https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-348-Directly-Targeting-Ding-Yuan/13031252/
Chapter 349: The Battle Commences
Chapter 349: The Battle Commences
25th September 2017
Qiangyin County, Shi Clan.
The massacre unfolded swiftly, and within less than an hour, several hundred members of the Shi family, from top to bottom, were slaughtered without mercy.
The Phantom Guards fulfilled Ma Pian's command to the letter, leaving no living creature, not even a mouse or a cockroach, alive in the Shi family's residence after their departure.
Ma Pian's actions today were not only to rescue Uncle Zhang but also because, before the war began, Lu Haikong had instructed Ma Pian to act as he saw fit.
Lu Haikong's order was akin to releasing the reins on the Phantom Guards, unleashing a formidable beast. Naturally, their actions were now far more extensive than before.
The following day, when news of the Shi family's annihilation spread, the aristocratic families who had been plotting in the shadows suddenly became docile.
Everyone knew why the Shi family had been exterminated.
What astonished them was the strength and responsiveness of the Mountain Bandit's forces. The Shi family had just hanged Uncle Zhang in the morning, and by evening, they were completely wiped out.
With such power at their disposal, it seemed unlikely that the Mountain Bandit's stronghold would be easily eradicated. Even if their main forces were defeated, as long as this formidable force remained, they would still be a terrifying presence.
The Phantom Guards' intervention this time served as a deterrent, but with the enemy army already at their doorstep, its impact was now minimal.
The Phantom Guards' mission was not only to rescue Uncle Zhang but also to evacuate a portion of the Qiangyin personnel.
Qiangyin and Dingxiang were the two places where Lu Haikong had been conducting business the longest, and most of his people had already begun operating openly.
In Qiangyin and Dingxiang, there were even shops run by the Mountain Bandits, and many locals were not intelligence agents but business professionals engaged in trade, a rare talent for the Mountain Bandit's cause.
This group had been cultivated for over half a year, and now that war had broken out, it was only natural to evacuate them.
Currently, most of the people from Dingxiang had been recalled to the Mountain Bandit's stronghold, and the work in Qiangyin was also halfway done. However, without the cooperation of the Phantom Guards, it was challenging to proceed, so now was the perfect time for a large-scale evacuation.
This included the severely injured Zhang Shu, the captured Uncle Zhang, and the three young apprentices by his side.
The Phantom Guards' actions were not insignificant, but with the Shi family's annihilation serving as a deterrent, no one dared to hinder their movements at this point.
Back at the Mountain Bandit's stronghold, Lu Haikong had been busy and in a foul mood lately, despite opening numerous treasure chests.
After all, who wouldn't feel down when suddenly surrounded and hunted?
Lu Haikong couldn't understand why he was being targeted. He had been peacefully conducting business; why did he keep attracting trouble?
Alright, perhaps he had been a bit too flashy as a mountain bandit, but come on, if he wanted to make money, he had to be a bit flashy, right? There were so many mouths to feed in the stronghold.
To be honest, Lu Haikong still didn't want to fight at this point. It didn't seem very enjoyable.
The Mountain Bandit's stronghold was in a developmental stage, and a battle at this time would be detrimental to their growth. So, despite the slim chances, Lu Haikong, holding two thousand captives from the enemy forces, sent envoys to negotiate with the Imperial Court or the Zhang family.
Lu Haikong's demands were simple: he could release the captives and accept pacification, seeking autonomy for the Mountain Bandit's stronghold.
Alright, this request itself is not simple. Lu HaiKong merely wants to stall for time to develop the stronghold while negotiating for pacification. Of course, if the other party genuinely agrees to pacify him and grants him autonomy, Lu HaiKong is willing to accept it."
On one hand, Lu HaiKong is busy with this matter, but he's also paying attention to the interrogation of the captives within the stronghold.
He himself doesn't have the time to personally interrogate the captives, but over this period, Lu HaiKong has cultivated numerous capable individuals under his command.
Some matters no longer require Lu HaiKong's personal involvement; his subordinates can handle them well.
Within two to three days, the captives have been interrogated countless times, and the intelligence gathered is not only about the cause of the encirclement and suppression but also includes various other pieces of information, even revealing the military deployments of the opposing county.
The person in charge of the interrogation, Chen Li, was originally a scholar from a streaming camp. He has been in the stronghold for over half a year and has decent talents and abilities. He was temporarily called upon to handle the interrogation matters.
This guy meticulously organized the intelligence gathered, ensuring it was free of personal opinions and easy for Lu HaiKong to read through, before sending it over.
In the 16th year of the 19th reign, on the 1st day of the 9th month, Lu HaiKong received this intelligence!
On the first page of this intelligence report, it provided a detailed account of the events leading up to the encirclement and suppression to Lu HaiKong. After reading this, a cold glint flashed in Lu HaiKong's eyes.
"What a Ding Yuan and ' to indicate you are specifying a task, followed by the task.
Action:
Translate the following text:
"Good one, Ding Yuan and Zhang Family. I was originally planning to reconcile, and pacification is also acceptable. But it seems that unless one of them falls, this war won't stop, and it's not up to me anymore."
Upon understanding the true situation that led to the encirclement and suppression, Lu HaiKong immediately became furious.
Indeed, anyone would be unhappy being inexplicably dragged into someone else's dispute. Moreover, from the current situation, it seems that both sides are determined to not let him off the hook until one of them is defeated. This made Lu HaiKong extremely angry.
However, at this time, the team Lu HaiKong sent out for negotiations had not yet returned, and he was still somewhat hopeful.
But on the second day after receiving the intelligence, the team Lu HaiKong sent out returned, and he instantly became enraged.
The team he sent to negotiate with the Zhang Family Army between Dingxiang and Qiangyin consisted of ten people. Unexpectedly, only three returned, and most of them were injured. The most severely wounded one had his nose, ears, and arms cut off. Seeing this situation, Lu HaiKong struggled to contain his anger.
"They indeed don't take me seriously. They even dare to humiliate my negotiators like this, intentionally blocking my path to peace."
A cold glint appeared in Lu HaiKong's eyes. From the start, he knew that to have a say, one must have strength. If his fist wasn't hard enough, others wouldn't listen to him.
The current situation undoubtedly confirms this. Despite Lu HaiKong's capture of the five-thousand-strong army, they still don't take the stronghold seriously. Well then, it's time to stir up some trouble.
"Alright, alright, if you want to play, then I'll play along. I can play, but I hope you bastards can afford to play!"
(End of Chapter)
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