Chapter Forty-Four: Deciding on a Plan to Exterminate the Bandits

  A dozen or so thunderbolt bombs, carrying bright flames, drew beautiful curves in the air and fell among the Flying Wind Bandits, creating a spectacular scene.

  If this were to happen in modern society, it would inevitably trigger a scream of terror. However, these ancient people did not recognize what this thing was and did not know that the god of death had arrived. They all stared with wide eyes at the thunderbolt shell emitting blue smoke and making a "hissing" sound, completely bewildered.

  "Hum! A worthless thing, and yet it dares to show off!"

  Liu Feng was disdainful, with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and began to mock.

  "These people, on the brink of death, actually have no idea!" Yang Xiuxiu couldn't believe it, her eyes wide with wonder as she gazed at the mocking expression on Liu Feng's face, her pretty face no longer showing any mercy.

  Today, Yang Xiuxiu and her group killed a number of Liufeng bandits, they had long been accustomed to the scene of blood rain and stench.

  Bang! Bang!

  The earth-shaking explosion sounded one after another, as if the thunder was rumbling under the nine heavens, shaking people's eardrums and buzzing continuously. The flashing flames appeared in clusters, shining brightly like the sun.

  "Is it thundering?"

  "The sky is clear and sunny, how can there be thunder?"

  These ancient people, from Zheng Ta the county magistrate to soldiers and family members, all looked up at the sky, measuring it as if it were thundering. However, they broke their necks looking up, opened their eyes wide, but there was nothing unusual in the sky.

  "Heavens! They, they..."

  "How did they become like this?"

  Immediately afterwards, a burst of shrill screams rose up, the pitch was high and piercing to the ear, like an owl hooting at night, making people's hair stand on end.

  "Ah, ah, ah……" Zheng Tai, who was normally quick-witted and sharp-tongued, pointed at the corpses, scattered flesh, and broken intestines on the ground, and was shocked to the point where he couldn't utter a single word, his face filled with astonishment and horror.

  They couldn't help but be shocked, because the good-looking Flowing Wind Thief had turned into a corpse. Not only did he turn into a corpse, but not a single one of them was intact, either missing an arm or a leg, or with their intestines spilling out, blood and brains flowing everywhere.

  It's just fate, and it wasn't so terrifying!

  Wu Ji took a step forward, grasping a thunderbolt bomb in his hand. He spoke loudly, drawing everyone's attention: "You think that was the will of heaven, a punishment from above? I'm telling you, you're absolutely wrong! This thing in my hand is called a thunderbolt bomb, and it was this very thunderbolt bomb that killed them!"

  The tone was not loud, but it had an unquestionable power that no one dared to disbelieve. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the thunderbolt in Wu Ji's hand, with fearful glints shooting out of their eyes and their faces filled with horror.

  The timid ones retreated even further, fearing they would get too close and meet a tragic end.

  Wu Ji ignored their horror, his tone suddenly turning high and severe: "You soldiers, if you still don't come to your senses, I'll throw this thunderbolt into the midst of your families, and let them become like this! I'll count to three; if you still don't surrender, your families will die without a burial!"

  Shaking the thunderbolt in his hand, he roared fiercely: "One..."

  "Ah! Don't throw it away! Whatever you do, don't throw it away!"

  The power of the thunderbolt, the soldiers saw with their own eyes. If Wu Ji really threw it into the family, what would be the consequences? The soldiers did not dare to fear.

  "Sir, don't throw! We are willing to persuade them to surrender."

  The family members had never seen Wu Jie's ruthlessness before and were greatly intimidated, starting to loudly call out the names of the soldiers, urging them to quickly surrender.

  "You...” The surviving Liufeng thieves were about to make trouble again, but as soon as they saw Wu Jie staring at them with an evil gaze, as if they had seen a ghost, they didn't dare speak anymore and could only shut their mouths tightly, pursing their lips even tighter than a chicken's anus.

