Chapter 6, The First Trial

Then Lin Chenglin also detailed the situation of this escort mission to Shang Yi. The scale of this escort was considerable, and it involved not only goods but also personnel. Moreover, it was of significant importance, as it was said to be the cargo from a concubine of the current Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty. There were a total of six carts, six horses, three donkeys, five cargo vehicles, and one passenger vehicle. The goods mainly consisted of silk, porcelain, and five locked large boxes, the contents of which were unknown. However, Lin Chengye estimated that they were likely valuable items such as gold and silver.

On this journey, the escort agency dispatched a chief escort, Lin Chengye, along with six escorts; now only three remain, named Zhang Zhan, Yang He, and Li Qi. None of the ten porters escaped. However, according to the recollections of Lin Chengye and others, not all were killed by the bandits; a few were captured.

After listening to Shang Yi's instructions, Lin Chengye immediately said: "Shang warrior, it is indeed too dangerous for you to lure the enemy; this task should be entrusted to me. You can hide behind the carriage instead."

Shang Yi said to the other youths: "Shaohuan, Dayong, you several must protect Yaotang well. It is best to hide her in the trees and not let her participate in the battle"

Although Shang Yi is equipped with modern technology, he does not act impulsively. Understanding both oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle. This principle is well-known, yet few can truly put it into practice

Lin Chengye was also aware that the task of luring the enemy was extremely important. He himself had no confidence in completing it. However, Shang Yi and the others had originally come to assist him, so it was not appropriate to push such a dangerous task onto him. Yet, seeing that he was determined to proceed, Lin Chengye naturally felt immensely grateful and said to Shang Yi: "Hero Shang, your great kindness needs no words of thanks; please take care of yourself."

After understanding the situation regarding the map and the book, Shang Yi initially formulated a plan: after catching up with the robbers, he would first attempt to rescue the captured individuals. This would increase the number of his own people, thereby enhancing the chances of rescuing others and reclaiming the goods. However, this was merely a rough idea; the specific method of rescue would depend on the circumstances at the time. It was around 4 PM, approximately one hour since Lin Chengye and his group had been robbed. Therefore, Shang Yi immediately set out with everyone.

However, they have been in this line of work for two to three years, without a fixed base, operating in the mountainous areas of Shandong and Henan. They have now gathered approximately over 1,000 people. Just the night before last, they attacked this small town, but not all the residents were killed; many were captured, most of whom were able-bodied men, along with some young women. The purpose of the capture was, on one hand, to expand their numbers, and on the other hand, to use them as guides to search for other nearby villages. Just the night before last, they attacked this small town, but not all the residents were killed; many were captured, most of whom were able-bodied men, along with some young women. The purpose of the capture was, on one hand, to expand their numbers, and on the other hand, to use them as guides to search for other nearby villages

Shang Yi immediately ordered everyone to stop advancing, and then he climbed up a large tree, took out a telescope, and adjusted the focus to look southwest. He saw an open area by the mountain path, surrounded by woods on three sides, with a mountain path about two meters wide on the other side. On the other side of the path, there was also dense forest. The bandits were all concentrated in the open area, where fourteen horse-drawn carriages were parked side by side, along with twelve horses and five donkeys all tied to tree trunks.

A few young boys, seeing him angry, dared not persist any longer and fell silent. Only Ye Yaozhao tugged at Shang Yi's sleeve; although she did not speak, her eyes were filled with concern

Shang Yi smiled and said, "Could you have a bit of confidence in me? https://www.hetushucom.com Alright, no more nonsense, let's start acting separately."

They arrived at the scene of the robbery first, but the robbers had already fled. This indicates that this group of robbers had some experience; after completing their task, they quickly moved away to avoid being caught. However, there were more than twenty bodies lying scattered on the ground. Shang Yi instructed Lin Chengye and others to identify the bodies, and it was determined that twelve of them belonged to the escort team, including two escorts, seven porters, and three bodyguards. This suggests that there are still six individuals who may still be alive. However, there were more than twenty bodies lying scattered on the ground. Shang Yi instructed Lin Chengye and others to identify the bodies, and it was determined that twelve of them belonged to the escort team, including two escorts, seven porters, and three bodyguards. This suggests that there are still six individuals who may still be alive

However, just yesterday, a divergence occurred between the chief and the deputy chief of the bandits. The chief, seated on the mountain, advocated for continuing to operate in the mountainous areas, primarily focusing on robbing small villages and towns, while avoiding large cities to evade capture by the government forces and absorption by larger bandit groups. In contrast, the deputy chief, Man Shanfei, clearly exhibited more ambition than the chief. He believed that engaging in petty theft was meaningless; if they were to act, they should aim for significant endeavors. He argued that they should leave the mountains and attack the county seat, as this would allow them to rapidly expand their power and no longer fear the government troops or larger bandit factions.

First, Shang Yi briefly sketched the distribution of the robbers' positions on the ground and informed them of the basic situation regarding the robbers he had observed. Understanding the enemy's strength and distribution is crucial in a hostage rescue operation. Although Shang Yi was unsure how much they could comprehend, it was still important to convey the necessary information clearly.

After Shang Yi descended from the tree, he immediately began to assign tasks to them. In his view, this was merely an operation to rescue hostages from terrorists. He had participated in such operations three times before crossing into this world, and with over ten practical drills, he could be considered quite experienced in this regard

It was not appropriate for Shang Yi to get angry with her again, so he could only say: "Don't worry! I will be fine."

