Chapter 30

Report! Outside the stockade... outside the stockade, a group of ruffians are causing trouble!

The soldier reported, panting, his face deathly pale.

A flash of cold light passed through Jiang Xiaomu's eyes.

After training for so long, I was worried about lacking a chance to practice, and this gang of ruffians just showed up at our door.

"How many?"

"Reporting, sir, roughly... roughly thirty or forty, all armed!" the soldier's voice trembling.

"Thirty or forty?" Jiang Xiaomu curled his lips in a cold smile, "Come on, let's go meet them."

Having said that, he strode out of the military stockade, followed by a group of spirited soldiers.

These once lax soldiers of the General's House now had sharp eyes and exuded killing intent.

Outside the stockade gate, a group of ragged, thick‑skulled ruffians were shouting loudly.

The leader, a one‑eyed dragon, brandished a machete mottled with rust.

"Get out here, you bastards! Hand over the grain and women if you know what's good for you, or I'll burn your shabby stockade to the ground!" the one‑eyed dragon shouted at the top of his lungs.

Jiang Xiaomu walked to the stockade gate, arms crossed, watching the ruffians with interest.

"Who are you? Dare to cause trouble on my turf?"

The one‑eyed dragon sized up Jiang Xiaomu, spat contemptuously, and said, "You're the head of this broken stockade? A brat who hasn't even grown hair yet, daring to act arrogant in front of me!"

"Looks like you won't shed tears until you see the coffin."

Jiang Xiaomu's eyes turned cold, he waved his hand, "Brothers, attack!"

At Jiang Xiaomu's command, the General's House soldiers surged out like tigers descending the mountain.

Well‑trained and coordinated, they quickly surrounded the ruffians.

The former troops of Hu San Dao were even more ferocious, waving their weapons, each move deadly; after a few rounds, a large number of ruffians fell.

Seeing the situation turn bad, the one‑eyed dragon tried to flee, but Xiong Kuohai grabbed him.

"You think you can run? Not that easy!" Xiong Kuohai said in a deep voice, hoisting the one‑eyed dragon up like a chicken.

The battle ended quickly; the ruffians were dead or wounded, and the rest knelt begging for mercy.

Jiang Xiaomu walked up to the one‑eyed dragon, looked down at him, and said, "Speak, who sent you?"

The one‑eyed dragon trembled all over, unable to conceal: "It… it's Granny Ya."

"Granny Ya?" Jiang Xiaomu's eyes flashed with killing intent, "It seems she's eager to seek death."

"Lock them all up and await judgment!" Jiang Xiaomu ordered.

Returning to the stockade, Jiang Xiaomu felt especially refreshed.

This small‑scale battle not only tested the soldiers' training results but also greatly boosted their morale.

"Boss, when are we going to wipe out Granny Ya?"

Xiong Kuohai asked excitedly.

Jiang Xiaomu waved his hand: "No rush, first fetch my sister from Flying Eagle Stockade, then we'll talk."

Thinking of his sister Jiang Xiaoyu, a hint of tenderness appeared on Jiang Xiaomu's face.

Since crossing into this world, he has constantly worried about his sister's safety.

"Xiong Kuohai, take a few men and come with me to Flying Eagle Stockade."

"Yes, Boss!"

Xiong Kuohai eagerly accepted the order.

……

The next morning, Jiang Xiaomu and his party rode tall horses and set off in grand fashion.

Leaving the stockade, they proceeded along the rugged mountain road.

Xiong Kuohai rode his horse, occasionally glancing back at Jiang Xiaomu and grinning, "Boss, it's just a trip to Flying Eagle Stockade to pick up my sister. Is it really necessary to mobilize so many people?"

"Just assign a few brothers; why bother personally making this trip?"

But a system voice sounded in Jiang Xiaomu's mind,

【Ding, an enemy ambush lies five hundred meters ahead, with a force of about fifty.】

【This ambush is meticulously laid; once the host's troops enter its attack range, they will suffer a deadly strike, plunging the host forces into extreme passivity.】

【In the panic, it will be hard to organize an effective defense, leading to heavy casualties.】

Jiang Xiaomu smirked inwardly, Granny Ya really is a persistent nightmare.

He kept his composure on the surface and told Xiong Kuohai, "You don't understand anything!"

"That's my sister; how could I rest easy sending only a few people?"

"Flying Eagle Stockade is perilously situated, and the surrounding situation is complex; any mishap would have unthinkable consequences."

"I must go myself; only with me present can I guarantee absolute safety, and no matter what, I will bring my sister back unharmed."

"All right!" Xiong Kuohai replied excitedly, leading a few soldiers on horseback away.

Jiang Xiaomu, meanwhile, slowed his pace, covertly observing the surroundings.

"Pass the order: everyone prepare for battle!"

Jiang Xiaomu gave the order in a deep voice.

The soldiers quickly formed ranks, drew their weapons, and stood ready.

As Xiong Kuohai and the others just entered the valley, they heard a whistle; a gang of ruffians rushed down from both slopes, waving knives and sticks, surrounding them.

"Hahaha, you little brats, didn't expect that, huh? We've been waiting for you here!"

A burly man with a full beard laughed menacingly and said.

Xiong Kuohai showed no fear, shouting loudly, "Brothers, kill them!"

The two sides instantly fell into combat, their battle cries shaking heaven and earth.

Jiang Xiaomu gripped his dagger; as blades flashed among the foes, fresh blood spattered.

But the enemies kept pouring in, forcing him to fight while seeking an escape route, his steps slowly retreating.

Seeing this, the thugs were all fired up, as if they'd taken a shot of adrenaline.

"Brothers, this kid won't last much longer—give it your all, take him down, and Lao Da will surely reward you handsomely!" shouted the thug with a knife scar on his face.

A nearby petty thug shouted: "Hah, this time we've scored big—this Jiang Xiaomu is nothing special."

They all laughed loudly, their attacks becoming ever more frantic—though their techniques were chaotic, they were driven by sheer brutality as they struck at Jiang Xiaomu.

A portly thug, breathing hard, exclaimed excitedly: "Once we finish him off, we'll be unstoppable in this town—who'd dare look down on us?"

Just then, a deafening battle cry came from behind the thugs, like rolling thunder bursting in the low sky.

"What noise? What's happening?" a thug bearing a large black mole on his face gaped in terror, his wooden stick nearly slipping from his hands.

"Could there be reinforcements? I haven't heard that Jiang Xiaomu called for backup!" a lanky petty thug's voice quivered, his steps involuntarily stepping back.

"Don't panic, maybe it's just a bluff—let's keep surrounding Jiang Xiaomu, take him down first, then talk!" a thug resembling a small leader tried to stay composed, shouting loudly, but the slight quiver in his voice revealed his inner anxiety.

However, the battle cries grew closer, accompanied by the sound of horse hooves; amid the flying dust, a well-equipped unit could be faintly seen charging toward them.

"Oh my, there are a lot of them coming—we're probably doomed!" a timid thug's face fell into despair as he turned to run.

"No fleeing—hold your ground!"

The small leader waved his knife, attempting to steady the situation, yet his forehead was already slick with large beads of sweat, his eyes filled with panic.