flstandardbreds Chapter 156 Equalizing Wealth
Chapter 156 Equalizing Wealth
The caravan would stop along the mountain road at night, close to the water, both for easy access to water and to guard against danger.
Lin Fan "flew" into the forest and glanced around. There were many people moving about in the woods.
Without hesitation, he knew this wasn't the time to hold back, so he took out a Power Pill and swallowed it. He put his hand in his mouth and whistled, causing the ground beneath his feet to tremble slightly, and the mechanical beast Xiao Yi crawled out.
Taking advantage of his superior visibility, Lin Fan stealthily approached a man wearing a hat. The man cried out, feeling a sharp pain in his calf. He was about to fall down when he saw someone beside him raise a wooden sword high and smash it down on his head.
With a thud, Lin Fan felt that something was wrong with his touch.
Not only was the man's head not smashed, but he was also rolling on the ground clutching his head.
Lin Fan then realized that what he was wearing was not a hat, but a simple iron helmet.
"Damn it!" Lin Fan cursed inwardly, dropped the wooden sword, and drew the black knife from his waist, stabbing the man in the neck.
Regardless of whether he was dead or not, Lin Fan continued to make his way into the group of people.
Meanwhile, the caravan, though lacking in guards, was not in immediate danger due to its advantageous location.
Both the bandits and the guards had crossbows, and they were exchanging fire from a distance. The caravan, using the wagons as cover, clearly had the advantage. Even if some bandits risked charging down, they would probably just get impaled on the raised spears.
It seems the caravan leader didn't expect his own guards to be so difficult to deal with.
It's not that the bandits couldn't take advantage of their numbers and overwhelm them, but they wouldn't be willing to risk more than a dozen lives for these goods.
Then someone on the hilltop shouted, "Brothers down below, we are the righteous army. We do not wish to harm you. We have come only to raise funds for the army. As long as you are willing to give up your wealth and leave, we will not make things difficult for you."
No one in the caravan would agree to this. For caravan members, their wealth was their lifeblood; most people would not survive if they gave up their wealth.
At this moment, only the shopkeeper was hiding behind the carriage, surrounded by guards, and was actually considering the proposal.
A moment later, he shouted to the king, "Your Majesty, we are willing to offer some gold and silver as tribute, begging Your Majesty to spare our lives!"
The bandit leader thought for a moment and then replied, “The Great Qian Emperor is acting against the natural order. We follow General Ren to equalize wealth and save the people. Please do not disturb us. Whether you are male or female, if you have nowhere to go, you can find a job in the righteous army. In the future, you will be doing a service to the emperor. If you resist to the end, men will have their tongues cut out and become slaves, and women will become military prostitutes. Don’t miss this opportunity.”
Lin Fan, who had just killed another bandit in the forest, almost laughed when he heard this. Another one tricking people into becoming bandits. Come to think of it, this routine seems so familiar.
Lin Fan, being on the mountain, had a clearer view than the caravan below. The mountain was teeming with bandits; if they were to charge, the caravan's guards would crumble instantly. The bandits were simply trying to minimize their own casualties by threatening them.
Lin Fan felt a chill run down his spine. If things were truly beyond saving, Niu Dadan could still fly and take Doctor Lei and Sun Ruolan with him. If he stayed behind to cover their retreat, the rest of them wouldn't be trapped here.
It wasn't that Lin Fan was blindly confident; even if the opponent had several third-tier martial artists, they wouldn't be able to stop him before the rooster crowed.
However, he wasn't going to just abandon the caravan. There was only one way to save it: follow the sound to find the bandit leader. If he could kill him in one blow, the bandits might just retreat.
Xiao Yi didn't need any extra orders. He found the bandit blocking his way in the bushes ahead, bit off his calf, and Lin Fan came up to cover his mouth. He then stabbed the bandit in the chest several times before continuing to walk towards the direction of the sound.
"Ninth Brother, it seems they're unwilling to give up no matter what."
The man known as Ninth Brother pondered for a moment, "These people won't admit defeat until they see the coffin. Well, we can't have come all this way for nothing. I'll give the kids the order to launch a full-scale attack."
Just then, Ninth Brother suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and instinctively drew his knife to block in front of his face.
Deng!
Sparks flew as the two swords clashed.
A dark blue figure swiftly swept past him, nearly managing to snipe and sever Ninth Brother's head.
Ninth Brother glanced at the nick on his knife and frowned slightly.
Lin Fan frowned slightly. This person must be a third-tier martial artist; their senses were so sharp that they could even react to his sneak attack using the speed of the spider egg. Moreover, his hand felt slightly numb; the force of that attack was enough to overwhelm even an ordinary person wielding a knife.
Lin Fan didn't want to do it again while he was still in a daze, but he was so disgusted that he had to try to suppress it first, otherwise he might make things worse if he acted hastily.
Ninth Brother glanced at Lin Fan's clothes hanging in the tree and laughed, "I've long admired the Four Seas Escort Agency, and seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary. But, sir, is it really worth risking your life for a few coins?"
Lin Fan didn't answer, but threw out the sickle in his hand. With his free hand, he grabbed it and rushed towards Ninth Brother at lightning speed. The two clashed their blades again. Lin Fan reached out to recall the sickle, but it was blocked in mid-air where there was nothing.
By the time Lin Fan had settled down and grabbed the sickle, Ninth Brother had already jumped back a few steps, creating some distance. This time, he could see clearly that the person in front of him was extremely strange; his speed was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, his swordsmanship was poor, yet he possessed an inexplicable immense strength.
He still said kindly, "You are truly skilled, why not join my righteous army and rise up together!"
While trying to calm his growing nausea, Lin Fan stalled for time, saying, "Forget it. You even have to rob merchants for military supplies. What great things can you accomplish?"
As soon as Lin Fan finished speaking, he felt a killing intent coming from the side, but when he looked closely, there was nothing there.
Sensing the killing intent, he raised his scythe to parry.
Clang! He blocked a dagger.
Lin Fan broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily, there was one that could turn invisible.
However, at least when he makes a move, he reveals his hand and dagger, as well as half of his sinister and blurry face. This face looks like it's underwater, with floating fish swimming on it, occasionally revealing half of it.
Ninth Brother wouldn't let this opportunity slip by either, and he brought his broadsword down on Lin Fan's head, saying, "Brother, really not going to consider it? We're both risking our lives anyway, so why not join me in doing something big?"
Lin Fan was busy parrying with both hands, but he didn't panic. He focused his attention on his navel, and with a thought, he flew up the tree.
Once Lin Fan reached the tree, he finally couldn't help but gag for a while. After doing so several times in a short period of time, his stomach felt like it was on fire.
He held his breath, waiting for the Soul-Suppressing Pearl to take effect, then looked down at the exit and said, "You always claim to be a rebel army? For whom are you rebelling?"
Ninth Brother slung the knife over his shoulder. "Of course, it's for the sake of equalizing wealth. Corrupt officials are rich, and I'm poor. If we rob the corrupt officials of their money and give it to me, wouldn't that equalize wealth?"