Chapter 41

"Ah! Lord, you are mighty!" Seeing the leader of the bandits killed, the morale of the foot soldiers of the Luo family instantly soared, while the morale of the bandits plummeted to the bottom. A few bandits, realizing the situation was hopeless, immediately turned and fled. When they ran up the small slope and were about to turn the corner, their feet suddenly lost their footing. With a loud "thud," these bandits fell into a pit, and cries of pain immediately echoed from below. "Ah! Ah!"

This pit had been dug a long time ago. When the bandits first walked over it, the pit was covered with several thick branches, then a dense layer of thatch, and finally a layer of mud and stones, so the bandits did not fall in. When the bandits charged towards the village, the old hunter, who was hiding nearby, quickly crawled out, dug up the cover of the pit, and then laid a thin layer of branches and soil on top. The pit was located at a bend, so the bandits, in the midst of the fight, did not notice it. When the bandits panicked and ran past again, they did not pay attention to their feet and ultimately fell into the pit.

As the bandits fell into the pit, six long-spear foot soldiers emerged from the woods, forming a line of three and quickly blocking the bandits' escape route.

"Ah!" Seeing the bandits who were trying to escape and the blocked escape routes, the bandits finally broke down. Some threw down their weapons and knelt to surrender, while others fled into the woods. The foot soldiers of the domain and the old hunter immediately surrounded and isolated the bandits, defeating them one by one. Zhengliang surveyed the battlefield and found that only three bandits were still standing and able to fight. The rest were either trapped in the pit, kneeling on the ground, or lying on the ground groaning. Zhengliang ordered Jin Tian Guangzong and Da Xi Guozhi to quickly clear the battlefield, while he returned to the training ground. At this time, due to excessive blood loss, Daishi Tarō had already fainted and did not see his father's death.

Soon, the battlefield was cleared, and the bandits who had fled into the woods and the three injured bandits who had stayed behind were captured and brought back. Da Xi Guozhi reported the final results to Zhengliang. A total of 18 bandits had invaded, of which 6 were killed (all due to fatal injuries from the pit, including their leader Daishi Noji), 5 were severely injured, 7 were lightly injured, and no bandits escaped. The domain's forces, consisting of 58 people (29 long-spear foot soldiers, 11 archer foot soldiers, 8 old hunters, and 10 patrol team members, excluding Zhengliang, Da Xi Guozhi, and Jin Tian Guangzong), had no casualties or severe injuries, with 10 lightly injured. They seized 11 swords, 7 long spears, and 7 crude armors. Adding the 4 swords, 6 long spears, and 2 crude armors seized the previous night, they had a total of 15 swords, 13 long spears, and 9 crude armors. They also seized 20 silver pieces and 3,700 copper coins.

"Guozhi, take off all the captives' outer clothes, have them washed clean by the stream, and then bring all the captives to the training ground. Time is tight, so go and arrange it immediately," Zhengliang instructed Da Xi Guozhi.

"Yes, my lord," Da Xi Guozhi bowed and immediately went to arrange it.

"Hiratsuka, comfort the other villagers who have gathered and are ready to leave. Arrange for some people to prepare lunch, and others to clear the traps on the path. Then gather everyone at the training ground," Zhengliang continued to arrange.

"Yes, my lord," after this great victory, Tōgō Hiratsuka was completely convinced. He bowed to Zhengliang and then quickly left.

"Guangzong, have the foot soldiers rest and regroup quickly. After lunch, gather at the training ground," Zhengliang said to Jin Tian Guangzong, who was still basking in the joy of victory and occasionally grinning foolishly.

"Hai! My lord," Jin Tian Guangzong even gave Zhengliang a military salute, imitating the patrol team.

"As for you," Zhengliang turned to look at Kōsuke, who had been carefully following him, with his hands tied and watched by two of Zhengliang's attendants, "your plan last night was good, although a bit too ruthless."

"All thanks to my lord and the bravery of the warriors," Kōsuke immediately knelt and bowed, his body trembling in fear, afraid that this "devil" would kill him at any moment.

"Then, according to last night's agreement, it's time to see your performance," seeing Kōsuke's appearance, Zhengliang found it amusing, realizing that he had left an indelible impression of terror in Kōsuke's mind.

"Yes, my lord, please watch my performance," Kōsuke immediately prostrated himself on the ground, speaking firmly. Jin Tian Guangzong and the two attendants immediately showed contempt. Zhengliang smiled inwardly. In fact, last night, Kōsuke had racked his brains to suggest several ways to attack the bandits and provided all relevant information about the bandits. Zhengliang felt that Kōsuke was not inherently evil and had repeatedly sworn that he had never personally killed a civilian (in reality, Kōsuke was a coward who would never go to the front lines if he could stay in the rear). The villagers also confirmed that no one had seen him personally follow the bandits to attack the village, so Zhengliang decided to give him a chance to atone. Of course, it was impossible for others to accept him in a short time, even if he had not participated in the attacks on the village. After all, he was still a bandit, and bandits must die, so the other villagers still hated him.

