Starting from his vigorous old age, he began to conquer Liaozhai.

Cao Xiong opened the envelope, took out the letter, and found it filled with over a thousand words.

The first few hundred words contained little useful information; they were all expressions of admiration for Cao Xiong.

……

"I, Liu Mingzi, was born a scholar but was forced into banditry. I have never harmed the poor and needy. Now, I no longer wish to associate with evil thieves and bandits. I hope Lord Cao can give me a chance to serve the court."

[As a token of our sincerity, we are including a detailed record of the bandit alliance's composition.]

[Xinshan has a total of 238 official bandits, including one mid-stage Bone Forging Realm martial artist, one early-stage Bone Forging Realm martial artist, and five Skin Tempering Realm martial artists...]

[Two-Eyed Mountain Stronghold has a total of 123 bandits, including one early-stage Bone Forging Realm martial artist...]

……

If Lord Cao accepts Qingfeng Village's surrender, any orders he issues can be delivered directly to Qin Dan.

Finally, sir, please be careful. Xin Dahu has a talisman that can counter artillery.

After reading the letter, Cao Xiong remained silent for a long time, pondering the purpose and credibility of Qingfeng Village's allegiance.

Liu Mingzi's letter stated that he surrendered to the court because he did not want to associate with evil spirits, but this is definitely not the real reason.

Regardless of Liu Mingzi's reasons for becoming a bandit, someone who could conquer a large stronghold in the outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains would never surrender to the imperial court for such a noble and righteous reason, especially at such a special time.

This is similar to a woman who was forced into prostitution, worked hard for many years to become the most beautiful courtesan, and suddenly wanted to erect a memorial arch for her chastity. We must be wary of this.

But if we think about it from another angle, if this is a conspiracy by bandits, then what is Liu Mingzi's purpose?

Were the officers and soldiers deliberately lured to Xinshan? Or were they ambushed along the way?

The document revealed too much information about the bandits, especially the talisman that could counter artillery attacks, which was tantamount to exposing one of the bandits' trump cards.

Cao Xiong thought about it again and again, but he still felt it was unreasonable.

But the only thing that can be confirmed now is that the bandits have indeed formed an alliance, as the letter said, and have gathered in Xinshan.

If he pays a little attention, it's worth a try.

"Qin Dan~"

Upon hearing Cao Xiong call his name, Qin Dan quickly responded.

"Sir, I am here."

"Go back and tell Liu Mingzi that I, on behalf of the imperial court, accept Qingfeng Village's surrender. I will reserve the position of commander for him, and he can take office as soon as the bandit suppression is over."

"I will accept all the remaining people from Qingfeng Village who are willing to join the Hundred-Household Office. Those who do not wish to join will be given a sum of money to be dismissed."

"You will remain under Liu Mingzi's command."

"Rest assured, sir, I will convey your message word for word."

Qin Dan lowered his head, a fiery glint in his eyes.

Cao Xiong walked up to Qin Dan and patted him on the shoulder twice.

"Rest assured, my word is my bond. Liu Mingzi's position as commander will be filled after I have met with him following the suppression of the bandits."

"You're quite good too, daring to take the risk of coming to Qingping Village, and your cultivation at the Skin Tempering Realm is also very stable."

"I hereby announce that, from this moment forward, Qin Dan shall serve as the Third Banner Officer of the Hundred-Household Office in Guobei County."

Qin Dan was deeply moved and knelt on one knee. "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will certainly, no, I will certainly go through fire and water for you."

The position of a minor officer—that's a seventh-rank military officer in the imperial court, a hundred times better than being a bandit leader. Qin Dan will no longer need to sneak home.

At this moment, all worries vanished. Qin Dan had only one thought in his mind: to hell with robbery and being a thief! I am a minor officer of the Hundred Household Office in Guobei County. Even if the imperial court deceives me, I will accept it. Even if I die tomorrow, I will die as a minor officer, not as a bandit.

"Get up, there's no need for that."

Cao Xiong had been observing Qin Dan's reaction, and saw that his excitement did not seem fake.

"You can go back now. Three days from now, at the beginning of the morning, I will prepare to attack Xinshan. At that time, I will have Liu Mingzi provide support from the inside and do everything possible to open the city gate from the inside. Before we make our move, we will release red smoke."

"As soon as this red smoke is lit, I will immediately send out troops."

As he spoke, Cao Xiong took out a red tobacco pipe, a special type used by soldiers, and handed it to Qin Dan.

"In addition, all those who surrender to the imperial court must wrap a red scarf around their wrists to prevent wrongful execution."

Qin Dan carefully accepted the signal flare, tucked it close to his body, and wore a serious expression.

"Rest assured, sir, I will certainly deliver the orders!"

"Qingfeng Village will complete the mission even at the cost of their lives."

Cao Xiong watched Qin Dan's figure disappear from sight, while two nimble scouts quietly followed behind.

"Send word to prepare three days' worth of rations, and set out at noon."

……

……

……

After leaving Qingping Village, Qin Dan traveled without stopping and carefully made his way back to Xinshan at nightfall.

"Stop!"

Upon seeing Qin Dan, the bandits on the watchtower raised their bows and arrows and aimed them at him.

Then shout out a command:

"Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger"

"Pagoda Suppresses River Demon"

Qin Dan remained calm and answered the passwords as usual. This was normal questioning. His reason for leaving Xinshan was to gather intelligence on the officers and soldiers.

In the past few days, not only people from Qingfeng Village have been going out, but similar bandits have also been appearing in various mountain strongholds.

Where did the pagoda come from?

After Qin Dan gave the first command, the bandit henchmen put down their bows and arrows, and their tone became much gentler.

"Take it from Qingfeng Village"

After hearing Qin Dan's command that there were no problems, the bandits on the watchtower gave a command with their hands, and the bandits below opened the gate of the stronghold.

After entering Xinshan, Qin Dan went directly to Liu Mingzi's room.

Liu Mingzi seemed to have anticipated Qin Dan's arrival, and sat calmly at the table, drinking tea.

"Brother, Lord Cao has accepted our allegiance."

Then, Qin Dan relayed almost exactly what Cao Xiong had said to Liu Mingzi.

"Lord Cao may not fully trust us, but he will see the sincerity of Qingfeng Village."

"Do as Lord Cao says. Contact your men and prepare the red silk in advance. Tie it to their wrists before the operation."

"As for the specifics of how to proceed, wait for my instructions."

Liu Mingzi let out a deep breath. How to capture the gate of the stockade was a severe test.

However, Liu Mingzi already had a preliminary plan in mind.

The bandits were in a great position, and no one would think he was foolish enough to defect to the imperial court; this was their biggest excuse.

What worried him more was how Cao Xiong would enter Xinshan from the outside, as Xin Dahu's talismans were not simple.

This is a problem for Cao Xiong to consider; all he can do is tell Cao Xiong the news, nothing more.

Liu Mingzi conducted a detailed investigation into Cao Xiong, and the first sixty years of his life could be described as ordinary.

Three months ago, Cao Xiong not only broke through to the Bone Forging Realm, but also broke through the third level of Bone Forging and stepped into the Tendon Refining Realm.

"It seems that Lord Cao has even greater opportunities than I have."

Liu Mingzi sighed, feeling even more confident in Cao Xiong.

After Qin Dan left, Liu Mingzi took out three ancient bronze coins, closed his eyes, and muttered incantations.

"Minor auspiciousness is a mixture of yin and yang."

"Conservatism ensures safety but few achievements."

……