"Let me ask you, have there been any new developments around Mount Ji and Mount Dang?" Seeing that it was Zuo You, Zhang Xing called his question from a distance.
At his words, Zuo You cautiously approached. When he reached him, he did not dare sit, but merely stood there with a wry smile. "Nothing but drums beating and gongs sounding in urgent preparation!"
"If preparations are that urgent, information about their leaders ought to have surfaced... what have you heard?" Zhang Xing remained seated at the table on the street, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and kept asking questions.
"Naturally, there is some." Zuo Youxian also tucked his hands into his sleeves, imitating the other man, and grew serious. "To be frank with you, Zhang White Ribbon, things around Mount Ji are all right. Headman Xu has been handling affairs throughout the six months I've been drifting around here... but Mount Dang has been much more chaotic. The mountains there are vast, with plenty of people, and they've had seven or eight clashes in half a year. They've been short of grain ever since winter began. But just a few days ago, perhaps because they heard grain boats would be heading north in winter, they swore brotherhood again. Including Headman Xu, there seem to be thirteen of them. They agreed they absolutely had to carry out this robbery together, without any more infighting... I've heard that some small bands of wandering bandits from the Eastern Territories are also planning to join."
Zhang Xing nodded slowly. "Is Du Pozhen one of them?"
"Yes." Zuo Youxian thought for a moment. "There is such a man. He was originally a sheep thief from the Eastern Territories... a small-time operator, with low cultivation and few followers. He nearly wasn't included in the