In the Yan Han military camp, the Xiaocheng Sect incident erupted, causing Marshal Murong Bolei of the Yan army to fly into a thunderous rage. Everyone present remained deathly silent, fearing they might incur his wrath and meet a dire end.
Suddenly, Murong Bolei inquired about Zhou Fugui, which greatly startled him. However, Zhou Fugui maintained a composed expression, stepped forward, and calmly faced Murong Bolei.
At this critical juncture, even if Murong Bolei and his men discovered Zhou Fugui's visit to the City God Temple, Zhou Fugui had to maintain an air of nonchalance.
As the saying goes, a guilty conscience makes a thief of anyone. Therefore, Zhou Fugui absolutely could not show any sign of weakness.
Unexpectedly, Murong Bolei, with a gentle expression, asked Zhou Fugui, "This commander has heard that your White Tiger Banner has kept its subordinates under strict discipline, with no one venturing out these past few days. What is the reason for this?"
Murong Bolei's question had two intentions: firstly, to understand the purpose behind Zhou Fugui's actions, and secondly, to ascertain if Zhou Fugui had prior knowledge of the events or any connection to the Xiaocheng Sect.
Zhou Fugui, understanding the underlying implications, began to ponder a counter-strategy. A single misstep could arouse Murong Bolei's suspicion, leading to a grim fate for Zhou Fugui and his fellow villagers.
However, time was of the essence. After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Fugui loudly declared, "My lord, with a major battle imminent, I have been rigorously training my soldiers for combat on the battlefield. This is evident for all to see, and many are aware of it. Restricting my subordinates from going out was also for this very purpose. Otherwise, with people coming and going like a marketplace, how could we possibly engage in intense training?"
"Hahaha!" Murong Bolei was greatly satisfied upon hearing this and, with a hearty laugh, turned to Tang Qingsi and asked, "Shixi, what do you think?"
"Congratulations to the commander for having such a discerning subordinate!" Tang Qingsi replied with a smile after glancing at Zhou Fugui.
"Teng Ge, you are fortunate to have a subordinate like Banner General Zhou," Murong Bolei nodded and said to Murong Teng Ge.
The young general beside Murong Bolei finally shifted his gaze from Murong Huiying to Zhou Fugui, scrutinizing him intently.
...
"Name?"
"Zheng Changshun..."
"Arrest him!"
"Why arrest me?"
"Puff!"
"By order of the commander, resisting arrest is punishable by death!"
"Name?"
"Wang... Wei... Gu."
"Have you ventured out recently?"
"I... I went... went to the temple outside the city to burn incense!"
"Arrest him and confine him to the death row prison!"
"..."
Throughout the Han army camp, countless Yan soldiers meticulously searched one camp and one banner unit after another. Any suspicious individuals were immediately apprehended and thrown into military prisons. Once imprisoned, their fate was virtually sealed. The Yan regime's punishments were brutal. Those found guilty could not escape death, and their suffering was often worse than death. Even the innocent, subjected to false accusations, often confessed under torture and met the same end. Those who miraculously survived imprisonment were few and far between, having endured immense suffering, their spirits broken, and their bodies mutilated.
Some Han soldiers attempted to resist, but they were no match for the elite Yan troops. Outnumbered and outmatched, the resisters were swiftly executed on the spot. The Han army camp descended into a bloody chaos, striking terror into the hearts of all, leaving them trembling with anxiety.
"Banner General Zhou, why are you not moving?"
Zhou Fugui's White Tiger Banner unit was among the Yan forces tasked with searching the Han camps. Zhou Fugui, leading his over a hundred men armed with various weapons, formed ranks but lingered, showing no sign of movement for a considerable time. The camp commander, Albu, shouted angrily at Zhou Fugui.
"Called 'my lord' by a mere camp commander? Did the Military Commander specify a time limit?" Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly and then replied.
"No time limit was specified, but with rebels rising, how can we afford to delay even a moment?" Albu retorted indignantly.
Albu might not have been skilled in leading troops in battle, but he excelled at capturing individuals and claiming credit. The more "rebels" he apprehended, the greater his achievements would be.
"Since no time limit was set, why are you in such a hurry?" Zhou Fugui shook his head. "Rebels rising? The Grand Commander stated that only suspicious individuals are to be apprehended. Do you understand? It's about suspicious individuals, not definitively confirmed rebels. If it's not confirmed, why the rush? Like a monkey with its backside on fire."
The men of the White Tiger Banner could not help but chuckle at this, and some even burst into laughter.
"I... you... you sly little fox!" Zhou Fugui's comparison of Albu to a monkey, with a face as red as a monkey's backside, infuriated Albu. Cursing vehemently, he quickly led his men away.
If he was too late, the "rebels" would be captured by others, and he would receive no credit.
"A sly little fox with a glib tongue, who sweet-talks Murong Bolei, Murong Teng Ge, and others, winning their favor," Albu thought bitterly as he ran. This time, Zhou Fugui had brought honor to Murong Teng Ge, making Murong Teng Ge treat Zhou Fugui like a treasure.
Albu felt utterly powerless and even a little fearful of Zhou Fugui.
"Banner Master, what should we do next?" Pan Jiangu asked.
