Chapter 31: Eightfold Quick Wit Turns Danger to Advantage, Watching the Fire Across the Shore Awaits the Right Moment

The dull footsteps sounded like urgent drumbeats, drawing ever closer.

On the western path, a long dragon of torches was clearly visible, casting a cold light on the armor and weapons.

The coming forces were certainly no friendly bunch; their neat military bearing and murderous aura far surpassed that ragtag gang in the nearby camp.

Chen Wen's six‑man team had their hearts in their throats, lying flat in the grass, barely breathing.

If discovered in this open wilderness, they would have no chance of survival.

Chief, what do we do? It looks like the main force is here!

Zhang Cheng's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor, his hand gripping the sword hilt tightly.

Chen Wen's brain raced at eight times speed, his eyes swiftly scanning the surroundings.

Retreat?

Too late; the enemy's march will pass right by their flank.

Advance?

That would directly crash into the bandits' camp.

Stay put?

The risk is extremely high; the enemy's scouts are likely nearby.

In desperation, he glanced at the bandit captive, knocked out and bound, a few dozen steps away.

He also glanced at the chaotic, lax bandit camp.

Got it!

An extremely daring plan, perhaps the only viable one, instantly formed in his mind.

"Hou San! Give me your outer clothes and headscarf! Quick!"

Chen Wen whispered urgently, at the same time quickly stripping off his relatively clean outer garment.

Although Hou San didn't understand why, he did so without hesitation.

Chen Wen quickly put on Hou San's filthy, sweat‑ and oil‑stained old outerwear.

He then wrapped a dirty headscarf around his head, grabbed a handful of dirt, and smeared it haphazardly across his face.

"Zhao Lao Si, Zhang Cheng! You two, hide that captive tightly behind that large stone over there!"

Then all of you, retreat silently at once!

Hide in the rocky gully we just passed; absolutely do not emerge without my signal.

Chen Wen spoke extremely fast, yet with perfect clarity.

"Chief, what are you going to do?!" Zhang Cheng exclaimed anxiously.

"Don't ask! Carry out the order! Quick!"

Chen Wen's tone was firm and unquestionable.

With time pressing, Zhang Cheng and Zhao Lao Si hesitated no more, hoisted the captive and swiftly withdrew.

The other three followed closely, vanishing silently into the darkness.

Chen Wen then took a deep breath, lowered the torn headscarf on his head, bent his waist, and imitated the bandits' lax posture.

He actually ran toward the chaotic bandit camp, shouting hoarsely while he ran:

"Oh no! Oh no! A large wave of government troops is coming from the west! Lots of torches! They're heading this way!"

His voice was full of panic, his performance spot‑on.

Eightfold control allowed him to perfectly mimic the fear and coarseness of a low‑level bandit lackey.

The bandit sentry at the camp gate, half‑asleep, was startled by his shouting and instinctively looked west.

Sure enough, he saw the approaching torch‑lit dragon and the vague outline of the troops!

"What?! Government troops?!"

"Are they really coming for us?!"

"Quick! Go report to Lord Liu's men!"

The camp instantly erupted in chaos!

These bandits already lacked discipline; hearing that regular government troops might be coming, they immediately fell into utter confusion.

Some wanted to grab weapons, some sought to hide in tents, and others instinctively ran toward Li Family Village.

In the chaos, nobody bothered to take a close look at Chen Wen, this 'messenger bandit'.

Chen Wen seized the moment to plunge into the shouting crowd, continuing to yell things like 'Run! The government troops are coming to kill us!' to spread panic.

Meanwhile, his eightfold awareness fully activated, he darted through the throng like a fish, swiftly approaching the camp's central largest tent.

His purpose was simple:

To create maximum chaos to cover his teammates' withdrawal.

At the same time, to closely observe the reactions of the few elite subordinates of Captain Liu Du Tou, and if possible hear what they say!

The tent flap was flung open, and several leather‑armored elites came rushing out, cursing.

"What's the noise! Do you all want to die?!"

The leader shouted loudly, trying to suppress the chaos.

"Liu… Lord Liu! West! West! A big force is coming, looks like tough opposition!"

A minor bandit leader came running, stumbling, to report.

That elite leader's face changed; he hurried to the camp's edge to look, and upon seeing, his expression instantly turned grim.

"Damn… it's the Piercing Mountain Leopard people! How did they get here?!"

He muttered a curse, his voice low.

