Chapter 10, Disciple of the Gun God

Outside the royal city, a long convoy transporting grain slowly moved from the inside to the outside. At the front of the convoy, Wang Xu, clad in golden battle armor, rode a large red warhorse, with an ancient long sword hanging at his waist. Huang Quan stood behind Wang Xu, occasionally casting envious glances at him.

However, such a grandiose effort is entirely unnecessary; killing Wang Xu is merely for the sake of venting one's anger and does not contribute to the overall situation. Furthermore, why should Wang Xu take matters into his own hands? A strange smile appeared on Zhou Yi's face

The tents of two thousand soldiers stretch for two miles, arranged in a zigzag formation, allowing for mutual support in case of an enemy attack; additionally, although no enemy is expected to appear, a temporary fence has been constructed around the camp. Outside the fence, many caltrops have been placed in areas conducive to cavalry charges, preventing enemy cavalry from breaking through.

Huang Quan nodded and said, "After investigating thoroughly, there is a mountain ten miles ahead, inhabited by a group of bandits, numbering around five hundred. I inquired in the county town, and this group of bandits never engages in robbery or plunder; on the contrary, they often rob the rich to help the poor. Many wealthy gentry in the county town harbor deep resentment towards this group of bandits, yet they are quite popular among the common people."

Alright, you are to lead five hundred crossbowmen to ambush at Heifengkou. If they do not emerge by tomorrow, you will continue on the road with me. If they dare to intercept, you will act according to my command. As soon as I wave my hand, you will charge out, drawing your bows and surrounding them completely.

As night gradually fell, after dinner, all the soldiers except those on patrol and guard duty in the barracks had gone to sleep; the entire camp was silent.

In this case, this group of bandits can be considered as acting on behalf of the people; so, do you think they have the courage to rob us

Huang Quan continued, "The general may not be aware that there are three highly respected seniors in the martial world, recognized as formidable figures by all martial artists. They are the Spear God Sun Yan, the Blade God Zhao Ju, and the Sword God Chen Hu. Unfortunately, they withdrew from the martial world ten years ago. This Sun Yu is the closed-door disciple of the Spear God Sun Yan, and his mastery of the Shattered Wind Spear Technique is truly extraordinary"

Inside the tent, Wang Xu was reclining against a seat. Rather than calling it a seat, it would be more accurate to refer to it as a bed, as the seat measured a full 5 feet in length and 3 feet in width. Wang Xu held a bamboo slip in his hands, diligently studying the characters of this place alongside the books. Since heaven had brought him here, there must be a profound reason behind it. As the saying goes, when one arrives, one should settle down; one must gradually adapt to the environment. What one does not understand must be learned. Regardless of what the future holds, lacking knowledge is certainly not an option.

The heir, Wang Xu, is heading to Jingliao to suppress the bandits, accompanied by no more than two thousand soldiers. I will immediately lead the main army to pursue and ensure that he goes without return!

A general must possess the demeanor of a general. As a general, it is certainly unacceptable to still be dressed in a scholar's robe. Therefore, before setting out, Wang Xu specifically went to the Imperial Guard to find a set of golden armor. In fact, he had intended to find a set in black or silver, but there was no choice; all the armor of the Imperial Guard was golden.

Huang Quan awkwardly smiled and said, "General, you think too highly of me. I am merely a lowly centurion, with mediocre martial skills. How could I possibly be a match for the successor of the Gun God"

Not long ago, in the county town, Wang Dahu, for the sake of safety, hired a security agency to transport grain, but unexpectedly, it was still robbed, and over 1,000 people from the security agency were not spared

"Yes, I will arrange this right away," Huang Quan replied with a cupped fist salute and turned to leave the main tent

For this utterly brainless person, Zhou Yi was on the verge of madness, "Foolish! Wang Xu was sent by the prince to Jingliao to suppress the bandits; he has an official appointment. You are dispatching a large army to pursue him, what do you intend to do, rebel?"

Huang Quan thought for a moment and said with certainty: "Yes, although the number of bandits is not large, according to the accounts of the wealthy gentry in the county town, the leader of that group of bandits is named Sun Yu, a remarkably formidable individual, and it is said that he is a disciple of the gun god Sun Yan"

Since we can think of ambushing there, the bandits will certainly think of it as well. If we arrive late, it will not be them who are surrounded, but us. Remember, when ambushing, do not get too close to the official road and occupy the bandits' territory.

Zhou Yi gripped his sword with both hands and cleaved the tea table in front of him, angrily saying: "Wang Xu is truly detestable. He previously thwarted my grand plan, and I have yet to settle accounts with him. Now he has rescued over three hundred of my black-clad warriors and has killed more than a thousand of my men. This person opposes me at every turn. If I do not kill him, my heart's resentment will not be alleviated."

Where do you think they will intercept?

I hope I won't be targeted by bandits along the way, Wang Xu thought to himself

Behind Wang Xu, a blood-red banner emblazoned with the character "Wang" fluttered vigorously in the gusty wind, making a resounding noise, quite ostentatious; following the grand flag was a horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by dozens of supply wagons moving slowly, the entire procession resembled a giant dragon emerging from the royal city, swiftly heading towards the canyon, towards Jing Liao.

Why did you come back so late? Have you investigated thoroughly

Listen, immediately send a secret order to the county magistrates along the route; instruct them to have the county soldiers disguise themselves as bandits, lying in ambush between the mountains and valleys. If the army of Wang Xu passes by, they are to charge out immediately. Whoever captures Wang Xu's head will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and granted the title of general

In the center of the military camp, there stands a tent that is noticeably larger than the others. Outside the tent, there are as many as eight soldiers on guard, each of whom is robust in stature and sharp in gaze, clearly indicating that they are elite troops

Huang Quan pondered for a moment and said: "At Heifengkou, they will definitely be ambushing there. The dense grass on both sides of the official road is over a person's height, making it very easy to hide soldiers."

In fact, Zhou Yi is not afraid to send a large army to pursue and kill Wang Xu. Even if he sends a large army to kill Wang Xu, what difference would it make? What if there is a rebellion? With one hundred thousand troops under his command, all the civil and military officials in the court are his people.

"Who is the God of Guns?" Wang Xu inquired

Outside the royal city

When it comes to charging into battle, Wang Xu may not be up to the task, but when it comes to troop deployment and strategy, he has some understanding. In his previous life, he often read military novels and had considerable research on the ancient practices of encampment and fortification.

What does it matter if the prince knows?

Before long, footsteps were heard outside the tent, the tent was lifted, and Huang Quan entered the main tent, saying, "General"

What should we do then

Do you think you can fight against him?

Shortly after Wang Xu's grain convoy left the city, the heir was released. After all, the heir commanded an army of one hundred thousand, and if he were to be detained for too long, it could easily incite a military coup. It was not that Zhou De did not want to keep that one hundred thousand troops under his control, but rather that he was already powerless to do so. Among the army, all the commanders above the rank of general were loyal to the heir. At present, the entire army completely obeyed the heir, and even when the prince issued orders, they only followed the directives and ignored the proclamations.

Wang Xujun Camp

Your Highness, the latest news is that Wang Xu has been dispatched by the prince to Jingliao County to eliminate the bandits

Now? Huang Quan asked in confusion: "It is still early before dawn, should we wait until it gets light to go? Let the brothers have a good sleep."

After listening to the prince's brilliant plan, Aguqie secretly thought that he was too dull-witted, and all his dissatisfaction with the prince vanished. He immediately replied, "Yes."