My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 223 Obtaining the Stronghold
Bailu Village.

As dawn broke, the bandits in the stronghold had already gotten up. Many of the elderly and weak, dressed in tattered clothes, were cooking over a fire. Several bandits had already gotten up to supervise the elderly and weak.

In the courtyard at the very center of the village, Wang Junkuo had just woken up.

Two beauties were still sleeping beside him. Wang Junkuo stood up, changed his clothes, washed up, and sat in the courtyard, waiting for the servants to bring him food.

Wang Junkuo was from Shiai. When he was young, his family was poor and he could not make a living, so he could only become a merchant to sell horses.

However, his role as a horse trader changes depending on the strength of the trader. If the other party is stronger than him, he is a horse merchant; if the other party is weaker than him, he is a horse bandit.

When he was just twenty years old, he had already become a notorious "hero" in his hometown, committing all sorts of evil deeds.

Not long ago, he and his uncle bought a lot of horses and set off from Shiai, intending to sell them along the way. However, as soon as the caravan reached Xihe, he encountered real bandits. Logically speaking, Wang Junkuo was skilled in martial arts, and his brothers had all seen blood and killed people. Ordinary bandits knew him and treated him like a brother, so there should be no danger.

But the band of bandits he encountered in Xihe was different. In just one encounter, Wang Junkuo's men were defeated. Wang Junkuo fought alone, but he was no match for so many knights. He killed many people, but in the end, he could only lose his belongings and run away.

Seeing how fierce Wang Junkuo was, the bandits dared not pursue him any further.

After losing all his possessions, Wang Junkuo was too lazy to go home, so he simply went to the nearby famous Bailu Mountain.

The chieftain of the mountain stronghold had heard of his name and knew that he was quite brave. In addition, he had brought many powerful knights to join him, so he valued him highly and made him his deputy to recruit more warriors.

However, when Wang Junkuo saw the old and frail chieftain, he had the idea of ​​replacing him. So, less than a month after he came up the mountain, he killed the old chieftain. The other bandits were afraid of him, and since he was indeed much stronger than the old chieftain, they all submitted to him.

Soon, the servants brought in a lot of food, which Wang Junkuo devoured.

He is thoroughly enjoying his life.

In the past, people had to make a living through business; where would they find the opportunity to eat and drink so lavishly?

Moreover, with the frequent forced labor, the number of thieves in various places is increasing. In just this month, dozens of thieves have come to seek refuge. If I strengthen my power in the future, I may be able to accomplish something great!

Just as Wang Junkuo was pondering the future, another group of thieves rushed in from outside the door in a panic.

"Zhaizhu!"

"Disaster! Disaster!"

Wang Junkuo merely glared at him, and the thief dared not shout any more.

"Chief, a lot of soldiers have arrived outside, and it's the same man from before."

Wang Junkuo immediately laughed, without a trace of fear in his eyes, "Here we go again?"

"Good, good, I was just worried that I couldn't keep these bad guys here last time!"

"Take my spear!"

Wang Junkuo changed into military attire, holding a large spear, looking imposing. He once again summoned the bandits in the house, and they marched in a mighty force toward the city wall. Although the people of Qi had a bad reputation, the things they built were better than those of Zhou, sturdier and more durable! This pass alone, despite not being maintained for so many years, was still so strong. Wang Junkuo didn't think any local militia could break through such a fortress.

When he reached the city wall, the thieves on the wall were terrified and were talking about something.

Wang Junkuo looked outside.

They saw that the outside was densely packed with soldiers.

Among them were at least nearly a hundred men, all clad in armor and fully armed. Wang Junkuo even spotted some powerful crossbows. They were arrayed in front of the city and were constantly gathering, while cavalrymen were seen running back and forth in the distance.

Wang Junkuo froze on the spot, his mind blank.

Fubing (府兵)? ???

Why are there government troops? Can local authorities mobilize government troops?
He hadn't raised a flag in rebellion; he was just hiding here, occasionally coming out to plunder. Was it really necessary to mobilize so many soldiers?

