Chapter 14: Zhang Jie: My Money!

Zhang Jie did not know that both of his rare nighttime outings had nearly been discovered.

Otherwise, he would have sighed, “I, Zhang Jie, am truly a man of upright virtue, [3] unsuited for sneaking around and doing things in the dark.”

Not suited for sneaky, shadowy deeds.

Zhang Jie was now galloping across the open wilderness, heading toward the bandit lair he had already learned of.

In less than half an hour, he arrived at the foot of Wild Boar Mountain, over twenty li from Yanggu County’s town.

Though its name was unappealing and its height modest, [7] the mountain’s terrain was treacherous, with steep cliffs and dense forests, teeming with snakes, insects, rats, and vermin.

But the terrain is treacherous, with high mountains and dense forests, teeming with snakes, insects, rats, and ants.

From afar, the mountain’s peak resembled a wild boar’s head with bared tusks—hence the name Wild Boar Mountain.

The main peak’s terrain was perilous, accessible only by a narrow goat path.

In terms of topography, it was a case of one man holding the pass, ten thousand unable to advance.

As long as the entrance was guarded, even a hundred or a thousand men could not scale it.

Fortunately, the mountain’s base was small and covered in jagged rocks, unsuitable for farming, [13] and it had only one small water source capable of serving a hundred or so people—this prevented it from becoming a large bandit stronghold like Erlong Mountain, [14] Shaohua Mountain, or Qingfeng Mountain, which housed hundreds or even thousands of bandits.

And there was only one small water source capable of serving a hundred or so people, which is why it never grew into a large bandit stronghold like Erlong Mountain,

Shaohua Mountain, or Qingfeng Mountain, which gathered hundreds or even thousands of outlaws.

The authorities had tried to suppress Wild Boar Mountain before, but too few troops could not take it; [16] too many, and the bandits fled into cliffs, deep forests, and hidden paths.

When too many came, the bandits fled into the cliffs, deep mountains, and thick forests.

After several failed crackdowns and subsequent resurgences, the authorities turned a blind eye.

As long as the bandits did not commit major crimes, they let them be.

Why then did the authorities remain unmoved by the deaths of several members of Zhang Jie’s caravan?

What nonsense!

In my Great Sǒng, where the Emperor and the scholar-officials rule the realm, [22] if you have no imperial degree, are you even considered a person in the eyes of the government?

Without official merit, are you even considered a person in the eyes of the government?

You’re merely a tool for paying taxes, delivering grain, performing corvée labor, or being conscripted as a convict soldier.

As long as the Wild Boar Mountain bandits don’t target officials or their families, and don’t commit atrocities like massacring dozens or [25] wiping out entire villages, the government won’t lift a finger!

The government won’t lift a finger over horrific cases of village massacres and stronghold destruction!

Officials like County Magistrate Wen typically think: [27] Has the common folk become too hard to oppress, or is it no longer profitable to collude with gentry?

Is it that the common folk are no longer easy to bully, or that the gentry are no longer easy to collude with for profit?

Why provoke a bunch of desperate outlaws?

What is the point of being an official?

Obviously, to rise in rank and grow rich!

…

Zhang Jie easily passed the checkpoint guarded by two lowly bandits.

Well, calling it a checkpoint was already an exaggeration on Zhang Jie’s part.

There were no boulders, rolling logs, or other defensive equipment, nor bows or crossbows for attack.

Even the guard post itself was a haphazardly built thatched shed.

Their weapons were merely two broadswords, chipped and clearly poorly maintained.

And yet, these two bandits were utterly drunk, fast asleep, snoring with snot bubbles!

Bandits: I never thought anyone would come to our bird-shit little hideout in the middle of the night!

“These bandits are terribly unprofessional.”

Zhang Jie expressed concern over the average competence of Great Sǒng’s bandits.

With such low standards, how could they withstand government suppression? How could they grow strong?

Zhang Jie couldn’t help but ponder: if he himself became a bandit, [43] how would he train his men, how would he arrange defenses, how would he respond to government crackdowns…

How to train his underlings, how to set up defenses, how to respond to government crackdowns…

“Damn it!

I’m here to kill them—the worse their competence, the better!”

Zhang Jie slapped his forehead, banishing those useless thoughts from his mind.

This wasn’t a video game dungeon—you don’t need high difficulty to feel thrilling or show off skills.

This was a real-life, bloody, heart-piercing, friendly exchange of life and death.

No respawns—so the simpler, the better.

Becoming a bandit, resisting the government, overthrowing Great Sǒng—those things can wait.

Arriving before the two bandits, fast asleep with suspicious drool at the corners of their mouths, [52] Zhang Jie gave each one a palm strike worthy of Master Ximen, sending them painlessly to paradise.

Zhang Jie gave each of them a palm strike in the style of Master Ximen, sending them painlessly to paradise.

Then Zhang Jie ascended the goat path toward the bandit stronghold.

…

Upon entering the stronghold’s perimeter, a large thatched hut, still brightly lit at midnight, caught Zhang Jie’s eye.

Hmm, Wild Boar Stronghold was merely a small gang of dozens of bandits; [57] one couldn’t expect them to build a grand hall like the Righteous Gathering Hall on Liangshan.

