The head of Pinggu County died silently in the northern mountains, and if the people of Pinggu County heard this news, they would definitely light lanterns and celebrate.

  "Dad!" Little Chen wailed, his own father dying in his arms, staring blankly as he took his last breath. This kind of helpless pain was actually something ordinary people could bear.

  Tieshan and the others also had complex expressions, this old Chen was indeed Zhao Chuhai's greatest enemy, that Zhang Shifu didn't count, that kind of person at most was just a runner, now this sworn enemy died in front of their own eyes, just like an old mountain goat, dying quietly.

  The isolated Wang deputy team leader's expression changed at this moment, the death of Old Chen was fundamentally his responsibility. If this matter were to spread back to Pinggu County Town, even if Zhao Chuhai wanted his life, now that he should take advantage of Old Chen's son and subordinates being in grief to slip away quickly, lest trouble come knocking on his door later. It was just a pity about the two thousand taels of silver.

  As he thought, Deputy Captain Wang quietly observed the movements of others while slowly approaching the mountain road they came from. As the road ahead gradually drew closer, a hint of joy appeared on his face. Just as he was about to reach the intersection...

  "King Deputy, where are you going? Your superior of many years has died and you don't feel any pain at all? Why are you still so far away from them?" Zhu Laojiu said mockingly, leaning against a tree trunk at the crossroads.

  This remark made Wang, the deputy captain who was about to turn and run, pause for a moment. He looked up at Zhu with a venomous gaze, then quickly changed his expression to one of entreaty. "Master Zhu, have mercy on me and let me go, or I'll be done for today. That damned little Chen is a madman, and if he comes to his senses, he won't let me off the hook. And now I can't even stay in Pinggu County anymore. Look at how miserable I am and show some compassion."

  Wang's deputy, with a nose full of snot and eyes full of tears, begged Zhu Laojiu, but the old man was unmoved, his face still wearing a mocking smile as he said: "Who told you to be greedy? If you weren't greedy, things wouldn't have ended up like this today. Maybe I would have been the one to die instead. One word, 'greed', has cost you your life."

  "Old Master, dear Grandfather, I have elders above and youngsters below, how can I not be greedy to make a living? My family is waiting for food, how can the salary from the government office support such a large family?" Wang, the deputy squad leader, almost knelt down and cried out.

  "Haha, keep pretending. Every month when you took 20 taels from me, I didn't see you showing filial piety to your crippled mother and father. Your children are still being raised by your wife's sister, but every month during the holiday, I always see Wang, the deputy squad leader, in my gambling den. Isn't that right?"

  "Th...". The pleading expression on Wang's face froze, and Lao Jiu's words completely tore off his disguise. It seemed that leaving here safely today was impossible.

  Since that's the case, he didn't need to pretend to be pitiful anymore. He slowly stood up from the ground, patted his clothes, and drew his sword towards Lao Jiu. It seemed like they were going to have a fight.

  The conversation between the two was heard by Xiao Chen without missing a single word, and his eyes, red from crying, stared at Vice Principal Wang with hatred. This was the culprit who had caused his father's death, and now he only wanted to make this bastard die without a burial place.

  "All men, hear the order! Kill the traitor!" Little Chen shouted loudly while holding Old Chen's corpse. At this, all the subordinates gritted their teeth and charged towards Wang, the deputy squad leader, with knives in hand.

  Zhu Laojiu was delighted to see the outcome, as the two houses were now at each other's throats, making things easier for him. He watched as Wang, the deputy leader, desperately struggled in the encirclement of his former subordinates, but he was no Zhang Feng and lacked his skills, ultimately meeting a tragic end under the chaotic blades, dying beneath his own greed.

  Lao Chen's subordinates had completed the encirclement, but they too had lost their will to fight. Now they could only weakly guard in front of Lao Chen's corpse, looking at Tie Shan and his group with a hint of tension.

