Chapter 8, the bandit leader Pei Yuanshao

Hahaha, Master Pei, we have awaited you for a long time. I am Yang Dian, and today I have come to test your martial skills

I wonder who the general leading the troops this time is

Hahaha, everyone says that the heroes of Black Wind Mountain are exceptional. Yet, Pei the leader is even more of a contemporary hero. Bah! In my view, the people of Black Wind Stronghold, from top to bottom, are nothing but cowardly rats, utterly lacking in courage

A mountain bandit scout rushed in from outside. Pei Yuanshao glanced at Li Er beside him, who shook his hand to signal "not allowed".

Yang Dian began to command the soldiers to set up posts, start fires, and pitch tents. Wen Han and Zhou Long assisted while learning, and whenever they encountered something they did not understand, they would consult Yang Dian, who was also happy to teach them both

At that moment, there was a loud bang.

Pei Yuanshao suddenly stood up from his chair, both anxious and furious, filled with immense regret as he ordered his subordinates to bring Li Er, who was resting in the mountain stronghold, out.

Wen Han, with audacious fantasies, continuously displayed a silly grin on his face. Yang Dian and Zhou Long looked at him with strange expressions, and later, at the sound of Li Qiang's good-natured cough, Wen Han came to his senses, his face filled with embarrassment

Hmph. Pei Dazhangjia, did you not say that I am timid as a mouse and overly cautious in everything? So, has the county's troops arrived at the entrance of Heifeng Mountain?

Pei Yuanshao secretly scoffed, yet on the surface, he laughed heartily: "Mr. Li possesses great wisdom, and I happen to share the same intention. The terrain of Heilong Mountain is treacherous, and the troops of Xie County number only five hundred; I doubt they would dare to launch a strong attack. Otherwise, I would ensure that these five hundred soldiers would have no return."

After a period of silence in the village, suddenly bursts of laughter and scolding could be heard

What! What Li Er said is indeed true! It is all my fault for not having listened to him, burying a horse and a person at the mountain pass. Otherwise, we would surely have been able to catch him off guard! Why are you all still dawdling? Quickly invite Mr. Li out!

A bandit scout hurriedly ran into the mountain stronghold, his face filled with urgency as he reported to Pei Yuanshao, who was seated in a large chair draped with tiger skin

The Martial Saint, "Brother Guan Er," is indeed extraordinary. At the age of eighteen, he was able to challenge ten teams of a hundred soldiers within three days. What a remarkable feat it is to describe him as "fierce".

After the success of this anti-bandit operation, I must return and study the saddle and stirrups. Otherwise, in this era, my lack of equestrian skills would make it tantamount to seeking death in military campaigns!

After some time, Wen Han and Zhou Long, accompanied by dozens of soldiers, inquired among the local hunters about the whereabouts of Guan Yu, but found no leads. "It is quite normal not to find anything here, as it is far from the stronghold," Wen Han reassured Zhou Long. After their fruitless exploration, the two returned to the camp with their troops.

... ...

Guard against danger!

Li Er, without any pretense, took the silver, cleared his throat, walked a few steps back and forth in the hall, and confidently uttered four words

Wen Han increasingly looks forward to the day he meets Guan Yu. What if, at that moment, he strikes it lucky, raises his arm in a call, and the aura of a king surges forth, bringing Guan Yu under his command? In that vast world, where could he not go?

Li Er spoke淡淡地 without any expression. He also felt a hint of strangeness in his heart

Wen Han did not understand marksmanship, but he still needed to have the necessary equipment. After all, his time in this era was still too short, and there were many environments to adapt to and many things to learn

Just the day before yesterday, Li Erfeng hurriedly arrived at Heifeng Mountain Stronghold to report to Yang Hong about the deployment of troops to attack Heifeng Mountain. He proposed a strategy, suggesting that Pei Yuanshao send his men to set an ambush at the entrance of Heifeng Mountain, taking advantage of the moment when the troops from Tushujie County had just arrived, exhausted and weary, to launch a sudden attack

Although Wenhan was putting on a brave front, Yang Dian, who had lived in the military for many years, immediately saw the issues with Wenhan. He taught Wenhan some small techniques. After trying them out, Wenhan found them indeed useful, and riding the horse became much smoother.

Pei Yuanshao thought to himself, yet he wore a warm smile on his face as he said to Li Er: "It is my lack of understanding of Mr. Li's wisdom, and I hope Mr. Li will forgive me. Now that the imperial troops have reached the mountain pass, I wonder what strategies Mr. Li has to advise me, and I will certainly reward you handsomely."

As he spoke, Pei Yuanshao signaled to a bandit. The bandit quickly presented the prepared silver to Li Er.

Péi Yuánshào felt a surge of anger rising within him, yet he could not express it.

Pei Yuanshao felt increasingly uncomfortable as he listened, and finally lost control of his reason, letting out a loud shout. The bandits in the stronghold were also holding back their anger and immediately shouted along with Pei Yuanshao.

Pei Yuanshao had a face full of beard, his eyes wide open, and he was brandishing a large knife

On the battlefield, Yang Dian commanded his soldiers to hurl insults. These soldiers were quite experienced in the art of verbal assault. They were already well-versed in the phrases that could strike at the heart, causing others to lose their reason

Pei Yuanshao frowned and reminded Li Er: "Mr. Li, the invading troops number only two hundred. Yet, we have eight hundred brave men in our stronghold!"

Oh dear! I am so furious! Bring me my weapon, and I shall ensure that not a single soldier of the two hundred from the county of Jie is left unscathed

"Well done!" Pei Yuanshao laughed heartily, his hand raised the knife and struck down, aiming a blow at Yang Dian. Yang Dian narrowly dodged, but Pei Yuanshao reacted swiftly, delivering a horizontal slash.