After listening to his speech, Shang Yi felt much more assured; with only a little over 200 people, it should be manageable

Ye Yaochan finally nodded and said, "Brother Shang, you must be careful"

There are a total of twelve individuals: one head of affairs, two errand boys, three young women, and six servants. When encountering bandits, all six servants also participated in the fight. The three young women are all young ladies, among whom there are two maids, while the identity of the other is unknown, but she is exceptionally beautiful. Lin Chengye and the other three remarked that they had never seen such a beautiful woman before, estimating that she might be of the concubine type. The three young women are all young ladies, among whom there are two maids, while the identity of the other is unknown, but she is exceptionally beautiful. Lin Chengye and the other three remarked that they had never seen such a beautiful woman before, estimating that she might be of the concubine type

Certainly, the most dangerous aspect of this plan is Shang Yi. At the very least, it is necessary to divert the majority of these more than two hundred bandits, which is no easy task. If things go awry, one could easily be surrounded by the bandits, and it is feared that one might not even be able to preserve their life

At this moment, Zhou Shaohuan said: "Brother Shang, I will go with you."

This group of bandits has three leaders, nicknamed "Mountain Tiger," "Flying Over the Mountains," and "Half-Winged Bee." Upon hearing this, Shang Yi couldn't help but roll his eyes, as these nicknames are truly unimpressive.

Although the crowd did not understand what item Shang Yi was holding, he manipulated it for just a moment and accurately stated the location and number of the robbers, which left everyone quite astonished. However, at this moment, the crowd had subconsciously regarded him as their leader, and thus no one raised any objections to his explanation

However, Shang Yi could see clearly that among the robbers, only a few were wearing armor. Although most of the robbers were armed with knives and guns, there were also a few holding sickles and hoes, while the number of bows and arrows was limited, estimated to be no more than ten. This indicated that the strength of this group of robbers was not formidable. No wonder the robber leader, known as Zuo Shan Hu, only dared to hide in the mountains to carry out his activities. Therefore, despite their considerable numbers, Shang Yi was not worried. He quickly formulated a battle plan in his mind.

However, after arguing for half a day, neither side could convince the other. In a fit of anger, they decided to part ways and pursue their own paths. The third leader, Half-Winged Bee, supported the chief leader, Mountain Tiger. As a result, during the allocation of personnel, the second leader, Full Mountain Fly, suffered considerable losses, taking away only over 200 people, and he received only 20 captives: 15 men and 5 women. The group that ambushed Lin Chengjin and the convoy was precisely the small band led by Full Mountain Fly.

However, this time there are many hostages to rescue, and the number of kidnappers is not small either. Although there are quite a few people on our side, apart from myself, the others are not particularly capable. They are certainly better than those who are merely bystanders, but at most they can only play supporting roles and assist a little. Nevertheless, the opponents are clearly just a disorganized mob, and their organizational skills are worlds apart from those of the terrorists I encountered before my transmigration. Their hostage-taking also falls into the amateur category. Therefore, as long as the arrangements are made properly, there is still a considerable chance of success. However, the opponents are clearly just a disorganized mob, and their organizational skills are worlds apart from those of the terrorists I encountered before my transmigration. Their hostage-taking also falls into the amateur category. Therefore, as long as the arrangements are made properly, there is still a considerable chance of success.

In fact, Shang Yi's plan is not complicated; it involves having others move around to the back of the cart and using the cart as cover to gradually approach the bandits for an ambush. Meanwhile, Shang Yi himself will circle to the other side to first attack the bandits. After drawing the bandits away, those hiding behind the cart will then emerge to rescue the captives. Once the captives are saved, they will immediately protect them during the retreat

Although the robbers had already retreated, Shang Yi, being a person who had undergone rigorous training in this area, was able to find clues from the details. Moreover, there were very clear tire tracks left on the ground. Thus, Shang Yi, along with the others, continued to pursue for about half an hour. Shang Yi's GPS immediately displayed a signal, revealing human traces approximately 1,200 meters to the southwest, with a total of 217 individuals and an additional 17 large quadrupeds, which were estimated to be pack animals such as mules or horses. Continuing the pursuit for about half an hour, Shang Yi's GPS once again displayed a signal, revealing human traces approximately 1,200 meters to the southwest, with a total of 217 individuals and an additional 17 large quadrupeds, which were estimated to be pack animals such as mules or horses

Zhou Shaohuan nodded and said, "Brother Shang, rest assured, we will take good care of Yao Tang. You, on the other hand, need to be careful yourself"

In fact, not all twelve bandits were killed; one was struck in the lower abdomen by Shang Yi and fell to the ground. Although he groaned for a long time, it was not a fatal injury. From his mouth, Shang Yi also obtained a great deal of useful information that he wanted to know.

Enough. "Shang Yi interrupted them sternly, saying: 'What did you promise me when you first arrived? You agreed to follow my arrangements. Therefore, I command you all to immediately go to the back of the carriage and lie in ambush. As for luring the enemy, I can handle that alone.'"

Shang Yi shook his head and said, "Whether we can lure the enemy away is the key to our success or failure. This task can only be completed by me. There is not much time left, so stop arguing. It is decided as such."

In the center of the open ground, several piles of fire were burning, with large pots set over them, steaming hot, clearly indicating that they were cooking. Other bandits were either sitting or lying down, chatting and laughing. A few bandits were circling around the cart, likely inspecting the spoils from this robbery. Beside the cart, there were more than twenty people sitting, both men and women, dressed in various garments, some even bound. Each of them bore a look of terror, clearly captives of the bandits, among whom there were likely some of Lin Chengye's people as well.

Upon his remark, the others also chimed in, saying: "Yes, we will all go with you."