"Right, count me in. I've been practicing my archery day and night just for the chance to kill wicked people!"
Fu Dadi also patted his chest and said.
Since a girl had taken a liking to him, Fu Dadi had become even more confident.
My own confidence is the best foundation. This simple, honest young man unconsciously exuded a touch of charming masculinity.
Gu Qingcheng told them to calm down, saying they would indeed flatten Wushan Village today, but not to rush. They needed a plan of action and to avoid casualties.
She had Yan Xin and the others discuss first, with Mi Guo introducing the terrain. Yan Xin and the others would then devise the strategy, while she herself would take Lian Yu and the others to arrange for their entry into the village.
She led everyone to the communal canteen to ask He Hua to prepare some food.
The communal kitchen always had hot water ready. Seeing how pathetic Lian Yu and the others looked, He Hua was naturally very sympathetic.
She herself had also run barefoot, so she understood their plight. Therefore, she didn't neglect them at all and quickly started cooking.
He Hua cooked a large pot of hot noodle soup. The noodles were boiled in bone broth, with lard, bok choy, cilantro, and over a dozen fried eggs, one for each person.
Lian Yu and the others were tired and hungry. They hadn't expected such delicious food upon arriving at the mountain. They wolfed down a bowl of noodles, and it felt like they had come back to life. Only then did Lian Yu feel embarrassed and say, "Young Master Gu, you've seen a joke."
Gu Qingcheng, however, said, "You all stay here and don't overthink things for now. He Hua will guide you on what to do later, and you should listen to her.
Once the housing is arranged, I'll have Qin Yue distribute living supplies to you."
Lian Yu and the others listened in stunned silence. Housing arrangements? And supplies distribution?
Gu Qingcheng handed them over to He Hua and returned to her own room.
Yan Xin and the others were vigorously discussing how to attack Wushan Village.
"It won't be easy, especially if the mountain pass is as defensible as ours. However, Fu Dadi has contributed an idea: use his grappling hook to secure the wall, climb over, and open the village gate.
Once the gate is open, the rest won't be a problem."
Yan Xin explained to Gu Qingcheng.
Gu Qingcheng felt the plan was feasible but wanted to assess Fu Dadi's abilities first.
Without a word, Fu Dadi took his grappling hook, swung it, and tossed it onto the opposite stone wall. Once the hook caught onto the wall, he pulled the rope taut and climbed over the wall in a flash.
"Alright, that's impressive. I didn't expect you to have such a trick up your sleeve. It's settled then."
Seeing Fu Dadi's skilled movements, Gu Qingcheng felt reassured.
She couldn't help but marvel again that Phoenix Village was truly a place where dragons and hidden tigers resided, with talented people everywhere.
Since the bandits of Wushan Village were not a tightly organized group, once the first line of defense was breached, the rest would be easily overcome.
With the plan finalized, they began preparing weapons.
Javelins, bows and arrows, swords, daggers, Molotov cocktails...
This time, Gu Qingcheng intended to dispatch 120 villagers, with the elite members of the hunting team going all out.
Everyone was excited to learn they were going to eliminate bandits!
Gu Qingcheng asked Yan Xin to lead the affairs of attacking Wushan Village.
She went to the communal canteen. He Hua said she had mostly settled Lian Yu and the others, and they had bathed and been treated for insect bites.
Now, they just needed to be assigned new residences.
However, as there weren't enough houses, they were divided into separate houses based on gender to share.
They hadn't expected to be able to live in such good houses so soon after arriving in the village.
At this moment, their grief over their recently lost loved ones also felt a little easier to bear.
Gu Qingcheng instructed Qin Yue to prepare sufficient supplies of grains, rice, oil, and clothing and quilts for them.
These villagers were deeply grateful and were about to kneel to Gu Qingcheng again, but she stopped them.
The next afternoon, everything was ready. 120 elites from the village set out.
They arrived at the foot of the mountain and waited. As dusk approached, around 6 PM, when the roads were mostly deserted, they began their advance towards Wushan Village.
By the time they reached Wushan Village, it was completely dark, with no visibility.
Gu Qingcheng took out the luminous balls she had bought and distributed them to everyone.
The luminous balls cast enough light to see the path ahead without being conspicuous, making them ideal for their stealth operation.
They reached the foot of Wushan Village and crouched there until midnight. Gu Qingcheng, in a secluded spot, secretly launched a drone. Through infrared remote sensing, she confirmed that everyone in the village was fast asleep before initiating the assault plan.
Thanks to the meticulous planning beforehand, the operation proceeded smoothly.
Fu Dadi used his grappling hook to get inside the village. The guards on duty were sound asleep and never expected anyone to dare attack their stronghold. Fu Dadi quickly subdued and tied one of them up.
After tying the guard, Fu Dadi stuffed a cloth into his mouth and then opened the village gate.
The people of Phoenix Village poured in and began to move up the mountain.
Gu Qingcheng and Fu Dadi together woke up the night-shift bandits and interrogated them about the situation in the village.
Seeing a knife at his throat, the bandit was so scared he wet himself. Trembling, he told the truth.
He said the boss lived in the best house in the center of the mountaintop, while the second and third bosses lived in wooden sheds on either side.
The other bandits were scattered around the boss, totaling over 50 people.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingcheng had Fu Dadi gag him and then led the group up the mountain.
The bandits on the mountain were all asleep. Gu Qingcheng instructed everyone to throw Molotov cocktails into the wooden sheds scattered around.
Because it was late at night and everyone was sleeping soundly like pigs, the Molotov cocktails set the wooden sheds ablaze. The bandits, woken by the heat, panicked and fled in all directions.
Gu Qingcheng led her people, unleashing a volley of arrows, and quickly dealt with most of the bandits.
Some fell dead from arrow wounds.
Others were cut down by the Phoenix villagers.
Knowing the bandits' wicked deeds, everyone showed no mercy when killing them.
Moreover, they had all been tempered on their escape from famine. Those who survived were all experienced individuals. Thus, even when faced with scenes of bloodshed, no one flinched or retreated.
These bandits were, in fact, mostly commoners who had turned to banditry, and the majority were local ruffians and scoundrels from the villages. They were bold when acting tough and in groups, but when intercepted by those more desperate than them, their courage evaporated.
Especially in the middle of the night, while sleeping soundly, they were attacked unprepared, without weapons, and could only scramble about in a panic, defenseless.
The battle ended in less than an hour.
Gu Qingcheng ordered her men to light torches, illuminating the area brightly, and then began counting the bodies and captives.
A total of 16 people were captured, including the bandit leader.
45 people were killed.
"Young Master Gu, how should we handle these captured bandits?" Yan Xin asked.
Just then, Fu Dadi rushed over and said,
"Young Master Gu, we found a cellar here with many people locked inside. Hurry up and take a look."
Gu Qingcheng quickly followed Fu Dadi.
The cellar was dark. Two members of the hunting party were at the entrance, holding torches, but it was still very dark inside, making it difficult to see clearly.