  "Listen up! No need to guard my father anymore, everyone immediately breaks through and goes down the mountain, whoever can escape is whoever can, you must tell Lord Zhao everything that happened here!" Little Chen said in a low voice as he looked at his dead father in his arms.

  The subordinates around looked at each other, and one of them who was slightly older said: "Listen to Little Chen's words, let's disperse!" As soon as the voice fell, this group of people scattered and fled, now they want to survive...

  Tieshan and the others didn't even have time to react, he still thought that Lao Chen's subordinates would fight to the death, preparing for a big battle, but unexpectedly they all scattered, Tieshan shouted to stop them, but his men tried their best and could only block half of the people, the remaining dozen or so people all fled into the forest.

  "Ah... it's all my fault. I should have thought of this earlier and surrounded them sooner." Tieshan said regretfully.

  "Big brother, there's no need to be like this. They have made up their minds to escape and it's not like they have a choice. Now, among the enemies from back then, only this little brat and Zhao Chuhai down the mountain are left. When Zhang brings the account book down the mountain, I don't believe that bastard Zhao will still be unscathed!" Li Shui said.

  "This is natural, I will definitely hand over the account book to our thousand households." Zhang Feng replied with a bow.

  "I'm afraid Zhao Chuhai might have gotten wind of this from these people and taken precautions, if that happens it'll be a mess." Tieshan shook his head, he still thought the escaped person was a hidden danger.

  "In that case, we can set off down the mountain at once and try to get there before them with our account books!" Zhang Feng hastily said.

  "Then I'll have to trouble you, brother." Tieshan nodded, it couldn't be helped.

  Xiao Liu Zi hastily supported the slightly injured Old Liu and walked over, Zhang Feng patted his shoulder and said: "Liu Zi, you take Old Liu and move forward slowly, he's got injuries, I'll go ahead first, we'll meet at the foot of the mountain later."

  "Alright, big brother, don't worry, I'll make sure Old Liu gets down the mountain safely." Liu Si replied with a smile.

  Zhang Feng nodded and immediately used his light body technique to rush down the mountain, trying to reach the large camp at the foot of the mountain before that group of subordinates.

  At this time, the scouts who had been sent out the night before had returned one after another to the bandit extermination camp. Except for Zhang Feng and his group of three, everyone else had returned to the camp. Wang was pacing back and forth in front of the camp, truly anxious.

  "What's going on, it's almost noon and Zhang Feng and the others still haven't returned. If they miss the appointed time, they will be dealt with according to military law. Old Liu is a veteran, he should understand this principle."

  "Tell me, what exactly happened after you three split up?" Wang Zhen asked Lao Zhou, one of the trio who had set out together.

  "Wang Baohu, I don't know either. We were ordered to take care of these new recruits, and Liu Da even went alone to keep an eye on that Zhang kid. But who knew they would run so fast and disappear without a trace? The two of us still have to take care of the rest of them, but we've already lost one." Old Zhou also said with some helplessness, after all, they were old and frail, and it was hard for them to keep up with these energetic young kids.

  "Damn it, what's going on? Is this little bandit from North Mountain hiding something else?" Wang Zhen couldn't help but think.

  "Huh?" At this time, Wang Zhen discovered that a person wearing tattered clothes had walked into Pinggu's camp, but he only felt slightly curious and didn't think much of it.

  Just then, sharp-eyed Wang Ping discovered that there was a figure rapidly approaching not far outside the camp. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Zhang Feng himself, with many soldiers from Weishan following closely behind him.

  "Bai Hu, that person running over seems to be Zhang Zong's flag!" Wang Ping hastily called out to Wang Zhen.

  At this moment, the soldier chasing behind Zhang Feng shouted loudly: "Brothers in front of the big camp, come out quickly and hold down this man, he is coming down from the mountain, his identity is unknown!"

  The sentries on the watchtower immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, but Wang Zhen hastily shouted to stop them. Meanwhile, Zhang Feng rushed into the camp with his clothes in disarray...

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