BSI Chapter 136 Training on the Road
Chapter 136 Training on the Road
Holding the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, Zhao Zilong stood in mid-air, his gaze sweeping across the mountain walls on both sides like lightning: "Stubborn and unyielding."
He thrust out with his spear.
There were no fancy moves, just a simple stab.
But wherever the spear tip passed, the air was torn apart, and a spear aura a hundred feet long swept out!
"Boom—!!!"
On the left side of the mountain wall, dozens of bandits were crushed into a bloody mist by the force of the spears before they could even scream.
The logs and oil barrels exploded in mid-air, catching the bandits off guard and setting them on fire.
"Heavens... Celestials?!" Black Wind's legs went weak.
Wasn't it said that the commander of this army was a spoiled brat and that his guards were weak?!
That's a Celestial Realm cultivator! There are hardly any Celestial Realm cultivators in the entire Northern Territory!
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Black Wind Demon turned and ran.
But after running only three steps, he crashed into an invisible barrier.
Li Chunfeng had somehow appeared in mid-air, waving battle flags in his hands:
"Come and go as you please? Do you think this is your backyard?"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless runes lit up on both sides of the canyon, and a trapping formation instantly took shape, trapping all the bandits inside.
The Eight Vajras had already led the Tiger Warriors up the mountain wall.
Although these bandits were well-equipped, they were no match for the Tiger Warriors, who were at least sixth-rank soldiers and well-trained.
Especially the Eight Vajras, whose eight long spears moved as if they were in an empty field, leaving corpses strewn everywhere they went.
The five hundred Great Snow Dragon Riders didn't even make a move; they just watched indifferently.
The battle started quickly and ended even faster.
In less than a quarter of an hour, more than half of the eight hundred bandits were killed or wounded, and the rest knelt down and surrendered.
Black Wind Demon's Achilles tendon was severed by Wang Meng's spear, and he was dragged like a dead dog to the front of the carriage.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Lin Chen peeked out sleepily: "Finished fighting?"
"My lord, the bandit leader has been captured, more than 400 enemies have been killed, and 300 have been taken prisoner," Zhao Zilong reported.
Lin Chen glanced at the blood-covered, trembling Black Wind Demon and frowned:
"Get yourself clean before you speak, you're filthy."
Wang Meng picked up the Black Wind Demon, walked to a nearby stream, rinsed it in, and then brought it back.
Black Wind Demon choked on some water, coughing as he knelt on the ground:
"Spare me...spare my life...I'm willing to surrender..."
"Who sent you?" Lin Chen asked lazily.
"It's...it's Tuoba Xiong, the deputy commander of the Iron Wolf Guard of Beishuo." Hei Feng Sha dared not conceal the truth.
"He gave me 50,000 taels of silver to set up an ambush in Black Wind Gorge and delay... delay the army's journey."
Where is Tuoba Xiong now?
"I don't know... He's always on the move, and it's always him who comes looking for me..." Black Wind Demon said with a mournful face.
"My lord, I was just confused for a moment, please..."
Lin Chen waved his hand: "Take them away and extract all the intelligence. Oh, and ask about the exact location of the three thousand Iron Wolf Guards."
"yes!"
After Hei Feng Sha was dragged away, Lin Chen looked at Zhuge Liang:
"Mr. Kongming, what do you think?"
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan: "My lord, the fact that the deputy commander of the Iron Wolf Guard personally bribed the mountain bandits indicates that this surprise force has indeed arrived nearby."
Liang suggested sending the Great Snow Dragon Riders to search separately; with their strength, annihilating the three thousand Iron Wolf Guards would not be difficult.
"Okay." Lin Chen nodded. "Zilong, you take three hundred Great Snow Dragon Riders with you."
Remember, don't make a big fuss, just deal with it quietly.
Zhao Zilong clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This humble general obeys the order!"
"Also," Lin Chen thought for a moment, "I think."
"Have Chen Ping's Listening Wind Tower cooperate to 'inadvertently' reveal the news of Bei Shuo's infiltration into Dayan territory to the garrison troops of the prefectures and counties along the way."
They might not be able to catch anyone, but at least they can raise their guard and make things more difficult for the Iron Wolf Guards.
"Our lord is wise."
The army rested briefly at Black Wind Gorge, cleared the battlefield, and buried the corpses.