Yet Chen Wen, whose hearing had been boosted eightfold and who was mixed in nearby, heard it crystal clear!

Mountain-Piercing Leopard? Another warlord?

Isn't that Liu Du Tou's main force?

Chen Wen instantly realized: the snipe and the clam are grappling!

Just then

The troops coming from the west stopped at a place about a hundred steps from the bandit camp.

In the torchlight, a rider galloped out from the opposing force, shouting loudly toward the bandit camp:

"Listen up, those in the camp! This fat piece of meat at Li Family Village, we, the 'Mountain-Piercing Leopard' Leopard Lord, have taken a liking to!"

"Be sensible, scram now! Otherwise, don't blame our blades and arrows for not recognizing anyone!"

The voice was arrogant, full of contempt.

On the bandit camp side, the lieutenant under Liu Du Tou had an ashen face, clearly both startled and angry.

He only had a few elites and dozens of newly conscripted worthless bandits on his side.

If they really fought, they wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of that formidable 'Mountain-Piercing Leopard' force.

But if they just retreated like that, they couldn't explain to Liu Du Tou.

"Pah! What Mountain-Piercing Leopard! We are Liu Du Tou's people! This Li Family Village was first besieged by us!"

The bandit leader retorted with a stiff neck, but obviously lacked confidence.

"Liu Du Tou? Never heard of him! Grandfather will count three; if you don't scram, you'll die!"

The opposing rider showed no courtesy, directly beginning the countdown.

"Three!"

The chaos in the bandit camp reached its peak, with some already sneaking away.

"Two!"

Liu Du Tou's elite subordinates also began to panic, exchanging glances and developing a retreat intention.

Chen Wen secretly rejoiced, chaos being the best cover; he took advantage of the turmoil to slowly move toward the camp's edge, preparing to slip away.

"One!"

At the moment the opposing side shouted 'One!', another change occurred!

Suddenly, torches flared up in large numbers on the long-closed village wall of Li Family Village!

Instantly, dozens of village militiamen appeared on the walltop, nocking arrows!

A loud and steady voice came from the village wall:

"Heroes outside the village! I, Li Family Village, have no intention of being enemies with any side!"

"But if anyone wants to seize by force, the hundreds of strong men in my village and this high wall with its strong crossbows are not to be trifled with!"

"My village still has a thousand stone of grain stored; if you gentlemen would be so kind as to do a favor."

"I, Li Chong, am willing to offer three hundred stone of grain; please, gentlemen, have a drink and each withdraw—how about that?"

Village chief Li Chong!

He actually appeared at this critical moment, and as soon as he spoke, it was a grand gesture—three hundred stone of grain!

He simultaneously displayed muscle (the militiamen and strong crossbows) and threw out bait (the grain).

This made the situation even more complicated!

The originally tense 'Mountain-Piercing Leopard' force and the bandit camp on the verge of collapse were instantly attracted by this three hundred stone of grain!

The attention of the two forces outside the village instantly shifted from each other to the village wall and Li Chong's promised grain!

Chen Wen, mingling at the edge of the bandit camp, took in all of this.

His estimation of that village chief instantly rose a few notches.

What a fine hand at diverting disaster eastward, using the tactic of luring the wolf to devour the tiger!

Just at the moment when everyone was attracted by the shout from the village wall.

Chen Wen slipped out of the bandit camp like a ghost, silently entering the darkness.

He sprinted toward the hidden rocky gully where his comrades were concealed.

【Quick decision, creating chaos and successfully escaping, wit and disguise ability increased (x Bonus)!

Diligence Points (WP)+120!】

【Obtaining key information (the conflict between 'Liu Du Tou' and 'Mountain-Piercing Leopard'), strategic vision broadened! Diligence Points (WP)+60!】

【Current WP: 3756】

Soon, he safely returned to the rocky gully and regrouped with his teammates.

"Chief! Are you alright?"

Zhang Cheng and the others were both startled and delighted.

"Fine."

Chen Wen waved his hand, his gaze still sharp as he looked at the distant strange scene of the three-way standoff.

"The situation has changed, more complicated than we thought. But now, our opportunity has come."

"Opportunity?"

Everyone was puzzled.

"Yes."

Chen Wen curled the corner of his mouth slightly.

"Let them fight like dogs first."

"We... perhaps we can change our approach and discuss business with that village chief."

The snipe and clam grapple, the fisherman profits.

And Chen Wen, who had grasped information and the initiative, was preparing to be the profiteering fisherman.