Translator: Lordbluefire
“May I ask sister-in-law if the Mount Zhao’s bandits plunder from you guys?”
Sun Mo smiled and asked.
“What sister-in-law? Am I that old?” The lady boss lashed out at Sun Mo. “Moreover, I’m not married yet!”
“I’ve misspoken.”
Sun Mo apologized but was even more certain of his assessment now.
These people were definitely related to the Mount Zhao’s bandits. Otherwise, why would a slightly older unmarried lady not be scared of being caught by the evil-doers if she set up a tavern here?
“The people from Mount Zhao are all good! They don’t disturb the citizens and only kill the rich to help the poor!”
The lady boss, who hadn’t wanted to be a busybody, couldn’t help but speak up upon seeing that Sun Mo was handsome and good-looking. “Your wife is pretty and evil-doers will definitely hanker after her. Hurry up and leave. It’s best if you can reach the station in front before the sun sets.”
The lady boss immediately noticed that the waiter and chef were looking over. She pouted. She felt very helpless too!
(It’s because this scholar is so good-looking and is my type.)
“Didn’t you say that the Mount Zhao’s bandits don’t disturb the citizens?”
Sun Mo asked.
“Uhh!”
The lady boss was stumped but then argued, “There are other bandit dens around the Eight Hundred Miles Lake!”
“Hey, you’re a scholar who doesn’t know anything, and our lady boss is kind enough to give you a word of advice, but yet you’re speaking so sarcastically. Does this make any sense?”
The chef couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Speaking sarcastically?”
Sun Mo smiled. “As expected, you guys are related to the Mount Zhao’s bandits!”
“Do you now understand the human language? Didn’t I tell you that we aren’t related?”
The chef reproached.
“Shut up!”
The lady boss glared at the chef. As expected, illiterate people didn’t have any brains. His accusation of Sun Mo speaking sarcastically to them was considered a confession.
After all, people who didn’t have any relations to the Mount Zhao’s bandits wouldn’t care for Sun Mo’s mockery.
Seeing that their identities had been exposed, the lady boss stopped the pretense. She kicked a stool with her foot and then took a seat in a forthright manner, looking straight at Sun Mo. “That’s right, we’re the Mount Zhao’s bandits. What business do you have?”
The chef held onto his kitchen knife tightly, while the waiter was holding onto a stool.
“I want to join you guys!”
Sun Mo smiled, revealing eight white teeth, his level of friendliness shooting off the charts.
“Join… join us?”
The lady boss was stunned and his gaze subconsciously landed on Sun Mo. This was the clothing that only a recommended-candidate would have the right to wear!
A recommended-candidate did not need to pay taxes nor do corvée. Moreover, their social status was also many times higher than landowners in the countryside. Yet, he was saying that he wanted to become a bandit?
“Is there something wrong with your head?”
The lady boss was surprised.
“Erniang, this guy might just be trying to be a spy in Mount Zhao to eradicate our base!”
The chef’s countenance was solemn.
“That’s right! Kill him!”
The waiter suggested.
“It’s not that simple to join us! You’ll have to make an oath!”
The lady boss looked at Sun Mo and then at his wife. “You’ll also have to kill and rob!”
Mei Niang was very scared, and she held onto Sun Mo’s arm tightly.
Sun Mo patted the back of Mei Niang’s hand, gesturing for her not to be afraid. He then looked at the lady boss. “Kill how many?”
When Sun Mo asked this question calmly, for some reason, the lady boss and the other two men felt very cold even though it was the afternoon and the sun was very bright.
“This guy is a tough one!”
The lady boss’s mind cleared up, but when she looked at Sun Mo’s hands, she felt perplexed again.
That didn’t seem right.
His hands looked smooth and soft, with no calluses. It didn’t look like the hands of one who often held a blade.
Bang!
The lady boss slammed her palm on the table, saying furiously, “Are you trying to scam me?”
Sun Mo shrugged, turning his head away slightly, not caring to explain. The faint smile on his lips was mesmerizing.
