Bandit Suppression

Fang Ming raised his head. The trees were dense overhead, and now and then white flecks of light filtered down through the canopy, bringing a little brightness to the dim forest. It was already the second day. Fang Ming had set out early in the morning, ordering He Dong and Zheng Kuan to remain behind while he led all his troops into Green Mountain to suppress the bandits.

Although Xie Jin's informant would send word in a few more days, by then Peng Chun would surely be leading his main force out of the mountains to wreak havoc. Fang Ming did not want any mishap to draw the county or prefectural authorities' attention. This matter should be resolved sooner rather than later.

Looking behind him, he saw Xie Jin and Wang Liulang following closely, with another thirty soldiers behind them. Restrained by their squad leaders, the party moved in utter silence.

If this had been a mortal army, marching through the forest would have brought troublesome difficulties in logistics, disease, terrain, and more—problems hard to overcome, which was why mountain bandits were so difficult to eradicate. Fortunately, the soldiers and officers were all yin souls. Crossing mountains and ridges was as easy as walking on level ground for them, and Fang Ming could replenish their expenditure at any time. Thus, they endured well and marched swiftly, plunging deep into Green Mountain before long.

Fang Ming looked around and found the scenery quite pleasant. The stream ran so clear that its bottom could be seen, while the occasional small animal darted past, sweeping up a blur of gray. Deep mountains in this world were filled with wild ghosts, and hunters rarely ventured inside. Thus, the animals thrived and the grasses grew lush.

Turning around, he asked Xie Jin, "Take a look. Are we heading in the right direction? This march must succeed in one stroke!" Xie Jin answered solemnly, floated upward to the treetops, and inspected the area carefully. After descending, he reported, "My lord, I was once a hunter in life and am familiar with these mountains. The general direction here matches the information we received last time. So long as Peng Chun has not made a major relocation, there can be no mistake."

Fang Ming nodded and ordered them onward. He had kept the Qi-Reading Divine Art active the whole way, while also expending Divine Power to conceal everyone, lest other yin souls discover them and leak the news. The journey had begun to wear him down.

Fortunately, Xie Jin's information had been correct. After crossing several more peaks, Fang Ming found something.

In a large mountain hollow, gray-black qi coiled through the air. The black mist gathered without dispersing, and faint bloody light shot toward the heavens. Now that he had a clearer picture, he said, "Xie Jin, Wang Liulang, the enemy is in the mountain hollow ahead. Come with me and investigate. The rest of you, rest where you are and remain concealed."

The three advanced into the hollow and immediately felt yin qi washing over them. Though Wang Liulang and Xie Jin were Yin Soldiers, they still retained some traits of yin souls, and their spirits instantly lifted. Fang Ming gave a soft laugh. "It seems Peng Chun has found himself a fine place! Follow me inside, and remember—not a sound."

The Divine Power Invisibility Technique was merely a minor art, one Fang Ming had worked out himself, and it had flaws. It worked best when the body remained still and made no noise. Otherwise, they might be discovered. It could only serve for initial scouting and concealment; once two armies clashed and military qi and Sha Qi collided, it would be useless. As the group went deeper into the hollow, they found a rift valley. Going farther in, they saw a barren clearing where not even a blade of grass grew. The place was strange, overflowing with yin qi, and ghosts naturally loved it. In the clearing at its center was a huge mass of ghosts, a sea of gray numbering roughly a thousand. Men, women, young, and old were all there, sitting or standing amid a clamorous din. Strong men patrolled around the perimeter, their leaders carrying weapons and their eyes glinting with ferocity. Whenever a ghost tried to flee, it was seized and beaten savagely. The less fortunate ones were stabbed outright, scattering into gray qi as body and spirit alike were extinguished.

Fang Ming focused his gaze and saw an open space in the very center of the crowd, like an island in the middle of a lake. More than fifty burly men had gathered there, black smoke billowing around them. Several dried corpses lay on the ground, dressed as hunters. They appeared to be unlucky hunters from another village.

At their head stood a large man in black. He was tall and powerfully built, with a straight nose and square mouth, his chest bared. The qi of his true fate above his head was black tinged with red. Fang Ming knew at once that this man had to be Peng Chun. He quietly instructed Wang Liulang and Xie Jin to memorize his appearance, and only after both had finished observing did the group withdraw.

