Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 276 : Wicked Scheme (1)

Chapter 276: Chapter 276 : Wicked Scheme (1)

"Freaking hell," the mountain robber leader cursed under his breath. He was so angry with everyone.

"You are all a bunch of losers," he spat at his group members as he shook his sword at them. "You are nothing but a huge embarrassment! Heavens, I cannot even look at you right now."

Never mind that he himself was beaten by a group of residents from Rainbell Town. His subordinates also did not dare to mention this to their leader, lest he erupt in a fit of rage, unleashing his fury on them. They preferred to suffer in silence than risk his wrath.

Just then, a sound of cracking branches echoed through the forest, startling the mountain robbers. They turned their heads in unison, their eyes darting to and fro, searching for the source of the noise.

The leader grinned, revealing a row of sharp, yellow teeth. "Perfect," he gnashed. "Finally, an unsuspecting victim makes his way to our lair. I hope he’s rich."

Excitement spread among the robbers like wildfire. They gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes gleaming with greed. They had been waiting for this moment for days, ever since their last victim had escaped their clutches.

Now, here was another one, walking right into their trap. They could almost taste the gold and silver that would be theirs soon.

The robbers rose to their feet, their movements silent and stealthy. They crept towards the sound of the snapping branches, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

In the heart of the dark and silent forest, a shrouded figure stood motionless, as if frozen in time. Judging by the height and muscular physique, it was a man. He remained completely impassive even as the bandits drew closer, their weapons drawn.

His eerie composure was almost unsettling.

The leader of the mountain robbers stepped forward, his voice booming through the stillness. "Hey, you!" he roared. "Hand over all your money, or face a gruesome death!"

In response, the shrouded man flung a money pouch at the leader, catching him completely off guard. The bandits exchanged bewildered glances, their minds reeling from the stranger’s unexpected action.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What is it? Not enough?" The shrouded man slowly lowered his hood, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face. The leader’s breath caught in his throat.

Speaking of beautiful men, the pale, alluring man who had escaped his grasp the last time was undoubtedly a top-notch beauty. But this man right here was equally captivating.

The leader of the mountain robbers wordlessly untied the money pouch and poured out the contents. Gold coins fell to the forest ground one by one, their tinkling sound echoing through the trees. The bandits watched in awe as the coins piled up at their feet.

The pouch was heavy with the weight of at least seventy gold coins. It was not a vast fortune, but it was a significant sum, especially given the man’s easy generosity.

The leader eyed the coins greedily. He scooped up a handful and weighed them in his palm, testing their authenticity.

"Are you here to feed the poor?" he asked mockingly, alluding to Madam Chen’s daily charity work.

The handsome man smirked. "Only when the poor work for me."

The leader’s eyes narrowed. "Oh? And what kind of work are you thinking about?"

"I want you to ambush the Lucky Pearl restaurant at Rainbell Town’s Orchid Alley," the handsome man declared.

The leader’s face turned grim. He clenched his fist around the gold coins and gritted his teeth. "No can do."

And yet, he did not bother returning the gold coins to the man opposite him. "A beauty is staying there at the moment. That guy is too strong."

"What a pity." The handsome man put on his cape again. "I was thinking of giving out a hundred taels of gold as a reward."

The words hit the leader like a ton of bricks. One hundred taels of gold! It was the amount he had been trying to extort from the little rascal who owed him money!

The leader licked his lips while glaring at the stranger. "What exactly do you want to achieve?"

The stranger smiled. "Didn’t you talk about a particularly strong guy? I want you to beat him up. To be more specific, I want you to kick his stomach hard."

The leader’s eyes widened in surprise. "Just that?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

Most people who hired them for a hit wanted at least one death, or at least crippling one target or more. This man, on the other hand, was asking them to do something much simpler. Just kick someone in the stomach.

"That’s all," the stranger confirmed, his enigmatic smile never wavered. "It’s that simple."

The leader hesitated. It was too easy. One could be convicted of murder, but a kick at someone’s stomach was pardonable. It was possible that the victim would not even press charges.

The leader thought about the one hundred taels of gold that the stranger had promised him. It was a fortune, enough to sustain their lives for several months.

The mountain robbers gazed at their leader expectantly. They were not exactly devout to any religion, but they all knew that one must not reject blessings from above. It was practically an insult to turn their heads away from the one hundred taels of gold!

The leader nodded slowly. "Alright. We will take the job."

The robbers cheered secretly, their hearts pounding with excitement. This was an easy assignment with a huge reward.

"Any specific deadline?" The leader asked while squinting at their client.

"None, but bring your best men with you. I want everything to be properly planned and executed."

The leader flashed him a wicked grin.

"No one has ever accused me of doing things half-heartedly. I shall fulfill this assignment to your utmost satisfaction."

The stranger’s lips were curled up in a sinister smile.

"Good to hear. I will pay you the one hundred taels of gold as soon as the mission is accomplished."

The stranger turned and walked away, his cloak billowing behind him in the wind.