novelweb Chapter 1338 Mountain Bandits Enter the Village
Chapter 1338 Mountain Bandits Enter the Village
Thunder City is not a place where you can settle down whenever you want.
The current requirement is that only relatives of inner disciples have the right to reside there.
The girl in the village named Xiaoyue brought her whole family to Tianlei City after she became an inner disciple, making everyone in the village extremely envious.
Xiao Xing'er takes Xiaoyue as her role model and dreams of bringing her family to Tianlei City to settle down and become city dwellers.
"Since it looks so fun, I really have to go check it out tomorrow," Chen Yang said with a smile.
"It's getting late, Brother Chen, you should get some rest. I hope you're fit enough to travel tomorrow," said Brother Dashan, before leaving with his family, leaving the room for Chen Yang to rest and recover.
That night, Chen Yang sat on the bed in meditation, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and refining the demon core.
Although he was still wrapped in bandages, he could clearly feel that his injuries had healed by about 70-80%, but his combat strength was still lacking and he had not yet recovered to his peak.
The main reason was that the great battle with the Void Beast had exhausted him too much, leaving his physical body almost depleted. He couldn't replenish it with just a beast core and a little bit of spiritual root from heaven and earth.
He desperately needs cultivation resources: spirit stones, elixirs, and medicinal herbs—the more the better.
But in this unfamiliar world, cultivation resources are really hard to find.
If he cannot replenish his body to a state of perfect energy, he will be unable to transcend the tribulation, as it will affect the grade of his Golden Core.
"Ugh!"
Just as Chen Yang was having a headache because he didn't have enough cultivation resources to achieve the Great Perfection of his physical body, a loud commotion suddenly came from the secluded village.
Boom boom boom!
The earth shook violently, as if a thousand troops had rushed in.
You can also hear triumphant shouts.
It was already past midnight, and the quiet little village suddenly became noisy.
"Huh, what's going on?"
Chen Yang was stunned for a moment, then quickly got out of bed, ready to go out and take a look.
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Brother Dashan rushed in, quickly gathering the animal hides in the room and instructing Chen Yang to stay inside and not go anywhere.
This house was actually a storage room, specifically for storing animal hides and mountain products. The Da Shan family tidied it up and gave it to Chen Yang to live in.
Even though most of the animal hides were dried, they still had an unpleasant odor.
However, Chen Yang is not picky; he was already very satisfied that someone was willing to give him a room to live in.
"Brother Dashan, have people come to the village? And it seems like there are a lot of them. What's going on?" Chen Yang asked curiously.
"It's nothing, just a few bandits who came and asked for some things. As long as you stay inside and don't move, they shouldn't bother you. They'll leave after they've robbed you," Brother Dashan said, seemingly used to it and not at all flustered.
He quickly picked out dozens of animal hides, piled them up, and carried them to the opposite door.
Chen Yang wanted to help, but Brother Dashan refused, repeatedly telling him to stay inside and not to make a sound or go out to see what he saw.
After carrying the animal skin out, Brother Dashan even locked the door from the outside to ensure that Chen Yang couldn't get out and would stay obediently inside.
The room was originally full of animal hides, but after dozens of them were taken away, there weren't many left.
Looking at the few remaining animal hides, Chen Yang shook his head.
We had agreed to go to town to sell animal hides tomorrow, but will we still be able to go?
There was also the species of bandits, which Chen Yang had only seen in history books. He never imagined that he would one day witness bandits entering the village.
However, since Brother Dashan had told him to stay inside and not move, he wouldn't interfere. He'd let the bandits do as they pleased, as long as they didn't kill or set fires.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and continued his meditation practice.
In the next room, little Xing'er nestled in her mother's arms, her tiny body trembling.
"Mommy, I'm scared." Little Xing'er's face was deathly pale, filled with fear.
"Don't be afraid, your mother is here, and your father is here too. As long as we hand over the goods, the bandits will leave and won't kill or set fires," Sister Huang comforted her daughter.
Actually, she was terrified herself.
Her striking appearance made her inherently vulnerable.
Based on past experience with robbery, these bandits would not use knives or guns as long as the villagers did not resist during the robbery.
Moreover, these mountain bandits believe in "sustainable robbery." They don't exhaust their resources, but rather treat it like harvesting leeks, leaving some roots so they can continue to harvest next time.
