Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

After the two finished their discussion, Yan Hongxin led his troops to capture the woodcutter.

While instructing his men to prepare a meal, Li You summoned a dozen or so personal guards and had them follow Liu Dashun to learn how to chop firewood.

Liu Dashun didn't understand. What was so interesting about learning something as simple as chopping wood?

"Just teach me, stop talking nonsense!"

Under Li You's strict orders, Liu Dashun began to become his "woodchopping godfather".

For some reason, Liu Dashun always felt an invisible pressure when facing the young man in front of him.

Those who kill many people will carry a murderous aura around them.

The "Godfather of Woodcutting" began his teaching under a nearby tree.

Li You stood aside and watched.

As the saying goes, "sharpening your axe won't delay your woodcutting work," and Liu Dashun began by introducing the woodcutting axe and saw in his hand.

He then began hands-on practice.

The man quietly climbed the tree, picked out some thin branches that could be chopped, and then used a saw to cut off a thicker branch. The wood fell to the ground, where Liu Dashun divided and bundled it into "firewood carrying poles" for easy transport.

After Liu Dashun finished his demonstration, Li You led the applause.

Seeing so many people applauding him, "The Godfather" was a little embarrassed.

"Da Shun, let me ask you, if you were to cut down a large tree, what would you do?"

"This... requires a bigger axe and saw, and we'll need someone to help us."

"Don't worry, you'll have help soon."

The next day, Yan Hongxin captured five or six more woodcutters.

Liu Dashun understood that these woodcutters were the helpers he needed.

The young man before me is looking more and more like a bandit.

With more people, not only can they start cutting down trees, but they can also cut down a lot of trees.

Li You wanted to lead people to survive in the mountains, and cutting down trees and clearing land were essential.

Moreover, the forest coverage was very high at the time, and no government would bother you if you cut down trees in the remote forests of the south.

Of course, if any government forces were to obstruct his development, Li You would definitely fight them back.

The few thousand soldiers under Li You's command were no match for the imperial guards and palace troops of the northern court.

However, the inferior soldiers of your southern prefectures can still hold their own against you for a while.

……

The plan to go into the mountains has officially begun.

The first step, naturally, was to venture into the mountains to explore and select a site for the village where they would eventually settle.

The guides tasked with scouting the way into the mountains were woodcutters captured in recent days, represented by Liu Dashun.

When Li You had some free time, he sent his elite soldiers to sneak into the village where Liu Dashun and his men lived, and "invited" the woodcutter's family to the army camp to eat and live together.

This move is called: "Earn money from the mountain stronghold".

Li You felt that ever since he went into the mountains to become a bandit, his methods had gradually become similar to those of Chao Tianwang, Song Yashi, and Wu Xuejiu. Not exactly similar, but perhaps even surpassing them.

They were always thinking of getting some people to come up the mountain to help them with their work.

Oh no, that's not called robbing, it's called "earning," the "earning" in "making money."

The problem is that Chao Tianwang and his men occupied Wang Lun's existing stronghold, which was like moving in with their bags packed; while Li You had to find his own location, lay his own foundation, and build his own house, making the work much more difficult and complicated. Moreover, Li You didn't have many suitable leaders at his disposal, only Yan Hongxin and Gao Shun were available.

It is unknown when Yan Hongliang, Liang Mengbiao, and Zan Junmo will be able to return.

So, we can only take it slowly.

To improve efficiency, Li You divided the scouting team into two groups, one led by Yan Hongxin and the other by Gao Shun, each with three hundred men.

Their main area of ​​exploration was the territory where the woodcutters had encountered the "mountain people".

The Tongbai Mountains stretch for more than 250 miles, with ravines and complex waterways. Without a guide, it is easy to get lost.

Li You waited anxiously at the foot of the mountain for five days before Yan Hongxin returned from scouting the way.

He went with 300 men, but returned with only 237.

Some soldiers were attacked by wild animals, some fell into deep ravines, and some were injured by poisonous insects, losing their precious lives.

Nature is cruel; it treats every living thing that tries to challenge it equally.

Several Taoist priests dressed in tattered robes were also taken down the mountain by Yan Hongxin.

It turns out that the "wild Taoist priest" that Liu Dashun mentioned really exists.

However, according to Yan Hongxin, they did not encounter any robbers in the mountains.

"So, have you found a suitable place to use it?"

"My lord, the place where these Taoist priests live is alright, but it's not big enough to accommodate so many of us. This Taoist priest is called Mingjing, and he pointed out a place for us. It's a valley between two mountains, with a gentler terrain and a larger area. It's perfect!" Yan Hongxin said excitedly.

A smile finally appeared on Li You's face.

The anxiety and tension of the past few days have eased somewhat.

"Thank you, Master Mingjing!"

"No, no..."

Li You instructed his men to take out dozens of bolts of cloth and hand them to Mingjing.

"Benefactor, this...this is a bit too much..."

"Oh, Master, just accept it when they tell you to!"

When Master Mingjing's disciples saw the new cloth, their eyes lit up, and they rushed forward to touch it.

It's not entirely their fault; their Taoist robes were already tattered and worn.

With these fabrics, I'll be able to wear a few new clothes this year.

"May I ask one more question, benefactor, what brings you here?"

"Why have we come here? Naturally, to settle down in the mountains and recuperate."

"Now that you have found a place to settle down, could you please let my master and me return?"

"Oh, Daoist Master, look at you, you're being too polite! From now on, we're all family, living together will be good for looking after each other. There are some things I... I still need to ask you!"

Li You naturally wouldn't let go of these indigenous people who had lived in the mountains for a long time.

Master Mingjing and his disciples were outnumbered and outmatched, and could only suffer this undeserved calamity.

"Master, how many years have you been cultivating in the mountains?"

"If I count on my fingers, it's been more than twenty years."

"Oh? Then let me ask you another question: why did you choose the Tongbai Mountains as your place of cultivation?"

"Famous mountains and great rivers are home to wise men. My cultivation is shallow, and I am already very fortunate to have a place to cultivate."

Upon hearing this, Li You seemed to be deep in thought.

It turns out that a hierarchy of contempt also exists in their cultivation world.

Famous mountains and rivers with good conditions, such as Zhongnan Mountain, Emei Mountain, and Wudang Mountain, are reserved for powerful immortals. Wild Taoists like Mingjing have to find other places to live.

Li You thought to himself, "I've been rushing around all day, and I'm no different from the Daoist Master Mingjing in front of me."

"What you say makes sense, Daoist Master. I have learned a lot."

Master Mingjing was taken aback upon hearing this, somewhat not understanding.

I was just stating a fact, so why is this young man so enlightened?

"Master, you've lived in the mountains for so long, how do you manage to eat?"