4:30 in the morning.

The gangsters were still fast asleep.

The suppression they received from the Shenjiying during the day was enough to make their nerves tense and almost make them faint, so they slept very soundly that night.

At this moment, there was a deafening sound of a group of people beating gongs and drums outside.

"Get up! Everyone get up!"

"Time to get to work—three main routes today, three hundred miles round trip! Hurry, hurry!"

Hearing the shouting outside, the group of bandits were awakened.

Just as they were about to start cursing, they suddenly realized that the person shouting was actually from the Shenji Camp. They were so scared that they dared not say anything more.

"Master, it's not even daybreak yet? Are we going out to rob already?"

"That's right! Hurry up and get up! If you don't complete the planned route today, I'll break your legs."

The group of bandits did not dare to delay. They got up in the dark, yawning and rubbing their eyes, and started to set off.

After walking for a few miles, the bandits finally reacted when a cold wind blew.

"Second boss, how many years have we not gotten up this early? Even last year when the boss robbed a woman and wanted to hold a banquet, we slept until noon. Is this still robbery?"

"That's right, Second in Command. We were so free before. We only went out to rob when we had nothing to eat or drink. But now, why are we still on a mission? Are we still considered bandits?"

"Can we escape? Or maybe we should just join the Shenji Camp and feed their horses? This really isn't going to work. I heard from the soldiers that they have to go out on patrol every day. Who can handle that?"

"None of this is important. The general doesn't allow us to kill people. If we don't kill people, how can we rob them? This makes it very difficult for us. I'm so hungry, I haven't even had breakfast."

A group of bandits, full of complaints.

They have been bandits for so long, fighting all the way from Mobei to this lawless area. When have they ever suffered such injustice?

They wanted to escape, but the leaders who had taken the poisonous insects stopped them sternly.

They wanted to sneak away, but if one or two of them were worried that the water they drank might contain poisonous insects, they would be dead. They didn't dare to do that.

Besides, even if they ran away now, where could they go? They wouldn't be able to run for long before the Shenjiying Camp caught up with them and chopped them down.

Now, they suddenly had a strange feeling, as if they were forced into prostitution.

The second in command shouted, "Stop arguing, stop arguing—I have a solution."

In an instant, the dense crowd of bandits quieted down. Although they couldn't see their faces clearly at this early hour, they could recognize the voice of the second in command.

"Brothers, I know everyone is working very hard. So, I stayed up all night last night and came up with a brilliant idea."

"Don't the Shenji Battalion require us to patrol three times a day? At this rate, we won't even have time to drink water or pee. So, I figured we should divide the work. Third brother, you take the left path. Fourth brother, you take the right path. Fifth brother, you take the back path. I'll take the front path."

"Look! We've covered four routes in one go. East, west, south, north, and east. No caravan can get away. By the time the sun sets, we'll be back in time for dinner."

The bandits were stunned, and no one spoke for a moment.

After a long while, Blind Bing finally spoke: "Second Master, how is this the same as when we worked for the landlords in Mobei? We are working now!!"

"What can we do about it? Remember, whenever you encounter a caravan, write it down. This needs to be submitted every day. This is a mission!!"

"I'm telling you, don't even think about running away. If you run away and implicate me, I'll definitely bring the Shenji Battalion back with you and hand you over to that Yu Huadian guard captain. Don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Second Master, who do you think we are? Back then, when we were together with the First Master, we swore an oath. We would share happiness and hardship together. We didn't ask to be born on the same day, but we asked to die on the same day."

"Alright. Hurry up, everyone. Let's go..."

Just like that, the largest group of bandits in this lawless area was subdued by Lin Che.

Lin Che's method seemed extremely dishonest, even a little unconventional.

But he has a clear conscience.

He worked hard to lead an army of 40,000 to clear a path here and killed all the bandits.

What's the point?

Is it just to allow those caravans to come in smoothly to pick medicinal herbs, and then let the caravans sell them to Yanyun Country to make a lot of money?

He is not a saint, not that great.

He had paved the way for other caravans to enter, and they could. But they had to pay! Tolls!

And this way of paying tolls is to continue to support such a group of bandits.

It's like building a bridge. If there's a river in the wild, and every time someone crosses it, something happens, often resulting in drownings or being swept away, should he charge for building a bridge after all the hard work?

If you don’t want to pay, that’s fine, just continue wading across the river.

The same thing is happening now. Why did the caravan risk their lives to come here? It must be to make money. Now that the caravan is safe, shouldn't they share some of the profits?

Lin Che was well aware of human nature. No matter how well he performed or how attentive his service was, as long as the bandits were gone, the merchant caravans would definitely come out and ask, "Is this your road? I'm going my own way, and I have to pay you?"

In this case, bandits still need to exist.

Only when the caravans clearly realize that they are safe only if they pay and will be robbed if they don't, will they pay with gratitude.

In the early morning mist, Lin Che watched as the bandits set off in their separate directions.

He would naturally send people to keep an eye on these bandits to see if they really followed the rules.

At this time, Gong Qiu from the Second Battalion came to report in person.

"General, there is indeed a discovery on the mountain."

Lin Che became slightly interested and asked, "Tell me about it."

"We searched the mountains for a long time and found many caves. Some were naturally formed, while others were dug out later. The bandits weren't lying; their leader had indeed dug the caves himself."

"They must have been afraid of being discovered, so they collapsed the cave before the battle. We searched all night before we finally dug through the path. It looks like there's some treasure hidden inside. It looks a bit like an ancient tomb."

Ancient tomb?

Could it be that this group of bandits also have to work part-time as tomb raiders?

Lin Che's eyes rolled, but judging from the bandits' behavior, the others were completely unaware.

And the boss who was killed was a sixth-grade cultivator. With such a cultivation level, there was nothing he couldn't do? Why did he have to come here and dig a grave himself?

There must be something inside.

"Let's go and take a look."