Gradually, these liaison officers became the "people who convey hope" in the eyes of the villagers, and people began to look forward to their arrival. They also sincerely felt that Laguge, a broken place, finally had a governor who could do things!
At this time, Dick, as the governor, did not stay in the warm castle to prepare for the New Year's Eve party, but quietly went into the mountains with his capable men, wading through the deep snow along the path, and came to a mountain called Ghost Crying Peak.
The Vulture Gang, the largest bandit group in Laguge, is entrenched here.
According to Dick's original bandit suppression plan, the Vulture Gang would not be the last to be dealt with, but it was definitely not the first target, and it should not be dealt with at this time.
Unfortunately, the plan could not keep up with the rapid changes, and it was these bastards who took action first!
The incident started four days ago when a liaison officer did not return on schedule. Knight John, who was in charge at the time, thought that the brother was delayed by something or encountered some trouble along the way, so he sent another person to look for him along the way, and as a result, he found traces of fighting along the way.
Fortunately, it didn't snow and the wind wasn't strong those two days, so when the contact person arrived at the scene, the bloodstains on the ground were still clearly visible.
The person sent to search was an old soldier who used to be a hunter. Therefore, judging from the traces at the scene, someone ambushed the liaison officer, but the bloodstains on the ground were all from the sled dogs, so the liaison officer might still be alive.
So after bringing the news back, Dick, who was naturalizing next year's development zone on the map, was furious.
"You ambushed my men and dared to kill my dog!?"
Based on the location of the ambush and the direction of the footprints found by the veteran nearby, Dick quickly identified the suspect, who was most likely the Vulture Gang who was closest to the area.
This group of people used to be the most arrogant bandits in Laguge. The bandit leader, Fidel, was a knight who had been canonized. He was rejected when he proposed to the youngest daughter of the loyal viscount, so he was furious and killed the viscount's family. He fled to the north, formed a bandit group, and ruled the mountains.
The past generations of Laguge governors were unable to do anything about this group of people and could only let them do as they pleased.
But Dick was not a pushover, and he immediately began to plan a revenge operation and decided to attack the Vulture Gang early. First, the liaison officer might still be alive, and he had to find a way to save him. Second, although the operation was difficult, it was also more sudden, and those bandits would never have thought that Dick would lead his troops to attack them at this time.
In fact, the mountain was covered with snow and the thickness of snow was over two meters, which made it difficult to walk, but it didn't mean it was impossible to walk. In addition, the Ninja Team had been doing reconnaissance before, and the Vulture Gang was the focus of observation. The terrain of Ghost Crying Peak was steep but not invulnerable, so they found several small paths into the mountain.
Moreover, Dick did not launch an all-out assault this time. Instead, he concentrated his elite forces and prepared to use a small group of troops to launch a special operation to launch a surprise attack on the Vulture Gang.
This was also the battle plan he prepared to deal with several "key bandit nests".
Those easy ones were handed over to grassroots officers to lead regular troops to fight, which not only suppressed the bandits but also trained the soldiers. For the difficult ones, he personally led the team into battle to show these country bumpkins the "tricks" of the earthlings!
The troops Dick brought out totaled seventy people, fifty of whom were private army veterans, all of whom were elite soldiers with more than two and a half years of service and had certain martial arts skills. Among them, five centurions were veterans with ten years of experience.
The "Royal Guards" include the Black and White Gun Dai, the Ninja Trio, Rita, Yoel and Lily. The military doctor accompanying the team is Natasha, and there is also a ten-man military medical team that is still in training.
Including Dick himself, there are seventy people in total!
It was impossible for a team of seventy people to attack head-on, so Dick called on Lily from the spy group to make full use of her expertise in drug making to directly poison the bandits in the lair.
This is the advantage of operating in winter. Bandits are also human beings. They are unwilling to stay outdoors in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius. They will definitely hide in their caves which are easy to defend and difficult to attack.
It just so happened that Dick had a map of the internal structure of their cave, and he knew the situation inside the cave clearly. He knew which entrance to poison and which entrance to block the "rats" that were trying to escape.
By the way, this diagram of the cave structure was provided by Ayane. In order to show off her ability, this competitive female ninja ignored Dick's order of "just observe and don't approach", and relying on her superb ninjutsu, she risked her life to sneak into the cave.
When he came back, he was scolded by Dick!
"You really think you are invincible, don't you? You want to be a secret investigator, right? Alerting the enemy is a piece of cake. Before you rushed in on a whim, didn't you consider your own safety at all? That's a bandit's den, hiding more than 300 humanoid beasts! If you were caught, what would happen to you in their hands?"
He scolded her harshly, making Ayane feel aggrieved.
