Xipinggang was originally a small mountain village with only more than twenty families. A small river flowing from the west to the east passes through the village. This sweet and clear river is about six meters wide and about two meters deep. It is called Xikengyuan. The source of the river comes from a slightly C-shaped mountain to the west, with an altitude of more than 800 meters. Xipinggang Village, which is nearly 400 meters above sea level, is located at the southeast opening of the crater.

Although Xipinggang Village is picturesque, with more than 300 acres of mountain and paddy fields, and towering ancient trees and flowers outside the village, the bandit leader Lu Chengrong's old nest is not in Xipinggang Village, but in Yinzhu Temple, a Fengshui treasure land, 18 kilometers west of the village.

It is rumored by locals that the extremely effective Yinzhu Temple was built in the Ming Dynasty. It was Zhu Yunfon, the grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, disguised as a monk. After escaping from his uncle Yongle, he sneaked into the temple where he hid and practiced. Hence, he was named Yinzhu (Zhu) Temple. Yinzhu Temple is the same as Yinzhu Temple, one of the three famous temples in Nanchong, where Emperor Jianwen once settled.

Wu Ming was not interested in the history of the Ming Dynasty, but was interested in the Yinzhu Temple on the west high platform of the village, which was 18 kilometers away from the Serenade Mountain. He stood on a tall platform formed by a sudden huge rock, and used a telescope to carefully observe the cliffs on three sides, and the one with a rugged rock. Only a rugged path to the east can lead to Yinzhu Mountain at the top of the mountain temple, and Yinzhu Temple, where only one corner of the main hall can be seen on the mountain. It took him nearly twenty minutes to see it. Eight years ago, Yinzhu Temple on the top of the mountain became the largest bandit cave in the western Zhejiang army of Lu Chengrong's army.

Luo Zhuoying and others stood around Wu Ming, holding a telescope and carefully checked the bandit cave in front of them at an altitude of more than 600 meters. While looking, they praised the green pines on the mountain and the beautiful scenery. Huang Wei, who has been to Huangshan several times, even said that the scenery is no less than that of Huangshan, known as the "most strange mountain in the world", and is even more steep.

The top of the mountain is also at the front of the raised platform formed naturally. The forty-seven-year-old bandit leader Lu Chengrong and a group of big and small leaders are also overlooking Wu Ming and others on the edge of the village to the east.

Lu Chengrong has a square face and a long beard, with a tall and handsome face, slender eyebrows, and a tall nose. If she hadn't had darker skin, her clothes were the military uniforms of the Beiyang Army ten years ago, those who don't know the details would definitely think that he was a government official or a family member, and would never have tied him up with the unforgivable bandits when they met him.

In comparison, the big and small leaders around Lu Chengrong are much worse. Although they are famous knives and guns, their cheeks are clenched, and they look extremely brave and tough, compared with the unmoving elder brother Lu Chengrong, they are all compared with their appearance and temperament.

At this time, anyone could see the anxiety and helplessness in Lu Chengrong's eyes.

Yesterday morning, the guard posts at the foot of the mountain disappeared silently. At noon, Lu Chengrong, who received the urgent report, sent out three groups of 18 people to go down the mountain to check the situation quietly. Who knew that it was still meat buns to beat dogs and go back without returning. The only thing that is certain is that the guard posts in the village, the stakes, together with more than 20 households, were controlled by the officers and soldiers who arrived suddenly without warning. The retreat route hidden under the cliff in the northwest, covered by dense forests, was also blocked by a large number of officers and soldiers who suddenly appeared. The iron chain wooden bridge built on the deep ravine was removed by the officers and soldiers who were touched in at some point, leaving only nine large iron chains. A small group of guards behind the deep ravine disappeared.

According to the report of the "Ivy" of the Sandang Family who sneaked out to investigate and returned from the investigation, at least one company of officers and soldiers built four solid fortresses on the Lujiaogang, the only way to retreat at the foot of the mountain. On the fortress built with logs and stones, there were twelve Czech machine guns. On the stone ridge more than 30 meters behind the machine gun, there were four muzzles pointing directly to the mountain. The number of officers and soldiers was no less than one hundred, and the military uniforms and the pot helmets on their heads were all colorful, and it was difficult to distinguish between the surrounding woods and grass. If they did not move, they would not be able to tell that they were humans at all.

The report of the Sanding House frightened all the bandits on the mountain. No one could guess how this group of officers and soldiers avoided the triple eyeliner set on the periphery and suddenly appeared around the old nest. They blocked all retreats very familiarly like the old horse in the road. They couldn't figure out where the group of officers and soldiers came from, why they acted so quickly and vigorously, and had so many machine guns and mortars.

What Lu Chengrong is most worried about is not the danger he is facing now, but the wife and two children in Xipinggang Village, the middle of the mountain, the older and younger children, and the younger brother who had been hiding in the south, the name of the younger brother who had been hiding for eight years. The younger sister's family had more than fifty people. Although only the four brothers around him knew about this secret, even the closest guards were kept in the dark, Lu Chengrong was still worried about it.

After a long silence, Lu Chengrong raised his telescope again and stared at the entrance of the village 118 kilometers below.

Finally, he stood in a row of telescopes on the high platform formed by a huge rock at the entrance of the village, and was also looking at his group of officers.

