42: Chapter 42 Attacking Panshi Village

"Brothers!"

His voice, like rolling thunder, clearly reached the ears of every bandit.

"Yesterday, one hundred of our brothers died miserably at the hands of those cowards in Panshi Stockade! This blood feud, we must avenge!"

"Today, I will lead the team personally to flatten Panshi Stockade and avenge our fallen brothers!"

"Anyone who follows me into battle today, after we break the stockade, money, food, and women—all yours to choose from!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

A few simple words instantly ignited the ferocity of all the bandits.

They raised their weapons high and let out earth-shattering roars; that soaring aura of violence caused the birds in the mountain forest to scatter in fear.

Strategist Liu Chengfeng stood behind Bear Overlord, watching this scene, a trace of imperceptible worry flashing in his eyes.

The morale is usable, but... it is too arrogant.

Arrogant troops are bound to fail.

He couldn't help but glance at Second-in-Command Nie Kong and Third-in-Command Du Wei, who were standing on the other side.

Du Wei's face was as calm as water; one could not tell if he was happy or angry.

As for Nie Kong, his entire person was shrouded in shadows, as if he had merged with the darkness.

In his hands, he was toying with two short blades thin as cicada wings, upon which a strange, eerie blue light flickered—clearly, they were coated in lethal poison.

According to the plan, five hundred main-force bandits, led by Third-in-Command Du Wei, marched imposingly from the front toward Panshi Stockade.

Flags were flying, war cries shook the sky, and the momentum was more than ten times greater than the previous time with Black Leopard!

Meanwhile, Second-in-Command Nie Kong led thirty carefully selected, agile bandits to quietly detach from the main force, disappearing like ghosts into the dense forest on the other side.

...

Panshi Stockade, above the mountain pass.

The atmosphere was heavy to the extreme.

All the soldiers had taken their positions.

Shield-bearers in front, spearmen in the back, archers on the high ground with bows drawn and ready.

Every face wore the determination of those ready to face death.

They knew that today would be the battle that decided the life or death of Panshi Stockade.

Gao Feng, dressed in black martial attire and holding the overlord spear, personally sat in command at the center of the stockade wall.

His eyes were as calm as an abyss; one could not see a hint of tension despite the impending battle.

"They're here."

Watching the Dushan Stronghold army surging like a black tide on the distant mountain road, he slowly spat out two words.

"Stockade Master, their numbers are at least three times ours."

Old Qiu stood beside Gao Feng, his palms sweating.

"Soldiers are not about quantity, but quality." Gao Feng's voice remained steady. "Pass on my order: no one is to loose an arrow or move a stone without my command. Let them get close."

"Yes!"

The Dushan Stronghold army soon advanced to the front of the mountain pass.

Leading them was none other than the Third-in-Command, the "Iron-Faced Judge," Du Wei.

He rode a tall black horse, his face cold and stern. Looking at the mountain pass ahead, which was waiting in strict array, a trace of gravity flashed in his eyes.

Although he held a grudge against the plan of Bear Overlord and Liu Chengfeng, as the Third-in-Command, once the military order was given, he would execute it without reservation.

"Attack!"

Without any extra nonsense, he drew the saber at his waist and pointed forward!

"Charge!"

Five hundred bandits shouted and launched their charge!

This time, they had clearly learned the lessons from last time.

Charging at the very front were rows of bandits holding up crude wooden shields; they crouched low, cautiously probing their way forward, guarding against any potential pits.

However, to their surprise.

Until they charged to within a hundred paces of the stockade wall, the expected pits did not appear.

Above the stockade wall, it was deathly silent; not even a single arrow was shot down.

"Hmm?" Du Wei frowned, a trace of vigilance rising in his heart.

When things are abnormal, there must be a demon.

What the hell is this Panshi Stockade playing at?

"Continue the attack! Watch your step!" He ordered loudly.

The bandits continued to advance and soon reached the foot of the stockade wall, beginning to set up crude scaling ladders, preparing to storm the stockade.

And just at this moment!

Just when all their attention was focused on climbing the stockade wall!

Gao Feng's cold voice finally rang out once again!

"Right now! Release!"

With the order given!

The Panshi Stockade soldiers, who had been waiting for a long time on the slopes on both sides of the pass, no longer threw rolling stones or logs, but instead poured down barrels upon barrels of prepared, black, pungent-smelling liquid!

It was fierce fire oil!

And it was specially blended, custom fierce fire oil!

The black oil, like a waterfall, instantly drenched those bandits storming the wall, soaking them through.

"What is this stuff? It stinks!"

"Not good! It's fire oil!"

The knowledgeable bandits let out terrified screams.

But it was all too late.

"Ignite!"

Following Gao Feng's second command.

Dozens of fire arrows tied with tinder whizzed out from atop the stockade wall!

The fire arrows landed on the ground and the bandits soaked in the fierce fire oil, just like sparks falling into a gunpowder keg!

"Boom—!!!"

A violent wall of fire, several zhang high, instantly shot up to the sky!

The raging flames, like a baring-fanged Dragon, crazily devoured everything around them!

Those bandits drenched in fire oil instantly turned into living human torches!

"Ah—!!"

"Help! Fire! Fire!"

The shrill, inhuman screams echoed throughout the entire valley!

They rolled and struggled in the sea of fire in agony, trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies, but that specially made fierce fire oil, once attached to the body, was like gangrene on the bone; it could not be extinguished at all and only burned hotter and hotter!

The air was instantly filled with a nauseating smell of burning flesh.

This sudden, purgatory-like scene scared the subsequent bandits out of their wits! They dared not take another step forward and retreated frantically.

The entire siege formation collapsed without a fight!

Du Wei sat on his horse, watching the raging sea of fire before him, feeling the scorching heat wave rushing toward him. His ice-mountain face, which never changed for ten thousand years, finally revealed a trace of shock.

What a ruthless method!

What a vicious strategy!

He finally understood why the opponent didn't attack at the beginning.

They were waiting!

Waiting for his men to fully enter the attack range, when their spirits were most relaxed, to then deliver a fatal blow with this most tragic and overbearing method!

This fire not only burned over a hundred of their brothers to death but also burned away all the morale they had worked so hard to build up!

"Retreat! The whole army retreat!"

Du Wei made a prompt decision and gave the order to retreat.

He knew that today, this frontal battlefield could not be fought any longer.

Now, he could only pin all his hopes on the other path, that surprise force led personally by the Second-in-Command.

As long as Nie Kong could successfully infiltrate and create chaos inside the Panshi Stockade.

Then, he would still have a chance to turn defeat into victory.