Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

Chapter 87 Green Mountain Bandits

They set off from the north gate of Rongzhou, disguised as a merchant caravan, carrying several carts of rice, medicinal herbs, and silk cloth towards Tengzhou.

Before setting off, Gao Yuan summoned Wang Weizhi.

The group found a few unfamiliar faces to lead the way, and had Cheng Shan lead two skilled martial arts masters to scout ahead of the group.

"Qingqing, let's follow her secretly. If your dad finds out, we'll be in big trouble!"

At the very back of the line, two laborers dressed in hemp clothing and wearing headscarves with simple musical notation were whispering to each other.

It was Cheng Yifeng, the son of Wang Qingqing (who was disguised as a man) and Cheng Shan.

"Don't be afraid, let's try not to speak or show our faces."

After saying that, the girl added with a look of disgust, "Are you stupid to not watch the show? Even if we get caught, Uncle Cheng is here, what are we afraid of? Look at the pathetic look on your face!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yifeng wore a bitter expression.

After leaving Rongzhou, about twenty miles away, they saw lush green trees spreading like clouds, and they had arrived at a pine forest.

Footsteps sounded ahead.

"Behave yourself!"

Cheng Shan shouted at a lean man, "Master, young master, this man was hiding in the bushes ahead, acting suspiciously. We caught him red-handed."

At this point, pretending to be a caravan, one should naturally address the owner as "the boss."

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! Friends, I had absolutely no ill intentions."

The lean man was pinned down by a gang leader under Cheng Shan's command. Seeing everyone staring at him, he was terrified.

Another hall master, Qi San, chuckled: "You've been spying around us, are you perhaps a bandit? I've heard that bandits roam freely in Rongzhou's Qingshan Mountains, you're probably their scout."

"Yes or no?"

Wang Wei, now acting as the host, rode his horse forward a few steps and shouted directly at the lean man, "Speak, is it yes or no?"

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qi San drew his knife: "Master, why don't you just kill him?"

Gao Yuan didn't hesitate: "Kill them. Since there are bandits, let's return to Rongzhou and circle around through Nanyizhou to avoid them."

"Slow down, slow down!"

The lean man swallowed hard.

"My name is He Huan, and I am indeed a member of the Green Mountain bandits. If I were to travel from Nanyi Prefecture to Teng Prefecture, it would be a long and circuitous journey. Gentlemen, please show mercy! Just leave a small toll, and I guarantee you will all travel safely!"

Tong Hao, who was leaning against Qi San, said, "Master, don't believe it."

"The bandits of Qingshan are known for their ruthlessness and never leave anyone alive. Why would they let us leave just because they give them some money to pay the toll?"

"Hmm?" Qi San drew his sword again, his killing intent surging. "You want to trick us into walking into your trap?"

Startled by the flash of a chilling blade, He Huan collapsed to the ground, utterly disheveled.

"Sir! Sir! Every word I've said is true, not a single lie!"

Tong Hao twirled the fake beard on his chin and slowly began, "Hmm? If that's the case, then tell me about it."

Gao Yuan sat on horseback, his expression unchanged.

He Huan nodded hurriedly, not daring to hide anything any longer: "Not much, not much! Four-tenths of the goods will be taken from each truck. If you gentlemen are willing to trust me, I'll take you to see the three bosses right away, and I guarantee you'll make way!"

"Anyone can talk big, but if you lead us to Qingshan Village and attract a large band of bandits, wouldn't we, a few dozen people, be like lambs to the slaughter?"

"No, no! I'm just a scout, I have no ability to mobilize troops! If you don't believe me, just cut me down if there's even the slightest unusual movement!"

Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Qi San put away his knife.

Wang Weizhi nodded, and Qi San and the others also stepped aside from He Huan.

Several men in the caravan laughed heartily.

Gao Yuan, speaking with a Dali accent, said, "We came from Moutong in Dali and are under the protection of Houmo of Shanshan."

Hearing that his accent sounded very similar to that of people from the Dali Kainan Prefecture area, He Huan couldn't help but ask, "Are you a Dali merchant caravan?"

"Ma Wude, a tea merchant from southern Yunnan, is familiar with us. He also has Yunnan medicinal herbs from Kainan Prefecture. He trades and transports tea, while we transport tea, cloth, and medicine."

Gao Yuan continued, "Business is not easy in the Central Plains. Marquis Shan Chan intends to try the Quanzhou trade route to see if there is any business to be done. We have been negotiating with the gangs along the way, and now we are preparing to continue to Quanzhou."

Upon hearing this, He Huan's eyes lit up, and he carefully examined the group of people again.

