Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 610 Rout
While Xia Dalang was cursing Tang Xing, Chen Rong, and the others, he secretly thought that these people were quite capable.

"Send some people over to help."

At Xia Dalang's command, Zheng Wenhuan, who was standing nearby, hurriedly went to make arrangements.

Moments later, twenty men on horseback immediately went to reinforce them.

“Those people are quite capable,” Zheng Wenhuan said, “They won’t be so easy to take down.”

Xia Dalang said, "It's all so simple, why would I need to do this? Don't worry, all of this is within my calculations. No matter what they choose, the final result will be the same."

Zheng Wenhuan nodded.

Xia Dalang whispered, "Come closer, I'll tell you something. Let's get ready now."

Zheng Wenhuan then listened carefully.

After Xia Dalang spoke for a while, Zheng Wenhuan's eyes gradually widened: "No wonder you chose this place."

Xia Dalang smiled and said, "If I wasn't confident, why would I make a move at this time?"

It took Zheng Wenhuan a while to come to his senses. No wonder Xia Mengxian always said that his eldest son was a quick-witted person who was wholeheartedly committed to helping his eldest son pursue a career in government. He had witnessed it today.

If Xia Dalang were in Bianjing, Xia Mengxian wouldn't have been so easily brought down.

"There's no time to lose," Xia Dalang said. "Send the message now."

Zheng Wenhuan laughed and said, "That's easy. We told them to be prepared when we came." However, Xia Dalang did not send those people directly to help, but instead chose a treacherous method.

In Zheng Wenhuan's opinion, this was more appropriate; why hadn't he thought of it before?
As the two were talking, they heard the sounds of fighting coming from not far away.

Xia Dalang said, "Let's move forward and grab a few more people from the village to use."

Without a word, Zheng Wenhuan immediately followed Xia Dalang.

……

After Tang Xing and Chen Rong rushed out, they made good progress, killing more than a dozen "bandits" on the ground, and the rest of them were all injured to varying degrees.

The remaining villagers joined in, and Tang Xing clearly felt their morale rise again. These villagers, who usually toiled in the fields, never imagined that one day they would be killing people. But the "bandits'" brutal killings really provoked them. In addition, under such circumstances, there was no other way but to fight to the death. At first, the villagers were flustered, but later they gradually adapted to the situation. They followed behind Tang Xing and the others, dealing with the "bandits" who had been knocked down. Before the "bandits" could get up, two or three of them would rush forward and deliver a few more blows.

After holding out for a while, the bandits were clearly outmatched. Just as Tang Xing and the others were about to catch their breath, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar. Tang Xing immediately warned, "Watch out behind us, they have reinforcements."

The caravan members are all here, and those approaching now are probably bandits.

Since the "bandits" were able to bring the villagers here to force them out, they must have made some arrangements and would not be defeated so easily. Tang Xing and the others had anticipated this, so they were not alarmed.

“Kill one if one comes, kill two if two come.”

Chen Rong's voice rang out, and the men of the caravan responded one after another.

Tang Xing then temporarily retreated from the front, intending to join the others in dealing with the "mountain bandits" who were approaching from behind.

“They won’t have many people,” Tang Xing encouraged everyone. “Hold on.”

A new round of fighting has begun. The caravan members are fighting with increasing ferocity.

A bandit on horseback charged up, and Tang Xing risked his life to get close to him. After Tang Xing pulled the man down, the villagers who had come forward immediately raised the sticks in their hands.

Chen Rong slashed a horse's hoof, and the "bandit" on the horse fell off and was overwhelmed by the attacks of the old soldiers around him.

Both Tang Xing and Chen Rong were fearless, and even though the bandits outnumbered them, they were helpless for the time being.

Just as everyone was fighting for their lives, torches lit up in the darkness again, coming from the direction of the village.

Tang Xing immediately had a guess, but he dared not think too much about it, fearing that the truth would be different from his guess and he would be disappointed. Until the firelight got closer and closer, and a noisy sound came.

"Those bandits are just ahead."

"Catch them."

The shouts reached the village, and the remaining men looked at each other, a look of surprise on their faces.

"People from the village have come."

"Someone has come to help us."

The time had come. Tang Xing stepped back a few paces, untied the bundle on his back, took out the ceramic bottle inside, wrapped it with an oil-soaked rope, and lit it.

The next moment, the burning ceramic bottle was thrown out.

"Be careful."

One of the bandits shouted, "This is something from the demonic cult!"

The pottery bottle exploded among the "bandits," and the fire inside splattered out, landing on the "bandits."

"Back off!" Tang Xing shouted, and the group took the opportunity to distance themselves from the "bandits" to avoid being caught in the fire.

Tang Xing kept throwing out two more ceramic bottles. He even thought that there was no need to light them; as long as they were thrown into the fire, the contents inside would burn anyway.

The three earthenware jars threw the situation into chaos, with the bandits either hiding or desperately trying to pat out the flames that landed on them.

Just then, the villagers finally arrived and stood with Tang Xing and the others.

"Once the fire goes out, we'll rush in," Tang Xing said calmly. "Kill as many as we can, and wipe out all the 'bandits' in one fell swoop."

Everyone responded.

Tang Xing said, "I'll go and capture two people alive so we can send them to the yamen when it's light."

With so many people dead tonight, the authorities will surely investigate. Leaving these people alive will allow us to follow the trail. Tang Xingneng was certain these people couldn't be bandits.

At first, he thought these people might be members of the sorcerer cult, but after he threw out the pottery bottle, their reaction was rather strange. He vaguely heard someone shout the words "sorcerer cult".

The heretics would never refer to themselves as such, so what is the origin of these people?
Tang Xing had too many doubts; he needed to capture someone alive for interrogation.

With the help of the villagers, the bandits were increasingly outmatched, and some even began to flee in all directions.

Tang Xing knocked out a "bandit" and ordered the villagers to tie him up.

"Stop chasing," Chen Rong stopped Tang Xing. "We've already gone quite far."

Tang Xing had no choice but to give up.

“It’s impossible to take them all down at once,” Chen Rong said. “They’re after us, and they’ll strike again when they find the right opportunity in a few days.”

So there's no need to rush; we'll have to face each other sooner or later.

"How are our people?" Tang Xing asked Chen Rong.

Chen Rong didn't examine it closely: "There shouldn't be many casualties, but it seems some villagers were injured."

As the two walked back while talking, Tang Xing's ears twitched and he stopped. He looked to the west and seemed to hear the sound of horses' hooves fading into the distance. The "bandits" must have fled westward.

(End of this chapter)