Chapter Sixty-Five: Thieves Preying on Thieves

"Damn it, fortune favors the bold!"

Under Wang Yuan's provocation, the crowd steeled themselves, preparing to confront Qin Zhen and his companions!

But as they crouched atop the hill, waiting for Qin Zhen's group to arrive, another party had already taken notice of them.

"Where did these soldiers come from? Why are they occupying our turf?"

A one-eyed man with a blade squinted his only left eye, staring at Wang Yuan and his men who were hiding with their backsides sticking up among the trees. His villainous face showed rare surprise.

"They're lying in wait here—where are we supposed to rob anyone?"

The mountain bandit underlings behind him were equally bewildered, exchanging glances but saying nothing.

The one-eyed man narrowed his gaze. "I can't see clearly. Which of you has sharp eyes? Take a good look—are these soldiers from the east?"

"Boss, these faces are unfamiliar. I don't think they're from the east," a henchman whispered, his cross-eyed gaze spinning about. "They don't seem to have blades. Don't look like they're in the trade."

Not fellow bandits, then.

The one-eyed man feared nothing more than a rival gang staking a claim.

"Move in, grab a few to find out what's going on."

Soon enough, the bandits skillfully crept up behind Wang Yuan and his group. Before they could react, they felt something hard pressing against their backsides.

Looking back, they saw murderous faces, as if the word "bandit" was written across them.

"You've got a lot of nerve! Spying on our turf? Do you even know this land is under the protection of Mount Mao'er?"

A few timid villagers screamed and tried to flee, only to have their throats slashed by the bandits.

Many brandished wooden sticks to resist, only to have their heads chopped off.

Wang Yuan collapsed in place, dumbstruck with terror, never having witnessed such brutality.

The one-eyed man tore off Wang Yuan's mask, revealing a face white as a sheet. Just as he was about to interrogate him, he caught a foul smell. Looking down, he saw that this coward had wet himself.

"Useless!"

The one-eyed man kicked Wang Yuan to the ground in disgust, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Good sir, please spare us! We truly didn't know this was Mount Mao'er's territory. If we'd known, we wouldn't have come even with a hundred times the courage!"

The bandits' blades moved swiftly, and the villagers of Wang Family Village lay scattered across the ground. A handful of quick-witted ones darted into the woods and vanished, leaving thirty or so kneeling with their hands over their heads, trembling before the gleaming knives.

The one-eyed man quickly realized that Wang Yuan and his men were cowards and relaxed his guard.

He pressed his blade to Wang Yuan's throat and questioned him directly.

"Who are you people?"

"We're villagers from Wang Family Village, all honest folk!" Wang Yuan, stripped of his usual swagger, was now like a frightened old dog, wagging his tail in submission.

"What are you doing here?" the one-eyed man pressed.

"Robbing... ah no, just trying to reclaim what's rightfully ours." Wang Yuan immediately explained everything in detail.

Learning that a valuable shipment was headed their way, the one-eyed man and his bandits grew visibly excited.

He seized Wang Yuan, the cold edge of his blade scraping his neck.

"That little fishing village you mentioned—is it the one that drove off the sea raiders?"

"Exactly!" Wang Yuan nodded desperately.

The one-eyed man's gaze darkened; he felt troubled.

The story of the fishing village had long spread throughout Jiangnan, and even these mountain bandits knew it well.

Truth be told, the one-eyed man didn't believe it. He'd fought those sea raiders himself and knew firsthand how difficult those squat-footed beasts were—bandits and even government soldiers steered clear of them. How could a mere fishing village have defeated them?

It was probably just rumor and hearsay!

But there was no smoke without fire; surely the fishing village had some depth.

"How many people are coming? How many carts?" the one-eyed man asked gruffly.

"About several dozen, maybe ten or so carts..." Seeing the one-eyed man interested, Wang Yuan grew eager, grasping at any chance to survive: "Good sir, if you let us go, we'll leave immediately, and those carts—all the goods—are yours!"

"You sly dog! Even if I kill you all, the goods will still be mine," the one-eyed man sneered, raising his blade.

Wang Yuan dropped to his knees, steeling himself, and kowtowed.

"Good sir, we're only driven to desperation by the authorities, forced to do this. We've long heard the fame of Mount Mao'er's heroes! If you don't mind, we're willing to join you, become bandits, and live free on the mountain!"

"Oh?" The one-eyed man looked Wang Yuan over in surprise—not expecting a coward to be such a talent.

Truth be told, the brothers in the stronghold had suffered heavy casualties lately, especially among the slaves they'd captured—a great many had died, and new labor was needed.

He had no intention of letting Wang Yuan join the gang, but as a slave for mining and logging, he'd do just fine.

"Are you sure you want to call me boss?" The one-eyed man's gaze was subtle.

"As long as you don't mind, from today onward, the lives of our thirty-some men are yours to command!" Wang Yuan declared, willing to do anything just to live: "If you head east, we won't dare go west!"

His words made the bandits laugh.

Wang Yuan laughed along foolishly.

The one-eyed man sneered, "What's your name?"

"Wang Yuan, at your service."

"Do you know who I am?" he countered.

Wang Yuan was momentarily stumped—he truly didn't know the one-eyed man's identity, only that he was a bandit from Mount Mao'er.

But there were many peaks on Mount Mao'er—who knew which ruthless brute this blind fellow was?

"I'm Sang Biao!" the one-eyed man announced proudly, as if it were a name of great renown.

In truth, Wang Yuan reacted just as he expected, growing even more fearful.

"My humble eyes failed to recognize—the third chief of Mount Mao'er himself!"

Despite his anxiety, a thrill of excitement rose within him.

Lazy and gluttonous, he'd long been unable to survive in Wang Family Village, always leading the young men in schemes and brawls. Driven out of the fishing village by Qin Zhen, he had nowhere else to go.

If he could follow the third chief of Mount Mao'er, robbing and plundering, wasn't that a promising path?

His mind conjured visions of the fishing village's prosperity.

Endless silver, abundant grain, and beautiful women!

Especially Zhao Ming's sister from Zhao's Shop—he'd long coveted her.

If he could persuade Sang Biao to seize the fishing village, wouldn't all its women be his for the taking?

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that joining the bandits would lead him to wealth and glory!

Just then, a bandit pointed towards the distant mountain path.

"They're coming!"