Chapter 256: Further West of Bingxun Pass — Interrogation and the Luodai Cave Bandits

Zhao Ji straightened his gear, quietly placing all excess items on the ground to avoid any clattering sounds during his later ambush.

He kept only a Long Sword on his person, with a length of rope hanging from his waist. Zhao Ji pulled his wolf-fur Cloak tight, letting the wide garment cover his entire body.

The furry Cloak could greatly absorb the subtle noises made when the body moved.

With preparations complete, Zhao Ji first retreated, circled around the outer perimeter, and approached the dazed sentry Bandit from behind.

Zhao Ji lowered his body, moving forward with his hands on the ground, advancing only one arm or leg at a time. There were only a few meters between the Bandit's back and the Shulin, and Zhao Ji moved lightly and carefully, quickly approaching beneath the target without being discovered.

He quietly looked up at the dazed Bandit sitting in the high position.

Zhao Ji took the Rope from his waist and made a slipknot at one end. He tested it quietly; once the slipknot looped around something, he only needed to pull back hard to tighten the loop.

Zhao Ji tried his best not to focus too intensely, to avoid alerting the target. He stood up lightly and carefully, finding that once he was upright, the target was not very far away. The target was sitting on a broken tree stump, seemingly having fallen into a daze and drifted off to sleep in this quiet winter night.

Squinting his eyes and using the light from the nearby campfire, Zhao Ji gently tossed the rope loop toward the target's head.

"Hmm!" After something was looped around the target's neck, the dazed man did not react.

Zhao Ji grinned and pulled the rope back hard; the slipknot tightened and choked the target's neck.

The previously dazed Bandit had his mouth forced open and eyes bulging; he instinctively tried to use his hands to pry the rope off his neck to create space to breathe.

But Zhao Ji, down below, pulled the rope again, while simultaneously stepping back hard twice.

The Bandit on the stump was pulled backward, then leaned back into empty air, falling from the three-meter-high stump.

Thump!

With a muffled sound, the Bandit was lucky; he landed on his back, and the ground was only soft dead leaves and soil, which did not cost him his life. Even so, the impact knocked the wind out of the Bandit, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

Seeing the target land, Zhao Ji hurried over, used the Rope in his hands to bind the target's body and legs haphazardly, then loosened the rope around the neck slightly to avoid strangling the target to death.

Taking a piece of Linen Cloth used for wiping sword blades from his pocket, Zhao Ji stuffed it into the target's mouth to prevent any potential shouting after the target woke up.

Zhao Ji poked his head out from behind the broken tree stump and looked at the situation by the campfire.

Whether it was because the Bandits were sleeping very soundly, apart from the snoring that came one after another, no Bandit got up to ask what was happening.

This was for the best. Zhao Ji hoisted the captured sentry Bandit onto his shoulder, returned to where he had left his things, then left the area, grabbed his Backpack, and darted into the mountain forest.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Zhao Ji patted the captured Bandit's face with his hand. He was now a bit far from the previous Bandit Jiedian; in the mountain forest, as long as the distance was sufficient, sound would not carry, so Zhao Ji quickly put down the captured Bandit and tried to wake him.

This Bandit was a young man, but it seemed that to hide his age, he had deliberately grown a beard, trying to use this method to bolster his masculine features.

However, Zhao Ji judged from the target's thin build that he clearly did not eat much and was malnourished. That deliberately grown beard did not look good either; not only was the color withered yellow, but it was also dirty, messy, and curled. Since this person had ended up like this among the Bandits, why not return to his hometown to farm? At least he could eat his fill, plant a few plots of land, and find a girl from the same village to start a family; wouldn't that be nice?

As Zhao Ji kept slapping the target's face, the Bandit finally woke up.

In the pitch-black forest, Zhao Ji could not see the target, but he judged that the target had regained consciousness through the way his breathing became tense.

"I ask, you answer! Don't try to shout, unless you don't want to live." Zhao Ji tried to make his voice sound cold, but given his age, his voice lacked the intimidation of a mature man.

To this, Zhao Ji drew the Steel Dagger from his waist and pressed the cold steel blade against the target's face.

The Bandit opposite felt the cold weapon on his face, immediately swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and made muffled sounds.

"Very good, I'll say it again: don't try to shout." After Zhao Ji finished speaking, he removed the Linen Cloth from the target's mouth and put it away.

