Chapter 120: Vulnerable

Li Yun was naturally unaware that Cui Shao was looking for him; he was busy managing Tianmu Mountain.

The main stronghold of Tianmu Mountain was not exactly small, but cramming over a hundred people into it made it feel somewhat crowded. While housing everyone was easy enough, the priority was to retrofit the mountain's defensive fortifications. Previously, Li Yun had entered Tianmu Mountain with almost no resistance. Although his group was numerous and powerful, if the mountain had kept a few men stationed at key passes, they could have caused Li Yun and his followers quite a bit of trouble. The Chief of the Stronghold, Li, took a dozen or so men to scout the entire trail, identified several strategic chokepoints, and began establishing defensive positions to station men there.

Once things were mostly settled, Li Yun selected two men from the group of captives he had brought from Yuezhu and led them to the gate of the Tianmu Mountain stronghold. Using his dagger, he sliced through the ropes binding them and said calmly, "You two know what sort of character Bai Qi was; I need not say more. At least three villages near Tianmu Mountain have been pillaged and burned by them. I have removed him, which can be considered an act of public service."

Li Yun looked at the two men and continued, "When you return, report the events at Tianmu Mountain truthfully. If Yuezhu intends to send troops to retaliate because of Bai Qi, then… I will be waiting for you right here on Tianmu Mountain."

With that, Li Yun waved his hand, dismissing them down the mountain. The two men, already terrified nearly to death over the past few days, hurriedly bowed with trembling heads and scurried away as fast as they could.

Li Zheng, standing beside Li Yun, asked with a grin, "Second Brother, do you think that so-called Prince of Yue will come to fight us?"

"I don't know," Li replied coolly. "They have spread themselves too thin. It is impossible for Qiu Dian to oversee everything personally; it is hard to say if this matter will even reach his ears. However… the force was raised by him. Regardless of whether he is informed, the actions of the entire Yuezhu army will ultimately be laid at his feet. If these rebel forces of Yuezhu really do send troops to attack Tianmu Mountain because of a beast like Bai Qi…" Li Yun sneered, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Beside him, Li Zheng clenched his fist and said, "If they come, we'll give them hell!"

"Skinny," Li Yun called out suddenly. Li Zheng immediately responded, "I'm here, Second Brother. What is it?"

"Take a few men later, bind up Bai Qi and those other surviving leaders of Tianmu Mountain, and send them down to Xia'ao."

Li Zheng nodded with a grin. "Good, I like this task. I'll go make the arrangements now."

Li Yun gave a soft grunt and said, "Stay in Xia'ao for a few days. Don't let those fellows die too easily."

"Don't worry, Second Brother, I understand!"

...

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Li Yun and his men had established a firm footing on Tianmu Mountain. Some members of the Bandit Suppression Squad no longer wished to leave, intending to settle down and start new lives there. It was right at this time that a force of over three hundred men arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The leader of this force was a man in his thirties with a thin, mouse-like mustache. Sitting on horseback, he looked up at the mountain directly in front of him and pointed, asking, "Is this the place?"

The guide was one of the two men Li Yun had released. He was currently leading the man's horse and replied with a submissive bow, "Yes, Master He, this is the place."

The man addressed as Master He was none other than He Gang, the brother-in-law of Qiu Dian. When Qiu Dian first rebelled, the He family—as in-laws—had been scared out of their wits, fearing the execution of their entire clan. However, as Qiu Dian’s influence grew, the He family actively sought to join him. He Gang, in particular, now helped Qiu Dian manage various chores in Yuezhu; though he held no formal title, his power was substantial. Of the ten young women Bai Qi had sent to Qiu Dian, Qiu only saw two; the remaining eight were all taken into He Gang’s household. It was precisely because of this that the news of Bai Qi being captured by Tianmu Mountain had enraged He Gang. He had personally led a force of three hundred men hundreds of miles from Yuezhu to "suppress the rebellion."

Qiu Dian, worried by his lack of trusted officers to command troops, did not refuse when he heard He Gang wanted to go on a campaign. He granted him three hundred men to let him gain some experience. After all, as his territory expanded, he would be short-handed in many places; if He Gang could become a competent commander, he could handle many tasks for him.

