232 Taking Down Ershi Ridge Part 2 (1/2)

Er'Shi Ridge, mountain bandit stronghold, Hall of Brotherhood.

”What's the situation?” questioned the boss. The forceful and angry aura he emitted choked everyone, “Who has the courage to attack our mountain stronghold?”

”It's a proper army, with more than 1,500 men. They used fire arrows to burn our first roadblock.” Goutou had received firsthand information.

”Heh, such nerve!” The boss became furious when he heard that the enemy had less than 2,000, “Order the brothers to kill them at the second roadblock.”

”Yes!” The military advisor ran down to send the orders.

At the foot of the mountain, Zhao Sihu looked at the burning roadblock and didn't make a move.

Inside the roadblock, the mountain bandits that couldn't escape in time let out screams of pain, as the fire burned them alive. Although some of them escaped, their backs had caught on fire; they tumbled around on the ground and asked their allies for help.

The burning roadblock had similarly stopped Zhao Sihu and his forces from attacking.

The fire burned on for a whole hour before it slowly stopped. Zhao Sihu ordered his men to obtain twigs to extinguish the fire, which would clear a road for them to enter.

20 minutes later, the force continued their advance.

On the way, they didn’t see a single mountain bandit; they had all retreated to the second roadblock.

Zhao Sihu knew that the real test was going to come.

He looked at this roadblock built out of rock, the fire attack weren’t as effective anymore. This roadblock was hard to attack but easy to defend. With his current troops, breaching this place was harder than ascending the heavens.

The mountain bandit chieftain stood on the wall and shouted, “Who are you, to dare break my roadblock and attack my stronghold?”

”I'm the one that's going to take your life. You are all shameless and lack conscience. You steal from the mountain barbarians; you all don't deserve to live.”

”Haha,” the mountain bandit laughed like he had heard a joke, “With only you, you want to do the work of the heavens? Haha, it's better if you go home and feed your kids!”

”Haha haha,” a bunch of mountain bandits also laughed loudly, mocking the troops.

Zhao Sihu didn't make a move, but he shouted back, “Cowardly tortoises; what's there to be proud of? Do you dare to come out and fight with your grandpa?”

The soldiers supported their major and mocked the bandits, hurling abuse at them. The threw out anything bad that they could think off.

”You!” The mountain barbarian chieftain was furious, “Shoot the arrows, shoot them, kill them!”

When the archers received this order, they started raining arrows at the enemy troops.

Zhao Sihu had prepared his troops for this, and the sword-shield soldiers raised their shield to block the arrow rain. They slowly backed off until they got out of range.

”Haha,” the chieftain grew complacent, “Now, who's the coward?”

As a general that Ouyang Shuo had placed his faith in, Zhao Sihu wasn't simple. When he saw the mountain barbarians not fall for it, he took a look at the wind direction and thought of a plan. He ordered his troops to cut down the wet twigs and douse them in alchemical fire oil. The sword-shield soldiers braved the arrow rain to pile the twigs under the roadblock.

The mountain bandits didn't recognize the alchemical fire oil. When they saw these actions, they didn't know what their enemy was trying to do.

After his soldiers returned, Zhao Sihu ordered the archers to fire and ignite the twigs.

In a moment, smoke rose from the twig mountain. The wind was just nicely blowing toward the roadblock, which blew smoke into it and fogged it all up.

The chieftain finally realized that the enemy had tricked them, “Despicable, it's this method again!”

The thick smoke covered the entire roadblock; the mountain bandits found it hard to bear with it, and felt that breathing was very difficult. They had no choice but to leave the wall and back off.

Zhao Sihu grabbed the chance to order the troops to attack the roadblock.

Before they attacked, he ordered the troops to wet a cloth and cover their nose and mouths.

The mountain bandit were busy taking care of themselves. Without the interference of the archers, the Shanhai troops quickly took the gate down. Zhao Sihu ordered the archers to remove the twigs and the sword-shield soldiers charged in.

The mountain bandits were like headless flies in the smoke. When they saw the enemy chase in, they became like birds fleeing from a bullet, as the sword-shield soldiers chased them around as they ran.

The thick smoke slowly faded away; Zhao Sihu had successfully taken down the second roadblock.

Mountain stronghold, Hall of Brotherhood.

”Report!” the messenger ran inside the hall, “Boss, the enemy has taken down the second roadblock; they’re advancing toward the third one.”

”What?” the boss stood up, which instantly shook the floor, “Heipi that useless junk. How did he lose a roadblock so quickly!”

”Boss, it seems like the enemy general isn't simple,” military advisor Goutou noted.