But Dick still commended her. Because of the topographic map, he gave her a second prize and a medal, and then "received" a week of confinement to let her reflect on her mistakes.
Dick warned her that since it was her first offense and she did have merits, this time she would be a merit and the next time she would be committing the offense knowingly. Don't even think about recording her merits, her confinement will be doubled!
After this, Ayane became obviously much more obedient, and was no longer so reluctant to call Dick "Master".
The elite troops set out secretly from the castle and took a day and a night to successfully reach the forest halfway up the mountain southwest of Ghost Crying Peak and lie in ambush.
The thick snow was both an obstacle to their progress and a cover. At this time, Dick, who was meters tall, was standing in snow that was at least two meters thick. He had to rely on telekinesis to pinch a snow brick more than half a meter high to barely stick out half of his head to observe secretly.
When he thought about how he, as a half-blood elf, would have three or four hundred years of service even if he did not break through to the Saint level, and could directly break through a thousand if he broke through to the Saint level, but his physical "adolescence" would have to last for more than half a century, he felt helpless. If it were not for the "stud blood" of the Best family and a quarter of succubus blood, he would probably be "powerless" now.
When the girls around him learned about Dick's troubles, most of them would comfort him but secretly feel happy in their hearts without mercy.
This is the good one, it’s great!
After secretly observing with a telescope for a while, the Vulture Gang's lair was built very ostentatiously. Taking advantage of the fact that the front of Ghost Crying Peak was a steep slope of nearly 45 degrees, they built an earthen fort at the entrance of the cave. If they really attacked head-on, even two or three thousand people might not be able to defeat them.
But according to Ayane's investigation, there are actually several exits in the cave. The front entrance was probably built so conspicuously on purpose to lure you in to fight. The other entrances are very hidden, and there are secret sentries taking turns to stand guard 24 hours a day.
Dick looked at the sky and saw that there was still some time before nightfall, so he planned to wait until nightfall before taking action. Therefore, everyone was in the tent on the north slope, wrapped in sleeping bags and taking a rest.
Dick's battle plan was to have the ninja team sneak into the thieves' lair with Lily's highly volatile non-lethal poison gas to poison the thieves. The raw materials of the poison gas were properly stored separately and would be mixed by Lily herself when needed, otherwise this thing would easily become ineffective.
The reason why it is so troublesome is mainly because Dick has high requirements, requiring non-lethal and preferably not easy to detect, because in addition to the vicious bandits, there may be living liaisons and hostages kidnapped by the bandits in the thieves' nest.
Moreover, it would be too easy for them to poison all the more than 300 bandits to death!
These people will be sentenced to life imprisonment as serious criminals and become slave laborers. Mines and farms will be their destination for the rest of their lives. Any mercy for them is disrespectful to the innocent victims.
Time passed by minute by minute. The days in winter were already short, and tonight was a good night with a dark moon and strong wind, which was perfect for taking action.
Before the operation began, all the operators began to distribute gas masks made by the "Military Industry Department" of the Governor's Office and took poison gas immunity drugs in advance. Dick, who has always been overly cautious, took double insurance.
Lily was in her separate tent, completing the final preparation of the incapacitating gas. The liquid container was a ceramic can, and Lily also made a suggested "detonator" in the can.
"The usage is like this. The first step is to open the sealing cap to reveal the atomizer nozzle. The second step is to pull the pull ring next to it. The dry powder container inside will open and merge with the liquid to produce a chemical reaction. The last step is to run! Because there is a chance that the can will explode."
"Is this poison gas an anesthetic?"
"No, it's muscle relaxation. The bandits won't faint, but will become weak shrimps who can't even hold a fork. If someone happens to be in a hurry... they will most likely have to stay in Bengbu."
Lily smiled sinisterly and handed nine jars to the ninja group that were preparing to sneak in.
Lily selected nine placement points based on the map of the interior of the cave. As long as they were activated in sequence, the poisonous gas would fill the entire cave within twenty minutes.
By then, some bandits will probably notice and try to escape, but every exit will be blocked by elite soldiers.
Make sure none of them can escape!
After the operation began, the three members of the Ninja Team took the jar and sneaked into the darkness first. The Elite Team made the final preparations before the battle. Then, under the leadership of their respective leaders, they approached the thieves' den.
The team led by Dick came directly to the front of Devil's Cry Peak, accompanied by Rita and Joel.
At the edge of the woods, everyone looked up at the earthen fort on top of the hill. They could see flickering fires and vaguely hear the bandits on night watch talking and laughing recklessly. They didn't seem to care at all about whether there would be an enemy attack. It would take a long time before someone would raise his head and glance down symbolically.
