After Li Yan rushed into the cottage, the sergeants behind him rushed in together, and several slow horse thieves who were running at the gate of the cottage were hacked to death with knives.

"Quick! Kill it! Don't let anyone go! ”

Li Yan let out a loud shout, and the long knife in his hand slashed at a horse thief who ran out of the hut.

Throughout the cottage, the screams of horse thieves were chaotic. These horse thieves, who kill people and goods without blinking an eye, heard the sound of killing outside, and they have lost their former majesty.

It was almost dawn now, and the horse thieves, who had heard the sound of killing, woke up from their sleep and rushed out one by one with their large blades in disheveled clothes.

After watching the sergeants of the Zhenbei Army rush into the cottage, they killed the horse thieves when they saw them, and this group of horse thieves was also desperate.

"Brothers, the officials and soldiers are deliberately not letting us live, and if we die, we will have to pull a few cushions."

Behind the group of horse thieves, a short and sturdy man, with a large axe in his hand, shouted loudly.

"Kill!" As soon as the horse thief heard the man's agitation, he rushed towards Li Yan and them as if he had been beaten with chicken blood.

The Zhenbei army and the horse thieves were fighting together, and from time to time someone fell, Li Yan's face and body were covered with blood, and there were already seven or eight horse thieves who fell under Li Yan's big knife.

"Don't be afraid! If you want to live, kill me out. The short, sturdy man slashed at a Zhenbei soldier with an axe, and then kicked people away.

Li Yan saw that the sturdy man had killed two Zhenbei soldiers in a row, and after shouting, he exerted his strength and raised his knife to slash at the sturdy horse thief.

The two quickly fought together, swords and axes met, and sparks rose in all directions.

Li Yange blocked the horse thief's big axe and kicked it in the horse thief's chest, and the sturdy horse thief staggered back a few steps.

At the moment when Li Yan kicked on the horse thief, Li Yan raised his knife and rushed forward quickly.

The horse thief saw Li Yan raise his knife and slash at his head, and was about to turn around and flee for his life.

"Ahh With a bang, the sturdy horse thief was slashed in the neck by Li Yan, and the long knife sank into the bone, and the horse thief was killed instantly.

After more than half an hour, the horse thieves in the entire cottage had been exterminated, and the corpses were all over the ground, exuding a strong smell of blood.

"Shi Hong, you take some people to carefully search the entire cottage and take care of the wounded sergeants." Li Yan looked at the corpses everywhere and wiped the blood from his face with one hand.

"Yes! Come with me! Shi Hong pointed to the dozen uninjured sergeants behind him and said.

Li Yan took a serious look at the cottage in front of him, there were several rows of thatched huts and stables, which were larger than the school yard in Xihai City.

The cottage is located on the sunny flat side of the mountain stream, and as far as the eye can see, there are lush trees everywhere and a stream flowing down from the mountain.

"What a treasure of feng shui." Li Yan sighed in his heart.

"General Qiyu, the last general has searched, all the horse thieves in the cottage have been killed, and more than 1,000 taels of gold and some jewelry have been found from it, and some silk and satin have been found. In addition, there are hundreds of stone of grain, and it is estimated that this group of horse thieves has stored food for the winter. Shi Hong pointed to the boxes carried out by the sergeant behind him and said excitedly.

"Oh? This is also a bonus. By the way, what about the casualties? ”

Li Yan stepped forward and opened the box, only to see that the box contained glittering gold and jewelry, and Li Yan's heart beat faster.

"General Qiyu, a total of 172 horse thieves were exterminated in this battle, and 238 war horses were captured. Twenty-four people were killed and fifty-five wounded. Shi Hong not only sighed when he said this.

"Hmmm! All the soldiers who died in the battle must be gathered and brought back to Xihai City, and we can't leave our Daliang warriors in this barren mountain and wilderness. The corpses of these horse thieves were burned. Li Yan glanced at the cottage, frowned and whispered.

"The last general obeys!" Shi Hong said and led the sergeant to get busy.

After a while, Han Qian and his party walked in from behind the cottage.

"Childe, Han Qian is back." Han Qian stepped forward quickly and said.

"Good! Why did it take so long for Brother Han to come back? Li Yan saw that Han Qian was back, and he was also very happy in his heart.

"Childe, this person was captured by us from behind the cottage, this kid is very familiar with the terrain here, and almost let him run away. We also caught a few horse thieves, and after they confessed, this person was the head of this group of horse thieves, called Gou Si. ”

Han Qian said and pushed the man behind him who tied his hands with vines over, this person was Gou Si, who was fleeing alone, with rags gagged in his mouth, struggling and screaming with a red face.

"Oh? No wonder! Bring him into the house for me. Li Yan pointed to the thatched hut on the side and said.

In the thatched hut, Gou Si was kicked in the knee by Han Qian, and the whole person knelt in front of Li Yan.

"Go down!" Li Yan said to a few sergeants at the door.

After the sergeant left, Han Qian and Li Yan were left in the hut, Han Qian tore the rags from Gou Si's mouth, and Gou Si suddenly gasped for breath.

"The general spares his life! The villain didn't dare anymore. Gou Si chick kowtowed like pecking rice.

"Gou Si, I won't talk nonsense to you, but you said it yourself? Or will Ben teach you? Li Yan stared at Gou Si closely, and suddenly slashed at the wooden table, instantly cutting off a large corner.

Gou Si was so frightened by the sudden sound that his heart was pinched.

