The lake to the north of Shangtai Mountain is called Shangbei River by local people. The spring is located in the hinterland of Shangtai Mountain. It flows out to form a small lake. It used to be a good place for local people to visit. However, since Shangtai Mountain was destroyed by Guo Daxian and others,
After occupying it, the people did not dare to come back.
When Zhu Hansan and his party arrived at Shangbeihe, the moon was already over the branches, and the wind was freezing. Although spring was approaching and the weather had gradually warmed up, the temperature in the north was still very low.
Even standing here, he could feel the chill coming from the lake. Zhu Hansan couldn't help but shuddered and asked, "Are you sure everything is okay in such a cold weather?"
"Haha, sir, just be optimistic. Guo Daxian will definitely open the mountain gate for you, but... there may be many brothers who will be killed tonight."
Guo Daxian skillfully took off his shirt, revealing his fat belly. He patted his belly and said with a smile.
As he spoke, Guo Daxian also looked at his brothers. He knew that if he wanted to go swimming, he would have to pack lightly. He would not bring anything that he could not bring. This was to reduce the weight, and secondly, he could not move around in the water.
Just like on land, the resistance in the water is huge. The more things you carry, the more energy you spend and the greater the risk.
"Brother, what are you talking about? We are just prisoners. Today, Mr. Zhu showed extra mercy and gave us a way to survive. It's not too late for us to be grateful!"
"That's right, even if you die, it's your own life. You can't blame others."
"Yes, after we finish this errand, we will go home together to celebrate the New Year. I will never do this bandit again."
"Okay, then let us brothers end this bitter fruit with our own hands and help Master Zhu win Huya Village!"
Guo Daxian was very moved when he heard this. Ever since he was caught, he had regretted it very much. Being brought up by Zhu Hansan this time, he also saw a glimmer of hope, so naturally he had to grasp it firmly.
"Then let's use three torches as signals. If you take down the gate of Huya Village, hang up three torches at the gate. I will send people to keep an eye on the gate. Once the signal is given, we will immediately go up the mountain.
Come."
Zhu Hansan was not Zhu Ge who had just debuted, so he would not be affected by their sensational words. He patted Guo Daxian's arm and said in a deep voice: "I hereby promise that this matter will survive a narrow escape. If you can really do it,
Help me succeed. After that, I will let you go as agreed. However, if someone cheats and takes the opportunity to join the bandits again, I will not be able to spare him. To tell you the truth, if it doesn't happen today
, then I will send people to guard the foot of the mountain, cut off their food routes, rob their water sources, and I will trap these bandits to death on the mountain."
"Thank you, sir!"
"Whatever your Majesty said, we will not be those two-faced people."
"Sir, don't worry!"
Others expressed their gratitude.
Seeing that they had all taken off their coats, their upper bodies were bare, and they were wearing a pair of trousers. They just held a knife in their hands. Zhu Hansan concluded that this group of people might really have a narrow escape from death, and there would be no return.
"Come here, serve them some wine, a bowl for each of them."
Zhu Hansan waved his hand behind him, and immediately someone carrying wine came to Guo Daxian and others, and poured a bowl of wine for each of them.
"It's refreshing. I didn't expect that I could drink such a fine wine before I die. It's enough!"
"It's a good wine, not bad, not bad."
"What a pleasure!"
The good wine went into the throat, the strong drink went down the belly, and the praises continued for a while.
"After everything is done, I will treat you to a drink with my Drunk Immortal Brew."
While Zhu Hansan felt the frustration caused by the crude equipment, he comforted him: "It's getting late, so let's take action. I'm waiting for your good news at the foot of the mountain."
"Okay, sir, just watch from the bottom of the mountain! Guo Daxian will definitely open the mountain gate for you and let you in."
Guo Daxian patted his chest, then turned around and plunged into the lake.
Everyone else took a deep breath and jumped into the lake one after another.
"Sir, in such a cold weather, even if this group of people swim to the heart of the mountain, it will be difficult for them to exert their fighting power. I'm afraid they won't even be able to lift their knives. Maybe most of them will die in this lake."
Yan Liang took a step forward, stared indifferently at the lake that had just returned to calm, and said.
"Those things are not our responsibility. Whether it will succeed or not depends on God's blessing. What we have to do now is to rush to the mountain road and wait quietly for news about them."
Zhu Hansan stood with his hands behind his back, standing by the lake, and said: "This battle is very important. We can only win, not lose. Now I give the order."
Everyone calmed down and watched Zhu Hansan's order attentively.
"Because the mountain road is rugged, the cavalry cannot play any role, and the distance from the bottom of the mountain to the mountain gate of Huya Village is more than 300 feet. This distance is not close. If Guo Daxian and the others succeed in stealing the mountain gate, but we fail to arrive in time, then
The gain outweighs the loss. It is difficult for a large group of people to hide in the mountains, so we can only select some elite soldiers to go up the mountain first and lurk outside the village gate. When the mountain gate opens, they must seize the mountain gate and hold on until the army arrives. This task is also
It is extremely dangerous and dangerous, who would dare to go there?"
Zhu Hansan's eyes roamed back and forth over Dian Wei, Guan Hai, and Yan Liang. His purpose was very obvious. Only the three of them could complete this task.
"My subordinates are willing to go!"
"I'm willing to go!"
"I can't fight in the water, but if we talk about a land battle, and others are still weaker than me, I'll go for it!"
