Though Liu Lang had been away for quite some time, he had heard about the major events that had recently unfolded in Shuzhou.
That was why he had hurried back from Guang'an.
He wanted only to confront "Chen Yu" and demand to know why he had not brought him along on something as momentous as rescuing people from the Barbarian Tribe.
Originally, Zhang Dabao could have offered several answers, most of them along the lines of worrying that he would hold them back.
But after several Horse Bandits on the Tea Horse Road passed along some news, even Zhang Dabao struggled to find a way to console Liu Lang.
Horse Bandits named Zhang Badan, Qiu Shan, and Xi Yanqiu had accompanied "Dragon Tiger" Chen Yu into Barbarian Tribe territory!
Although those men did not know the purpose of Chen Yu's journey, they had indeed ventured deep into Barbarian Tribe territory and returned safely just before reaching the Black Bear Tribe.
That alone had made Xi Yanqiu and the other two famous along the Tea Horse Road, even earning them invitations from several large Ma Gangs.
However, Xi Yanqiu and Qiu Shan knew their own limits. With their meager strength, they would be nothing more than foot soldiers charging into battle in those Ma Gangs. They were better off making a living in Jinshan Town, where they might have a chance to rise someday.
Zhang Badan had chosen differently. He had been forced to enter Barbarian Tribe territory, and after returning, he used that experience to get into the Elephant King Banner.
Yes, the very Elephant King Banner that rivaled King Landu's Peacock King Banner.
Not only that, but his years of traveling back and forth to Barbarian Tribe territory had also helped him secure a position as Hundred-Man Commander in