Li Er opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but was met with the predatory gazes of the bandits in the hall, which frightened him to the core. He immediately shut his mouth, not daring to utter a word

Only two hundred light cavalry dare to come here to seek death, could it be that he is unaware there are eight hundred bandits in this stronghold

Leave no trace! Leave no trace!

Yang Dian rode in on horseback, revealing a smile as he inquired of Wen Han. Wen Han nodded and replied, 'It's fine,' but the discomfort etched on his face betrayed him

Moreover, during that time, wars were incessant, and the population was rapidly declining. Engaging in duels was also a means to preserve soldiers.

A bright little knife struck against Pei Yuanshao's large sword, instantly halting the momentum of the blade

I am Pei Yuanshao. Who dares to say that the Black Wind Stronghold is a den of rats! I will take his life!

Report! Two hundred light cavalry from Jiexian County, under the leadership of Yang Dian, have formed a formation five miles away from the stronghold. Yang Dian shouted, urging the chief to come out of the stronghold to engage in battle.

Do you think you are the reincarnation of Zhang Liang, acting so arrogantly

A few individuals were in the military camp, discussing the details of the strategy for a while, when they realized that it was already late. Yang Dian decided to keep Wen Han and the other two to stay in the camp for food and lodging

A trace of disdain flashed in Li Er's eyes as he curled his lips in contempt: "I have heard that he is a young man with considerable martial skills, but he is likely not a match for the head of the Pei family. However, he is adept at hidden weapons; if the head of the family faces him, he should be wary of that little trickster's techniques.

Pei Yuanshao moved his lips slightly, looking at Li Er's smug expression, wishing he could slap him across the face

However, at that time, Pei Yuanshao did not believe that Yang Hong would send troops to attack. He thought it was some trick employed by the official Huang to extort money, so he did not take Li Er's words to heart

Oh, regarding the books, so it is said. The one leading the troops this time has no exceptional qualities. If I remain steadfast and do not venture out, I can rest easy. Hahaha.

Yang Dian pulled the reins, tightly gripping the iron spear, and rode off. The two groups of horsemen stopped and did not advance.

Certainly, given Yang Hong's cautious nature, he would likely assign Yang Dian to assist the young lord in leading the troops. Oh, and there is another inconsequential person, that is Zhou Long from the Zhou gambling house. This person has never had great ambitions and should not be taken to heart

Wen Han, clad in silver armor, wearing a helmet, wielding an iron spear, and riding a yellow-maned horse, walked at the front of the ranks alongside Yang Dian. Meanwhile, Zhou Long followed at the rear of the formation, responsible for the military supplies. Li Qiang was assigned by Wen Han to Zhou Long's side to ensure Zhou Long's safety.

The broadsword struck towards Yang Dian's waist, coming at an unexpected angle, causing Yang Dian to break out in a cold sweat

After the banquet, Yang Dian instructed Zhou Long to organize the military supplies while he went to select troops. In the end, only Wen Han and Li Qiang remained, feeling quite bored. After chatting for a while, the drowsiness overcame them, and they each returned to their camps to sleep.

Indeed! I only have two hundred soldiers, yet the eight hundred bandits of Black Wind Stronghold dare not attack after I have set up my formation. It is truly a source of great embarrassment; if I were Pei Yuanshao, I would have no face to meet others in the future.

In ancient times, battles fought in front of the troops greatly encouraged the morale of the army. When soldiers witnessed their commander bravely achieving victory, their morale soared, and they fought as if aided by divine intervention. Conversely, if the commander retreated in defeat, the soldiers' morale would decline, often leading to cowardice and, in severe cases, desertion.

This Li Er was originally a lackey of mine, relying on a bit of cleverness to climb up to that Huang Changshi, and has since become increasingly arrogant and unrestrained. If I catch the opportunity, I will definitely ensure that Li Er's corpse is found in a different place

After a while, Li Er walked into the hall of the mountain stronghold with great pride, speaking in a strange and affected tone.

Alas! What a disgrace to show one's face. Does Pei Yuanshao have any shame? If he had any, would he remain unresponsive while I and the other two hundred heroes insult him like this?

Yang Dian never expected that in less than three rounds, he would take a trip to the gates of hell. Originally, he had not taken Pei Yuanshao seriously. Unexpectedly, he was so sharp.

The troops in Jiexian are resting, and it seems that the bandits of Heifeng Mountain are also unwilling to take the initiative to attack

Because the saddle and stirrups had not yet been invented during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, riding a horse was a constant jolt. Coupled with Wenhan's average horsemanship, he felt exceptionally uncomfortable while sitting on the horse

Wenhan made up his mind and silently thought to himself, while the images of the saddle and stirrups floated in his mind

How is it? Are you still accustomed to this outfit

A calm day has passed

On the other side, at the stronghold in Black Wind Mountain

Half a stick of incense later, Pei Yuanshao, clad in tiger-headed armor and wielding a large knife weighing over thirty pounds, charged towards Yang Dian's troops on a fierce black steed, looking ferocious as he led his band of thieves.

On the second day, as the sun rose, a long line of soldiers marched out of the military camp, embarking on their campaign.

Three hours later, Wen Han and Yang Dian arrived at a mountain pass with only a distance of a little over ten miles to Heifeng Mountain. Yang Dian waved his hand, ordering the troops to set up camp and rest on the spot

Urgent report! Urgent report! Chief, there is a troop of approximately 500 imperial soldiers about ten miles down the mountain pass, and it appears they are preparing to attack Black Wind Mountain

Great leader, let us observe the changes quietly and not act impulsively, lest we fall into the enemy's trap