The Bodyguard King’s CEO Wife Chapter 1496: Encirclement and Interception

Shangshui Village, at various crossroads.

"Quick, these bandits are attempting to flee, unleash the arrows!"

"Don't let them get away, pursue them!"

"The General has commanded, not one shall be allowed to escape."

"Brothers, follow me and slay them!"

From the East Village to the dozen or so smaller paths leading out of the village, every house was occupied by ambushing garrison soldiers. Some were under Luo Li's command, while others were local garrison troops. Upon receiving Ye Shikai's military orders, they had immediately converged on Shangshui Village. Though not as rigorously trained or outfitted as Ye Shikai's personal guards, they were more than adequate to handle mere robbers and marauders. Crucially, they possessed an abundance of armaments like spears and bows. While the village blacksmith could forge weapons, their output primarily consisted of farming implements such as scythes and hoes. Qin laws were stringent; harboring weapons was a capital offense and could implicate others. Consequently, it was impossible for the blacksmith shop to engage in mass production of weaponry.

The moment the signal arrow was loosed, the soldiers concealed within the houses burst forth, initially loosing arrows to sow death before charging with their weapons to engage in close combat. The robbers, lacking proper training, naturally possessed weak psychological fortitude once battle commenced. They were accustomed to banding together to bully commoners, usually fearless, but now, suddenly confronted by the Qin Army, dispersed and caught completely off guard, they retreated in disarray, striving to escape the village.

"The General's order is to exploit this scattering of the bandits and annihilate them individually. If they manage to escape and regroup at the village entrance, it will prove troublesome. Furthermore, the General has decreed a reward of one tael of silver and five pounds of grain for every robber slain. Brothers, follow me and engage!"

"Quick, we must escape!" In an instant, the tide of battle turned completely. The formerly aggressive robbers became a panicked rabble, fleeing like desperate refugees. Apart from the path the robber leader was on, nearly all the robbers at various intersections and streets were retreating, attempting to follow their original routes, but the uneven terrain severely hampered their "escape" speed. Many of the scattered bandits were either struck down by arrows or chose to surrender, casting aside their armor and helmets.

Ye Shikai galloped onto the main thoroughfare, arriving just in time to witness the robber leader and the Second Master. Xue San had already identified this location. Ye Shikai's most effective strategy was decapitation – capturing the bandit chief – and this instance was no different. His paramount objective was to eliminate the robber leader, thereby rendering the remaining bandits insignificant.

"Halt!"

Ye Shikai charged forward on his steed, directly unhorsing four or five individuals. With a swift thrust of his spear, he cleared the path of any obstructing robbers. His cavalry guards followed closely, slicing through the robbers' defenses like a keen blade.

"Big Brother, that’s the Qin Army's General."

The robber leader instinctively drew his bow and loosed an arrow. It whistled through the air with a sound akin to a cannonball. Ye Shikai deftly shifted his position, dismounting just as the arrow slammed into the wall behind him, gouging out a significant chunk.

Wielding a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, Ye Shikai engaged in a flurry of slashes and thrusts alongside his guards, carving a bloody swathe through the enemy ranks. Two hundred cavalrymen charged ferociously, completely overwhelming the robbers. Several followers aided the robber leader, attempting to withdraw towards the rear of the compound.

"Everyone, follow me, do not let him escape!" Ye Shikai bellowed, his guards surging forward behind him, an unstoppable force.

"Big Brother, quickly take the brothers and depart. You will be safe at the village entrance. I shall hold them off." The Second Master shoved the robber leader aside, then turned with several loyal followers to charge directly at Ye Shikai.

"I will kill you!"

"Foolish seeking of death." Ye Shikai advanced, gripping his sword in a reverse hold, and deflected the head-on assault. The unexpected parry sent a shockwave up the Second Master's arm, numbing his palm. Before he could recover, Ye Shikai impaled him through the chest with his spear wielded in his left hand.

"Get out of my way." Ye Shikai gave a forceful heave, flinging the impaled body aside.

"Charge forward, capture the robber leader alive!"

"Understood."

"Yes, General."

.......................................

Village entrance.

"Master, look quickly, those bandits appear to be rushing directly towards us." Meanwhile, Hua Liandie and her guards had also reached Shangshui Village. However, upon their arrival at the village entrance, they observed a swarm of robbers fleeing from within.

"Master, we are outnumbered. It would be prudent to conceal ourselves for the time being," the guard advised.

"Hold on, take a closer look. While these bandits are surging this way, they're disorganized, and some aren't even armed," Hua Liandie observed intently. She added, "Notice their expressions – they appear panicked, as if... they've already been routed."

"You speak the truth. Despite their numbers, once their morale breaks, their multitude becomes useless. On the contrary, a fleeing crowd can turn into an unstoppable deluge," Hua Liandie concurred.

Witnessing this scene, a subtle smile began to bloom on Hua Liandie's face. With Ye Shikai leading the defense within the village, it was clear he had already vanquished these attackers.

"He is truly quite formidable," Hua Liandie mused aloud.

"Mistress, what are your orders now?" a subordinate inquired.

"Naturally, we assist him, or rather, we ensure his victory is absolute," Hua Liandie declared, rising to her feet. She turned to her guards, commanding, "All of you, follow my directive: intercept them at the village entrance. Not a single one shall escape."

"Understood."

"Yes, Mistress."

Hua Liandie's guards, armed with crossbows, swiftly formed two lines, leveling their weapons at the fleeing bandits to unleash a volley.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*

A barrage of arrows rained down from above, felling numerous bandits.

"Bad luck, the entrance is blocked. There's no escape."

"We still have numbers! We must fight our way out!"

"Agreed."

Cornered and desperate, the robbers made one last surge, intending to leverage their superior numbers to break through the blockade. After all, the region imposed harsh penalties on these mountain brigands and rebel forces; surrender meant facing certain execution.

"Maintain formation, continue the volley!" Hua Liandie's guards proved their mettle. Composed of former soldiers from the Chu State and personal guards from prominent noble families, Hua Liandie spared no expense in equipping them with superior weaponry.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*

Three ranks of guards fired their arrows in succession, an unrelenting downpour that struck down bandits before they could even reach the village entrance.

"Hmph, keep those arrows flying! Let's see if they dare advance further."

"This is not good! The arrow storm is too intense, we cannot break through. And the Qin army is closing in from behind! What do we do?" A cluster of bandits, huddled inside a dilapidated house, exchanged glances filled with dread and despair.

"Brothers, if they intend to annihilate us, let us not hold back! Let us set this place ablaze and destroy everything! Even in death, we shall take some of them down with us!"