Bandit Camp

Twenty young boys and girls were swept along by fifty to sixty bandits, galloping at top speed, returning to the camp that very evening.

The Iron Mountain Gang's camp wasn't hidden deep in the mountains and forests; instead, it was built just outside a large city. Thousands of people were making noise and clamor, weapons stood in rows, and flags fluttered. From a distance, it looked more like an army preparing to attack the city.

"We're outside Jade City, aren't we?"

The sharp-faced boy, after dismounting, trembled as he guessed, still clutching Gu Shenwei's back collar with one hand.

He guessed correctly. The Iron Mountain Gang was a complex group, with people speaking all sorts of languages, but the name "Jade City" kept popping up. Moreover, everyone who mentioned the city had a joyful expression, patting each other on the back, a tacit understanding between them.

Gu Shenwei was very puzzled. He remembered that in legends, the Iron Mountain Great Head God always appeared in the vast desert and Gobi. Now, he had actually come to the outskirts of Jade City, and it didn't look like they were planning a raid.

The boys were driven forward. Almost everyone in the camp was a man, and they were curious about these children. They pointed and laughed rudely as they passed, further increasing the fear of the young slaves.

The tents in the camp were densely packed. The one in the center was the tallest, clearly the Great Head God's main tent.

The Great Head God went directly into the tent, and the ten pairs of boys and girls were also taken inside.

The tent was vast, capable of holding over a hundred people. Thick felt carpets covered the ground. The newly bought young slaves stood by the entrance, trembling, awaiting their unknown fate.

Dozens of leaders of various ranks followed their chief into the tent. Before the Great Head God could sit, he waved his hand and ordered loudly:

"Bring the meat."

The young slaves were startled. Two girls fainted, and two boys cried. The sharp-faced boy's legs went weak, and he leaned against Gu Shenwei's back, muttering tearfully:

"I was just saying it for fun, they're not going to eat people, are they?"

A group of henchmen entered in single file, bringing abundant wine and meat. Even the young slaves huddled in the corner were served food.

The wine and meat were piled casually on the carpet. Everyone sat on the ground, without any pretense of etiquette, and began to eat and drink heartily.

The smallest piece of meat was at least five or six catties, cooked rare, with blood still oozing out when bitten.

"Wh-what kind of meat is this?"

The sharp-faced boy asked in a low voice. The children who had picked up the meat to eat now put it down.

Gu Shenwei hadn't eaten much for days and was ravenous. He didn't pay attention to the sharp-faced boy's words. He grabbed a piece of meat and took a large bite. Although it was tough and gamey, it satisfied his hunger, and it certainly didn't taste like human flesh, as rumored.

With someone taking the lead, everyone else also started eating, but they all wondered if the Great Head God had bought twenty children just to have a meat feast.

Looking at the people in the tent, the Great Head God was one thing. His subordinates were all fierce-looking. Even the most normally dressed among them bared an arm, showing scars and tattoos. Some, fueled by drink, even stripped completely naked.

This was a group of men filled with energy. No matter how much wine and meat they consumed, no excess energy could be squeezed out, so they could only vent through fighting. Less than fifteen minutes after the feast began, four or five fights had already broken out sporadically. The onlookers not only didn't try to stop them but instead cheered loudly with drunken enthusiasm, throwing cups everywhere.

After eating half a piece of meat, Gu Shenwei was already full. Looking at this group of bandits, especially the tall and mighty Great Head God, an idea suddenly struck him: it would be great if he could get the help of Tieshan.

However, since the Unrivaled King and the Great Head God were friends, Gu Shenwei could only indulge in wishful thinking.

Halfway through the wine, the crowd's excitement didn't diminish; instead, it grew even more fervent. They began to take turns toasting the Great Head God. The Great Head God accepted every toast; a large bowl of wine in a normal person's hand was like a small cup to him.

