The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 102 - 93 Qinling Ancient Trail

Chapter 102: Chapter 93 Qinling Ancient Trail

"How about the tough one?"

A gentle voice emerged from the darkness.

Then, a person slowly walked to the window.

He was not very old, dressed in a green Confucian robe. His skin was fair, his face brimming with a smile, and he looked like a scholar out on an excursion.

Looking at this seemingly harmless young man, a flash of fear crossed the eyes of the bearded man, who lowered his head in servility, saying, "That’s right, Third Brother, you possess unparalleled wisdom and strategy. Handling these people should be a breeze for you."

The young man glanced at him and shook his head, sighing, "I don’t want to overwork myself either, but there’s no other way. Winter is approaching, and the fellows in the camp need to collect dividends for winter shelter."

"You know what’s happening on the mountain. If we don’t gather enough Silver Taels, I’m afraid the camp will collapse next year."

He said this, then looked outside the window, "On Nanshan, there’s more than one group eying this guy, but whether they can make it happen is another story."

"Let’s first think of a way to get to the bottom of this."

"Yes, Third Brother!"

"Hmm?"

"Yes, Young Master..."

...

The drizzle continued, and the autumn days grew shorter.

By the time Sha Lifei returned from the inn, the sky had turned dark, and in the dilapidated main hall of the large house, the fire was flickering, and the scent of delicious food was in the air.

Sha Lifei sniffed, his eyes lit up, and he immediately quickened his pace. Before entering the door, he called out loudly, "Well, having a meal without waiting for me!"

"What’s the hurry?"

Li Yan was sitting on the stone bricks, wiping the Guan Mountain Blade in his hand, "Although the mountain chickens are fat in autumn, they’re still a bit tough. Cooking them longer will make them more tender."

On the road, they didn’t have to worry about meat.

Ordinary people hurried on their journey and couldn’t catch wild game, even if they occasionally encountered some by the roadside.

But for Li Yan, this was not a problem.

His sense of smell was extraordinary, and nothing could escape his notice when it approached. He got some throwing knives in Xianyang City, and as they walked, he would suddenly toss one out, often securing some game.

Smelling the aromas wafting from the big pot, everyone was salivating, but no one dared to lift the lid.

This Young Hero Li was very particular about his food. If the timing was off and someone lifted the lid too soon, it would make him angry.

Sha Lifei had to hold back, placing down the wine jug and side dishes, then leaned close to Li Yan and shared the information he’d gathered.

Li Yan frowned, "The bandits are preparing for winter?"

Sha Lifei nodded, "Most likely!"

A young porter looked a bit curious, "Why prepare for winter?"

The driver, Old Meng, couldn’t hold back, rushing to pour himself a bowl of wine, took a couple of sips, then squinted and said, "Doing Jianghu business, don’t you know this?"

"The winter on the mountain is not easy to pass. Especially in Qinling, when the heavy snow seals the mountain, with scarce food and clothes, and the roads cut off, the bandits can’t rob anything. Staying on the mountain, wouldn’t they be crazy?"

"So, every year around this time, they’ll do a big raid and then scatter down the mountain after splitting the Silver. Some go back to visit their old mothers, some hide out with old lovers at the brothel, and some go to the village to gamble..."

"In short, everyone is busy with their own thing."

"Next spring, the bandit chief will gather people. If anyone doesn’t arrive on time, it’s three knife wounds. If they die in a conflict with others, they join forces for revenge."

"After all this is done, they continue blocking the road and robbing people."

The young man was dumbfounded, "Go see their old mother?"

Sha Lifei sneered sarcastically, "Bandits aren’t born from rocks; of course, they have old mothers, some even support their families."

"Sometimes, you see someone from the village, not behaving properly, suddenly going out for business and only coming back during the New Year with some money, it’s often suspicious!"

"Oh, I see..."

The young porter suddenly understood.

Then, everyone looked towards Li Yan.

The porters thought that the decision-maker in the group would be someone with rich experience in the pugilistic world like Sha Lifei or the steady and mature Wang Daoxuan.

But over these days, Li Yan had arranged everything so impeccably, they were completely convinced by him.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "Let’s talk more when we reach Zhongnan Mountain. The news about the bandit trouble at Nanshan must have spread. Let’s see how they handle it..."

At this moment, he suddenly furrowed his brows, looking outside the door, "Someone’s coming. There are quite a few. Be careful, everyone."

Sha Lifei quickly grabbed a knife and got up, took a look at the door, and shook his head, "It’s those officials, they really came!"

Saying this, he recounted what he saw at the inn.

Li Yan said nothing, looking at Wang Daoxuan.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head, "They’re just travelers, and it’s nothing to grant them convenience. We can vacate a room."

This was the division of responsibilities among the trio.

Li Yan was the one to make harsh remarks, Wang Daoxuan acted as a mediator, and Sha Lifei adapted based on the situation, tough when needed, soft when necessary, always leaving room for maneuver.

Sure enough, as soon as they finished speaking, a man named Feng Ping clasped his hands at the door and said, "Gentlemen, the wind is strong and the rain is heavy. Could you show some kindness and let us have a room?"

"Alright, we’re easy to talk to."

Having already made a decision, Sha Lifei naturally played the good guy, moving their things with the porters to the side room, even asking, "We have some hot food here, do you want some?"

"Thank you, but no."

Middle-aged Feng Ping, with a stern face, clasped his fists.

Sha Lifei was being polite. If they had asked, he wouldn’t have wanted to give it, so he shrugged and turned back into the room.

Watching them leave, Feng Ping began to direct others to start a fire. He himself lifted the curtain of a sedan chair, carefully supporting an elderly man down.

The old man was tall but somewhat plump, with white brows and a long beard, eyes that were calm but inexplicably exuded an aura of authority.

"Madam, Miss, we’ve arrived." Feng Ping lifted the curtain of a second sedan chair, from which emerged a woman in white with a graceful appearance, supporting an elderly lady.