Chapter 91: Bandit's Den (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang didn't go to heaven, but she went up the mountain.
Which mountain did you go up?
Even she herself didn't know.
The thugs leading the way couldn't continue halfway through; they only knew there was a bandit stronghold nearby, and the general direction was revealed by their former leader in a drunken, boastful moment, but they didn't know the specifics. If everyone knew, wouldn't it be easier to suppress the bandits?
Shen Tang was aware of the intricacies involved and did not deliberately make things difficult for him.
The thug was overjoyed, as if he had been granted a pardon. He had thought that Shen Tang would misunderstand and think that he had deliberately led him astray to kill him. His neck felt cold, but he never expected that things would turn out so unexpectedly and he would escape with his life.
"It will be dark soon, which will make our movements more difficult. We need to find the bandits' hideout as soon as possible."
Zhai Le was not very interested or enthusiastic about this. He was more concerned about something else—whether Brother Shen had sobered up or not.
"Xiaofang, do you have a solution?"
Zhai Le, who had been singled out, smiled and said, "If it were daytime, we would have plenty of manpower and could find them by searching the mountains. But right now, it's just the two of us, completely unfamiliar with the terrain, so this method is not feasible. For now, we can only wait..."
Waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump, luring the snake out of its hole.
Shen Tang suddenly said, "What a pity..."
Why did Shen Lang suddenly express such sentiments?
"I regret burying that second-in-command's brother's body too early. We shouldn't have buried him. We should have let these people carry him up the mountain with his head in tow. The bandits are cautious; they would definitely send out spies to keep watch everywhere, and the news would have reached the second-in-command's ears in no time."
Shen Tang didn't need to go out of her way to find it; the big fish came to her on its own.
It saved her the trouble of coming to their door.
Zhai Le: "..."
Brother Shen looks refined and gentle, but he acts ruthlessly and decisively. Honestly, this is indeed a quick and easy way to resolve the situation, but it's too likely to provoke hatred, and it's the kind of fight to the death.
Shen Tang said helplessly, "Let's go up the mountain for a walk first."
The thugs dared not disobey and had no choice but to do as they were told.
By the time the group reached the mountainside, the sun had already set. Fortunately, the weather was good, with a sky full of bright stars and a clear, bright moon. With Shen Tang and his companion leading the way, the thugs weren't completely blind; they could still find their way by feeling their way with their eyes wide open.
Feeling bored, Shen Tang took out a few pancakes.
"Xiaofang, do you want to eat?"
Zhai Le had never been fed before, and given the high energy expenditure of martial artists, he was easily hungry; his stomach was already showing signs of rebellion. The flatbread that Shen Tang offered was like a timely gift. However, being a young man, he liked to push his luck: "Flatbread without wine, what a pity."
Shen Tang opened her hand to him and waved.
"Bring me the wine flask."
Although there were no wine jars here, Zhai Le brought a wine bag.
He seemed to have dressed up specially today. Although he was still dressed in black, the fabric of his clothes was exquisite and soft, and there were subtle and beautiful patterns on the edges. Even the coarse cloth belt around his waist had been replaced with a black leather belt inlaid with gold and white jade.
The belt was covered with a dazzling array of small trinkets: knives, flints, a small wooden box containing steelyards and scissors, sachets, money pouches, jade pendants, a black martial arts tally... and two exquisite wine pouches that looked like a matching set, perfect for drinking.
Zhai Le was delighted when she reminded him.
Without saying a word, he took off the wine bag.
Shen Tang: "You're the only one drinking, and I'm not?"
Or do two people share one wine flask?
Zhai Le asked in surprise, "You drink alcohol?"
"I told you I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."
Zhai Le: "..."
If a drunkard who can't hold his liquor drinks more, will he get even more drunk, or will nothing change?
He became curious.
In the end, the second wine flask was handed over.
Shen Tang filled the bottle and threw it back, then tilted her head back and gulped down a whole mouthful of Lanling wine. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Zhai Le hadn't drunk any and was secretly and cautiously staring at her face, which puzzled her.
