Chapter Ninety-Six: The Roaming Bandit Army

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Noticing Yang Hongwen’s unsteady steps as he led his warhorse, Miao Cuihua’s sharp eyes immediately signaled to the chief escort Li Shan, who understood at once and quickly switched to a friendly smile. Carrying a torch, he jogged over. For Li Shan, a seasoned figure in the martial world, such gestures were second nature. What appeared as mere courtesy was executed with dignity; smiling, he took the reins from Yang Hongwen and subtly lowered the torch, illuminating the path ahead for him.

“General Yang, please take it slow. Let’s get you bandaged first.” Li Shan’s gaze swiftly swept over Yang Hongwen’s bloodstained armor. Although its former luster had faded, Li Shan could still discern Yang’s high rank, confirming his identity. His heart swelled with delight, yet he caught the sudden look of caution on Yang’s face. Startled, he followed Yang’s gaze to see Scar Wei approaching, carrying a short dagger and a box. Hastily, Li Shan explained, “General Yang, please don’t misunderstand. We are from the Miao Escort Agency of Fuxu Town. This is our deputy escort leader, known as Scar Wei—a good man and an expert at first aid.”

Though Ding Li had previously warned him, Yang Hongwen was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Scar Wei’s grim facial scar, making it difficult to imagine him as a kind soul. Yet, after hearing Li Shan’s sincere explanation, his guard eased somewhat, though his nerves remained taut.

“Miao Cuihua of the Miao Escort Agency, greetings, General Yang!” At this crucial moment, the chief steward Miao Cuihua stepped forward briskly, offering a respectful fist salute and solemnly introducing herself.

Yang Hongwen felt much relieved. His eyes glanced around, catching sight of the escort flags neatly gathered and inserted beside the mounts. He studied Miao Cuihua carefully before returning her respectful salute with equal solemnity. His tone was earnest as he addressed everyone, “Thank you, Madam Miao and brothers of the escort, for your timely aid! Without you, I fear my life would have ended here in this desolate wilderness!”

“No thanks are necessary! General Yang, you are too polite. This is our duty!” Miao Cuihua stepped aside swiftly, returning the salute with equal earnestness. Her eyes shimmered with a trace of warmth as she smiled softly, forging a rapport. “General Yang, if you call this wilderness fate, then it is indeed our fate as well. To meet in such a manner here is truly our blessing.”

Raised in the Confucian tradition, Yang Hongwen detected no flattery in her words; rather, her uncommon politeness made him somewhat uneasy. He hurriedly clasped his hands together, bowing to her and the many escorts around him one by one. His face remained sincere as before. “Madam Miao, you are too kind. Indeed, this is fate. Today, thanks to the brothers’ aid, I have survived the bandits’ hands. Should you ever require my assistance in the future, do not hesitate to ask. As far as I am able, I shall repay this kindness in full.”

At once, Miao Cuihua and Li Shan exchanged glances, a fleeting smile touching their lips. Yet they still bowed deeply with the others, responding politely, “General Yang, you are too gracious. We dare not trouble you.”

“There is no need for further courtesy!” Yang Hongwen’s demeanor was hardly that of a frontier general but more like a well-read scholar in armor. Their mutual politeness left Miao Cuihua and the others somewhat bewildered, forcing smiles as they returned his salutations.

“By the way, Madam Miao and brothers, why are you camping here? Did you run into trouble on the road?” Yang Hongwen then noticed the absence of tents usual for overnight stops and concluded that their stay here was improvised. Reflecting on his own experience, he immediately connected the two.

“To be honest, General Yang, we did encounter trouble halfway!” Miao Cuihua, having resolved to build relations, chose not to conceal much. She slightly altered their tale as she spoke: “We were escorting a shipment from Fuxu Town to Guangzhou Prefecture when we were ambushed in the afternoon. The bandits were numerous and fierce. We fought hard but were forced to break through to escape. Sadly, over a dozen brothers lost their lives…”

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Miao Cuihua deliberately omitted mention of the cargo and their employer. Toward the end, her voice choked with emotion, and tears welled in her eyes as she gazed at the cart piled with bodies nearby. She dared not speak openly to Yang Hongwen about the cargo, nor did she have the nerve to reveal that they had joined forces with the outlaws of Huojialing to annihilate a cavalry troop of dozens of regular soldiers. Though they had just saved Yang Hongwen, who could say if he might turn against them later?