The lady boss’s heart palpitated a few times, and she felt her face burning up.
(Is this how it feels to like someone?)
“Lady boss, I really wish to join the group. If I was a spy, why would I bring my wife along with me?”
Sun Mo took a look at the sky. “It’s getting late. Can we just get straight to the point?”
“Why are you getting yourself involved with the mess in Mount Zhao instead of staying as a recommended-candidate?”
The lady boss didn’t wish for Sun Mo to taint himself. After all, a bandit’s life was hard to sustain, and most of them wouldn’t have a good ending.
“I’ve killed someone!” Sun Mo felt helpless.
“Who did you kill?” The waiter felt curious.
“Pang Jili!”
After Sun Mo said that, the three of them cried out.
“Who?”
“Pang Jili!” Sun Mo repeated. “Imperial Tutor Pang’s beloved grandson!”
Sssss!
The lady boss and the two staff members drew in a cold gasp. Their gazes when looking at Sun Mo were as if they were looking at a monster.
These few days, the biggest topic in Jiangzhou was that Imperial Tutor Pang’s grandson, who had been involved in many evil deeds, had been killed.
Many people were glad to see this and praised Swallow Li San for his heroism.
The three of them didn’t expect that the person in question would appear in front of them!
“That must be a lie, right?”
The chef squinted his eyes. “I don’t believe that. You aren’t short, but you’re too thin and weak. I heard that Hero Li San had massacred several tens of lives in the Baimei Tower!”
“I’m a person who has muscles when I take off my clothes!”
Sun Mo explained.
Gulp!
The lady boss gulped and sneaked a look at Sun Mo’s chest muscles, which were blocked by his clothes.
“Lady boss!” The waiter called out.
“What’s the matter?” The lady boss frowned.
“Come over here!”
When the lady boss went over, the waiter said in a soft voice, “We can’t take this person in.”
“That’s right. Imperial Tutor Pang’s beloved grandson is dead. If it was known that the murderer is at our Mount Zhao, they’d definitely dispatch troops to wipe us out!”
The chef suggested, “Let’s just look for an excuse to reject him.”
“Why? Aren’t you Mount Zhao’s bandits self-proclaimed to be afraid of nothing in the world? But now that you’ve heard that I killed Pang Jili, you don’t dare to take me in?”
Sun Mo sneered.
“Hehe, Hero Li, don’t be looking down on us. We, the Mount Zhao’s bandits, aren’t a group that can be joined by anyone. Even if you were to make an oath, you’d still need to be able to handle my kitchen knife!”
The chef made his stance very clear that they’d need to fight it out.
He was going to test out this scholar.
“Alright!”
Sun Mo got up.
“Husband!”
Mei Niang didn’t let go and looked at Sun Mo worriedly.
“You’ve been put through suffering to be with me.”
Sun Mo felt very guilty.
At the sight of this scene, the lady boss’s heart warmed up for some reason, and her impression toward Sun Mo became better than before.
These days, women were like men’s appendages. If they were to become a concubine, they’d be a plaything.
The two guys stood on an empty land in front of the tavern, standing over ten meters away from each other!
“What’s your martial ranking amongst Mount Zhao’s bandits?”
Sun Mo felt curious. “Oh right, do you have a nickname?”
“I’m a person who won’t change my name wherever I go. I’m your Grandfather Zheng! Thanks to the great kindness from the older brothers, I have the nickname Expensive Pork!”
The chef used two kitchen knives.
“Expensive Pork?”
Sun Mo’s brows couldn’t help but frown. These words made him recall the hard life in the modern world where pork was really expensive.
“What weapons do you use?” The lady boss felt a little worried. “If you don’t have one, I’ll lend you one!”
“No need!”
Sun Mo interlocked his fingers and pushed them forward vigorously, warming up his joints. “I’m afraid that if I were to use a weapon, I’d end up killing him!”
“B*stard, you’re really arrogant!”
Expensive Pork was so angry that he was glaring fiercely. He held his knives, took his stance, and then pounced forth in huge strides. “Grandfather is going to take your life!”