"Are you a human or a ghost?" the Bandit opposite asked in a low voice, his teeth chattering.

Zhao Ji felt that the target did not seem to be fully awake yet; he moved the Dagger slightly, and the sharp tip pricked the target's cheek a little.

"Do you have no ears or no brain? I ask! You answer!" Zhao Ji was a bit angry.

The target began to tremble and said in a low, tearful voice: "Then hurry up and ask, don't kill me, don't kill me."

Clearing his throat, Zhao Ji asked: "Are you a member of the Yaguijing Bandit Group? Answer."

"Yes, yes, yes, I am a member of our team."

"Very good, then how long have you been in the Yaguijing group?"

After the target was silent for a moment, he replied: "Counting this winter, it's been two winters. But I rarely go out with the leader to catch a Caravan; I only handle things like standing guard and watching the Yingdi."

Zhao Ji did not believe the excuses and nonsense of these Bandits; perhaps every Bandit he captured in the future would use this kind of rhetoric.

"Do you know if there are any other Bandit Groups like yours nearby? Not counting the very small ones."

"Nearby? There aren't many. To the Bei Mian, it seems to be Old Johnny's men; there aren't many of them, but they are all the especially formidable kind, only picking Caravans carrying valuable goods to work on. To the east is Bingxun Pass; I heard that past the Kendall River, a group of people occupied a Lumber Yard. They usually log, and when they encounter a suitable target, they pick up their logging axes and go out to attack people."

Zhao Ji listened carefully: "Does this group have a name?"

"I heard the boss say it seems to be called 'Tree Fell'. I don't know who came up with such a ghostly name, but I heard they are always shouting 'Tree Fell, Tree Fell' in their mouths and then swarming up."

"That's interesting, continue!"

"To the south, a new batch recently arrived. It seems to be a group of drifters; they go out to rob, but they only want food and nothing else!" The Bandit became more and more excited as he spoke.

"What about the west? Which Bandit Groups are in the west?"

"The west is all old stuff. Every time a large Militia sweep comes, it comes from Bingxun Pass, so everyone used to run to the west and hide once they found a place."

"And then?"

"In the west, there are several large teams that call themselves mountain bandits. The closest one is a guy called 'Luodai Cave'; they occupied a Shandong, and every time the Militia sweeps, they hide in the Shandong and hide the entrance—a bunch of cunning guys. Further west are two teams side-by-side; I heard they were originally one family that split into two, both called 'Cannibal Hunting Dog'. Based on their size, we call them Big Dog and Little Dog. Further west, I haven't been; only the various leaders have occasionally gone over to attend gatherings of the leaders."

Zhao Ji heard the news about Luodai Cave and remembered it carefully, knowing that Luodai Cave was further west of this group.

As for the rest, Zhao Ji felt there was no need to ask further. He suddenly stopped speaking, and instead, taking advantage of the target's carelessness, he grabbed the front of the target's face with his left hand, covering the target's mouth tightly, and then stabbed the Dagger in his right hand into the Bandit's chest, following the gap between the subcutaneous ribs.

The Bandit struggled hard, but Zhao Ji thrust the Dagger in his right hand deep into the front of the target's chest, and the steel blade shredded the target's beating heart.

The struggle only lasted a few seconds, and then the Bandit had no strength left and went silent.

Zhao Ji cautiously did not remove his left hand from the target's mouth; he stirred the Dagger in his right hand, then carefully pulled it out, only then confirming that this person was dead.

Streams of fresh blood gushed from the wound in the target's chest, and Zhao Ji pulled the target's clothes to prevent the blood from splashing onto him.

He searched the body; this Bandit was very poor, having only a few Iron Coins and some scattered small pieces of pure copper on him.

There was nothing else good, only the few short spears the target carried on his back looked decent; he felt they would probably be good to use.

Thinking about this person standing in a high place throwing short spears with iron tips, he reckoned that as long as one was hit, it would be a serious injury, and even wearing armor would likely result in a minor injury. If it were summer, when people wore less, being hit hard by this thing would probably pierce right through a person.

"Hmph!" Zhao Ji reckoned that a Bandit who could use this kind of weapon couldn't possibly have never killed anyone while raiding a Caravan; it was all just fooling ghosts.

Zhao Ji warned himself in his heart that he must not believe a single bit of any Bandit's self-serving excuses.