“Alas! Madam Miao and brothers, please accept my condolences.” Upon her signal, Yang Hongwen looked at the cart and was momentarily stunned before sighing deeply. Perhaps because they had just saved him, the meticulous Yang Hongwen did not dwell on the cargo or the skirmish but pondered quietly and then reproached himself gravely: “Such incidents occurring between Guangzhou Prefecture and Fuxu Town are indeed our fault! I feel deeply responsible for the losses Madam Miao and the brothers have suffered. But rest assured, on my return to Guangzhou Prefecture, I shall personally report this to Military Governor Li. He will surely order troops to sweep this area and eliminate the bandits.”

“In that case, we will take our leave after thanking General Yang in advance!” Miao Cuihua quickly bowed in gratitude, followed by Li Shan and the others. No one present doubted Yang Hongwen’s words; after all, he was a trusted aide of Governor Li Tiao and held the special status of a relative by marriage. What he said was entirely credible.

“General Yang, please come sit here by the fire. The light will help your eyes, and it will keep the night chill off.” Scar Wei had already prepared the necessary supplies beside the campfire. This was no ordinary first aid for his own men. As deputy escort leader, Scar Wei knew that forging a connection with Yang Hongwen would extend his escort agency’s prospects, elevating his own status. He firmly believed that with Yang’s rank and talent, the future held great promise, and perhaps through this bond, he might secure a comfortable logistics position within the army.

Yang Hongwen offered Scar Wei an apologetic smile. Looking again at the man’s scarred face, the terror it once inspired had faded. He strode forward briskly and, with Li Shan’s help, removed his armor.

His injuries were not severe but numerous. Some wounds had even stuck to his undergarments, complicating Scar Wei’s task. Yet Yang Hongwen’s stoic demeanor surprised all. Many present had endured pain before, but as Scar Wei began treatment, Yang only furrowed his brows sharply at first, then relaxed completely, behaving as if unbothered while Scar Wei worked on his wounds.

“Ah!!” Suddenly, from the darkness, a hoarse, mournful howl pierced the night. Ding Li, crouching nearby, slowly rose. All eyes turned toward them, including Yang Hongwen and Scar Wei.

With a casual air, Ding Li approached the campfire, casting a wry smile at Yang Hongwen. Glancing back at the unconscious bearded man, he quietly explained, “I’ve questioned him. The useful information is scant. It seems he’s just a minor figure, and so are the others in this group. Their knowledge is very limited.”

“Hmm.” Yang Hongwen responded softly, frowning. Scar Wei immediately ceased his treatment. After a moment’s thought, Yang looked up at Ding Li and pressed, “Tell me, what does he know?”

“A while ago, a band of rebel troops passed through from the east—supposedly an uprising from that region. But he doesn’t know their exact numbers. Could be three hundred, maybe eight hundred, or even two or three thousand.” Ding Li sighed helplessly. He had used all his interrogation skills but still obtained information as good as none.

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“That’s all?” Yang Hongwen’s brows knit tighter. Such intelligence was practically useless.

“Almost. The only useful part is that this gang seems finished.” Ding Li nodded and added, “There were over sixty of them. According to him, more than half were killed or wounded in the earlier fight. The survivors are now after you.”

“Yes, that’s true!” Yang Hongwen nodded. Thinking of the prior battle, his eyes blazed with fury, teeth clenched as he cursed, “Those damned bandits! Despicable scoundrels! They set an ambush halfway through. All seventeen of my brothers fell to them!”

“Brother Yang, if you had traveled the official road, you would have left Fuxu Town in the morning and reached Guangzhou Prefecture by afternoon. Why did this happen?” Ding Li wished to avoid dwelling on the ambush, especially with Miao Cuihua giving him anxious glances. He shifted the topic.

“Last night in Fuxu, the observers from the Western Camp caused trouble. I stayed behind in the Eastern Camp to deal with them, which delayed us.” Yang Hongwen’s anger flared anew. If not for Cao Qi, who was deliberately provoking trouble after capture, his loyal guards would not have suffered so. Yet he quickly suppressed his rage and looked at Ding Li. “A Li, why did you leave Fuxu suddenly? Is Shouyi safe for now?”

“Oh, nothing serious. I’m heading back to Guangzhou Prefecture first.” Ding Li shrugged, unconcerned.

“Good. After your wounds are treated, you will travel with me overnight back to Guangzhou Prefecture. I have urgent military intelligence that must be delivered promptly.” Yang Hongwen spoke openly, his anger fading, replaced by solemnity.

“No problem.” Ding Li glanced at Miao Cuihua and the others, nodded decisively, and advised, “No rush now. Let Brother Wei finish treating your wounds first.”