Chapter 324 - The Bandits' Counterattack
"Money is something external to the body," Xin Nari said, secretly cursing Zhao Dachong as a "country bumpkin" who only saw the coins before his eyes. But he patiently persuaded: "As long as we keep the team, asking for money later will be just a word. Don't complain about expenses. If you want Liu Si to risk his head, you have to pay enough to buy his life! Also, these brothers under me—without reward money, will they be willing to kill?"
"What?! Those little bastards need rewards too—"
"Shh!" Zhao Haixie quickly stopped Zhao Dachong and scolded in a low voice: "The men Fourth Master Xin leads are brothers with no stake in our old Thirteen Villages area!"
"Exactly!" Xin Nari said, "I've only been their boss a few days—on what basis should I ask them to charge into battle?"
"Fine." Though reluctant, Zhao Dachong agreed.
"Finally, has appropriate compensation been given to village families?"
"Those who died got a few taels of silver." Zhao Dachong became alert. "Need to give more?"
"Not necessary—but if not given, it must be given!" Seeing he wasn't being completely foolish, Xin Nari breathed relief. "Rest a bit. We leave tonight. Go back and prepare everything; send it to this place..."
The next evening, night shrouded the mountains. Stars twinkled coldly, occasionally obscured by dark clouds. The deep mountains were even dimmer. The bandit gang hiding in mountain gullies only began moving at this hour.
After days of wandering and displacement, the bandits were ragged, with disheveled hair and dirty faces—looking less like outlaws than famine refugees. But they all carried weapons; those without swords or spears had whittled wooden sticks.
Xin Nari and his men had been hiding in the mountains for days, living half-starved and anxiously awaiting news. They dared not leave—villages that once provided grain, camping, and women had suddenly become hedgehogs, capable of attracting bandit suppression detachments at any moment. Now, with Xin Nari leading them out, the bandits didn't know where this newly appointed boss was taking them. But they dared not speak, each harboring their own designs.
After passing through dense forest, Xin Nari calculated they would reach the assembly point before dawn and waved everyone to stop, announcing they were going to Daolu Village.
Hearing they could march to the Thirteen Villages area—where coordination and food awaited—the bandits jumped with joy. Xin Nari seized the moment:
"You can eat, you can play with women! Everyone will be paid!" He paused. "There are only two female Short-hairs in the village, plus seven or eight soldiers. Everyone muster strength and wipe them out!"
Hearing they had to fight Short-hairs again, the bandits muttered. Xin Nari quickly encouraged them: "Brothers, rest assured! We have an insider with the Australians. When the time comes, their bird guns won't fire! Defeat them, and we eat, drink, and play in the village for three days!"
That last sentence was essentially granting a big holiday—rob whatever you want, play with whomever you want. The bandits hadn't lived such days for a long time. A commotion arose; someone shouted: "Boss Xin, stop talking—take us there!"
"Good, let's go!"
They arrived outside Daolu Village before dawn. Xin Nari carefully hid the team in a forest a few li away. Zhao Dachong and Zhao Haixie had already arrived, mobilizing bandit families overnight to cook rice and boil water, quietly sending it to the woods.
Seeing food arrive, the bandits swarmed to fight for it—they hadn't eaten properly for days, and salt deprivation left them weak. Xin Nari ordered one tael of silver distributed to each person and told them to rest.
Zhao Dachong, Zhao Haixie, and Zhao Haiji were all waiting. The four gathered to discuss tactics.
"Old Man Mei says the two women haven't left yet, but six or seven guards have already gone—to pick up the succeeding captain."
"Now only twelve or thirteen guards remain. Just two extra women, no hindrance!" Xin Nari felt confidence building. "How's the ammunition sabotage going with Liu Si?"
"Cost a lot of money." Zhao Dachong felt pained. "This kid played hard to get at first, saying ammunition is hard to damage. Soldiers never leave their ammo pouches; someone stands guard at night. No chance at all."
"And then?"
"We promised more silver, and also said we'd give Xin Nachun to him..." Zhao Dachong's loose mouth ignored Zhao Haixie's warning winks.
Xin Nari remained calm: "He agreed."
"Agreed, but not firmly." Zhao Haixie feared the young master would blurt something stupid and provoke Xin Nari, so he quickly took over. "He said damaging ammunition is unlikely, but he can damage guns so they won't fire."
Xin Nari thought: Agreeing not firmly is probably true. If this Liu Si had confidently guaranteed it, I'd have to think carefully.
"Actually, promises are just empty words!" Zhao Haiji said. "After the deed, just directly—" He made a chopping motion.
Dead men needed neither silver nor women.
"No," Xin Nari immediately opposed. "Liu Si must be kept. Whatever we promised must be given in full."
"On what basis?" Zhao Dachong shouted. He'd long planned to kill Liu Si afterward—not for Xin Nachun, but because the promised valuables were substantial, and it pained him.
"Liu Si was cultivated by the Australians single-handedly; he knows a lot about their foundation." Xin Nari had thought this through. "From the looks of it, the Australians won't leave soon. If we want to deal with them, we need this person to lead the way!"
Zhao Haixie nodded: "Fourth Master Xin is right. We shouldn't be stingy. Pull him into the gang!"
Zhao Dachong had to agree.
"Tell me—how do we strike?"
"Liu Si said he could settle the ammunition before noon. We strike at noon." Zhao Haixie said. "It's hot after noon; most people nap. Rush the ancestral hall—catch them off guard."
"How about the household families? Ready?"