One of the minor leaders, perhaps truly drunk, stood up unsteadily and said, his voice overpowering everyone in the tent:

"In a few more days, it will be Miss Tieshan's joyous occasion. These ten pairs of boys and girls were bought as part of her dowry. I wish Miss an early birth of noble children and the Great Head God an early embrace of his grandson!"

The Iron Mountain Gang didn't stand on ceremony and called their leader by his nickname. The Great Head God didn't mind, a smile on his face. He downed a bowl of wine in one gulp, clearly pleased with the congratulatory remark.

All the young slaves breathed a sigh of relief. So they were to be part of the dowry for the young lady. It seemed they wouldn't have to stay by the Great Head God's side anymore.

The sharp-faced boy exhaled in relief, then nervously whispered again:

"Isn't the young lady's husband's family also made up of bandits?"

No one answered his question, nor did anyone pay attention, because the minor leader, feeling proud, added another sentence.

"Great Head God, our young lady's reputation is renowned throughout the land, known to all. Now that she is to be married, shouldn't we, her uncles and brothers, get to see her?"

This suggestion was met with considerable agreement, but the echoing voices died down as soon as they rose. Everyone saw the Great Head God's expression change.

"You want to see my daughter?"

"No, no," the minor leader immediately realized he had said the wrong thing, his face also changed, turning green. The bowl slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. "I don't want to, I, I..."

The Great Head God stood up abruptly and picked up a spear from his side.

The spear was thick and long. Compared to it, the old servant Yang Zheng's spear looked like a child's toy.

The minor leader understood he had brought great disaster upon himself and retreated in panic, trying to force a smile onto his face, which only made it more stiff and distorted.

The Great Head God let out a roar, like a clap of thunder on a clear day. Then, he leaped up. Despite his enormous and terrifying physique, he was surprisingly agile. He flew over the heads of more than ten people, and as he landed, his spear pierced the minor leader's chest.

The Great Head God lifted the dying minor leader into the air. The minor leader gripped the spear handle with both hands, looking at his chief in horror, and said with his last ounce of strength, "Forgive... forgive me."

"My daughter, besides my precious son-in-law, no man in this world can see her. My precious son-in-law is the son of the Unrivaled King, not you bastard."

The Great Head God and the Unrivaled King were in-laws!

Gu Shenwei's heart sank. The idea of seeking the Great Head God's help for revenge was completely impossible.

Then, his heart rejoiced. He was about to enter the Golden Peng Fortress with the Great Head God's daughter. The Divine Will reappeared, after abandoning him for a few days.

His thoughts immediately settled. Before him, a clear path appeared: infiltrate the Golden Peng Fortress, find his sister's whereabouts, assassinate his enemies, and kill at least one of them.

The death of the minor leader did not disrupt the atmosphere of the banquet. The corpse was quickly carried away, and everyone continued to eat and drink.

After the feast, the ten girls were sent to the young lady's tent to be at her beck and call. The boys were sent to a small tent nearby, where their daily task was to endlessly scrub utensils and pack the dowry.

When his sister, Gu Cuilan, was preparing to marry, Gu Shenwei was still a young master with no worries, having many opportunities to speak but few to act. Now, he had to toil for a bandit's daughter he had never met. His heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.

The gaunt woman who selected slaves for the Great Head God was the young lady's personal servant, and these young slaves naturally fell under her charge.

The gaunt woman ordered them to call her "Xue Niang," and those Hu youths' first words in the Central Plains dialect would be these two characters.

Xue Niang's appearance had nothing to do with snow; her face was sallow, her cheeks gaunt, and her body like a bamboo pole. Knowing that most of these youths couldn't speak the Central Plains dialect, she was usually taciturn, often giving instructions with just a gesture.

Her fingers were slender and hard, like ten thin iron rods. Anyone who couldn't immediately understand her meaning would be poked by these iron rods, which would often leave bruises for two to three days.

All ten youths had been poked one way or another, even the sharp-faced youth who claimed to be best at pleasing his master. Every time Xue Niang entered, the sharp-faced youth would immediately snatch the work that belonged to him and start doing it with enthusiasm.

