Overwhelming mountains and rivers

It takes two hours to ride a horse from Zhoucheng to Lushan Temple. Lushan is located in the mountains outside the Zhoucheng, and the mountain roads are long and not easy to walk.

"I opened this road, I planted this tree! If you want to, if you want to, uh, anyway, if you want to pass, just keep the money!"

"...!"

When the two rode their horses into the wooden mountain, dozens of bandits with knives and sticks suddenly rushed out in front of them, and there were only a few miles away from Lushan.

The two couldn't help stopping their horses and tightened the reins.

"Brother! These two people know they are rich when they look at what they are wearing! Maybe they are still officials. Damn it, I just want to grab an official position!" The person who spoke was a young man in his 30s. He tugged at a shorter middle-aged man with a beard who looked about 50 years old, who was cursing a little bit.

The middle-aged man put the machete on his back and shouted: "You two, leave the money, I will let you live!"

The two didn't answer, they just looked at them and didn't move.The middle-aged man couldn't help being a little short of breath, and tried his best to calm down again, and said: "You keep the silver, I don't think you are a bad person, I promise you to keep enough money for yourself, and I don't want to kill you."

Hearing this, Chu Xuanzhao couldn't help being a little surprised, this bandit doesn't seem to have lost his conscience?

Seeing that they were still not moving, the middle-aged man waved the machete in his hand and said loudly, "What about you! If you don't come up with the money, don't blame me for being rude! That man in white, your face His mask is silver, right? What a rich man! As long as you keep that mask, I will let you go!"

"..."

Chu Xuanzhao couldn't hold his breath, almost burst out laughing, turned his head and glanced at Pavilion Master Chenyin, who was filled with icy aura all over his body, before he could hold back.

"If you want to take it, go ahead and take it." The white-clothed man's tone was as calm as ever, but Chu Xuanzhao, who was closest to him, could feel the murderous aura flashing away from him.

Seeing that the man in white was about to make a move, Chu Xuanzhao quickly reached out and grabbed him, "Pavilion Master, be merciful! I think these bandits are a bit strange. They don't look like vicious bandits, but rather desperate people."

The man in white looked at Chu Xuanzhao's hand holding his wrist, and then raised his eyelids to look at Chu Xuanzhao. Seeing that he hadn't responded, he shook his wrist.

"..."

Chu Xuanzhao let go of his hand immediately, "Pavilion Master calm down."

"What if it's a bandit, so what if it's a commoner? What does it have to do with me? The commoners shouldn't be punished for doing something wrong!" At the end, the tone of the man in white couldn't help but aggravate.

Chu Xuanzhao is a little strange. Ever since he met him, the man in front of him has always been cold and indifferent. It seems that nothing can move him. He is extremely indifferent to everything that has nothing to do with Chenyin Pavilion. The gangster was obviously mixed with anger.

Chu Xuanzhao couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it.At this moment, the bandit on the opposite side was already a little impatient, "Have you discussed it through chirping?"

"We came out in a hurry and didn't bring any silver taels. I don't think you are villains. Can you be accommodating?"

"Evil bandits? We are not evil bandits! Our brothers were forced by the officials. We are righteous bandits, and what we do is to rob the rich and help the poor!" The leader of the man patted himself on the chest, as if he was quite upset about it. be proud of.

"Oh? I am a man of the rivers and lakes. I usually admire the chivalrous men who rob the rich and help the poor. Now that I am walking in the rivers and lakes, I don't have much money on me. However, brothers seem to have some difficulties. I don't know if it is convenient to let me know. Maybe I can help " Chu Xuanzhao wanted to find out what was going on with these people, turned his head to look at the man in white, and saw that he had recovered his calm appearance, so he expressed his thoughts to the bandits.

"I don't think you guys look like bad guys, why don't you come and sit in the cottage, we don't expect any help from you, if there is anything you want to know, brothers, if you know anything, just tell you!" The bandit next to him waved his hand, "Come on, brothers, invite these two knights to come to our Mushan village!"

"yes, Sir!"

The bandits gave way, and Chu Xuanzhao turned his head to look at the white-clothed man next to him. Seeing that he had no intention of objecting, he jumped off the saddle and led the horse, and walked slowly up the mountain with the bandits. Pavilion Master Chenyin also followed.

As soon as he entered Mushanzhai, Chu Xuanzhao wondered if he had gone to the wrong place. He and the man in white beside him looked at each other, and both saw the surprise in the other's eyes.

This place is not as rampant as imagined, full of minions, but like a paradise, with old people sitting under the trees, women with children, and even men manipulating crops in front of the houses.

"This is our wooden cottage." The cheeky man introduced to the two, "Please sit down, I'll let someone prepare some meals."

The man turned around and yelled: "From Ge Shun's family, there are distinguished guests in the village. You are the best cook, go and cook some dishes!" There was a strong warmth coming out.

"Hey! Let's go now, honored guest wait a moment." The two looked out from the spacious main hall, and saw a middle-aged woman in her 50s who answered. There was still a patch, but the woman's face was filled with a warm and satisfied smile.

"We are all rough people. If there is something that is not in place, please don't laugh at it, two honored guests." The cheeky man threw his sleeves on the stool, "Please sit down, honored guest. It is getting dark now, and it is inconvenient to travel, honored guest." It's better to spend the night in the village."

