Chapter Ninety-Nine: A Farce

In the blink of an eye, countless torches were thrown into the crowd formed by the Zhou family members.

The entire field of vision seemed filled with blazing firelight, and all that remained in their ears was the clanging of gongs. These villagers, who barely even qualified as a disorganized rabble, were instantly stunned. Many had their hair and eyebrows singed by the flames, and immediately they howled like ghosts and wolves.

Zhou Xingwang, standing at the back of the crowd, was unfortunately struck on the forehead by one of the torches. Though not seriously injured, the swelling the size of a goose egg made him resemble a one-horned demon. A patch of his hair was burnt bald, and half of his once-proud beard was singed away, leaving him looking pitiful and miserable.

From all directions, voices shouted to fight the mountain bandits, leaving this Zhou family elder utterly confused. He even wondered if Yushu Bay had already been raided by some bandit gang beforehand and that he had simply run face-to-face into them by chance.

Some in the two-hundred-strong group had already begun to flee, but the crowd was completely surrounded.

On both sides of the main road leading into the village, Zhao Hengyi had fifty men lying in ambush, while others waited in different directions of the village. Their wait, however, was in vain, as the enemy approached steadily.

These fifty men had the two hundred-plus Zhou family members encircled tightly, making escape utterly impossible.

Blinded by the firelight, once any Zhou family members broke from the group, they were immediately engulfed in darkness, unable to see a thing. They were quickly kicked down, bound hand and foot, and tossed aside like cargo.

These villagers had no idea whom they had encountered. Many still pleaded loudly as they were tied up, begging the "bandit grandpa" to spare their lives, offering to lead them to the Zhou family’s grain storehouse.

The guards swiftly tied up their prisoners while cheerfully speculating whether these captives would meet the same fate as the previous bandits—being executed by their master. Hearing this, the bound Zhou family members grew anxious, wailing and crying for their parents.

Yuan Mei, the chief constable, was one of the few who understood the situation. Yet, an arrow embedded halfway into the ground near his toes made it clear to him that survival meant not making any rash moves.

Being sensible, Yuan Mei obediently gave in.

Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the farce was nearly over. Only about fifty people remained in the bright firelight: the constables who had frozen under Yuan Mei’s orders, and Zhou Xingwang surrounded by loyal servants.

“Drop your weapons, kneel down, and no killing!”

“Those who resist to the end will be executed without mercy!”

The voices that had moments ago shouted wildly in defiance now became unified and solemn. Seeing Chief Constable Yuan Mei and his men, all wisely discarded their knives and iron chains. Though Zhou Xingwang was still confused, he ordered his men to surrender quickly.

After all, what was the harm in falling into the hands of bandits?

The old master would surely spend silver coins to ransom the future hope of the Zhou family. It would be a tragedy to die now!

Yet, this Zhou family elder still believed he was facing bandits.

When the squads stationed in other parts of the village arrived, they saw two rows of people squatting by the roadside with their hands bound behind their backs, while the guards captured the last unlucky stragglers.

“Master Zhao’s tactics are impressive! I, Yuan Mei...”

The chief constable, with his hands obediently behind his back, was about to say something when someone struck him on the head with a knife hilt, silencing him.

Does our master really need a coward like you to judge his actions?

The daughters’ militia watching from afar burst into laughter, some even falling over. None of them expected the usually stern and fierce guards to be so entertaining—beating gongs and wailing as they shouted slogans wildly.

Lu Jiuniang, who was secretly protecting Zhao Hengyi from a treetop, watched with a dark expression but couldn’t help feeling a quiet thrill.

She knew these guards were all very skilled.

Seeing the Zhou family villagers, she realized that tonight in Yushu Bay, there would be no major upheaval.

Yet, as someone familiar with battlefield tactics, Lu Jiuniang had to reassess Zhao Hengyi and the guards he personally trained.

The gap in strength was indeed huge, but the guards moved with order and precision—busy but not chaotic. Fifty men had captured over two hundred people. Even if the enemy were a bunch of foolish pigs, it would take considerable effort to catch them all.

But under Zhao Hengyi’s planning, the more than two hundred invaders were bound and seated neatly along the roadside within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, looking even more orderly than when they had arrived.

She recalled the workers she had seen in the village workshops, noting they all seemed very disciplined. It was as if anything and anyone that came under Zhao Hengyi’s control became methodically arranged.

There were many capable fighters in the Taihang Mountains—willing to kill and die, unafraid of barbarians or armed Han rivals—but Lu Jiuniang knew it was impossible to train them to the level of the Yushu Bay guards.

Thinking of the guards constantly boasting of how Zhao Hengyi had displayed great prowess and extraordinary strategy in Yonggu City, Lu Jiuniang felt this Master Zhao was truly no ordinary man.

Not only was he skilled in management, but he also knew how to train soldiers. Should she consider capturing him and bringing him back to Taihang Mountain?

Unaware of the constant danger of becoming a captured hostage, Zhao Hengyi appeared surrounded by a group of men before Zhou Xingwang and Yuan Mei.

“Wow, these bandits even wear long gowns—quite extravagant! Huh, and a few pretending to be constables? Such audacity! Lock them all up and let them starve a few days first!”

Yuan Mei, nursing his head wound, looked helplessly at Zhao Hengyi’s act but dared not say a word for fear of being cut down by this brazen Zhao.

But the Zhou family elder was bold, and upon hearing himself called a bandit, his wits quickly returned.

“I’m not a bandit. I’m a Zhou family member, I am—”

Smack!

Wu Laoliu, walking beside the master, dashed forward and slapped the elder so many times his face swelled like a steamed bun before stopping.

“The master says you’re a bandit, so damn well you’re a bandit! Quit your nonsense!”

Over two hundred people were escorted to the kiln site behind the village and made to squat. The dense mass was quite the spectacle. The kiln workers watching from afar thought these bandits who had raided the village were pathetic—wearing tattered rags worse than what they wore on their days off.

Risking their lives in the forest and dragging down their ancestors’ reputation—what was the point?

They might as well work honestly here in Yushu Bay, where they would be well-fed and earn enough wages so their wives and children wouldn’t starve.

“Everyone behave! Anyone trying to fool us will be thrown into the kiln and burned alive!”

The menacing Zhang Daniu was even more intimidating than the guards, especially as he brandished a blacksmith’s hammer, perfectly enhancing his aura of menace.

The Zhou villagers all crouched obediently, trembling, wishing they could hide their heads in their pants...