The next morning, Longtou Mountain was shrouded in thick mist, which did not dissipate until half an hour after the sun had risen.
Song Qiming had led his men to ambush both ends of the official road in advance, waiting only for Song Jinzhao's order to strike.
Around eight in the morning, when the sun was high in the sky, Zhao Jiutou led nearly two hundred bandits out of Qingfeng Stronghold. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, they lay in ambush in the ditches flanking the official road.
Meanwhile, on a hillside two hundred meters away, Song Qiming lowered his telescope and instructed Lan Xi.
"There are about two hundred of them. Tell Sister she can set off now."
According to the innkeeper and Wang Er, the Qingfeng Stronghold had roughly two hundred bandits, so this had to be their entire force.
After waiting for nearly half an hour without seeing a single soul, Zhao Jiutou questioned Wang Er.
"Where are they? Why aren't they here yet?"
Wang Er answered tremblingly, "I reckon it's because the womenfolk can't get up early. How about I go take a look?"
Zhao Jiutou pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Zhao Mang, you go with him."
Wang Er, who was just about to rejoice, instantly lost his good mood. With a troubled expression, he said, "Chief Zhao, Brother Mang is burly and has an unfamiliar face. The villagers will get suspicious if they see him. It's better if I go alone."
Broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and with a face full of fierce flesh, Zhao Mang did not look like a good person at all. Taking him down the mountain would definitely arouse suspicion.
Zhao Jiutou looked Zhao Mang up and down.
Thinking about it, it was true; he looked too much like a villain.
In fact, not just him, but everyone in Qingfeng Stronghold looked like a villain. Just standing there was enough to strike fear into people's hearts.
"Fine, go and come back quickly. Once this is done, I'll give you double the reward."
Wang Er agreed gleefully, nodding so hard his chin looked like a chicken pecking at grain.
He turned and ran, quickly disappearing into the forest.
Before Wang Er could return, a quarter of an hour later, the convoy slowly appeared in the sights of Zhao Jiutou and his bandits.
Looking at the guards on horseback, they counted and found there were indeed only ten of them.
Maids sat sideways on the handcarts laden with luggage, and more maids walked alongside the horse-drawn carriages. It clearly seemed to be a wealthy family.
Zhao Mang licked his lips impatiently, his lustful gaze landing on the decent-looking maids and refusing to look away.
"Boss, do we strike?"
Zhao Jiutou shook his head in refusal. "Wait until they enter the ambush ring before we make a move."
Zhao Mang's Adam's apple bobbed as his gaze shifted to the carriage the maids were following.
The people sitting inside had to be the madams and young ladies of this wealthy family. If the maids were this pretty, the young ladies must be absolutely stunning!
The movements on both sides of the official road could not be hidden from Song Jinzhao. Seeing that they were in about the right position, she pretended nothing was wrong and lifted the window curtain to glance at the scenery on both sides.
Zhao Mang's eyes lit up. She really was a young lady from a wealthy family.
There seemed to be an even younger one inside the carriage, a pair of beautiful sisters.
Seeing that the convoy had reached directly in front of the ditches, Zhao Jiutou suddenly raised his saber, climbed out of the ditch, and shouted, "Brothers, charge! Tonight at the celebration banquet, there will be enough beauties and fine wine for everyone!"
Hearing Zhao Jiutou's promise, the other bandits charged forward with the strength of bulls, running incredibly fast.
The lustful Zhao Mang abandoned his good Brother Hu and sprinted madly toward the carriage where Song Jinzhao was.
Amidst the chaotic noise, a shout of "Beauty, here I come!" could be heard. Song Jinzhao's face instantly darkened, her grip tightening on her Lingyun spear, which could no longer wait to draw blood.
In the other carriage, Song Anhao held down the eager Xuetuan and lectured in her sweet, childish voice, "Don't move. Sister told us to stay here. It's dangerous up front."
Xuetuan twitched its tiger nose indignantly.
So many people, there is a threat, I want to go at them.
Song Anhao seemed to understand its gaze, hugging its neck tightly and continuing to shake her head.
"Sister and the others will win a great victory. They don't need you to go over there. Be good and stay here to protect me."
Xuetuan lay down dejectedly in the carriage, in a bad mood but still maintaining its vigilance at all times.
At the same time, the shouts of the charging bandits echoed for hundreds of meters.
Gu Jinghong and her group, who were heading toward Longtou Mountain, suddenly stopped in their tracks, their ears pricking up.
"Judging by the sound, there must be at least several hundred people. It must be the bandits from Qingfeng Stronghold coming down the mountain to kill again."
Riding on horseback, Gu Baozhu clamped her legs around her horse's belly with an excited expression and galloped forward. "Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and save them!"
"Auntie, slow down! Stay behind me!" Gu Jinghong shouted as she chased after her.
The hundred or so guards beside them quickly followed, forming a dense, dark mass that made the very ground tremble beneath them.
