Qiao Yan smiled, “Exactly right.”

Seeing the guide still puzzled, and knowing it wasn’t the right time to attack, Qiao Yan patiently explained, “Even though this place looks well-hidden, Li Le always changes locations after a raid. Besides the obvious retreat paths, there must be other escape routes.”

“Furthermore, only those unfamiliar with warfare would suggest blocking all exits outright.”

Cutting off all usual escape routes would force those trapped to fight desperately.

Given the small difference in strength between the Black Mountain Army and the Hedong Bandits, it wouldn’t be wise.

Anyway, she was going to let Li Le go, so why not leave the enemy with a false impression?

This way, Fu Gan wouldn’t need to lose a battle on purpose.

Just this maneuver would be sufficient.

Her gaze fell on the treetops gradually swallowed by the night, as if peering down through the fir forest towards the people below.

She whispered softly: “We strike before sunrise.”

Qiao Yan observed that the leader of the Hedong Bandits was indeed concerned about his safety.

The guide had led them on a path that avoided the sentries.

Since Li Le had chosen a sheltered lowland, there were unlikely to be any patrols in the high ground.

Qiao Yan’s team had climbed the mountain near dusk, but she felt that night might not be the best time to attack.

As she cautiously observed her surroundings, she occasionally heard faint footsteps in the darkness, likely patrols stepping on fallen leaves in the distance, making slight noises.

The sounds gradually quieted as dawn approached.

Driven by the certainty of victory over the Hedong thieves, Qiao Yan felt no trace of weariness.

Fu Gan, observing her closely, saw that she wasn’t showing any signs of sleeplessness either, fully focused on achieving optimal deception.

To avoid detection during their approach, Qiao Yan left her prized horse Zhu Tan at the foot of the mountain.

Since mounted combat wasn’t planned, she also left her longbow behind, carrying only half a spear and a short bow for emergencies.

Despite her lighter armament, no one would mistake her for weak in battle at this moment.

With a signal from Qiao Yan, her followers sprang into action, swift and deadly.

Fu Gan swiftly moved towards where a noise had vanished earlier.

Just before dawn was when the night watchers were most fatigued and relaxed.

Li Le’s chosen campsite was well-hidden, with guards changing shifts after a safe night.

Under these circumstances, they were unprepared for an attack at this hour.

Before the patrol could raise an alarm, Fu Gan silenced them.

The other soldiers rushed towards the next guard post.

Fu Gan had initially thought only frontier soldiers showed such fierce combat prowess, but fighting alongside these soldiers made him realize that the troops under Le Ping were just as capable.

In their restrained vigil through the night, they had stored up astonishing strength.

Perhaps it wasn’t just because they had waited so long.

When Fu Gan arrived at one of the entrance roads and waited for his soldiers to gather, he looked back in the direction he had come from.

There, he saw a faint light from the sky illuminating the figure of Lord Qiao, revealing an undeniable truth.

She was watching these soldiers.

She observed the actions of Fu Gan and his men, and at that moment, she drew her bowstring.

The moon was still visible in the sky, but the short bow she held was bent like another moon.

Or perhaps, it could be considered a rising sun.

The only thing Fu Gan could be certain of was that in the presence of Lord Qiao…

When Qiao Yan released that empty shot, the sound of the bowstring twanging immediately reached everyone’s ears.

In the next moment, the battle cries that had been building up all night suddenly echoed throughout the entire valley.

He had no doubt that this momentum was powerful enough to completely swallow up this band of Hedong Bandits, even if they fought to the death.

If it weren’t for the fact that the Hedong Bandits outnumbered them by more than two to one, the rebel leader Li Le wouldn’t have even had the chance to be woken up.

He was in a deep sleep when he was suddenly yanked up, and all he could hear was the overwhelming sound of battle cries.

“Leader, the enemy is attacking!” His subordinate, who had pulled him up, quickly shoved a weapon into his hand.

Upon hearing this, Li Le quickly snapped awake.

He was immensely grateful for his habit of sleeping fully clothed and for having sensible subordinates.

Although he didn’t yet know who was attacking, at least he wasn’t completely doomed yet.

