Chapter 30

Xie Licheng showed up during the day, so he didn't make his move right away.

He was patient, spending the whole day scoping out the bandits' hideout.

How many people patrolled here?

Whereabouts did their leader hole up?

Where'd they stash the grain, and where'd they keep the captives?

These bandits had come down from the north, burning and looting the whole way, so they had to have piled up a ton of grain and silver by now.

Rumor had it they also liked grabbing people, so there were bound to be captives stashed here too.

Knowing he probably couldn't kill them all, and not wanting to blow his cover, he grabbed a mask and put it on.

Only after night fell did Xie Licheng slip into the bandits' lair without a sound.

At night, the patrols here picked up noticeably.

Each patrol ran about three or four people.

Two teams would patrol at the same time—one heading north to south, the other south to north.

When the two teams crossed paths, there was a brief window.

Xie Licheng used that gap to slip into a room without a sound.

The room was occupied—just one guy, who'd turned in an hour earlier and should've been dead asleep by now.

To keep the guy from waking up and yelling when he came in,

Xie Licheng moved fast to the bed and snapped his neck the second he got there.

By the time the guy was dead, Xie Licheng still wasn't sure if he'd been asleep or awake.

After the kill, Xie Licheng scooped up every weapon in the room.

Nothing these bandits had was really theirs.

Everything was either stolen or stripped off the dead.

So taking their stuff didn't give Xie Licheng a second thought or a shred of guilt.

Dealing with scum like this meant being even more ruthless than they were.

In that room, Xie Licheng found a big blade, two daggers, and a bow with arrows.

On top of the weapons, he also grabbed two sets of fancy clothes.

That bandit was a rough brute—broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and stubby.

Those two outfits wouldn't have fit him at all; who knows whose house they'd been swiped from.

Leaving the first room, Xie Licheng used the same trick to slip into the second.

Three people were in the second room, and one of them wasn't asleep.

He'd probably gotten up to take a piss, groggily rubbing his eyes and fumbling around in the dark.

But the second his feet hit the floor, Xie Licheng slapped a hand over his mouth and slit his throat.

To keep him from hitting the floor and making noise, Xie Licheng eased him down flat.

The other two bandits were still sawing logs, one of them loud enough to shake the rafters.

Xie Licheng seriously doubted the patrols would notice even if he made some noise.

Still, thinking of the protective charm Gu Zhangyuan had given him, and for caution's sake and his own hide, he decided to play it safe at first.

While the bandits still hadn't noticed him, he could quietly whittle down their numbers, making the fight ahead a lot easier.

With that in mind, Xie Licheng crept to the bed and quickly took out the two sleeping bandits.

He then used the same trick to slip into another room and kill four more, until a woman spotted him.

She didn't look like one of the captives—she was dressed all flashy, holding a string of pearls.

Not sure if she was forced or one of the bandits, Xie Licheng didn't kill her right off.

Then the woman let out a shriek, shoving the bandit next to her on the bed and yelling, "Who the hell are you, barging into our turf? You got a death wish or what?"

Xie Licheng got it then—she was one of them.

Without wasting a word, he snapped her neck first, then drove a blade into the chest of the bandit next to her who'd just woken up.

Once he confirmed they were dead, he had no time to loot this time.

He needed to hit the two rooms next door and kill more before the patrols showed up.

As he stepped out of that room, three men came out of the rooms next door at the same time.

These bandits weren't staying in new buildings—they were holed up in the villagers' original homes.

Since the villagers had built them, these rooms were packed close together.

The other houses were spread way out, many standing alone, scattered across the mountain.

The bandits had started building their own place, but since they'd only just arrived, it wasn't finished yet.

That meant most bandits didn't stay here—a lot of them were holed up in a cave not far off.

By the time the other bandits came running at the commotion, Xie Licheng had already cleared out everyone in these buildings.

He didn't find any stolen grain, gold, silver, or jewels here, and no captured women or men either.

The goods and people had to be stashed somewhere else.

Xie Licheng figured he'd clear out the bandits on the mountain first, then hunt for the goods and captives at his leisure.

With that plan in mind, he watched the swarm of bandits closing in fast.

He tucked the short blade into his belt and pulled a repeating crossbow out of his portable world.

The crossbow was loaded with five bolts—one per person, five bolts, five kills.

While scoping out the area during the day, Xie Licheng had already loaded three crossbows ahead of time.

Three repeating crossbows—that meant fifteen men.