At this time, Joel volunteered. With her speed, she could take advantage of the enemy's carelessness to rush in and kill the bad guys. Dick thought about it and nodded in agreement with her request, but also asked Rita, who was also good at surprise attacks, to act with her.
Before taking action, Dick gave both of them a full set of BUFFs.
Unlike the shameless magic of the priest who directly casts the "invincible shield", the magician's BUFF skill effect is weaker and more targeted, so it is not so versatile.
Wind speed, increased movement speed.
Cloud support, to reduce the sound of footsteps.
Stone skin, enhanced defense.
It is used for heat, cold resistance and warmth preservation...and can also treat uterine cold.
In short, Dick added all the buffs that could be applied to both of them, and at the same time he took out a mace-shaped staff (a staff that can be used for close combat), and told the two to send a signal immediately after they succeeded, so that he could lead others to block the door.
And it turns out that Dick's worries... were completely unnecessary!
Less than half a minute after the two men rushed forward, they dealt with the bandits on guard and sent a signal to Dick.
When Dick led his troops up the hillside and into the earthen fort, he found that there were only four bandits on guard. It was surprising how lax their defenses were. Perhaps they were used to living a fearless life, so they didn't think that there would be an army going into the mountains to suppress bandits in this freezing season.
At this time, one of the soldiers saw the four bandit sentries roasting meat on the fire. Perhaps the smell of the meat aroused his appetite, so he took out a knife and wanted to cut two pieces of meat to taste.
But when he got closer, he found that what was being roasted seemed to be a dog leg, most likely a killed sled dog. He immediately lost his appetite and his anger level reached the maximum.
Many people in the private army were arranged by Dick to serve as liaison officers on rotation, so they learned to drive dog sleds. The soldiers liked those big furry dogs very much.
According to previous search teams, they found traces of fighting at the scene of the attack. None of the eight sled dogs fled, and all died in order to protect the liaison officers who might be injured.
These loyal sled dogs now have a status in the hearts of private soldiers that is no less important than their war horses. Even the regular armies of the feudal era had clear regulations that unless they were at the end of their rope, they were not allowed to kill war horses!
Therefore, when the private soldiers who were traveling with them discovered that these damn bandits not only killed their dogs but also ate their dog meat, they were possessed by "Jiang Weike" and murderous intent burst out of their eyes.
"Governor, do you really want to capture these beasts alive?"
"The low-level thugs must be kept alive, and the bandit leaders and those big and small bosses must be killed without mercy!"
Dick knew very well that those bandit leaders all had a certain prestige. If they were allowed to live and go to the labor camp, they would most likely take the lead in organizing their old subordinates to escape, so it would be better to kill them.
Firstly, it can serve as a warning to others, and secondly, it can reassure the people.
Holding a mace and a staff, Dick erected a breastwork more than one meter high at the entrance of the earthen fort. Seven soldiers stood in the front row, relying on the breastwork as cover. Four of them held spears, and three held short swords, standing in intervals to cover each other. The three soldiers in the back row held crossbows to suppress the formation and were responsible for shooting the bandit leaders and archers.
About ten minutes later, a hand suddenly stretched out from the corner of the corridor ahead and gestured to friendly forces. Then it was Hongye who came out and ran towards them quickly.
"My lord, all the gas tanks have been placed and activated. In another five minutes, the entire cave should be filled."
"Thanks for the hard work. Well done."
Not long after Hongye came over, there was some commotion in the cave.
The poison gas Lily prepared was barely colorless, but not odorless, and instead had a slightly pungent sour smell. Dick thought about the sanitary environment of the bandit's nest, and the immediate smell should not be very good, so this was not a big problem.
But the bandits are not fools. Except for those who are still sleeping, when someone vaguely smells an odor they have never smelled before, they will immediately become heady and feel their limbs become soft and weak. The smarter ones may quickly realize that they are poisoned and want to run away.
So soon, several ragged bandits stumbled out of the corridor, but when they saw an extra earth wall on the main gate and regular army soldiers guarding behind the wall, they were all dumbfounded on the spot.
One of them, not knowing whether he was really reckless or not in his right mind, actually shouted "Charge" with a big tongue. The rest of the bandits also followed the blind obedience mentality they had developed over a long period of time, and rushed towards the private army soldiers who were on high alert, and then were all knocked down.
The spearmen in the front row originally wanted to stab these bastards to death, but Dick asked them to beat them instead, and then drag the one who gave the order over. He wanted to interrogate him alive.
Dick did not allow anyone to give the bandit who was dragged here an antidote, but instead directly woke him up with a basin of cold water. Anyway, the effect of the poison gas is muscle relaxation rather than anesthesia, so keeping him in this state would not affect Dick's interrogation.
