My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 314 Unique
Li Mi and the others set off again, and finally, they successfully encountered the people of Qingzao Village.

When they first saw these people, both Wang Bodang and Xu Maogong were startled. There was a checkpoint set up on the mountain road, with many soldiers standing on both sides, totaling more than twenty people, led by a military officer, guarding the place.

They were all dressed in uniform, some even wearing armor. Their faces were solemn, and they stood in neat rows. Even the local militia guarding the city gates did not have their imposing presence.

Wang Bodang and Xu Maogong assumed they had encountered Sui soldiers stationed there and were already prepared to flee.

Li Mi, however, was not particularly afraid. After all, he had encountered something far more formidable. When he set out from Luoyang, he had met a group of fully armored soldiers who had warned him to be careful. Their aura was far more terrifying than that of the people in front of him.

Moreover, how could there possibly be Sui Dynasty soldiers in the mountains at such a time?
The soldiers all went to Liaodong.

Li Mi stepped forward and saluted the soldiers, saying, "Gentlemen, we are heading into the mountains. Would you mind allowing us to pass?"

A military officer stepped down, frowned, looked Li Mi and his men up and down, and then glanced at the carriages in the distance.

"Ah."

The military officer didn't ask any questions, but simply gestured to the soldiers in the distance to write something down, then opened the gate and let them in.

The group simply passed by, and the soldiers watched quietly without saying a word, seeing them off as they left.

Once inside, Wang Bodang couldn't help but ask, "Were those people from Qingzao Village just now?"

"How come they look even better than the local militia?"

"I've seen ones that are even better than this."

Li Mi wasn't too surprised. Wang Bodang then asked, "They're sitting here, not asking about our purpose or our identities, not even checking our carriage, and just letting us in like that. What's the meaning of this?"

Xu Maogong slowly said, "This means there are still checkpoints further in; they are only used to guard against bandits and local militia."

As Xu Maogong said, they walked a little further and encountered an even bigger obstacle. This obstacle was completely different from the one that had been temporarily set up before. They had built an obstacle right there!

The entire mountain road was blocked by this pass. The pass walls were tall and sturdy, and many soldiers were walking back and forth on them.

At the checkpoint entrance, there were proper officials sitting to the side, registering pedestrians.

Standing before those officials were many people, some dressed as old farmers, some as wandering knights, and so on, numbering in the dozens.

These were all people who had come to seek refuge in the mountain stronghold, but at this moment, their faces were filled with extreme astonishment.

Li Mi glanced at the people in the distance, a smile appearing on his face.

This is what he meant. If it were an ordinary thief, why would they build such a checkpoint, or arrange such manpower for registration? Such a den of bandits would be impossible. It seems that Duke Tang has done a very good job these days.

After waiting for a while, it was finally their turn.

This time, Li Mi did not walk at the front. Since he had to keep a low profile, he stood behind Wang Bodang.

Xu Maogong was the first to arrive. As soon as he reached the official-looking man, he said, "I've come to seek refuge with Brother Zhai."

The official was not surprised; these days, there were plenty of people like Xu Maogong. He picked up a pen and paper and began to question them.

After recording his name, household registration, and other key information, the official gave him a pass to identify himself and then let him in.

After Xu Maogong, Wang Bodang, Li Mi, and others also entered smoothly.

After entering this level, the surrounding situation begins to change.

The road here had clearly been repaired, and some gravel roads could even be seen in the distance. As they continued along the road, some houses began to appear around them. In the distance, people were cutting down trees, and some farmland could even be seen on the left. Although the amount was small and the harvest was not significant, they never thought they would see this in the mountains!
There are also quite a few arrow towers in the distance; you can basically see these watchtowers and other defensive fortifications after walking a short distance.

The road ahead became wider and wider.

Finally, they saw the mysterious mountain village hidden deep in the forest, Qingzao Village. Upon seeing Qingzao Village, the group froze on the spot, dumbfounded.

