Chapter 127: The Ruthless Bandit Army, Unreasonable to the Core

Chu Junhan shook his head with an air of old-fashioned maturity, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It is not that I employed some brilliant strategy; it is simply that they were too clever for their own good."

Hearing this, Tang Chen nodded, feeling relieved. "That is good to hear."

Having said that, he asked no more. For him, having a glimmer of hope was enough; at the very least, seeing the grain supplies dwindle meant his heart would no longer be so filled with panic.

...

The southernmost small city in the Yancheng region was far less guarded than the larger cities. Even the city gates stood half-open, showing none of the tension one would expect with a large army looming at the border.

Chu Junhan led a troop of men, looking up at the low city walls with an arrogant air. A smile curled his lips, and his hair fluttered in the wind, giving him a wild, haughty appearance. He shouted aloud, "Tell your city lord to crawl out here and see this general!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than a head poked out from the top of the wall to peer outside. Seeing the ten thousand soldiers of the Chu family army below, the soldier trembled uncontrollably and asked timidly, "Who goes there?"

The young boy leading the charge dismounted his horse. Clad in green armor and a red cloak, he gripped a long halberd and looked up at the wall with unbridled defiance, enunciating every word clearly: "The one who comes to conquer! Chu Junhan!"

"Chu... Chu Junhan? Conquering... the city..." The soldier shivered. Ignoring the young boy outside the gate, he scrambled away toward the city lord's manor.

Inside the city lord's manor, a middle-aged man was leisurely reading a book. It was not hard to recognize him as the same man from the secret meeting two nights prior.

"City... City Lord, disaster has struck!"

The man set down his book and stared at the newcomer with displeasure. "What is all this panic about?"

"City Lord, Chu Junhan has come to lay siege to the city!"

"What?!" The man sprang to his feet, causing his book to fall to the floor.

The grain supplies for the four brothers had only just arrived, and already the one surnamed Chu had come to attack?

"Quick... quickly notify the lords of the other three cities. I will go out and stall him for a while." As he spoke, the man hurried outside, his legs trembling beneath him.

The city gates creaked open, and the man rushed out, a ingratiating smile plastered on his face. "Young General Chu, what brings you all the way here with such a grand display?"

"To conquer the city." The young boy before the horse nodded slightly, his eyes filled with disdain.

The man was stunned, his face twisting into a bitter expression as he forced a smile. "Just a few days ago, General Tang Ziyun promised that he would not attack us. Young General Chu, this is..."

"Oh," Chu Junhan feigned sudden realization, taking a step forward while brandishing the long halberd. "Are you the one who wishes to surrender, as my brother mentioned?"

My brother?

The man was puzzled but dared not ask. He simply bowed slightly, his face full of fawning subservience. "I am indeed the one who wishes to surrender. I hope the Young General will be discerning and show mercy by sparing me."

Chu Junhan grunted, an aura of cold, murderous intent radiating from him as he looked down at the man. "In that case, I shall send my troops into the city. Step aside! I guarantee I will not harm a hair on your head."

"This..." The man was caught in a dilemma.

The young boy in iron armor let out a cold snort and slammed the butt of his halberd hard against the ground. He traced an arc in the air, the sheer force of the movement creating a wind that seemed to tear through the void, blowing away all the dust in its path.

The gale swept across the man’s clothes, and the flying dust stung his face, forcing him to swallow hard and take an involuntary step back. "Y-Young General, if you wish to enter, then please, go ahead!"

"Hmm," Chu Junhan responded indifferently. With a flick of his small hand, he led his majestic army into the city in a grand, sweeping procession.

At the city gate, only the man remained, standing all alone. He was drenched in a cold sweat, his heart still racing with lingering fear.

That was too close—he had nearly died at the hands of the young boy. The leader of the bandit army was truly as unreasonable as they said!