Chapter 178 The Bandits of Lianshan
The winter sun has no warmth, yet it is still dazzling.
On a boulder in the mountains near Yunhe County, a man with a tiger-skin coat and a full beard stands.
He stood with one foot on the top of a protruding rock, a large knife slung over his shoulder, gazing into the woods.
Behind him stood dozens of men dressed similarly to him, each carrying a knife, all staring at the grove with greedy eyes.
Once they cross this forest, they'll reach Yunhe County! If they fight their way through, they'll be the leaders of Yunhe County, able to plunder without restraint, and no longer be chased and beaten!
However, Xia Shanhu, the bandit leader of Lianshan, knew that he could not do this.
If the county government were truly destroyed, the imperial court would send someone else, and life would not be as carefree as it is now.
He stared at the woods for a long time, then turned around and said to the bandits behind him, "Let's go, take the stuff and go back to the mountain!"
A large group of people stood under the boulder, their carts piled high with loot they had plundered over the past few days.
Having dealt with the Yunhe County government troops for many years, they had long since figured out how the enemy would deploy. They bypassed all the government troops and looted the village clean, which was the only way to make it truly satisfying.
The reason why the bandits of Lianshan were so difficult to eradicate was not only because Lianshan itself was difficult to eliminate, but also because they were willing to think more deeply.
"Mmm..." A sound came from the cart.
The tiger frowned, jumped off the boulder, and looked toward the source of the sound.
Just then, a young man blocked the cart, grinned slyly at Xia Shanhu, bent over and called out with a fawning smile, "Boss!"
Ignoring him, Xia Shanhu shoved the man aside and saw that the sack tied to the cart was moving, clearly indicating that there was a person tied inside.
"Open!"
Upon hearing this, the young man shrank back, timidly walked over, opened the tied sack, and immediately a head adorned with a silver hairpin popped out.
Tiger's expression changed, and he kicked the young man away, yelling, "Damn it, didn't I tell you not to tie up women?"
They can kill someone while they're out there, but bringing them back is not only troublesome, but it also exposes their whereabouts. Why won't these people listen?
The person who was kicked left a long mark on the ground and only stopped after crashing into a mule cart next to him.
His face contorted in pain, and he felt as if his internal organs were about to shift!
"Boss, she...she said she's the daughter of that corrupt official Fang!"
Tiger was still furious and didn't hear his subordinate's explanation. "I don't care..." he started to say, but stopped abruptly. He asked seriously, "Whose daughter are you saying she is?"
The young man clutched his stomach and struggled on the ground for a moment, but couldn't get up.
Seeing that the leader seemed less angry, the people nearby dared to step forward, help the man up, and then throw him in front of the leader.
Caught off guard by the fall, the young man yelped in pain as his knee hit the ground. After a moment, he said, "She said her name was Fang Luxue, and she was the daughter of that corrupt official Fang..."
A hundred meters away, a group of soldiers quietly approached, forming an encirclement and trapping the bandits on the hilltop inside.
The bandits lying in wait noticed and, terrified, turned and ran, shouting, "Boss, there are government soldiers, there are..." Before they could finish speaking, they felt a chill on their necks.
Blood gushed out, staining his clothes red. He turned around and collapsed in shock, staring at the young man before him, before gradually losing consciousness.
But his shouts had already alerted the bandits, and a major battle between the officials and the bandits was about to break out.
All the officers and soldiers rushed forward and fought with the bandits.
Xie Xing held a long sword, and bright red blood flowed from the blade, touching the ground where it was immediately absorbed by the soil.
Behind him stood a middle-aged man, burly in build, who was clearly a martial artist.
"Lian Shan has become increasingly ruthless lately, and this battle may be subject to unforeseen circumstances!"
Xie Xing turned and glanced at him, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Let's see how the government responds."
As he looked at Chen Yongnian, who was leading the officers and soldiers, he felt a vague unease.
Then, they saw the tiger descending the mountain standing on a boulder, holding a young girl in its hand.
The girl's hair was disheveled, her eyes were red, and tears kept streaming down her face.
"If you come any closer, I'll make my move! This is the daughter of your county magistrate. If anything happens to her, you can't afford to compensate her!" The tiger descending the mountain showed no fear of being surrounded. Instead, a hint of excitement appeared on his face. He even brought his nose close to Fang Luxuebin's mouth and sniffed.
The other officers and soldiers might not recognize her, but the county magistrate Pang, who was in charge, did, and was quite familiar with Fang Luxue.
Fang Luxue saw Magistrate Pang as if she had seen a savior, and cried out, "Uncle Pang, save me... save me!"
Her voice was hoarse, like the sound of a broken bellows, making it hard to believe that it came from a young and beautiful girl.
The more Fang Luxue cried for help, the more excited Xia Shanhu became.
He hadn't encountered such an exciting scene in a long time, and his blood was boiling with excitement; he just wanted to have a good time with these people.
County Commandant Pang raised his hand to signal the soldiers to stop, and said sternly, "Descending Tiger, release her, and let us men fight!"
The tiger descending the mountain laughed so hard his shoulders shook. "Release her? Let you surround and kill me? Do I look that stupid?" As he spoke, he brought the blade close to Fang Luxue's fair neck, immediately drawing a shallow line of blood. "Let us leave, or she'll be sorry!"
So everything went according to plan, and no one expected such an unexpected turn of events.
If we let the tiger go now, we don't know when we'll be able to catch it again!
But the magistrate's daughter is in his hands...
After a brief discussion with Instructor Xue and Xie Xing, County Magistrate Pang decided to abandon the opportunity to encircle and annihilate them, and let the men leave with their belongings.
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