Gu Shenwei had been poked by the iron fingers a few times on his chest. His meager internal energy offered no protection, and he felt Xue Niang must have excellent martial arts skills.

The Great Head God often led his men out of the camp, sometimes returning empty-handed, sometimes with many items. It was hard to say what kind of "business" he was in.

The exact date of the wedding was still undecided, only that it was imminent. There was also a rumor that the marriage might encounter unexpected trouble.

Gu Shenwei began to feel like every day was a year in the camp.

The sharp-faced youth brought back rumors and, before finishing, reminded his listeners: "If the young lady can't get married, we'll all suffer. This is a bandit gang; they're here today and gone tomorrow. Will the Great Head God take a group of children with him? Look around the camp, do you see any other children besides us? I think the Great Head God won't sell us; he'll pierce us all with his spear, stringing us together like this."

The sharp-faced youth imitated the Great Head God's stance of spearing people. Three children were so scared they dropped the bronze utensils they were holding.

On the fifth day in the camp, the Great Head God again led his subordinates out of the camp and didn't return that night.

Gu Shenwei lay on the straw mat after a day of exhaustion, unable to sleep.

He was used to soft beds, and the straw mat felt no different from the bare ground. Sharing a tent with ten people also made him uncomfortable. Before, only the Little Book Boy Mingxiang slept in the same room with him. Mingxiang never snored, nor did he grind his teeth or toss and turn frequently.

Gu Shenwei had accepted the reality of his family's ruin, and his resolve for revenge grew stronger daily, but the details of life were still difficult to adapt to.

Someone was moving in the tent. There was a gap in the tent's roof, and a sliver of moonlight crept in. Gu Shenwei saw two youths tiptoeing towards the entrance.

It was the two youths being pursued by the Snow Mountain Swordsman.

Gu Shenwei had impulsively spoken up for them once, but they didn't seem to appreciate it at all. Of course, they couldn't speak the Central Plains dialect, but they had never shown any gratitude either.

Gu Shenwei didn't mind; he had too many things to think about himself.

The two youths looked very alike, clearly brothers. They looked around as they walked. Soon, the older brother's gaze met Gu Shenwei's.

It was at this moment that Gu Shenwei suddenly understood: the brothers intended to escape.

The older brother froze for a moment, pointed outside, and made a few simple gestures. His eyes were deeper than the night, emitting a faint glow, like a vigilant cat.

The other children were fast asleep. Gu Shenwei sat up, staring into the pair of eyes close to him, understanding the other's meaning: the brothers were inviting him to escape with them.

This was indeed a good opportunity to escape. The Great Head God had taken many subordinates with him, leaving mostly non-martial servants. The bandits had never assigned special guards to these ten youths. Several miles outside the camp was Jade City, a good place to hide from pursuit.

Gu Shenwei slowly shook his head but waved his hand gently, wishing him good luck.

He couldn't waste this excellent opportunity to enter Golden Peng Fortress. Unless he followed the young bride, it would be extremely difficult for a youth with his mediocre martial arts to get close to Golden Peng Fortress.

There lay the whereabouts of his sister and the existence of his enemy.

The other party seemed a little surprised but didn't try to persuade him further. He also waved his hand, turned, took his brother's hand, and carefully walked towards the tent's exit.

Gu Shenwei lay down again. These brothers must have had unusual experiences like him, but they couldn't communicate.

"Someone's trying to escape! Help!"

Just as the brothers lifted a corner of the tent flap, the sharp-faced youth's voice suddenly rang out. No one knew when he had woken up.

The brothers were startled. After a moment's hesitation, they turned simultaneously and rushed towards the sharp-faced youth sleeping at the innermost part.

But as soon as they took a step, they were each grabbed by a hand.

It was Xue Niang, still wearing her daytime clothes. She moved with incredible speed, as if she had been guarding the outside of the tent.