Volume One: The Menial of Changshui County Chapter 137: Robbing the Bandits

"Master Nine, what should we do?" the big black dog asked.

"Isn't there a bandit den nearby? Shall we go make some money?" Lu Jiuzhang suggested.

"Hmm, Master Nine, you read my mind!" the big black dog chuckled wickedly.

"Then... I'll put in a bit more effort this time, so give me a bigger cut later," Bai Xiaosu said seriously.

...

The three began to plan. They did not know exactly where the bandits were, so they had to figure out a way to lure them out. Not long after, Lu Jiuzhang and his companions encountered a merchant caravan. The caravan was heading to Anxi Prefecture to deliver local goods and would bring back other merchandise to sell. The caravan was also from Changshui County.

Lu Jiuzhang revealed his identity and proceeded to travel with the caravan. Since Lu Jiuzhang was a Demon Slayer, the caravan leader was more than happy to have him along. Lu Jiuzhang was a martial artist, and his presence greatly increased their safety. Under the leader's arrangements, Lu Jiuzhang sat inside a carriage, keeping a low profile.

The caravan was not large, consisting of about a dozen cargo wagons and twenty or so guards, moving slowly toward Anxi Prefecture. Inside the carriage, Bai Xiaosu looked out the window and suddenly spotted an elderly man shrouded in black mist, carrying a blade, moving forward. The old man was extremely fast, outpacing the caravan. In just a moment, he moved from the back of the caravan to the front.

"Lu Jiuzhang, look at that old man," Bai Xiaosu said, nudging him.

Lu Jiuzhang looked out the window, seeing only the old man’s back. That man must have been the evil cultivator the bandits had mentioned.

"Master Nine, my sense of danger is getting stronger!" the big black dog whispered.

Was the sense of danger coming from that evil cultivator? Lu Jiuzhang withdrew his gaze and regulated his breathing. As the old man moved further away, the big black dog's sense of danger began to fade. The caravan continued its slow, unhurried pace. About an hour later, the sun began to set behind the mountains. They were still about forty miles away from Anxi Prefecture.

"Clatter, clatter..."

Just as the caravan continued its journey, the sound of messy footsteps approached. Forty or fifty burly men appeared around the caravan. They brandished their weapons, glaring at the group with malice. "Alright, everyone, we've got work! Not a big job, just another small caravan from Changshui County."

The other bandits chimed in, "We haven't had a score in days. A small caravan is better than nothing; even a fly has some meat on it."

The leader of the bandits looked at the caravan members. "Is the boss in? My brothers haven't eaten in days. Be a good fellow and spare us a few hundred taels of silver so my men can have a full meal."

The caravan leader was flustered and looked toward Lu Jiuzhang.

"Refuse him," Lu Jiuzhang said with a smile.

The caravan leader had no choice but to steel himself and step out of the carriage. Had it not been for Lu Jiuzhang’s backing, the leader would have already been terrified out of his wits. He spoke with a trembling voice, "Gentlemen, our boss says we have no silver to spare. If you could just clear the path, that would be for the best."

"Oh, ho! This is the first time I've met someone so stubborn when being robbed!" the bandit leader scoffed. "Looks like my request for a few hundred taels was too low."

"Now it's up to a few thousand taels. We're taking all of you up to our mountain stronghold. If your families don't pay the ransom, we'll kill every one of you!"

This tactic of the bandit leader had always been infallible. In most cases, the families would obediently hand over the silver. Inside the carriage, Lu Jiuzhang grew impatient. He looked at the big black dog and Bai Xiaosu and said, "Take care of these small fries, but leave one alive. We're heading straight for their lair!"

"Got it, Master Nine. Just watch me."

The big black dog leapt out of the carriage. Its body was covered in scales, looking majestic and extraordinary—clearly no ordinary beast.

"A... a demonic beast?" the bandits gasped.

What kind of caravan was this? They were traveling with a demonic beast! If they had such a status, why would they be transporting goods? Surely there were more profitable things to do than this?

The small fries panicked. They were no match for a demonic beast. While there was a martial artist in the stronghold, he was the big boss; he wouldn't show up for a petty robbery like this—that was left to the underlings. Who knew they would run into such a tough target today!

The leader hurriedly tried to smile and make amends. "A misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding! Don't mind us, gentlemen. Please, continue on your way; just pretend you never saw us."

"Too late!" The big black dog spoke in a human voice and bounded toward the underlings. The bandits immediately grew tense. The big black dog lunged, tackled one of the bandits, and viciously bit into his neck.

The remaining bandits were frightened out of their wits. They had never seen such a sight! It was simply too brutal. Their legs turned to jelly, and they all scattered in a panic. The big black dog rampaged through the group, quickly dispatching most of them, leaving only the leader behind.

Once it was over, Lu Jiuzhang stepped out of the carriage. "Take us to your lair!" he commanded.

"My lord, I..." The bandit wanted to refuse, but before he could finish, Lu Jiuzhang cut him off. "You only have this one chance. If you don't take it, don't blame me for what happens next!"

"I'll take you! I'll take you!" the bandit leader stammered. "To be honest, my lord, I've hated that bandit den for a long time. I've always wanted to leave and stop doing these wicked things."

"But the big boss wouldn't let me go; he kept us there by force. My lord, if you can wipe out these pests, I can finally escape and start a new life."

"My lord, I was just an honest farmer before I went down the wrong path. Please don't hold it against me; just consider me blinded by bad company." The bandit leader was eager to distance himself, blurting out his excuses like beans spilling from a bag.

"You talk too much. If you want to shut up forever, I can cut out your tongue right now," Lu Jiuzhang said with a smile.

"Uh..." The bandit immediately fell silent, afraid to say another word.

"We're leaving!" Lu Jiuzhang looked at the caravan leader. "The rest of the way to Anxi Prefecture should be safe; just head straight there. Remember, tell no one about me. Act as if none of this ever happened."

"If anyone asks if you saw a young man, a young woman, and a big black dog, just say you don't know."

Lu Jiuzhang gave his instructions.

"Don't worry, my lord. You saved our caravan; I will certainly keep my mouth shut," the leader promised.

Lu Jiuzhang nodded and turned to the bandit. "Lead the way to your lair!"

The one-armed brute followed beside Lu Jiuzhang. They hid the carriages and set off toward the bandit den. It seemed there would be quite a bit of money coming their way! He wondered how much wealth this bandit den had accumulated over the years; the last one had yielded quite a bounty.