"Waaah, these bad people stole my things! I can't go to the city tomorrow, I won't get new clothes, I won't get any good food, and I won't see Sister Xiaoyue again!" Little Xing'er cried, very sad.
Her father said they would go to town to sell animal hides tomorrow, but now that bandits have entered the village, even if all the animal hides in the house aren't looted, there will be very few left. So they shouldn't expect to be able to go to town to sell animal hides tomorrow.
So Xiaoxing was very disappointed and sad.
"Ugh!"
Seeing her daughter crying so sadly, Sister Huang had no choice but to sigh softly.
In this dog-eat-dog world, survival is never easy.
At this moment, although bandits had come to the village, the villagers of Xinghua Village were not particularly panicked. They were used to it and were almost numb to such situations.
For more than a decade, this gang of bandits has visited Xinghua Village at least once a year, looting all the valuables.
Chen Yang stood by the window and looked outside. He saw several bandit leaders riding tall horses and carrying knives and bows, leading dozens of henchmen, swaggering around the village, carrying supplies from house to house.
The bandits' favorite supplies are the hides of wild animals and medicinal herbs from the mountains, which are lightweight, valuable, and easy to sell.
Secondly, there are domesticated livestock such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses.
If they can't produce any of the above, they might even steal food from the house.
The villagers watched helplessly as all their daily necessities were taken away, remaining silent and not uttering a sound.
Only the little children would occasionally call out:
"That's my family's pig..."
"That's my family's cow..."
"That's my family's grain..."
……
But often, before they could finish speaking, the adults in their families would cover their mouths tightly and drag them back into the house.
Over the years, it's not that no one in the village has resisted; rather, there have been many who have resisted. But those who dared to resist are either gone or ruined.
These are all bloody lessons!
These are all stark examples of past mistakes!
These bandits are truly ruthless killers.
For many years, no one in the village has dared to resist the tyranny of the mountain bandits.
If the villagers don't resist and behave docilely, these bandits won't be aggressive. They might even show leniency to genuinely impoverished families or take less of their supplies.
When the bandits looted Xiao Xing'er's house, Da Shan had already laid out dozens of dried animal hides at the door, piled up to the height of a person, along with more than a dozen harvested spiritual herbs and medicines.
"Gentlemen, you have come from afar and have had a long journey. This is a tribute from my family to Kowloon Village. We hope you will accept it with a smile." Da Shan said, bowing and scraping, with a fawning smile on his face, appearing obsequious and ingratiating.
It wasn't that he wanted to do it this way, but he had a wife and children, and his priority was to ensure the safety of his family.
When it comes to the safety of family members, this little bit of dignity is nothing.
The dozens of animal hides he took out, along with more than a dozen spiritual herbs and medicines, were unique in the entire Xinghua Village, and their value far exceeded that of other families.
Although he wore a fawning smile, he had already cursed the ancestors of these bandits for eighteen generations in his heart, and his heart was bleeding.
He'll have to hand over these animal hides and medicinal herbs; it seems he'll have to break his promise to bring his daughter into the city tomorrow.
My daughter would be very sad if she found out.
The Kowloon Fortress he mentioned was the name of this band of mountain bandits.
It was called Kowloon Stronghold because this band of bandits had nine leaders who were sworn brothers.
Within the bandits, they were respectively called the First Boss, the Second Boss, and so on, up to the Ninth Boss.
These nine leaders considered themselves to be nine dragons, so the mountain stronghold was also called Nine Dragons Stronghold.
If you think they are nine roughnecks, you are sorely mistaken. Each of the nine leaders possesses martial arts skills and is a cultivator.
Tonight, the five leaders, the seventh leader, and the ninth leader have brought their henchmen to Xinghua Village.
The three men each rode a tall horse, wore red cloaks around their necks, and carried precious swords and bows at their waists. They were truly majestic, like great generals on the battlefield.
Although these three leaders may not look impressive, they have all reached the level of martial arts grandmasters. Ordinary people are no match for them.
Even the group of henchmen following behind them, many of them had a foundation in martial arts, at the level of external force or even internal force.
Kowloon Stronghold exists on the territory of the Thunder God Sect and is under its jurisdiction. Logically speaking, the Thunder God Sect should not allow this group of bandits to exist, as it would damage the reputation of the Thunder God Sect.
Kowloon Walled Village is to the Thunder God Sect what ants are to an elephant. If the Thunder God Sect is willing to go all out, Kowloon Walled Village will be uprooted in no time.
