Chapter 62: Money and Grain

"How is this even possible?"

The soldiers of both armies were utterly dumbfounded.

The stone just now lacked the destructive power of a standard catapult, but it had still hurtled forward with ferocious momentum, fully capable of crushing an ordinary person into a pulp!

Yet he had simply used a long halberd, batted it back through the fortress gates with a single strike, and coincidentally killed someone in the process?

No ordinary adult could possibly pull that off!

"All hail the magistrate's supreme might!"

The government soldiers cheered in unison, quickening their charge.

The wealth and grain reserves of Black Cloud Stronghold were right before their eyes!

To be even a step slow would show utter disrespect for the magistrate's bounty!

The bandit soldiers were chilled to the bone. "What kind of peerless fierce warrior is this?"

Pei Heng gazed at the tide of government soldiers in the distance, gripped by horror.

The enemy forces must number over three thousand.

"Could it be that an army from the Northern Frontier happened to be dispatched to reinforce Pei County?"

This was the only scenario Pei Heng could fathom.

Regardless of the truth, the carriage bearing the commander's canopy was right in front of them, and their chief was undoubtedly facing certain death!

Just as Pei Heng hesitated, another roar erupted from the rear.

"Fire again!"

It turned out that the other catapult had launched a second massive boulder.

Another giant rock whistled through the air toward Liang Xiao.

Under the shocked gazes of the soldiers from both sides, Liang Xiao swept his silver halberd—

"Bang!"

That giant boulder was batted right back through the gates.

This time it failed to hit anyone, but the boulder plowed a trench right in front of Pei Heng, sending up a spray of dust and gravel!

The corpse of the archer who had been crushed earlier was run over once more by the boulder.

Pei Heng's soul had already left his body, his face drained of all color.

With such a terrifyingly brave warrior leading a force several times their number to storm the mountain, it was simply impossible for their group of bandits to resist...

"Surrender and your lives will be spared! Whoever dares to operate the catapults again will be sliced to death by a thousand cuts!"

Liang Xiao let out a roar, and the bandit soldiers who had been preparing to reload the catapult froze in terror, not daring to make a move.

"Boom!"

Liang Xiao brought his halberd down once more, following the central seam where the iron doors met, and shattered the wooden crossbeam behind them.

"Orders from the magistrate: lay down your weapons and remove your armor! Surrender and be spared! Those who offer stubborn resistance will be executed without mercy!"

The government soldiers shouted in unison, swarming inward.

Pei Heng finally snapped out of his daze and dropped to his knees on the spot, kowtowing.

"I—I surrender!"

The surrounding bandits felt their hearts turn to ash, and they hurriedly tossed away their weapons, dropped to their knees, stripped off their armor, and kowtowed to beg for mercy.

After swiftly securing the area, the soldiers were filled with deep gratitude and lined up to salute Liang Xiao.

"All hail the magistrate's supreme might!"

In their hearts, there was a tinge of regret.

Since the bandits had surrendered so easily, they had fewer opportunities to earn battle merits and rewards.

However, since Liang Xiao had taken the stronghold with almost no bloodshed, they would still receive a share of the silver rewards, and without risking their lives in battle.

Pei Heng was quickly subdued by the soldiers, looking completely hollowed out.

"H—He is the magistrate of Pei County?"

Amidst his terror, Pei Heng stared at Liang Xiao's white robes and silver halberd, plagued by doubt.

If this man did not use a spear, otherwise, he would have no doubt that this was the very "true culprit" who had slain the Left Worthy King, as spoken of by the Xiongnu generals.

Upon receiving a definitive confirmation from the soldiers, Pei Heng slammed his head against the ground, so frightened that he lost control of his bladder.

"Spare my life, Your Honor!"

Liang Xiao stared down at him and said, "Whether you can redeem your crimes through service depends entirely on your performance."

Pei Heng hastily pledged, "I will tell you everything I know, without holding anything back!"

After each unit tallied their numbers, Cao Qing consolidated the figures and reported to Liang Xiao.

"Your Honor! Including this fellow Pei Heng, our forces have captured exactly one thousand prisoners here! The dead one was the one smashed to death by Your Honor..."

Liang Xiao looked at Pei Heng. "How many defensive forces are left in the surrounding area?"

Pei Heng replied, "Reporting to Your Honor! The remaining hundred men are stationed in the rear stronghold. They are just miscellaneous troops managing the dependents of the stronghold, equipped only with clubs and no armor!"

Liang Xiao immediately issued his orders.

"Cao Qing, take the first two thousand men, charge into the rear stronghold, take control of all remaining personnel in Black Cloud Stronghold, and herd them into the main camp. Strictly forbid the indiscriminate killing of the unarmed. However, if anyone attempts to flee and ignores warnings to stop, execute them on the spot!"

"Along the way, make sure the soldiers spread the word: surrender means life, and they can return to Pei County to become law-abiding citizens once more!"

Knowing that Liang Xiao was giving him a chance to earn merit out of consideration for Cao Chen, Cao Qing swore solemnly, "This subordinate will fulfill the mission flawlessly!"

