“Bandits are coming!”
A scout dashed back to Bai Family Fortress like the wind.
This scout was named Shi Jian, a member of the Gaojia Village Militia, and one of the two who had followed the salt smugglers Old Zhu and Old Zhang during the last battle to learn scouting.
After training in the previous battle, he now somewhat resembled a proper scout.
Cheng Xu leaned out from the fortress wall. “Give us the details.”
Shi Jian hurriedly reported. “Captain Dian Deng Zi from Bu Zhan Ni’s Second Team is leading about two thousand? Three thousand? Well, somewhere around that number. They’ve already reached a place very close to us.”
Cheng Xu felt both amused and exasperated. This scout was still quite green; his report was a complete mess. Fortunately, Cheng Xu could roughly guess the enemy’s position.
He looked up towards the hillside. On the mountaintop within his field of vision, he faintly spotted several figures.
Bai Yuan stepped beside him and pointed to the same spot. “They should be right there.”
Bai Yuan chuckled. “The exact same route Bu Zhan Ni took last time. Once they descend into missile range, I’ll blast them to pieces with magical missiles.”
Cheng Xu couldn’t help but recall the scene of the last battle fought here, a slight smile tugging at his lips, though it was hidden by the cloth mask.
He stared intently at the hillside for a long time—the slope, behind the trees, behind rocks. Nowhere was the grandmother to be seen. Not at all! Completely absent!
She hadn’t come this time, hahaha! Victory was assured.
“Huh? Some people are coming down.” Bai Yuan said. “Look, only three bandits are descending.”
Cheng Xu focused his gaze and saw it was true. Only three bandits were descending the mountain. The leader was even wearing a scholar’s long robe, stumbling unsteadily, clearly unused to mountain paths. He had to lean on the other two men supporting him just to stagger-slide down the path.
Bai Yuan and Cheng Xu instinctively exchanged a glance, both puzzled. “What’s this about?”
Under such circumstances, they couldn’t just attack. The magical missiles, catapults, and Giant Crossbow Vehicle remained silent and idle, launching no projectiles. Everyone simply watched as the three bandits slowly made their way down. At one point, the robed man leading them nearly stumbled, forcing the two flanking him to quickly steady him.
Only after regaining his footing did he continue, finally reaching the base of Bai Family Fortress.
Cheng Xu and Bai Yuan were speechless. “Is this guy putting on a show?”
The scholar stopped before the fortress gate, tilted his head back, and called out loudly, “I am but a man of little talent, yet I venture to ask, which wealthy lord of Chengcheng County owns this fortress?”
Bai Yuan stuck his head out. “My surname is Bai. My given name is Yuan.”
The scholar cupped his hands respectfully. “Ah, so you are Lord Bai of Bai Family Fortress. I am Dian Deng Zi. Greetings.”
Everyone froze instantly. Dian Deng Zi? Wasn’t that the bandit chief?
Zhao Sheng (using only his bandit name) felt somewhat embarrassed about publicly announcing it; he didn’t dare use his real name. Awkwardly, he continued, “My sincere apologies for disturbing Lord Bai. It’s just… I have three thousand brothers behind me. We’ve walked a very long way to get here. Everyone is starving and truly about to collapse. Seeing Bai Family Fortress in the distance, it looked like the fortress of a very wealthy and powerful lord. So I took the liberty to come ask for some food to save my three thousand brothers. I implore you, great lord, to show mercy and assist us.”
Cheng Xu snorted out a laugh. “He’s threatening us. First saying there are three thousand brothers behind him, then demanding grain. If we refuse, those three thousand brothers will come storming at us, right?”
Bai Yuan thought about it carefully; that was precisely the implication.
This man calling himself Dian Deng Zi spoke with a remarkably sincere tone, not like some vicious character making ruthless threats. Thıs content belongs to novel~fire~net
“Instructor He, do you suggest ignoring him?”
“Of course not! We should deal with this. Decisively.” Cheng Xu touched the knife at his waist. “He only brought two men. His audacity is astounding. If I charge out now, capturing him will be easy. Once we seize their leader, the remaining bandits won’t be a concern. Let’s see if he still dares threaten us for grain.”
“Unwise.” Bai Yuan shook his head. “I suspect this man isn’t the real bandit chief at all. Perhaps the chieftain captured a scholar to act as messenger. If we attack this scholar, the bandits will have a perfect excuse to assault Bai Family Fortress.”
Cheng Xu: “Huh? That makes sense! But… do bandits really need an excuse to attack someone?”
The logic tangled there, hard to unravel.
Just then, Dian Deng Zi outside the fortress spoke again. “Lord Bai, I beg you not to misunderstand my words. I mean absolutely no threat. I have come only with sincere sincerity seeking help. My three thousand brothers, they are all from kind-hearted families who refuse to rob common folks. From Qingjian County to this place, the provisions we carried were long exhausted. We’ve eaten tree bark and grass root for many days. We truly cannot last much longer. Starvation turns people into monsters. One day, driven by hunger, they will draw their blades against other innocent civilians. When that day comes, even I won’t be able to save them… I beseech Lord Bai to extend a helping hand, save them if you can. They haven’t committed grave wrongs yet; they can still be saved.”
His words were exceedingly earnest, his eyes brimming with tears.
Cheng Xu couldn’t help but frown slightly.
After listening, however, Bai Yuan waved his hand decisively and announced loudly, “Open the fortress gates. Give him ten stones of food.”
Cheng Xu: “Huh?! Mr. Bai, he’s most likely deceiving us! You’re actually going to believe him?”
“This man here does not strike me as a villain,” Bai Yuan stated. “Better to trust and be wronged than distrust and risk greater tragedy. If the Deity were here, He would also offer kindness first. If they prove truly wicked, only then would arms be raised.”
Cheng Xu clicked his tongue. He’d seen plenty of villains, dealt with all sorts of shady characters on both sides of the law even before the three-year drought. He wouldn’t trust a single word spoken by ruthless men.
Yet, since Bai Yuan chose to believe them, Cheng Xu offered no further protest. Bai Yuan’s earlier remark – “If the Deity were here” – had reminded Cheng Xu of the Deity’s unwavering style of benevolence before judgment.
So what if it was a little grain?
The Deity always saved people first, and debated right or wrong later.
Following the Deity’s way couldn’t possibly be wrong!
The gates of Bai Family Fortress swung open. Ten stones of food were carried out and placed before Dian Deng Zi.
Dian Deng Zi was stunned beyond words. He never expected them to part with the grain so readily. With only two men, he couldn’t even carry ten stones back up.
He frantically turned and waved vigorously towards the hillside. “Ten men! Come down! Only ten! No more! Come carry this grain back up!”
Ten able-bodied men who still had some strength came down from the slope. Hoisting the ten stones of food onto their shoulders, they chanted “Hey yo, hey yo” as they carried it uphill.
Ten stones of food wasn’t much for three thousand mouths.
Even if rationed carefully, it wouldn’t last many meals.
But in this year of famine, it represented a truly vast fortune.
Dian Deng Zi performed a long, deep bow towards Bai Family Fortress. “Lord Bai, you will surely be rewarded for this kindness.”