Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

Night descended by degrees. The evening breeze brushed against the earth, and the world fell into a profound silence.

The gates of Cangqi opened without a sound. A convoy consisting of three hundred soldiers and nearly one hundred flatbed carts slipped out, heading west. The carts were laden with wine for Tingyu Restaurant, heavy and full.

To avoid detection by the bandits of Luan Shi Ling, the entire convoy traveled without torches, relying solely on the faint moonlight to guide their way.

Luo Yu spoke earnestly to Jin Bao, “You are the only one who knows the path, so the task of leading the way rests on your shoulders. Commandant Han will lead the troops to accompany you; do not let any mistakes occur. If you truly encounter bandits, you may abandon the wine, but the men must return safely.”

“Rest assured, City Lord Luo. I am intimately familiar with the mountain paths. I will certainly return every single jar of wine to Fengchuan.”

“Good. Once this matter is settled, I will reward you handsomely. Depart!”

The convoy plunged into the darkness, and the gates of Cangqi were tightly shut once more. No sound remained, save for a few flickering lights swaying atop the city walls.

The night wind whistled through the mountain forests, and the shifting shadows of the trees seemed like ghosts passing through. Those with faint hearts would never dare to travel the mountain roads of the Sanqi Mountains at night.

About half an hour later, countless figures appeared outside Cangqi. They hid within the shrubbery, each gripping their weapons. The gleaming blades of their pudao reflected the cold light of the moon.

The bandits of Luan Shi Ling!

“Tsk tsk, City Lord Yao is truly a master of strategy.”

Liu Ban’er, who was missing half an ear, poked his head out from behind a thick tree trunk, his face twisted in mockery. “A simple spy was enough to lure the garrison out of the city. Isn’t Cangqi an empty shell now? This Luo Yu is truly just a child whose hair hasn’t even grown in yet.”

“Shouldn’t there still be guards in the city?” Yu Hangong whispered. “Given their personalities, it is impossible they would send all their soldiers out to deliver wine.”

“Don’t worry. I made a rough count; there should be two hundred soldiers delivering the wine, and another hundred are just laborers and civilians. According to our previous intelligence, Cangqi only has three hundred soldiers in total. That means there are only one hundred left in the city. We have over two hundred brothers—more than enough to wipe out Cangqi in one fell swoop!”

Liu Ban’er sneered. “City Lord Yao has given his orders. Our mission tonight is to find the secret recipe for the wine. If that fails, we will capture Luo Yu alive and force him to reveal it. As for those soldiers, kill them all to avoid any future trouble.”

“Kill them all? That doesn’t seem right.” Yu Hangong frowned slightly. “We have no grudge against them. Is it necessary to kill so many?”

“Second Brother, your temperament is simply not ruthless enough. Since we have chosen to act, we must cut the weeds and dig up the roots! Otherwise, there will be endless trouble.”

A glint of greed appeared in Liu Ban’er’s eyes. “Yao Ling has already said that once we obtain the recipe and kill Luo Yu, Cangqi City will be ours. We will never have to rot in those mountain gullies as bandits again.”

“But there are still so many civilians…”

“Enough, no more ‘buts’!” Liu Ban’er cut off coldly. “I am the Big Brother, and what I say goes.

“Move out!”

A dozen sturdy bandits poured out of the ranks and snuck to the foot of the stockade wall without drawing the attention of the guards.

They threw up several grappling hooks that bit firmly into the wall. With a bit of coordination, stepping on each other’s backs, they vaulted over the wall with fluid, practiced ease. Once inside, they opened the stockade gate from within.

“Haha, let’s go! Wealth and glory are within our grasp!”

The pitch-black gate tunnel excited Liu Ban’er immensely. The bandits filed through the gate. Once they crossed the wall, they realized that the Sanqi Mountains had changed drastically. At the foot of the distant mountain, faint lights flickered, and rows of wooden houses were arranged neatly. They looked like both civilian dwellings and soldiers’ barracks.