Guan Hai, Yan Liang and Dian Wei quickly went out to ask for orders.
"Okay, I have the three of you to help me, so why worry about Huya Village not being broken down? But this time, we can't go up the mountain with too many people. I'm afraid that if there are too many people, we will be easily noticed by the bandits on the mountain, but if there are too few people, it will be difficult to do anything.
As a result, I have decided that the three of you will go together, along with seven other experts, for a total of ten people."
Zhu Hansan smiled happily and expressed his thoughts.
Judging from Guo Daxian's explanation and Yan Liang's experience, Zhu Hansan was able to conclude that Yan Bao was cautious by nature, quite resourceful, and well versed in military strategy. If such a person could not be killed with one strike, he would probably be allowed to run away for safety reasons.
, Zhu Hansan simply sent out all three of his most capable fighters.
"Lord, if we all go, who will protect you?"
Guan Hai's face changed slightly and he said urgently.
In his opinion, it was only a matter of time to attack Huya Village, and it would happen at any time, but Zhu Hansan had to have people by his side.
"Even if you all go, I still have more than ten guards around me. They are enough to protect me. You must remember that tonight's matter is particularly important. As soon as the gate of the village is opened, you will send someone down the mountain to deliver the message.
, the rest should all go and seize the mountain gate. They cannot lose it, nor can they advance rashly. We will wait until I lead the army to kill everything."
Zhu Hansan was very nervous. This was the first time he had led an army in a battle. Although his opponent was a defeated bandit, Zhu Hansan's heart was still beating wildly.
"In that case, let's take him away first. Don't worry, sir. As long as the mountain gate is opened and I, Dianwei, am in charge, no one can try to snatch him back."
Dian Wei replied with clasped fists.
"We will also assist the guards to seize the mountain gate."
After Guan Hai and Yan Liang looked at each other, they also clasped their fists and said.
"Okay, without further ado, let's get going."
Guo Daxian and the others had been in the water for a while, and Zhu Hansan did not dare to neglect him. He asked Ma Chuang to pick out seven children of the Ma family who were good at martial arts, and the group hurried towards the road up the mountain.
"Sir, do you think this can be done?"
After Dianwei and the others left, Ma Chuang glanced at the calm lake, shuddering uncontrollably all over his body, and asked worriedly.
"It's up to people to plan things, and it's up to God to make things happen. As long as we do everything we need to do, even if we fail, we will have no regrets. Okay, let's go down and get ready. We have to be on our way."
Zhu Hansan patted Ma Chuang. He was very satisfied with this subordinate who was several years older than him. He could always feel a military style from Ma Chuang, that kind of resolute and non-procrastinating character that made him
Zhu Hansan couldn't help but think of the disciple soldier in his previous life who was known as the strongest land warrior in the world.
Just as Zhu Hansan and the others were leaving, Guo Daxian and the others also successfully swam to the hinterland and landed ashore.
"It's so cold!"
Guo Daxian was the first to land on the shore, constantly shaking his whole body so that his body could quickly generate temperature and recover.
After a while, Guo Daxian's men also came ashore one after another. After he counted the number of people, he found that there were only twenty-seven people.
Guo Daxian sighed and sat on a rock, slumping his frozen body. While recovering, he waited for the stragglers.
They waited for about a stick of incense, but no one came ashore again. Everyone else knew what would happen to those who fell behind, and everyone looked sad.
"No wait, have the brothers recovered?"
Guo Daxian was silent for a while and asked in a deep voice.
"Brother, don't you wait any longer for Xiao Liuzi and the others?"
A man next to him replied sadly.
"A stick of incense has passed. You and I both know what the result will be for Xiao Liuzi and the others. There is no need to wait any longer. The adults' affairs are the most important. If they fail to complete the tasks assigned by the adults, it will not only be Xiao Liuzi and the others.
Even you and I can't escape death,"
Guo Daxian patted the man and sighed: "As for Xiao Liuzi and the others, just leave it to fate!"
There were originally forty-six people, but after entering the water, only twenty-seven remained, and the other nineteen were buried at the bottom of the lake.
"Brothers, we can't let Xiao Liuzi and the others die in vain. After this matter is over, we brothers will go home to celebrate the New Year together."
Seeing that the atmosphere was a little dull, Guo Daxian quickly encouraged him.
"Okay, just listen to you, big brother!"
The man held the knife and gritted his teeth and replied: "After we are done, let's go home together to celebrate the New Year."
The group of people, led by Guo Daxian, slowly climbed up along the simple road.
When he was approaching the exit, the sharp-eyed man grabbed Guo Daxian and whispered, "Brother, I just saw the boulder blocking the exit shaking. Maybe someone was pushing it outside."
"Well, Yan Bao must have known about this secret passage. Brothers, this place is still more than a hundred feet away from the mountain gate. If there is a fight, I will lead people to hold Yan Bao and the others down. Lao Hei, you will lead ten people to chase them away.
Go to the entrance of the village and open the mountain gate. You must have arranged for experts to wait outside."
Guo Daxian took a deep breath and quickly gave instructions to the man.
"Brother, why don't you let me lead someone to hold them back while you go open the mountain gate..."
Lao Hei was deeply moved. Everyone knew that those who stayed had a narrow escape from death. After hesitating for a while, he decided to give this opportunity to Guo Daxian.