Bandits Enter the City

Night slowly descended, the evening wind brushed against the earth, and silence enveloped the world.

The gates of Cangqi City quietly opened, a convoy of three hundred soldiers and nearly a hundred flat carts silently drove out, heading west. The carts were loaded with alcohol for the Rain Listening Pavilion, heavy and laden.

To prevent being detected by the bandits of Chaotic Rocks Ridge, the entire convoy didn't light any torches, relying solely on the faint moonlight to move forward.

Luo Yu earnestly instructed Jin Bao:

"You're the only one familiar with the road. The task of guiding depends on you. Captain Han will lead troops to accompany you. Don't make any mistakes. If we encounter bandits, we can abandon the alcohol, but our brothers must return safely."

"Rest assured, Lord City. I'm very familiar with the mountain path. I'll bring all the alcohol back to Fengchuan without any loss."

"Good. I'll reward you heavily for this. Let's set out!"

The convoy plunged into the night, the gates of Cangqi City tightly closed, leaving no sound. Only a few torches flickered on the city walls.

The night wind howled through the forest, tree shadows swaying like ghosts. The faint-hearted really wouldn't dare to walk through Sanyi Mountain at night.

About half an hour later, countless figures appeared outside Cangqi City, hiding in the bushes. Each person held weapons, their bright blades gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

The bandits of Chaotic Rocks Ridge!

"Tsk tsk, Lord Yao is truly a genius."

Liu Ban'er, missing half an ear, peeked out from behind a thick tree trunk, his face twisted with mockery:

"Just sending a spy can fool all the guards out of the city. Isn't Cangqi City now an empty city? This Luo Yu is indeed just a kid."

"There should still be guards in the city, right?" Yu Han Gong whispered: "Based on their character, they wouldn't possibly send all their soldiers to deliver alcohol."

"Don't worry. I counted roughly. There should be about two hundred soldiers delivering alcohol, and another hundred are civilian workers. According to previous intelligence, Cangqi City has a total of three hundred soldiers. Now there are only a hundred left in the city.

But we have over two hundred brothers, enough to wipe out Cangqi City!"

Liu Ban'er sneered:

"Lord Yao has instructed us. Our task tonight is to find the secret brewing formula. If that fails, we'll capture Luo Yu alive and force him to reveal the formula. As for those soldiers, kill them all to avoid any trouble."

"Kill them all? That's not good." Yu Han Gong frowned:

"We have no grudges with them. Is it worth killing so many people?"

"Second Brother, you're just not ruthless enough. Since we've chosen to act, we must cut off all roots! Otherwise, it will cause endless trouble."

A greedy glint appeared in Liu Ban'er's eyes:

"Yao Lin has already said, as long as we get the formula and kill Luo Yu, Cangqi City will be ours. We won't have to hide in the mountains anymore."

"But there are so many civilians..."

"Enough with the 'but'!" Liu Ban'er snapped: "I'm the boss, I make the decisions."

"Attack!"

A dozen burly bandits rushed out of the group, silently approaching the city wall, completely unnoticed by the guards.

They threw several grappling hooks that securely latched onto the wall. A few men helped each other, stepping on shoulders, and smoothly climbed over the wall. The entire process was fluid and expert, then they opened the city gate from inside.

"Ha ha, let's go! Riches and glory await!"

The dark gate entrance made Liu Ban'er incredibly excited. The bandits poured through the gate. After passing the wall, they discovered that Sanyi Mountain had completely changed. Faint lights glimmered at the foot of the distant mountain, with rows of wooden houses neatly arranged, looking like both civilian residences and military barracks.

"Damn, how did it become like this? They're really good at making trouble."

Liu Ban'er cursed and frowned:

"Where's the alcohol? The brewing formula must be with the alcohol, right? If not, search the entire camp!"

"Brother, don't you think something's wrong?"

Yu Han Gong's face darkened as he scanned the surroundings:

"We got in too easily. Even if they sent most people to guard the alcohol, we shouldn't have seen no guards at all."

Indeed, from their entry until now, they hadn't encountered a single person. Over two hundred bandits gathered in the center of the camp almost openly.

"It's fine. They probably fell asleep already. What elite soldiers from the border? To me, they're just a mob of rabble."

Liu Ban'er mocked:

"Even if there are people, at most a hundred or so soldiers. What's to fear? Our task now is to find the brewing formula. If that fails, capture all the civilians and interrogate them one by one. There must be someone who knows!"

A sudden gust of wind brought the scent of alcohol to Liu Ban'er's nose, making his eyes widen! Three Pot! The brewing formula must be with the Three Pot.

"There!"

Liu Ban'er turned to look in the direction of the alcohol scent. There were a few isolated army tents there, with lights inside and shadows moving.

He signaled, and the bandits silently surrounded the tents. Four or five brave ones had already reached out to lift the heavy curtains.

The moment the curtains were lifted, several bandits froze in place, too terrified to move.

"Damn, a bunch of cowards, what are you standing there for!"

Liu Ban'er couldn't hold back anymore, cursing: "What the hell!"

Then he realized something was wrong. The bandits were slowly backing away, with several cold, gleaming spears pressed against their throats. A single thrust would take their lives.

"Kill!"

"Surround these bandits, don't let anyone escape!"

In the moment Liu Ban'er froze, flames erupted all around, shouts filled the air. Countless soldiers poured out of the previously silent city. Archers lined the walls, arrows ready to shoot.

"Of course it's a trap!" Yu Han Gong was furious, shouting: "Brothers, be careful, prepare to fight!"

"Leader Liu, long time no see!"

Luo Yu's figure appeared on the city wall, looking down at him:

"Coming to Cangqi City in the dead of night, what's your purpose?"

"How could it be like this."

Liu Ban'er panicked. Looking at the situation, Luo Yu had clearly set a trap waiting for him. But how did Luo Yu know their plan?

Luo Yu said coldly:

"A bunch of mountain bandits daring to attack Cangqi City, you're really tired of living. Surrender now, and I'll spare your lives!"

"Damn, Lord City is too optimistic! You only have a hundred men, I'm not afraid of you!"

Liu Ban'er roared:

"Brothers, kill! Five taels of silver for each head!"

"Kill!"

At the promise of a reward, the bandits gritted their teeth and rushed forward, fighting with Cangqi City's guards. Despite their overwhelming numbers, they weren't a match for the veteran soldiers who had trained for months, and were pushed back step by step.

"Han Gong, what do we do?"

Liu Ban'er panicked: "Should we retreat?"

"Thinking of running when you're about to die?"

Luo Yu shook his head slightly, waving his hand. Another two hundred fierce soldiers charged into battle, Han Shuo's roar echoing across the field:

"Kill!"

"Don't let anyone escape!"

Clearly, these were the troops who had just left to deliver the alcohol!

Liu Ban'er was completely stunned, a sense of despair rising from his heart:

"How is this possible!"