Chapter 102: A Deception

When Li Dazhuang mentioned fire attacks, both Lei Laohu and Wu Yi felt a chill. Fengshi Village was a salt-producing village, filled with houses and sheds built of wood and earth. If the enemy’s fire assault succeeded, the defensive line at the village entrance would become useless, effectively acting as a fuse for the blaze.

"But how can we guard against fire?" Lei Laohu asked.

Both Lei Laohu and Wu Yi were hunters by trade and had little knowledge of such cunning military tactics. Beside them, Qian Dabin looked at the group, eager to speak, as if he had a wealth of ideas to share.

Seeing him struggling to hold back, Xu Wenshan gave him permission to speak. Qian Dabin began by saying, "The palisade at our entrance is made of 'shadow wood,' which does not ignite easily. It won't be so simple for the enemy to burn it down."

Li Dazhuang immediately retorted, "Even if it is shadow wood, the enemy can prepare various incendiaries. Once the fire grows intense enough, even shadow wood will burn."

Seeing everyone looking at him, Li Dazhuang added, "I used to hunt with my father and often had to smoke out prey, which is how I know these things."

Qian Dabin smiled and said, "General Li is correct, but that is precisely what I was going to address. Regardless, the palisade cannot withstand a sustained fire, but there is one way to resist such a tactic."

He paused for effect before continuing, "I have noticed that the General’s troops primarily use spears. The palisade was originally erected only to guard against enemy cavalry; back when the White Dragon Gang repelled bandits, they relied on open-field warfare. Since the young General’s troops excel in defense, why not convert the palisade into a mud wall?"

"We only need to soak the soil from the back hill, apply it to the front palisade, and turn it into a mud wall. Then, neither fire-roasting nor direct burning will be able to destroy our defenses."

Qian Dabin's words inspired Xu Wenshan. "Instead of building a mud wall, why not use cement?"

"Cement?"

...

Although the Black Wind Stronghold had suffered heavy losses in the previous assault, it lacked nothing so much as manpower. Two days had passed since the night battle, and the reinforcements of the Black Wind Stronghold had arrived one after another. Their strength was fully restored, even exceeding their previous numbers.

This was not only true for the Black Wind Stronghold but for the Flying Horse Stronghold as well. Beyond their original dozens of riders, many infantrymen had arrived. Furthermore, small strongholds like Yinshan, Tonglin, and Chiji, each with only twenty or thirty men, had also joined the fray.

Even a small mosquito can deliver a bite. With the combined forces of all these strongholds, the number of bandits gathered outside Fengshi Village reached five hundred—an overwhelming numerical advantage for the village.

Seeing the bandits massing outside, they were unable to launch a full-scale assault because they lacked unified command. Instead, they held each other in check, unable to move.

The Black Wind Stronghold held the leading position among all the bandit factions, but if any two or three strongholds were to unite, the Black Wind could not withstand them. No one dared to be the first to attack Fengshi Village—if you were busy fighting, only to have the bandits behind you strike your back, that would be an unbearable situation.

Stationing troops outside was extremely costly in terms of provisions, which was most disadvantageous for the Black Wind Stronghold. Therefore, their leader, "Yiliuyan" (Smoke-in-a-Flash), gathered all the bandit chiefs together. He set out a banquet, and the leaders sat down to drink.

Each leader was wary of the others, testing one another with words and dancing around the issues. After three rounds of drinks, Yiliuyan felt it was time to get to the point. "Gentlemen, please, hear me out."

"We are all here to attack Fengshi Village. Our forces are strong, and we could take this village in a single battle. Yet, here we are, none of us daring to strike. Why? Because we are all wary of one another!"

When the surrounding bandits heard him speak the truth, they were not embarrassed; some even cheered.

"So, I have an idea. Let us form an alliance, take this village together, and let our brothers plunder to their hearts' content for a few days before we divide the spoils and determine the ownership of the stronghold. If we keep undermining each other, we might just let Fengshi Village reap the benefits."

As he spoke, the bandits voiced their agreement. A minor chief from an unknown stronghold asked, "Since we are an alliance, we must have a leader, right?"

Another added, "Is that even a question? Among those present, besides the master of the Black Wind Stronghold, who else has the courage and the ability to command respect?"

The bandits nodded one after another, all except the master of the Flying Horse Stronghold.

"Chi-Ma" (Winged Horse) stood alone in the corner, watching the Black Wind leader accept the flattery of the other chiefs, and let out a cold laugh.

The Black Wind leader had been in this business for many years and naturally knew what Winged Horse wanted. He took a bowl of wine, walked over to the Flying Horse chief, and patted him on the shoulder. "Brother Ma, your Flying Horse Stronghold is powerful, and it is the only one among us capable of training true cavalry. We all admire you!"

Winged Horse did not answer, merely smiling.

The Black Wind leader turned to the other chiefs. "Gentlemen, for every leader, there must be a deputy. I propose we let the Flying Horse chief serve as our deputy leader. When I am away, you shall follow his orders. What do you say?"

The chiefs knew the score; this was a contest between the two greatest strongholds, and they simply followed suit, voicing their approval.

The Flying Horse chief cursed Yiliuyan's treachery under his breath. An alliance was what everyone wanted, and by proposing him as deputy, Yiliuyan was putting him on the spot. If he agreed, he automatically accepted a position lower than Yiliuyan; if he refused, he was weak and isolated, and how could he safely escape among so many other chiefs?

He had no choice but to offer a cold laugh, take the wine offered by the Black Wind leader, and drink.

The Black Wind leader was overjoyed. He raised his bowl and said, "Then let us swear an oath in blood today! Whoever dares to betray this alliance shall die by the sword!"

The bandit chiefs were in high spirits, swearing solemn oaths and announcing their commitment to the alliance.

The five-hundred-strong bandit force outside Fengshi Village was now united.

...

The first act of the Black Wind leader after forming the alliance was to have his men collect incendiary materials.

As the saying goes, "many hands make light work." Within a day, the camp was piled high with firewood, tinder, and other materials.

The distance between Fengshi Village and the bandit camp was not great; the bandits' actions were naturally observed by the villagers, causing widespread panic.

Inside the White Dragon Hall, Lei Laohu and the others held an emergency military meeting.

"The enemy is exactly as we predicted, stockpiling firewood. It seems they intend to launch a fire attack," Wu Yi said. "Fortunately, Dazhuang's foresight was keen. We knew this was coming, and thanks to the miraculous cement the Chief provided, we can coat the entire entrance in half a day. We have nothing to fear from their fire."

Some time ago, Xu Wenshan was inspired to invent cement rather than simply using clay to build walls.

The main ingredients for cement were lime and sand, and it was said that a bit of volcanic ash was also needed. These materials were found nearby, making production convenient. Xu Wenshan had called upon Elder Wei to personally refine the process, and they had successfully produced the cement a few days prior.

Despite this, Xu Wenshan did not feel at ease; his brows remained tightly knitted.

"Those bandits are not fools. We have been mixing mud and building walls in front of the gate for days; they have certainly seen us. Why would they still be foolish enough to gather firewood? They are doing it so ostentatiously. These bandits have roamed the mountains for years; they cannot be ignorant of the art of deception."

"Therefore, there must be a trap here."