liu Wu, Zhao Tai, Zheng Yi, Zhou Kai, and Chen Xin stood at the front, their eyes burning with determination.

Lin Shize patted their shoulders and said, "Let's move!"