  The timid fear the cruel, the cruel fear the ruthless. Bandits and thieves rob homes and extort money from the people, also fearing Wu Jie's kind of ruthlessness!

  "Two!" Wu Jie's roar was exceptionally clear, and no one dared to ignore it.

  As soon as Wu Jie's roar came out, the soldiers and family members' foreheads sweated cold sweat, and they were all covered in goosebumps, anxious to the point of being unable to bear it, their faces turned pale.

  "Ji'er, you won't really abandon him, will you?" Wu Qing asked in a low voice, not bearing to see it happen, and whispered into Wu Ji's ear.

  The question was a bit untimely. Wu Ji's eyebrows furrowed and his eyes widened as he shouted, "Prepare the Thunderbolt Bullet!"

  Yang Xiuxiu, Wu Jian and Wu Xing were the first to raise their thunderbolts. Wu Qing and Qiao Dayuan had a look of unbearable pain on their faces, gritted their teeth, and finally raised their thunderbolts as well. Their hands trembled uncontrollably, their teeth chattered, making "ga ga" sounds.

  If you really throw it into the pile of family members, I don't know how many family members will be blown to death. These are unarmed people, only thieves like Liu Feng and Qiao Dayuan would kill family members. Wu Qing and Qiao Dayuan kept saying in their hearts: "This is fake! It's just a scare tactic, it doesn't count!"

  "Sir, don't throw it away! We surrender! We surrender, isn't that enough?" The soldiers finally couldn't hold on anymore, some begged for mercy, put down their weapons and walked to the side.

  Someone took the lead and immediately others followed suit. Hundreds of soldiers threw down their weapons and surrendered obediently.

  "Whoa!" Wu Jie let out a long sigh, almost falling to the ground. Wu Jie wasn't a demon, he couldn't possibly throw thunderbolts at his family members, but if this move didn't work, Wu Jie really didn't know what else to do.

  Fortunately, the soldiers were intimidated and finally softened, a mutiny was quelled under Wu Ji's strong intervention.

  "Awesome, awesome!" Zheng Tai couldn't help but admire Wu Ji's thunderous methods. In fact, in that situation just now, being gentle was useless, and only being tough could suppress everything. Zheng Tai finally understood Wu Ji's intentions.

  Things were much easier from then on, Zheng Tai began to tidy up the soldiers, sent people to restore order and interrogate the bandits.

  Wu Ji had no choice but to rest obediently. Wu Ji's body was originally weak, and his physical strength had been exhausted early today. Adding to that, he was highly tense mentally, and once the situation was settled, he relaxed and could no longer hold on, swaying back and forth, almost falling to the ground, causing Yang Xiu Xiu and Wu Jian to hurry over and support him.

  "Quickly help Lord Wu down to rest!" Zheng Tai was extremely grateful to Wu Ji and hastily gave the order.

  Yang Xiuxiu and Wu Jian, Wu Xing, Wu Qing supported Wu Ji to a room, and put Wu Ji on the bed. Wu Ji only felt dizzy, as if he was about to faint at any moment.

  Just as he lay down, Zheng Tai brought a doctor over. The doctor took Wu Ji's pulse and comforted the crowd, saying that Wu Ji was just exhausted from overwork and would recover with rest and care.

  Zheng Tai finally felt at ease and instructed to take good care of Wu Ji, then went to attend to his duties. The major event was initially settled, but there were still many things to do, and as the county magistrate, he had to preside over it.

  "Brother Qian, you're so amazing! Liu Feng was defeated by your hands!" Wu Jian was overjoyed and began to praise Wu Qian.

  "Ah! Ah! Flowing Wind Thief, you're not even three-headed and six-armed, how can we not kill you!" Wu Qing shouted at the top of his lungs, almost singing it out, full of vigor and spirit, as if he wished there were more Flowing Wind Thieves for him to kill.