If they weren't from Dali, they wouldn't be able to explain things so clearly and continue moving forward. It's clear that the gangs in Rongzhou have been dealt with by them.

He dusted himself off, and his disheveled appearance was about 70-80% gone.

"Do you know if Yunnan horses are sold?"

"Of course there are."

He Huan perked up and became much more enthusiastic: "Oh my, so you're a merchant caravan under the command of the Marquis of Shanshan of Dali! Gentlemen, why didn't you say so earlier? Our chief has connections in Quanzhou, so we could cooperate."

Although the Yunnan horse is short, it has good endurance, making it most suitable for transporting supplies.

The master from Dayunming Temple is currently on the mountain. According to the other brothers, they are discussing a horse business.

Wang Wei was puzzled: "You think you can make that decision?"

"It's not up to me to say, but I can introduce a few people to the boss."

Gao Yuan pondered for a moment: "Okay, leave half of the people where they are. If we don't appear within an hour..."

'

If you do things properly, and just casually agree to go, He Huan will definitely be suspicious.

He Huan smiled and said frankly, "Young master, there's no need to be so cautious. If you gentlemen hadn't introduced yourselves, I would indeed have had other ideas. But now, if there's any Yunnan horse trading, I'd genuinely like to introduce you all!"

He then mentioned that he was the younger brother of the second-in-command's concubine, which finally calmed Gao Yuan and the others down.

He Huan whistled, and two more people emerged from the woods.

When selecting people to go up the mountain.

Cheng Shan discovered Wang Qingqing and Cheng Yifeng, who had secretly followed him, and immediately became so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared at them.

But thinking of the envoy above them and fearing his wrath, they did not reveal their identities.

Cheng Yifeng pleaded earnestly, and Cheng Shan, fearing that Wang Weizhi would discover him if he continued to entangle with the two juniors, gritted his teeth and agreed to let the two of them go up the mountain together.

"You brat, just wait until we get back, I'll break your legs!"

As the father and son passed each other, Cheng Shan uttered some harsh words.

Cheng Yifeng was startled.

After glancing at Wang Qingqing, he steeled himself and chased after her again.

Of the more than twenty members of the Dongying Gang, eight went up the mountain with Gao Yuan.

As everyone left, Wang Wei glanced back at the men and horses left behind.

Tong Hao immediately understood the gang leader's meaning.

He Huan led the way, heading down the foot of Qingshan Mountain with the Dali caravan.

As the sun was about to set, we finally saw the bandit camp.

Four men stood in the wooden buildings on the left and right, bows drawn and arrows nocked, and began shouting to stop them from afar.

"Halt! Who are you?!"

A man with a large sword slung across his shoulder emerged from the wooden gate of Dazhai. He Huan jumped off his horse and went to greet him.

"Oh, it's Uncle He."

He Huan smiled awkwardly; his sister was the second-in-command's concubine.

Guo Feng was from the same faction as the head of the gang, and people often jokingly called him "Little Uncle He".

Once He Huan finished speaking, the gatekeeper laughed heartily, his expression changing: "So you're a friend from Dali! Please come in!"

"Open the door!"

The wooden gate of the stronghold slowly opened, and the forty or fifty armed bandits guarding the gate made way for the middle of the road.

He Huan thanked the gatekeeper and led the Dali caravan into the village.

"Brother He, you also do business with Yunnan horses?"

He Huan said, "It's not us. A couple of days ago, some distinguished guests came to the mountain and we happened to discuss the horse business. If we can reach an agreement on this cooperation, the chief will ensure your safe journey from Rongzhou to Quanzhou."

He deliberately showed off: "Hehe, the masters of Dayunming Temple in Quanzhou have some connections with our boss, and they've taken care of things with the government officials..."

'

He stopped short of revealing the truth, which also served to reassure the caravan members that they could continue their business with the Green Mountain bandits with peace of mind.

Gao Yuan lost interest in talking and began to admire the scenery of the village.

The Qingshan Village draws water from the river into the village, and with the setting sun, you can see small fish in the water.

The further in you go, the more you see: granaries, stables, prisons, and wells are all there.

Of course, there were quite a few patrol teams as well.

I estimate that the entire Qingshan bandit stronghold has about four or five hundred people.

Wooden houses are scattered throughout the mountains. After turning into a mountain valley, Gao Yuan and his party climbed the wooden stairs to the main building.

"Master Wang, Young Master Gao has arrived!"

As He Huan spoke, he quickly led the way forward.

Gao Yuan's hearing was astounding; the sounds of laughter and toasts coming from inside reached his ears clearly.

Slowly, he frowned.