There were several notices posted beside Yamen Street. In front of one of the notices, stood a handsome man. He was taller than most people here, his clothes were slightly shorter, and he was holding a black umbrella.
After reading the notice, Luo Zheyu looked at the guard on duty at the side, guarding the yamen, and asked, "Um... Officer?"
That's what they say on TV, I hope he's right.
The bailiff tilted his head slightly, and a young face looked at him blankly.
"What's the matter?"
"Excuse me, when will we set off as written on the notice to gather people to arrest the bandits?" Luo Zheyu stood farther away so that he would not have to lower his head to look at the bailiff when he spoke to him.
"Well, we haven't gathered enough people yet. We'll go in two days when we have enough people. Do you want to sign up?"
"...No need, I want to ask which direction Xiliang Mountain is in."
The notice stated that the bandits’ lair was in Xiliang Mountain.
The bailiff looked at him strangely, sized him up and down, and seeing that he was of extraordinary bearing, he finally said nothing and pointed him in the way.
"Look, it's that hilltop. You can see it from here."
"If you want to catch bandits by yourself, you have to be careful. Although the bandits in Xiliang Mountain don't kill people, they are engaged in human trafficking. If you grow up like you, it will be dangerous."
Seeing Luo Zheyu's bewildered expression, the young yamen runner couldn't help but look around. Seeing that there was no one around, he approached him and whispered, "Do you know Xiaogongguan? They sell men to that kind of place. Don't go to Xiliangshan. It's not worth it for a few rewards."
Luo Zheyu: …
I don't know anything.
See you later!
…………
Xiliang Mountain is just a small hill, not far from the county town. There are more than twenty bandits on the mountain, who are refugees from far and near who have gradually formed this group.
They only take money and do not harm lives, but they also kidnap children and women from distant villages and send them to even more distant places to sell them to human traffickers.
Originally, Wuyuan Town was just a remote small county town, and the staff in the government office was just about the same as that of the bandits in Xiliang Mountain. The matter was reported to the provincial level every year, but no definite response was received. In addition, the bandits in Xiliang Mountain never kidnapped people from Wuyuan Town and its affiliated villages, so the county government of Wuyuan Town could only pretend not to see it and turn a blind eye.
Recently, the imperial court suddenly launched a major crackdown on bandit dens in various places. Although Wuyuan Town is a small county, it also has to respond to the emperor. In addition, the provincial government allocated some funds, telling Wuyuan Town to take the funds and recruit some more people to get rid of the bandits. So Wuyuan Town posted the notice.
The general meaning is: the government office is short of staff, and invites heroes from all walks of life to go to Xiliang Mountain to suppress the bandits. After successfully eliminating the bandits, the government office will reward them handsomely.
Not only can you fight bandits, but you can also get money.
Luo Zheyu walked all the way to Xiliang Mountain holding a black umbrella.
On the top of the mountain, there are crude rooms made of thatch, branches, sticks, and mud...
The branches were still green and tender, and even the twigs had not been trimmed clean. Outside a few houses, the branches were full of vitality and had grown lush green leaves.
If you don’t know, you might think you have come to a slum.
No matter how poor the villagers are, they will have a few neighbors to help them build their houses, and there will be people to teach them how to build them. The houses they build are much more beautiful and delicate than the rough rows of houses before us.
These houses don't even have a decent outer fence.
It really doesn't look like a bandit's stronghold.
"Come on, come on! Drink!" In the open space in front of the house, eight or nine big men with bare chests sat around a table that was filled with wine and food.
"Who is coming?" Someone noticed Luo Zheyu walking up from the bottom of the mountain and gradually revealing his figure. He immediately picked up his weapon from the ground, stood up and asked loudly.
"Who are you! How dare you come here?" another person asked. The other bandits picked up their weapons, stood up and stared at Luo Zheyu who was walking towards them with a black umbrella.
"I was wondering who it was, turns out to be a handsome young man, hahahahahaha..."
When they saw that although Luo Zheyu was tall, he did not look muscular, and then looked at his handsome and fair face, even his eyes were sharp and sharp, which made people feel intimidated, the bandits could not help but relax a little and start to tease him.
Luo Zheyu had no interest in standing there and being teased. He glanced at the nine bandits and their weapons.
Knives, swords, axes, hammers... Although these are all common weapons, each of these bandits has a weapon.
Bully him because he has no weapon?
His eyes moved slightly, and hundreds of sharp swords suddenly appeared out of thin air behind Luo Zheyu.
Sharp swords floated in the air against gravity in an orderly manner, with the tips of the swords pointing at the bandits on the opposite side, flashing cold light.
Just the sunlight shining on the tip of the sword above, the reflected light was dazzling enough.
If so many swords were to pierce a person, they would surely pierce that person like a hedgehog and there would not be any room for them to squeeze in.
The teasing smiles and obscene glances between the bandits suddenly froze on their faces and gradually disappeared.
He dared not make any sound.
The sword formation on the opposite side was astonishingly powerful. The man standing in front of hundreds of sharp swords was holding a black umbrella. His face was picturesque and his temperament was as white as gold and jade. His coarse cloth clothes did not affect his demeanor at all. He looked like a banished immortal.
After a moment.
"Plop!" One of the bandit's weapons slipped out of his hand little by little and fell on the muddy ground.
Along with the weapon fell his knees.
"Master, please spare my life!" The bandit raised his hands, frowned, and begged for mercy with a bitter face.
"Have mercy, hero!"
"I know I was wrong..."
The other bandits were shocked by the speed of his surrender. They dropped their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.
They and the people on the opposite side who use hundreds of swords as weapons don't seem to be from the same world.
