After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

At that moment, the bandit leader stood atop the mountain, frowning, undecided. Just then, a rich aroma of meat drifted up from the foot of the mountain. The alluring aroma seemed to have wings, reaching the children's noses. The children swallowed, their throats gurgling. Though their stomachs growled with hunger, the sensible children preferred to suppress their hunger rather than open their mouths to ask for food. Yet, the glint of anticipation in their eyes was hard to conceal.

"Why don't we surrender? Zhao State is in dire need of men right now, so they won't exterminate us. If we can persevere until we reach our place of exile, we might even have a chance to join the army." The third bandit spoke slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. Having studied for several years, he was considered a military advisor among the bandits.

In fact, even from the very beginning of his stronghold construction, he anticipated the possibility of the imperial court sending troops to encircle and suppress them, so he never took anyone lightly. This way, if he were caught and tried, he might even receive a lighter sentence. Furthermore, if he voluntarily surrendered, he might actually be able to secure a good future through his military achievements.

However, unlike the third bandit, the eldest was a brutal and bloodthirsty man. Whenever he led his men on a robbery, he would first brutalize women and then brutally kill them, while he took pleasure in torturing and killing men. Because of this, the Yingtian Book House quickly dispatched troops to destroy their stronghold shortly after it was established.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Tang Qi, Liao Xinyin, and five centurions sat together, enthusiastically discussing how to lure the fierce bandits down from the mountain. The mountain stronghold was situated on a strategically located terrain, boasting both a prime location and tight defenses, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. They commanded only a mere 500 men, and in this era of close combat, every battle meant the sacrifice of countless lives.

At this time, Liao Xinyin was the first to break the silence and said, "Why don't we just recruit them directly? If they are willing to surrender, then we will spare their lives." However, Tang Qi shook his head. He was quite familiar with Princess Fuhui and had discussed the matter of recruiting the water bandits with her before.

While most bandits wouldn't kill innocent people, there were always a few who disregarded their leader's orders, burning, killing, and looting with a brutality comparable to that of the pirates. The bandits who were recruited later became disobedient, causing numerous incidents. Therefore, facing these extremely vicious bandits, the only way to deal with them was to completely eliminate them, not simply recruit them.

"Are we really expected to rush forward with only 500 men and fight to the death with those fierce bandits? Can we win? Putting aside the outcome, the casualties alone will surely be extremely heavy!" Liao Xinyin frowned and continued to analyze the interests involved with a worried look on his face.

"No, we must not act so rashly. We should ambush here and make full use of these scarecrows to disrupt the enemy's sight. Then we can separate and defeat them one by one, using our large number advantage to fight against the enemy's small number of troops." Tang Qi's eyes were firm, and he calmly stated the plan in his mind.

"When they can't stand the hunger anymore, they will naturally come down from the mountain to look for food. Before that, we just need to cook in peace and let the aroma of the food waft out to whet their appetite." Tang Qi said confidently with a slight smile on his face.

"Brother Qi's idea is simply brilliant! When they are so hungry that their legs are weak and their hands are powerless, killing them will be a piece of cake! I never thought that I, Liao Xinyin, a weak scholar, would have the opportunity to kill these vicious bandits with my own hands in my lifetime. After returning to the Imperial College, I will definitely tell everyone about my heroic deeds!" Liao Xinyin became more and more excited as he spoke, his face full of longing, as if he had already raised his sword and chopped down countless bandits.

Listening to all this, the centurions folded their arms, frowning, maintaining a wait-and-see attitude towards this so-called plan. In their view, those bandits weren't fools; how could they possibly come looking for a fight? As long as they stayed hidden in their sturdy mountain stronghold, they could rest easy. There was no need to risk descending the mountain!

However, reality was harsh and unforgiving. The mountain stronghold was now destitute of ammunition and food, and the animals in the forests on both sides had been plundered to near-complete destruction. Furthermore, even some of the animals that originally inhabited the area had migrated out of fear, making it increasingly difficult for them to find prey. On this particular day, the second bandit, personally leading a group of his men, had spent an entire day scouting the forests, only to find a few skinny rabbits—a pitiful harvest barely enough for everyone to eat.

"Brother, what should we do? Should we just surrender?" The third brother asked the bandit leader anxiously.

"Hmph! Don't overthink it. They haven't explicitly stated their surrender, so they won't be beheaded. If we just raise the white flag and surrender so easily, who will look down on us brothers in the future?" The bandit leader was furious, his already ferocious face now filled with rage and resentment. His lips were chapped from prolonged dehydration, and he looked even more ferocious.

"If this continues, what will happen to the children?" The third child asked again worriedly, looking at the children playing in the distance.

The bandit leader remained silent, just glared at the third brother fiercely, then turned around and walked towards the cliff with the second brother, leaving all the little food they had to the others.

It was midnight, and all was silent except for the cold moon, which hung high in the sky, casting a chilling light. From the edge of a steep cliff, the rich aroma of meat drifted quietly. Dozens of burly, sinister-looking bandits lay scattered on the ground, their bellies bulging with food, their faces beaming with satisfaction. Scattered around them were gnawed bones. Upon closer inspection, the skulls were delicately shaped, unmistakably those of human children.

At this time, one of the bandits called Lao Er came up to the leader with a fawning face and said cautiously: "Brother, is it really okay for us to eat alone without calling the third brother?" After hearing this, the eldest brother raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a disdainful smile, and replied viciously: "Huh! That guy Lao San, all he does is ask me to surrender all day long. He is simply a coward. If he hadn't read for a few years and could be useful occasionally, such as knowing a few words, I would have kicked him out of our team long ago. Who cares about him, just let him starve!" After that, the eldest brother took another bite of the meat in his hand, his mouth full of oil.

The second brother nodded quickly and said, "Brother, shall we continue tomorrow night? The meat of this little girl is so tender and fragrant, it will make people linger in the aftertaste!" The eldest brother squinted his eyes, savoring the delicious taste in his mouth, then waved his hand and said decisively, "Of course we have to continue! How can we let go of such a delicious food? There are so many children in the village, we will not run out of food and ammunition! You want me to surrender? No way! Hahahaha..." As the eldest brother's laughter echoed in the night sky, the entire cliff was filled with a creepy atmosphere of terror.