Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 249: Chapter 258: What’s going on?

Feng Susu didn’t just offer the pickles for Su Wenyue to taste. Su Wenyue, a master of culinary skills, naturally had a deep understanding of all aspects of cooking; otherwise, she couldn’t have made even more delicious food. Her requirements for ingredients were very meticulous, and she could taste the quality of the food as soon as it touched her mouth, providing many suggestions and ideas, which were far better than her own solitary studies. Feng Susu was merely quite skilled in the art of pickling, a craft passed down from their ancestors.

“Really?” Su Wenyue’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. Despite these pickles being unassuming and even considered unworthy for the dining table by some, the dishes made from these ingredients were incredibly delicious. When she said this, Han Yu even teased her, asking if her extensive research meant she was preparing to eat pickles for a lifetime, leading Su Wenyue’s thoughts to drift.

Han Yu had already scouted the route, and today, they just needed to follow the path. The rest of the preparations had been made yesterday evening. After a hearty breakfast early in the morning, everyone was ready to set off. Although today’s rain was heavier than yesterday’s, it didn’t affect anything.

“Victory or defeat hinges on our action today, let’s move out!” Having briefed everyone already, Han Yu didn’t want to say more. He took the lead and set out for the bandit stronghold with everyone in tow.

Outside was a torrential downpour, but the stronghold was buzzing with life. Not only was the hall filled with bandits drinking, gambling, and frolicking, but even the bandits responsible for guarding the outside had retreated to shelter from the rain. After all, no government soldiers would likely attack in such weather.

Han Yu had precisely counted on this mindset when choosing the time for his attack, and as he predicted, taking out the guards to enter the stronghold was effortless. However, he remained vigilant knowing that the guards were just a small fraction of their number, with the majority of the bandits gathered in the hall.

“Boss, what do we do? Those damn bandits are all gathered in the hall. Should we just burst in and take them by surprise? We’d have the upper hand.”

Liu Cong’s visit to the insider was merely with a small minion who could only signal at the right moment, not anytime they wished. Therefore, Han Yu and his group could only know a rough estimation of the situation. They didn’t expect that the bandits would be gathered in the hall today; there wasn’t enough time to prepare. Han Yu had thought about converting someone significant from the enemy, but their hands were forced, and now they had to play it by ear.

Han Yu thought about it and realized there wasn’t a better option. If they waited too long, the bandits inside would surely notice something amiss. Rushing in to catch them off guard might actually give them a slight advantage. Fortunately, the men under his command had been well trained these days. Despite unavoidable casualties, they still had a good chance of victory against the bandits.

“We have no choice but to go ahead. Listen to my command. I’ll count one, two, three, and we’ll all charge in with me! Once inside, don’t hold back. These bandits are evil to the core, with blood on their hands. I know many of you have never seen the battlefield and may hesitate to strike, but I hope you understand this is a life-or-death moment. Any hesitation or mercy will only lead to our own deaths.”

Although Han Yu had already said these words before, he repeated them now as there was absolutely no room for softness or hesitation in this critical moment.

“Did you all get that?!” Han Yu spoke softly but with unusual solemnity and seriousness. Seeing everyone nod in understanding, he counted to three and led the charge into the fray.

“Kill!”

Han Yu was at the very front, with Liu Cong following closely behind him. They charged forward recklessly, but the scene in the hall took them aback, as did everyone else. Even Han Yu felt a hint of surprise cross his face upon witnessing such a situation.

As they burst in, the hall was in chaos, with many people lying haphazardly on the floor, some with bloodstains, others looking perfectly clean as though they were sleeping—just in the wrong place. The scene was undeniably odd.

“What’s going on here? Did the Imperial Court send another force to eliminate the bandits?” Liu Cong was bewildered by the chaotic scene before him, unsure how to proceed. Everyone was dressed alike, and he couldn’t tell who were bandits.

“Could it be a mutiny among the bandits?” Some had different views than Liu Cong. If the Imperial Court had intentionally set Master up, sending him here, why would they send another team? And judging by the situation, it seemed more like a mutiny had broken out amongst the bandits. Give me a break!

“I also think it’s a bandit mutiny. But with this situation, what should we do? Attack one side, or wait for them to finish fighting?” Earlier, everyone had been ready to fight to the death, charging in behind Han Yu to create havoc, but unexpectedly, they now had the leisure and mood to chat.

Han Yu didn’t respond to his subordinates’ questions but was instead assessing the situation before them. It did indeed look like a mutiny. The ones lying around unharmed were probably drugged, and there was the smell of wine in the hall—likely someone had spiked it with sleeping pills.

Han Yu observed the bandits ahead, saying they were fighting each other was an understatement—it was more like the Bandit Leader and his men were surrounding and attacking four or five young fighters, who were likely responsible for drugging them.

These young ones exhibited impressive martial arts skills. Although young—the oldest being around sixteen or seventeen, and the youngest around twelve or thirteen—they managed to hold their ground despite being overrun. If not for their age and various limitations, these bandits would have been no match for them. However, the youths were currently at a disadvantage and wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.

“Master, what do we do?” The men Han Yu brought hadn’t rushed forward rashly but waited for his command.

“Help the side with fewer people, those kids,” Han Yu said, and without waiting for his subordinates to react, he plunged into the midst of the bandits.

Zhai Li noticed the government soldiers storming the hall, but he couldn’t afford the distraction. Engaging with the Bandit Leader, he felt himself struggling, gradually being suppressed, and knew this was bad.

He had been aware that the Bandit Leader’s Kung Fu surpassed his own. That’s why he chose to infiltrate the stronghold and lay low, waiting for an opportunity. Now that it had arrived, he didn’t expect the Bandit Leader to be so cunning as to avoid the spiked wine. Nonetheless, for the sake of avenging his family, he was prepared to fight tooth and nail, even though he feared that sacrificing his life might not be enough to defeat the Bandit Leader.