"Why do you want to disturb me?" Seeing that the man beside him didn't intend to speak, Chu Xuanzhao had no choice but to take the initiative to negotiate.

"Hi! Don't bother me! There are vacant rooms in the village, and there are only two sets of bowls and chopsticks for dinner. As long as the distinguished guests are not too shabby, that's fine."

"How could it be that the village master took in the village master's benevolence, and it's too late for the two of us to be grateful." Chu Xuanzhao waved his hand, paused for a while, and asked after thinking about it, "I don't think you are like bandits, but Like peasants, why did they come to this wooden mountain and become bandits?"

Hearing his question, the people around him also turned to look this way, obviously curious about this matter.

"Hey~, we don't know too much about this matter, out-and-out common people, who would like to go up the mountain to become a bandit, it's all for survival!" The cheeky man sighed, and he was full of helplessness when he mentioned this matter.

"Oh? What's going on?" Chu Xuanzhao couldn't help but become more curious.

"This matter started half a year ago." The cheeky man glanced out, pulled the stool under him, and sat closer to the two of them.

"We were originally ordinary people in Basong County. Six months ago, the county magistrate suddenly sent yamen servants to arrest about four or five hundred of us and put them in jail. The youngest of the arrested people was only in their teens, and the oldest were in their 60s. They have everything. The county magistrate said that we committed a serious crime and will be beheaded!"

"We were very confused when we heard it, so we asked the county magistrate if he had made a mistake. The county magistrate said that there was no mistake, and that we were bandits and troublemakers! We naturally refused to admit that the hat was taken off. But no matter how we complained, the magistrate would not even show his face. After waiting like this for a few days, the magistrate sent many people to say that what we committed was a big case. If we can’t make up our minds, we will be sent to the Yamen of Zhoucheng for interrogation.”

"At the time, we were very happy to hear that, thinking that we would be able to redress our grievances when we went to the Yamen of Zhoucheng and met the high officials! Who knew, when we were taken to the prison in Zhoucheng, we found that there were already 500 people locked up in the prison. After asking, I found out that they are also from the same county, and they were charged and imprisoned here just like us."

"Oh? Then what?"

Hearing this, Chu Xuanzhao had some bad premonition, so he couldn't help asking.The breathing of the person beside him was almost inaudible, and his eyes were pierced through the silver mask, waiting for the man to continue.

"On the third day we were locked in the prison, the first 500 people were taken out. We thought they were released, but that night, we heard the jailer say something, 'Well, it's not too late to die. These ignorant people are really naive to try to clear their charges.'Most of us couldn't hear what the jailer said next. At that time, we only felt that the whole person was shrouded in great fear. Four to five hundred people, just gone!"

Chu Xuanzhao was startled, "What do you mean no more?"

"That's what the jailer said. We also guessed that they were executed, but we don't understand. We are just ordinary people. There are so many people. Why..." The middle-aged man had a painful expression, mixed with a trace of confusion.

"We wanted to escape, but we couldn't escape! The prison was stronger than we imagined, and the guards were strict. So we calmed down slowly. At this time, some people suggested that when they sent someone to escort us out, we would rob We might be able to escape by using the swords of the escorting soldiers. We all felt that this method was feasible, and after about a few days, the people above really sent someone to escort us.”

"As soon as we got out of the prison, we collectively launched a resistance. We fought with the escorts and desperately grabbed the weapons in their hands. The escorts probably didn't expect this to happen. We escaped smoothly, but brother But nearly half of them died. We went all the way north and hid in the mountains, and they couldn't find us."

"Although we escaped at that time, we were tired and hungry, with wounds on our bodies, and didn't know where to go. At this time, we met the bandits in Mushan. The bandits in Mushan were not what they are now. Bandits Although most of them are from common people, the few leaders are all vicious villains."

"At that time, we were very desperate. We just felt that we had just stepped out of the tiger's den, and then entered the wolf's den. However, at this time, a few people from Mushan bandits came, saying that they saw us many people, and they were all holding knives. It’s been a long time, and he wants to cooperate with us, and he also said that whoever can kill the current village owner will be the new village owner of Mushan.”

"We were worried about having nowhere to go. Didn't those officials say that we were bandits? Then I will be a bandit to show him! We hit it off with the people at that time. In the chaos that night, I was the lucky one. After killing the previous village master, they really showed their loyalty and pushed me to be the new village master."

"After discussing with my brothers, I was very concerned about my relatives at home, so I went down the mountain and sneaked back to Basong County, and quietly connected my family to Mushan. When those officials reacted, we almost stood firm on this Mushan. Yes. In the past six months, we have gradually gathered the bandits from the nearby small hills, and the current Mushan bandits, even the government, can easily do nothing about it."

The middle-aged man stopped, his complexion still not recovered, he seemed to be a little thirsty, he picked up the porcelain bowl next to him and drank a few sips of water.

"Well, no matter what, it's over. Now we, old and young, live in this wooden mountain, and we don't have to pay food and taxes. Occasionally, we can snatch a rich businessman or a corrupt official. Not only can we be self-sufficient, but we can also help the poor at the foot of the mountain. Days It’s more comfortable than before! Now even if someone asks us to go down the mountain and become the ordinary people oppressed by the government, we still don’t want to.”

Having said that, the man's complexion improved a lot. Remembering the uncooked meal, he shouted out again.