Back at their encampment, Fang Ming asked, "What do you think? Having seen their camp, do you have confidence now?"

Xie Jin and Wang Liulang exchanged a glance, both somewhat hesitant. In the end, Wang Liulang gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and knelt. "My lord, Peng Chun's forces are positioned in the middle of the wandering souls. We will be discovered no matter which direction we approach from. If they drive these wandering souls to surround us, we will be in great trouble!"

Fang Ming nodded, his expression calm. "Then what do you think we should do?"

Wang Liulang's face tightened as he said in a deep voice, "This subordinate suggests we secretly deal with a patrol squad first, then seize the chance to charge out and drive the wandering souls into attacking Peng Chun's men. That will surely wear down their strength greatly. With the wandering souls covering us, we can then charge in and claim a great victory!"

Fang Ming sneered. "So you are advising me to imitate Peng Chun's methods? Then what difference would there be between me and that Vengeful Ghost?"

Cold sweat poured down Wang Liulang's face as he repeatedly kowtowed. Yet he still said, "My lord has entered danger without regard for his own safety, all for the people of Anchang County. Peng Chun, meanwhile, is a bandit who gathers fiends and seeks to bring disaster upon the region. How can the two be mentioned in the same breath? My lord must never say such a thing."

Fang Ming nodded, and his expression improved considerably, but he still said, "Alas, how can I bear to act in such a manner?"

At that moment, Xie Jin saluted and said, "My lord, we can also charge directly in without driving the wandering souls. But if we do so, I fear our strength may prove insufficient. Should Peng Chun escape, the harm he causes will be even greater. My lord must consider this. So long as we kill Peng Chun, we can soothe these wandering souls and settle them properly. Otherwise, Peng Chun will eventually drive them to attack villages anyway, and their fate will be even more miserable!"

"Alas!" Fang Ming let out a long sigh. "Then handle it as you see fit."

He looked up at the sky again. "Rest another two hours. When noon arrives, we move!" Ghosts in this world preferred shade and coolness, often hiding by day and emerging at night. At noon, when yang qi was at its strongest, ghosts were at their most sluggish. It could be called the perfect opportunity.

"My lord, the time has come." Two hours later, Wang Liulang reported in a low voice.

"Good. Move out. The whole army is to proceed carefully and make no sound!" Fang Ming gave the order, and the thirty-odd men gradually approached the rift valley beneath the cover of Divine Power.

After observing carefully for a while, Fang Ming ordered Xie Jin to make the first move. Xie Jin obeyed, leading several brothers forward with knives clenched between their teeth. They silently crept up behind the patrol. Then they struck without warning—one hand clamped over a mouth, while the other drove a blade in, piercing straight through the chest. The patrolman instantly became gray qi and ceased to exist.

Fang Ming's face twitched. Xie Jin's men looked as though they had long been accustomed to this line of work. It seemed they had not done little of this sort of business while alive.

Using the clamor of the thousand-odd wandering souls as cover, Xie Jin's group smoothly dealt with five burly patrolmen and opened a breach. Seeing that the moment had arrived, Fang Ming gave the order. "Kill! Charge in! Drive the wandering souls and attack the center!"

More than thirty soldiers answered like rolling thunder and shouted in unison, "Kill!"

The entire wandering-soul camp fell silent at once. More than thirty armored soldiers had formed a torrent and charged forward in a murderous rush.

Whenever a wandering soul blocked their path, a single slash turned it into gray smoke. The entire camp was thrown into panic. The uproar soared into the sky—howls, cries, curses, and pleas for mercy mingled into one. Knowing his lord's intentions, Xie Jin shouted, "Drive them forward! Rush them toward the center!" He changed from cutting to striking, herding the wandering souls toward the middle.

Almost the instant the battle cries rang out, Peng Chun noticed. Watching the wandering souls being driven toward him in a surging tide, he could not help cursing, "Bastards!" He could still have retreated then. But he was a fierce bandit, and being driven away before even seeing the enemy was more than he could bear. Besides, without these wandering souls, even if he defeated the enemy afterward, how many could he gather back? What would become of the leader's grand undertaking?

That moment of hesitation was enough for the wandering souls to flood in. His men were dragged into the chaos and could no longer extricate themselves. Peng Chun flew into a rage, drew his blade, and cut down the wandering souls charging at him. He roared, "Brothers, gather around me!"