Half an hour later, they continued north.
Inside the carriage, Lin Chen was forced by Qin Shuyan to examine the accounts of the various states in the northern border region.
"Eighth Brother, look here." Qin Shuyan pointed to a spot in the account book.
"Dingbei City's military expenditure last year was 30% higher than the year before, but the number of garrison troops did not increase. Where did the extra money go?"
Lin Chen glanced at it: "They were corrupt. The northern border is far from the emperor's reach; how many of those officials and generals aren't corrupt?"
"But this is too much." Qin Shuyan frowned.
"Thirty percent is 300,000 gold coins, enough to support 10,000 border troops for a year."
"That's why the Cui family can control everything in the Northern Territory." Lin Chen sneered.
"Bribing superiors and subordinates, sharing the spoils, everyone is tied to one boat; whoever dares to jump ship dies."
Xiao Yulou interjected, "Eighth Brother, now that we've reached the Northern Border, shouldn't we first establish military discipline?"
"No rush." Lin Chen shook his head. "We're new here and our foundation isn't solid yet. Taking action rashly could easily cause a backlash."
We need to find a breakthrough first, pull in some, then take out others, and proceed slowly.
Ye Qingying spoke:
"News has just come from Tingfeng Tower. At the Cui residence in Dingbei City, Cui Yuanhao personally came out to greet two people. Their cultivation is unfathomable, and they are suspected to be from Zhongzhou."
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "People from Zhongzhou have come again? It seems that the 'ancient relic' is very important to them."
"Sixth Sister-in-law, have the Bad Guys keep a close eye on these two people."
Find out their identities, cultivation levels, and purposes.
Additionally, try to obtain detailed information about the 'ancient relics'.
"We're already investigating," Ye Qingying nodded.
"However, the intelligence network in Zhongzhou has not been fully established yet, and it will take time."
"No rush." Lin Chen chuckled. "Let's take it slow and give them enough time to make our plans."
"We'll settle the score with them once we get to Dingbei City."
……
In the following days, the army continued its leisurely northward march.
Zhao Zilong led three hundred Snow Dragon Cavalry to slay bandits. Within three days, they destroyed three strongholds of the Iron Wolf Guard, killing over eight hundred enemies and capturing two hundred.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Tuoba Xiong led the remaining two thousand men and fled north in panic, retreating back into the territory of Beishuo.
When the counties and prefectures along the way learned that the elite troops from the Northern Shuo had infiltrated, they were frightened and strengthened their defenses, which unexpectedly led to the elimination of many mountain bandits and thieves.
Lin Chen's reputation as a "spoiled young master commander" spread far and wide.
Some say he spent all his time with his wife in the carriage, making the march as slow as a snail's pace.
Some say he was a coward who was afraid of death and dared not show himself even when he encountered bandits.
Some people also said that the Tiger Legion soldiers were full of complaints and their morale was low.
These messages reached the northern border through various channels, reaching Cui Yuanhao's ears and also Wanyan Honglie.
On the thirteenth day, the army arrived at Qingshi Town, which was still two hundred li away from Luoyingjian.
As dusk approached, Lin Chen ordered the camp to be set up.
The town is small, with only a little over a thousand households.
The town mayor was a gaunt old man in his fifties. Hearing that the Duke of Zhenguo was leading his army through the area, he nervously brought several local gentry to pay his respects.
Inside the general's tent... uh, the carriage, Lin Chen received them.
"This humble subject pays respects to Your Excellency!" The town mayor knelt and kowtowed.
"Get up." Lin Chen leaned back on the soft couch.
Qin Shuyan brewed tea nearby, while Xiao Yulou and Ye Qingying, one polishing her sword and the other reading intelligence, created a harmonious scene.
"Mayor, there's no need for such formalities. We're just passing through and will stay for one night before leaving."
The town mayor stood up and said cautiously:
"Lord Duke, the town is simple and there's nothing much to offer in terms of hospitality."
Several clean courtyards have been prepared for the Duke and his wife to rest in…
"No need," Lin Chen waved his hand.
"We can stay at the military camp. Has anything unusual happened in town lately?"
"Something unusual?" the mayor thought for a moment.
"If there's anything unusual... a group of merchants, about twenty people, came today and stayed at the inn at the east end of town."
They spend lavishly, but they stay indoors all day, and no one knows what they do.