"Zan Xu, look, those people's military uniforms seem to be from the Central Army, but the officers and soldiers around the platform are all wearing steel helmets and dressed in strange looks. What's going on?"

Lu Chengrong was the question as soon as he spoke, and he asked Zhang Zanxu, the most wise second-in-commander among the brothers.

Zhang Zanxu, who was not tall and slightly thin, put down his telescope and turned to his elder brother worriedly: "Yes, he is the general uniform of the Central Army. It seems that all the officers and soldiers around him are elite, with a large number of Czech machine guns and portable machine guns. This distance is clearly visible. Standing on the platform is a lieutenant general, four major generals, a colonel and several lieutenant majors... Brother, looking at this formation, the officers and soldiers surrounding us are no less than two regiments, and I am afraid they will not stop until they achieve their goals."

The sun was like fire, the mountain wind was flying, and the brothers around him were sweating all over, but no one could wipe it, and no one dared to speak loudly anymore. They all looked at their backbone, Lu Chengrong.

Lu Chengrong handed the telescope to the personal guard behind him, took his gaze from the bottom of the mountain, stared at Zhang Zanxu's eyes, and asked in a low voice:

"Why haven't the Liao family sent a message yet? Where did Lu Zhongxiu invite the elite Central Army?"

Zhang Zanxu thought for a while and expressed his speculation: "I guess it is not a local officer or soldier in Quzhou, and it is very likely that he will go straight to our place as soon as he enters the ground of Quzhou... It is also possible that he is the elite of the 18th Army, the main force of the Central Army, which is resting in Changshan. Otherwise, it will be difficult to explain why so many generals came."

A group of big and small leaders around me agreed with the analysis of the second leader, and they all shouted and discussed nervously. Recently, the leaders who had gone down the mountain to learn about some situations began to talk about many rumors that the 18th Army was stationed in Quzhou and then drove to Changshan.

After listening to the brothers' comments, Lu Chengrong's slender eyebrows thumped a few times, and took the telescope from the guards again, observed a group of generals on the high platform at the entrance of the village on the east side, and suddenly said:

"Zan Xu, take a closer look. The tall man standing in the middle with the collar with the collar under the collar, is he Wu Ming, the brother-in-law of the former Commander Fang? Haven't you seen him twice?"

Everyone was shocked. Those with telescopes immediately raised the telescope, put on the awning without telescopes, and looked at them. But the generals and schoolmen on the high platform at the entrance of the village had turned around and gathered under the big camphor tree below the platform to have tea.

"Look at the south side, the officers and soldiers have started cutting down trees! What are they going to do?"

"It seems like I'm going up the mountain, and there are a dozen people behind my back with gun barrels!"

"Are they going to put the cannon on the hill to the south to blast us?"

"Look at the foot of Bailuo Mountain to the north, and the intersection of the road below Mabei Ridge, look at it...

"More than thirty officers and soldiers, four machine guns and gun barrels!"

"There must be shells in the wooden boxes on the backs!"

There were bursts of exclamations on the platform in front of Yinzhu Temple. Lu Chengrong quickly observed the mountain. Beads of sweat the size of beans oozing out his broad forehead and temples, but his heart became colder and colder.

After pondering for a long time, Lu Chengrong pulled Zhang Zanxu under the big tree behind him, soliciting opinions word by word:

"Zan Xu, it seems that we are really defeated! Wu Ming is a ruthless man. He has no calls, no counsel, and no ultimatum. It seems that he is going to destroy us! For the four hundred brothers on the mountain and for the family of you and my brothers, I want you to go down the mountain to meet Wu Ming and a few generals and schools to see if you can surrender?"

"I heard that although Wu Ming is cruel, he is extremely trustworthy and moral. So even if I die in the end, he can save other brothers and keep the bloodlines of your and my families!"

Tears surged in Zhang Zanxu's eyes, and he nodded and said in a low voice:

"I don't even say it, I'll go down the mountain and take a walk. Wu Ming is definitely not an ordinary person. He calculated every step tightly, leaving us no chance.

Speaking of this, Zhang Zan pointed around: "If I guess it's good, after his two teams of officers and soldiers climbed up to the two mountains in the north and south, they would attack us. Add four cannons on the left and right sides, and the total number of mortars in the three directions is no less than fifteen or sixteen. The distance is more than two miles away, and our machine guns cannot hit them, but their cannons can easily hit us. If they really want to climb to the top of the surrounding mountains and hit us from a high point, there will be no enough people to blow them to death. If they want to take a cushion before death, they will be delusions!"

Lu Chengrong's gums were quacking, and finally he lowered his head in frustration: "Prepare, bring more silver notes and small gold bars from the two major money houses in Quzhou, and tell Wu Ming and those generals that I, Lu Chengrong, are the bandit leader and are willing to pay the order. As long as they promise to let my brothers go, I immediately asked the brothers to put down my swords and guns and offer all the treasures. Even if I cut off my head and marinate them with lime, I, Lu Chengrong, will not have a complaint, and I will be grateful to him in the nine springs!"

"Brother..."

The tears in Zhang Zanxu's eyes finally flowed down. He immediately squatted to the ground, hugged his head and cried bitterly.

All the brothers around were stunned. They didn't know what the boss said to their second brother. The second brother would be so sad and desperate, but they vaguely guessed that a huge disaster was about to come.
Chapter completed!