Chapter 15: with translation of chapter title

Lin Qun looked around, saw nothing unusual, then led his people back to the caravan.

Wu Zhao

Lin Qun was worried that the goods the Wu Family caravan was escorting would attract the Three Mountains Bandits, and since he had a grudge against the Second Boss, there was a sixty or seventy percent chance they would be targeted.

That being the case, when the Wu Family found them, Lin Qun had already mentioned this, but the Wu Family insisted and offered a generous reward, so Lin Qun accepted the job.

He thought that as a grandmaster-level expert, he wouldn't instantly fall into a disadvantage against a few half-step grandmasters, and he didn't intend to utterly offend the Three Mountains Bandits—just drive them off.

Hua Xiu Niang

If they could pay a bit of money and leave peacefully, that would be fine, but if they really fought, Lin Qun had no confidence he could survive under a suspected grandmaster and four confirmed half-step grandmasters.

Wu Zhao saw Lin Qun looking worried, his brow furrowed, and couldn't help but laugh: 'Escort Head Lin, you've just reached Lin Shan Cheng, yet you're still so worried?'

Lin Qun sighed: 'Mr. Wu Zhao certainly knows this, but the Three Mountains Bandits are no ordinary mountain bandits. Even though the Wu Family's guards are highly skilled, they still lack the strength to face half-step grandmasters. The Second Boss Chi Ren Fo, Third Boss Cao Shangfei, Fourth Boss Mian Li Zhen, and Fifth Boss Hua Xiu Niang are all half-step grandmasters, and there's also the enigmatic Grand Boss, Outer Demon—if they really fight, who knows how many casualties there will be.'

'Hahaha, Escort Head Lin, you're being too cautious, right? Although my Wu Family has some wealth, we're not filthy rich; this time we're only sending some trinkets to the capital. Even if they stole them, they'd have nowhere to sell them. Besides, though these items aren't valuable, their background is not small—ordinary people wouldn't dare to consume them.' Wu Zhao laughed.

Grand Boss

Third Boss

Fourth Boss

So the problem lies here: with so many people in the Wu Family caravan, they will definitely attract attention; although ordinary bandits seeing so many would probably not dare come, the Three Mountains Bandits are different.

If the five bosses attack together, probably few of their people would be able to escape unharmed.

Escort Chief

Three Mountain Bandits

The night was as dark as ink, the gloomy sky hid the stars and moon, making it seem as if it might rain after midnight tomorrow.

With so many of them, they couldn't just go find a village to stay in—not to mention whether the village had spare rooms; just that many people would likely make the village's farmers unwilling to let them in.

Who knows if the farmers in these villages are really honest farmers?

To avoid trouble as much as possible, they have been camping in the wilderness all along, never seeking lodging.

Finding a wide riverbank, the Wu family people tied up their wagons and began to set up camp.

Lin Qun and the others sat before the fire, sharing meat soup, and each took a big pancake, dipped it in the hot soup, and started eating.

Wu Zhao walked over and sat beside Lin Qun, asking: 'Escort Head Lin, you've been to Lin Shan Cheng many times—how is the Yan family doing there?'

"The Yan family? You mean Yan Buji, the boss?" Lin Qun asked.

"Yes, when we were in Reliant Water City, we occasionally saw the Yan family's caravan come to purchase goods, and we got along fairly well. But in recent years we haven't seen their caravan at all."

Lin Qun chuckled, recalling what he had heard when he previously came to Lin Shan Cheng, and said: 'The Yan family no longer does the pottery business; I heard Boss Yan has been busy dealing with the dissatisfaction of merchants in Lin Shan Cheng, so he must be quite harried.'

Wu Zhao exclaimed in surprise: 'Ah? How could that be? Are the merchants in Lin Shan Cheng really that dissatisfied with Boss Yan?'

Lin Qun nodded: 'That's right. At its peak, the Yan family involved itself in every profitable trade in Lin Shan Cheng; being big and powerful inevitably invited envy. But I've heard Boss Yan is an upright gentleman, a virtuous merchant. He never said he oppressed the people, and even if he had dealings with the officials, it was normal cooperation.'

Wu Zhao smiled: 'Indeed, although I've never met this Boss Yan, I heard he once opened his granaries to give out grain, even spending his family fortune without hesitation to buy grain for disaster relief—truly benevolent and virtuous.'

"I don't know why Mr. Wu Zhao is asking about this, and...."

"Our Wu family originally had some business we wanted to discuss with the merchants of Lin Shan Cheng; it seems only the well-known Boss Yan would be suitable. Passing through Lin Shan Cheng this time, we could conveniently pay him a visit. But hearing you say the Yan family no longer does the pottery business, that's a pity." Wu Zhao laughed and shook his head.

That statement isn't false; Wu Zhao had indeed planned to discuss cooperation with the Yan family. But if they really aren't doing it, there's nothing to be done.

Lin Qun also wasn't very versed in business matters; he sensibly nodded and said nothing more.

"All right, then I won't disturb Escort Head Lin's rest tonight."

"Mm, Mr. Wu Zhao, please rest first."

"Good, good, good."

After a while, the night grew darker.

After Lin Qun alone patrolled the vicinity for a while and found nothing amiss, he returned to the camp, entered the tent, and sat in meditation.

An hour later.

A person's shadow silently descended into the Wu family camp, observing the surroundings.

"This Lin Qun fellow is indeed a grandmaster-level expert; I hid so well I almost got spotted by him." Third Boss Cao Shangfei thought to himself, letting out a breath of relief.

Let's go straight to the wagons to have a look.

Cao Shangfei walked over without making a sound, reached the wagon, and seeing it full to the brim with pottery, furrowed his brows.

The pottery produced in Reliant Water City is precious and valuable, but is it really worth having so many people escort it?

Moreover, if this stuff gets slightly damaged its value plummets, so even these bandits aren't particularly eager to steal it.

He turned and checked a few more wagons; they were all filled with pottery, or else with silk, tea, and similar goods.

You say it's valuable—indeed it is.

But it's not a wagonload of silver and gold; it looks rather meager by comparison.

What use do these bandits have for such things? They're a hassle to unload; they'd be better off stealing real gold and silver.

For these goods, is it really necessary to mobilize such a large force?

"Could it be that these are all a diversion? The real valuables might be on that Wu family person."

That's not good; if Lin Qun gets alerted, escaping might become impossible.

Cao Shangfei turned his eyes and flitted away.

Just kidding—I'm here to gather information, not to throw away my life.

Anyway, the Wu family convoy only has these things; I imagine the Grand Boss getting this info would be enough, and there's no need to cause him trouble.

Just after Cao Shangfei left.

In Wu Zhao's pitch-black tent, however, another person opened their eyes.

"They've left."

"Brother Zhang, that person was the Third Boss of the Three Mountains Bandits, Cao Shangfei, wasn't he?" Wu Zhao's voice came.

Exactly, such superb lightness skill and breath-restraining technique—who else could it be but that flower-picking great bandit? Zhang Daxia let out a cold chuckle.

"That.... it's already confirmed that the Three Mountains Bandits have set their sights on us!" Wu Zhao's face fell.

But upon thinking of Zhang Daxia beside him, he suddenly smiled: "With Zhang Daxia here, a gang of bandits is nothing to fear."

Hmph, after this is done, your Wu Family promised me....

No problem, the 'Profound Accumulation Secret Order' will surely be presented with both hands!