Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 113 - 112: Deep Behind Enemy Lines

Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Deep Behind Enemy Lines
Qin Yao borrowed a fast horse from the county post station and obtained two signal flares—skyrockets capable of soaring into the sky when ignited, emitting red light and a loud noise—from the officials.
She instructed the County Magistrate to prepare his men, planning to head to Yuhua Mountain, where the bandits were now entrenched, at dusk under the last gleam of sunset and wait for her signal to act.
Normally, those in the government office wouldn’t follow such a ’risky endeavor,’ but before Qin Yao left, she single-handedly lifted the stone lion at the entrance of the government office.
The scene was so astonishing that the officials inside were invigorated, feeling inspired to follow her immediately, risk their lives and spill their blood, determined to leave no bandit alive!
Qin Yao rode the fast horse out of the city, but instead of heading to Yuhua Mountain, she returned home.
A journey that takes five hours on foot could be covered in just an hour and a half on horseback, making Qin Yao secretly decide to buy a fast horse for convenience once she earned a hundred taels of silver.
Her sudden return on horseback through the village caught the attention of the Liu Family Village villagers.
Jinbao, playing by the village well, immediately ran home, "Grandpa, Grandma! Aunt Third is riding a horse back!"
After ing, he turned and ran towards his third uncle’s house, only to see Qin Yao emerging again, armed with her bow and broadsword, riding away swiftly by the river.
Jinbao only had time to shout, "Aunt Third," before she and the horse sped past him, leaving only swirling dust that made Jinbao quickly cover his face.
"Grandpa, Grandma! Aunt Third has ridden away again!"
The child ran back home in less than five minutes to inform everyone at the Liu Family’s old house.
Mrs. Zhang and He were about to go out and see for themselves, but upon hearing this, they paused, wondering what on earth Aunt Third was up to.
Qin Yao came and went in a hurry; she returned home to grab her weapons, told the four Da Lang siblings at the water mill, and then rode off again.
This left the four Da Lang siblings believing they had hallucinated, imagining their stepmother riding past them, standing bewildered in place for a while.
It wasn’t until Mrs. Zhang, her daughter-in-law, and Jinbao came over to inquire that they realized their stepmother had indeed returned.
"Why did your mother come and go in such haste? Was there trouble in the town?" Mrs. Zhang asked with concern.
The men had gone to fetch stone for millstones, leaving only the women at home.
She also remembered Qin Yao had taken Liu Ji to the city academy to enroll, worried that Liu Ji might be having trouble with his admission, hence her hurried inquiry.
Sanlang and Si Niang were still confused, only saying, "Mother said she’d be back in two days and that we should stay at Grandpa and Grandma’s place."
Second Lang, slightly more aware, heard, "Mother said she’s off to earn big money."
"What kind of big money?" He’s heart skipped a beat; what money could ordinary people earn that wasn’t dubious?
Mrs. Zhang glared at He, telling her not to utter nonsense.
He sheepishly rubbed her nose, then asked Da Lang, "Did your mother explain what was going on? Where did the horse come from?"
Horses are pricier than cattle, beyond the means of ordinary households, usually belonging to the government or wealthy families.
Da Lang shook his head, simply saying he didn’t know, wasn’t sure.
However, he did know one thing: taking out weapons indicated something serious.
Yet Da Lang didn’t mention this, gesturing to his younger siblings not to speak of it either.
Although their stepmother wouldn’t be back for a few more days, they still had to trouble the old house.
Mrs. Zhang also realized this, sighed, and instructed the siblings to collect the water mill’s money box by evening, then come home for dinner, planning to send her youngest son to Qin Yao’s house to look after the four children at night.
The situation arose suddenly, and Qin Yao hadn’t anticipated the big task lying ahead today, resolving to explain once she returned.
Armed, she headed straight for Yuhua Mountain.
This mountain, located south of Kaiyang County, is a peak in a range with only one normal entrance, its rear side a sheer cliff impossible to climb.
Thus, every time officials planned a siege, their approach was always detected in advance.
The bandits used the entire mountain range as cover, disappearing deep into the mountains where they couldn’t be found.
Moreover, with no worries about food and water in the deep mountains, starving them out was impossible.
Conversely, unfamiliar with the terrain and ill-prepared, officials could maintain a siege for at most three days before withdrawing.
Even then, that would be a fortunate outcome. With less luck, the bandit leader might suddenly get inspired, lead his men around to harass the officials from behind, causing a bloody battle.
Now, alone, Qin Yao had fewer worries.
By dusk, Qin Yao had already reached the rear of Yuhua Mountain.
According to her plan, she would swiftly locate the bandit leader and act at dawn.
This way, when daylight broke, the officials could reach the stronghold, unhampered by night or terrain, maximizing their combat effectiveness.
The mountain paths and valley entrance leading to Yuhua Mountain were manned by bandits taking advantageous positions, easily spotting intruders.
However, dusk was mealtime, making them slightly negligent. Qin Yao bypassed the lookout bandits, entering the mountain from Yuhua Mountain’s side.
The stronghold location was fairly obvious; such a large group needed proximity to a water source.
Following the water source, Qin Yao soon heard voices.
The bandits had entrenched here for over three months, clearing paths on the mountain, leading her successfully to the stronghold base.
Arrogantly, they left no checkpoints along the way.
Here lay a natural cave, with dozens of huts built around it.
Did you think the bandit’s life was easy?
Not at all; the base reeked like a primitive tribal village inhabited by savages.
Odors of horse manure, human excrement, and decaying food all mixed to form an overwhelmingly offensive stench; stepping in nearly made Qin Yao faint.
Around the base perimeter, fixed to the mountain slopes, stood a two-meter-high fence built with wooden stakes.
Outside the fence, on each side, were tree shelters used by guards to shield against the sun.
When Qin Yao arrived, the guards were inside the shelters boiling water and cooking meals of two stolen chickens, which were thrown whole into the pot without cleaning the innards.
Since fetching water from the mountain required some trekking, convenience mattered more than cleanliness.
These desperate outlaws had no time for such concerns.
If bored, they’d ask the leader for silver to descend and find pleasure in the town’s dens.
All the small contingents that had descended had returned by now. Horses were limited, necessitating efficient small team operations rather than a full deployment.
Some who went down didn’t return, but most brought back spoils.
The team with the least bounty faced punishment.
Disguised with a "skin" covered in branches and leaves, Qin Yao watched the entire punishment process from a towering tree beside the cave.
She identified the suspected target – the bandit leader known as Xiang Wang.