: Finally Overcoming the Perils of Yunmeng Mountain

Seeing that the others didn't have many good ideas, Song Jiang walked up to the henchmen and said sternly, "I'll give you a chance to live. Tell me how many roads lead to Yunmeng Mountain, and I might spare your lives!"

The henchmen shouted eagerly, "I know! I know! I can lead the heroes!"

Song Jiang casually pointed to a lowly henchman and said, "You'll do!"

The henchmen who were singled out were overjoyed! It was as if they had seen a glimmer of hope for survival!

Song Jiang led him aside and said, "Speak! If you find out I lied to you, I will make you suffer a hundred times worse than death!"

The henchman shivered, realizing that what Song Jiang said was true, and that if he concealed anything, he would not see the sun rise the next day!

"Our mountain stronghold only has one main road leading up, but there's a pass blocking the way. It wouldn't be easy to force our way through!"

After a moment's hesitation, Song Jiang asked, "Is there any other way?"

The henchman hurriedly said, "The back mountain is very steep, but there's a grassy path there. It's difficult to walk, but it leads up the mountain. However, the path is very well hidden; an ordinary person wouldn't even guess it's a path!"

Song Jiang ordered his men to take him aside, and then had another henchman brought in, whose story was exactly the same as the first henchman's!

After asking three people in a row, and receiving largely consistent answers, Song Jiang deduced that they were not lying and had an idea!

Hearing that there was another way to get up the mountain, Song Jiang felt much more relaxed. He was just worried that if there was no shortcut, he would have to force his way through the front gate. If these bandits refused to come out and remained stubbornly indifferent, he would really have no way to deal with them. He would have to think of other ideas!

Just like a siege, if the defenders cower like turtles, it will be a waste of time and effort, and will cost lives. Siege warfare has been called a meat grinder since ancient times, and that's no exaggeration!

But with the secret paths, there are many more strategies available. Many mountain strongholds have secret passages and paths to ensure that they can escape safely when they are surrounded!

I don't know if Chen Lei is a pig-headed idiot. It's enough for his confidants to know about such a top-secret matter as alternative routes up the mountain, but he made it public knowledge. He really isn't afraid of people coming up the mountain to take his head. I don't know whether to call him arrogant or ignorant of death!

Summoning Wang Dahu and the others, Song Jiang said, "The mountain path is treacherous; a direct assault is not the best strategy!"

Zhu Tong smiled and said, "Brother, it seems you have a good idea!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "There's a small path on the back of the mountain that leads directly up! I have a plan, but it's somewhat risky!"

No one spoke, waiting for Song Jiang to continue!

Song Jiang said, "The three thieves who escaped should be able to get back to Yunmeng Mountain tonight. Chen Lei will definitely be on guard tonight and strengthen his defenses. Let's get a good night's sleep! Tomorrow morning, we'll attack Yunmeng Mountain!"

After watching the local militia and villagers gradually disperse, Song Jiang spoke again: "I predict that the bandits will definitely hold their ground tomorrow. Those attacking the front of the mountain can feign an attack on the bandits, using a strategy of exhaustion every half hour. We can bring more gongs and drums to harass them. Then, at nightfall, the three brothers Zhu Tong, Yang Zhi, and Hao Siwen will sneak into the stronghold from the back of the mountain to take Chen Lei's head. After that, we will open the mountain gate and launch a strong attack on the stronghold from the front. I think most of the bandits will not fight to the death. In this way, Yunmeng Mountain will naturally be taken!"

After thinking for a moment, Song Jiang spoke again: "The difficulty of this matter lies in the fact that the three of you brothers will have to sneak in from the back mountain, potentially facing hundreds of bandits. You can imagine how dangerous it is!"

Yang Zhi spoke first, saying, "Sir, rest assured. Back in the day, our ancestors faced thousands of Liao troops at Jinshatan without ever retreating a single step. How could I possibly tarnish the honor of my ancestors by dealing with a mere few hundred bandits?"

Hao Siwen laughed and said, "Although I am not as talented as my two brothers in martial arts, I am not afraid of these thieves!"

Zhu Tong didn't say anything, but nodded firmly to reassure Song Jiang!

Wang Dahu knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Gentlemen, you have shown me such great kindness and virtue. My Yunmeng Village truly does not know how to repay you!" After saying that, he really burst into tears!

It had been too long, far too long. Yunmeng Mountain was like a nightmare, haunting him, and he thought he would never be able to escape it in this lifetime! But he never expected that someone would actually step forward to save them, especially since these heroes who had been so kind to them were just strangers he had met by chance!

Song Jiang, however, remained nonchalant, laughing and saying, "If only there were a place to lie down and sleep!"

Wang Dahu quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! If you gentlemen don't mind, please make do with the night in my humble abode!"