Whoever believes that is a big fool.

After digging a hole in the dark to bury the bandit's corpse, Zhao Ji decided to take advantage of the night to pass through the area controlled by this Yaguijing Bandit Group.

When tomorrow's daylight comes, he will find a place to hide and rest for half the day, and use the other half to see where there might be a Shandong. Specific actions must be reserved for the safe night.

After identifying the direction, Zhao Ji safely passed through the Yaguijing territory.

Traveling through the Shulin in the dark at night is not easy; flat terrain is fine, but once the terrain becomes undulating, he must proceed with caution. In the winter Shulin at dawn, even those Bandits will not be out and about, so Zhao Ji can boldly bypass some deep ditches and dense bushes that are difficult to traverse.

In the moments before the sky began to brighten, Zhao Ji climbed a large tree again and observed the location of the Yaguijing's faint campfires from high up in the tree.

After judging the approximate distance, he felt that individual Bandit Groups probably would not be very close to each other. If it were a situation where they were right next to each other, the friction between them would likely not be small.

Therefore, after moving a distance away from the Yaguijing group, Zhao Ji dug a shallow pit in a hidden corner of a tree root, built a simple low shed with naturally fallen branches, covered it with fallen leaves, and Zhao Ji crawled into this pit.

After covering the entrance well, Zhao Ji spread out the Dog Fur Sleeping Bag in the narrow pit and crawled directly inside to sleep.

Sleeping until the afternoon, Zhao Ji carefully climbed out of this place. After coming out, he covered the place well so it could be used again next time. Casually pinching to death a few small bugs that had crawled into his clothes, Zhao Ji checked the direction and carefully advanced toward the place where the Bandit Camp might be.

According to the sentry Bandit killed earlier and Mr. Kendo from Bingxun Pass, this Bandit Group named Luodai Cave is hidden in a natural Shandong.

Since that is the case, these Bandits will certainly keep the vast majority of their things in the safe Shandong, which is very different from other Bandit Groups that need to constantly move their lairs.

Since the lair is a Shandong, the method of observing the heating fire at night used before will not work.

Should he go and catch a lone Bandit to ask?

Shaking his head, Zhao Ji felt that since the other party does not know of his existence now, it is the best time for him. If he acts recklessly and lets the Bandits know of his existence, making those Bandits vigilant, it would probably be very difficult to rescue the kidnapped people.

The first opportunity is the best, and he must seize it.

Having figured this out, Zhao Ji returned to the place where he slept earlier, left his Backpack and supplies there, and carried only a little food and some weapons on him.

He did not take the Long Spear; he brought one of the short spears he had captured earlier to use for potential sneak long-range attacks.

Where he is now, Zhao Ji estimates, is in the area between two Bandit Groups; a little further west is likely the main territory of that Luodai Cave.

While moving west, Zhao Ji left some of his usual marks on the large trees.

In the identical Shulin, as long as he follows these marks, he can return all the way to the place where he slept earlier. There is no need to worry about these marks being discovered by other patrolling Bandits; Zhao Ji's marks are all left in positions that ordinary people do not notice, and only he himself will frequently observe those places.

As long as he develops the habit, Zhao Ji can quickly find his direction in the seemingly identical Shulin.

In addition to leaving marks along the way, Zhao Ji also paid attention to traces on the ground in open terrain during his advance.

Compared to the ground in the Shulin, the Bandits who have relaxed their vigilance will certainly often walk in open and safe places. In those places, after years of walking, obvious footprints will certainly be left behind.

Zhao Ji soon made a discovery.

On an open gentle slope, he found a small path on the lawn that had been trampled by people walking frequently. He squatted down and carefully observed the human footprints on the path, discovering that people had walked here not long ago.

Judging the direction of the footprints, Zhao Ji quickly chased after these people.

After a rapid march, Zhao Ji was the first to discover the figures of a group of people.

In the process of moving forward, it is difficult for people to pay attention to safety and sightlines behind them. Therefore, Zhao Ji, who was tracking, discovered this group of people first.

The number of people is not small, there are about ten or so, and they are all gathered together, walking noisily. Those dressed in disarray on the periphery of the crowd are clearly Bandits, and a few in the middle are tied up, being pushed and shoved around. Zhao Ji estimates they might be some Caravan Shop Assistants caught recently, or commoners traveling together.