I can't beat him, I can't afford to offend him, and I dare not even look at him.
As bandits, there is no way to expect them to persist in resisting.
Anyone with that kind of backbone wouldn't come to Xiliang Mountain to be a bandit.
"What about the rest?"
He asked, his voice different from that of a normal person.
"He's guarding those women and children in there..."
Luo Zheyu's eyes narrowed and became more hostile, and the sharpness in his fierce eyes almost became a physical entity.
The bandits were panicked and worried.
"Are they all the people you captured?"
“…Yes, yes…”
"Bring them all out, everyone."
He spoke, his voice getting deeper and deeper, no one could tell whether he was happy or angry, but it was like the calm before the storm.
The bandits outside the house dared not disobey and went there anyway.
"Who are you, the ruffian? How dare you act so wildly in your grandfather's village!" A rough and hot voice came from the simple house, and the man walked out of the door while speaking.
He raised his bearded face and saw a young man standing silently opposite him with sparkling eyes, like a sword drawn from its sheath.
The man is like a sword, and behind him are also swords.
Hundreds of identical swords rose into the air and hovered behind the young man, making a formidable noise.
The tip of the sword turned slightly, faintly aiming at the bearded man.
The bearded man suddenly felt as if his scalp was pricked, and it tightened and he shivered in his heart.
“This…this…”
"Where did this immortal come from?"
I wonder if it's okay to change my tune and flatter now?
In the eyes of the bandits, such means were indeed something that only gods could do.
…………
The bandits followed Luo Zheyu's instructions and untied a group of crying and trembling women and children, then tied their own hands one by one, strung them together and formed a long line.
After a quick count, I found that there were five women, including both girls and women. There were more children, seven in total, both boys and girls.
A younger child, who looked only three years old, so skinny that it was hard to tell whether he was a boy or a girl, was hiding behind a middle-aged bandit with his hands tied. He stared at Luo Zheyu timidly with his black and white eyes.
Luo Zheyu had already put away his illusion - the hundreds of sharp swords behind him. Logically speaking, he was not as frightening as these bandits. So why was this kid not afraid of the bandits but was a little afraid of him instead?
"This child?"
He asked the middle-aged bandit.
Could it be the other person’s child?
The middle-aged bandit was a little nervous, swallowed his saliva, and replied: "Hero, this, this was kidnapped from another county, maybe because... because I gave him candy, the child didn't remember much, so he became a little close to me."
"Hero! We always provide these abducted women and children with good food and drink, and send them away after a few days. We have never beaten or abused them!"
"Yes, hero, I beg you to show some mercy for this..."
"We never touched those women. Please spare our lives, hero!"
Seeing this, the other bandits began to beg for mercy.
Luo Zheyu remained silent and looked at them quietly.
There seemed to be a thin ice blade hidden in those clear and penetrating eyes, piercing straight into their hearts.
Only after the bandits gradually stopped talking did Luo Zheyu speak: "If you have anything to say, save it for later and go to the government office to talk."
A group of bandits with their hands tied, some pushing carts and some driving ox carts, went down Xiliang Mountain.
The car was loaded with money and property they obtained from intercepting passers-by and trafficking people.
Some of the abducted women and children sat in the car, while others followed silently behind.
Those who were unwilling to get on the bus were mostly women, because they thought that once they entered the county town, they would have to ride on the bandits' carts and parade through the streets... and they would feel ashamed to face people.
Although this group of bandits did not do anything to the abducted women as they said, others might not be willing to believe it.
Now that they were rescued, although these women expressed their gratitude to Luo Zheyu one by one, they were worried about their future and could not be happy.
…………
"The knight is truly brave and resourceful, a hero, a beautiful man with a kind heart, and a handsome and talented person!"
"These twenty taels of silver are a small token of our county's appreciation to the knights..."
Luo Zheyu turned around and looked at him.
His eyebrows and eyes are sharp, like the tip of a knife.
You can tell at first glance that he's not someone you can easily mess with.
Thinking again about how the bandits were so obedient in front of this handsome young man and didn't dare to act rashly when they entered the yamen just now, he quickly chuckled a few times and added a sentence.
"...Ahahahaha, and these eighty taels of silver are a reward to you for eliminating harm for the people, being clear-minded and righteous, and wiping out the Xiliangshan bandits in one fell swoop!"
"Thank you very much."
"You're welcome, you're welcome. It's my duty, it's my duty..."
The rescued children would be temporarily kept in the county government office, and other areas where children were lost would be notified to come and claim them. However, the women knew the way and preferred to go home on their own.
There were just a few women standing at the gate of the county government office, looking at each other, feeling bitter.
"Be careful behind you." A voice with a strange tone came from behind.
Looking back, they saw a figure as gentle as the breeze and bright moon, standing under the eaves, holding a black umbrella, and looking at them as gently as possible.
He walked over slowly, his hair fluttering in the breeze.
For a moment, everyone seemed to be dazzled by the wind.
"Don't take it too seriously."
"You are the victims, it's not your fault."
Luo Zheyu took out half of the silver in his hand and handed it to them.
"Take this money."
"This..." Several women looked at each other and said, "How can we accept this money..."
"Take it. It will make you feel better."
"I will stay in Wuyuan Town these days. If you have anything, you can come..."
He looked up and saw a store called Ningyuan Inn on the street ahead.
"...Come to Ningyuan Inn to find me. My name is Luo Zheyu."
The author has something to say: Is three taels of beggar's chicken really too expensive?
Since the setting is to earn money quickly, so...
If it's really expensive, I'll change it to a smaller amount (no matter how much it costs, the protagonist at the time couldn't afford 2333)
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