Hmm, Wild Boar Stronghold was ultimately just a small bandit outpost with only dozens of outlaws,

They spent all their energy just worrying about survival—where would they find the strength for construction?

They spent all their energy just worrying about making a living; where would they find the strength for construction?

“Eat! Eat!”

As he neared the hall, the sounds of clinking cups and goblets reached Zhang Jie’s ears.

“Damn! These guys live well!”

Zhang Jie, peering through a crack, watched over twenty bandits gorging on meat, guzzling wine, and occasionally dancing like demons.

When did bandits start living so luxuriously?

These landless rogues, surviving only by plunder, should be barely clinging to life.

After all, with this gang’s size, they couldn’t even dare rob wealthy households like Master Ximen, [67] let alone larger villages.

These fellows, with no land and forced to survive by plundering, should be struggling on the brink of death.

The common folk today aren’t lambs to be slaughtered—they often kill several strong laborers in water fights or tax revolts!

Just as Zhang Jie wondered, a bandit, drunk and flushed, stood up and shouted:

“If not for the Grand Boss’s keen eyes spotting the Zhang family’s fat lamb, [71] how could we be drinking and feasting here tonight?

During tax resistance, it was common to lose several able-bodied men at once!

Come, let’s toast the Grand Boss!”

He raised a clay bowl brimming with wine.

“Third Brother speaks truly—we toast the Grand Boss!”

The other bandits echoed in unison.

“Brothers, drink!”

his body powerfully built, his face grotesque as if reborn from a black bear,

Other bandits quickly echoed him.

“Brothers, drink!”

Seated on a tiger-skin armchair, chest bared, revealing a palm-sized patch of jet-black chest hair,

The bandits downed their wine in one go.

“Delicious! So delicious!”

The bandits cheered.

“Tom, these are all my money!”

Outside, eavesdropping, Zhang Jie felt his heart bleed.

Everything these bandits ate, drank, and enjoyed—they had bought with goods from his caravan!

Zhang Jie: My money! My money!

They squander my money on wine, meat, and brothels—do I owe them thanks?

“Grand Boss, when do we strike again?”

The bandit called Third Brother suddenly asked.

All the other bandits fixed their gazes on Wang Chuang on the tiger-skin chair.

After tasting the Zhang family caravan’s rich bounty, they dreamed of striking again.

What heavenly days had they lived these past two months?

Wine and meat in abundance, and if they wanted women, they could go to Yanggu County’s brothels and find willing girls— [95] even the Emperor of Bianliang couldn’t live better than this!

After tasting the rich bounty of the Zhang family’s caravan, they dreamed of striking again.

Yet even the most ignorant bandit knew such lavish drinking, feasting, and whoring required vast silver.

Plenty of wine and meat, and if they wanted women, they could go to the brothels and entertainment quarters of Yanggu County to find willing girls,

Isn’t this even better than the life of the emperor in Bianliang?

Yet even the most ignorant bandits knew that such a life of heavy drinking,

gorging on meat, and chasing women required vast amounts of silver to sustain.

The silver seized from the Zhang family’s caravan wouldn’t last much longer.

If you force them back to eating bran and chaff, starving and freezing, it’d be better to kill them!

Yet Wang Chuang, seated high upon a tiger-skin armchair and flattered by the bandits, felt a pang of melancholy.

According to the spy he’d planted in Yanggu County’s town,

his longtime ally, Lord Ximen,

had suddenly been killed by some unknown strongman who appeared out of nowhere.

This wasn’t just cutting off one of his arms anymore,

it was gouging out his very eyes in Yanggu County!

Without news from Ximen Qing, where would he find another such easy, fat lamb like the Zhang family’s caravan?

But Wang Chuang knew he couldn’t admit he was helpless.

These men below may bow and obey him now,

but if he failed to let these blood-hungry wolves, who’d already tasted flesh, feast again,

they’d have no qualms about using the flesh of their wolf king

to fill their ever-hungry, bloodthirsty maws.

“Brothers, I’ve found a new fat lamb—I’ll lead you down the mountain soon!”

Wang Chuang’s only plan now was to stall—he couldn’t show weakness, and he truly had a good idea.

“Great Boss, ten thousand years!”

“Great Boss, ten thousand years!”

The bandits below erupted in cheers.

They didn’t ask questions; to them, who the lamb was or where it was didn’t matter—so long as there was a lamb!

As for the cost—might it be terrible?

They were all death-defying outlaws with their lives tied to their belts—what did they care?

Live one day of joy, drink today’s wine, worry about tomorrow’s troubles tomorrow.

Live one day at a time; drink today’s wine, drown today’s sorrows; tomorrow’s troubles will come tomorrow.

Zhang Jie outside the window couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

With his powerful spiritual sense and exceptional eyesight, he saw at once that Wang Chuang was insincere,

clearly just placating these bandits.

“Who’s there?”

The bandits instantly went on alert, drawing their swords and knives,

forming a simple circle around Wang Chuang to protect their Great Boss.

They still relied on him to lead them to fat lambs and great fortune!

Wang Chuang, however, seemed calm—he spoke coldly:

“Which friend visits so late at night?

Please reveal yourself.”

Please reveal yourself.