He Gang looked up at the mountain and asked, "You said last time, how many people are on the mountain?"

"Master He, I don't know the exact number. When the fighting started that day, I only saw a few dozen men. We were captured in the confusion, and they wouldn't say who they were. But according to what Bai Qi said before, the bandits of Tianmu Mountain should number about sixty."

"If it was the mountain bandits who turned against us and captured Bai Qi, there should only be fifty or sixty of them."

"Fifty or sixty." He Gang looked back at the hundreds of men behind him, a brazen smile appearing on his face. "In that case, there is no need to think of any elaborate tactics. We have superior numbers."

He Gang waved his hand and shouted, "Charge up the mountain! Let these blind bandits see the might of our Great Yue!"

The three hundred men let out a roar and began a chaotic, sprawling charge up the mountain. They lacked formation and rhythm, the entire troop moving in a disorderly mess. By the time they reached the mountainside, before they could even see what the stronghold looked like, several "whoosh" sounds echoed, and over a dozen men in the front fell!

Crossbow bolts!

Some were struck in vital spots and collapsed instantly, while others were pinned to the ground, howling in agony!

"Crossbowmen, fall back and reload! Archers, fire!" A loud shout rang out from the mountainside, followed by a scattered volley of arrows. Although the number was small, they were firing from a high vantage point, making their strikes more direct and forceful, causing several more men to fall.

He Gang, standing in the middle of the formation, swallowed hard, feeling a surge of fear. He had never been on a battlefield and had rarely seen death. Seeing over a dozen men fall, he waved his hand and shouted, "Charge! Keep charging!"

However, few listened to him. This hastily assembled force had no discipline to speak of. Seeing those in front fall and hearing cries of "Crossbows!" echoing in terror, who would dare to advance? Everyone shrank back.

At this moment, Li Yun took the initiative and charged out with two or three dozen of his elite men! The mountain path was narrow, and having too many men was useless. In fact, if the original Tianmu Mountain bandits had possessed twenty crossbows and a bit more awareness, it would not have been easy for Li Yun to take the mountain that day.

Li Yun and Zhang Hu led the charge. One wielded a long saber, the other a mace. In a single rush, they shattered the formation of the three hundred men! Li Yun lunged into the crowd, grabbed He Gang by the collar, and smiled. "Are you He Gang?"

He Gang was not a tall man, and he was practically dangled in mid-air by Li Yun. He mustered his courage and gritted his teeth. "Since you know who I am, put me down!"

"So it really is He Gang." Li Yun laughed. "You are a treasure. Capturing you will bring me many rewards."

He Gang was terrified but still shouted, "Imperial lackey! You are an imperial lackey!"

Li Yun ignored him, tossed He Gang to Li Zheng, and signaled for the hundred-plus men in the stronghold to rush out. Within just one hour, the three hundred men were completely routed and disappeared without a trace. They either fled back to Yuezhu or returned to their homes; there was nowhere else for them to go. To put it bluntly, these Yuezhu forces were still at the stage of an unorganized, undisciplined peasant army, and their combat effectiveness was truly dismal. Even if they had been the ones defending the mountain, it wouldn't have been difficult for Li Yun to take it.

As the swift and decisive battle drew to a close, Li Yun cheerfully brought He Gang back to the stronghold. Just as Li was finishing his meal and preparing to interrogate He Gang, a team of government troops on horseback entered Xia'ao village. The leader of the team was a man with a thick beard. Upon seeing Chen Da guarding the village, he leapt off his horse and shouted, "Is this the Xuanzhou Bandit Suppression Squad?"

Chen Da stepped forward and clasped his hands in salute. "This is the Xuanzhou Bandit Suppression Squad. And you are?"

The bearded man was furious. "If you are the Xuanzhou Bandit Suppression Squad, why are you at Tianmu Mountain? Is Tianmu Mountain in Xuanzhou territory? Is it?!"

"Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for you?"

Chen Da scratched his head. "We go wherever there are bandits."

"Where is Commander Li?"

Chen Da replied, "On the mountain."

After confirming Chen Da's identity, the bearded man handed over a document. "A decree from Prefect Cui, for Commander Li! Also, Prefect Cui wants to see Commander Li; tell him to rush back to Xuanzhou immediately!"