Chapter 129: The Bandits Appear

The next morning, the village chief came to find Xu Mo.

Xu Mo invited the chief inside to sit down, and Chen Miaoyi immediately served him tea.

The village chief said, "Young Master Xu, there is news about the bandits."

Xu Mo quickly asked, "What news?"

The village chief informed him that a hunter had spotted the bandits' tracks near Gui-Ran Mountain, over fifty miles to the northeast. Moreover, the hunter had confirmed that these bandits were the same gang led by White Hair and Peng Dong. The hunter also learned that White Hair and Peng Dong had originally operated near Yang Family Village. Later, as more refugees arrived from the north, they seized the opportunity to recruit many of them, though they only took able-bodied men and rejected women and children. Because their numbers grew and Yang Family Village was too close to Xinzhou City, they moved their lair to Gui-Ran Mountain. The terrain there was far more complex than around Yang Family Village; if government troops came, they could simply hide in the mountains, leaving the soldiers helpless.

Xu Mo was puzzled after hearing this and asked, "Chief, why would White Hair and Peng Dong travel so far—over fifty miles—to raid? Shouldn't they be operating near Gui-Ran Mountain?"

The village chief paused, nodded, and said, "Indeed. There are several towns near Gui-Ran Mountain that are far wealthier than our Gushan Village. Why would they bypass those to come here?"

Xu Mo could not figure it out for the moment and asked, "Chief, did you hear anything else?"

The village chief replied, "Yes, they discovered some suspicious individuals lurking outside our village. Whenever our people approached, they would immediately flee. We don't know what they were doing."

Xu Mo frowned, lost in thought, and then suddenly realized the reason. He said to the chief, "If I am not mistaken, White Hair and Peng Dong are targeting me specifically!"

"Ah?" The village chief was shocked and asked, "Why do you say that, Young Master Xu?"

Xu Mo explained, "Chief, those suspicious people were sent by White Hair and Peng Dong to monitor us. Believe me, the moment the soap workshop sends a shipment to the city, those people will definitely come to rob us!"

The village chief frowned and asked, "Young Master Xu, why would those bandits target you?"

Xu Mo sneered, "Because someone hates me!"

The village chief remained skeptical. Xu Mo said, "Chief, if you don't believe me, let’s put it to the test!"

"How?" the chief asked.

Xu Mo smiled slightly. "You will know when the time comes."

***

Two days later, in the morning.

The transport team of over forty men assembled and set off toward Xinzhou City with two cartloads of goods. Everyone, including Xu Mo, was equipped with a bamboo spear. These spears were not only sharpened to a fine point but also carefully polished; if thrust with full force during an encounter, they would be quite formidable.

Xu Mo was dressed like the villagers today; a stranger would take him for a common villager. Chen Miaoyi, Xu Tieshu, and Xu Hui had all tried to stop him from going, but Xu Mo insisted, arguing that his presence would boost the team's confidence and morale. Seeing that they could not dissuade him, they urged Qin Mutou repeatedly to ensure Xu Mo's protection. Xu Hui, in particular, solemnly declared that if Xu Mo returned with even a single hair missing, she would never speak to Qin Mutou again. Qin Mutou, panicked, swore an oath that even if he were to die, he would not let his master come to any harm.

Not long after the team left Gushan Village, Niu Da began reminding the men to be vigilant and report any signs of trouble immediately. Xu Mo walked alongside Niu Da in the center of the formation. At the start, Xu Mo had felt a bit excited, but after walking for a while, the excitement faded, replaced by a faint sense of tension and unease. After all, if they were to encounter bandits, it would be his first time ever. As a modern man, he could not remain calm and composed right from the start.

Niu Da noticed Xu Mo's anxiety and comforted him, "Don't worry, Master! With so many of us and our weapons, if the bandits dare to show their faces, they will be the ones who suffer!"

Xu Mo nodded at Niu Da and took a deep, silent breath.

About half an hour into the journey, as they passed a small woods, the bandits appeared. From the trees on both sides of the road, a swarm of robbers rushed out, charging toward them while letting out strange, guttural cries. Most of these men were ragged, unkempt, and filthy. Their weapons were essentially wooden clubs of various shapes and sizes.

Seeing the ambush, Niu Da shouted, "Form up! Form up!"

The forty-plus members of the transport team immediately shifted into a circular formation. Just as before, it consisted of an inner and outer ring, with the two carts protected in the center.

Xu Mo, Qin Mutou, and Niu Da stood in the middle. Meanwhile, bandits continued to pour out of the woods on both sides; there were clearly far more than thirty or forty of them. Seeing the sheer number of attackers, some of the team members grew nervous, their hands trembling on their spears.

"Captain Niu, there weren't this many of them last time!" one veteran shouted, his voice laced with panic. He was one of the men who had been present during the previous robbery and had suffered minor injuries.

Fearing for morale, Niu Da bellowed, "Don't panic! Follow my orders, and we will prevail!"

Xu Mo also shouted, "Listen to me! Anyone who helps drive off these thieves will be rewarded with five guan of cash!"

Upon hearing the promise of five guan—a sum that could support a family in poor Gushan Village for a year—the men’s fear vanished, replaced by a surge of adrenaline. They tightened their grips on their spears, holding their breath and bracing for the fight.

In the woods, a short, stout man and a tall, thin man emerged, carrying single-edged blades. These were White Hair and Peng Dong. By the time they stepped out, the bandits had tightly surrounded Xu Mo’s group.

White Hair jumped onto a rock, shouldered his blade, and shouted toward Xu Mo, "Listen up! If you want to live, leave the cargo and get out of here!"

"Otherwise, you're all going to meet the King of Hell!" White Hair threatened loudly.

Peng Dong, standing beside him, looked disdainful. "Brother, we outnumber them by a wide margin. We could drown them just by spitting. Is there any need for this nonsense?"

White Hair whispered back, "Brother, the books say that subduing the enemy without fighting is the highest form of strategy! We have more men, but if we really fight, we'll suffer losses too. It’s more profitable to just scare them off!"

Peng Dong was astonished. "You can barely read, yet you read books?"

White Hair retorted, "I may not read much, but I'm not deaf. Can't I listen to what others say?"

Peng Dong smirked and nodded. "Fine! Of course! Then today, I’d like to see how you plan to scare them away."