An hour later, Zhengliang stood on a high platform in the training ground, slowly surveying the crowd below.

Facing the platform, 29 long-spear foot soldiers and 11 archer foot soldiers, led by Jin Tian Guangzong and Da Xi Guozhi, stood in neat rows. Over 100 villagers, led by Tōgō Hiratsuka, stood quietly behind the foot soldiers. On the left side of the platform, parallel to Zhengliang, stood a row of wooden posts. Three bandit heads from the previous night were hung on one post, six bandit corpses were tied to six posts, five severely injured bandits were tied to five posts, and six bandits, with their mouths stuffed with rags and still struggling, were tied to six posts. These six bandits were identified by Kōsuke and the villagers as the most heinous or those who had attacked the village. The 18 patrol team members, led by Sōhachirō and Kishirō, stood 10 meters away from these posts, holding short bamboo spears. Between them and the bandits, seven more posts were set up, with seven bandits tied to them. Six of these bandits would become slaves of the domain, and the last one was Daishi Tarō, who was still unconscious. Kōsuke, who was kneeling towards the platform, had his hands untied, and even a samurai sword was placed on the ground beside him. This was both a sign of his submission to Zhengliang and a sign of his repentance to the villagers, as well as a test of his sincerity in surrendering.

"Everyone," Zhengliang shouted loudly to the crowd, "the bandits have repeatedly attacked our domain, killed our loved ones, leaving our wives without husbands, our children without fathers, our parents without children, and our sisters without brothers!"

"Today, our chance has come. The bandits have been severely weakened, and the mountain is now empty. I will follow the will of heaven and lead you to avenge our loved ones!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar! Avenge our loved ones! Avenge our loved ones!" The foot soldiers raised their weapons and roared. The crowd behind them, influenced by the atmosphere, also shouted loudly, and the emotions were running high.

Zhengliang raised his hands and pressed them down slightly, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

"First, we will use the blood of our enemies to honor our loved ones in heaven, may they rest in peace," Zhengliang slowly surveyed the crowd and then shouted, "Step forward."

"Swish" Several people stepped out from the foot soldiers and the patrol team.

"Prepare for execution," Zhengliang pointed to the left and continued to shout.

Several people, holding weapons, approached the six bandit corpses, five severely injured bandits, and six bandits with their mouths stuffed with rags. These people were mainly foot soldiers who had not seen blood in battle, some of whom had deep grudges against the bandits (such as Sōhachirō and Kishirō). One of them was particularly special: Kōsuke, who stood in front of Daishi Noji's corpse, needed to give Zhengliang a sign of loyalty.

"Prepare," as Zhengliang ordered, 17 swords were raised high. The six bandits who were still conscious immediately struggled desperately. The six slaves who were facing this scene looked terrified, secretly relieved that they were at least alive, even if they were slaves.

"Kill," Zhengliang waved his right hand and shouted loudly.

"Hai," the people responsible for the execution all shouted in unison, and 17 swords fell simultaneously. "Swish" 17 heads rolled to the ground, and the decapitated bodies sprayed blood onto the ground.

"Ah!" The crowd let out a collective gasp, followed by a wave of excitement. Some mothers and daughters hugged each other, crying with joy, while others shouted to the sky, releasing their pent-up emotions. The six bandits who became slaves turned pale and even lost control of their bowels and bladders.

After entrusting the安抚 and security of the domain to Tōgō Hiratsuka, Zhengliang quickly regrouped the team and walked in front of them, shouting, "Now is the time when the bandits are weak. I will lead you to attack their stronghold. We will set out with the sun and return with the sunset, laughing. I will keep my promise, and after defeating the bandits, you will become samurai of the Luo family."

"Wow! Long live the lord!" The team was instantly excited.

"March," Zhengliang, satisfied with the team's morale, drew his sword, pointed it towards the bandit stronghold, and shouted.

Thus, 40 well-prepared foot soldiers, led by Zhengliang, Da Xi Guozhi, and Jin Tian Guangzong, quickly headed up the mountain. Kōsuke, carrying the unconscious Daishi Tarō, was also in the team, responsible for leading the way and deceiving the bandits' checkpoints.

(PS: Today, I have updated three times, spitting blood. Please click, collect, and recommend. Gently, you came, please do not leave gently. Please click lightly, leave your collection, and leave your recommendation. Old Fish 360-degree nakedly kneels and begs for clicks, collections, and recommendations. Enjoy writing, enjoy loneliness.)

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