Chapter 41: Fat Meat
Having killed people, seen blood, and experienced life-and-death struggles, everyone’s courage far surpassed before. Upon hearing about killing mountain bandits, few were actually afraid.
Of course, ones as eager as Pei Yan were rare.
Mao Hongling was cautious by nature: “We need to plan how to fight in advance; this way we can reduce casualties.”
Pei Qinghe nodded slightly, and Zhang Kou arranged instructions: “We have thirty bows and arrows; first select thirty people skilled at shooting arrows.”
These bows and arrows were left by Captain Sun before he departed. Most of his subordinates had died, leaving a surplus of bows and arrows and weapons, all given to the Pei Clan. After returning to the barracks, he could report that the weapons were lost while killing bandits.
For the Pei Clan, this was a great favor. Bows and arrows were powerful tools for ranged killing, very suitable for women with slightly weaker physical strength.
Most importantly, the Imperial Court controlled bows and arrows most strictly. Ordinary common people could not access such powerful weapons at all. In military general families, privately hiding bows and arrows was treated as the grave crime of treason. For example, the Pei Clan was executed for the grave crime of treason after over a hundred crossbows were found.
When Captain Sun left the bows and arrows, he subtly hinted that if Pei Family Village ran into trouble later and bows and arrows were found, they must not implicate him.
Pei Qinghe nodded readily and promised.
The mountain bandits of Black Bear Stockade would never imagine that this unassuming desolate village hid so many bows and arrows.
Pei Qinghe used a charcoal pen to draw a simple village layout, marking the ambush spots for the archers one by one. The rest each selected suitable weapons, formed groups of five, and acted on bamboo whistle signals.
They set up stoves to cook, filled their stomachs, then everyone took their weapons to their positions. Some gripped swords and silently prayed the mountain bandits wouldn’t come; others held bows and arrows, full of excitement.
Pei Qinghe quietly lay on the rooftop, resting and recuperating, waiting for the mountain bandits.
She was very certain that the black bear would definitely come tonight.
Pei Family Village was simply too close to Black Bear Stockade, only a day’s journey away. Fat meat right at the mouth—how could the black bear not eat it.
Little did he know, she had secretly cast her net, also waiting for the fat meat to deliver itself to the door.
The sky was pitch black, thick dark clouds covered the bright moon and sparse stars.
Bird calls came from the tall trees outside the village.
This was the prearranged signal. Pei Yan, hiding in the tree to keep watch, had the most courage; her eyes stared unblinkingly at the mountain forest direction in the darkness. When she spotted unusual moving black shadows, she immediately signaled with bird calls.
Pei Qinghe swiftly adjusted her posture, drew her bow and arrow, and blew the bamboo whistle in her mouth.
The archers in the darkness, like taut bowstrings, all drew their bows and arrows.
Pei Qinghe watched intently for a moment, then suddenly shot the first arrow.
The sharp arrow whistled through the air, hitting a fast-moving black shadow with a whoosh. That black shadow didn’t even have time to cry out before falling straight down.
When Pei Qinghe shot her second arrow, the group of archers all loosed arrows; dozens of sharp arrows tore through the dark night sky, and in an instant five or six black shadows were hit, emitting shrill cries of agony.
If someone were at Pei Qinghe’s side, they would certainly be deterred by her appearance at this moment.
Pei Qinghe’s gaze was cold as ice and snow, her face expressionless, no superfluous movements. Her right hand plucked arrows onto the bowstring like picking flowers, then drew and shot, the entire process flowing like water. Every arrow shot felled a black shadow.
Even the Life-Reaping Yama in hell was no more than this.
The mountain bandits hadn’t even charged into the village yet, but they were already badly damaged, with at least over a dozen dead.
The mountain bandits’ boss, the black bear, was tall and sturdy, an obvious target; his left arm was shot with an arrow, blood flowing profusely. The black bear’s ferocity was aroused; he raised his thick-backed long axe and roared: “Charge in for me, kill everyone!”
Unfortunately, the mountain bandits weren’t as ferocious as the black bear. They had already been shot cowardly by the rain of sharp arrows, terrified, legs weak, hesitating in their steps.
The dark clouds in the sky had unknowingly parted somewhat; the bright moon pushed through the clouds, revealing half its face.
From the roof of a thatched hut, a nimble girl figure suddenly leaped down.
The girl held a long saber, charging straight at the mountain bandits’ boss, the black bear.
The black bear grinned ferociously, raising his thick-backed long axe and chopping down like thunder. With the black bear’s strength, if this axe hit, it would cleave the girl in two.
The girl neither dodged nor evaded, crossing her long saber to meet it. The long saber and long axe clashed, emitting an ear-piercing sound. The black bear was actually shaken back a step; before he could be shocked, the snow-bright blade edge was already before his eyes. A flash of cold light, and his neck felt cold.
Warm blood splashed.
The girl’s cold cheeks were dyed red with blood.
The black bear’s head flew off, rolling two circles on the ground, eyes wide open. As if up to the moment before death, still astonished at how he died so easily.
The boss was dead?!
Just like that, dead?!
After Pei Qinghe killed the black bear, she didn’t hesitate, swinging her long saber to cut down another.
The mountain bandits were horrified; suddenly one turned to run. Pei Yan jumped down from the tree, blocking the fleeing mountain bandit, and with several saber strikes stabbed blood holes into him.
The Pei Clan women, grouped in fives, silently gathered forward. Their skills and courage were insufficient, but with the advantage of numbers, five against one could manage. Some were injured during this, some even died in battle. However, with Pei Qinghe this Life-Reaping Yama present, the outcome of this battle was already certain.
The young Doctor Bao was at this time hiding in the thatched hut in the farthest corner. Two oil lamps burned in this thatched hut, cleaned exceptionally neat, and several basins of hot water were boiling. Scissors, needles, thread, and such had all been boiled in boiling water.
Shouts of killing came incessantly from outside the thatched hut. Doctor Bao was so nervous his hands shook nonstop, eyes fixed tightly on the wooden door. As if the next moment the wooden door would be kicked open, and a mountain bandit would rush in to take his life.
He was just an ordinary physician apprentice—how could he bear the heavy responsibility of saving people! But having already boarded the ship, he couldn’t run; he could only steel himself and play the divine doctor.
Bang!
The door was heavily pushed open.
Doctor Bao reflexively jumped up, grabbing a wooden box to shield his chest.
“Aunt is injured; hurry and save her.” Pei Yun frowned, supporting a blood-soaked woman into the hut, then hurriedly closed the door and left.
Doctor Bao breathed a sigh of relief and hastily went forward to treat the woman’s wounds.
Soon, injured women entered the thatched hut one after another.
The battle outside was also nearing its end.
Pei Qinghe didn’t kill all the mountain bandits, leaving seven alive.
Seven fierce-faced, fat meat big men were scared witless by the blood everywhere. Usually they were the ones killing and robbing money; tonight, the tables had turned, and they were slaughtered like lambs.
The blood-covered girl walked over dragging her saber, blood dripping drop by drop from the blade edge.
The girl’s gaze swept over the seven mountain bandits’ faces.
The mountain bandits were utterly terrified; not one dared meet the girl’s eyes.
The girl casually raised her saber, pointing at one of them: “You, speak—where is the money and grain hidden in Black Bear Stockade?”
