I was a charlatan in India

"Heh, heh..."

Dana pushed aside the grass and struggled forward, step by step.

My legs felt like they were filled with lead, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to lift them.

He couldn't run anymore, he really couldn't run anymore.

The sounds of people and dogs barking, along with the scraping of metal, grew closer and closer behind.

Dana simply stopped walking, catching his breath as he waited for the pursuers to surround him.

He slumped down in the mud, using his swollen fingers to painstakingly dig into the lining of his clothes.

Soon, the stitches were torn off, and several gems hidden inside fell out.

There were quite a few things like that on his clothes.

This is the wealth that Dana himself hid.

If I lose them, I'll probably never be able to turn my life around again.

The pursuers quickly caught up.

This was a team of fifteen members, but three of them have fallen behind, leaving only seven people and five dogs.

The soldiers were all panting heavily, clutching their knees, glaring hatefully at Dana.

That fatso can really run.

Along the way, they first threw away their spears and had the three who had fallen behind take them back. Then they removed their leather armor and left it on the spot along the way, keeping only the scimitars at their waists, before finally catching up with Dana.

Even the five dogs were panting, desperately trying to cool down.

"Heh, cough cough, Master Dana, why aren't you running away anymore?"

After catching his breath for a while, the leading soldier finally spoke in a gruff voice, staggered over to the man, and patted his fat face with his scabbard.

Even if it was just Dana alone, they surrounded him in a semi-circle, blocking all his way out.

Dana raised his eyelids and scanned the surroundings with difficulty.

The soldiers' scimitars were already drawn; if they resisted, they might get slashed several times.

He raised the gem in his hand and shouted desperately, "Wait!"

"Any one of these is enough to ensure you a lifetime of comfort!"

"If you divide the gems I have, each of you will get six or seven!"

Dana secretly regretted it.

My physical strength is much better than I imagined.

If I hadn't brought so many gems, I probably could have escaped for a while.

...No, running a little further won't make much difference; once the Brahmins have their eyes on you, you're just meat on the chopping block.

On the contrary, these treasures might give them a glimmer of hope.

He was a businessman, not a black slave skilled at escaping; wealth and negotiation were his true tools.

Dana hardened his heart and raised his voice.

"I'm willing to share them with everyone, just asking to keep a set of warm clothes in exchange for some water and food so I can escape from here!"

The leading veteran spat, "Arrest you, but the stuff is still ours!"

Dana shook his head: "No, if you take me back, they will all be confiscated."

"And you, at most, will receive a few drinks as a reward and a commendation."

"I believe everyone knows more about this than I do."

The soldiers exchanged glances, then all looked at the veteran.

Dana, panting heavily, continued rummaging through his clothes and soon unearthed another cat's eye stone.

It gleamed with the light of wealth, firmly attracting the attention of all its pursuers.

The soldiers' breathing became noticeably heavy, and their eyes were glazed over.

Dana held the valuables in his hands and raised them high.

"Gentlemen, I have spent half my life working hard, but it has all come to nothing. I can only blame myself for being foolish. I have even ended up in this state without knowing who I offended."

"We're all just doing this for a paycheck, and I have no complaints. But since we're only trying to make a living, why don't you take the jewels and let me off the hook?"

The veteran looked at the gemstone, his heart filled with considerable struggle.

This matter is not that simple.

Even if they let Dana go, there's no guarantee he won't be caught again in the future.

A businessman is a joke in front of a Kshatriya.

At that point, after several rounds of severe torture, the secrets of these gems will be exposed.

If you agree to Dana's request, it's like tying your future to him, and because of this bond, you might even have to bite the bullet and help him hide.

Who knows when they might lose this stable life and be forced to disappear without a trace, like Dana, and flee.

He can still tell the difference between a full meal and a full meal.

Moreover, he has a family to support; what will happen to his family if he runs away?

Are they to be forced to work in the factory like Dana's servants?

It would be extremely unwise to risk everything for such wealth.

But his new recruits were clearly tempted, constantly glancing at him.

He gathered his thoughts and quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't listen to his nonsense!"

"If we take these stones, and he gets caught later, we still won't be able to keep even one, and besides...!"

You're wrong!

Dana roared and interrupted the other party.

We absolutely cannot let this veteran reorganize; he's very clear-headed.

"If you let me go this time, even if I'm caught again, I'll remember your kindness and never betray you!"

"Even if you don't catch me, you'll only get a scolding at most, but you'll live a life of wealth and luxury. Why bother..."

"Dana!"

The veteran rudely interrupted, "Don't be confused, everyone!"

