Penny's Plan

Mixi was facing a barrage of questions, and Li Wei was just as confused. Penny had no choice but to stop and think for a moment before replying:

"My plan is actually quite simple. The crossbows we make are illegal to buy or sell. If we go to the market over there and someone reports us, we'd deserve a hundred deaths. Selling weapons isn't easy, either. We'd have to register with the guild first and pay taxes to the Lord. After all that, even if everything went smoothly, how much could we really earn?"

"So I plan to approach these bandits and robbers. They must have ways to fence stolen goods. If all we were selling was ordinary swords and knives, we'd just be leading lambs to the slaughter. But we can keep making crossbows, and these outlaws will agree to buy them. They won't turn down a source of wealth that can last. That would give us a steady market, though even so, this trade will still involve plenty of risks."

"So we need to prepare for a fight, too. Fortune favors the bold. This is worth the risk."

After hearing Penny's explanation, Li Wei was dumbfounded.

Seriously, how could she come up with something so absurd? Sis, you really do have a taste for adventure!

She usually seemed so sharp. How had she come up with a plan like this?

"Why don't we just wipe out this bandit den? Even taking their heads in for the bounty would be better than this plan," Li Wei suggested. Honestly, he couldn't understand what was going through Penny's little head.

"Shut up, George! We don't want a bounty. We want a trade route. Once we establish one, it'll be the foundation for everything that comes after. Don't you understand?"

Penny glared at Li Wei in displeasure. She'd worked herself to the bone building up their handicrafts and prospecting for ore, all to create an advantage. Could they really achieve the same thing by simply wiping out a bandit den?

The others might only want to buy some salt, but she wanted more. Once they established a trade route, everything would fall into place. Their family would earn its first pot of gold, and it could grow into a clan.

What did a little risk matter if it helped them achieve that? She wouldn't even care if she had to become a bandit chieftain's bride!

That was right. She'd even considered the worst-case scenario before coming to meet this bandit gang.

For a better completion rating, what wasn't worth sacrificing?

But when she saw Li Wei frowning and Mixi looking just as unconvinced, Penny had no choice but to soften her tone and continue explaining. "When we were fleeing earlier, we crossed paths with this gang. They robbed us at a crossroads. Father was still alive then, and he recognized their leader. He used to be a Knight Squire at Kahe Castle, it seemed, but was later wanted for a crime. His name is Anderson. Father traded two sacks of wheat with him."

"Generally speaking, Anderson is easy to deal with. His former position should also make it easier to break into the Underground Black Market, so I think we have a good chance of succeeding. But first, we have to find their hideout. Even if we give them ninety percent of the profits, we'll still come out ahead. Do you understand what I mean?"

This time, Li Wei understood. Mixi was also deep in thought. Yes, with that background, Penny's plan really did seem somewhat feasible.

Still, his personality and usual way of doing things wouldn't let him take such a risk. He didn't have any strong need to establish a trade route.

He said at once, "Sis, I understand your reasoning, but I don't want to take the risk. Can I stay farther away and keep watch for you two? You're so confident, so you won't miss me. If things get dangerous and a fight breaks out, I can still come help."

A flash of uncontrollable anger crossed Penny's face at his words, but she said nothing. She only gave Mixi a cold look. "Are you going to do the same?"

Mixi fell into thought, hesitated, then laughed cheerfully. "This plan really is crazy, totally absurd. But they say fortune favors the bold, and this really is the only way to break through. Otherwise, those Lords and the guild's crooked merchants will pick our bones clean. Let's do it. We can fight our way out if we have to!"

Mixi was actually confident. Could experienced players really be this impressive?

All right.

Li Wei knew he didn't measure up. He didn't have that kind of confidence, either. He said no more, slung his pack over his shoulder, and went to hide in the nearby thicket. At least if they couldn't win, he could still run.

No, that wasn't right. He truly hoped Penny's plan would work. He could fully understand her reasoning, too. Their family were refugees with no standing. Trying to sell things like swords, bows, and crossbows at a Lord's castle market would be even less reliable.

If they could convince these bandits and robbers, even if they only got one share out of ten, it would be worth it.

For a moment, Li Wei regretted his choice. He'd really managed to offend Penny this time.

Meanwhile, Penny and Mixi whispered together for a while, plotting. Then they cut each other's hair short, so at a glance they looked like a pair of tomboys. Next, they mixed dirt with sweat and smeared it evenly over their necks, faces, and arms. Now they looked even more alike.

Of course, they didn't overlook details like binding their chests.

Once they were ready, they looked about seventy or eighty percent like men. They ate some food, then each took supplies and headed toward the ravine ahead.

Li Wei followed through the thicket, keeping a distance of about a hundred paces. He stayed extremely alert, watching everything around him, including the ground beneath his feet.

At this time of year, he didn't have to worry much about venomous snakes or insects. But they were near a bandit hideout, so he had to watch out for traps the gang might have set.

Even a trap meant for wild animals could be deadly.

He had to look carefully, though, which inevitably slowed him down. In just a short while, Penny and Mixi had already climbed into the ravine, while Li Wei had fallen nearly a hundred and fifty meters behind.

They really had no sense of teamwork.

Li Wei grumbled to himself, but didn't dare speed up. Now he had to watch not only for possible traps, but also for sentries the bandits might have hidden nearby.

It hadn't mattered when they were farther away. Now they were getting closer, and the chance of a sentry spotting him was growing.

It wasn't as if hiding in the woods meant he could do whatever he wanted. With no wind, the swaying weeds or startled birds and beasts could all give him away.

At a time like this, all he could do was pray that the other side was a bunch of idiots.

Cautiously, Li Wei took several minutes to reach the ravine. A low ridge ran along it; once he crossed it, he'd be able to see inside. There, he saw a cliff made up of more than a dozen enormous, intact boulders, joined to the mountain behind them to form a mound. Its top was fairly flat, and there was a cave, but no people were in sight. Even the smoke he'd seen earlier was gone.

As for Penny and Mixi, they'd already crossed the stream in the ravine and reached the foot of the rocky cliff.

Damn!

Li Wei cursed silently. Were they really that skilled and fearless?

The western side of the ravine was thick with trees and shrubs, offering good cover.

But after crossing the stream, they'd reached the bare rock cliff. There was nowhere to hide there.

If anything changed, he wouldn't even have time to help.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Penny and Mixi suddenly lurched. Dust billowed from the ground, and both of them disappeared beneath it.

It was a trap!

It really was a trap!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" A loud, frantic alarm rang out. Then seven or eight wild-looking figures sprang out from all around. They were good at hiding, and their traps were well made, too.

But Li Wei was too far away. He could only make out a few disordered shouts; he couldn't hear anything more clearly. He saw several of the wild-looking figures rush over, pick up stones the size of human heads, and bring them down without mercy...