Chapter 101: A Bull’s Strength Soaring to the Heavens!

The four patrolling mountain bandits ran over.

Seeing no one guarding the place, they cursed a few times and were about to step forward to check on the disaster victims inside.

Suddenly, a flurry of bamboo arrows whizzed through the air.

The distance was too close—they were hit straight in the face and collapsed on the spot.

The disaster victims screamed in terror.

The sudden turn of events caught them completely off guard.

A few people rushed out from the bushes and dragged the four bandits away.

Soon, more men came to investigate.

About seven or eight of them.

Another round of arrows whizzed through the air.

The disaster victims inside the enclosure stared in shock.

Then, as their astonishment wore off, a frenzied uproar erupted.

They were so excited they didn’t even know what to shout—just making noise felt like the right thing to do.

More hurried footsteps approached.

From a distance, someone shouted, “What are you yelling for?!”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Yan Huaiwen silently counted the number of enemies.

He decided to play it safe.

He ordered his people to light several fires and throw in large handfuls of wild grass and leaves, creating thick, billowing smoke.

The commotion drew two or three dozen mountain bandits.

Leading them was a head honcho.

As soon as he saw the empty space in front of the cave—only fire pits, no people—he realized something was wrong.

He tried to retreat, but it was already too late.

By now, everyone had become skilled with the bamboo crossbows, shooting faster and more accurately.

A few bandits attempted to escape but were blocked by Uncle An and his men.

Dozens of strikes later, the bandits were all down.

Only then did Yan Huaiwen order the enclosure to be opened.

He raised his voice: “Fellow villagers, there’s a small path nearby that leads down the mountain. The terrain is difficult, so be careful, don’t push, and avoid accidents.”

Luo Da and the others echoed loudly, “Don’t shove! If you tumble down the mountain, that’s a pointless death!”

Some disaster victims dashed out, blindly following Luo Da’s guidance as they fled downhill.

Others, however, didn’t leave, crowding around hesitantly.

Some even turned back.

The scene grew increasingly chaotic!

Liang Manshan had already instructed his family to hold hands and stay close to the cave wall.

He himself was jostled along with the crowd and struggled to get out.

With no time to speak to Yan Huaiwen, he shouted, “Fellow villagers! The mountain bandits are cruel and heartless! They slaughtered our loved ones and forced us to abandon our children! Such atrocities are intolerable to both men and gods!

“Kill the mountain bandits! Avenge our families! Take back what’s ours! Fight to survive! Fight to live!”

The disaster victims erupted in fury!

With burning emotions, they shouted:

“Kill the mountain bandits! Avenge our families!”

“Take back what’s ours!”

“Fight to survive! Fight to live!”

…

The junior troops were struggling to stay awake.

Their little heads bobbed up and down, as if they could fall asleep at any moment.

Yan Yu was also drowsy—her upper and lower eyelids were battling each other.

Suddenly, in the grass, a striped cat darted through, meowing incessantly as it ran.

Yan Yu’s sleepiness vanished instantly.

She had given the order to track any approaching figures within a five-kilometer radius, so the cat was reporting back immediately.

She turned and rushed toward it.

Scooping up the cat, she ran to the side.

She squeezed its paws one by one, causing its claws to extend rapidly.

Thirty-four people.

That number was off.

If it were her eldest uncle and his group returning, they wouldn’t have so few people.

She quickly woke up her companions.

“Get up, tighten the formation!”

“Move quickly! Get going!”

Yan Yu didn’t have time to worry about them—she sprinted off to find her father.

“Dad! Thirty-four people! Southwest direction.”

“From Cloud-Piercing Stronghold?!”

Yan Lao’er bolted outside.

He had to keep up appearances. Every time they got intel, they had to put on a show—at the very least, he had to run out and come back to make it seem like they had spotted the enemy.

Qi Si saw him run and immediately followed.

Qi Da and Qi Wu were a step slower and got stopped by Yan Yu.

“Uncle Qi Da, Uncle Qi Wu, my dad estimated the time—Cloud-Piercing Stronghold should have realized by now that their Third Chief is missing. They’re bound to send people to investigate, and he’s worried they might arrive at this very moment. That’s why he insists on checking from a distance.”

Qi Wu said, “Alright, we’ll go with him.”

Qi Da nodded.

The two of them were about to leave.

Yan Yu quickly urged, “Uncle Qi Si already chased after him. My dad will be back soon—let’s wait for him.”

Save some energy—they might have to fight soon!

Qi Da and Qi Wu were both straightforward men. No matter what Yan Yu said, she couldn’t stop them.

Their long legs carried them away swiftly.

Yan Yu stomped her little foot in frustration.

At least the junior troops listened to her.

Mainly because she always had fresh and interesting ideas.

Like this “tighten the formation” command.

Yan Yu explained that it meant surrounding their resting area in a circle to protect the elders.

That was brilliant!

The kids seriously regrouped and kept a vigilant watch.

Yan Yu’s earlier drowsiness was completely gone.

Qi Wu shouted at the top of his lungs, “The mountain bandits are coming!”

Had he actually seen them? Absolutely not.

But Yan Lao’er said he had, and that was enough for the three brothers to believe it.

Yan Lao’er panted heavily and commanded, “Grab your weapons and follow me.”

Whoosh!

The men didn’t hesitate.

They slung their crossbows over their backs, grabbed their long sticks, and followed Yan Lao’er.

Yan Lao’er ordered them to spread out slightly and crouch in the grass.

He took a deep breath and gripped his iron crossbow tightly.

Not many men had returned—no one expected the mountain bandits to leave their stronghold so late at night.

Thirty-four men… could they handle them?

He didn’t dare lead his men too far away. If their shots missed and the enemy broke through, they needed to retreat quickly.

Closer!

Wait—what was that?!

Someone was on horseback!

Yan Lao’er felt his scalp tingle.

Damn it! No honor! You’re a mountain bandit—why the hell are you riding a horse?!

A horse in the mountains was useless except for crashing into trees—donkeys were way more practical.

The rider had been moving at the same pace as the others, but when he spotted Yan Lao’er’s group from a distance, he suddenly sped up.

The men behind him also started running.

Yan Lao’er seized the moment. “Fire!”

The sudden attack startled the horse!

It reared up and neighed loudly, bolting forward.

It broke through their ambush!

Yan Lao’er: …

That wasn’t the plan—the damn horse panicked too much.

“Keep shooting!”

He kept issuing orders.

The mountain bandits running behind suffered heavy losses.

“Qi Wu, come with me to chase the horse! The rest, hold your ground and stop them!”

Yan Lao’er ran back as fast as he could, but he was seriously out of breath.

Damn it! He had run too much today!

Qi Wu saw his speed dropping and quickly said, “Brother Yan, I’ll carry you!”

Yan Lao’er rolled his eyes. Get lost!

Who needed to be carried?!

But the horse was charging toward the convoy!

Yan Lao’er’s throat burned as he shouted, “Get out of the way! The horse is panicking! Move!”

Li Xuemei, watching from the sidelines, quickly turned back toward the ox cart.

“Sanbao, stop that horse! Don’t let it through!”

Sanbao, the sturdy ox, turned nimbly.

It galloped forward.

Moo!

As everyone panicked and scrambled aside, they caught a glimpse—

The Yan family’s ox rushed to the horse’s side, stopped, twisted its hips, and sent both horse and rider flying.

They tumbled far, far away…

A bull’s strength soaring to the heavens!

Everyone was dumbstruck!