My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 220 Special Thieves
Taihang Mountains, Bailu Mountain.

Even the 800-li-long Yeniu Mountain is not a big mountain compared to the Taihang Mountains. The Taihang Mountains are continuous and have all kinds of high mountains and steep ridges. During the Later Han Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of people hid in the mountains of Hedong. The court could not control them and could only try to persuade their leaders to surrender.

After being developed over the centuries, the mountains of Hedong became crisscrossed with interconnected roads, passes and fortresses were set up at the crossroads, and the terrain was protected by natural defenses. The mountains were rich in fertile fields and mineral resources, making them a vital area of ​​importance.

Unfortunately, the prosperity of Hedong did not last long. By the time of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Jinyang was still the core area of ​​the Northern Qi, no less than Yecheng. It was a prosperous place with many cities and a lot of farmland. However, the subsequent emperors were really not good people.

Although Yang Guang was cruel, he was at least clear-headed. As for the rulers of Northern Qi, it was not a matter of cruelty. Under their rule, Hedong gradually declined, bandits rose up everywhere, and in the subsequent wars, it became a major battlefield, suffering extremely severe damage.

Emperor Wen attached great importance to the governance of Hedong, and repeatedly reduced taxes there and pacified the people. He made a lot of efforts. However, starting in his later years, he began to act inhumanely. After Yang Guang came to power, he became even more inhumane.

Hebei and Hedong became the hardest-hit areas for forced labor, and their originally abundant population base began to decline sharply. Because Hedong was close to the border and had a larger population than the border areas, they were always the ones who built the Great Wall, passes, and fortified city defenses. Even when digging canals in Hebei, the people of Hedong were mobilized.

To avoid taxes and corvée labor, large numbers of people fled into the deep mountains and forests.

Bailu Mountain is located in a very dangerous place. It is situated on an important land route connecting Heluo, Hedong, and Hebei. The mountain is not very high, but it is covered with lush trees and dense forests. There are also many wild beasts in the deep mountains, so ordinary merchants have to travel in groups.

"Snapped!"

With a single stroke, Shan Xiongxin severed the branch in front of him, roughly tore apart the remaining vines, and fiercely ripped a path through the dense forest.

The warriors followed behind him in a large procession of over a hundred men.

Dan Xiongxin wiped the sweat from his forehead. The road to Bailu Mountain was indeed difficult to travel. It was one thing to have dense forests and wild animals, but there were also so many mosquitoes and poisonous snakes. Was this really the north? He thought that only the mountains and forests in the south were like this. He really did not expect that there would be such a place in Hedong!
Shan Xiongxin wasn't afraid of any ferocious beasts or tigers; he was only afraid of these small creatures. He had brought so many warriors with him, and not long after entering the mountains, two of them had been bitten to death by poisonous snakes, which truly pained Shan Xiongxin.

Watch your step! Be careful!

Shan Xiongxin shouted and continued forward.

As Shan Xiongxin chopped away one tangled branch after another that blocked the road, the road ahead gradually became clearer and wider. Shan Xiongxin even saw many man-made roads, with large trees cut down from the roots, and clear footprints visible.

Shan Xiongxin narrowed his eyes and looked at the people behind him, signaling them to lower their bodies.

Shan Xiongxin looked at his deputy and said in a low voice, "Found it. This should be the road to Bailu Village!"

The samurai all placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

After leaving Wild Buffalo Mountain, Qingzao Village began its expansion in various parts of Hedong. Shan Xiongxin took command of the overall situation, sending soldiers to various places to persuade others to surrender.

In many places, things went quite smoothly. When Qingzao Village arrived with large quantities of grain, cloth, tools, and fierce warriors, offering to let these bandits live if they surrendered, most of them surrendered without hesitation.

Shan Xiongxin had already recruited more than 3,000 people in Hedong and established a stronghold on Gongshan Mountain in Hanoi County, which became the first stronghold in Hedong. Mountain people came here in an endless stream and built things in the mountains.

However, things didn't always go smoothly, and Bailu Mountain was an unexpected turn of events.

This place is a strategic point in the Taihang Mountains, with a dangerous location. Shan Xiongxin sent people to make contact immediately. However, the initial contact did not go smoothly. The bandits occupying Bailu Mountain were different from the dead people in other places.

