Why do I have so many masters?

Wang Anfeng and his group split into two parts, with most of the men going ahead to a safe place to wait, while Wang Anfeng, with a dozen people, dealt with the matters of the fortress and then set off to catch up with the rest.

When catching up, Yuchi Jie was idly fiddling with the branches and leaves beside him, and when Wang Anfeng dismounted from his horse, he casually released his hand and asked,

"All set?"

Wang Anfeng took a deep breath and then nodded heavily.

"All set."

Yuchi Jie's face showed no surprise, he shrugged his shoulders and said,

"Even we could see that situation from here, so I guess you managed it."

"I won't ask how you pulled off that trick, but what do you plan to do next? There are about four hundred people here. Four hundred is not forty, nor is it four, we can't just camp outdoors every day, can we?"

Yuchi Jie turned and pointed toward the crowd behind him.

Three hundred Qing Taoqi were holding their mounts, standing silently and solemnly; in addition, there were over ninety people originally from the fortress, each carrying bags of rice and flour, holding cooking utensils, and staring eagerly at him.

Originally, Yuchi Jie planned to leave them behind, or give them some silver coins and let them scatter to save their lives, which could also create distractions and buy some time.

However, Wang Anfeng considered that these people were already connected to them, and leaving them behind would likely result in their death, so he brought them along.

Yuchi Jie retracted his right hand, looked at Wang Anfeng, and said,

"Not to mention whether they can withstand this hardship, food and drink for four hundred people is a problem, and if we move in the wilderness, the methods you used to conceal our tracks would be like deceiving the blind. They will eventually find us and catch up."

"They aren't that foolish. With the grand display you made today, the next ones to come will definitely be people or methods that are sure to take us down."

"Back when the remnants of the Six Kingdoms existed, Great Qin absorbed some, but the rest hid in Jianghu."

"Now Great Qin is not lacking fierce advisors and warriors, so they certainly don't have the ability or courage to rebel, but getting rid of you and me to vent their anger might be too tempting for them to resist."

The voice paused for a moment, then he sneered coldly again,

"Using their power to bully the weak, they are shameless bastards."

"And now, the biggest one in Divine Martial Mansion is pretending to be blind, but they are chasing us youngsters everywhere, more anxious than dogs."

Wang Anfeng shook his head, walked a few steps to the side, took out the Yan Zhi Sword hanging next to the saddle, and drew it across the ground. The undulating waves represented mountains, and a curve that enveloped the mountains.

Then he pointed to a spot, from which a line emerged, making a large circle and breaking out from a corner that was blank, and said,

"Now we only have two choices, one is to take advantage of the adversary's unpreparedness and break out of the mountains in one direction, then circle back to Fufeng County."

"However, that would only be a temporary solution."

"The journey to Fufeng spans over three thousand li, and with so many of us, we are too conspicuous. Even if we could successfully break out from near Wanling City this time, later we would be blocked at a second 'Wanling City', or even a third 'Wanling City'."

"Constant losses, and it is very likely that before returning to Fufeng County, there will be a time when we completely fail to break out, and even if we do return to Fufeng County, we can't avoid being besieged and ambushed. The situation would not be much different from now."

Yuchi Jie frowned and said,

"Of course."

"As long as they think that you and I are easy to take down, that they will not face any danger themselves, and think that the benefits far outweigh the risks, such actions will never stop."

Wang Anfeng nodded and said,

"That brings us to the second choice."

The Yan Zhi Sword in his hand gleamed as it was unsheathed, and a sharp sword mark directly split the encircling arc in the middle, and the long sword was then sheathed smoothly.

Yuchi Jie raised his eyebrows at him.

Wang Anfeng pointed to the sword mark and said,

"Break through head-on."

"With a major victory, let everyone understand that this prey isn't so easy to catch. Since they think this is a profitable deal where benefits greatly outweigh the risks, then let them suffer a heavy loss, ideally a ruinous one."

"As long as they suffer enough, the number of those who dare to trouble us in the future will decrease by at least seventy to eighty percent."

"Gongsun and their formation has two moves left to master, the first is the 'Entering Formation Tune', and the second is the 'Formation Breakthrough Tune'. Find a place to master these two moves, and also wait for the news of this event to stir up a commotion."

"Then we can crush them in one fell swoop."

