The Human Emperor (200-400)

C328: The Sharp Bai Siling!

"Lord, your plan sounds feasible," Zhang Lin bowed in response. He had no qualms about Xu Gan's proposed plan. While the recruits from Longwei Training Camp had zero experience on the battlefield, that didn't mean that they were complete greenhorns.

The idea proposed was still a workable one.

Xu Gan nodded proudly before abruptly turning to Wang Chong. With a slight sneer, he drove his steed over.

"In the operation later on, you need not follow us. You should just wait at the back so that you don't drag us down."

"Fine by me," Wang Chong nodded casually. His nonchalant respond left Xu Gan a little frustrated, and he felt a temptation to exert his superiority over the other party.

But eventually, he still chose to hold himself back.

As long as Wang Chong didn't err, Xu Gan would have no reason to provoke or challenge him. Such issues were regarded seriously in the missions.

"You better be!" Xu Gan glared at Wang Chong before beckoning for the rest of the group. "Set off!"

Leading twenty cavalrymen each, Xu Gan, Huang Yongtu, and Bai Siling began heading down the path westward.

Clopping sounds echoed from behind Wang Chong as a ten-man squad leader named Ma Song stepped forward and asked indignantly as he gazed in the direction Xu Gan and the others had left, "Lord, why didn't you speak up against them? Clearing away the bandits on the western path isn't as easy as they think. If that's the case, we would have eradicated them long ago!"

Wang Chong was a member of a respected military clan, so he couldn't help but think that those other leaders were acting way too audaciously before him.

"Let it be, they can do whatever they want." Wang Chong waved his hands nonchalantly. At this moment, Xu Gan and the others still thought of Wang Chong as nothing more than a naive fool. Even if he were to flash his token now, they would only think that he was trying to suppress them through his identity.

Only when they hit a wall would they finally reflect on their actions. It wouldn't be too late for him to act by then.

"Have you participated in this mission before?" Wang Chong suddenly turned around and asked the squad leader.

"Yes, lord!" Ma Song nodded. "Most of our brothers here have participated in this mission several times in the past as well."

"Oh?" Wang Chong was surprised. Even Lieutenant Zhang seemed to be oblivious to the situation regarding the bandits, but Ma Song seemed to know a fair bit in comparison.

"Then do you know what the current situation is?" Wang Chong asked.

Ma Song thought for a moment before replying, "I am not too sure of the latest events, but for the past few months, the officials have been organizing periodic cleanups of the bandits on the road to the Western Protectorate Manor. However, these cleanups tend to have a fairly long interval in between. However, it seems like around a month ago, there has been an unusual spike in the activity of bandits in the area."

"Oh?" Wang Chong frowned. "It shouldn't be too surprising for there to be occasional fluctuations in the number of bandits in the area, should it?"

"I am not too sure of the situation, but in an operation half a month ago, we captured the chief of a bandit band, and according to what they said, someone seemed to have offered them a generous reward to gather the other bands together and form a huge alliance. According to their description, the person who came into contact with them was masked and possessed exceptional martial arts, but they weren't able to clearly identify his background.