NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22 - Hunting Mountain Bandits
Chapter 22 – Hunting Mountain Bandits
With his strength at the Muscle Refining stage, Xu Lian had no problem killing mountain bandits, but capturing them alive was another matter. It wasn’t something he could handle alone – he needed extra hands.
Scanning the area, his gaze swept over the workers, but most of them were scrawny and malnourished. Considering the times, it made sense; people struggled to get enough food, let alone build strong physiques.
Finally, he turned his attention to the swordsmen guarding the grain supplies. They were sturdy enough, and using them solely as guards seemed wasteful. He decided to put them to a better use.
Walking over, Xu Lian greeted the middle-aged swordsman leading the group with a smile. “May I ask your name?”
The swordsman bowed slightly. “No need for such courtesy. My name is Lu Kan. If it pleases you, you can call me Old Lu.”
Xu Lian shook his head. “You are the leader of these swordsmen. Calling you Captain Lu sounds more appropriate.”
Lu Kan said nothing further, silently continuing his watch over the grain carts, his demeanor reserved.
Xu Lian continued. “The grain depot has assigned you to guard the quarry’s resources. What’s your monthly salary?”
Lu Kan replied, “Eight taels a month for the others. I get ten taels.”
“Not bad,” Xu Lian said, nodding. Then he asked with a sly grin, “But is it enough?”
Lu Kan’s eyes showed a hint of curiosity, though his voice remained cautious. “If one’s household is small, it’s sufficient. But if there are too many mouths to feed, it can get tight.”
Hearing this, Xu Lian knew that he had found his angle. Dispensing with formalities, he got straight to the point. “I have an idea to earn some extra money. Are you interested in leading your men to earn a little more income?”
Lu Kan’s expression shifted as he bowed quickly. “My duty is to guard the quarry’s grain. I dare not leave my post. If the supplies are stolen, I couldn’t bear the responsibility.”
Xu Lian countered, “As the manager of the quarry, I oversee everything here. If I say you are not leaving your post, then you’re not leaving your post. Isn’t that right?”
“Well…” Lu Kan hesitated, not sure how to answer.
Xu Lian pressed further. “You must have some idea of the quarry’s support. Who would dare to rob us? No one with any sense would. As the saying goes, ‘A horse doesn’t get fat without night grass, and a man doesn’t get rich without outside income.’ Leave half your men here to guard the grain. The rest can follow me to make some extra money. You’ll be able to live more comfortably. Surely you can see the sense in that?”
Lu Kan’s hesitation continued. “Is that your order, Manager Xu?”
Xu Lian laughed. “Consider it an order.”
Reluctantly, Lu Kan nodded. “If that’s the case, then I have no objections. You’re the manager. We will follow your orders.”
If Xu Lian had known that Lu Kan’s compliance would come so easily, he wouldn’t have wasted so many words. “Captain Lu, take five of your best men and prepare a cart. We’re on our way.”
“Understood.”
Lu Kan saluted and immediately selected five swordsmen.
After briefing Pu Lin to oversee the workers during his absence, Xu Lian mounted his horse. With Lu Kan and the swordsmen following in a cart, they left the quarry.
Xu Lian didn’t entirely trust Pu Lin, but with the remaining swordsmen guarding the grain, there was little risk of trouble.
Riding ahead, Xu Lian heard one of the swordsmen ask, “Captain, where are we going?”
Lu Kan shook his head, also in the dark.
Xu Lian turned around and shouted, “We’re going after mountain bandits. Time to make some money.”
The swordsmen’s faces turned pale.
“Manager Xu, we were sent here to guard the grain, not to fight bandits!”
“If we get hurt, how will we provide for our families?”
Xu Lian understood their concern. Although they were called “swordsmen”, they were more like guards with some basic fighting skills, far from being experienced warriors. Facing bandits was a risky business. An injury could mean no income and possibly being cast out by their families.
He didn’t bother with further persuasion, opting instead to offer favorable terms.
“First, any loot we take from the bandits will be split fifty-fifty. I only take half; the rest is yours.
Second, if anyone gets hurt, I’ll make sure they get a grain allowance until they recover.
Third, I’ll lead the attack and break through the bandits’ defenses. All you need to do is help us capture them alive. We’ll sell them to the wealthy families in town as blood slaves.
Any objections?”
The swordsmen exchanged hesitant glances. Obviously, the terms were tempting.
Xu Lian put his hand on the horse’s back and suddenly jumped up.
With a powerful kick, he hit a tree trunk as thick as a bowl.
“Crack!” The trunk snapped in half!
He landed back on the horse’s back and asked, “Any more questions?”
The eyes of the five swordsmen almost popped out.
Even Lu Kan was surprised. “Manager Xu, are you a real martial artist?”
“Just tell me where there are bandits nearby.”
Xu Lian didn’t want to explain. Showing his strength was enough to let these swordsmen know that he was capable of fighting bandits.
Lu Kan said, “I’ve heard that there are some bandits in Sand Gully. They often attack the women in the villages when the men are out working, but they don’t dare come to the city.”
“Then let’s go to Sand Gully.”
Xu Lian turned his horse and headed for Sand Gully.
It’s worth mentioning that this horse was still on loan from Han Du. Han Du hadn’t asked for it back, so Xu Lian was still riding it.
His mine also needed to buy some horses for emergencies, and he would return it to Han Du later.
The mountain road was difficult to navigate and became narrower as they went. The cart following behind couldn’t continue, so the swordsmen had to dismount and lead the horses while following Xu Lian.
When they arrived at Sand Gully, they saw some caves on the steep cliffs with smoke rising, indicating that the bandits were cooking lunch.
“Captain Lu and I will climb up from the front. You five, surround them from the ridges on both sides and don’t let any bandits escape.”
Xu Lian gestured and immediately started to climb up.
Lu Kan bit his sword between his teeth and followed, showing his superior skills as a captain.
“Shh!”
Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded.
Xu Lian looked up and saw a figure in a tree on the cliff, clearly a lookout who had spotted them climbing.
The bandits in the caves heard the whistle and rushed out with their weapons, seeing only two people and cursing angrily.
“Damn it, two people dare to come to our lair in broad daylight!”
“Smash their heads!”
They picked up rocks and threw them down.
Xu Lian dodged left and right, agile as a monkey, moving freely on the cliff without a single stone hitting him.
Lu Kan wasn’t so agile. He was hit on the head by a rock, dizzy and almost fell.
Seeing that they had been discovered, Xu Lian saw no need for stealth. He used his hands and feet to push himself off the cliff like a gecko and jumped up at the fastest speed.