"More than sixty came immediately. Hearing we're hitting the Australians, everyone wants revenge. Women have even taken up scissors." Zhao Dachong said excitedly. "I told those too old or young to go back."
"Families shouldn't fight." Xin Nari thought. "Pick a few who know roads and have fast legs to meet us at the village entrance and lead the way. The others guard village roads to prevent anyone escaping."
"Good!"
"Also, hang blue cloth strips on our families' doors. My current brothers aren't from this village—it would be ugly if they crashed into our own people."
"Easy—I'll notify everyone when I go back." Zhao Haixie said.
"Who takes care of opening the ancestral hall doors?"
"Agreed—front door is Liu Si, back door is Old Man Mei." Zhao Dachong said. "I promised Old Man Mei land and silver."
"That old thing's legs are still nimble." Xin Nari nodded. "No need to keep him then."
"Shortly, we'll use three double-bang firecrackers as the signal; all routes launch together!" Xin Nari's face turned murderous. Zhao Dachong, who had calculated on becoming boss later, couldn't help feeling a chill. Seeing clan elders obey this outsider completely, he doubted whether he'd ever become boss.
Damn it, you can't be kept either! Zhao Dachong glared viciously at Xin Nari's back as he went to deploy men. He touched the small dagger in his bosom; murderous intent had already arisen.
Just past noon, on the dirt road three li away, a black muddy current rushed wildly. More than fifty ragged bandits, waving rusting knives and guns, pounced toward Daolu Village.
They didn't shout—just ran. At the village entrance, half-grown boys and young women wearing white flowers in their hair waited, holding freshly whittled sticks. They met the bandits and ran toward the ancestral hall. Though silent, every eye spat fire—some from greed, some purely from hatred.
Originally, a few people were working or chatting on the street. Seeing this, they were struck dumb, rolling and crawling back into their houses, closing doors, shivering, listening to movement outside.
As expected, the main gate stood open. Liu Si waited anxiously by the door. Seeing them, his face relaxed greatly. Waving, he pushed the door wider. Zhao Haixie jumped up the steps.
"How is it?"
"Took a hell of an effort to take out the sentries." Liu Si raised his head. "The others are all meeting in the back..."
"Guard the main gate!" Zhao Haixie ordered, then led the main force rushing in. The first courtyard was empty—only soldiers' bundles and quilts neatly arranged in rooms.
The absence of anyone aroused suspicion, but momentum was up; he couldn't stop now. Zhao Haixie smashed open the second courtyard door, and everyone surged through.
Just then, from the back alley, many people shouted and surged out, waving weapons and charging. Both sides froze seeing each other.
This was Xin Nari's group that had rushed in from the back door!
Xin Nari had led men through the open rear door into the chapel smoothly. Besides Old Man Mei, a few old regulars sat frozen with fear. Xin Nari had no time for them and led men straight to the second courtyard—where he collided head-on with the front-door group.
The entire second courtyard was empty. Not to mention the Work Team—not even a ghost was there.
Just as Zhao Haixie prepared to search rooms, a volley of gunshots came from outside.
That whistling death-sound made him shudder all over. Liu Si was nowhere to be found!
"It's a trap!" Zhao Haixie couldn't help shouting. "Run quickly—"
His men fell into instant chaos—some going forward, some backward, some climbing walls directly. The courtyard became a pot of porridge.
On the roof, a dozen soldiers fired volleys into the courtyard. Xin Nari didn't even have time to shout "It's a trap" before the first volley dropped five or six bandits around him. The rest turned and ran. Then countless grenades rained down—iron pieces and porcelain fragments filled the courtyard. Bloodied bandits groaned painfully on the ground. The gang completely lost order; gunshots and explosions rose continuously.
Xin Nari was quick-witted, already retreating to the chapel. It was empty. The bandits guarding the main gate were gone, but the back door remained open. He felt slight relief and waved: "Run to the back door!"
The bandits surged toward it in a chaotic mass. "Where do you think you're going!" A female general emerged—wearing a stab-proof vest, an 80-style steel helmet on her head, holding an eyebrow-level steel spear. Majestic and heroic. It was Dong Weiwei! She had practiced bodybuilding and was physically excellent—taller and stronger than average men of this timeline. She raised her spear and stabbed down the fastest bandit.
"Brothers, fight!" Xin Nari saw only one woman guarding the door and knew something was wrong. He waved his machete, coaxing surviving bandits to swarm over and kill their way out. A row of soldiers popped up behind Dong Weiwei, fired another volley, then burst grenade dischargers. The courtyard was instantly littered with corpses and wounded.
But Xin Nari didn't charge with his subordinates. Taking advantage of chaos, he slipped aside, ran into a narrow alley, climbed over a wall, and escaped the trap.
He simply couldn't care how many brothers could escape—he just ran straight out of the village.
On the road, he met Zhao Dachong, who'd been waiting for coordination, his face blackened by gunpowder smoke, waving a precious sword.
"It's a trap, damn it!" Zhao Dachong cursed. "That bastard Liu Si—I'll skin him—"
"Go quickly, what's the use of saying this!" Xin Nari left him behind and ran wildly.
The battle ended quickly. Zhao Haiji, Zhao Haixie, and Zhao Dachong were all killed. Xin Nachun, who'd been leading a dozen bandit family members on the street for coordination, rolled onto the ground and played dead after the suddenly appearing soldiers' wild fire hit a few people. When clearing the battlefield, she was kicked hard several times before reluctantly climbing up, tied with ropes along with other prisoners. Fifty or so people Xin Nari had brought, plus more than thirty bandit family members mobilized by Zhao Dachong—all were killed or captured. Not a single one escaped.