This group occupied Bailu Mountain for many years, frequently plundering the people of Hanoi and Changping counties, committing numerous atrocities. Because of their notorious reputation, merchants preferred to take the Changping Road, which was teeming with wild beasts, rather than the more convenient Bailu Road.

They were living quite comfortably, unlike the dead who had only recently come to hide. Therefore, they were unwilling to surrender at all. The men sent by Shan Xiongxin were driven back by them with arrows before they even saw their faces.

Shan Xiongxin was furious, which is why he personally led his troops to wipe out this gang of bandits.

However, Shan Xiongxin did not choose to confront them head-on. He knew that the paths leading up the mountain were under surveillance, so he went straight into the dense forest and carved out a path by himself. Now, they were very close to the bandits' lair.

Shan Xiongxin examined the footprints to estimate the number of enemies.

"This band of bandits is quite numerous. They even have horses, so we can't underestimate them."

Shan Xiongxin looked up at the sky, feeling somewhat hesitant.

They weren't familiar with this area. Moving under cover of darkness would provide better cover, but the mountain paths were difficult, and with the darkness and unfamiliarity with the terrain, they might not find the enemy even after a whole night's journey. Moreover, their own casualties would certainly be severe. After some thought, Shan Xiongxin decided to act now. He would use the footprints to guide him, find the bandits, and launch a surprise attack. He was confident that success would be assured!
Shan Xiongxin then instructed his warriors to follow him, lowered their bodies, and slowly walked forward.

The road became increasingly smooth, and some even featured paved stone paths, which greatly surprised Shan Xiongxin. These thieves actually knew how to build roads?!
You know, even the roads on Wild Buffalo Mountain aren't like this. What kind of thief would willingly build a road? Isn't this just blatantly giving the soldiers directions?

Shan Xiongxin was somewhat confused, so he ordered everyone to take their shields and continue forward along the road.

After walking for a long time, the road became smoother and smoother until the distant mountain village finally came into view.

At that moment, Shan Xiongxin was stunned.

In the distance, a large city came into view. Its walls were extremely high, comparable to some cities in the Central Plains. They were topped with battlements, connected to cliffs on both sides, and had tall towers at the four corners. In front of the city, there were many barricades and ditches.

The terrain here is also extremely unique; from those two tall towers, you can directly see the mountain roads below the two cliffs!

When Shan Xiongxin saw this 'city', the people in the city also saw him.

Then they heard several bandits on the city wall shouting loudly and banging something in their hands.

Shan Xiongxin was still completely bewildered. He didn't know why there was such a city in Bailu Mountain, or how it had fallen into the hands of bandits.
Inside the city, things weren't as sturdy as they appeared from the outside; ruins were everywhere. Thieves rushed towards the central courtyard of the city. As they entered, a burly man with a menacing face emerged, pulling up his trousers. "What happened?! What's going on?!"

"Chieftain!! Local militia! A lot of local militia have arrived! So many!"

Upon hearing this, the man sneered, "What are you afraid of?!"

"go!"

He ordered all the bandits to gather, and then strode towards the city wall.

When he reached the city wall, he saw the imposing warriors in the distance, most of them carrying shields and powerful bows. The man narrowed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

He had men stationed along the way, so how did this group get up here?
Could it be that they came here to clear out the forest?

Are they troops from Hanoi?

He thought for a long time, then looked around and grabbed the deputy beside him.

"I'll open the city gate, and you'll pretend to be me and go ask them what's going on."

The deputy was taken aback. He looked at the leader in fear. "Chief! They outnumber us! How can they go out?!"

"What are you afraid of?"

"You go out first and calm them down. I will lead the cavalry to launch a surprise attack. They are mostly infantry, and they are no match for me. If things go well, I will give you half of what we capture!"

The deputy's lips trembled, his eyes filled with despair.

"Here."

The chieftain descended from the city wall and began preparations.

Since he became an outlaw, he had never encountered any real opponents, and he decided to show these ignorant village soldiers what he was made of.

P.S.: I had a follow-up appointment today, but the child wouldn't sleep, so I couldn't get it done. This naughty kid is so disobedient and won't sleep. He kept me up all day. After writing about naughty kids for so many years, this is karma! I really can't finish writing today, I'm exhausted. Please forgive me, brothers, I'll catch up later.

At least the test results were good, which is a relief.

(End of this chapter)