Is there something on my face?
Zhai Le shook his head, secretly amazed. Judging from Brother Shen's drinking prowess just now, the claim of being "unfazed by a thousand cups" was quite believable—provided he didn't know the man was actually a drunkard.
Hearing the faint chewing sounds, the thugs, already starving, became even weaker and could barely move. Their stomachs were rumbling, and they could only swallow hard to try and alleviate their hunger. Just then, a shadow fell from the sky.
The thug instinctively reached out to take it.
Soft, round, with a hint of wheat aroma.
It's actually a pancake!
A moment later, more pancakes rained down from the sky, landing precisely in the hands of the others. Ahead, the black-clad figure sneered, "Eat up, don't starve. If you all starve, who's going to work for me?"
The thugs didn't have time to wonder where Shen Tang got so many pancakes, nor did they care that their mouths were dry. They devoured each pancake clean, their saliva mingling with their own. Perhaps because the fillings were generous, they, who usually needed two or three pancakes to feel full, found one pancake enough this time to feel quite satiated.
A thug rubbed his stomach.
That's great, at least if I die, I won't be a starving ghost.
Zhai Le had been drinking to his heart's content when he looked up and vaguely spotted some firelight in the distance. His spirits lifted, and he patted Shen Tang on the shoulder: "Brother Shen, Brother Shen, look! There's a fire over there! There are people!"
Could they be bandits?
Shen Tang's expression turned serious: "Chase them! The rest of you, follow!"
Zhai Le made a grasping gesture in the air with his left hand, and a jet-black longbow appeared, ready for battle.
They made quite a commotion, and the people on the other side obviously noticed them too, shouting from afar, "Stop!"
Shen Tang raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
He shouted, "Who are you?"
As he spoke, a long sword appeared in his hand. Zhai Le, standing to the side, had a cold face, his four fingers gripping the bowstring, four dark-feathered arrows looming in and out, clearly indicating that if the response from the other side was not right, he would fire the arrows and kill.
After a while, someone else shouted, "We are guards from the Lin family of Lingzhou, escorting family members south to visit relatives."
Shen Tang and Zhai Le exchanged a glance.
They weren't bandits??
Disappointed, the atmosphere was less tense than before. Zhai Le sheathed his arrows and slung his longbow over his shoulder. Shen Tang hung his longsword on the satchel on his motorcycle: "We brothers are locals from Xiaocheng. We went hunting with our servants during the day and unfortunately got lost in the mountains."
Zhai Le's eyes held a complex expression.
Do people really believe that reason?
After exchanging introductions, a middle-aged man who identified himself as a guard of the Lin family of Lingzhou stepped forward to negotiate. Seeing that Shen Tang and his companion were young and dressed neatly, and that Zhai Le was even more understated and elegant, with an expensive belt around his waist, he seemed relieved that they did not look like bandits at all.
"Please forgive me, my two young brothers. I have heard that bandits are rampant in this area. Not long ago, I had a fierce battle with a group of bandits. Although I managed to escape, many of my brothers died. That is why I have to be cautious."
The middle-aged man looked apologetic.
Shen Tang secretly observed—the man's face had bloodstains that had not yet dried, and the gauze wrapped around his arm was soaked with blood. The guards behind him, some standing and some sitting, were watching them warily, and most of them were injured, so it was indeed as if they had been through a fierce battle.
She understood the man's wariness.
He lied politely and politely: "My brother and I got lost in the mountains and accidentally lost our fire and food. We are worried about how to get through the night. Please, kind sir, could you lend us some fire and water? When we come down the mountain tomorrow, my servants will find us and we will reward you handsomely."
Zhai Le nodded in agreement with a silly grin on his face.
But inside I was shocked (ΩДΩ)
Brother, is this the kind of thinking logic a drunkard should have?
(ˇωˇ」∠)_
I am guilty; I've already entered the bandit's den but haven't even seen the door yet.
However, the young lady is about to make her appearance.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
