Chapter 200: The Bandit Gang

Chapter 200: The Bandit Gang

It had been a year or two since Wei Ziyi had decisively crushed the Wild Bull Stronghold.

Tuniu Mountain was in a remote location, and few would choose such a desolate place to set up a stronghold.

As a result, the fortress had fallen into disrepair.

The group led by the Chieftain had taken over the stronghold, but given their circumstances, they couldn’t afford to make any renovations.

Thus, the fortress still appeared extremely dilapidated today.

Buildings were collapsing or had leaky roofs.

The people milling around looked malnourished and lost, their eyes clouded with uncertainty about the future.

Su Mo took in all of this and, for a moment, didn’t know what to think.

Wei Ziyi, however, shook her head and muttered, “What a tragedy, what a tragedy.”

“...Shut up.”

Su Mo shot her a glance.

Frankly, it wasn’t particularly sympathetic that a group of bandits had ended up like this.

But the thing was, this Chieftain had been robbing for who knew how long, and their main target seemed to be Su Mo himself.

They hadn’t managed to steal much in their two attempts, but their fate was still pretty tragic.

Just now, the Chieftain had asked Su Mo if there was anyone in the convoy proficient in medicine.

Of course, there was.

Little Situ from the Suspension Pot Pavilion might not be the best in the world, but no one in the Eastern Wilderness could match her medical expertise.

After Su Mo confirmed, the Chieftain went on to recount what had happened.

Their journey to this place had been incredibly difficult.

After all, they were bandits.

Their guilty consciences were clearly showing in their actions.

Once inside East City, they dared not move openly.

They only dared to cautiously explore the gaps between sects and the edges of various forces.

But this had also led to frequent dangers, resulting in losses.

Before reaching Tuniu Mountain, they had passed through a valley.

The valley was eerily quiet, with a small stream flowing through.

The Chieftain had sent some men to fetch water from the stream, but they returned with a person instead.

When the Chieftain focused intently, he was startled.

The man’s injuries were extremely severe, his face unrecognizable, his body covered in both sword and knife wounds, with internal and external injuries alike.

Normally, having suffered such severe injuries, the person should have already passed away.

Yet, this person stubbornly clung to life.

Hanging on by a thread, it was unbearable to watch.

The Boss reflected that even though he was a bandit, he was still human.

Even animals feel compassion; how much more so for humans?

Despite not knowing who this person was or why they were so badly hurt, he hesitated, but ultimately decided to help him.

So, they took him with them.

Not long after, they found the Wild Bull Stronghold on Tuniu Mountain.

The Boss believed his kindness had earned him divine favor, and that good deeds would be rewarded.

He redoubled his efforts to care for the injured man.

Even the white flour they had stolen from a village was fed to him.

Unfortunately, no one in the camp knew any medicine.

The person’s life hung on, but they remained in a half-dead state.

Today, upon meeting Su Mo again and clearing up the previous misunderstanding, the Boss finally decided to ask for help.

However, after hearing all this, Su Mo felt somewhat hesitant.

He had valuables in his care; normally, he shouldn’t get involved in side matters.

He considered asking Little Situ to go with the Boss to the stronghold.

But, as the saying goes… it’s easy to draw a tiger’s shape but hard to capture its essence, and people’s hearts are even harder to read.

Although the Boss seemed to appear loyal and even a bit foolish, they were still not familiar enough. How could he let Little Situ take that risk?

If he were to go along, he couldn’t leave the escort cart unattended.

After much internal struggle, he decided that the whole group should go together.

If the Boss was telling the truth, saving a life would be a noble act, and there’d be no harm in it.

If it was a trap, Su Mo was confident his sharp instincts would catch it.

When they arrived and took a look, they confirmed that the Boss’s situation was indeed pitiful.

And when the people in the stronghold saw Su Mo and the others coming, their first reaction wasn’t the joy of seeing ‘fat sheep,’ but rather a hidden fear.

One woman broke down in tears right there:

“I told you being bandits has no future. We should find a quiet place and live a simple life, with men farming and women weaving.

“Why do we have to live like those people, engaging in such dangerous livelihoods?”

"Well, now he's been caught, hasn't he?

"Sir, please let him go. He's really not a bad person.

"Although we've robbed people on the road, we never got much.

"When we encountered strong enemies, we ran away, traveling all the way from the southwest to East City just to starve here..."

The woman wailed, her cries heart-wrenching, each word filled with tears.

The Boss's face turned pale and then flushed as he shook his large ringed blade, causing it to clatter:

"You wasteful woman, why aren't you shutting up? When did Chief Escort Su ever catch me?

"He's a guest I invited!"

He carefully glanced at Su Mo and the others as he spoke.

Su Mo and the others quickly nodded.

Upon hearing this, the woman cried even harder: "We're eating tree bark, and you're still inviting guests? What are you going to use to entertain them?"

