Based on the sheriff's description, Zhang Heng could basically determine that Cook's marksmanship was above Lv.2. He had yet to reach Lv.3, but there shouldn't be too much of a difference. Cook's horsemanship was excellent, and he could shoot on horseback. Of course, his accuracy wasn't as good as when he was stationary.
Considering Cook's age, Zhang Heng was confident that he could defeat him one-on-one in a fair duel. However, if the thirty or so members of the Cook Gang were included, the situation wasn't as optimistic as what the sheriff said.
Fortunately, they still had time.
Cook probably didn't expect that the ten people he left in Bliss would be killed, causing their whereabouts to be exposed in advance.
According to Zhang Heng's preliminary estimation, Cook and his gang should have another day to reach Lincoln County. Before considering how to deal with so many robbers, there was still a key problem in front of everyone — how to stop Cook and Matthew before they arrived in Lincoln County.
"The earliest report I have on the Cook Gang's movements was from two months ago," the sheriff frowned. "They have always been like this. They come and go like the wind. Some people call them the Scarlet Scourge. No one knows where they appear or where they go. The only thing everyone knows is that wherever they go, blood will flow like a river, just like a disaster."
"I have a rough idea where they will be," Zhang Heng said. Bailiff Morton had been tracking the group of robbers disguised as fur traders. As long as Cook and Matthew were not stupid, they would definitely find Morton first. If that was the case, they should have arrived at the burned town by now.
Then, they would most likely believe Morton's words, thinking that he took the forty kilograms of gold and the thing Cook put in the bank.
In fact, Zhang Heng still couldn't determine whether that thing really existed, or if it was just an excuse for Cook to trick Matthew into coming out.
Considering that other than Cook, the only person who could answer this question had already been killed by Zhang Heng, it might be difficult for him to get an answer to this question.
Zhang Heng told the sheriff where Cook and the others might come from. The latter spread out a map, pointed to a forest twenty miles east of Lincoln County, and said, "If your information is correct, Cook should first gather with the ten people who stayed in Bliss. After that, they will launch an attack on the county. Considering that there will be a certain gap between their arrival time, the people who arrive first should find a place to rest first. This is the best place."
Wendy chimed in. "My father and I went there during the summer. I remember there was a hunter's hut there. The hunter's hut doesn't have an owner. It's a place for hunters to rest."
"If Cook doesn't see anyone left in Bliss when he arrives, he should be resting in the cabin," the sheriff said.
"Can we ambush them there?" Zhang Heng asked.
"It's difficult," the sheriff shook his head. "I haven't been to that place yet, but Cook is very cautious. I heard from the bailiff who chased him that no matter where he went, he would first send people to search the surroundings and set up perimeter guards. This is why the Cook Gang is so difficult to eliminate. Even if we want to surround him, we can't look for a hiding place nearby. We have to come from afar."
Zhang Heng frowned when he heard the sheriff's words. Fighting at night was his biggest trump card. However, if Cook chose to use the hunter's hut as a stronghold, holed up in it, and fought until dawn, it would be unrealistic to rely on a group of miners and farmers to fight against a group of Cook Gang bandits.
"Let's go there first," Zhang Heng said after thinking about it.
… …
Time was tight for them. The Cook Gang should be able to reach Lincoln County in a day, and it would take Zhang Heng half a day to get to the woods. And they had to be wary of meeting the Cook Gang in the woods in advance. Hence, they only had half a day to prepare. So before dawn, the group set off again and went to the hut that Wendy mentioned.
The hut was located in the middle of the woods. There was a path that had been stepped on, and there was a stream flowing beside it. Because it had just rained, the air in the woods was very humid, and there were still water droplets on the bark of the trees.
This was not good news for Zhang Heng and the others, because it meant that it would be impossible to force Cook and the others out of the house with fire. Besides, the surrounding trees had also been cut down, and it would be difficult to approach them from the outside without making a sound.
To avoid being noticed by the horse's hoofprints, the sheriff asked the others to wait outside the woods. Only he, Zhang Heng, and Wendy walked in.
The sheriff walked around the hunter's hut, then asked Zhang Heng, "Do you have any ideas?"
"This house can't accommodate more than thirty people, and some of them should be outside. When the battle starts, the people inside will definitely notice it, and it will be difficult to launch a surprise attack. However, if we are lucky, we may be able to kill as many people outside as possible, creating favorable conditions for the battle later," Zhang Heng paused. "But the real trouble is waiting for them to hide in the house. There is no cover nearby, and we will be in a passive position. We have to find a way to get them out."
"Even if we can get them out, are you so sure that you can defeat them?" The sheriff raised his eyebrows.
"It's impossible to kill them all in one go. If they are determined to leave, I can't kill them all. But if it's just Cook, I am confident that I can kill him," Zhang Heng said.
"That's enough. Cook has always been the soul and brain of the Cook Gang. As long as Cook is killed, the Cook Gang will naturally cease to exist." The sheriff said, "I may have a way to get them out, but I still need to borrow your men."
"They will listen to your command, sheriff."
After a brief discussion about the next action plan, everyone left the forest first. If they went to Lincoln County with so many people, they would definitely attract the attention of the local people. So they only left one person to keep watch, and the rest walked twenty miles to the west, resting behind a grassy slope. Zhang Heng had one more thing to do before the battle.
He walked towards Wendy, who had been quiet along the way, hoping that someone would forget her existence.
"Let's go. I will send you home first," Zhang Heng said.
"Please, I have been practicing with a gun for a long time, and I can fight now. And aren't you short of manpower now?" Wendy begged.
"You have never experienced a real battle. This is not as simple as you think. And we are about to face the most powerful and ferocious gang in the entire western region. I don't think there is any room for negotiation," Zhang Heng said sternly.
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