The Bandits are all carrying some things, and as they walk, they are still showing off the various things they are carrying to their companions. Those seem to be things they plundered; it is very obvious that the things they each carry on their bodies, after being plundered, become their own.

Zhao Ji estimates that when the scale of a Bandit Group is small, a few people discuss the distribution of the plundered goods and harvest. But when a Bandit Group is as large as this Luodai Cave, it is definitely another distribution model.

The group leaders will certainly occupy a portion of the plundered harvest, and the rest, it is estimated, is to maintain the enthusiasm and desire of the group members to plunder, so whoever grabs it, it belongs to them.

Of course, if someone really grabs something particularly valuable, it will certainly be forcibly occupied by the group leader. Zhao Ji estimates that there must be a set of internal distribution rules.

Similar to after a robbery is completed, the group leader has the rule of priority in picking things from the harvest of all group members.

Zhao Ji followed the footsteps of this group of people from afar. He hid himself in the Shulin, relying on the tree trunks to conceal his figure, and each time he dashed from the bottom of one tree to another.

Just like this, Zhao Ji followed closer and closer, and soon he was less than fifty meters away from that group of people.

The Bandits were all happily showing off their harvest to each other, and no one paid attention to the forest beside them. After all, they were walking on the territory of their own group, and the Bandits all have rules that, unless it is a gang fight, they do not act in the territory of another Bandit Group.

Even if they are passing through in a hurry to plunder a Caravan, they must first send someone to notify the Bandit Group whose territory they are passing through, and they can only pass quickly if the other party agrees. Even then, they must accept being tailed by the other party while passing through their territory.

The Bandits were in high spirits; after all, a Bandit Group of their scale generally only plunders some large Caravans once a year, the kind that doesn't open for business for half a year, and eats for half a year once they do. It is not that everyone in the group has the opportunity to be selected by the various leaders to be taken out to work.

There are not many rules in the Bandit Group, but they are strict. If you are not selected to go out to work and leave the group privately, that is directly regarded as defection and will be hunted down. If you want to have an opportunity, you must become a direct subordinate of a certain leader, recognize the other party as a big brother, and work like a horse or an ox.

Each leader has his own group of people, and every time the group acts, the number of people dispatched is discussed according to the scale of the plundered target. Luodai Cave has five leaders, each with at least ten and at most twenty subordinates. Although they all live together, they are not under each other's command, and everything is discussed.

This time, the Bandit Leader nicknamed 'Iron Hook Arm' has once again returned fully loaded with his subordinates.

Two days ago, they ambushed and robbed a group of migrants fleeing from the south of the Kingdom. Those who can migrate this far are all small families with some modest wealth.

When robbing the other party, the other party's resistance was still quite fierce, but they were all guys who dug for food in the fields or worked as blacksmiths in workshops; how could they be the opponents of the howling guys under his command?

His subordinates threw their specially made throwing sticks all at once, beating many people until their heads were broken and bleeding. Then they swarmed up from all directions, making the robbed migrants unable to look after both ends; the men fighting in the front were concerned about the family members hiding in the back and ran backward. The family members in the back were frightened by his subordinates, fled to the front, collided with the returning men, and were slaughtered by them.

The strong men were all killed, leaving only young women and a few male Craftsmen alive. The remaining old, weak, sick, and disabled were all thrown into the Kendall River to feed the fish.

The Bandits happily boasted to each other about how many people they had killed, which made 'Iron Hook' very excited. Thinking that the surrounding area was all their Luodai Cave territory and very safe, he led his subordinates to sing:

"We are hungry and thirsty, hiding in the grass, staring at the fat sheep as it walks up!"

"Raise the knife to splash blood and heads, harvesting treasures worth ten years of farming!"

"You ask why we are excited and wild, that is the roar of the truth of the world!"

"Roar! Roar! The blood-stained knife is violent power, Roar! Roar! The strong are born to collect everything!"

In the forest not far away, Zhao Ji listened to the loud singing of these Bandits and spat disdainfully: "The strong collect everything? If everyone thinks this way, then how can Humans organize themselves into a collective? Do they all rely on robbing? You rob me, I rob you, wouldn't it all be a mess?"

Zhao Ji muttered in a low voice: "It seems these Bandits all deserve to die; I must harden my heart."