Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

"First, speed is of the essence in war."

Wei Dayong raised a finger and began to explain his thoughts.

It wasn't that he thought tomorrow was too early; on the contrary, he felt the sooner the better!

"Fang Ligong just left, so Qingfeng Village probably doesn't know we're going to make a move yet. If we wait until tomorrow, when the news gets out and they're on guard, we'll have to pay a much higher price."

"Secondly, we must always be wary of others." Wei Dayong raised a second finger. "Do you really think Fang Ligong came to ask us for help? He'd love for us to fight Qingfeng Village to the death, preferably with both sides suffering heavy losses. He might send someone to inform Qingfeng Village the moment he leaves the village."

"Third, surprise." Wei Dayong raised his third finger. "Only by catching the enemy off guard can we achieve the greatest victory with the least cost. Who would have thought that we'd agree and then come knocking on their door the very next minute?"

After listening, everyone nodded in agreement.

Wang Xiao slapped his forehead: "The battalion commander is so thoughtful!"

Wei Dayong smiled and said, "Having ideas isn't enough; you also need to have a plan."

He turned to the bandits who had surrendered and sat to the side, and waved.

"You're all in the same line of work, so you must know Qingfeng Village better than we do. What's the situation there? Can we launch a direct assault?"

The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment. After a while, a burly man suddenly stood up and spoke before anyone else could.

"Commander Wei! I know Qingfeng Village's secrets best!"

His name was Chen Tieshan, and he was originally a minor leader of Black Cloud Village.

"The leader of Qingfeng Village is called Liu Bao, nicknamed 'Turning Leopard.' He is ruthless and lecherous. He defiles all the women he steals from the village before anyone else gets a turn!"

The second-in-command is Zhao Wanhe, nicknamed "Ghost-Fearer." He is treacherous and cunning, and serves as Liu Bao's strategist. He is the one who comes up with the ideas for murder and arson!

The third leader is named Qian Gui, nicknamed "Smiling Tiger." He looks amiable, but he's actually the most ruthless, with more lives on his hands than Liu Bao!

Chen Tieshan swallowed hard and continued.

"Qingfeng Village is no ordinary bandit stronghold! They have over three hundred men, most of whom are desperate criminals. Their most formidable asset is a squad of over forty sharpshooters, each armed with a Mauser pistol. Their marksmanship is incredibly fast and accurate, renowned far and wide! Last time the Jin-Sui Army came to encircle and suppress them, they were utterly routed by this squad of sharpshooters!"

"And then there's the terrain. Qingfeng Village is built deep in a valley, surrounded by dense forest, with only one narrow path leading in. The walls are two zhang high, and the moat is three zhang wide; there's simply no way to attack it by force!"

After Chen Tieshan finished speaking, another bandit stood up and added to the story.

"Commander Wei, I'd also like to say a few words."

This man is called Zhao Liugen. He has a slight limp in his left leg, but he is very quick-witted.

"Qingfeng Village used to be a gathering place for a large family. That family was surnamed Zhou, and they had been working in government for generations. It is said that their ancestors were even imperial craftsmen in the palace."

They built numerous fortifications in the valley, including hidden channels, tunnels, and traps—everything imaginable. Later, when the Japanese army arrived, the Zhou family moved away, and the place fell into the hands of the bandits of Qingfeng Village.

"Those fortifications were formidable! The Jin-Sui Army came to encircle and annihilate them three times, and each time they were soundly defeated, with dozens of soldiers killed. The Japanese army also came once, but they didn't even get close to the gate before being driven back by crossbow bolts."

Zhao Liugen sighed.

"In short, Qingfeng Village is a tough nut to crack! Even if we had four or five thousand men, let alone only four or five hundred, a direct assault would result in heavy casualties!"

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock.

Wang Xiao frowned: "That powerful? How are we supposed to fight them?"

Wei Dayong pondered for a moment, then looked at everyone: "Since a direct assault won't work, are there any other options?"

Everyone started discussing it, but after all the talk, they all felt there was no good solution.

Just then, Chen Tieshan suddenly made a suggestion with great interest:

"Commander Wei, I have an idea."

He leaned closer to Wei Dayong and said loudly.

"We, the former members of Black Cloud Stronghold, can pretend to be undercover agents in Qingfeng Stronghold! We'll say that Black Cloud Stronghold was wiped out by the Jin-Sui Army, and the brothers are desperate and have come to seek refuge with them. Seeing that there are many of us and that we're all familiar faces, they definitely won't suspect anything and will surely take us in!"

"Once we've infiltrated, we can find an opportunity to coordinate an attack from the inside; that way, we'll achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

Everyone's eyes lit up; they thought it was a good idea.

Zhao Liugen nodded in agreement: "That's a good idea! But how will you get into the stronghold? It's not easy to get into Qingfeng Stronghold. Without an acquaintance's introduction, why would they trust you?"

