The fastest-running bandit was about to hurl himself triumphantly into the wheat field when—
DUANG.
His forehead slammed into something solid.
Very solid.
Like a wall someone forgot to paint.
The impact was so abrupt he didn't have time to tense up. His brain rattled like a stone in a pot, blood sprayed, and he toppled over backward with his limbs loose as noodles.
Then—
"Duang! Duang! Duang!"
Three more bandits, too excited to stop, crashed head-first into the invisible barrier.
Three more down.
"Stop! Stop! Don't charge the wheat!"
The remaining bandits froze, finally noticing something was very, very wrong.
A giant transparent wall stood between them and the field.
"What… what is this?"
"What cursed thing is blocking us?"
They gaped at the wheat—visible, golden, swaying gently—yet forever out of reach, like a dream of free bread.
At that moment, from the southern mountain path came a furious roar:
"Vile bandits! How dare you trespass into Chengcheng!"
The rhythmic clatter of hooves followed.
Fang Wushang, the newly appointed xunjian, had arrived.
The man was impatient by nature. The moment he spotted the bandits, he refused to wait for his subordinates—who were still running on foot—and spurred his horse straight ahead.
A horse runs much faster than men.
Therefore, Fang Wushang became a one-man army.
A genuine "commander without troops."
One man versus two hundred bandits.
Not a hint of fear.
With a shouted "Hyah!", reins in one hand, spear in the other, he charged like a spear of lightning.
Cheng Xu sucked in a cold breath.
"There are officers this reckless in the world?"
Beside him, Xing Honglang rolled her eyes.
"Did you think everyone was like the last xunjian? That soft peach who ran at the sight of trouble? That guy was the abnormal one."
Cheng Xu coughed lightly.
"Ahem… I think that old xunjian was a fine man—balanced tactics, knew when to advance or retreat… He defeated Wang Er, Bu Zhan Ni, and Zuo Guazi. Who in Chengcheng is stronger?"
Xing Honglang snorted.
"Oh please. Before I learned the truth about Dao Xuan Tianzun, I also thought he was a hero. Now it's obvious—it was Tianzun doing the work. Cheng Xu? That man is exactly as the jianghu rumors say: a soft peach."
Cheng Xu:
"…"
…Time to change the subject.
He pointed ahead.
"Look at Fang Wushang."
Fang Wushang was tearing across the slope, spear leveled.
The bandits, upon seeing him, reacted like street thugs spotting the police—
They ran.
This unintentionally saved his life.
Had he charged headfirst into that invisible wall, he and his horse might have gone straight to report to the King of Hell.
He didn't enter Zhengjia Village.
Instead, he swung toward the east slope, jabbed his spear—
SPLUT.
One bandit down, speared clean through.
Before the body fell, his horse had already surged a full pace ahead.
Another bandit came into reach—
SPLUT.
Another clean kill.
Even Xing Honglang felt chills.
"He's just a lowly xunjian, yet he's fighting like this? He's fiercer than any greenwood outlaw I've met."
Cheng Xu scoffed.
"Hmph. Hardly impressive. Give me a horse and a spear and I'm no worse. Anyone who climbs upward without backing or family—of course they have real skill."
Xing Honglang blinked.
"You know cavalry combat?"
Cheng Xu immediately shut his mouth.
Reality was simple:
Most Ming-dynasty military posts were inherited. Being "a captain" didn't require competence—just a competent father.
These hereditary officers cherished their lives too much to fight seriously.
But the ones who clawed their way up?
They earned rank by literally hacking through battlefields, counting heads—not favors.
Put plainly:
If you made Yuan Chonghuan fight Cheng Xu one-on-one, Yuan likely loses.
If you made them command armies, Cheng Xu would be annihilated so fast historians wouldn't bother writing the details.
Meanwhile, Fang Wushang continued his slaughter.
One man, one horse, one spear—
He circled the bandits like a hawk among pigeons.
Not a single one could withstand a direct thrust.
Seven or eight fell within moments.
Had the bandits brought spears, they might have managed a semblance of resistance.
But as the "forward climbing squad," they'd come with only knives to stay light.
Knives against a cavalry spear master?
Ambition exceeding reality.
They couldn't form ranks.
Fang Wushang rode through them freely, making them spin in confusion.
Soon, his subordinates finally arrived—over a hundred soldiers led by the deputy xunjian.
The bandits took one look and cried:
"Officers! Run!"
They were already barely surviving one man.
A whole force?
Their morale shattered instantly.
The officers charged.
Within moments, the two hundred bandits were dead, maimed, or rolling back down the slope they'd just climbed.
Fang Wushang galloped to the slope's edge.
He looked down and spotted the main Heyang force struggling up the mountain.
He sneered.
"Men! Find stones and logs—crush them like rotten melons!"
The deputy pointed nearby.
"General, look! Someone already prepared a whole pile of logs for us."
Fang Wushang turned.
"Huh?"
Then realization dawned.
"Ah! Must be the Gaoxia Village militia. They tried to defend here but got scared when the bandits nearly reached the top. So they ran! Left their logs for us. Convenient."
His soldiers nodded, enlightened.
"Makes sense."
Li Daoxuan chimed in smugly,
"Brilliant deduction, young master. Even Sherlock Holmes would kneel before you."
Fang Wushang puffed his chest.
"Heaven favors me today! Since the militia thoughtfully left these logs, I accept them gladly! Men—roll them down!"
The soldiers began hurling logs and rocks down the slope.
Fan Shan Yue's luck finally collapsed.
He had been this close to the top—
Then suddenly the militia "transformed" into officers, and the logs started again.
His main force couldn't hide among rocks now—too crowded.
The slope instantly turned into a chaotic disaster of falling bodies.
Fan Shan Yue looked up—
And locked eyes with Fang Wushang.
Fang Wushang shouted down:
"Stupid bandit! Remember your grandpa's name! Fang Wushang, xunjian of Chengcheng! As long as I live, you dogs will never set foot on Chengcheng soil!"
Fan Shan Yue yelled back:
"Damn you! You're not Cheng Xu! Why would I be scared of you?"
Fang Wushang:
"…?"
Insult.
Insult detected.
He exploded in anger.
Cheng Xu?? That fraud??
The man who lied about killing Wang Er?
The man whose reports were full of exaggerations and creative fiction?
That soft peach who earned his "merit" by inflating numbers like a storyteller at a teahouse?
Comparing Fang Wushang to that man was blasphemy.
Fang Wushang roared,
"AAAARGH!"
and raised his spear to charge straight downhill.
The deputy xunjian panicked, wrapped both arms around his waist, and shouted,
"General—calm down! Calm down! He's provoking you! Don't stoop to the level of bandits!"
Footnotes
Xunjian — A county-level rapid-response officer. Historically underpaid, overworked, and occasionally terrifyingly brave, as seen here.
Invisible "wall" — Likely Cheng Xu's gadgets or terrain trick. Defenders historically used fishing nets, ropes, or hidden fences to block cavalry or charging infantry. The comedic "transparent wall" effect here emphasizes the surprise.
Cavalry vs. knife fighters — In real warfare, unarmored infantry with knives stood almost zero chance against a trained spear cavalryman. The fight here is unusually realistic beneath the humor.
Hereditary vs. earned rank — Ming dynasty military hierarchy heavily favored inherited positions; actual battlefield specialists often came from the lower ranks.
"Heaven favors me!" — A common self-comfort phrase among low-ranking officers, used whenever luck—not strategy—suddenly goes their way.