Swoosh!
The kitchen knives slashed down at Sun Mo’s head.
Sun Mo backed off and turned his body, avoiding the slash. By the time the second kitchen knife came slashing down, he had put out his hands rapidly, grabbing Expensive Pork’s left wrist with his right hand and propping his elbow with his left hand, bending it hard.
Ah!
Under the intense pain, Expensive Pork let out an agonizing cry. His fingers loosened and he was unable to hold onto his kitchen knife.
Sun Mo, who had been waiting for this moment, grabbed the knife and slashed toward Expensive Pork’s face.
Swoosh!
The kitchen knife stopped in front of Expensive Pork’s nose. It still had the smell from being used to cut spiced beef earlier.
“He… he lost?”
The waiter rubbed his eyes. Expensive Pork had studied under a spear and staff master in Jiangzhou City for a few years, and his martial prowess was considered on the upper-middle tier amongst the Mount Zhao’s bandits. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been sent to protect the lady boss. It was unexpected for him to be defeated in a single move!
How on earth did this scholar do that?
“Excellent!”
The lady boss couldn’t help but praise loudly.
There was no helping it. Capable men were liked by others.
“Thank you for the match!”
Sun Mo gave a faint smile. He then shook his fingers, making a beautiful swirl with the knife and then handing it back to Expensive Pork.
Expensive Pork’s countenance flickered between green and red.
The lady boss knew that Expensive Pork found it hard to put down his pride and she thus interjected, “Young master, do you really want to become an outlaw?”
“Of course!”
Sun Mo sighed. He then shared the story of how Pang Jili had taken fancy on his wife and he hadn’t been willing to give in to Pang Jili. Therefore, he had gone to kill Pang Jili.
Given Sun Mo’s eloquence as a great teacher, he told the story in an entertaining and life-like manner. Expensive Pork was a person with rich emotions and was straightforward. After hearing the story, he slashed down vigorously on the wooden table in front of him.
“That Bastard Pang deserves to die. Brother Sun, you did well!”
Expensive Pork put up a big thumb.
“It’s been hard on you, sister!”
The lady boss sighed ruefully. These days, there wasn’t a way for kind citizens like them to survive.
“Let’s go back to Mount Zhao!”
The lady boss made the decision to recommend Sun Mo.
“Brother Sun, don’t worry. I will definitely put in a kind word for you with the boss!”
Expensive Pork patted Sun Mo’s shoulder.
His dirty hand left a big handprint on Sun Mo’s recommended-candidate clothing.
However, Sun Mo didn’t mind it at all. He patted Expensive Pork too. “Then I’ll have to thank Brother Zheng for this!”
The lady boss and the waiter secretly nodded at the sight of this scene.
These days, there were strong distinctions between statuses. However, despite being a recommended-candidate, Sun Mo didn’t despise the crude, rude, and lowly Expensive Pork. His character was very good!
Sun Mo drove the carriage and went off with Sun Erniang. That was right. The lady boss and Sun Mo shared the same family name, and she was the second child in the family. Therefore, her nickname was Sun Erniang.
The group arrived by Mount Zhao’s lakeside. After that, the waiter took off his top and entered the water. Very soon, he returned with a small boat from the depths of the reed bushes.
“Brother Sun, let’s get on the island first!”
Expensive Pork was someone who’d be convinced by capable people. Sun Mo was one of them. On the way, he asked a lot of questions on how Sun Mo had done the massacre at the Baimei Tower.
“En!”
Sun Mo helped Mei Niang out of the horse carriage and then took off the floorboard, taking out two longbows, three arrow quivers, two Yanling Steel Blades, as well as one short blade.
“…”
Sun Erniang and the other two men were stunned.
This was especially when these weapons still had dark red blood stains from when the blood coagulated.
To speak the truth, they still didn’t believe that Sun Mo could massacre the Baimei Tower singlehandedly. But he finally believed it now after seeing these weapons.
“Brother Sun, you’re this!”
