Shi Baizhang pondered for a while and suddenly remembered something a master had mentioned: internal energy experts possessed vigorous vitality and blood, and needed large quantities of medicinal herbs every day to replenish their expenditure.
Ordinary food alone could not sustain them. Eating nothing but normal food would cause their cultivation to stagnate or even regress, while their internal energy gradually weakened.
War was a battle of money and provisions.
Ever since he had raised his own force, Shi Baizhang had found those words more accurate than ever.
No matter how formidable an army was, it would swiftly collapse without money and supplies.
Internal energy experts were simply stronger armies. Their money and provisions were medicinal herbs.
As long as he found a way to burn the medicinal herbs stored in the manor, those internal energy experts would scatter.
They valued their cultivation above all else.
With that thought, an idea formed in his mind.
At night, a large courtyard at the center of the manor was brightly lit, filled with clinking cups and lively drinking.
This was where Manor Lord Lu Rupei resided.
He was currently discussing how to repel the Bandit Army with four other internal energy experts.
Lu Rupei said confidently, "The enemy will soon run out of food. If we hold out for another two days, the Bandit Army will collapse without a fight."
The other four burst into laughter.
"If they weren't so numerous and impossible to finish off—kill one wave, and another comes from all directions—I would have slaughtered them into collapse long ago."
"These lowly peasants should have obediently starved to death at home. Instead, they dared to rebel. Did they really think coming out meant they would not die?"
"This drought has lasted for years, but we did not cause it.