As they closed in, Xie Licheng raised a crossbow and took aim at several of them.

One bolt struck a bandit dead-center in the heart, killing him instantly.

One bolt hit a bandit in the neck, killing him instantly.

Another bolt landed in a bandit's left eye.

Tsk, that third guy probably wouldn't die, but his fighting ability would be greatly diminished.

For the next two bolts, to conserve ammunition, he aimed at the chest as best he could.

Two more bolts dropped two more bandits.

Xie Licheng pulled out another crossbow, but this time things didn't go as smoothly as before.

Now that they were on guard, knowing his aim was nearly flawless, many kept a wary eye on him.

In that situation, only three of the five bolts found their marks.

It was also at this moment that a stout, big-bearded bandit ducked behind one of his men.

He shouted at Xie Licheng, "Who are you? How dare you raid our stronghold at night? And why have you killed so many of my brothers?"

Xie Licheng tossed the spent crossbow bolts aside and, hearing this, drew the short blade from his back.

Seeing the blade, the man didn't wait for an answer. A look of realization hit him, and he yelled, "It's you, it's you?! You're the one who killed my second and third brothers?!"

Among the bandits who had gone down to the manor earlier, a few had fled back from the foothills.

Of course, the main camp had already heard about what happened down the mountain.

When they described Xie Licheng, they all mentioned his skill at throwing the short blade like a throwing knife.

They also said his aim was incredibly precise, nearly infallible.

Now, seeing Xie Licheng here with a small blade in hand, many of them recognized him.

He smiled, genuinely pleased.

He grinned and said, "Oh, so you're their boss. I've been looking for you all along."

Fat Beard was taken aback, "Y-you, don't be so arrogant! I have many brothers in this stronghold, and they won't let you kill me."

As he spoke, a bandit hidden in a tree in the distance loosed an arrow at Xie Licheng.

The man's aim wasn't bad either, but Xie Licheng sensed it and, relying on his agility, easily dodged.

Xie Licheng had noticed the tree during the day.

Earlier, he'd thought it was a good hiding spot.

So when he came out, he'd instinctively kept an eye on it.

The moment he dodged, he turned and flung a short blade at the tree.

The blade flew hard and true, striking the ambushing bandit and knocking him from the tree.

Xie Licheng suddenly lost patience. He said, "Tell me where you've hidden the goods, and I'll grant you a proper burial."

Right, even if he told him where the goods were, he still planned to kill the leader.

Such a man couldn't be left alive. If the Dazhou princes ever vied for supremacy, and he became a warlord, the people under his rule would suffer terribly.

He could just as easily become Xie Licheng's enemy.

Since the enemy was still weak, Xie Licheng wanted to crush him before he grew.

Fat Beard flew into a fury at this, shouting to the brothers around him, "Brothers, don't fear him! He's just one man, no matter how skilled, he's only got two arms and two legs. Whoever can kill him, I'll make him second-in-command and give him my women!"

Hearing Fat Beard's words, the bandits who had been intimidated by Xie Licheng suddenly got their spirits up.

And just as the bandits rallied and surged to surround Xie Licheng, Fat Beard, crouching low, suddenly bolted away from the fight, clearly intending to flee first.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his brothers, but this Xie Licheng was a bit uncanny.

His third brother had been highly skilled, and yet a guy that tough had been killed by him.

He was scared stiff that if his brothers failed to stop him, he might end up getting killed too.

As the saying goes, "Where there's life, there's hope." He figured that as long as he survived, he could always recruit new men.

This Fat Beard wasn't completely useless.

He was good at earning loyalty, and his own skills weren't bad either.

Of course, "not bad" meant compared to regular folks.

In front of Xie Licheng, he was just a low-level boss for Xie Licheng to cut down.

Seeing him try to flee, Xie Licheng pulled out a dagger in the chaos and hurled it at Fat Beard's back.

The fat man had done plenty of dirty deeds, and even when sleeping at night, he wore a gold-threaded soft armor under his clothes.

Because the armor absorbed the impact, the blade didn't pierce through completely.

The fat man felt a sharp pain in his back and, terrified of death, collapsed to the ground, even wetting his pants.

Xie Licheng sneered at the sight, grabbed a large saber from one of the bandits, and figured there was no way the soft armor could stop a blade that big.

...

Meanwhile, back at home, Gu Zhangyuan waited for Xie Licheng to return, but instead of seeing him, he saw his father, who had been away, come back.