“Damn it, how did it become like this? They are truly capable of causing a stir.” Liu Ban’er cursed, his brow furrowing. “Where is the wine? The secret recipe must be kept with the wine, right? If all else fails, tear the entire camp apart!”

“Big Brother, don’t you feel like something is amiss?” Yu Hangong scanned his surroundings with a grim face. “We entered far too easily. Even if they sent the majority of their men to escort the wine, they shouldn’t be completely devoid of guards.”

Indeed, they hadn’t encountered a single person since they entered. The two-hundred-plus bandits were gathered in the center of the camp as if they were walking in broad daylight.

“It’s fine. Perhaps they are already asleep. So-called elites pulled back from the border? In my eyes, they are nothing but a mob,” Liu Ban’er mocked. “Even if there are people, at most there are a hundred or so old soldiers. What is there to fear? Our current task is to find the wine recipe. If we can’t find it, we’ll just round up all the civilians and torture them one by one. Someone is bound to know!”

The night wind picked up, and suddenly, a scent of wine drifted into Liu Ban’er’s nose. His eyes widened instantly! Sanguotou! The secret recipe must be kept with the Sanguotou.

“Over there!”

Liu Ban’er turned toward the direction of the fragrance. There stood a few lonely military tents. Light flickered inside, and shadows seemed to be moving.

He signaled, and the bandits crept toward them. Four or five of the bolder ones reached out to lift the heavy cloth curtains.

The moment the curtains were lifted, the bandits stood still as if struck by lightning. They froze, not daring to move an inch.

“Damn it, a bunch of trash! What are you standing there for!” Liu Ban’er could no longer contain his temper. “What the hell!”

The next moment, he realized something was wrong. The bandits were backing away step by step, and several long spears with cold, gleaming tips were pressed against their throats. A single thrust would end their lives.

“Kill! Surround these bandits! Not one of them is allowed to escape!”

As Liu Ban’er was stunned, lights flared up all around, and shouts erupted. Countless soldiers poured out from the seemingly empty city, and bows and crossbows were mounted on the walls, arrows ready to fly.

“It’s a trap!” Yu Hangong’s heart sank, and he roared, “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 from above. “Sneaking into Cangqi City in the dead of night—what is your intention?”

“How could this be?” Liu Ban’er was starting to panic. It was clear that Luo Yu had set an ambush waiting for him, but how could Luo Yu have known their deployment?

Luo Yu said coldly, “A mere pack of mountain bandits dares to plot against Cangqi City? You truly have grown tired of living. Lay down your weapons now, and I might spare your lives!”

“Damn it, City Lord Luo, you are celebrating too early! You only have a hundred men under your command. I am not afraid of you!” Liu Ban’er roared. “Brothers, kill them all! I’ll reward five taels of silver for every head you cut off!”

Hearing the promise of a heavy reward, the bandits gritted their teeth and swarmed forward, clashing with the garrison of Cangqi. Despite the bandits’ numerical advantage, they were no match for soldiers who had been training for months. They were beaten back, step by step.

“Hangong, what do we do?” Liu Ban’er asked in terror. “Should we retreat?”

“Thinking of running when death is at your doorstep?”

Luo Yu shook his head slightly and waved his hand. Two hundred more battle-hardened soldiers charged into the fray, and Han Shuo’s roar echoed across the field.

“Kill them all!

“Not a single one is allowed to escape!”

These were clearly the very troops who had just left to deliver the wine!

Liu Ban’er was completely dumbfounded. A wave of despair welled up from the bottom of his heart.

“How is this possible!”

Translator’s Note: Luo Yu really played them like a fiddle! Watching Liu Ban’er go from arrogant to absolutely terrified in the span of a few paragraphs was pure gold. I love that he didn’t just outsmart them; he completely dismantled their confidence by bringing the “escort” troops right back into the fight.

Drop a comment — did you expect the “escort” troops to circle back so quickly, or did you think Luo Yu was going to fight them with just the hundred men left behind?

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