He paused, then smiled smugly: "I have some connections with that Qian Gui. How should I put it... he's the brother-in-law of my distant cousin's brother-in-law. We used to run goods together and worked as partners. If I put in a good word for him, I guarantee I can get him in."

Zhao Liugen added, "However, this Qian Gui has a problem: he's greedy for small gains. We have to give him some benefits, otherwise, it'll be difficult to get in the door or get anything done."

"I can handle things like offering money and bribes!"

A glib, slick voice chimed in.

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized Wang Changgui, who had previously served as the accountant for Black Cloud Village.

"Rumors have long circulated in the underworld that Liu Bao loves flattery, Zhao Wanhe likes to hog everything, and Qian Gui is greedy for small gains. I'm best at catering to people! I'll give those leaders some small gifts and flatter them until they're all happy, then I guarantee they'll trust us completely!"

As he spoke, he moved closer to Wei Dayong, his face beaming with smiles.

"With Commander Wei being so wise and mighty, taking Qingfeng Village is a piece of cake! I'm willing to be your vanguard, even if it means going through fire and water..."

"Alright, alright. I hate hearing this. I'll have to give you a private talking-to later!" Wei Dayong waved his hand, interrupting his flattery.

Wang Changgui retreated sheepishly.

Wei Dayong pondered for a moment and said, "Even if we manage to infiltrate, there are over three hundred enemies, while you only have about eighty. You won't have the advantage in a real fight. Is there any way to incapacitate some of them first?"

In the corner, a silent figure slowly stood up.

Everyone turned to look, and saw a middle-aged man with a thin face, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they held many stories.

"My name is Wu Liang. I am ashamed of my ancestors and have no choice but to become an outlaw. But I have devoted half my life to preparing medicine."

He walked to the table, took out several small porcelain bottles from his pocket, and lined them up in a row.

"The family's secret sedatives and muscle-relaxing powder are colorless and odorless."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Wu Liang picked up a porcelain bottle and gently shook it.

"Once they take our medicine, I guarantee they'll turn from a phoenix into a chicken, and a tiger into a sick cat!"

He paused for a moment, then picked up another porcelain bottle.

"And I'll prepare the antidote. We'll give it to our own people in advance, so even if someone accidentally ingests it, it won't be a problem."

"Okay!" Wei Dayong nodded. "We have the medicine, but how do we administer it?"

"Wow!"

A thin man pushed his way out of the crowd. His name was Li Fei.

"My legs are still okay. I wouldn't dare say I can scale walls, but I can easily climb over walls and onto rooftops."

He spoke briefly and concisely.

"Once we've infiltrated, I can easily find an opportunity to put the drug in their water tanks and food."

"Food alone isn't enough!"

A man with an extremely loud voice stood up, making everyone's ears ring.

"I'll put it in their drinks! When it comes to drinking, nobody around here can outdrink me! I'll go drink with Liu Bao and Zhao Wanhe until they're completely disoriented! When they're drunk, they'll be less vigilant, making it easier for Xiao Feifei to drug them!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere immediately became much more lively.

Just then, another person, a step behind the former, slowly stood up, with a hint of hesitation on his face.

His name is Zhou Quanheng. He had been silent until now, only nodding occasionally.

"Commander Wei, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

Wei Dayong looked at him and said, "We're just having a meeting today, so please feel free to share your thoughts."

Zhou Quanheng took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Sun Dequan beside him, as if he had made a decision.

"To be honest, Sun Dequan and I used to be from Qingfeng Village."

Everyone was taken aback and turned to look at the two of them.

Even the original members of Black Cloud Stronghold were unaware of this past between the two.

Sun Dequan also stood up and nodded: "That's right, we used to be craftsmen from Qingfeng Village."

Zhou Quanheng continued, "The fortifications and mechanisms at Qingfeng Village are indeed formidable. But we've been there for several years, responsible for maintaining these mechanisms, so we know a thing or two about them."

"Those mechanisms were left behind by the Zhou family. Qingfeng Village benefited from them but didn't know how to cherish them. Liu Bao only cared about using them and refused to spend money on maintenance, so those mechanisms have long since developed many problems."

He paused, looked at Wei Dayong, and continued with a firm gaze:

"Back in Qingfeng Village, we were just trying to make a living and didn't dare to say much. But since we joined the assault battalion and saw that Commander Wei treated the people like human beings, and that the brothers were united in fighting the Japanese, we have a clearer understanding of the situation."

The Qingfeng Village gang has committed countless evil deeds and should have been wiped out long ago! Since everyone wants to get rid of them today, we won't hold back any longer.

"Those fortifications look impressive, but they all have loopholes."

Sun Dequan took over the conversation and began to give a detailed introduction.

"Qingfeng Village has thirty or forty craftsmen specifically responsible for maintaining these mechanisms, and Lao Zhou and I are among the best. Liu Bao is rather stingy in this regard; he only keeps us employed because those mechanisms are indeed extremely useful in defense, but his true attitude..."