  Liu Feng was a thief, ferocious and cruel, with an infamous reputation. Previously, when Wu Qing and others heard the name Liu Feng, they would be so scared that their pants would get wet. Who would have thought that today, face to face, fighting against Liu Feng, they didn't find him to be as formidable as expected.

  As the crowd praised Wu Ji, Yang Xiu Xiu was overjoyed, with a face full of happiness. She had been married to Wu Ji for quite some time, and today she felt the most proud! In such a critical situation, he actually turned it around, which is really rare! This also proves that Wu Ji is a true hero!

  Having married such an excellent husband, what more could one ask for?

  "Is Lord Wu better?" Just as everyone was praising Wu Ji, Zheng Tai came in with a troubled face, constantly sizing up Wu Ji lying on the bed, seemingly wanting to say something but finding it hard to speak out, with an expression of wanting to speak yet stopping herself.

  "Here comes Lord Zheng!" Yang Xiu and Wu Qing hastened to pay their respects.

  "It's all right! Spare yourselves!" Zheng Tai waved her hand to stop the crowd from paying their respects, and quickly walked to Wu Ji's bedside. Seeing that Wu Ji's eyes were tightly closed, she couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, and turned around to leave.

  "Lord Zheng, is there something?" Just then, Wu Ji's weak voice sounded, slowly opening his eyes, somewhat powerless.

  "Director Wu, you're so weak now, just take a rest!" Zheng Tai hesitated for a moment and didn't say it.

  "Lord Zheng, although the military uprising has been quelled, the situation is still not optimistic. In my opinion, the bandits seem to have a hidden plan, and Lord Zheng has come for this matter?" Wu Ji's eyes gleamed with light.

  "High! High! Indeed high! Lord Wu has thought of this too!" Zheng Taixu was first startled, then delighted, and loudly praised: "Lord Wu is right, the Flowing Wind Thief has a follow-up move. Zeng Shaoming is just an inquiring stone, the Flowing Wind Thief will raid Guishen City tonight. The Flowing Wind Thief has several hundred people, if they want to raid Guishen City, Guishen is still in danger."

  "So that's what it was! This is the most reasonable explanation." Wu Ji nodded, seeming to have gained insight: "How will Lord Zheng respond?"

  "Alas!" Zheng Ta sighed lightly and said reluctantly, "The Flowing Wind Bandits are so daring and presumptuous, they actually raided Rui Xing City. This is a great opportunity to annihilate them! However, the city is currently in turmoil, and the soldiers' combat strength is not up to par, we can only retreat and seek secondary options. I plan to defend stubbornly and let the Flowing Wind Bandits retreat on their own."

  "Magistrate Zheng seeks stability, but this is a good strategy!" Wu Ji shook his head slowly and said: "However, if such a good opportunity is missed, wouldn't it be a pity? Magistrate Zheng, I have a plan!"

  "Oh! Please speak quickly! I came here just to hear Mr. Wu's words." Zheng Tai was very anxious, sat down beside Wu Ji, with a face full of expectation.

  "It can be said like this..." Wu Jiaqiang forced himself to say his thoughts.

  "Unexpected, unexpected! Lord Wu has actually read military books, is well-versed in strategy, and deploys troops with such skill!" Zheng Tai listened to Wu Ji's words, looked him up and down, and praised him to the skies, his thumbs almost poking through the roof.

  "Governor Zheng is overpraising me, I don't understand military strategy at all, it's just a matter of adapting to the situation." Wu Ji was somewhat dizzy, what does this have to do with military strategy and books?

  "Wonderful! Wonderful words! The four characters 'cause advantage to guide' are the essence of military strategy. From ancient times to the present, how many people who have read military books can say these four characters? Only reading military books without knowing how to cause advantage to guide is just empty talk! It's Zhao Kuo!" Zheng Tai's praise became even more intense, constantly giving thumbs up and praising non-stop, savoring the words: "Cause advantage to guide, cause advantage to guide, using troops is nothing but these four characters! What a wonderful 'cause advantage to guide'!"

  "Wu Ji's eyes turned black and he fainted."