The Gu family patriarch had traveled a long distance without rest, looking utterly disheveled.

After a brief rest, he called Gu Zhangyuan to his side.

While he rested, the steward had already filled him in on everything that had happened recently.

So much had happened at home, and with the chaotic situation outside, he didn't care that it was the dead of night—he just wanted to sit down and talk with Gu Zhangyuan.

His expression was grim as he looked at Gu Zhangyuan and said, "Your second uncle's matter was indeed his fault, and you've been wronged."

Gu Zhangyuan, seeing that his father did not blame him, couldn't help but secretly sigh in relief.

After all, with such a major matter and his father not at home, the authorities wouldn't have reached a verdict so quickly.

Gu Zhangyuan harbored both hatred and resentment, so he had asked that prince for help.

The reason he did this was his fear that his father might soften upon returning and let the matter slide.

Now that he had acted first and asked for forgiveness later, honestly, his father might still be a bit upset.

However, since his father truly doted on him, in the end, he couldn't bring himself to truly lose his temper with him.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "As long as Father doesn't blame me for being too hasty, I don't feel wronged."

His father glanced at him upon hearing this, then suddenly brought up Xie Licheng.

"That horse slave—have you already taken him into your chambers?"

Gu Zhangyuan lowered his head slightly and then gently shook it.

"Not yet."

"Good, you haven't. During this trip, I met a promising young man. Considering you're not getting any younger, I want you to marry him soon. As for that horse slave, I've heard he does have some skills—it's thanks to his protection that you made it back safely. If you feel you owe him and hate to see him go, you can have your younger brother or sister marry him instead, but you absolutely must not get too close to him anymore."

Gu Zhangyuan suddenly looked up upon hearing this, as if he didn't recognize the man before him anymore. He stared blankly at his father for a long time.

"Father, what are you saying? Why do you seem like a different person after just one trip?"

Before his father left, he had encouraged Gu Zhangyuan to run the household and even encouraged him to take a male slave for entertainment.

But why, after returning, did his father speak as if he'd lost his mind?

Telling him to marry soon was one thing, but saying that if he couldn't bear to part with Xie Licheng, he should have his younger brother or sister marry him?

What kind of nonsense was that?

Absolutely ridiculous!

Gu Zhangyuan suppressed his anger and tried to speak calmly, asking, "Father, do you think I have not managed the household well? Are you planning to marry me off?"

His father sighed at this and took a long time before answering.

"In peaceful times, as long as the Gu family was wealthy enough, it wouldn't be hard for you to take charge. But... now the world outside is in turmoil, and Lingzhou will likely be affected too. I want to marry all three of you off. First, so you can find good families to depend on, and second, so we can use their strength to support the Gu family in return. Even if the world really falls into chaos, the Gu family can still survive."

Seeing the hurt look on Gu Zhangyuan's face, his father could only sigh and explain his reasoning.

His father said, "The Gu family cannot relocate. We've survived two dynastic changes, and the Gu family has never moved from Lingzhou. Even if Lingzhou falls into chaos later, as long as we pick the right side, the Gu family will never be in danger."

"But... what if we choose the wrong side? Would the whole clan be wiped out?"

"No, I'll protect the Gu family, and I'll protect all of you."

Gu Zhangyuan suddenly realized—his father planned to marry off all three of them.

Three children: two sons and one daughter—that meant three chances for marriage alliances.

That would tie three men, or three families, to the Gu family's ship.

Among his three children, Gu Zhangyuan was the most promising, the most composed, and the most handsome.

His father's refusal to let him get close to Xie Licheng was likely out of fear that the family he chose for him would object.

A family that made his father this cautious was surely either prestigious or noble.

Considering they would need to look after the Gu family, their status would definitely be higher than the Gu family's, possibly even military officers with troops under their command.

Otherwise, his father wouldn't be so sure they could protect the Gu family.

As for why he insisted on marrying his younger brother or sister to Xie Licheng, a mere horse slave?

He probably figured that once the world descended into chaos, Xie Licheng's skills could secure him a decent future.

But he wasn't willing to sacrifice Gu Zhangyuan, the meticulously groomed Eldest Young Master, for a horse slave who might have a future, so he could only use his younger brother or sister.

His younger brother was arrogant, and his sister was weak.

His father wouldn't dare form alliances with very powerful families through them.

Because they might not bring benefits to the family and could even cause trouble.

Once Gu Zhangyuan figured this out, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

With reddened eyes, Gu Zhangyuan said, "I don't want to marry. I want to lead the whole clan to relocate."