If an office building breaks down, fix it if you can; if you can't, just leave it. If it's not broken, don't bother with it. Those offices may look intimidating, but many of them actually have hidden dangers.

"Tell me about the stockade wall first. The two-zhang-high bluestone looks solid, but the glutinous rice ash in the cracks has long since dried and cracked. The drainage holes at the corners of the wall have been in disrepair for years, and rainwater pours into the foundation every time it rains, making the base of the wall soft and brittle. As long as you pry open the cracks with an iron bar, pour water on it, and wait two or three days, the base of the wall will not be able to hold up."

"It's true that the trench is three zhang wide, and the bottom is full of bamboo sticks. However, the northwest corner is on higher ground, and there's no water at all during the dry season. The bamboo sticks are exposed all year round, and most of them are rusted. If we attack from the northwest corner, we can cut a path with a machete and get through."

"The gate looks sturdy, but the iron bolt is hollow—Liu Bao only paid half the money for the materials, so we had to cut corners. We hollowed out the middle of the bolt, then covered it with another layer of sheet metal to make it look solid. We just used two crowbars to pry it open at both ends, and it broke in two."

"The machine gun in the arrow tower has a smelted piece of scrap metal used for its turning gear. Liu Bao thought new gears were too expensive, so we had to make do. The gear was almost broken from wear. But the machine gun itself is fine; it's just that the turning mechanism is malfunctioning, and the gunner can still manually turn the gun."

"As for those crossbows and traps, most of them are still usable. But the switches are controlled by those thirty or forty craftsmen. Old Sun and I used to know those craftsmen. Most of them are good citizens who were captured and are just trying to make a living in Qingfeng Village. As long as we can infiltrate them, I am confident that I can persuade them to defect and temporarily disable the mechanisms."

"And there's that tunnel, which runs from the village to the back mountain, over two miles long. Liu Bao told us to seal the tunnel entrance, but he didn't know there was a branch inside that led to the mass grave outside the village—that was our backup plan. That's how we escaped!"

The two of them, one after the other, revealed all the secrets of Qingfeng Village.

Wei Dayong nodded repeatedly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Great! Excellent!" he declared. "Since everyone has such great ideas, let's do it this way!"

He walked to the map on the wall and began to deploy.

"Wang Xiao, take the First and Second Companies and find a concealed place outside Qingfeng Village to ambush them. Once you see the signal, launch a full-scale attack from the outside."

"Hou Yue, you take the Third Company and the logistics platoon and guard Black Cloud Village to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to raid our base."

"Zhao Liugen, you're in charge of leading the way to Qingfeng Village and pretending to seek refuge. Wang Changgui, you'll go with him and be responsible for building good relationships with all the leaders of Qingfeng Village and keeping them happy."

"Liu Laobao, you're in charge of drinking with the leaders of Qingfeng Village and getting them drunk."

"Wu Liang, prepare some sleeping pills and muscle relaxants, and give them to Li Fei so he can put them in their food and water tanks."

"Zhou Quanheng and Sun Dequan, you two are responsible for contacting the craftsmen in the village to paralyze the fortifications."

Wei Dayong paused for a moment and looked at everyone.

"As for me, I'll bring a guard squad and blend in with you, disguised as ordinary bandits, just in case. Everyone, just follow the plan, I'll take care of everything!"

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

Once the deployment was complete, everyone immediately sprang into action.

With everything ready, Wei Dayong changed into a tattered bandit outfit, smeared some soot on his face, and looked no different from an ordinary bandit.

Ma Feng and his brothers in the guard squad also changed into bandit clothes and dispersed among the surrendered bandits.

Wei Dayong took a deep breath and waved his hand.

"Set off!"

The group left Black Cloud Village in a grand procession and headed towards Clear Breeze Village.

Wang Xiao and his two companies followed at a distance.

As darkness fell, the mountain path became increasingly rugged.

The group walked along the path through the valley for about two hours, and finally arrived at the foot of Qingfeng Village before nightfall.

Looking up, Qingfeng Village is built deep in a valley, surrounded by dense forests, and its location is extremely secluded.

The stockade wall was made of bluestone, two zhang high, and the top was wide enough for a horse to run on.

The area was surrounded by a moat three zhang wide, with bamboo sticks vaguely visible at the bottom.

The gate to the village was heavy, with two towering arrow towers at the entrance, each equipped with a machine gun.

Wei Dayong observed for a while and nodded to himself.

This place is indeed difficult to conquer. Even if someone else had a larger force, they might not be able to take it down.

Fortunately, they don't need to launch a direct attack.

"Six Roots Brothers," Wei Dayong said in a low voice, "it's your turn."

Zhao Liugen nodded and limped up the mountain.

He stopped at the entrance of the village and looked up at the gate tower.

Two guards, rifles at their sides, watched him warily.

"Who is it?"

Zhao Liugen grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Brothers, you've worked hard! I'm looking for your third leader, Qian Gui. Tell him Zhao Liugen from Black Cloud Stronghold has arrived with a big gift... to present!"