Chapter 214

Watching the members of the Hong Sect fight bravely, they displayed tenacious combat power. Although the Mountain Bandits were fierce, they still gradually fell into a disadvantage when facing the elite warriors of the Hong Sect.

Other factions, coordinating with the government's county soldiers, also fought a fierce battle, ultimately beating the attacking Mountain Bandits into successive routs.

The County Lieutenant seemed to have sensed something as well; he only split off a portion of the men to clear the battlefield and collect the corpses, while the main force continued to follow up, advancing toward the mountaintop, pressing straight toward Black Wind Stronghold.

When they finally climbed to the mountainside, the scene before them made everyone gasp in admiration. It turned out that on this seemingly Ordinary mountainside, the terrain was very flat, and hidden within the thickets and forests was a stronghold of no small scale.

The stronghold was built against the mountain, cleverly utilizing the undulations of the mountain and the complexity of the terrain to form a natural barrier. However, what was even more surprising was that this stronghold was clearly not an Ordinary residence, but a defensive fortification that had been carefully designed and laid out.

The stronghold master Liu Dong stood at the gate of the stronghold with a group of bandits, triumphantly introducing to everyone: "This is our territory! You uninvited guests, having trespassed into our domain, still want to leave unscathed? Haha, how naive!" His laughter echoed through the valley, filled with provocation and contempt.

"Do you think you can easily break through our defensive lines? Let me tell you, we have long since prepared various traps and mechanisms, specifically designed to deal with visitors like you." As he spoke, he pointed to the surrounding environment. Everyone followed the direction of his finger and saw that the area around the stronghold was covered with all kinds of strange-looking traps; some were bottomless pits, while others were sharp spikes. In addition, there were some cleverly set mechanisms that, once triggered, would cause unexpected consequences.

Liu Dong laughed: "If you have the ability, come up and have a chat."

Facing such a tight defensive system, everyone felt a sense of despair. They realized that trying to kill their way in from here was likely harder than ascending to heaven.

Just as everyone was lost in thought, someone suddenly shouted: "Look! There is a path over there!" Everyone looked over one after another and indeed saw a narrow path winding its way up the mountain.

This path looked very steep, but it seemed to be the only way out. Therefore, the County Lieutenant decided to take a risk and go up the mountain along this small path.

First, he sent Xiao Gu's team to scout the path, which had no problems, and after that, the main force ascended the mountain in an orderly fashion.

Just as they stepped onto the middle section of the small path, they suddenly heard a crisp sound. Immediately following, countless arrows shot in from all directions, and everyone hurriedly dodged.

At the same time, the ground began to shake violently, as if the entire stronghold were about to collapse.

The Mountain Bandits on the mountain also had rolling stones; the rolling stones were comparable to the size of an adult, and as each rolling stone rolled down with the help of momentum, even a Lian Xue Martial Artist had to avoid their edge.

Everyone was terrified and scrambled to find a place to hide. However, they discovered that they had already been surrounded in a scene of chaos.

Watching his plan take effect, Liu Dong laughed triumphantly: "Haha, did you think I would let you find a way out so easily? Let me tell you, that small path is also one of the traps I set! Now, just wait to be tortured to death by my traps!" After finishing, he turned and left, leaving everyone struggling in this chaotic path of the stronghold.

Cheng Feng had originally wanted to hide his skills, but seeing this situation, he feared it would be difficult to sustain. Just as he was about to reveal himself, he saw the County Lieutenant, whose face was weathered and resolute, with a firm look in his eyes. He quickly picked up his own great spear and, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, leaped in front of the crowd without hesitation.

In an instant, the aura on his body erupted, and a powerful energy permeated the area. His body seemed to be shrouded in an invisible force; his Blood Qi surged, and his muscles and bones rang out in unison, emitting bursts of crisp sounds.

Every movement was filled with power and majesty. He gripped the long spear in his hand tightly, meeting the rolling boulders without fear. Every time he thrust his spear, it carried a sharp momentum, accurately and unerringly knocking away one huge stone after another. His spear technique was skillful and precise, making people gasp in admiration.

Cheng Feng secretly sighed at how close it was, having almost been exposed, and was also startled looking at the County Lieutenant's cultivation: "Another Bone Refining Initial Stage Martial Artist."

Wang Tieshan had said that County Magistrate Liu was the Bone Refining Martial Artist on the surface; now that another one had appeared on the government side, it was hard to tell if it was good or bad.

The rolling stones were limited. After the County Lieutenant finished picking them off with his spear, he was also drenched in sweat and his whole body was trembling slightly. Even so, he still gave the order: "The rolling stones have been cleared, continue to advance upward."

Cheng Feng had also been watching secretly for a while, and after comparing himself, he concluded they were likely both at the Bone Refining Initial Stage, but his own shortcoming of lacking actual combat experience had not yet been fully removed, so it was better not to provoke him.

Along the rest of the way, the martial artists from various families contributed one after another, spotting and dismantling traps for fear of being recorded in the ledger. Cheng Feng, however, did not care; the Hong Sect disciples had contributed a lot in this hard fight and performed well, which everyone saw, so there was no need for the higher-ups to be so anxious to make a move.

The winding path eventually came to an end.

As the gate of Black Wind Stronghold crashed to the ground, a musty and stale scent rushed toward them, signaling that the end of this battle was approaching. The government group stepped into this space shrouded in shadows, where torches flickered all around, reflecting faces that were resolute and unyielding. In their hearts, there was only the thought that only by completely clearing out this evil force could they return peace to the common people.

Relying on close teamwork and keen insight, the group proceeded step by step, gradually penetrating deeper. Along the way, they encountered many ambushes and sneak attacks by Mountain Bandits, but each time they were able to resolve the crisis with minimal cost, demonstrating extraordinary combat power and tacit understanding.

Just as everyone thought they were about to approach the core of the stronghold, a strange laughter echoed in the empty hall, making one's hair stand on end.

As the laughter drew closer, Liu Dong, draped in a black robe with a ferocious face, slowly walked into the hall. His eyes held both madness and despair; clearly, this was the last stand of this group of Mountain Bandits.

"You really have great courage," Liu Dong sneered. With a wave of his hand, the Mountain Bandits lying in ambush all around appeared, surrounding the group tightly.

Facing this seemingly desperate situation, the government group did not show the slightest fear; instead, their inner convictions became even firmer: "The mountain bandits have harmed people for too long."

The County Lieutenant even said sternly: "Liu Dong, today is your death day."

"Hahaha, a good 'today is your death day.' I also have a question. Since you have come, I will show you something good and see whose death day it is today."

Liu Dong raised his hand and waved. The Mountain Bandits behind him carried out two boxes locked with chains: "Open."

Upon hearing this, the two Mountain Bandits used knives to cut their palms and sprinkled their own blood onto them.

Those on the government side who were unaware still had curious expressions, while the knowledgeable martial artists retreated one after another. The County Lieutenant raised his spear and swung it.

His eyes were splitting, and his soul was terrified: "Stop them!"

(Bandit Suppression II)