"Just be quiet."

The Boss quickly pulled a corn cake from his coat, took two quick steps to the woman, and stuffed it into her mouth.

At first, the woman was still reluctant, but when she saw the corn cake, her eyes lit up with excitement. She quickly broke it apart to share with those around her.

In no time, the malnourished people scrambled for pieces of the corn cake.

Seeing this, the Boss sighed deeply: "Chief Escort Su... please don't think less of us."

"...It's fine, it's fine."

Su Mo waved his hand.

Little Situ, curious, asked, "Where is the injured person?"

"In the house."

The Boss quickly directed them.

Little Situ first looked at Su Mo, and upon seeing him nod, she instructed the four girls to follow and carry the person.

The house wasn't far, and they arrived quickly.

The four girls, experienced in their task, carried the stretcher into the house.

The Boss, glancing sideways, felt his sleeve being tugged.

Looking down, he saw a child, about seven or eight, staring at him with wide eyes. "Boss, is there any more? I... I want to bring a piece for my mother."

"This..."

The Boss hesitated.

Wei Ziyi had already taken two more cakes and handed them over. "Here."

"Thank you, sister."

The child was held in their arms for a moment, then returned and offered another corn cake: "Here, sister, have one too."

After speaking, they ran off with the remaining one, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"This is... something else."

Wei Ziyi looked at the corn cake in her hand, then at Su Mo: "To be a bandit to this extent..."

She didn't finish her sentence, as the Boss was still standing nearby.

As Su Mo pondered for a moment, he glanced at the Boss:

"May I inquire about the Boss's distinguished name?"

"Oh no, you're too kind."

The Boss quickly waved his hand: "I go by Hu, and folks around here call me Hu Sandao!"

Su Mo felt it wouldn't be right to comment on the name and simply nodded.

"Brother Hu, I have something on my mind, but I hesitate to speak it."

"Ah... you've seen how things are around here, Chief Escort Su."

Hu Sandao sighed: "What's left to say? Feel free to speak your mind."

Su Mo nodded: "We met briefly before, but I observed your three brilliant knife techniques. With such martial prowess, where could you not make a great career? Why resort to being an outlaw?"

He paused slightly: "We don't know each other well, so if I've said anything offensive, please don't take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Hu Sandao stared at Su Mo, momentarily speechless.

Su Mo was startled: "Brother Hu, what's the matter?"

"I..."

Hu Sandao shook his head and sighed: "Chief Escort Su, you are young, but your reputation is sky-high. Back in the southwest, when I ambushed you to challenge, I couldn't help but feel resentful.

"After you defeated me that day and left me with those words, I assumed you were seeking revenge.

"Now I see how wrong I was to judge you by my own low standards.

"Given your reputation and skills, it's humbling that you would treat someone like me with such respect...

"The jianghu is treacherous, and the world is tough. I thought there were no gentlemen left, but today I know there are still true heroes in this world!

"Hu Sandao is thoroughly convinced, Chief Escort Su, please accept my bow!"

Without waiting for Su Mo's reaction, he dropped to one knee as if the earth had opened beneath him.

Su Mo quickly reached out to help him: "Brother Hu, there's no need for this!"

"Chief Escort Su, this bow is not for anything else, but out of genuine admiration for your martial prowess and character.

"In this jianghu, even the so-called prestigious sects and high-flying experts often bully the weak."

"None of these people deserve a bow from me, Hu Sandao, but Chief Escort Su, you deserve it. You’re not worried about me setting up an ambush here in the stronghold.

"In the southwest, I wronged you, but now you’ve given us a chance to live, without holding it against me.

"You are willing to risk your life to save a stranger.

"A man like you, who shows such kindness and honor, is rare in this world, and this kindness will never be forgotten!

As he spoke, tears welled up in the man’s eyes, clearly from the heart.

"You’re putting it too strongly," Su Mo said, pulling him to his feet. "We’re all just people, no one above anyone else.

"Martial skills don’t make someone better than others.

"If I didn’t talk to you like this, would I stand tall, look down on you, and act like I’m better than you for no reason?"

"Haha!"

Hu Sandao laughed heartily, but then sighed deeply after the laughter.

"Chief Escort Su, you don’t know. People like that are all too common.

"You asked why, with such martial arts skills, I ended up as an outlaw.

"Sigh... I ended up here because of a twist of fate."

At this point, Hu Sandao had no more secrets from Su Mo and began to tell him about himself and the stronghold.

He grew up in the southwest, within the territory of Wusheng Hall.

Wusheng Hall was vast and powerful, with countless subordinate gangs.

One of these gangs, the Forge Blade Gang, was a small gang that controlled the villages and towns around Hu Sandao’s home.

Though small, to Hu Sandao, it was the whole world.

The gang members acted superior, looking down on everyone, as if they had ‘better than you’ written on their foreheads.

