Chapter 1583 - Action Plan

"The gymnasium's defenses are as follows." Zhuo Yifan had laid bare all the intelligence on the Bandits he had gathered through various means in recent days, for the others to reference in planning their operation. He emphasized his impressions of the Cultural Festival activities and the fact that the Bandits maintained no strict sentries at the gymnasium.

Several men surrounded a table in a small room in the rear courtyard of the Huang Family Medicine Shop, silent, their gazes fixed intently on the crude floor plan drawn on rough-edged paper.

In the shop front outside, though night had fallen, the place remained lively with customers entering and leaving to see doctors and purchase medicine. Voices drifted in faintly.

Heavy curtains hung over the windows, and disciples stood guard outside. They could discuss the details of their operation with confidence.

"Zhongjun, light another candle." Sima Qiudao broke the silence.

Several "Australian foreign candles" already burned in the room. Though not quite "bright as day" like the gas lamps in the shop front, the illumination was considerable.

Huang Zhen spoke first: "Young Hero Zhuo possesses talent beyond ordinary men. To have gleaned such detailed intelligence on the Bandits from that Fake Bandit constable is truly a great contribution!"

"You flatter me—it was merely chance!" Zhuo Yifan demurred.

Wanli Feng said: "What the Young Hero observes is correct. At this juncture of the Cultural Festival, with True Bandits and Fake Bandits gathered in one place, it is indeed a prime opportunity to strike. However..."

"However what?"

"Since this 'Cultural Festival' is a grand event for the Bandits, as the Young Hero notes, with large numbers of True Bandits present in person, surely the arrangements will differ from ordinary days. At that gathering place, there must be soldiers carrying Australian firelocks for protection. The Bandit music bands and opera troupes also move in large groups. If we act rashly, I fear we'll find ourselves gnawing on hard bones!"

Wanli Feng, seasoned by years in the Jianghu, had identified the crux of the problem in a single stroke.

"Indeed, not easy to handle." Sima Qiudao frowned. "According to the intelligence Young Hero Zhuo has collected, combined with what Old Man Shi's sources have provided, during the three official performance days, the Bandits' Garrison Battalion, Police, and Army will station heavy troops around the venue. Even if we manage to infiltrate the square, once we act, our casualties will be severe—and complete withdrawal may prove impossible."

The floor plan before them had been drawn by combining reconnaissance gathered over recent days with Old Man Shi's intelligence.

It appeared to offer no viable opportunity whatsoever. Even in the square alone, there were reportedly hundreds of guards in "bright helmets and armor." Old Man Shi's intelligence indicated many plainclothes personnel would also be present.

Though his sources confirmed that no specialized interrogation checkpoints would be established in the square—ostensibly free entry and exit—in reality, it was "loose on the outside, tight on the inside." Any slight abnormality would trigger arrest.

As for entering the gymnasium itself, that was even more impossible. Intelligence indicated that everyone entering during the performance would need a ticket. Those without tickets would be categorically denied entry. Moreover, internal defenses were stricter still—even Old Man Shi lacked detailed information.

Looking at this map, all four men drew a sharp breath. They had originally thought entering the gymnasium for an assassination would be suicide. Now it appeared that even acting in the square would offer only the slimmest chance of survival.

Though crowds were numerous and the Bandits' firearms would be less effective in close quarters, the enemy held the advantage of numbers. No matter how skilled one was, there was no chance of prevailing against ten-to-one odds.

"I fear we masters are destined to fall here." Huang Zhen stroked his smooth chin again—local naturalized citizens had abandoned the habit of growing beards, which had indirectly influenced the custom; even fewer indigenous people grew them now. You Xiu especially disliked facial hair. To please this middle-aged widow, Huang Zhen had recently shaved his beard off. But his chin felt cold and unfamiliar.

His tone betrayed reluctance and regret. Initially, Hero Huang had held himself steady. To maintain cover in Nanbao and facilitate intelligence gathering, he had inevitably dealt with Director You's advances with studied ambiguity. He had originally thought he could remain detached, but he was a single man, she a resentment-filled woman. He could not withstand You Xiu's flirtations and had finally tumbled into her bed.

Huang Zhen prided himself on being an upright gentleman. Having committed such indecency—though circumstances made it "unavoidable" and "duty demanded it," and it was merely "playing along"—he still felt guilt. Seeing his unhappiness, You Xiu assumed something didn't suit his tastes. Not only did she lavish attention on him in bed, but she proved attentive in daily life as well—sending things over constantly, taking his torn clothes to wash. How could Huang Zhen withstand such wearing seduction in this gentle trap? And with business going surprisingly smoothly, the heroism of "how can one catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den" had largely evaporated. Though he had not forgotten his mission, he secretly wished these comfortable days might continue indefinitely.

Now, seeing that these pleasant days would not only end but would inevitably culminate in bloody battle—and possibly burial in foreign soil—the ten thousand feet of heroism with which he had set out had retreated by eighty percent.

"If too many of us die and our sects' vitality is damaged, we masters won't be able to face the seniors when we return. We would have to die here ourselves." Sima Qiudao understood Huang Zhen's thoughts perfectly—even he had no desire to "be loyal unto death" in this place. Though he spoke boldly, his words implied retreat.

