Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 311 I’m asking you for something
Niu Shou Mountain is located at the junction of Jingzhou and Linzhou. It is a veritable wilderness with high mountains and dense forests. There are at least eighty such place names in Panorama Country, but Niu Shou Mountain is the most famous.

This is because there is a group of fierce bandits entrenched in the mountain, the number of whom is unknown. The bandit's lair is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The government has sent troops to encircle and suppress them many times but suffered heavy losses. There are many chivalrous men who go forward to eliminate the threat and enforce justice, but most of them never return.

This gang of bandits is notorious. They rob passers-by with cruel methods. They not only steal money but also kill people. They will not let go of young and beautiful women. Countless people are terrified when they hear about them.

It stands to reason that if such a group of bandits is not eliminated, the main road connecting the two states in this direction will be useless. However, if they do not take this route, they will have to take a detour of hundreds of miles, so many merchants and travelers have no choice but to take the risk.

That group of bandits didn't keep an eye on the road all the time. If you were lucky enough to miss them, there was a good chance that you could pass through smoothly. If you were unlucky enough to encounter them, you could spend money to avoid disaster if they were in a good mood. Otherwise, you could only wish for the best.

Anyway, if you pass by here and encounter a gangster dog, you will get slapped twice.

But they also treat people differently, and if they encounter a strong man, they will let him go, otherwise causing heavy casualties will not be worth the loss. People who are really poor will not make things too difficult, after all, there is no money to be made.

These gangsters have their own rules to follow, and of course, the rules are set by them.

Inside the carriage, Chen Xuan carefully polished the snow-white wild boar fangs, thinking that he had never heard of the bandits from Niu Shou Mountain slaughtering scholars who were going to Beijing to take the imperial examinations. There was an unwritten tacit understanding among the gangsters, that is, not to provoke the candidates easily. After all, no one could guarantee that an unknown candidate would be in a high position one day.

But it just so happened that recently, a bandit massacred the examinees here. This happened after the new leader was replaced. Is it such a coincidence? Thinking carefully, could it be a foreshadowing?
Since the premise of killing the examinees has already been established, killing a few more would not seem so abrupt, right?

As for provoking the wrath of the imperial court, they were fierce bandits, indifferent to life and death. What was there that they wouldn't dare to do? They'd already killed them. Even if they were wiped out, could they still resurrect those they'd already killed?

If they were laying the groundwork to target Gao Jingming, and their goal was achieved, even if they razed this place to the ground afterwards, these garbage would be insignificant and could be discarded at will. At most, after a period of time, someone would come here again to gather in the mountains and do evil.

'It's really tiring to use my brain. No matter what conspiracy or trick he has, I have the truth in my hands and can break it with my strength. It's so simple.' Chen Xuan simply stopped worrying about it as soon as the thought flashed through his mind. Now, to put it bluntly, he can walk sideways in the entire Jing Kingdom. He is in the state of transcending tribulation and hides himself from the world to face the tribulation. The human immortal is a legend among legends. With the cultivation of a grandmaster, he can be said to be a man standing at the top of the pyramid.

Not long after, Chen Xuan and his group set foot in the Niu Shou Mountain area. This section of the road was dozens of miles long, with high mountains and dense forests on both sides of the road. A large group of bandits could rush out at any time, so Geng Hong and his group were a little nervous.

"Don't mention it, this forest is big and blocks the sunlight, so it's quite cool." After stepping into this area, Chen Xuan's figure appeared on the roof of the carriage, sitting leisurely, with the white sword given by Mrs. Gao before departure hanging loosely on his waist, and a bag of melon seeds in his hand, he was eating, looking around with interest and said, "Even if he spits the melon seed shells everywhere, no one will come to collect sanitation fees from him."

Geng Hong, looking tense, hesitated and said, "Xuan Ge'er, don't you think this place looks a little eerie?"

"It's just a psychological effect. How can it be eerie in broad daylight?" Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Not to mention, influenced by Chen Xuan, their mood gradually calmed down. Even if he did nothing, the Grandmaster's cultivation could silently influence the mentality of others. In other words, as long as Chen Xuan was willing, such silent influence could also become an invisible means of killing!

After walking a few miles, Geng Hong's eyes fixed on the surroundings and he said, "It seems a little too quiet around here. No insects are chirping or birds are singing. There might be an ambush."

"Don't be nervous, it's not a big deal, just keep going," Chen Xuan said with a smile, spitting out a mouthful of melon seed shells. Then he stretched and looked around and said, "Come out, you still call yourself a fierce bandit, don't let people look down on you. I want to see if you guys are as vicious as the rumors say."

After the words were spoken, the surroundings remained silent. No one answered and no one jumped out.

Geng Hong looked at Chen Xuan warily, wanting to speak but hesitant. Was Xuan Ge'er being too sensitive and mistaking his feelings? Or was he simply cheating?

Chen Xuan smiled and didn't bother to talk nonsense. He picked up a melon seed with two fingers and flicked it. With a whoosh, the seed shot out into the woods in front. Then, a scream was heard from the woods a hundred feet away on the left front, followed by a dull sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

"Brothers, don't hide anymore, here comes a tough guy!" A shout broke the silence, and soon a group of people rushed out of the woods and blocked the way of Chen Xuan and the others.