His trusted men immediately fought their way to his side to protect him. Only then did Peng Chun have time to survey the battlefield. Everything was chaos. The wandering souls had completely broken camp, trampling one another, while a large mass of them was being driven toward him by a force of armored soldiers. They would arrive in the blink of an eye. Peng Chun's heart sank. He knew he could no longer count on the brothers outside. Throwing back his head, he let out a long furious howl. "Brothers in the center, follow me and kill the enemy! Fight them to the death!"

He leaped forward, his momentum imposing. Threads of Yin Power seeped from his body and formed armor around him, protecting him from head to toe. Wherever his long blade pointed, no one could stand against it. He carved out an open space and gathered more than a dozen bandits, preparing for a decisive battle.

Xie Jin led his team into the center, and the two sides began slaughtering each other. Fang Ming fixed his gaze on the fight and saw that his soldiers mostly used military techniques. Their moves were broad and forceful, highly practical, and after trading several blows with their opponents, they often exchanged wound for wound, relying on their leather armor to protect them as they killed their enemies.

Xie Jin also understood military tactics. He avoided the enemy's sharp edge and split off men to entangle Peng Chun in a mobile fight. He himself focused on smaller groups of enemies, dividing and surrounding them before defeating them one by one. Many bandits were hacked into pieces beneath a storm of blades. It was a gruesome sight.

Yet Xie Jin had still underestimated the fierce might of a Vengeful Ghost. Peng Chun suddenly gave a thunderous roar, black light flaring from his long blade. He forcibly cleaved through leather armor, killed three soldiers in succession, broke through the encirclement, and lunged at Xie Jin. Xie Jin did not fear him, and the two immediately clashed.

Fang Ming followed behind the armored soldiers, with Wang Liulang guarding his side. He did not intend to intervene. He knew that although his men had armor and blades and had received military training, their training time had been too short and they lacked combat experience. This was the perfect time to make up for it. Later, they could serve as seeds, using them as the framework to expand the army.

In truth, Fang Ming had not wanted to lead the troops personally this time. Unfortunately, he did not know Peng Chun's exact location and needed to inspect it himself. Besides, the army had only recently been formed, and nearly half its ranks had joined just yesterday. Wang Liulang likely could not keep them under control.

These were the vast majority of his subordinates. If he entered the mountains alone and something went wrong—if his authority were seized or they simply rebelled outright—Fang Ming would have nowhere to cry. Though he had left behind a hidden measure that could make the Yin Soldiers and yin generals vanish into ashes, the power lost in the end would still be his own. Why would he need to do that?

For now, he was only guarding against the unexpected, keeping his eyes on Peng Chun and the dozen-odd vicious bandits with weapons. He left everything else to Wang Liulang and Xie Jin to handle as they pleased.

At that moment, Wang Liulang stepped forward and asked, "My lord?"

Fang Ming merely nodded.

Wang Liulang immediately shouted, "Use the bows!"

Several armored soldiers nearby took the bows and arrows from their backs, drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and fired with a whoosh. The bandits around Peng Chun were struck one after another. Unlike Peng Chun, they had no armor protecting their bodies, and they were immediately slain, turning into black smoke. The pressure on Xie Jin greatly eased.

Xie Jin's martial skill surpassed Peng Chun's, but his strength was inferior, and he had no armor. He did not dare clash head-on with Peng Chun, instead using nimble techniques to keep him entangled. Now that Peng Chun's men had been killed, Xie Jin's subordinates were immediately freed up. They formed a small triangular formation and charged in. Three blades struck at the same instant, as though masters had unleashed three slashes in a single instant. This was genuine military formation skill. It seemed Xie Jin had received some true instruction.

Peng Chun swung his blade and blocked two of the strikes, but he failed to stop the third. It cut into the gap in the armor at his waist. His face immediately flushed red, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood flew into the air, then turned into thick black qi that gathered without dispersing. His protective armor rippled chaotically, faintly showing signs of collapse.

Seeing the opening, Xie Jin lunged again. His long blade flashed past, and Peng Chun's head flew from his shoulders. It fell to the ground, still struggling as he said, "...What a fast blade!" His eyes closed, and his head gradually turned into black smoke.

P.S. I made my own cover. The recommendations went up today—thank you, everyone!