Chapter 53

In the group clearing the battlefield, Wang Feng and Wu Peng from the security team were the most relaxed. Xu Shaohan had assigned them to guard the backyard and watch over the three remaining lightly wounded bandits—those with severe injuries were not allowed to exist—thus avoiding dealing with the corpses and the foul smell.

Although the three surviving bandits had managed to save their lives, each of them was injured. Lin Xiaoyu had already treated them, ensuring they were not in immediate danger. They were now confined in the livestock shed at the back of the yard, anxiously awaiting their unknown fate. While praying to heaven for their survival, they had cursed their comrades who had abandoned them a thousand times. In their eyes, those who had fled without a second thought for their lives were utterly lacking in chivalry and fell far short of the standards of a proper bandit.

In fact, they had wronged their comrades. Their second-in-command, Liu Wanbao, had not intended to abandon them. At that moment, he was being lifted by two of his trusted men, peering over the wall of the backyard, trying to figure out how to enter the yard without being noticed by the two brightly dressed guards. After observing for a long time, he found no weakness and did not dare to act rashly, fearing that he would alert the enemy and not only fail to save the captives but also put himself in danger. He had already secretly observed the situation in the front yard from a distance and knew how terrifying these Taoists were. In his view, it was a miracle that any of his men had survived the slaughter. The scene in the front yard, though he had only seen it from afar, was etched deeply in his mind under the bright firelight, instilling a profound fear in him. This was a fear of an unknown and overwhelming power, something that he believed only deities could possess. This power was not only in the ability to harm people but also in the ability to perceive the surroundings.

Even now, Liu Wanbao could not understand how these Taoists had discovered their intentions or how they had almost completely wiped out the two hundred men led by his leader in such a short time. The reason he wanted to rescue these three captives was to learn more about what had happened. Otherwise, he would have to attribute everything to the will of the gods, which was the only way he could accept the reality and explain the events to those left behind in the bandit camp.

Just as Liu Wanbao was racking his brain for a way to rescue the captives, it seemed that heaven had taken pity on him. One of the two guards said something to the other, and after checking the ropes on the three captives, they both returned to the room and did not come out for a long time. This gave Liu Wanbao an opportunity. He believed that the guards had gone inside to warm themselves because of the cold.

Opportunities like this were rare and should not be missed. Liu Wanbao signaled his two trusted men to lift him onto the wall, and then he pulled them up as well. After waiting a while on the wall and seeing no sign of the guards returning, the three of them carefully climbed down and approached the three captives.

The three captives, who had been cursing nonstop in their hearts, immediately stopped complaining to heaven when they saw their comrades and expressed their gratitude. Liu Wanbao did not have time to listen to their flattery. He kept an eye on the room where the guards were and instructed his two trusted men to untie the captives.

Just as the two trusted men were about to use their daggers to cut the ropes, two bright beams of white light shot from the two large chimneys, illuminating the livestock shed as if it were daylight. Then, seven or eight people, including the two guards, rushed out from the house and the moon gate connecting the front and back yards, surrounding the six of them. They pointed strange objects at them and shouted, "No one move! Drop your weapons, put your hands on your head, and squat down."

Although he did not understand the function of these strange objects, Liu Wanbao instinctively felt they were weapons. With the example of his leader in mind, he did not dare to resist and immediately followed the orders, throwing away his dagger and squatting down with his hands on his head.

One of the guards walked over, kicked their dropped weapons away, and then took out a rope to bind the three new captives tightly. After finishing, he walked over to Liu Wanbao, patted his shoulder, and said, "Although you are a bandit, I admire your courage. To come and rescue your comrades in such a situation is truly commendable." He then led Liu Wanbao and the others to a room, where they were still guarded by the same two guards.

Sitting in the warm room, Liu Wanbao finally realized that the two guards had deliberately left to make him think he had a chance to rescue the captives, only to trap him. His eagerness to save his comrades had led him to rush in without thinking. Despite being cautious for decades, his one moment of impatience had led him into a trap. Now in the hands of these Taoists, he feared he would not have a good end.

What worried him even more was the fate of his wife and daughter left in the bandit camp. The fifth brother, Wu Xingji, who did nothing but eat, drink, and gamble, had always had designs on his daughter. When his leader and he were around, Wu Xingji had been somewhat intimidated and did not dare to act rashly. Now that his leader was dead and he was likely to meet the same fate, once Wu Xingji learned the news, he would not spare his daughter. Thinking of this, Liu Wanbao was deeply worried but could do nothing. He could only sigh heavily and pray silently, hoping that heaven would show mercy and not let his wife and daughter suffer too much.

After a long time, around the middle of the second watch, when Liu Wanbao's arms were numb from the bindings, the door opened, and two Taoists entered. The two guards greeted them, and the one who had patted Liu Wanbao's shoulder and spoken to him smiled at one of them and said, "Liangzi, you're here. Is everything cleaned up outside?"

The one called Liangzi laughed and scolded, "You guys are lucky to be assigned to guard the captives. We suffered a lot, working all night to clean up. There's still some finishing work to do, and Old You and Zhou Gong are still holding the fort."

He then sniffed his clothes and said with a bitter smile, "I bet this smell won't go away for a month. I won't dare eat meat for a while, or I'll vomit every time I eat. What bad luck."

The other Taoist, hearing this, also looked miserable and nodded in agreement. Then his expression changed, and he pointed at Liu Wanbao and the others, saying fiercely, "All this suffering is because of these bastards. We can't let them off easily."

The two guards and Liangzi clearly agreed with this view and glared at the captives, as if they wanted to tear them apart. Then Liangzi pointed at one of the captives and said sternly, "You, come with me." The two guards then came over to drag the captive.

This frightened the captive, who thought he was about to be executed. He tried to resist, crying and begging for mercy, causing chaos in the room. The two guards, no longer gentle, swung their strange weapons at him. From the sound, it was clear that the weapons were made of metal, and the captive was quickly knocked to the ground. The guards tried to drag him out, but Liu Wanbao could no longer hold back. He shouted, "Wait!"

Liu Wanbao's shout was effective. The two guards and the two Taoists stopped, and Liangzi, clearly surprised by his action, looked at him with interest. Although he smiled, his eyes were sharp, as if he could see through one's thoughts.

After examining Liu Wanbao, Liangzi nodded thoughtfully and smiled, waiting for him to explain his outburst.

Liu Wanbao, now determined, met Liangzi's gaze and said loudly, "Sir, as the saying goes, killing is no more than a nod of the head. We knew we wouldn't leave here alive once we were captured. But as a man of the cloth, you should be kind and merciful. Why make things difficult for a small fry? I am the leader of these men. If you have any issues, direct them at me. Do what you will with me, but please spare my men. They only joined the bandits to have a full meal. Let the grudge be on me alone."

Hearing Liu Wanbao's passionate speech, Liangzi did not get angry but laughed and said, "So you are Liu, the second-in-command. No wonder you have such courage. You are indeed a man of honor. But I think you have misunderstood me. I never said I would execute you. I was just going to take this captive to be questioned separately by my senior brother. Now that you have revealed yourself, it saves us some trouble. Please come with me to talk to my senior brother. I can assure you that as long as your men do not try to escape, we will ensure their safety."

Liu Wanbao realized he had misunderstood and that his impulsive action had revealed his identity. However, it was too late to worry about that. If he could save his men, it would be worth it. So he straightened his back and followed Liangzi and his companion out of the room.