His father looked at him with great distress but still firmly refused.

"Impossible. The Gu family's roots are in Lingzhou. Once we leave, we are no longer the Gu clan of Lingzhou. Both the family's wealth and honor would vanish with it. I cannot destroy the Gu family. Even if it comes to the worst, we must remain in Lingzhou City."

Hearing this, Gu Zhangyuan's heart died.

He pursed his lips, gave a perfunctory bow, and wanted to leave his father's presence.

His father, seeing his expression, couldn't help but stand up and say with reddened eyes, "Don't blame your father. This is my responsibility. The Gu family's century-old legacy cannot be thrown away. Those who occupy Lingzhou City won't truly kill us—they still need us to provide money and grain. As long as we preserve the Gu family's wealth, no matter who sits on the throne, our status will not change."

Gu Zhangyuan understood his meaning and knew this was the best path for the Gu family.

But... he just didn't want to marry. He had worked so hard to transform from an ordinary son into the future head of the Gu family.

He could avoid the fate of ordinary sons—blind marriages arranged with random men—and didn't have to worry about serving in-laws.

Having experienced a better and freer life, he truly didn't want to marry just anyone.

But if he refused, he was the Gu family's Eldest Young Master.

All his glory and wealth were bestowed upon him by the Gu family.

He couldn't enjoy the blessings and then refuse when sacrifice was needed.

Gu Zhangyuan was truly torn!

After returning from his father's place, Gu Zhangyuan had his wet nurse send someone to find Xie Licheng.

He suddenly felt that the prescription no longer mattered. He just wanted to find the man first and have him help think of a good solution together.

...

Xie Licheng fought until dawn broke, yet he still hadn't managed to kill all the bandits.

Not that he didn't want to kill them all—he wanted to gain experience and clear out these pests for the people, so he wouldn't hesitate to slaughter them.

But the terrain in the mountains was treacherous, and he wasn't familiar with the area.

Many bandits, scared witless, took off deeper into the mountains.

Xie Licheng couldn't chase them all down, so he had to make do with forcing that Fat Beard to lead him to the money and grain.

The big fat man couldn't escape in the end either. Xie Licheng chopped off one of his arms and cut him across the back.

His injuries were so severe that, despite his actual skill, he couldn't even put up a fight in the end.

Xie Licheng made him lead the way, and the big fat man wouldn't shut up the whole way.

Fat Beard said, "Brother, pal, great hero, seeing how obediently I'm leading you, please, have a big heart and spare me this once."

Xie Licheng said nothing but raised his blade and made a threatening motion with it.

Fat Beard didn't dare beg for mercy anymore; he changed his tactics a bit.

He stopped pleading and instead tried to convince Xie Licheng to throw in with them.

"Brother, chief, with skills like yours, it's a shame not to be a bandit chief. How about this: if you're willing to let me go, I'll be your loyal servant, work like a dog for you, be your lackey. All our money, grain, men, and women—you can take your pick."

Xie Licheng chuckled, "If I kill you and the rest of them, then all the money, grain, men, women, and even this whole mountain will be mine."

"No, no, what's the fun in being a king all alone? If this world goes to hell later, and no one follows you to conquer it, you can't even be emperor if you've got no one backing you."

Hearing this, Xie Licheng couldn't help but shoot him an amused look.

"So... you've been hoarding grain and grabbing loot, so this is because you want to rebel?"

"Rebel... no, no, we don't call it rebellion; we call it a righteous uprising. I know a group in the north that's recruiting brothers everywhere, claiming to be fighting for justice."

At that word, Xie Licheng quirked an eyebrow.

"The north? What's this group called? What are they called?"

Based on the timeline, the protagonist should be building his influence in the north right now—he wondered if this big fat man was talking about him.

"What? Boss, you... you know about them?"

"Just tell me the name."

"I'm not too clear on the name either. But I know there are four leaders in all, with a military officer in charge. The other three are a thug, a scoundrel, and a scholar."

"A scholar—his last name wouldn't be Song, would it?"

"I can't quite remember. We came south from the north to Lingzhou because we lost a turf war with them. Their banner sounds better than ours—they claim to fight for justice for the common folk. But really, they're no different from us; they loot wherever they go."

At this point, Fat Beard got angry, clutching his severed arm.

Xie Licheng had bandaged the wound to keep him leading the way.

Otherwise, with just that injury, bleeding all night, he'd have bled out and died.