Chapter 291: You Resemble an Official

“Boss, the buyer who is trading with Wu Zimian seems to be Zao Ying, the famous bandit of Yichuan.”When Wang Zuogua heard the words Zao Ying, a tomboy face flashed quickly in his mind. He clicked his tongue and sighed, “Ugly, refuse! Can’t think, can’t think.”

“Zao Ying, this fellow, has always claimed to be a righteous bandit, specializing in robbing officials, not ordinary people,” Wang Zuogua said. “This fellow has always looked down on us, saying that we coerce the common people and are not good fellows. Screw her mother… cough… her mother probably isn’t good-looking either, forget it. Since she doesn’t consider us the same kind, naturally we can’t consider her the same kind. Later, let’s also snatch her horses.”

Several subordinates chuckled together: “Understood!”

Miao Mei, Feishan Hu, and Big Honglang spread out immediately.

They had been active in Huanglong Mountain for a long time and were extremely familiar with the terrain here. They led their troops around both sides, diving through gullies. By then, the sky had grown dark, and those unfamiliar with Huanglong Mountain couldn’t possibly spot them.

In no time, Wang Zuogua’s large army surrounded Duzhucun.

Li Daoxuan saw this and couldn’t help frowning.

He quickly pressed the “South” button outside the box. At this point, Xing Honglang and Cheng Xu were still four or five li away from Duzhucun. The two were among the latest to arrive.

If they continued forward now, they would soon encounter the Big Honglang division Wang Zuogua had sent out to surround Duzhuncun.

Li Daoxuan didn’t want the two to foolishly walk straight into the enemy’s encirclement. He was just about to remind them…

Just then, two scouts ran back from the front. One scout was Xing Honglang’s subordinate, Old Zhu; the other was from the Gaojia Village Militia, Shi Jian.

The two returned before Xing Honglang and Cheng Xu and reported swiftly: “The situation ahead seems a bit complicated. A bandit army has suddenly blocked the way between us and Duzhucun… It’s dark, and we couldn’t see clearly. We couldn’t figure out who that bandit army is. We could only speculate that it might be Wang Zuogua of Yichuan’s people.”

Li Daoxuan showed a relieved, aunt-like smile. Good, my little people were quite methodical; they knew to send scouts ahead and wouldn’t casually fall into others’ ambushes. Ah, the nanny Deity worried too much again.

Cheng Xu frowned: “Coming for us?”

“Not at all!” Shi Jian said. “It seems to be coming for Wu Zimian.”

Cheng Xu: “Huh? So interesting?”

He turned and exchanged a glance with Xing Honglang.

Xing Honglang chuckled: “Instructor He, what good plans do you have?”

Cheng Xu chuckled: “Naturally, it’s to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Though the Deity doesn’t lack silver, if I had to give over thirty thousand liang of silver to a scoundrel like Wu Zimian, I’d still feel a bit uncomfortable. If we can take advantage of the situation to rob, play a round of black eating black… then we wouldn’t have to spend a single liang of silver. I’d save the Deity’s silver, and the Deity Himself would surely be happy.”

Xing Honglang: “Instructor He, why does the way you consider problems resemble a bandit more than a bandit?”

Cheng Xu: “Huh? Really?”

Xing Honglang snorted: “I’ll say it straight, you resemble an official!”

Cheng Xu was startled: “Hey hey hey, all officials in the world would protest against you. You actually said officials resemble bandits more than bandits do.”

Xing Honglang: “Isn’t it true?”

Cheng Xu: “I’m not, I haven’t, I’m a good citizen, Instructor He from He Village. The Deity can testify for me.”

Xing Honglang rolled her eyes: “There’s no He Village in Chengcheng County.”

Cheng Xu whistled: “Ah, well then… tonight’s moonlight is truly wonderful.”

Xing Honglang shook her head and laughed: “This guy!”

Yet, she didn’t intend to oppose Cheng Xu’s opinion. Though the Deity wasn’t short of money, taking the Deity’s money to buy horses for a corrupt official felt a bit unreasonable. If they could save tens of thousands of liang of silver, it would be better to give it to the common people.

Xing Honglang said: “Since it’s like this, let’s play black eating black. But we don’t know what’s happening in Duzhucun now, or how many enemies there are, what the situation is. If we act recklessly, we might end up eaten ourselves.”

Cheng Xu frowned: “That’s true! If it really is Wang Zuogua of Yichuan blocking us, then he must be more familiar with the terrain of Huanglong Mountain than us…”

He was just saying this when he suddenly felt he bumped into something. With a “duang,” he fell on his butt to the ground.

There was clearly nothing in front!

Cheng Xu quickly looked up and saw a low cloud floating in the sky.

At that, he understood: “Haha, the Deity has come to help. His hand is right in front of us, only we can’t see it.”

Xing Honglang: “Huh?”

Cheng Xu was at the level of a court official in “guessing the superior’s intention.” He immediately understood what it meant when the Deity put down his hand and hurriedly climbed onto it.

Seeing his movement, Xing Honglang also understood: “Right, last time when fighting the He Yang bandits and Fan Shanyue, the Deity set down his hand and lifted you into the air to see the terrain… Ah… this time, can I go up?”

Cheng Xu beckoned to her and laughed: “The Deity hasn’t considered you an outsider for a long time. Come on up.”

Xing Honglang was delighted and quickly reached forward to feel, found the edge of the invisible big hand, then climbed up.

Soon, both were sitting in the palm of Li Daoxuan’s hand.

He gently lifted his hand, carrying the two, and flew them into midair…

The setting sun was almost completely down, and the sky was growing darker and darker.

In the last bit of dusk, Zao Ying finally negotiated the price with Wu Zimian’s attendants: thirty-two thousand liang of silver. However, Zao Ying had been chased here by Hong Chengchou’s attendants, so of course, she didn’t carry any silver.

Though she had settled on the price, she couldn’t pay. She was racking her brain to think of how to steady Wu Zimian…

Just then!

From the eastern mountains and forests, a drum beat sounded first, then a large crowd shouted in unison: “Wang Zuogua of Yichuan and his whole crew are here. Officials, die!”

After this shout, a thunderous sound came from the forest, and an army charged out.

At the forefront, they were all fierce soldiers wearing official armor!

Turns out, after the Guyuan mutiny, the border army turned to the remaining bandits. Officials everywhere became unstable. Many unpaid soldiers ran off to join the bandit army. Later, when the courier stations dismissed their couriers, another large group of couriers joined the bandit army.

Wang Zuogua absorbed many such official soldiers into his ranks, making his army’s combat strength unlike before, greatly improved. Now, when fighting, Wang Zuogua’s vanguard was a proper troop of official troops.

When these people jumped out, Wu Zimian was startled: “Damn, Wang Zuogua of Yichuan really dared to come? Left and right! Arrest him for me at once.”