Zhou Fugui, leading the White Tiger Banner, deliberately stalled, refusing to leave the camp. Murong Teng Ge issued two military orders, commanding him to immediately lead his troops out to apprehend the rebels. Finally, unable to delay any longer, Zhou Fugui led his men out of the camp at a snail's pace. On the march, Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Pan Jiangu, Li Qing, and others looked to Zhou Fugui, awaiting his instructions.
Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Pan Jiangu, and the other fellow villagers were now utterly in awe of Zhou Fugui, wishing they could prostrate themselves on the ground and proclaim, "Elder Brother, please accept your humble brothers' bow!" ... At Yuema River, Zhou Fugui had detected the impending danger in advance, saving most of the villagers from Lu Ming Township from drowning. Now, with the Xiaocheng Sect incident, it was again Zhou Fugui who sensed trouble and had them proceed cautiously, lest they suffer the same tragic fate as those others.
"What else can we do?" Zhou Fugui sighed. "We can only act according to circumstances."
"Do our best and accept destiny," Li Qing also sighed.
The pedantic scholar was indulging in his usual rhetoric, but his words held wisdom, and Zhou Fugui nodded in approval.
...
"Bang!" A soldier under Zhou Fugui kicked open a camp gate. The dozens of soldiers inside the gate wore expressions of alarm.
"Name?" a White Tiger Banner soldier shouted.
"Qian..." one person stammered.
"Qian what? You owe me money and you show up here? Have you no shame? I'll deal with you when we get back." Zhou Fugui recognized the man as Qian Liu, whom he had a brief encounter with at the City God Temple. A clever idea struck him, and he pulled Qian Liu over, incorporating him into his own unit.
Qian Liu immediately understood Zhou Fugui's intention. He cast a grateful glance at Zhou Fugui before blending into the White Tiger Banner.
"Brothers, take a good look and see if there are any suspicious individuals. None? Then let's move on to the next camp," Zhou Fugui then ordered.
"As per the Banner Master's command!" everyone responded in unison.
Zhou Fugui and his men, acting with tacit understanding, proceeded in this manner, visiting three camps consecutively and rescuing quite a few people.
"Banner Master Zhou..." After Zhou Fugui and his White Tiger Banner had visited three camps without capturing anyone, but instead acquired many "own people," Li Qing said to Zhou Fugui with a worried frown, "This is not good. How can we explain this to our superiors?"
"Hmm..." Zhou Fugui stroked his sparse beard thoughtfully. "Indeed, it is not ideal. But do you have any better ideas?"
"Let me think, let me think." Li Qing racked his brain for a long time but could not come up with a viable solution, shaking his head dejectedly.
The superiors had ordered the apprehension of rebels, but Zhou Fugui and his men were unwilling to capture anyone. Failing to apprehend even one person would be considered defiance of military orders, the consequences of which were self-evident, and might even arouse suspicion from Murong Bolei and Murong Teng Ge.
"I have an idea!" Zhou Fugui's closest confidants gathered to brainstorm, and after much deliberation, Pan Jiangu suddenly exclaimed.
"Old Ghost, keep your voice down! What's your idea?" Zhou Fugui asked Pan Jiangu in a low voice.
"Steal people!" Pan Jiangu replied somewhat smugly.
"Steal people? What do you mean? Speak quickly, are you trying to kill this Banner Master with anxiety?" Zhou Fugui asked anxiously.
"Banner Master, do not be anxious..." Pan Jiangu leaned closer to Zhou Fugui and whispered, "Are their camps or banners also apprehending people? Then we can snatch people from them. If we capture them, they will belong to the White Tiger Banner. Anyway, they have already suffered misfortune, and it doesn't matter who falls into whose hands. In our hands, they might fare a little better."
"Excellent idea!" Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Yi Jisheng, and others whispered in admiration.
"Brilliant! Brilliant! Utterly brilliant!" Li Qing also praised.
Zhou Fugui glared at Li Qing and then said to Pan Jiangu, "Good old ghost, you are indeed insidious and cunning!"
"Heh heh, thank you for the compliment, Banner Master!" Pan Jiangu grinned slyly.
"We shall follow Old Ghost's plan. Damn it, let's go and snatch some people! Brothers, lift your spirits! A soldier is trained for a thousand days to be used for an hour. Today, it's up to us, brothers." Zhou Fugui then commanded Pan Jiangu and the others.
"Banner Master, just watch us," everyone replied.
Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, and Suo Dacheng, three imposing warriors resembling black towers, rolled up their sleeves and led the charge, heading straight for the most chaotic areas.
"Banner Master Tu Boyan, you have apprehended quite a few people today. This must be a great achievement! Promotion and wealth are surely within reach!"
"Hahahaha, you scoundrel, what great achievement? Rebels are rising, and we are acting on orders to capture them, for Great Yan, and for the Great Chieftain!"
"Yes, yes, Banner Master Tu Boyan is indeed loyal and devoted. He is wholeheartedly serving the country and His Majesty, a true loyal subject!"
"Hah!"
"Bang! Ouch!"
Just as Tu Boyan and his men were gloating and boasting, three hulking figures rushed forward. One of them, without uttering a word, delivered a powerful punch directly to Tu Boyan's face. The force was immense, sending Tu Boyan reeling backward, his nose bleeding profusely.