There were a total of more than 10 to 20 people, armed with knives and guns. They were truly gangsters. Some of them even dared to wear armor. You should know that it is a serious crime for civilians to wear armor privately. Even some wandering gangsters only dared to equip themselves with wrist guards, arm armor, breastplates and the like.

It's worth mentioning that these people's actions were quite methodical. They weren't ordinary robbers. They had clearly received relatively formal training, and each of them had a foundation in martial arts. The most powerful one among them had an internal strength that was even comparable to Gao Jingming, not to mention Geng Hong and his companions. If Chen Xuan wasn't here, Gao Jingming and his companions would have no chance of getting through safely with these people alone.

But in Chen Xuan's eyes, they were no different from ants.

"Master, please don't show up. Leave the next matter to me. I'm good at taking action. If you show up, I'm afraid someone will take advantage of this to make a fuss. Those who play tricks on you are dirty. If you show up, your every word and action may become a handle for them to attack you." Chen Xuan said without saying a word, secretly conveying a message to Gao Jingming.

It seems like an ordinary encounter with robbers, but if Gao Jingming shows up, no matter whether he kills them or beats them up and leaves, it will give people a chance to talk and be used by people with ulterior motives. If you kill them, they will spread the news that you are cruel and vicious. If you beat them up and let them go, they will say that you actually let the evil people go. There will always be an explanation.

For scholars, knowledge is very important, but if one's reputation is bad, no matter how high one's knowledge is, it will not be recognized by others. The imperial examination not only tests knowledge, but also examines a person's character. Therefore, it is better for Gao Jingming not to show up. He doesn't care if the villain Chen Xuan takes the position. If anyone disagrees with him, he can just go to their house and convince them with reason.

Looking at the group of people in front, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Oh, there are quite a few of you. I heard that there are fierce bandits entrenched in Niu Shou Mountain. They ruthlessly rob passers-by, rape, plunder and commit all kinds of evil. It can't be you, right?"

The leader was about forty years old, with a strong build, wearing metal armor and holding a long sword. He glanced at Chen Xuan and his group, his pupils shrinking for a moment, and then he grinned and said, "You are so bold, brat, and you don't know your place. You look like a fat sheep, and you came to us on your own. Don't blame us for being rude."

"Oh, how are you going to be rude? Tell me about it." Chen Xuan asked with great interest. He had been idle for the past few days and was happy to play with them.

The other man stepped forward and sneered, "Leave behind your valuables and your horses. Except for you, all of you will die obediently. This way, you will suffer less. How's that? Isn't that righteous?"

"Wait, you guys kill people at every turn. Do you understand what sustainable development means? If you continue like this, who will dare to go down this path in the future? Won't you be cutting off your own source of income? And why am I the exception?" Chen Xuan waved his hand curiously.

The other party stepped forward with a knife in hand, and the others followed. There was a slight sense of oppression. He said, "Want to know? Then I'll tell you, you are too arrogant, no one dares to ignore us heroes of Niu Shou Mountain, so you will pay the price for your words and deeds. They were harmed by you, but why are you the only exception? Of course, you will be tied up and given to the boss to enjoy!"

"Your leader is a woman? Do you want to invite me to be the chief minister?" Chen Xuanle asked.

The other party immediately laughed and said, "Hahaha, our boss is a man, but you are a handsome boy, so I think it's not impossible for the boss. He loves beautiful women as well as handsome men. Everyone knows it. Do you understand?"

Damn, your boss is a pervert, he's into both men and women. Hearing this, Chen Xuan was disgusted. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he stopped wasting time and said, "That's it, it's my turn. Well, you two kneel down, I beg you for a favor. It looks like your hands are covered in blood, so I won't make it difficult for you. You can go to the woods over there and commit suicide. I won't bother to dirty my hands. You can just die away and not scare passersby. Everyone will be happy. What do you think?"

"I originally planned to let you go first, and after the brothers in front dealt with the matter, we would attack you from both ends. Wouldn't it be better to live a little longer? Why did you take the initiative to let us show up? Now from your tone, you seem to be someone important. Can you tell me your name? That will also let me know who is so arrogant," the other party raised his eyebrows and said in a grim voice.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan glanced towards the distance ahead, then stood up from his lazy position on the roof and said, "You are fierce bandits. Coincidentally, I am also a fierce bandit. Remember, I am the fiercest of the fierce bandits. People in the underworld nicknamed me Sang Biao. Don't forget who sent you down on the road to the underworld!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xuan casually grabbed a handful of melon seeds and threw them out. There was no sound of breaking through the air, but they hit the center of their eyebrows so quickly that they didn't even have time to react. The fragile melon seeds directly pierced through their skulls, and their brains were scattered all over the floor!
Amidst their confused or horrified expressions, the bodies froze for a moment before falling to the ground, staining the ground red with blood.

Immediately, Chen Xuan waved his sleeve lightly, and their bodies and brains were swept into the woods nearby.

After getting rid of the group of fierce bandits, Chen Xuan said effortlessly, "There's no one ambushing us in the front. There's something going on further ahead. You guys follow me, I'll go check it out."

As he spoke, the figure disappeared in front.

The whole process took only a few words, especially the death of a dozen or so bandits. Geng Hong and others didn't even react. They were horrified after Chen Xuan left.

I've clearly watched him grow up. When did Xuan'er's strength become so incredible? No wonder the lady trusted him to escort the young master to the capital...

(End of this chapter)