Thousands of bandits were fleeing in madness, pursued relentlessly by the hovercraft and tractor convoys behind them like grim reapers.
From the foot of Mount Ni stretching for several kilometers, the bandits’ presence was everywhere.
In the woods, on the roads, in the fields, the air was filled with chaotic gunfire and the screams of captured bandits.
Hovercraft, traveling at a speed of one hundred kilometers per hour, cut through the fleeing bandits. Those caught were directly hit, with the stunned ones faring better. The unlucky few who remained conscious could only watch in terror as the massive hulls glided over them.
The compressed air beneath the hovercraft could lift hundreds of tons, illustrating the terrifying air pressure.
After the hovercraft passed, bandits whose bodies were swept over by the hulls were reduced to mere pulp.
Not only that, but the machine guns mounted on the craft began to roar. Shells streaked through the air in incandescent orange trajectories, striking the bandits and sending flesh and blood flying in an instant.
"Ah! Devils! They are all devils!"
"I surrender! I surrender!"
"Don't kill me, I confess! Please, spare me!"
Seeing that escape was futile, some of the terrified individuals threw down their weapons, opting to kneel and surrender. They were then bound by the pursuing Tianhuo Army soldiers and set aside.
Those at the front continued to run with all their might, wishing their parents had blessed them with more legs.
But as they ran, they suddenly saw cavalry appearing before them, seemingly out of nowhere.
At the vanguard of the cavalry, a dragon flag fluttered in the wind.
The man at the head drew his long sword from his waist and waved it forward: "Capture these rebels for the Emperor! Resistance will be met with death!"
This man was Li Shimin!
"Your command will be obeyed!"
Li Ji, riding ahead, spurred his horse forward, and the Xuanjia Army behind him charged out in unison, raising their lances and sabers against the fleeing bandits!
Concurrently, Liu Hongji led ten thousand Central Supervisory Guard troops, forming a vast net to scoop up the bandits.
Li Er in front, Fang Er behind.
This was not a mere coincidence, but the Tang Dynasty's ultimate trump card.
These thousands of bandits didn't even stir up a ripple before being surrounded and captured.
The two forces met. After Fang Er paid his respects, Li Shimin looked at the three hovercraft that had landed and powered down. Though astonished, he didn't pry, as suppressing the rebels was the priority.
"Where is Ninth Brother?" Li Shimin asked Li Xiaogong.
Fang Er cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Hejian is currently engaging the rebels on Mount Ni."
Li Shimin surveyed the bound bandits and the strewn corpses around him, his brow furrowed deeply.
"There are already several thousand here. How many are on the mountain?"
He had originally intended to head directly to Langya Commandery, as Zhang Gongjin's memorial stated that Fang Er would target the Kong family there.
However, upon entering Yanzhou territory, the Hundred Riders Bureau reported the movements of the Tianhuo Army, prompting him to divert his course to Mount Ni.
"What's the situation in Langya Commandery?" Feeling confident in Li Xiaogong, he inquired about the Kong family branch.
After Fang Er explained the Kong family's collusion with the bandits, he added, "There are still seven hundred firearms unaccounted for, and the whereabouts of the national bonds remain unknown."
Li Shimin stood silently for a while before asking in a low voice, "What about the Kong family members?"
Fang Er: "Killed!"
Li Shimin: "And the bodies?"
Fang Er: "Filled the valley!"
Li Shimin: "Did it fill it?"
Fang Er: "No."
Li Shimin: "Then keep killing! Until the valley is filled!"
He then glanced at the bound bandits around him and beckoned Li Ji to his side. "Interrogate them thoroughly. I want to know who orchestrated this!"
"Yes!"
Li Ji cupped his hands and departed.
"Let's go see how Ninth Brother is doing on the mountain."
Li Shimin hopped onto a hovercraft and said to Fang Er.
It was still two to three kilometers to Mount Ni, which would take some time on foot. He had been riding his horse all the way from Chang'an, and with this new toy, he was eager to try it.
As the rumbling engine started, the hovercraft smoothly lifted off the ground, with almost no discernible bump.
Before Li Shimin could even express his awe, they had already glided to the foot of Mount Ni.
"This thing is fast! Kid, how about you get me one of these three as a imperial carriage?"
"Certainly, Your Majesty. I can offer you one at cost price, thirty million guan." Fang Er blurted out after a moment's thought.
Li Ji and Liu Hongji instantly felt as if they had been struck by a mighty blow from Cheng Yaojin, their minds reeling at the sheer absurdity.
Li Shimin was utterly speechless.
"Good heavens, thirty million guan!"
"The Tang Dynasty's annual tax revenue isn't even this much!"
After careful consideration, realizing that there were only these three ships in the entire Tang Dynasty, capable of traversing both water and land, coupled with their formidable firepower, he mused, "Perhaps, maybe, possibly, the price isn't entirely unreasonable?"
With that thought, he quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem! Ahem! I was merely making conversation."
"Let's go, let's go! We need to check on the mountain and see if Ninth Brother is still alive!"
Saying this, he dismounted the hovercraft and began walking up the stone steps towards Mount Ni.
Fang Er followed behind, while Li Ji and Liu Hongji exchanged glances, then looked at the hovercraft with evident reluctance.
Despite the high price, these machines were truly formidable!
Although the machine guns on the hovercraft had ceased firing by the time they arrived, the cannons alone were impressive. And the twenty-two rocket launchers, just a glance at them conjured images of a simultaneous salvo.
Ascending the steps, the sounds of gunfire and clashing swords could still be heard from the mountaintop, indicating that the battle was not yet over.
At the summit of Mount Ni, Li Xiaogong stood atop the bluestone archway outside the academy, his hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering in the gentle breeze.
However, his otherwise ethereal pose was completely ruined by the cigar clamped between his lips.
Within the academy, before the entrance to the Confucius Temple, and around the statue of the Sage, bandits were everywhere, engaged in combat with the four divisions of the Supervisory Army and the Tianhuo Army.
What's more, after fighting for such a prolonged period, an endless stream of bandits was still rushing from the other side of Mount Ni. Countless figures darted through the surrounding forests of the Four Peaks Mountains.
It now appeared that these bandits were not hidden on the Four Peaks, but rather in the more distant foothills of Mount Meng!
"My Lord, shall we use rocket artillery to cover those forests?" Wang Xuance whispered behind Fang Er.
"No, let them come slowly. Give them hope," Fang Er replied with a shake of his head.
He didn't know how many more people were hidden in the mountains. If rocket artillery were deployed before all the bandits revealed themselves, it might scare the remaining ones away, making a subsequent search of the mountains even more troublesome.