Expensive Pork flashed a thumbs-up once again. He then looked at a steel blade, unable to turn his eyes away.
“You know your stuff! This is the blade belonging to Pang Jili’s personal bodyguard!”
As Sun Mo said this, he picked up the blade and drew it out.
The bright saber blade could blind a person.
“Good blade!”
The three of them praised.
Sun Mo returned the blade into its sheath and then tossed it to Expensive Pork. “There, I’m giving it to you!”
Pa!
Expensive Pork received the blade but looked surprised.
“Huh?”
Expensive Pork was stunned for a moment and then quickly returned the blade. “That can’t do. It’s too valuable!”
“We get along well. Can our relationship not compare to a saber?” Sun Mo’s countenance turned cold. “Do you look down on me?”
“Brother, what are you talking about?”
Expensive Pork became anxious.
“Alright, since Sun Dalang is giving it to you, you can just keep it.”
Sun Erniang teased, “Given Dalang’s capabilities, he’d be able to get his hands on as many of such treasured blades as he wishes to in the future!”
On the small boat, Expensive Pork hugged the treasured blade, looking as happy as a child who was 1.8 meters tall.
When they arrived at the base of the Mount Zhao’s bandits, Sun Mo heard from them that there were three people here who could call the shots. This meant that there were three bosses.
The First Boss’s surname was Huang. He used to be a constable but had come running to Mount Zhao after getting into trouble. He was the type to loaf his life away. The Second Boss’s surname was Qiu. After his fiancée was violated, he killed the landlord’s family at the night and then came to Mount Zhao with his few brothers.
They were the fiercest and best at fighting, having the strongest desires to go out and plunder!
The Third Boss’s surname was Lu. He was a peacemaker. He used to be a young master from a wealthy family, but his family was broken up and ruined due to being harmed by imperial officials. He was left with no choice but to come to Mount Zhao.
Hearing Sun Erniang sharing the stories, Sun Mo was speechless. (Is it really a good idea for you to tell everything to a newcomer like me?)
By the looks of it, this was a disorderly group too. There was a long way to go if he wished to rely on them to create a path for himself.
Mount Zhao was an island in the middle of the Eight Hundred Miles Lake. If there wasn’t anyone to lead the way, one would definitely get lost in the reed bushes.
This was also a major reason why these bandits hadn’t been eradicated.
“Erniang, you’re back?”
A few guys who were fishing by the pier greeted Sun Erniang. Their gazes then landed on Sun Mo and Mei Niang.
“En!”
Sun Erniang had a higher status here.
Of course, it could also be because she was prettier. She was only a little worse off compared to Mei Niang but had an additional hint of wild beauty.
The group had just landed on the steps and entered the mountain stronghold when a guy with a strong physique came out to welcome them
“Erniang, you’re finally back!”
The man was wearing clothing that scholars would wear, but his behavior didn’t seem like a person who would study.
“Second Boss!”
Sun Erniang greeted.
“These two are…”
The Second Boss looked toward Sun Mo. His gaze then landed on Mei Niang and lit up uncontrollably, feeling astonished by her beauty.
“This is Brother Sun and his wife. They wish to join us!”
Sun Erniang introduced Sun Mo’s background in a soft voice.
When Second Boss Qiu heard this, he sized up Sun Mo. His countenance gradually sank before he broke into a smile. “This matter will need to be decided by the First Boss!”
“We must keep a person like Brother Sun who values kinship and friendship!” Expensive Pork interjected, “I’ll go talk to the First Boss!”
…
With Sun Erniang and Expensive Pork’s help, Sun Mo spent a decent night in the mountain stronghold. However, he didn’t get to meet the First Boss.
“The rules are the same. You must kill to earn the right to join us!”
When Sun Erniang saw Sun Mo again the next day, she said solemnly, “If you wish to leave, you can still do that!”
If it wasn’t because she liked Sun Mo, why would Sun Erniang repeatedly try to dissuade him?
Becoming a bandit was really a path of no return!