"Times have changed. We're on military pay and have no worries about food or clothing, but if we take the jewel, we'll have our lives tied to him!"

"Whether it's a blessing or a curse at that time will be entirely out of our control!"

They actually forbid it!

Dana raised his bloodshot eyes and stared hatefully at the old soldier.

He knew that whatever he said would probably be useless.

The other party clearly understood the pros and cons and made it very clear to their subordinates, so the basis for negotiation had already broken down.

That being the case...

Dana casually tossed aside the gemstone and reached for the coarse cloth scroll in his pocket.

The veteran, assuming he intended to continue bribery and incitement, immediately drew his scimitar and shouted, "Take him down!"

The soldiers hesitated for a moment before gradually approaching.

Seeing this, the veteran finally breathed a sigh of relief.

My subordinates are wavering.

No, let alone his subordinates, if he weren't thinking of his wife, children, and elderly parents, if he were alone, he would probably be swayed by Dana and make a desperate gamble on the future.

He has a family to support, and some of his subordinates are still single.

Ah, still young.

Don't they realize that even someone as wealthy as Dana couldn't escape being hunted down?

If we let Dana go, how could they possibly have a good end if they only get a portion of what they want?

If you are not greedy, you will not suffer a loss.

In just a short while, Dana had taken out the coarse cloth roll.

The scroll emitted an eerie aura, making his skin exceptionally pale, as if all his blood had been drained away.

Especially the chest area near the scroll, which was now somewhat bluish-gray.

Dana took a deep breath and tried one last negotiation.

"Gentlemen, this is a scroll I obtained from a sage. It contains the power to connect with the true Dharma and is my trump card!"

"I just want to live, that's all. If you guys keep pushing me, then come with me..."

"Bang!"

The veteran kicked the scroll out of his hand and then shouted angrily, "Dana! Stop resisting!"

"What power to connect with the true Dharma? Do you think I'm easily intimidated?"

"If you were truly protected by some righteous immortal, how could we have caught you?"

"Since you've fallen to this state, it proves that the true Dharma does not favor you!"

The soldiers around them were initially hesitant, but after hearing what the veteran said and seeing that the scroll could be kicked away with one kick, they were no longer afraid.

"Good heavens, that really scared me! You businessman, you're quite the bluffer!"

A bold young soldier was the first to mock.

As soon as he opened his mouth, the people around him burst into laughter, and the air was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Everyone echoed this sentiment.

"The power of an immortal? Why don't you just say you're Indra reincarnated?"

"Hurry up, don't listen to his nonsense, drag him back to collect the reward!"

"The power to restore the true Dharma? I think it's the power of fat clouding the mind! Look at the fat on his face..."

Only one honest-looking recruit had a dry laugh, secretly glancing at the dirty roll of cloth in the mud, his throat bobbing involuntarily.

He remembered the rural legend his grandmother had told him about the curse of an ascetic in the forest that came true.

But nothing happened for the time being, and this concern was eventually drowned out by the laughter of his colleagues.

"Even my Alzheimer's grandma wouldn't say such nonsense, hahaha..."

Amidst the laughter, Dana's heart sank deeper and deeper.

He wasn't sure if the scroll would actually work, so he only took it out to try his luck when he had no other options.

However, it didn't respond to me until it was kicked away and landed in the mud.

Was it that immortal deceiving me, or has I, Dana, truly strayed from the true Dharma?

"Brothers, don't listen to his nonsense! This fat pig is just trying to stall for time!"

"Take it down!"

"You lot, go and collect all the scattered gems, not a single one can be missing!"

This order essentially allowed the subordinates to secretly pocket a little extra.

A smart person would know to keep one hidden.

The veteran had no choice but to do this because his men had wavered, and he could only let them mock and succumb to greed, allowing them to turn into bandits.

Of course, you can't take too many. Taking a few less can be explained, but taking too many will definitely cause problems.

But that's something to worry about later. If any subordinate is disobedient or greedy, he will use torture, coercion, and bribery to deal with it.

Right now, capturing Dana and stabilizing his subordinates are the most urgent tasks.

The soldiers swarmed forward, roughly flipped Dana over, and tied his hands and feet together with hemp rope like a pig.

The search became more thorough, inside and out, every inch of fabric was torn apart, and every possible hidden layer was ripped open.

The rope dug deep into Dana's greasy flesh.

Sudden.

"Hiss—!"

A violent screech came from afar.

Immediately following was a terrifying sound of hooves, as dense as the beating of war drums, as if they were being stomped heavily on the heart!

Haitina's robust figure arrived with a thunderous stomp!