Lu Ye said solemnly, "Good, since no one is willing to leave, then all of us will participate in the battle!"
"All participate! All participate!" everyone shouted in unison, their spirits high.
"And us!"
As soon as everyone finished speaking, another booming voice rang out. Everyone turned to see Lu Xing approaching with Lu Yang and Lu Dahai.
"Little Ye brother, sister-in-law, the three of us also want to fight!" Lu Xing's eyes sparkled like stars, his face filled with determination.
"Good!" Lu Ye patted his shoulder and nodded to Lu Yang and Lu Dahai as well. Regardless of the past, at least their uncle and cousin had stepped forward at the most dangerous moment, and Lu Ye was not a petty person.
Lu Yun and the other children immediately brought stools for the three of them.
After they were seated, Bai Sheng announced loudly, "From this day forward, our Red Tree Slope will be renamed Red Tree Slope Village. Everyone here is a founding elder of Red Tree Slope Village! From now on, we will all share blessings and share hardships!"
"Share blessings, share hardships!"
Lu Ye said sternly, "We don't know how many bandits are coming this time, nor from which direction they will attack. But no matter what, we absolutely cannot let them enter Red Tree Slope!
Every brick and tile, every blade of grass and tree here, has been built with great effort. We absolutely cannot let these thieves destroy it! Therefore, the battleground must be on the outskirts of Red Tree Slope!
Next, everyone can offer their opinions on this matter."
This was a good opportunity to train the people of Red Tree Slope. Lu Ye did not want to do everything himself. To cultivate a team, one must first cultivate their ability to solve problems on their own.
Yang Ming spoke first, "If the bandits concentrate their forces to attack from one direction, this problem is easily solved. But if they surround us from all four sides, our numbers are few, and our strength will inevitably be dispersed. Then it will be very difficult to prevent them from entering Red Tree Slope."
Lu Ye nodded, "Mm, Xiao Ming has raised a very good point. Does anyone have a solution?"
Everyone frowned in thought, including the women and children.
Wang Xiaoma stood up, "Let's split into four groups and defend the four directions of Red Tree Slope: east, south, west, and north. If the bandits attack in full force, the four groups can quickly converge. However, this would make the time very tight and consume a lot of energy, affecting the overall combat power."
Father of Xiaoma was surprised to see his son stand up and speak so eloquently about tactics. Since moving to Red Tree Slope, his son had changed after joining the guard, becoming... more and more of a source of pride for him.
Their family had been illiterate and honest peasants for generations. With Xiaoma, he seemed to see a flicker of an indescribable hope.
The guard team learned so many things. This... this was all due to the elder's good teaching.
Lu Yun tugged at his topknot, his small brows furrowed. "Our surroundings are all desert. Even for bandits, movement is very inconvenient, unless they all ride horses. If their numbers are small, it's possible. If their numbers are large, some will surely ride horses and some will walk. Their speed should not be that fast. Therefore, as long as we send out scout soldiers and know their movements in advance, we can cope with them with ease."
"What are scout soldiers?" Xiao Chibao asked the person next to him.
Ji Chenghe said, "It means scouts, reconnaissance soldiers."
Everyone responded with an "Oh."
At that moment, Xiao Chibao understood the true meaning of life: literacy and education truly had immense benefits, otherwise, you wouldn't even understand what others were saying.
Lu Ye nodded, "Good, we will do as Xiao Yun said. With Black Wind, we have six horses in total. We need six scouts, those with good eyesight and quick reactions, step forward now!"
"Me!"
"Me me!"
"Me me me!"
...
In an instant, Yang Ming, Wang Xiaoma, Wang Zhugan, Lu Xing, Xiao Goudan, and Qian Chengchou, six youths, stepped forward.
Lu Yun and the other children also wanted to step forward, but their legs were too short to qualify. Ah, they wished they could grow up faster, preferably with a pair of long legs!
However, Lu Yun discovered another problem. If the bandits attacked with combined forces, they would definitely come from one direction. The people in other directions couldn't just wait. Several scouts were the main force in combat, so someone needed to be sent to notify them. Who would go?
Bai Sheng said, "Baoyu will go. If you see Baoyu, return immediately!"
It was decided.
Yang Ming rode Black Wind north; Wang Xiaoma and Xiao Goudan went west; Wang Xiaoma and Qian Chengchou went south; Lu Xing and Wang Zhugan went east.
The four groups of scouts, mounted on their horses, disappeared into the gradually darkening night.
Lu Ye continued, "We don't know when the bandits will come, so we must be vigilant at all times these few days. After the meeting, everyone should quickly go home and hide their food and money. Starting tonight, all women, the elderly, and children will come to my house to take shelter. Those who can participate in the battle, after securing their homes, should quickly come here to gather, and we will distribute weapons uniformly!"
The weapons plundered from the military camp last time were finally put to use.
That night, Red Tree Slope was on full alert, with guards on rotation. As a result, there was peace throughout the night.
But no one felt tired. Each person held a real weapon, and all were extremely excited.
The next day, Du Min announced that all work at Red Tree Slope was suspended, and workers should go home and await further notice. Since they had worked for several months and earned some food, a few days of suspension would not cause any problems.
Just after lunch, Yang Ming rode back at full speed.
The bandits were coming from the north!
According to the original plan, Bai Sheng told Baoyu to immediately go and call back the scouts from the southeast and west.
In less than an hour, the people of Red Tree Slope, armed with weapons, had gathered one hundred meters north of Red Tree Slope.
When the more than one hundred bandits appeared before the Red Tree Slope team, both sides were stunned.
From the bandits' perspective, fifty to sixty people from Red Tree Slope stood in a neat formation, each one valiant and spirited, holding gleaming weapons.
At the very front of the formation stood a man of exquisite beauty, mounted on a tall black horse, carrying a three-foot-long saber on his shoulder. His expression was stern, and a slightly raised corner of his mouth revealed a hint of mockery.
To his left was a large silver snake as thick as a bowl, baring its fangs and hissing, its scarlet tongue flicking. To his right was a beast that resembled a wolf but was several times larger than a wolf.
This person was definitely not an ordinary farmer. He looked more like a god of war from a play or a picture book. This man alone weakened the morale of the bandit side considerably.
Then, looking behind him, five youths riding large horses, all holding sharp blades and exuding heroic spirit. If one were to say they had not received professional training, they would be accused of lying.
Behind the five youths were three neat horizontal rows, mostly strong young men, with a few women in the last row! These people also held various weapons, radiating killer intent.