Chapter 64: The Bandits of Yushan Descend the Mountain

Zhen Sanshan Huang Xin did not come.

He turned back midway.

The reinforcement letter originally received from Qingzhou stated that there were still nearly ten thousand soldiers, and what was urgently needed was a martial arts general capable of contending with Li Gui.

Therefore, Huang Xin had set off with merely a dozen personal guards, expecting to arrive in just seven or eight days. Even factoring in the time it took for the messenger to deliver the plea, the entire process should not have taken half a month.

Yet, who could have imagined that in such a short span of a dozen days, the situation at the front lines would undergo a dramatic upheaval, completely turning the world upside down?

Some of the retreating officers were unfortunate enough to cross paths with Huang Xin on the road. Upon being intercepted and questioned by him, the whole truth came to light.

Originally, Huang Xin had no desire to make this trip. Although he boasted of his title "Suppressor of Three Mountains" with thunderous acclaim, in his heart, he knew his true capabilities all too well; otherwise, he would not have surrendered to Liangshan so readily upon Qin Ming’s persuasion.

How could he possibly defeat an adversary like Li Gui, whom even his master Qin Ming could not beat?

However, since Prefect Murong had issued an order, he dared not refuse. He had dawdled all the way to stall for time. Fortunately, encountering the fleeing officers along the way provided him with a convenient excuse to turn back. Without another word, he retreated alongside the captured runaways.

As long as he went back and reported this situation to Prefect Murong, the civil officials would naturally engage in a war of words with one another, leaving him entirely out of it.

Even if he were ordered to suppress the bandits again later, that would be a matter for another day. By then, he would find a way to bring Hua Rong along; with Hua Rong’s divine marksmanship, the expedition would surely be much safer.

Stationed within the same prefecture, he was well aware of Hua Rong's legendary archery skills. That was why, in the original tale, when he captured Hua Rong, he dared not resort to force, but instead hosted a banquet and seized him amidst the festivities.

He knew best how he had secured his position as a military inspector. While boasting on ordinary days was of little consequence, when it truly came to entering the battlefield, one had to bring a few experts along to ensure personal safety.

Had Qin Ming possessed even a fraction of his situational awareness, he would not still be holding the rank of a lowly commander.

Yet, Huang Xin handled matters with a keen sense of propriety. Even when retreating, he dispatched a trusted confidant to Yishui County. On the one hand, this served to notify the County Magistrate of Yishui just to go through the motions; on the other hand, it was to investigate the actual state of affairs, ensuring he was not being deceived by his subordinates.

Meanwhile, Li Gui had gathered the majority of the surrendered soldiers, driving away all those unwilling to join the outlaw ranks without offering a single coin of severance pay.

As for how they would survive once their funds ran out—whether they begged along the streets or performed street arts for a living—that was no longer any concern of Li Gui.

If these foot soldiers found it impossible to stay alive and ultimately turned to banditry, perhaps there would still be a chance to meet them again in the future.

In the days that followed, Li Gui focused heavily on reorganizing, training, and integrating the troops, striving to restore the stronghold's strength to its former glory before the imperial court launched its next wave of offensives.

It was precisely under these circumstances that Li Gui received the news of his second uncle, Li Liye, being arrested.

On the day he received word of the imperial court's intention to offer amnesty, he had secretly sought out his second uncle, hoping to persuade him to come up the mountain as well. To his surprise, Li Liye had sternly refused.

Li Liye was an honest and steadfast man. Although he practiced martial arts, he had never committed any wrongdoing, preferring to quietly farm the land, engage in honest trade, and accumulate his family's livelihood.

He held a profound contempt for Li Gui's "sly and deceitful" behavior, believing it to be a deviation from the righteous path that would inevitably lead to ruin sooner or later.

Being equally stubborn men of Shandong, Li Gui could not persuade him, and with no other choice, he had to let the matter rest.

Even so, their familial affection remained unaffected. During festivals, Li Gui never failed to send generous gifts, and his second uncle accepted them without demur.

Yet, to avoid disrupting the peace of his second uncle's household, their relationship was kept strictly confidential, hidden from outsiders.

On the surface, the two families had long since severed ties; otherwise, even if Magistrate Ding were given ten times his courage, he would never have dared to touch Li Liye.

Not only were the officials unaware of this connection, but even the stronghold’s scouts were kept in the dark. Every time Li Gui descended the mountain, only Zhu Fu accompanied him, and Zhu Fu alone knew Li Liye's true identity.