Yuchi Jie stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, clenched his right fist and struck it into his palm, and said,

"That indeed is a good deal..."

"Let's do it!"

"Directly tell me if you need money. It's difficult to move with four hundred people, but Lao Lu once served as a scout on the frontier, sneaking into the nearest city to buy supplies is not a problem."

He waved his hand again, boldly declaring,

"I may not have anything else by my side, but I have enough money!"

While Wang Anfeng and Yuchi Jie whispered to each other, three hundred Qing Taoqi stood silently steadfast, and the ninety-some malnourished bandits kept their distance from these formidable men, uneasy and fearful that someone might decapitate them with a swift strike.

When the two returned, the bandits instinctively puffed out their chests and lifted their heads, though their frail bodies fluttered in the wind like ribs on display, incomparable to the imposing, silent Qing Taoqi beside them.

Wang Anfeng walked up to the horses and glanced at the silent crowd, saying:

"The traces have been temporarily dealt with. Gongsun, send scouts to find a valley or a plain that can accommodate four hundred people, and let the rest rest here for now."

Gongsun Jing bowed deeply in response and said,

"Understood!"

"Yang Shuang, Liu Yan, Zhou Chang, each of you take five men and report back within one hour."

Three veteran soldiers bowed and acknowledged, each turning to pick five men. Apart from the orders being given, there were only brief, forceful responses, while the unselected Qing Taoqi held their horses' reins and weapons, eyes unwavering.

A suffocating silence naturally enveloped them.

Mo Xiaoqi, trembling uncontrollably, recalled the Fortress Leader's words, touched his neck, clenched his teeth, and the normally timid boy suddenly asked aloud,

"General, are you looking for a place to stay?"

His words stuttered and his voice trembled. After speaking, he noticed the Qing Taoqi showed no reaction, but the two leaders immediately turned their heads to look at him, their faces turning pale.

His head spun, nearly causing him to collapse onto the ground.

Wang Anfeng raised his hand for Gongsun Jing and the others to pause, then stepped towards Mo Xiaoqi, feeling a bit guilty over their plight, smiled, and said, "I am not really a general."

"But indeed, we are looking for a place that can temporarily accommodate this many people. If you know of such a place, please do tell us. After all, whether we like it or not, we're all in the same boat now, in this together."

"Do you know of a suitable place?"

Mo Xiaoqi's heart raced, his hands flailed as he stuttered,

"Yes, there is such a place..."

"I have been there before when I followed Third Master out. But after Third Master... was no more, only I knew about it. It's a small valley with a stream, quite spacious, and then, and then..."

He continued stuttering, sweating profusely from his forehead.

Wang Anfeng spoke gently:

"Is that place far from here?"

Mo Xiaoqi felt a great relief, shook his head vigorously, and said, "No, it's not far."

"If we walk slowly, it will take just over half a day to get there."

Wang Anfeng nodded slightly and smiled,

"Thank you, young brother."

He then turned around to face Gongsun Jing. Mo Xiaoqi, watching his back, suddenly shouted out loud:

"Wang Anfeng!"

Dead silence followed; no one responded to him. The woods were so quiet that one could almost hear the leaves falling. Mo Xiaoqi bowed his head deeply, his face flushed with embarrassment, almost wishing he could disappear into the ground.

Just as he was overwhelmed with shame, a hand gently rested on his hair and ruffled it. Looking up, he saw Wang Anfeng smiling in response:

"Divine Martial."

For some reason, Mo Xiaoqi suddenly felt relieved, even on the verge of tears. Wang Anfeng's hand rested on his shoulder, and he asked:

"Have you ever ridden a horse?"

Mo Xiaoqi was stunned and then shook his head.

Wang Anfeng chuckled, lifted Mo Xiaoqi up, and placed him on the Green-Maned Horse's back, then vaulted up behind him, holding the reins in his right hand, and announced:

"A hundred Qing Taoqi will pair up with our friends from the fortress, two per horse."

"We'll head to the valley first to settle down."

"Understood!"

The response was thundering; from the three hundred Qing Taoqi, six had already offered their mounts to Yuchi Jie and others. The former bandits were promptly seized and placed on horseback.

The added weight seemed unnoticed by the mounts.

Wang Anfeng led the way on horseback, followed closely by the Qing Taoqi, charging down the mountain road.

PS: Today's first update...