He gripped his long sword tightly and shouted, “What’s the situation?”

“The three escape routes outside are blocked. The attackers are dressed similarly to Chu Yan’s men, but he isn’t leading them,” the subordinate quickly replied.

Even as he answered, he was cursing in his heart.

That brat Chu Yan being dealt with by the Marquis of Le Ping was one thing, but his decision to “switch sides” and display his full knowledge of the Hedong Bandits tactics made it clear that—

The most terrifying enemy is always the one who knows you best.

If the four commanders had unified their strategies earlier and dealt with Chu Yan first, they wouldn’t be facing this disaster today.

But obviously, he couldn’t say that now.

To his credit, following someone as deathly afraid as Li Le meant that he didn’t have to worry about all escape routes being blocked at this moment.

Just as Qiao Yan had suspected, Li Le’s recent reluctance to move was not due to complacency but because he had dug out an additional escape route.

Li Le felt a twinge of foreboding but forced himself to stay calm as he replied, “Let’s go out and see!”

As he stepped out of the tent, he saw in the dawn light filtering through the fir trees, no longer shrouded in complete darkness, the Black Mountain Army advancing from three sides, clearly holding a superior position.

Even though their leader was just a child!

Fu Gan, wielding his sword, charged at the forefront, allowing Li Le to get a clear view of him.

Being outmaneuvered by a kid…

The frustration of being oppressed by a thirteen-year-old child surged in his heart.

However, he then noticed another group advancing towards the center of the battlefield, bringing a fierce momentum that compensated for their initial disadvantage.

He quickly realized that no matter how flawed the enemy’s choice of leader or their encircling tactics were, it didn’t change the fact he now had to face—the advantage was with them!

Everyone knew about the escape tunnel that had been dug out, and the Hedong Bandits, who were suddenly awakened, were thinking not about fighting to the death with the enemy but about retreating to that escape route.

Li Le’s temples throbbed with frustration.

Given the current standoff, they clearly had the advantage in numbers.

After withstanding the initial onslaught, they should have had a chance to turn the tide.

If they could inflict enough damage on the enemy, they could reverse the current decline.

But look at what his men were doing! They were handing victory to that brat on a silver platter.

Just as he thought this, an inexplicable sense of danger struck him.

Instinctively, he turned his head just in time to see an arrow whizzing past his face.

He looked in the direction the arrow came from and saw a young girl, about the same age as the boy, holding a short bow and aiming at him again.

The murderous intent in her expression was shockingly intense in the increasingly bright light.

Moreover, the burly warrior standing behind her was clearly no ordinary person.

In a flash, Li Le’s mind worked faster than ever.

The Marquis of Le Ping!

This was the Marquis of Le Ping!

As soon as he thought of this name, he didn’t have time to ponder why she was here.

He immediately abandoned any thought of counterattack and ran towards the escape route.

With the Marquis of Le Ping personally present, there was no way she wouldn’t have brought more reinforcements!

Faced with such imminent danger, escaping was the only option!

Fortunately—

Fortunately, although the enemy had blocked all escape routes, they were still too young and naive to think he had prepared an escape route right behind him.

This tunnel, dug through to the other side of the mountain, was wide enough for three or four people to pass through side by side.

It was perfect for their escape at this moment!

Even though he was forced into this desperate retreat, Li Le couldn’t help but find some bitter amusement in thinking that the Marquis of Le Ping, despite all her cunning, failed to consider that a clever rabbit would always have multiple escape routes.

With this mix of self-comfort and pride, he fled.

By the time daylight broke, the sounds of battle were no longer audible.

But when he looked back, he realized only half of his men had managed to escape with him.

His mouth tasted bitter.

Yet, being a seasoned bandit, he quickly regained his composure.

He wasn’t defeated yet!

With the thousand or so men who had escaped with him, as long as he regrouped with others, he would surely recover his strength!

However, what he didn’t know was that not far from him, Qiao Yan was watching the forest where his trail had disappeared, a slow smile forming on her face.

“Bring those we’ve captured with us. Let’s go back and get some rest, and then—”

“Wait and see what happens!”