At this moment, Chen Lei was like a frightened bird, unable to sleep at night. How could he, who was used to being domineering and arrogant, have expected to suffer such a big setback today!

He had been too successful before. Every time he robbed someone, he would scare them into handing over money and grain. If they dared not to, he would kill a few of them. It wasn't that he hadn't encountered resistance before. There were some villagers who dared to fight back, but how could a few hundred scattered soldiers stop him? After slaughtering two villages, no one dared to act recklessly in front of him anymore!

Having enjoyed a good life for so long, they naturally forgot the life of risking their lives before. But Chen Lei was also a man who had seen life and death. Although he was a little panicked, he quickly calmed down and ordered all his henchmen to be on high alert tonight and to report any disturbance to him!

That night, the henchmen didn't sleep a wink, fearing that the enemy would take advantage of the darkness to attack Yunmeng Mountain and take their lives!

The next day, many of the underlings complained bitterly with dark circles under their eyes. The mental tension of the night had left them physically and mentally exhausted. They used to be so happy, how could such a thing have happened today!

Chen Lei, observing this, waved his hand and said, "Half rest, half on guard! Those resting this afternoon will be on guard, and those on guard will rest!"

Suddenly, a deafening sound of gongs and drums rang in my ears!

One of the henchmen jumped in fright and fell to the ground!

"What's going on!" Chen Lei shouted sternly! He hadn't slept last night either; as someone who always valued his life, he naturally couldn't sleep!

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The people of Yunmeng Village are shouting and clamoring outside the mountain gate, demanding that Your Majesty go out and face your death!" A lowly guard at the mountain gate rushed back in a hurry!

Chen Lei's blood was boiling, and he was consumed by rage. Ever since he came to Yunmeng Mountain, he had been the one bullying others, and no one had ever dared to cause him any trouble! Had yesterday's victory made these guys forget who they were?

Chen Lei immediately shouted, "Brothers, follow me to meet them in battle! Let them know that Yunmeng Mountain is not to be trifled with!"

Immediately, he drew his sword and stood ready to go out of the village and wreak havoc. In addition to those guarding the village, the henchmen also picked up their swords and prepared to follow the village chief out to meet the enemy!

Just as he was about to leave the hall, Chen Lei abruptly stopped. He wasn't stupid; the fact that Yunmeng Village was making a show of force in broad daylight was an unusual act that must have a hidden agenda!

He was very clear-headed. There must be a master in Yunmeng Village to help him. Could it be that they deliberately provoked him to fight and then wiped him out in one fell swoop?

"Get out of my way!" Chen Lei suppressed his anger and waved his hand.

The shouts and curses from Yunmeng Village outside stopped quickly!

Chen Lei breathed a sigh of relief, but at this moment he dared not let his underlings rest!

At this moment, Wang Dahu, who was outside the stronghold, said admiringly to Song Jiang, "Mr. Song, why are you so sure that Chen Lei is not daring to come out?" Song Jiang didn't want them to keep calling him benefactor or hero, so he told them his name instead!

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Although we are outnumbered, after last night's battle, Yunmeng Mountain lost half its men. Their morale must be completely low now. To prevent me from devising another plan, holding our ground is the best course of action!"

Wang Dahu then asked, "What if they really come out?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Since our strategy is to wear down the enemy, we can simply run away. Do you really want to compete with them?"

What?! Wang Dahu was dumbfounded. He never expected Song Jiang to say such a thing!

Song Jiang said sternly, "You are far inferior to the bandits of Yunmeng Mountain in terms of numbers, experience, and even combat strength. Fighting against overwhelming odds will only increase casualties. Don't let yesterday's victory go to your head!"

Song Jiang was certain that Chen Lei wouldn't dare come down the mountain to fight him to the death! Of course, even if Chen Lei did dare to come down, Song Jiang wasn't without a backup plan, so he naturally wouldn't put himself in real danger!

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Dahu said to the village militia, "Mr. Song said to keep cursing Chen Lei, curse him as harshly as possible, don't stop!"

After half an hour of silence, the henchmen were getting sleepy and really wanted to lie down and take a nap, but then the annoying gongs and drums started again!

The henchman trotted up and said, "Your Majesty, those people said you were born to a prostitute, and that your ancestors for eighteen generations were all cowards, and that any sons you have will be exiled prisoners or beggars..."

Chen Lei was so angry that his face turned purple, but he lost some of his fighting spirit and became more and more convinced that there was an ambush in Yunmeng Village!

Based on what my subordinates reported yesterday that several powerful figures had arrived in Yunmeng Village, it's likely they deliberately lured me out so they could wipe me out in one fell swoop!

Chen Lei was furious because he couldn't avenge his grudge or clear his name. He kicked one of the henchmen in front of him to the ground.

