Chapter 207: Ye Bu Shou
Chapter 203 of "The Great Ming in the Box" introduces: Right as Dian Deng Zi Zhao Sheng was âobservingâ things in Gaojia Village.Huanglong Mountain.Dian Deng... Read on to discover!
Right as Dian Deng Zi Zhao Sheng was âobservingâ things in Gaojia Village.Huanglong Mountain.
Dian Deng Ziâs men hauled another ten stones of food up the slope, filling the Villagers with sheer delight. âLord Bai from Bai Family Fortress is a good man indeed!â
âEarlier I thought the rich were all bad. Seems I was wrong.â
âAlright, tomorrowâs meals are settled too.â
The Villagers from Qingjian County cheered joyfully.
Just as the merriment peaked, a hunter scrambled back, shouting desperately: âTrouble! A group of menâs climbing the west slopeâSeventh Teamâs Ye Bu Shou!â
His cry jolted the people of Qingjian County silent.
Captain of Bu Zhan Niâs Seventh TeamâYe Bu Shou.
They said he was fierce beyond measure. A veteran of Yansuiâs Great Ming border armyâs elite scouts, he deserted ranks to become an outlaw when the border army endlessly delayed pay. Though only leading the Seventh Team, he was brutally viciousâout-matching the ferocity of the first six teams combined.
âBut thatâs oddâYe Bu Shou went a different way. Why here? To Huanglong Mountain?â
âCould he be crowding our turf?â
âOh no, Mr. Zhao isnât here. He followed Lord Bai downhill to find us a lifeline. How do we deal with Ye Bu Shou now?â
Panic seized the crowd. After moments, Jiejia Valleyâs Village Chief Jie was pushed forward to handle matters in Zhao Shengâs absence. Age had curved his spineâfifty-two summers weighed on him, leaving the Village Chief gaunt and frail.
Approaching the west slopeâs edge, Village Chief Jie eyed the ridge. A war banner unfurledâYe Bu Shou glaring boldly from the clothâas a compact band of fifteen hundred streamed upward along the path.
âItâs the Seventh Team!â
âTheyâre fewer, but carry far fewer elderly and weak, women and children. Stronger than we three thousand.â
Heart pounding, Village Chief Jie steeled himself forward: âSeventh Captain, why approach Huanglong Mountain? The Boss arranged usâSecond Teamâhere.â
Ye Bu Shou was fierce-eyed, middle-aged. Compact, muscular, a coiled pantherâs stance sheathed in Great Ming border army armor. Bow slung across his backâsword hanging sharp at the hip. Untamed power radiated.
âWhat right have you to come before me?â Ye Bu Shou scowled. âWhereâs the Second Leader? Why isnât he facing me?â
The Village Chief hastily bowed. âThe Second Leader went to find food.â
A former elite scoutâs eyes instantly assessed: nearly three thousand packed the peakâall Seventh Teamâs forces. A worried frown creased his brow: âThe Second Leader hunted foodâwithout you? How?â
Village Chief Jie flinched briefly: âWellâŚâ
Heâd never dare say Dian Deng Zi fraternized with local gentryâsuch words courted peril.
Huffing coldly, Ye Bu Shou shrugged: âFine. Iâll wait here for his return.â
Village Chief Jieâs pulse raced. Dispatching this threat was urgent: âSeventh Captain, whatever brought youâmight I help? Truly no need for delay.â
âWhat dealings could I have with you?â Ye Bu Shou sneered.
Village Chief Jie remained silent.
Slowly, Ye Bu Shou swept his gaze across Qingjian Countyâs people. Sharp eyes locked onto ten stones of food just hauled up. âAhâyour Second Team prospers! Ten stones lying idle! Looted from some rich landlordâs cellar?â
Village Chief Jie coughed uneasily: âThatâŚweâŚraided a great tyrant⌠MmmâŚa heartless wealthy man.â
Ye Bu Shou chuckled dryly: âLucky you scored such fine harvest. Iâve struck several manor forts yet found meager grain! Ah! My men are famished! We all rose starvingâsurely brethren share? A few stones from your stock?â
Beads of sweat dotted Village Chief Jieâs brow: âThisâŚthis humble elder dares no such choice⌠Let the Second Leader return first⌠ThenâŚperhaps weâŚâ
Temptation flaredâa swift raid could end this. Yet Ye Bu Shou reconsidered: Dian Deng Zi was learnedâa rare scholar among illiterate rebelsâgreatly prized by Bu Zhan Ni. Seize Second Teamâs goods and face Bu Zhan Niâs wrath? Too weak now! If Teams One to Six joined forces against himâŚdeath beckoned.
Better wait for Dian Deng Zi. Rejected food? Turn righteousâaccuse Second Leader of forsaking brotherhood before the Boss himself. Just claims securedâŚthen strike.
Biting back rage, he motioned sharply: âThen I await your Second Leader.â
He withdrew Seventh Team to a nearby grove and settled in.
Heart thrashing wildly, Village Chief Jie slipped back to his Villagers. Whispering urgently to a hunter: âSlip unseen through thicketsâget to Bai Family Fortress! Find Zhao Sheng⌠Warn him!â
Bai Yuan steered the wagon homeward, Dian Deng Ziâs party trailing behind from Gaojia Village.
Elated through the journey, Bai Yuan beamed: âHa! Mastering that giant train proved simple! Flick the switchâit followed tracks on its own! Grasped it in moments! Hah! I reclaim the âGrand Charioteerâ titleârestored!â
Similarly, joy radiated from Dian Deng Zi. Turned rebel against his will, burdened daily with despair for his three thousand soulsâcertain doom had shrouded him. Utter darkness. Till this light dawned! Hope piercedâa path revealed! Strike boldlyâŚall may survive!
Both overjoyed men arrived at Bai Family Fortressâbefore feet could steadyâa guard raced toward them frantically: âLord! Terrible news! Fresh bandits swarm Huanglong Mountain!â
The words struck Bai Yuan and Dian Deng Zi like thunder.
Rushing inside, they scaled the fortress wall. Cheng Xu had waited long. Spotting Bai Yuan, he breathed: âNot long pastâa new bandit force scaled the peaksâŚjoined Dian Deng Ziâs menâŚfifteen-hundred strong. No hostility shown since ascent.â
Dian Deng Zi paled slightly: âFifteen hundred⌠Canât be Ye Bu Shou? Only Seventh Team runs that lean.â
âYe Bu Shou?â Cheng Xuâs eyes narrowed at the soundâa name bearing military scoutsâ ring. ThÄąs content belongs to NoveI-Fire.É´et
Before he pondered deeper, a bow-wielding hunter scrambled to the fortress gate below. Ducking glances upward, he cried: âIâm Dian Deng Ziâs man! Let me in! Urgent word for the Captain!â