Zhuo Yifan nodded: "This matter requires careful deliberation. We must find a foolproof method..."

A tacit understanding had formed through their exchange. Sima Qiudao closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and spoke: "A few days ago, Righteous Man Gou, who escorted us out of Lingao, visited Nanbao."

"Oh? Where is he now?" Zhuo Yifan asked.

"He refused to say where he was staying, and didn't come here. We met at a teahouse." Sima Qiudao explained. "Righteous Man Gou has already arranged our escape route and contact signals."

"Oh? How shall we proceed?"

"He said he cannot linger here long—the Bandits hate him bitterly and have offered rewards for his capture. Therefore, he can only wait in the Li territory. He will meet us at the border when the time comes. As long as we can escape and reach the designated location, he will have prepared clothing, food, and weapons."

"To think such a loyal and righteous man still exists in the Bandits' heartland!" Wanli Feng praised.

"He warns us to remain vigilant at all times. The Bandits are incomparably cunning, with nets spread everywhere—not comparable to ordinary bandits. He wants us to rely on wit, not force. Attempting to burn jade and stone together is not to be sought. To deal with the Bandits, one must win by surprise to have any chance at all. Regardless of success or failure, we must leave immediately after striking—no delays, no waiting."

The others nodded. Needless to say, they had already felt the Bandits' formidable capabilities firsthand.

Zhuo Yifan mused aloud: "Righteous Man Gou speaks truly. To succeed, we must win by surprise. The True Bandits live in seclusion on ordinary days. Only by exploiting this Cultural Festival juncture, when many True Bandits will come to observe, can we find an opportunity to strike. However..."

The "however" had already been discussed. Acting meant near-certain death—with uncertain chances of success. Sima Qiudao, Huang Zhen, and Wanli Feng all stared at him, waiting to hear what brilliant scheme he had devised.

"I inadvertently learned from that young woman that the day before the Cultural Festival, the Bandits will hold a dress rehearsal—the full cast performing on stage without a formal audience. At that time, True and Fake Bandits from all participating groups will travel to the gymnasium together. If we divide into disguised teams and ambush them along the route, the Bandits cannot possibly establish defenses everywhere!"

Zhuo Yifan's plan was clearly formed, and he spoke with confidence.

When these Jianghu heroes first arrived in Lingao, unfamiliar and fearful of the Bandits' strange skills and excessive ingenuity, they had labored under tremendous psychological pressure. But after "doing business" locally for some time, they had gradually become familiar with certain patterns of this land. Combined with the wealth of intelligence Zhuo Yifan had provided, the knights emerged from their initial confusion and recovered some confidence in completing their mission.

"An excellent plan! If our local insiders respond simultaneously to create diversions, we will surely throw the Bandits into chaos!" Huang Zhen's eyes gleamed with shrewd calculation as he stroked his nonexistent beard.

"Furthermore, I observed that the females among those juvenile Fake Bandits all wear strange Australian clothes. If we can kidnap one or two along the way and have Junior Sister Zhou and the others change into those 'uniforms,' it will further confuse the Bandits. It is said the Bandits are lustful by nature and drop their guard around beautiful women..."

Zhuo Yifan lowered his voice, but the listeners' expressions showed clear understanding.

"How shall we act?" Sima Qiudao asked.

"First, have the female disciples change into Bandit attire." Zhuo Yifan said. "Women don't need to shave their heads to change costume—just alter their hairstyle and clothing. Bandits dislike bound feet. Fake Bandit women either have natural feet or have unbound theirs. Fortunately, the female disciples of our various sects all have unbound feet, so this we can manage."

"Actually, we masters could also change appearance and disguise..." Huang Zhen offered. "Director You has advised me several times to shave my head and change my clothing."

"Brother Huang needn't trouble himself. Someone must coordinate here in Nanbao. You shall remain and oversee matters, waiting quietly for our arrival."

"Very well." Huang Zhen nodded.

The plan was thus finalized: they would divide personnel into several teams. Nan Wan'er would lead a number of female disciples to stand by in the square before the gymnasium, ready to act on signal. Female disciples including Zhou Zhongjun, led by Sima Qiudao, would wait for an opportunity to ambush Bandit female students, obtain uniforms, disguise themselves, then proceed to the square to await orders.

Abbess Miejing would personally lead a team to respond at the intersection outside the gymnasium—first to intercept Bandit reinforcements, second to provide cover for fellow daoists fleeing the scene.

Sha Guangtian and Meng Bofei would each lead a team to operate in various locations throughout East Gate Market. Once the signal arose, they would attack and kill Bandit police, set fires to create chaos, and draw Bandit attention.

Wanli Feng would lead a small group to remain at the inn, maintaining an Empty Fort Strategy. At the first sign of chaos, they would set fire to the inn, then rush into the market streets to sow disorder.

"I myself will wait for the opportunity in the square alongside several heroes." Zhuo Yifan assigned everything meticulously. "Everyone must act according to the signal!"

The signal would be the special "Double-Kick" firecracker they had brought in secret. After ascending into the sky, it would emit three consecutive bangs.

"At that moment, regardless of success or failure, I will release a second Double-Kick. No matter what anyone is doing, you must flee immediately!" Zhuo Yifan emphasized. "We must evacuate East Gate Market before the Bandits can react!"