Chapter 105: Suppressing Bandits

The prefectural city, the Governor's Mansion.

Official Zhao looked at the documents sent by Li Wenqing, his brows furrowed tightly.

"This band of horse bandits is so audacious, they even dare to abduct the young lady of the Zhang family!"

Official Zhao shouted angrily.

"Sir, these horse bandits are hiding in Black Wind Valley outside the city."

"The terrain is treacherous, easy to defend but hard to attack; please, sir, send troops to assist in suppressing the bandits."

Li Wenqing's letter stated:

Official Zhao pondered for a moment, then summoned Commandant Meng Fei.

"Commandant Meng, immediately muster five hundred elite soldiers and assist Li Wenqing in exterminating the horse bandits in Black Wind Valley!"

Official Zhao ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

Meng Fei clasped his fists and accepted the order.

Black Wind Stronghold, built into the mountain, in the main hall, on a tiger-skin chair, the horse bandit chief Lin Xiaodong sat upright, solemn and alert.

"Report! The government troops are coming again! Look at the banners—they're from the prefectural city!"

A scout stumbled and crawled into the hall, panicking as he reported.

Hearing this, Lin Xiaodong narrowed his vicious eyes, a cold light flashing.

"Hmph, these clueless dog officials, coming again to throw away their lives!"

He said in a rough voice, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Pass the order, prepare to meet the enemy! This time, I'll make sure they never return!"

He waved his hand, and the bandits scattered in a clamor, each going to prepare.

Lin Xiaodong rose, walked to the cliff's edge, overlooked the winding valley, and said sinisterly:

"This Black Wind Valley will be their burial ground!"

At the same time, Jiang Xiaomu and Meng Fei led the five hundred elite soldiers, marching mightily into Black Wind Valley.

"Mr. Jiang, the valley's terrain is complex; I have a feeling something's off—could there be an ambush?"

Meng Fei, seated on his horse, brows locked tight, said uneasily to Jiang Xiaomu.

Jiang Xiaomu gave a slight nod, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Commandant Meng is absolutely right; this valley is indeed an ideal spot for an ambush."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than shouts of killing erupted from the cliffs on both sides of the valley.

Countless horse bandits surged out like a swarm of bees, brandishing swords and spears, swooping down from above.

"Kill! Leave none alive!"

Lin Xiaodong's furious roar echoed through the valley.

"Oh no, there really is an ambush! All troops, meet the enemy!"

Meng Fei started, hastily drew his sidearm sword, and directed the troops to engage.

Jiang Xiaomu observed the battlefield.

He discovered that these horse bandits were not only extraordinarily brave, but every one of them wore armor!

Privately hoarding armor—that's a serious crime!

It seems there may be some hidden motive behind this band of horse bandits.

What's more shocking is that the horse bandits' combat prowess far exceeds that of ordinary mountain bandits; the five hundred elite troops Meng Fei brought were gradually falling to a disadvantage.

"Commandant Meng, these horse bandits are well-trained and superbly equipped."

"They're probably not ordinary mountain bandits! We need to retreat quickly!"

Jiang Xiaomu shouted loudly.

At this moment, Meng Fei was also anxious, watching his men fall one by one; if this continued, the entire army might be wiped out.

"Retreat! Full retreat!"

He had no choice but to issue the order helplessly.

The government troops fought while retreating, struggling to break out of the valley.

The horse bandits pursued relentlessly, their cries of slaughter shaking heaven and earth.

In the fierce battle, Jiang Xiaomu suddenly noticed a burly horse bandit charging fiercely toward Meng Fei's direction.

That horse bandit wielded a massive axe, its swing heavy and powerful.

"Commandant Meng, be careful!"

Jiang Xiaomu let out a loud shout, leapt forward, and placed himself in front of Meng Fei.

The horse bandit's great axe came down with a howling wind, aiming to cleave Jiang Xiaomu's head and face.

At the critical moment, Jiang Xiaomu fiercely drew the saber at his waist and blocked the great axe.

"Clang!" a loud roar rang out, sparks flying everywhere.

Jiang Xiaomu only felt his tiger's mouth go numb, a tremendous force traveling up the blade, shaking his arm until it ached.

The horse bandit's strength was actually that great!

Jiang Xiaomu secretly marveled, realizing he must end the fight quickly, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable.

He swung his saber fiercely, employing the technique 'Forceful Splitting of Mount Hua,' fiercely chopping at the horse bandit's arm.

With a crisp crack, the horse bandit's arm was actually severed by Jiang Xiaomu's single blow!

Before the horse bandit could react, Jiang Xiaomu's blade had already sliced across his throat.

"Pfft!" a muffled sound, and blood spurted out.

The bandit stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Jiang Xiaomu, then collapsed with a boom—

Only after a desperate struggle did everyone manage to escape the valley.

Meng Fei's face turned ashen, and without a word he led the remnants back to camp to regroup.

Jiang Xiaomu went straight to the county office, his mind heavy with doubt.

Inside the county office, Li Wenqing paced back and forth, anxiously awaiting news.

Seeing Jiang Xiaomu return safely, his worried heart finally eased.

"Mr. Jiang, I'm so glad you're all right! Those bandits——"

"They're definitely not ordinary bandits."

Jiang Xiaomu cut him off, his tone icy.

"Their equipment and combat power are no different from those of a regular army."

"Especially that full set of armor—how could ordinary bandits possibly have such gear?"

Li Wenqing's face also grew solemn.

"This… this is indeed suspicious; I too had sent people to investigate those bandits."

"But the information we got described them as a rabble that only burned, killed, and looted."

"I've never heard of them possessing such fine equipment."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said:

"Could it be… that the Imperial Court's troops are posing as bandits?"

Jiang Xiaomu let out a cold laugh.

"Would the Imperial Court's troops, well-fed and idle, go so far as to pretend to be bandits?"

"Even if they wanted to suppress bandits, there'd be no need for such elaborate trouble."

"Moreover, privately hoarding armor is a serious crime; the Imperial Court's troops would hardly make such a blunder."

"Then… what on earth is going on?"

Li Wenqing grew even more bewildered.

Jiang Xiaomu didn't answer; he walked to the desk, spread out a blank sheet, picked up his brush, and wrote a letter.

"Send this letter to Ye Ying at once."

Jiang Xiaomu handed the letter to the attendant beside him.

"Ye Ying?"

Li Wenqing asked doubtfully.

"He's one of my… informants."

Jiang Xiaomu explained lightly, revealing no further details.

Although Li Wenqing was curious, he dared not ask more, and quickly ordered the attendant to deliver the letter.

Two days later, Jiang Xiaomu received Ye Ying's reply.

The note contained only a few short lines:

The remnants of the former dynasty's imperial guard, framed by treacherous ministers, had fallen into banditry.

Seeing those words, Jiang Xiaomu suddenly understood.

The former dynasty's imperial guard—picked troops among the picked—no wonder their fighting power is so fierce!

Being framed by treacherous ministers also explains why they fled to Black Wind Valley and why they possessed so much armor.

"So that's how it is……"

Jiang Xiaomu muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

The former dynasty's imperial guard—a group of souls abandoned by the age—now turned to banditry, merely clinging to life.

He suddenly recalled the burly bandit he had cut down with a single stroke in Black Wind Valley.

Before dying, that bandit's eyes showed not fear, but despair, a helpless resignation to fate.

"Mr. Jiang, are you… all right?"

Seeing Jiang Xiaomu's face wavering between gloom and clarity, Li Wenqing asked carefully.

Jiang Xiaomu came back to himself and shook his head.

"It's nothing; I just thought of something."