Wang Junkuo was not afraid because he thought the local authorities could not mobilize the garrison troops and would not dare to make a big fuss, so he did not care. But now the situation is clearly different from what he thought.

He looked at his subordinates around him, and even those who had followed him the longest were now somewhat panicked.

Local militia can't scare people, but local militia are terrifying.

"Chief, chief, chief! What are we going to do?!"

"Don't panic!"

"So what if they have armor and crossbows? We have strong fortifications and high walls; can they fly in?" "Prepare your defenses; they won't last long."

Just as Wang Junkuo was trying to boost the morale of his troops, he saw that a group of soldiers had broken off and started cutting down the dense forest in the distance.

The bandits might not know, but Wang Junkuo knew perfectly well.

These bastards are building siege weapons!!!
Seeing them get busy, Wang Junkuo suddenly fell silent.

Silence reigned atop the city walls.

Wang Junkuo suddenly realized that he might have really provoked someone he shouldn't have. The other side was clearly determined to eliminate him; they even brought a military craftsman, which meant they were going to attack the city.
Wang Junkuo had just transformed from a horse merchant into a bandit leader and had no combat experience. Suddenly seeing the formal soldiers, he lost his confidence.

At this moment, his uncle rushed up and also saw the scene outside.

Wang Junkuo's uncle was extraordinary. He lost his parents when he was young and was raised by his uncle. This uncle was a soldier who fought in battles when he was young. He taught Wang Junkuo martial arts and military knowledge.

He saw it more clearly than Wang Junkuo.

"Jun Kuo! I advised you to go home before! But you wouldn't listen! What are we going to do now?!"

"The guards have all surrounded us!"

The old man was panicked, his eyes filled with despair.

“Uncle, now is not the time to talk about these things.”

Wang Junkuo pulled the old man aside, his face solemn. "Uncle, we must think of a way to save our lives!"

The old man glared at him, pondered for a long time, and then said, "Surrender. If you surrender now, you may still live."

"Survive??"

“I killed so many of them and even injured their leader. If I surrender now, do you think they'll spare me? Even if the others live, the two of us will die!”

"So what do you plan to do? They're already building siege weapons. Do you think you can defeat them with just this few men?"

"You will still die after they breach the city, and you might die an even more gruesome death!"

Hearing the old man's words, Wang Junkuo hesitated greatly. The old man quickly said, "Don't hesitate! There are no other roads around. Of the men under your command, only four or five are truly capable fighters. The reason they were able to ride out to fight earlier was because the enemy was unprepared. Your men can't stop them at all. Once the enemy has prepared their siege ladders, your men will surrender immediately."

Wang Junkuo pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

Then he suddenly knelt down in front of the old man, crying out, "Uncle, only you can save me!!"

The gates of Bailu Village slowly opened.

At this moment, Shan Xiongxin, clad in armor and riding a tall horse, holding a lance, saw the bandits open the city gate again and was about to charge. Feng Li, who was beside him, quickly stopped him, saying, "Captain Shan, don't be hasty! These people can't escape!"

After the city gates were opened wide, an old man came out.

The old man, shirtless, carrying a bundle of thorns on his back, with disheveled hair, staggered toward them.

"Generals! We surrender! We surrender!"

"Please forgive me!"

Shan Xiongxin raised his spear and pointed it at the old man. "When I came here before, the bandit leader was quite arrogant. Why is it an old man like you who has come today? Where is that bandit leader?!"

The old man said sorrowfully, "General, that bandit chieftain is my nephew. He knew he was no match for you generals, and unwilling to suffer humiliation or send his men to their deaths, he ordered me to lead the surrender. He himself has already set himself on fire in the inner courtyard. I am now in charge of the city. Please forgive me, General."

Shan Xiongxin was taken aback, but Feng Li spoke first, "Tell the people inside to drop their weapons and come out!"

The old man agreed and then gave the order, and the thieves came out one by one.

Shan Xiongxin also saw the thick smoke rising from a distance.

His anger subsided slightly. "He can be considered a hero after all."

"That's not necessarily the case."

Feng Li said softly.

(End of this chapter)