The henchman felt wronged, but dared not show it, and could only lie on the ground, unable to utter a sound.

Seeing that the henchman remained silent, Chen Lei felt a little guilty and even more agitated. He slumped down on his backside, panting heavily.

After a day of shouting and cursing, finally at dusk, a henchman reported: "The people of Yunmeng Village have all retreated!"

Chen Lei breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Is it true or false?"

The henchman quickly replied, "It should be true. Some brothers secretly followed them and saw them retreat down the mountain. They must have been shouting and cursing all day and were tired!"

Chen Lei was about 70-80% convinced. Yunmeng Village wasn't made of iron; with such a title, it was impossible for them not to be tired!

Late at night, Zhu Tong and his two companions, who had been waiting on the back mountain for a long time, quietly sneaked up the mountain. It was a dark and windy night for murder. At this time, apart from a few henchmen on night watch, everyone on Yunmeng Mountain, including Chen Lei and the other henchmen, had already fallen asleep!

This is exactly the time we've been waiting for. After interrogating the henchmen yesterday, we naturally know where Chen Lei's room is!

The mountain stronghold was completely silent at this moment, and even the henchmen on night watch were barely able to stand up and dozing off!

The three men split up and moved like the wind, making no sound at all. They quietly walked behind the dozing henchmen, slit their throats, and then quietly put them down!

Eight people in total, easily dealt with. Their daytime shouting and cursing made them never imagine that someone would actually sneak into the mountain stronghold from the back at night and take their lives!

Two henchmen were guarding the door to Chen Lei's room. They saw the three of them and were about to speak when Yang Zhi and Zhu Tong took their lives!

Chen Lei heard a noise and was about to make a sound when the door was kicked open. Before he could react, Hao Siwen stabbed him in the throat with a gun!

He never imagined that he would die so hastily!

Zhu Tong chopped off his head with a single stroke and held it in his hand. Yang Zhi also took advantage of the darkness to arrive at the mountain gate. At this time, how could the few henchmen react in time? They were all killed by Yang Zhi with one stroke each, and then the mountain gate was opened!

By the time the other henchmen realized what was happening, Song Jiang had already led everyone to occupy the gate!

Upon hearing Chen Lei's head, Zhu Tong said, "Chen Lei is dead. Those who surrender will not be killed!" It wasn't that Song Jiang was merciful, but rather that if they were to be slaughtered now, they would surely resist fiercely knowing they were doomed, and there would definitely be losses on their side!

But if they were given a chance to live, there would be almost no daremen to fight to the death!

The henchmen were too terrified to say anything and had no choice but to surrender.

After some time, a local militiaman and Jiao Ting stepped forward. The militiaman said, "After inventory, the stronghold has a total of four thousand taels of silver, two hundred taels of gold, a number of jewels and paintings, one hundred bushels of grain, and fifty horses!"

Wang Dahu could hardly believe how many things there were!

Back in the village, rows of henchmen were found with their hands tied and forced to lie face down on the ground!

Song Jiang was about to leave, and his time was really too tight; he really couldn't delay any longer!

Song Jiang didn't take a single grain of the 100 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain, and instead had Wang Dahu divide it equally among the villagers!

Song Jiang originally didn't intend to accept the gold and silver, but Wang Dahu and the others insisted on refusing, so Song Jiang had no choice but to accept fifty taels of gold and one thousand taels of silver!

Song Jiang took all the jewelry and calligraphy, but not a large amount, because the villagers did not understand the value of these jewels. Leaving them in the village might attract unwanted attention and bring trouble!

As for horses, that was what Song Jiang needed most right now. He shamelessly asked for all fifty horses and the forty that had been found earlier. However, he couldn't take them with him for the time being. He rode six of them away, and left the rest in Yunmeng Village. No one in the village said a word of objection. Without Song Jiang, they might not even be alive at this moment!

Even if Song Jiang took all the silver and grain, they wouldn't say a word. But Song Jiang left the vast majority to them. This kindness alone is enough to be remembered!

With tears in their eyes, the villagers knelt down to bid farewell to Song Jiang, their sincerity genuine and without any pretense!

Before leaving, Song Jiang patted Wang Dahu on the shoulder and said, "Remember these two sentences I said: one is that if people's hearts are inclined towards goodness, Heaven will surely bless them; the other is that being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself!"

Wang Dahu seemed to be deep in thought, but Song Jiang waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to see him off anymore!

Whether he truly understood those two sentences or not, Song Jiang didn't know either. But this village had been oppressed for too long, and it wouldn't be unreasonable for Wang Dahu to help within his means!

As for those thieves, their fate was sealed the moment their hands were stained with blood!

But Song Jiang was unaware that what was originally a trivial matter to him had been spread far and wide by the villagers, making it much easier for him to recruit talent and soldiers in the future!