However, Kowloon Walled City existed for more than a decade without incident.
This only proves one thing: Kowloon Stronghold had connections within the Thunder God Sect, which allowed them to be exempt from punishment.
As soon as Zhang Dashan finished speaking, the Fifth Master signaled to his henchmen to take stock of the supplies.
"Reporting to Fifth Master, there are a total of thirty-two pieces of animal hides, all in perfect condition. There are thirteen spiritual herbs and plants, as well as some other miscellaneous mountain goods."
After the henchmen finished taking inventory, they responded.
"Ah."
The fifth leader nodded in satisfaction, because the supplies Da Shan had provided were several times more than those of other families.
Xinghua Village is a poor and remote place, and there are limited good things that can be robbed here.
"Your name is Zhang Dashan, right?" the Fifth Master suddenly asked, staring intently at Zhang Dashan.
"Yes, yes, my name is Zhang Dashan," Zhang Dashan said, his voice trembling with fear.
"You're strong and healthy, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. You truly deserve to be the number one archer and hero of your Xinghua Village, managing to hunt so many prey. Are you interested in coming to Jiulongzhai Mountain and working with me?" The Fifth Leader said to Zhang Dashan, actually trying to recruit him to become a bandit.
His words stunned the bandits.
Sister Huang and Xiao Xing'er, who were hiding inside the house, were also stunned, because they could clearly hear the voices outside from the window.
Just as Xiao Xing'er was about to speak and tell her father not to agree to them, her mother, Sister Huang, covered her mouth and gestured for her not to say anything.
They were a mother and daughter, both quite attractive.
Although Ms. Huang is middle-aged, she still retains her charm and has a very good figure.
Although Xiao Xing'er is only eleven or twelve years old, she has already grown into a graceful young lady and will surely become a stunning beauty when she grows up.
Zhang Dashan was worried about them, which is why he told them to stay inside the house and not come out.
After all, bandits don't play by the rules; besides robbing money, they might also rob women.
Zhang Dashan was immediately overwhelmed with anxiety, so nervous that he broke out in a cold sweat.
"What's wrong, Zhang Dashan? You look down on my Nine Dragons Stronghold and don't want to join? Do you know how many people want to join my Nine Dragons Stronghold but don't have the chance? As long as you join my Nine Dragons Stronghold, I guarantee you'll eat and drink well every day. Your life will be ten thousand times more carefree than here in this poor, remote place." The Ninth Leader said coldly, holding an iron whip in his hand, waving it in the air with a threatening air.
He truly valued Zhang Dashan; with careful guidance, he would surely become a formidable general.
Zhang Dashan was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud and said nervously, "No, no, that's not how it is. I'm just a commoner with nothing but strength, I can't read a single word, and I have neither courage nor strategy. If I join Kowloon Village, I'll only cause trouble for you. So I'd rather stay as a commoner, hunt more game, and search for more mountain goods. That way, I can still serve Kowloon Village like a dog."
After he finished speaking, Zhang Dashan's head hit the ground; he was genuinely terrified.
Bang bang bang!
He kowtowed several times.
"I don't know how to praise!"
The Ninth Master suddenly raised the iron whip in his hand, making a loud noise like a thunderclap, and was about to lash out at Zhang Dashan, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Enough, Ninth Brother! You can't force a relationship." Wu the Boss said, stopping Ninth Brother's violent actions.
"Hmph!" Ninth Master snorted coldly and put away his iron whip.
“Let’s go, next one!” the fifth leader said.
Perhaps seeing that Da Shan was quite sensible, bowing and scraping with great respect, and even bringing out supplies several times more valuable than those of other families, the Fifth Master did not press the matter further, nor did he continue to plunder their home; instead, he stopped while he was ahead.
After all, good leeks need to be harvested one crop at a time to harvest more leeks, rather than uprooting them all at once.
Seeing the bandits pull the rope and leave, Zhang Dashan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This level has been passed.
However, just as the horse's front hooves took a step, the Seventh Master suddenly pulled on the reins, sniffed hard, and said, "There's a strong smell of blood, unlike ordinary beasts. There's a slight fluctuation of spiritual energy, so it should be a spirit beast."
At this point, the seventh leader, who had a conspicuous scar on his face and a very hateful look, glanced at Zhang Dashan and said, "Not bad, Zhang Dashan, you actually hunted down a spirit beast."