What appeared before them was a walled mountain stronghold.
The city wall is not very tall, but it is indeed very long. Looking to the left and right, you can hardly see its end. Only on the left can you see that it seems to be attached to the mountain wall.

The city gates were open, guarded by familiar officials and soldiers.

The group arrived at the city gate in a daze.

After showing the previous document, the city gate official stamped it, indicating that they had become true citizens of Qingzao Village. At the same time, the official told them that after entering the city, they should go directly to the government office to report, and the government would arrange the rest of the matters.

Xu Maogong was feeling dizzy at that moment.

When Zhai Rang persuaded them to seek refuge in Wild Buffalo Mountain, saying that the situation there was special, Xu Maogong didn't take it seriously at all, thinking that no matter how special it was, it was just a den of bandits. But this time, after coming here in person, he was truly amazed! These people had actually established a country right in the deep mountains and forests!

What are the surrounding counties doing? Aren't they doing anything about it?
Walking through the city gate, what lies inside is even more astonishing.

Liu Xuan's original town plan is now being implemented little by little. The roads in the city are well-connected, and there are various residences along the way. You can see merchants walking back and forth, and they are using the imperial court's money. All the buildings are very new, and you can see all kinds of people in the city.

Li Mi looked around, but wasn't surprised.

For ordinary people, the sudden appearance of a city in the mountains is indeed frightening, but for them, building a city is nothing special. When the Zhou and Qi states were at war, both sides built cities in various parts of the Yin Mountains, constructing dozens of cities within a few years. However, after the war ended, they were all abandoned.

As long as you have the materials and manpower, building a city is not a difficult task, even in the deep mountains.

There seem to be quite a few people in this city; there must be at least ten thousand households.

Moreover, judging from the roads outside the city, there should be more than just one city in the Buffalo Mountains. There should be other cities, towns, villages, and so on. Perhaps they also have places for mining, smelting, and animal husbandry. There must also be a training ground.

As Li Mi pondered this, he followed Xu Maogong and the others all the way to the county government office in the city.

The county magistrate, where the thieves were staying, warmly welcomed them and inquired about their identities, skills, and so on. When he learned that these people were literate and that Xu Maogong had even sponsored Qingzao Village, the magistrate was very surprised and quickly invited an official to come forward.

Li Mi discovered that these people seemed to be using official titles from the Later Han Dynasty, but with some added characteristics of the Sui Dynasty.

A county magistrate surnamed Wang greeted them. This magistrate was named Wang Erzhi. He was not old, but he was quite knowledgeable about etiquette.

The group sat in a room. Xu Maogong shook his head as he talked about the hardships he had encountered in his hometown. He also felt ashamed when he mentioned that he had not accepted Zhai Rang's kindness.

"Young Master Xu, please don't say that. Magistrate Zhai once spoke of your deeds. The supplies you sent helped us build such a city. We are very happy that you are willing to come."

"what?"

Xu Maogong's eyes widened. "Magistrate Zhai? Could it be that Brother Zhai has become the magistrate?"

"That's right, but it's not the magistrate here, it's the magistrate of Gongshan Village over there on the east bank of the river."

"This is Magistrate Zhang. You will be able to meet him tomorrow, but he is out today."

Xu Maogong told him about his own affairs, and then introduced Wang Bodang and Li Mi to him as well.

The county magistrate learned that Wang Bodang also had friends on the mountain, and he was quite friendly to him. He also attached great importance to Li Mi's status as a great Confucian scholar, since it was really hard to find a great Confucian scholar who came to join the mountain stronghold.

The county magistrate said he would arrange accommodations for them and provide them with suitable jobs.

As he spoke, the county magistrate glanced at Li Mi several times. He felt that the dark-faced scholar in front of him looked very familiar, and the more he looked, the more familiar he seemed. He couldn't help but frown. "Lord Liu, why do I feel like I've seen you before?"

Li Mi laughed, "The county magistrate is a man of high status and has a bad memory."

"Have you forgotten the time I took Sanlangjun to capture those people from the Zheng family?"

(End of this chapter)