The Thirty-Sixth Chapter

Blood sprayed from the necks of the two dead men. The two bandits, armed with bows and firearms, were already stunned. Especially when Bai Lang threw the head, still attached to the spine, towards them, the archer fumbled several times. His usually smooth and practiced motion of nocking an arrow was completely disrupted; the long arrow simply wouldn't attach to the bowstring. The man with the firearm, meanwhile, was shaking so badly it was unbelievable.

The archer let out a yell, dropped his bow, and turned to run. The man with the firearm closed his eyes and fired a shot before also dropping his weapon and fleeing. This ferocious man before them was simply too terrifying. In a daze, they had even thought they saw a fierce tiger. But, "Can they escape?" Bai Lang crossed the distance in a few steps and kicked the leg of the man who had dropped his firearm, breaking it. He then reached out and grabbed the skull of the old bandit who had dropped his bow. He didn't apply much force, but as his claws tightened, the man's scalp split open, and blood streamed down his face.

Bai Lang dragged the man to where the three had been sitting, warming themselves by the fire and eating. He casually kicked another corpse aside—this one wasn't dead yet, though the Purple Gold Mace had smashed him in half. It would take a little longer for him to die. "I ask, you answer. Who are you people?" Bai Lang directly kicked out both of the old bandit's legs, leaving him slumped on the ground, and asked.

At the same time, Bai Lang poured water from a nearby clay pot to wash his hands and rinsed the brain matter and blood off the Purple Gold Mace. The bandit was cunning, only crying and begging for mercy, claiming he was forced into banditry. Bai Lang chuckled and said nothing more, swinging the Purple Gold Mace and smashing one of the man's hands. Immediately, the man cried out that he was one of the Tongshan Bandits and begged for his life, willing to reveal everything he knew.

Bai Lang couldn't be bothered to listen. After learning they were the Tongshan Bandits, he asked where they were. "Shandong? This is Shandong, Denglai? It's already September." Once he knew this, Bai Lang casually smashed the man's skull with his mace, letting the corpse fall askew to the ground. He then helped himself to the rations cooking in the clay pot over the fire. The third level of the Golden Bell Shield was complete, so ordinary boiling water wouldn't scald him for a while.

After eating, he searched the bodies. The clothes these men wore were already foul—petty thieves didn't have the habit of bathing or changing clothes daily. Furthermore, Bai Lang's attack had been so brutal that their clothes were soaked in blood. It was unlikely any of the clothes here could be worn. This presented Bai Lang with a dilemma. "I can't possibly go into the city like this? I don't have any identification, like a waist token, and no clothes. Who would let me in?"

Then he remembered the bandits had pack animals. He went around to the back and, sure enough, found seven mules, but no horses. These bandits also had silver and other valuables. Bai Lang felt them—he only recognized silver, gold, and copper coins. However, there were quite a few women's silver hairpins among them, indicating these people had committed many wicked deeds, and their deaths were too good for them.

The mules had saddlebags, which contained some loose silver and rations, but truly no spare clothes. Bai Lang cursed and gathered all the weapons of these dead ghosts, placing them on the mules. He himself rode one of the mules down the road—heading towards Yanzhou, which was closer than Dengzhou or Laiyang. He had also chopped off the heads of the few bandits who were still somewhat intact, hanging them from the mules as he rode off, swaying.

The next day, the city of Yanzhou was in sight. There were some signs of human habitation along the road, but these settlements were fortified and didn't allow Bai Lang to approach—who would let a naked man get close? Moreover, he was riding a mule, leading six others, with human heads hanging from them. It was better not to approach such a strange person.

At the Yanzhou city gate, Bai Lang dismounted his mule from a distance and led it over. Under the wary eyes of the guards, Bai Lang shouted, "I've come to enlist! To enlist!" Then he pulled out a mule. "These are the heads of the Tongshan Bandits! My proof of enlistment!" The yamen runners, the guards, and even the city defenders were stunned. This man was wearing nothing but a loincloth, completely lacking in decorum, yet he was here shouting about enlisting and claiming to have proof.

Immediately, several people came to look. They saw a fine, strapping fellow—Bai Lang's build was considered tall for the time, and his fair skin and tender flesh suggested he wasn't from a poor background. On the way, Bai Lang had been thinking about what kind of origin he should claim. "If I say I'm a scholar? I don't know the Four Books and Five Classics well, and I don't have a scholar's waist token. An old scholar in the city could see through that in a few words. What if I say I'm a merchant from the south? That's also difficult. What if they ask me what business I do? These twin Purple Gold Maces can't be hidden. A business without capital? I might as well say I'm the young master of a wealthy family from the southern countryside. I've always enjoyed practicing martial arts, came north to gain experience, and was robbed of my clothes by bandits while bathing, so I killed them in anger. I wonder if that will work."

When those men pointed their spears at Bai Lang and invited him in—this was a treatment only afforded after verifying the heads and confirming they were indeed bandits—Bai Lang entered. Inside, a person in blue-green clothing, who looked like an official, asked him his identity from a distance. Bai Lang gave the excuse he had concocted on the road.

Bai Lang only saw a half-smile on the official's face, but then he coughed and said, "Since you wish to enlist, Sir, why not go to Jinan city to seek your fortune?" Bai Lang knew the official likely hadn't believed a word he said. He had no choice but to say, "May I at least buy some clothes and rest my feet? This... this is truly undignified."

Hearing Bai Lang speak in such a refined manner, the official nodded. "That would be for the best. You men, take this brave warrior to buy clothes."

Bai Lang was also sensible. "I will present these mules and horses to the yamen. As for these weapons, you brothers can keep them safe for me." The yamen runners chuckled and led the mules away. However, as soon as one of them grabbed the Purple Gold Mace, he immediately let go. "Damn! What is this thing! So heavy!" He almost dropped it on his foot. The Purple Gold Mace landed on the ground, kicking up dust.

"Polished Purple Gold Mace, weighing sixty-four jin. It is my weapon," Bai Lang said, looking at the Purple Gold Mace on the ground.

Silence.

Storytellers often spoke of how Lord Guan's Cold Beauty Saw in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms weighed eighty-two jin, yet this man's iron mace in hand weighed sixty-four jin? Could this be a rare and formidable general? The yamen runner used both hands to lift the Purple Gold Mace from the ground. "Sir, this iron mace truly weighs sixty-four jin!"

The official was also stunned for a moment, then his face showed a thoughtful expression. "You men, first take this brave warrior Bai to buy clothes. No, no, you go, buy them and present them to brave warrior Bai. Don't let brave warrior Bai lose face outside. Brave warrior Bai, please wait here for a moment, I will be back shortly." With that, he left quickly.

Holy crap.