Two thousand men marched imposingly toward the rear stronghold, launching a comprehensive sweep of Black Cloud Stronghold.

Liang Xiao then arranged for one hundred soldiers and five hundred logistics personnel to escort the majority of the captives down the mountain.

Pei Heng and twenty bandit guards responsible for overseeing the treasury were kept behind by Liang Xiao, continuing to kowtow and beg for mercy.

Liang Xiao had the twenty guards separated and interrogated individually before finally fixing his gaze back on Pei Heng.

"Pei Heng, you said you would tell everything without holding back. If you dare to conceal anything from this point on, I will show you no mercy."

Pei Heng's face was ashen, and he nodded repeatedly, blurting out his confession before Liang Xiao could even ask.

"My Lord! The current inventory of Black Cloud Stronghold is only fully known by this lowly servant and the two chieftains!"

"Gou Bai took away five thousand dan of grain in case Pei County could not be taken after a prolonged siege, and he also took ten thousand taels of scattered silver to reward the troops before battle."

"As for the personnel currently inside Black Cloud Stronghold, apart from the soldiers Your Honor has captured, there remain over six thousand households of soldiers' dependents, totaling twenty-four thousand people. In the rear stronghold, there are also thirty thousand mu of farmland..."

"The granary of Black Cloud Stronghold holds a total of seventy-five thousand taels of silver, eight million copper coins, and one hundred and fifty thousand dan of grain! That is all the information regarding wealth, grain, and population this humble servant can provide!"

Liang Xiao fell into deep thought.

This old scoundrel was rather clever; he knew precisely what information he cared about most.

Population, wealth, and grain!

However, he was clearly not yet satisfied.

"Those are just the contents of the public treasury. Did those two chieftains, Gou Bai and Geng Long, not have private vaults?"

Pei Heng hastily replied, "Geng Long's assets were all counted as part of the public treasury, but Gou Bai certainly has a private vault, My Lord! It's just that this humble servant doesn't know where it is..."

"Where else could it be? Most likely at his residence! Among the prisoners, are there any of Gou Bai's personal bodyguards? Are there any wives of Gou Bai in the stronghold?" Liang Xiao asked.

Pei Heng shook his head. "Gou Bai defiled many women, but he had no wife, and he took all his personal guards with him to the front lines."

Liang Xiao's expression darkened with deep regret.

It seemed that all of Gou Bai's personal bodyguards had been killed by him...

As for those mobs who had scattered and then been captured, they had all made full confessions after being taken prisoner.

Indeed, no one else knew about the vault.

Seeing the change in Liang Xiao's expression, Pei Heng's teeth chattered with fear, and he hurriedly added.

"However, now that Your Honor mentions it, this humble servant suddenly recalls something! When Gou Bai left the stronghold, he specifically left a unit behind to guard his own mountain mansion. The vault must be right there! It's just that I had them all transferred here for defense!"

Liang Xiao immediately called upon his soldiers to stand guard at the warehouses of Black Cloud Stronghold, and had Pei Heng identify the captured guards on the scene to pick out the caretakers of that mansion and urge them to lead the way.

Though bewildered, these bandit guards were extremely eager to redeem their crimes.

Liang Xiao led his troops following Pei Heng to the center of the main camp, and sure enough, they discovered a luxurious mansion standing on flat ground amidst the mountains.

Upon entering the estate, the captured guards pointed straight toward the heavy iron door at the innermost part of the courtyard.

"Your Honor, we stood guard at that very doorway every day!"

Without a second thought, Liang Xiao stepped forward, brandishing his divine halberd, and shattered the heavy lock on the door.

Pushing the door open, everyone looked inside to find pitch-black darkness.

"Everyone, go in and search. Do not miss a single corner, and watch out for hidden mechanisms."

At Liang Xiao's command, the soldiers cheerfully rushed into the rooms and began a thorough search.

A moment later, a soldier came across the flagstone flooring in the southeast corner. He struck the floor forcefully with the back of his blade, producing a distinctive metallic ringing sound.

指点 ("Your Honor! I found it!!")

"Your Honor, I found it too!" Two nearby soldiers struck the same spot, their faces beaming with ecstasy.

Liang Xiao stepped into the room immediately, and based on the spots indicated by the men, he reversed his divine halberd, pointed the blade downward, and thrust it down with all his might.

"Crack..."

Before their eyes, Liang Xiao repeatedly pierced the floorboards, cutting a four-foot opening directly into the ground, and pried up the severed section of the floor.

It turned out to be a wooden board covered with a layer of iron plating.

Liang Xiao took a candle handed to him by a Liang estate guard and shone the light downward, prompting a chorus of heavy swallows in the room.

Illuminated by the candlelight, a dazzling sea of gold glinted from beneath, nearly blinding everyone's eyes...

"Your Honor, th—that is the reflection unique to pure gold!"

Liang Xiao fixed his gaze into the cavern and nodded slightly.

Gold was not even the most valuable item hidden inside...