Qing Yao

Chapter 400 Go Home

It was the dead of winter, and although the trees on the outskirts of Jiushan had been completely cut down by the local villagers, the forests deep inside remained lush, with piles of fallen leaves reaching knee-deep. If such a fire were started, it would inevitably spread like wildfire across the mountain, and the fire would not stop in the short term. It would be an absolute "ecological disaster" for the flora and fauna of Jiushan.

In Zhao An's previous life, this arsonist would have been sentenced to at least seven or eight years.

The problem is that this is the Qing Dynasty, and he is the highest-ranking official in Anhui. Who would dare to prosecute him for arson?
Besides, it was about dealing with bandits.

Fire attack was actually a last resort.

Wulong Ridge has a unique terrain, resembling a large tomb standing between heaven and earth. The mountain is extremely steep, with only a narrow path leading to the top. The salt bandits could use this dangerous pass to create a formidable position, even more dangerous than Black Rock Village.

The bandit leader Xie Hongyi chose this place as his lair more than 20 years ago, and now it has been built to be impregnable. There are also many fanatical followers of the White Lotus sect among the salt bandits on the ridge. With the boost of their faith, their fighting power should not be underestimated. If the Qing army wants to launch a strong attack, they can only attack uphill along that narrow path. At that time, the casualties will be so great that they will be unbearable.

This campaign to suppress bandits has not yet reached the point where Zhao An only cares about the results and not the numbers.

While setting fire to the mountain wouldn't reduce Wulong Ridge to ruins, it would put significant psychological pressure on the salt bandits there. Simultaneously, the fire would completely destroy the bandits' strongholds scattered throughout the surrounding dense forests, facilitating the Qing army's approach and providing a clear view of the battlefield.

More importantly, Wulong Ridge has a fatal flaw: there is no water source on the ridge!
Geographical knowledge told Zhao An that the salt bandits' water source could only come from the foot of the mountain. Therefore, burning the mountain would not only terrify and confuse the salt bandits on the ridge, but also completely expose their water source.

At that time, all that is needed is to send troops to guard the water source, and the salt bandits will collapse in no time.

Science shows that a person can survive for half a month without food, but can only survive for seven or eight days without water, and even less if they don't sleep.

The military order is like a mountain!

Upon hearing the order to set the mountain on fire, the Qing troops who had arrived near Wulong Ridge immediately began to act, quickly spreading torches, oil cans, saltpeter, and other supplies to the foot of Wulong Ridge.

However, there are some rules to follow when setting fires. First, you need to determine the wind direction, and second, you need to ensure your own safety. You don't want to set fire to yourself instead of the enemy.

Zhao An once again promoted the scientific approach to arson, directing the various Qing troops to first establish safe zones, and then assign tasks in a manner similar to blasting mountains and burying explosives, ensuring that the fire would only spread towards Wulong Ridge once it started.

When Xie Hongwu learned that the mountain was to be set on fire, he was briefly stunned and could only sigh deeply towards the ridge.

Once all preparations were complete, the Qing troops stationed in various locations began their operation, setting fire to dry branches and fallen leaves in one place after another.

At first, only scattered sparks danced among the dry grass on the hillside, looking like bonfires lit in the dead of night from above Wulong Ridge. But those scattered bonfires quickly rose and leaped high with the help of the wind and kerosene, and then joined together, like a giant fire beast awakening and roaring unstoppably up the ridge.

The fire grew larger and larger, consuming everything flammable, and even the towering trees crackled and popped from the intense heat.

Startled birds and small animals darted out, and the sky over Wulong Ridge instantly turned red.

This fire will destroy countless bird nests and countless small animals.

There might even be rare and protected animals involved.

Zhao An, who was standing in a safe area "admiring" his masterpiece, felt somewhat reluctant, but his attention was quickly drawn to the exclamations from Wulong Ridge.

As is well known, in the event of a fire, the vast majority of victims are not engulfed by the flames, but rather suffocated by the thick smoke. Unlike the dry branches and leaves piled on top, the leaves piled at the bottom are mostly not dry, and therefore produce a large amount of thick white smoke when burned.

The thick smoke became the first and fatal blow to Wulong Ridge.

The gray, choking column of smoke rose into the air and was then stirred by the wind, transforming into an overwhelming curtain of death, rolling and swirling up the ridge with the acrid smell of burning plants.

The salt bandits on the ridge were in complete chaos. The pungent smell of smoke and the rapidly rising temperature terrified even the most fanatical White Lotus believers.

Thick white smoke quickly enveloped the entire Wulong Ridge. No place could escape the all-pervasive smoke, causing people's eyes to ache and tears to stream down their faces.

The thick smoke not only made it difficult for the salt bandits to breathe, but also blurred their vision. The so-called Eight Heavenly Dragons soldiers on the stockade wall, who were armed and ready to defend against the Qing army's attack, were soon forced to move away from the stockade wall and search for every inch of clean land that had not yet been invaded by the thick smoke.

Coughs and exclamations echoed across the ridge.

The fire, which spread wildly from the foot of the ridge, climbed upwards. The defensive fortifications built by the salt bandits on the outskirts were no match for the fire. If the trees near the village had not been cleared to build the fortifications and structures on the ridge, the fire would have burned Wulong Ridge to the ground.

"May the Eternal Mother have mercy! Quickly send down sweet rain to extinguish the demonic flames!"

Master Liu kept waving his whisk, but the Eternal Mother was probably resting and didn't hear the prayers of her followers. There wasn't even a cloud in the sky above Wulong Ridge, let alone rain.

With no other option, Master Liu had to lead a group of young believers into the tunnel.

Although the tunnel was narrow, it at least allowed them to avoid the thick smoke.

Xie Hongyi, Yang Biao, and other leaders were also shouting themselves hoarse to suppress their chaotic subordinates. At this point, any heavenly assistance or divine protection was meaningless; being able to breathe fresh air was the most important thing.

Several buildings not shrouded in thick smoke were crowded with salt bandits who had been driven there by the smoke. They watched in fear as the flames rose higher and higher nearby, and as the thick smoke was blown everywhere by the wind. They were like a group of thirsty fish huddled in the last puddle.

The fire raged for several days until a heavy rain brought it to a halt, but countless plumes of smoke still rose from the mountains and fields, resembling cooking smoke.

Except for a very few places, the depths of Jiushan Mountain have turned completely black, and some giant trees, though still standing there, are burning inside.

After the dense forest was swept away by the fire, two water sources were exposed to the Qing army.

One is an underground spring, and the other is a small stream that is not easily noticed unless you look closely.

The Qing army immediately took control of the two water sources and spent a whole day building fences and setting up camps at them.

Time is running out for the salt bandits.

Out of humanitarian considerations, Zhao An ordered his men to erect a wooden sign in a place visible to the salt bandits on the ridge, with only one simple sentence on it: "Go down the mountain, your families are waiting for you to come home."

(End of this chapter)