Bandit Strategist

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After Spring and Autumn Young Hero and the others, more than twenty in all, dispatched the four ruffians, Shadowless and his group lured the remaining three back, and everyone joined forces to defeat them. The entire battle was over in less than ten minutes. Only five players took two axe blows each, but a couple of blood potions quickly restored them. They cleaned up the battlefield and collected more than ten copper coins—not much, but better than nothing.

Zhan Xiaobai pressed the shifty-eyed NPC for his identity.

The NPC, finally freeing the hand that Zhan Xiaobai had stomped on, forgot his pain and shouted angrily, “I am a good citizen! You— you bandits who ambush travelers, what right do you have to capture me? I’m going to report you to the authorities and have you all thrown in jail!”

“Bah,” Spring and Autumn Young Hero strode over, gave him a kick, and mocked, “If you’re a good citizen, then we’re all imperial officials. You don’t want to confess, huh? Brothers, tie him up and hang him from a tree. Let’s see how long he keeps up that tough act!”

The NPC cursed and swore but refused to reveal his identity. The players laughed and bound him, then hoisted him up on a tree.

Interrogation was left to Spring and Autumn Young Hero. Zhan Xiaobai helped up the old farmer, who was paralyzed with fright, and smiled, “Come on, old sir, get up.”

The old farmer trembled as he stood, clutching his grass basket. “You’re not bandits?”

Zhan Xiaobai glanced at himself. “Do I really look like a bandit? Well, let me introduce myself: I am Xiaobai, the village chief of Xiaobai Village in Xiliang.”

The old farmer’s eyes lit up, and he immediately knelt and wept. “Thank you, village chief, for saving my life! I, Old He, owe my life to your kindness. If they had taken me to their mountain stronghold, I would’ve become a bandit. Village chief, you are my benefactor!”

Zhan Xiaobai had to help Old He back up again. “Tell me, why were you captured?”

Old He wiped his tears and explained, “I’m a livestock farmer. I was hoping to settle in Grey Sun Village, but didn’t realize it had already become a den of thieves. As soon as I arrived, they caught me. That one hanging from the tree is a mountain bandit. That wretch tried to force me to join the stronghold. I refused—how could I go to a place like that? If the soldiers caught me, it’d be off with my head! He threatened me when I wouldn’t comply, and killed my chicks—curse him! My heart and soul are in those little chicks; if he killed them all, how would I live? In desperation, I agreed to go to the stronghold. Please, village chief, help me! My lifelong reputation cannot be ruined by that villain. I am innocent.”

Old He rambled on at length.

Zhan Xiaobai finally understood: the mountain bandit NPC at the abandoned courtyard was trying to recruit Old He for the stronghold, probably because he was skilled at raising livestock. Apparently, there were clever minds among the bandits.

Zhan Xiaobai interrupted Old He’s chatter and asked with a smile, “What animals can you raise?”

Old He quickly replied, “I can raise anything—chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, and pigs. I can fatten them up nicely… But right now, I only have a brood of chicks. No other young animals to raise.”

Zhan Xiaobai said, “Those are all small livestock. Can you raise sheep, cattle, horses?”

Old He shook his head, “I only know how to raise the smaller ones. I’ve never tended the big animals.”

Zhan Xiaobai thought for a moment. Although Old He couldn’t raise many kinds of livestock, he was still a talent much needed in the small village. He had to be sent back immediately.

He summoned the five members of the Light and Shadow Squad. “We don’t have many people right now, and can’t take him along for the bandit-suppression mission. So you five will escort him back to Xiaobai Village. After the task, return and rendezvous with us at the foot of the target stronghold.”

The Light and Shadow Squad nodded, “Boss, don’t worry, we’ll get it done.”

Zhan Xiaobai had spent enough time with them to know they were capable, but since this escort mission was special, he added another warning: “The journey is long, and you must not let people from other villages snatch him away! Remember, absolutely not. If necessary, you can make your own decisions.”

The squad leader, “Behind the Radiance,” understood Zhan Xiaobai’s seriousness. He touched the level 10 broadsword at his waist and said coldly, “Understood. Except for Xiaobai Village, this man will never end up in another village’s hands.” Behind the Radiance was the player with the most merit from the battle against the horse bandits at Xiaobai Village. The village’s best weapon, the level 10 broadsword, was in his possession.

The five members of the Light and Shadow Squad surrounded Old He and escorted him toward Xiaobai Village.

Poor Old He still didn’t understand what was happening and simply followed. He puzzledly asked the squad, “Hey, young men, where are we going? Aren’t we traveling with the village chief?”

Behind the Radiance patted Old He’s shoulder and chuckled, “Old man, the village chief said you’re one of us now. Time to go home.”

“Alright, alright! The village chief saved me from the bandits and gave me a place to go—a good man indeed! And you lads are personally escorting me—how could I deserve such kindness? Honestly, I could manage on my own, I won’t get lost.”

“Come on, stop fussing, or you’ll end up as wolf food.”

The five members of Light and Shadow Squad didn’t comment. Good men? If they were good men, those mountain bandits could call themselves upright citizens. If they encountered trouble beyond their abilities on the road… Old He would soon learn just how good they really were.

Elsewhere, in a small grove, the mountain bandit NPC was tied up with his hands, dangling from a tree.

The Snow Leopard Strike Team’s leader, Snow Mountain Flying Leopard, held a branch and smiled slyly. “Not talking? Really not talking? Where did you crawl out from, anyway?”

“Bah! Not telling. I’ve got tough skin, what can you do to me!”

The mountain bandit NPC shouted defiantly.

Snow Mountain Flying Leopard laughed, “Tough, are you tougher than pigskin?” He lashed him with the branch.

The mountain bandit NPC wailed like a slaughtered pig, limbs flailing, body trembling, the little tree he hung from shaking violently—clearly, his skin wasn’t tougher than a pig’s.

After a taste of pain, the mountain bandit NPC dared not mouth off. He shouted, “I am Gou Buli, chief strategist under the King of Tiger Head Stronghold! Release me now, or when my lord comes with his army, you ants will have no hope of survival!”

Everyone was startled—wow, they’d caught an NPC mountain bandit strategist, a big fish indeed.

Even Zhan Xiaobai was taken aback and hurried over. Just how big was this fish? He had to find out for himself.