Looking at the confused bandit who was awakened by the splash, Dick banged his mace staff between his legs, very close to the base, and then smiled like an eel.
"I want to ask you something. You won't give me this honor, will you?"
032. Let’s be more practical
Dick naturally wouldn't have a good face towards a group of evil bandits, so although he looked like he was smiling, there was no smile in his eyes. Combined with his handsome face, his expression now had an indescribable horror.
Dick didn't even bother to ask the man's name. He just went straight to the point and asked how many bandits were in the cave, whether they had kidnapped any hostages, and where the contact person from a few days ago was.
After asking the question, Dick did not forget to add one more sentence.
"Depending on your performance, I may give you a chance to survive depending on the situation."
Using an illusory straw as a lifeline, the bandit in front of him can be said to know everything. And he himself happened to be one of the confidants of the bandit leader Infidel, so he knew more than the average henchman.
The number of bandits in the entire Vulture Gang is slightly more than previously estimated, with more than 330 people. In addition, the boss Fidel has plans to "expand" this year and recruit some young and strong talents from the several villages under their control, in an effort to expand the team to more than 500 people.
Because their boss heard from "friends in the city" that the new governor was not an easy person to deal with. He brought 300 private soldiers with him. After incorporating some of David's original troops, he recruited more soldiers to expand the army to 500 people. He also held a martial arts competition and recruited a group of powerful civilian masters.
Therefore, Fidel judged that the new governor would most likely suppress bandits after the beginning of next spring. He did not find it strange that many young and self-righteous noblemen liked to suppress bandits first when they took office so as to demonstrate their bravery in front of their subjects.
At first, Fidel didn't care. He was the most powerful gangster in the area, with more than 300 men under his command, and he was guarding a strategic location like Ghost Crying Peak that was easy to defend but difficult to attack. If the young governor had any brains, he would not have troubled him, otherwise he would have made sure that all 500 private soldiers died on the steep slope in front of the earthen fort in front of Ghost Crying Peak, so that the other side would know who was the uncrowned king of Laguge.
But some news that came later made Fidel less contemptuous of the new governor.
First of all, this man did not embezzle or withhold military pay, and even raised the food standards for his private army. However, he also raised the training requirements. Even on such a cold winter day, the private army soldiers had to blow the wake-up call on time and go to the parade ground for training, to the point where they were not hindered by wind or snow.
It is also said that because the military pay is sufficient and the food is of high standard, the governor will give extra rewards and even promotion opportunities to those who excel in daily training. Therefore, the soldiers not only have no complaints, but train enthusiastically. The physical and mental outlook of these soldiers are a world apart from the dozens of beggar soldiers under David who were not well fed or clothed before!
When Infidel learned about this, he realized that this young governor was not a useless person who only knew how to talk big.
At least when it comes to training soldiers, he does have some skills and his attitude is serious.
But until then, Fidel still felt that the problem was not serious and the advantage was on my side!
The Vulture Gang is the top gangster in Laguge. Fidel even proclaimed himself "Baron" and used force and intimidation to bring several villages near Devil's Cry Peak under his control. Even if the previous governors knew about this, they didn't dare to say a word.
So Fidel decided to expand the army and engage in an arms race with the Governor!
If your governor has 500 private soldiers, then I must also have 500 bandits. Even with 500 bandits, their sphere of influence can be further expanded. When the governor starts to suppress bandits, he will take the opportunity to extend an olive branch to those small and medium-sized bandit gangs, and attract them to his own army, so as to gain an advantage over the governor's private army in terms of military strength.
Because Fidel thought so and did so, he sent people to deliver messages to several bandit villages under his control, firstly to warn them not to cooperate with the governor, and secondly to inform them in advance of his expansion.
The local young people have lived a hard life since childhood, and no one thinks they can get rich by farming. Because they are ignorant, they regard joining a gang of thieves as a "very good way out."
However, the henchman who went out to deliver the letter soon brought back some not-so-good news to the boss.
Stone Creek Village, which was the farthest away from them and had the weakest control, seemed to have sided with the Governor, because a patient with cold syndrome in their village was taken to the castle and cured by the liaison sent by the Governor.
When Fidel learned about this, he was surprised that cold syndrome could actually be cured, but he felt that something was not right, so he made a decision that he thought was smart.
Ambush this liaison officer, capture him and torture him severely to extract some information about the Governor, then kill him and send the body to Shixi Village to intimidate those dishonest villagers.
This is the cause and effect of the ambush of the liaison officer. Fortunately, the liaison officer is still alive because Fidel tortured him for two days and two nights, but he gritted his teeth and refused to say a word. Fidel was forced to stop his men temporarily and switched to the method of "starving the eagle", first depriving him of water and food for a period of time before beating him.