"The general spares his life! You~ Do you want to know what villain is willing to say, as long as the general can spare the villain's life. Gou Si trembled his teeth and kowtowed again to beg for mercy.

Half an hour later, Gou Si explained everything like pouring beans into a bamboo tube.

This Gou Si is a native of Guanzhong, originally a ruffian hooligan, and was later conscripted into the army by Later Qin, how can Gou Si and others in the military camp stand it, and soon escaped from the military camp with a few companions, and went around robbing houses and houses for a living.

Last year, he fled to Zhangye and pulled a group of homeless people to occupy the mountains as kings, and soon they were beaten by the Huns and fled in all directions. Later, he fled to Xihai County, settled here in Longshoujian, and made a living by robbing past Hu merchants on weekdays.

"Gou Si, do you want to die or live?" Li Yan stood up suddenly.

"The general spares his life! The villain wants to live, wants to live~" Gou Si saw that Li Yan suddenly stood up, thinking that he was going to kill him, and suddenly his urine was scared.

"Gou Si, where are the looted belongings you have hidden in the past?" Li Yan bent down and asked in a low voice.

"This~this~" Gou Siyi couldn't help but swallow when he heard Li Yan inquire about his property.

"Huh?" Li Yan said and put the long knife on Gou Si's neck.

"The general spares his life! The villain is willing to confess! ”

"Say it! Ben's patience is limited, and if you dare to lie, Ben will put you in a pit and bury you with his own hands! Li Yan said and sat in front of Gou Si.

"General, all the possessions that the villain gets on weekdays are buried under the stones in the middle of the two big trees a hundred steps behind the cottage." Gou Si said unwillingly.

"Gou Si, are you telling the truth?"

"The general spares his life! What the villain said is true, and if you don't believe it, you can let people dig it up now. Gou Si spoke with a crying tone and a heartache.

"General, the villain has already explained, please let the general let the villain go! From now on, I will definitely be a good person, and I will never dare again. ”

Li Yan got up and glanced at Han Qian, nodded and walked out of the house.

After a while, there was a scream of horror from inside the room, and Han Qian walked out with a bloody long knife.

"General, General Thunder is here!" A sergeant stepped forward to report.

"The last general thundered, I have seen the general!" The thunder in the distance dismounted and saluted Li Yan and said.

"Hmmm! But there are horse thieves who escape? Li Yan looked at the thunder in front of him and said softly.

"Returning to the general, none of the horse thieves are alive. A total of 25 horse thieves escaped from Longshou Stream, and all of them were killed. Han Qian said with a smile.

"General Qiyu, everything has been dealt with!" Shi Hong will bring the sergeant to the front of him and salute with his fists.

"Hmmm! Let's go back! After this battle, Li Yan is also tired now.

"Childe, why don't you burn this cottage on fire?" Han Qian stepped forward and asked.

"No need! Let's go! It may be useful in the future! Li Yan whispered to Han Qian.

After Lei Ming and Shi Hong moved the property and grain in the cottage to the horses of the original horse thieves in the cottage, Li Yan and his party began to leave Longshoujian.

Along the way, Li Yan was thinking about this dragon head stream in his heart. It's less than thirty miles from the Black Rock Cliff, and it's remote and sparsely populated.

The horse thief cottage in Longshoujian is hidden, the water source is abundant, and it is easy to guard, few people know about it, if the iron ore of the Black Stone Cliff is collected and transported here to be smelted into iron ingots, it is very suitable to turn the cottage into a weapon workshop.

What Li Yan felt troubled in his heart was that he simply didn't have enough manpower, and besides, smelting iron ore and making armor required craftsmen. And this matter must be kept secret, otherwise I am afraid that once it spreads, I am afraid that I will be in big trouble.

After Li Yan returned to Xihai City, he reported to Zhang Jing about the process of exterminating the horse thieves, sealed the property, and handed it over to Zhang Jing.

"Childe, what are you thinking?" Han Qian watched Li Yan sit in the tent and fell into deep thought.

"Brother Han, where did you say you were going to find craftsmen who could smelt and forge armor?" Li Yan raised his head and asked.

"Childe, these craftsmen are generally filed in the county government, and it may not be easy to divert them for personal use." Han Qian listened to Li Yanyi. Immediately understood.

"Isn't there a way to do it?" Li Yanxin asked unwillingly.

"Childe is not in a hurry, this matter is not impossible, since last year, the displaced people in the Luoyang area of Guanzhong have been displaced to Hexi, among these displaced people, some of them were originally skilled craftsmen in the Luoyang area of Guanzhong, if the son can get the help of these skilled craftsmen, then worry-free!" Han Qian thought of the homeless people around Jiuquan City, which was all too familiar.

After Han Qian finished speaking, Li Yan's heart suddenly opened, this is indeed a good way. It would be a joy if these skilled craftsmen who had been displaced to the west of the river could be gathered.

"Brother Han, I'll write a letter to Brother Dezhao, and you will personally send it back to Jiuquan City and hand it over to him later, remember not to let anyone know." Li Yan took out his pen and ink and began to write a letter to Linghu Dezhao.

In Jiuquan City, there are not many people who Li Yan can trust, and Ling Hu Dezhao can be regarded as one. And it's relatively easy to do it in his capacity.

After Li Yan wrote the letter, he handed it to Han Qian and asked him to send it back to Jiuquan City immediately and hand it over to Linghu Dezhao in person.