Under the cover of darkness, Li Xi was hiding in a forest in Jiuxiang Mountain. A campfire blazed nearby, and a group of men were drinking and chatting about their robberies on the road that night.
Li Xi sneered inwardly. "Go ahead and laugh. Enjoy your meal; this will be your last. The food in the prison isn't good."
Once I hand you over to the authorities, it will be my turn to live a life of luxury.
As night deepened, the campfire cast dappled light and shadows in the mountains and forests.
Li Xi moved her body carefully, trying not to make any noise. She was calculating in her mind how to bring these men to justice as quickly as possible.
Just as Li Xi was about to act, a flash of cold light appeared, and a man suddenly leaped out from the shadows, blocking her path. He held a sharp short sword in his hand, and a sly smile appeared on his lips.
"Young master, would you like to try this spicy delicacy?" the man sneered.
Li Xi was startled, but quickly regained her composure. She replied calmly, "Brother, I'm just a passerby, I mean no harm."
The man snorted, "Traveler? In this deep mountain forest, you wouldn't happen to be someone from the government, would you?" Li Xi inwardly cried out in alarm; it seemed this man suspected her identity. She quickly explained, "Brother, you misunderstand. I'm just an ordinary scholar who ended up here because of a disaster that befell my family."
The man looked at her with a hint of disbelief. "Scholar? Then what were you doing acting so suspiciously just now?"
Li Xi had a sudden inspiration. "I saw a group of brave men gathered here, and I thought they must share the same vision, so I thought I'd come over and say hello."
After a moment of silence, the man suddenly burst into laughter, "Young man, if you're really interested, then come and have a few drinks with us!"
Li Xi breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the man had let go of his suspicions. She secretly rejoiced at her quick thinking, otherwise her plan would have been ruined. She followed the man to the campfire, sharing food and stories with everyone.
"Young man, what are you doing here so late at night?" the man who found her asked.
"Oh, brother, don't even mention it. My family used to be wealthy, but we suffered a disaster and I'm all alone now. I was thinking of going to Kyoto to see if I could find a way to make a living."
Li Xi sighed, her eyes brimming with tears, and everyone felt a pang of sympathy upon seeing her like this.
"Young man, don't be sad. It's fate that we met tonight. Come on, eat and drink well." The man tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Li Xi.
Honestly, she was quite hungry. She'd been with these people for ages and hadn't had a chance to eat. She decided not to waste their kindness.
"Thank you, brother. I've been walking all day and I'm starving." Li Xi wolfed down his food.
"Young man, you've had it tough, coming all the way up the mountain with your skinny arms and legs. Here, have a drink to warm yourself up."
Although it is summer, the mountain forest is still a bit cool at night.
"Thank you very much, brother." Li Xi looked very touched.
The wine smelled wonderful and had a sweet taste. Li Xi downed it in one gulp and felt a warm current slide down her throat, her chest felt warm, and her body, which had been a little chilly, warmed up.
"Brother, this wine is really delicious." Li Xi poured another cup. Although the ancient wine didn't have the same strong flavor as modern wine, it was still very good to be able to drink it.
"Of course, this is a fruit wine, a specialty of Liangzhou. Come on, drink it." The man refilled her glass.
This bandit is really thick-skinned; he came to arrest them, yet he easily believed her.
“Young man, come with us to the village tonight and spend the night there. You can set off again tomorrow. It’s not safe for you to walk alone on the mountain path at night; you might encounter wild animals.” The man warmly pulled her along as they set off.
“Boss, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?” said a frail-looking man beside him.
"It's alright. What can a tender young man like him do? Besides, we'll arrange for someone to take him down the mountain tomorrow."
The leader ignored the man's advice.
The night was as dark as ink, and the mountain wind howled.
On the thorny path, a band of bandits led Li Xi back to their mountain stronghold, laden with their spoils.
The mountain stronghold was brightly lit. The villagers opened the gates when they saw their leader and his party return.
"The boss is back!" The gatekeeper excitedly banged on the gong and drum.
Everyone came upon hearing the news, and saw that the courtyard was piled high with all kinds of spoils of war. Cheers and shouts filled the entire village.
"My dog is finally saved, thank you so much, boss!" An old woman with a hunched back knelt in front of him.
The head of the gang was so frightened that he quickly helped her up, saying, "Auntie, you're making me feel terrible. Please get up, please get up."
"It's only right. If the head of the gang hadn't taken us in, we would have frozen to death on the streets," the old woman said, tears streaming down her face.
Unfortunately, the village was in poor condition, with a large population, and people could barely make ends meet on weekdays.
Her grandson has been sick for over ten days, but she has no money to go down the mountain for treatment.
"Our leader was wanted by the authorities for our sake, and we have no way to repay him!" Another disabled middle-aged man's eyes reddened.
Looking around, most of the people were old, weak, sick, or disabled, and they all looked at the leader with admiration.
Li Xi had assumed the village was full of vicious bandits, but he never realized that the truth was different from what the magistrate of Luzhou County had said.
“Brother, why are there so many elderly, weak, women and children in this village? The chief is so kind-hearted,” Li Xi said to a man beside him.
"That's right, our leader has the heart of a child." The man said with pride.
Upon hearing this, Li Xi couldn't help but feel puzzled. He had originally thought that the village was full of vicious bandits, but he hadn't realized that the facts were different from what the magistrate of Luzhou County had said.
She couldn't help but ask, "Sir, where are these people from? Don't they want to go home?"
The man smiled and said, "Young man, you're from out of town and don't know our situation here. Although we've become outlaws, we've never taken anyone's life. Our leader robs those heartless rich merchants. Most of the people here were ruined by those merchants and ended up here. Our leader is kind-hearted and took them in. Robbing caravans is just a last resort so that this village can survive."
As the man spoke, his face grew resentful, and then, as if remembering something, he fell silent.
Li Xi was deeply moved upon hearing this. She had initially thought the people here were all ruthless bandits, but she hadn't expected them to be ordinary civilians who were forced to stay here simply to survive.
"Everyone, don't worry. Tomorrow, you can take your sick family members down the mountain to see a doctor. Mo Yi, tomorrow you will lead them down the mountain via a shortcut, please be careful."
“Yes, boss.” the frail-looking man said.
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