Chapter 1213

First Volume, Chapter 1213: Capable Bandits

Wu Heli decisively abandoned the outer makeshift camp and led his men deeper into En Mountain.

This decision to retreat without fighting naturally drew considerable criticism.

Deputy General Liu Biao, fearing his soldiers would mutiny, rushed to the front of the column.

"Commander, scouts have confirmed that Qin Feng has only two hundred men with him—his forces are more than three times smaller than ours."

"And Qin Feng is leading them personally—how could we pass up such a golden opportunity?"

"If we kill Qin Feng, we'll earn a legendary feat—the powerful clans of Nan Jing will reward us handsomely."

"The troops below are murmuring about the Commander's decision to avoid battle."

Wu Heli had long anticipated this outcome; after all, these troops were sent by the powerful clans of Nan Jing, who looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts.

To show fear before even facing Qin Feng would naturally earn the utmost contempt from his men.

To calm their hearts, Wu Heli could only endure and explain: "Though Qin Feng's army numbers only two hundred, they are the elite among elites."

"They are not only rigorously trained but also superbly equipped, and their morale is nearly unshakable."

"A direct clash would be anything but wise."

"Qin Feng leading them personally is meant to lure us into offensive action—once we engage him in close combat, we lose our greatest advantage."

"Even if we could kill Qin Feng, what would it truly accomplish?"

"Would the Southern Campaign end? Would the Liang dynasty's balance shift? These are mere speculations—behind Qin Feng stands Prince Li Zhang, the man who serves as Qin Feng's anchor of stability."

"No matter what happens to Qin Feng, Li Zhang can turn the tide and continue to hold the reins of power."

"If Qin Feng dies, it won't crush enemy morale—in fact, the entire Northern Border army will, driven by hatred, launch a furious retaliation against Nan Jing."

"Given our current situation, avoiding battle is the best strategy, guerrilla warfare in the woods is the second-best, and full-scale engagement is the worst."

The decision to avoid battle was jointly made by Wu Heli and Wu Cheng.

But compared to Qin Feng, Wu Cheng was more concerned about these very troops under their command.

Once he confirmed the others were far enough away to not hear, Wu Cheng lowered his voice and feigned profundity as he began courting Liu Biao.

"General Liu, you must already know what kind of men these soldiers truly are, don't you?"

"The powerful clans of Nan Jing claim to support us, yet their actions contradict their words—they've sent us nothing but rabble; the real elite troops would never be entrusted to us."

"These hired thugs follow whoever feeds them—avoiding battle is merely one excuse they've seized upon."

"Ever since we retreated into these mountains, they've been deeply resentful—life here is hard, and they never wanted to follow us into this suffering."

"I once heard my elder brother say that back in Datian Village, these bastards didn't even spare women and children!"

Hearing Wu Cheng's words, Liu Biao frowned tightly—this speech, if spread, would surely spark mutiny.

Yet Liu Biao knew well that Wu Cheng wasn't speaking without cause—these men were less soldiers than bandits.

In the past, they had committed atrocities like killing civilians to claim credit and oppressing the people; only because Nan Jing faced overwhelming military pressure had they been tolerated.

Now that they've been assigned to Wu Heli's side, they're being used as expendable waste.

Liu Biao said gravely: "Even if these men are unreliable, they're still the only force we have."

Wu Cheng nodded—he understood these bandits, though vile, were the vile men they had to rely on; they would clean house later, but for now, they still needed them to charge into battle against Qin Feng.

Wu Cheng dropped the matter, looked at Liu Biao, and feigned a heavy sigh.

"General Liu, you were assigned here—surely you harbor resentment, don't you?"

This struck right at Liu Biao's heart.

Though back at his original ZhuZhen, he was merely a Gate General commanding two hundred men, he was still a legitimate officer.

But after offending his superiors, this rotten assignment naturally fell to him.

Ever since he was ordered to raid villages, he'd known he would never meet a good end.

Liu Biao was no fool—he knew Wu Cheng was secretly courting him. In the past, he would have ignored it, but now he had to secure his own future.

Since he couldn't leave En Mountain, it was better to side with Wu Heli and Wu Cheng than to remain among those ungrateful, opportunistic traitors.

"Military Advisor, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Liu Biao wasn't stupid—he wouldn't offer his loyalty outright.

Wu Cheng smiled deeply, knowing Liu Biao was swayed, and immediately took the opening: "In these deep forests, the most important thing is a comrade you can trust with your back."

"That rabble is clearly untrustworthy—if you don't mind, my brother and I would be honored to swear brotherhood with you."

Hearing this, Liu Biao couldn't help but laugh—but it was a mocking laugh.

"Swear brotherhood with you? Would I not be betrayed?"

Wu Cheng understood perfectly—Liu Biao was referring to the abandoned Chen Yanzong.

Wu Cheng didn't dodge the issue; his voice grew grave as he explained bluntly: "Chen Yanzong was indeed our sworn brother, but you've seen—he's cruel, murders innocents, and constantly makes enemies."

"If you were in my place, how would you handle such a man?"

Putting himself in Liu Biao's shoes, Liu Biao, if faced with Chen Yanzong, would have to find a way to drive him away—associating with such a man meant never achieving greatness in this lifetime.

Liu Biao raised Chen Yanzong's name not to trap Wu Cheng, but to make one thing clear: if they were to stand back-to-back, the truth had to be spoken.

After weighing the pros and cons, Liu Biao no longer hesitated and gave his answer.

"If the Commander and Military Advisor are willing to treat me with sincerity, I will follow you both through life and death."

That was enough!

Wu Heli and Wu Cheng exchanged a glance, then each clenched their fists in salute, formally accepting Liu Biao as a brother.

"Commander, ahead lies Qilian Mountain—should we press forward into the deep mountains in one strike?"

Facing Liu Biao's question, Wu Heli's eyes gleamed with confidence.

"I've already sent men ahead to stockpile vast supplies within Qilian Mountain—entering the mountains poses no problem."

"But now is clearly not the time to advance—issue orders: rest here. Our next move depends entirely on Qin Feng."

If Qin Feng pursues relentlessly, lead them into the Qilian Mountains and engage them in guerrilla warfare to Consume their strength.

Conversely, if Qin Feng abandons the chase, we have no need to enter the mountains—continue relying on En Mountain.

Hearing Wu Heli lay out the plan, Liu Biao felt reassured.

On the other side, Qin Feng had arrived at Wu Heli's former encampment; seeing the empty camp, he let out a cold laugh.