Hu Sandao was originally an ordinary farmer.

But he was fortunate enough to be recruited as a 'blade laborer' when the Forge Blade Gang was conscripting workers.

Although called laborers, forging weapons required strength, and the Forge Blade Gang had extraordinary techniques, which was why they were named as such.

The laborers were also taught some basic internal energy techniques.

Back then, I was illiterate and barely understood the teachings, but somehow, I was the first to make progress.

As a result, he was noticed by the gang's leaders and favored.

He was promoted repeatedly and eventually became the leader among the blade laborers.

Had things continued this way, the boss might have thrived in the Forge Blade Gang and achieved great things."

Everything changed from that night onward.

The cause was the "test of the blades"!

Newly forged sabers often needed to be tested before being boxed and shipped out. That day, the leader had handed the newly forged sabers to the foreman, but later, during the inventory, one was missing.

He immediately went to find the foreman, only to discover that the foreman had taken the missing saber and left with a group of men.

Driven by curiosity, he followed the foreman and his group, wondering where they were headed and what they were planning.

By the time he reached this point in the story, Hu Sandao’s brows were deeply furrowed:

“They were indeed testing the blades, but at the cost of innocent lives.

“It was well past midnight, and the villagers, who lived by the sun, were fast asleep.

“In an instant, chaos erupted, catching everyone completely off guard.

“In moments, the once-peaceful village was transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror.

“They stormed into homes, blades flashing in the dim light. Some villagers had just lit candles when they saw blood splatter across the windows.

“Instantly, the air was filled with screams and cries, as countless villagers fell to their knees, pleading for mercy.

“But no amount of pleading could sway them; only more ruthless slaughter followed.”

Upon hearing this part of the story, Wei Ziyi and Li the lead escort, who had not been very interested before, couldn’t help but frown.

As the eighth leader of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, Wei Ziyi had a unique perspective on matters. Seeing this, she immediately asked:

“How could they dare?

“Not to mention the southwest, in the entire Eastern Wilderness, aside from the cult, who would dare commit such atrocities?

“Massacring ordinary villagers—how could Wusheng Hall tolerate this?”

“Wusheng Hall?”

The leader glanced at Wei Ziyi and sighed: “I suspect you don’t know much about Wusheng Hall.

“While they don’t condone such actions, they don’t really care about the lives of ordinary people either.

“Years ago, Wusheng Hall wasn’t like this. But over time, Chief Hall Master Wan Yutang has become increasingly reclusive, and no one can guess what he’s thinking.

“Of course, even so, the Forge Blade Gang wouldn’t dare to openly commit such acts.

“After all, if word got out, it would give other gangs a reason to attack them.

“Moreover, it would challenge Wusheng Hall’s prestige.

“Whenever the Forge Blade Gang committed such atrocities, they always wore black masks and framed the bandits for the crimes.

“They deliberately shaped the bandits’ image as fierce and evil, intimidating us simple folk.

“Then, with the Forge Blade Gang posing as saviors, they would come out on top, saving the village and displaying their might.”

"Before that night, I always believed the Forge Blade Gang were real heroes, and when I joined them, it felt like a sacred journey.

"Later, I realized that it was him who played both the god and the devil..."

Wei Ziyi frowned and looked at Su Mo. "The territory of the Wusheng Hall is indeed not as peaceful as the Fallen Phoenix Alliance. You can see firsthand how ruthless those from the Wusheng Hall can be."

Su Mo nodded and asked the boss, "What happened next?"

"Later... I was so enraged, my head was spinning. In a blind rage, I grabbed my blade and stormed out.

"I wanted to make them pay for what they did.

"But how could I possibly stand a chance against them?"

Hu Sandao gave a bitter laugh. At that time, he hadn't even learned any blade techniques; he had only made some progress in the basic cultivation techniques, having just accumulated a bit of inner strength.

There was no real fight; as soon as he charged in, they pinned him down and beat him senseless.

"They beat me until I was barely conscious, and then the leader came to me.

"He admitted that he had deliberately let me tag along.

"The blade test tonight was also a test of me.

"If I had kept quiet, I would have been on the fast track to success.

"But I actually tried to use my blade against them... so I couldn't be let off easily.

"However, he ultimately didn't kill me, but dragged me back to be imprisoned in the Forge Blade Gang's dungeon.

"He wanted to use this to make me completely submit to him."

Hu Sandao curled his lips. "I may not be smart, and I hadn't read many books back then, but I am still a person. How could I possibly collude and associate with beasts?

"So, in a moment of desperation, I took the plunge and jumped off the horse as they galloped down the hill.

"I thought I would die, but I didn't fall to my death.

"Instead, I fell into a mountain stream.

"With my hands bound, how could I maneuver in the water?

"I choked on a few mouthfuls of water and passed out.

"When I woke up again, I was in a different place."