Previously, because of the government troops' punitive campaign, Zhu Fu had remained stationed at the mountain. Once the Qingzhou troops retreated, he was preoccupied with reorganizing the surrendered soldiers and had not had the chance to go down the mountain.

When everything finally returned to order, he descended to visit the tavern to gather intelligence and coincidentally checked on Li Liye's household, only to discover that disaster had struck.

Without delay, Zhu Fu dropped what he was doing, rushed back up the mountain, and reported the situation to Li Gui. Upon hearing it, Li Gui flew into a rage.

"What an audacious dog of a magistrate!"

"How dare he harm my second uncle!"

"Let me tear off his skin!"

"Gather the brothers! Today we shall breach the county seat and dine within the city walls tonight!"

Zhu Fu went outside and beat the assembly drum, quickly gathering all the men.

Clutching his massive axe, Li Gui stood upon the platform and shouted in a booming voice:

"Brothers!"

"By now, all the gentry have fled the villages of Yishui County, and every single wealthy household is holed up inside the city. Today, I shall act on behalf of Heaven, march into the city, and slaughter every last one of them!"

"That Magistrate of Yishui knows nothing of destiny and dares to resist the stronghold—he is walking a path to certain death!"

"I shall lead the assault on the city. Once the gates are broken, each squad will proceed to the residences of the gentry to execute the purge."

"The usual rules: kill everyone, take all the valuables, and do not set fire to the houses!"

"If you encounter resistance, fire a signal arrow, and I will come to your aid immediately."

"Gather at the county yamen when it is over. Do you all understand?"

Hearing this, the assembled men rejoiced and roared their compliance in unison.

"Good! All regular troops, grab your weapons and follow me down the mountain!"

With a sharp whistle from Li Gui, officers and commanders of all ranks led the newly reorganized and trained regular troops down the mountain in his wake, leaving only Li Yun behind with the recruits to guard the stronghold.

The large army marched at a swift pace and soon arrived outside the walls of Yishui County.

The hour was still early, and the city gates had not yet been closed. The guards on duty leaned lazily against the walls, wrapped in tattered cotton coats, basking in the winter sun while pondering what to eat for dinner. Just as they were in a daze, they suddenly noticed clouds of dust rising in the distance as a formidable troop surged toward them.

To maintain order within the city, Magistrate Ding had long since spread the rumor far and wide that the Qingzhou troops were sending reinforcements, but they remained entirely ignorant of the fact that Huang Xin had turned back halfway.

Seeing this massive force approach, their immediate reaction was that the Qingzhou troops had arrived. However, as the ranks drew closer, they realized something was amiss: the armor and clothing worn by these men were entirely different from those of the imperial army.

Mounted on a swift horse, Li Gui took the lead and charged forward as they neared the city. His ferocious visage terrified the gate guards from afar.

These were not government soldiers; these were the bandits of Yushan!

Realizing this, they did not waste a single breath. Dropping their long spears to the ground and abandoning the city gates entirely, they turned and fled for their lives, shouting at the top of their lungs as they ran:

"The Yushan bandits are coming!"

"The Yushan bandits have descended the mountain to attack the city..."

By the time Li Gui charged up to the city gates, he discovered that not only were there no defending soldiers left, but the entire street leading up to the gates was completely deserted. Not a single soul remained; everyone had fled in terror.

The ground was littered with pots and pans, rotting vegetable leaves, and discarded straw sandals in total disarray. A brisk wind swept through, giving the scene a desolate air.

Li Gui spat bitterly onto the ground and roared with fury:

"Damn your mothers!"

"You aren't even members of the gentry, what on earth are you running from?"

"Am I, your grandfather, more tyrannical than a tiger clearing the streets?"

This dilapidated city required no hard-fought conquest; it was captured with effortless ease.

Judging by this display, there was clearly no organized resistance left to speak of.

After waiting a short while for the main force to arrive, Li Gui instructed each squad leader to guide their men under the lead of scouts to carry out the raids.

The members of the stronghold had long anticipated this day, so Zhu Fu's scouts had thoroughly investigated the whereabouts and wealth of every gentry family down to the last detail. Now, they simply needed to go from door to door, eliminating the inhabitants and seizing their wealth.

As for Li Gui, he hoisted his axe over his shoulder and strode directly toward the county yamen, flanked by a few personal guards.