Banditry 011

What's more, various miraculous legends about Fang Zhiyi began to circulate within the bandit gangs themselves. Some said he possessed a mirror bestowed by the gods; just by asking the mirror questions, the bandits' hideouts would be revealed. Others claimed it was all because there were many traitors within the bandit ranks who secretly passed information to Fang Zhiyi every day, which was how he could strike with such precision.

However, regardless of which story was told, they all sowed immense panic among the bandits. Some bandit strongholds even turned on each other in a desperate search for the non-existent "traitor," leading to frequent bloody clashes and internal strife.

Fang Zhiyi, seizing the opportunity to profit from their discord, continued suppressing the bandits while also plundering their treasures on a large scale, using the wealth to rapidly arm his own security regiment.

"I've never fought a war this well-funded!" Fang Zhiyi said with great satisfaction.

When Fang Zhiyi proposed expanding his forces again, Yan Qi wore a troubled expression. "Big brother, your security regiment already has more men than my full regiment. Any more expansion, and you'll be raising an army!"

Fang Zhiyi spread his hands. "What choice do I have? Banditry isn't just rampant here. Many people victimized by bandits have come to me asking to join. How can I turn them away?"

Yan Qi had a headache over this, but it seemed he could no longer control Fang Zhiyi. Fang Zhiyi had men and money, and most crucially, he seemed to know exactly how to smuggle, acquiring weapons and equipment even better than Yan Qi's regular army. His training methods also seemed highly effective. Yan Qi used to look down on this ragtag bandit-suppression force, but now, when they stood in formation, his own full regiment looked like a hastily assembled militia in comparison.

Soon, however, he couldn't afford to worry about Fang Zhiyi anymore. His superior had sent an envoy, stating that someone had accused Yan Qi of heavy taxation, slaughtering innocent civilians, and using bandit suppression as a pretext to amass wealth and expand his forces. He was now being held accountable.

The envoy pointed at his nose and berated him for a full hour, then arrogantly demanded he immediately resign his post and return with him to face the Marshal.

Yan Qi sighed, removed the pistol from his belt, and prepared to leave with the man.

But as soon as they stepped outside, the envoy found a gun pressed against his head.

"You... you... are you rebelling? Yan Qi, I'm telling you, I was sent by the Commander! Think carefully!" the envoy panicked. Yan Qi was also stunned.

Then Fang Zhiyi appeared, followed neatly by two columns of fully armed security regiment personnel. Yan Qi's own soldiers stood further out, just watching.

"Son of a bitch! You think you can just waltz in here and take my regiment commander away?" Fang Zhiyi's opening line was pure invective.

The envoy was dumbfounded, stammering, "Y-you... who are you?"

"Who am I? Someone, tell this bastard who I am!" Fang Zhiyi waved his hand, and two of his men stepped forward and started slapping the envoy.

Little Hei shook his head with a laugh. "You're really going too far."

"Did you think I was a warlord for nothing?" Fang Zhiyi glanced at Yan Qi. He knew perfectly well that if Yan Qi left, he was a dead man.

"Mr. Fang..." Yan Qi began.

Fang Zhiyi raised a hand to cut him off. "From now on, call me Marshal!"

Yan Qi was speechless.

"Look at that dog of a superior you have. Doesn't know his ass from his elbow. A good soldier like you, and he still finds fault with everything. Listen to me, from today on, you work for me."

Yan Qi opened his mouth, wanting to refuse.

But his adjutant suddenly drew his pistol and fired a shot into the air. "Marshal Fang!"

The surrounding soldiers also began chanting Fang Zhiyi's name.

Yan Qi was shocked, but he was already on the spot. Seeing that the charge of rebellion was now firmly pinned on him, he gritted his teeth. "Marshal!"

Only then did Fang Zhiyi stop the two men slapping the envoy. He looked at the man, whose face was swollen like a pig's head. "Now tell this Marshal, who went crying to your Marshal?"

The man shook his head dazedly, clearly still out of it.

Seeing this, the adjutant moved to 'wake him up,' but fortunately the man came to his senses in time. "It... it was a young man I didn't know. Named... named something Fu... he, he serves as the Marshal's adjutant. The Marshal is very fond of him."

Yan Qi stood frozen in shock. "Fu something?"

"R-right, I think it was... Fu Yunshen!"

Yan Qi instantly understood. If he had gone, it would have been a one-way trip. He glanced at Fang Zhiyi with gratitude, then gritted his teeth. "Fang... Marshal, perhaps we can let this man go. He was just following orders."

Fang Zhiyi waved his hand. "You decide!"

Yan Qi saluted.

From that day on, he had inexplicably changed his allegiance. Fang Zhiyi then disbanded the security regiment and reorganized it together with Yan Qi's original regiment, doing it with a familiarity as if he had been a marshal before.

Yan Qi felt he had misjudged this man from the start. What was his background? Why was he hiding in this small backwater town of Xicheng?

Unlike other warlords who conscripted men everywhere, Fang Zhiyi sent people to post public notices. First, detailing the treatment, rations, and settling-in allowances for soldiers, then issuing a series of administrative decrees. When the people of Xicheng first learned Fang Zhiyi had raised an army, everyone was afraid. In these times, bandits were terrifying, but warlords were equally fearsome. However, as Fang Zhiyi's decrees were implemented and he forcefully dealt with several particularly vicious local tyrants and evil gentry, the common people began to support him.

"So what's the core principle? That we have guns?" Fang Zhiyi asked, using a stick to lecture the officers before him. Yan Qi also sat to the side, listening attentively.

"The core is the common people! Did you all spring from rocks?" Fang Zhiyi's words were plain but easy to grasp. "When the common people are bullied, you stand up for them, and they praise you. If you bully the common people, they'll fear you, but they'll still curse your ancestors to the eighth generation behind your back!"

Yan Qi had initially worried that the former Marshal would attack, but Fang Zhiyi told him to relax. The Xicheng area was barren, with poor mountains and harsh waters—not a strategically vital location. Given that warlord's style, he would at most try to save face. Sure enough, after suffering several ambushes and seeing the terrifying casualty ratios, the warlord's side could only curse for a while before quieting down.

This only deepened Fu Yunshen's resentment, but he couldn't make his master change his mind. He could only bide his time.

What concerned Fang Zhiyi more, however, was that the female lead had disappeared. It seemed after being abandoned by Fu Yunshen, she had vanished into the mountains. Being the female lead, she probably wouldn't get carried off by a tiger or anything, but it was still quite puzzling.

Once Xicheng was put in order, Fang Zhiyi resumed his campaign against the bandits.

He knew very well that eradicating banditry couldn't be done in a few years. But for now, it seemed he had only one option: to kill.