Chapter 184: Bandits setting rules?

Three days later, just as the sky was beginning to brighten and the mist in the forest had yet to disperse, the creaking of cart wheels and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed along the imperial road.

Old Wang drove the cart, which was piled with coarse cloth and mountain goods, while his son, Wang Xiao Hu, sat on the other side of the cart shaft, warily scanning their surroundings.

Traveling with them was a mule and horse team formed by a few bold men from the neighboring village, carrying various mountain goods and sundries, intending to try their luck in Qing City, twenty miles away.

Qing City had been occupied by Menghuzhai a few days prior. It was said that the bandits had even deployed catapults to take the city. These bandits were all cold-blooded killers; to force the commoners to obey their orders, the heads of the original garrison and the County Magistrate were still hanging on the city walls!

Upon hearing this news, the people in nearby cities and villages dared not go to Qing City anymore; no one wanted to court such disaster.

But with the rice pot waiting at home and the salt jar nearly empty, Old Wang and a few other families discussed it and decided they couldn't just sit and wait for death. Gritting their teeth, they scraped together this small merchant caravan, intending to scout out the truth.

Everyone was on edge, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

Although there were rumors that Menghuzhai was actually quite good, and some even detailed exactly how Menghuzhai treated the commoners, no one believed it.

Are you kidding? Could these bandits be running a charity?

In this day and age, it was absolutely impossible for grain prices to be sold so low.

So even though everyone heard it, they didn't take it to heart, dismissing it as nothing more than people telling tall tales.

It was just that such talk was incessant, making everyone feel it was somewhat abnormal for a time; after all, they had only ever heard bad things about bandits before. A bandit group with such controversy was something they were hearing about for the first time.

"Dad, do you think... those bandits are really as strange as the legends say?" Wang Xiao Hu asked in a low voice, his hand subconsciously touching the short knife hidden in the fodder.

Old Wang sighed, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen a few notches.

"Who knows? In any case, bandits are definitely not kind folk. When we get to the city gate later, be sharp, watch the situation, and whatever you do, don't try to be a hero! Money is a small matter; keeping your life is what's important."

A man nearby named Zhao Laosan chimed in: "Old Brother Wang is right! I heard that on the day they took the city, the streets ran red with blood, children cried, and the elderly screamed—it was a miserable sight. This trip of ours is truly putting our heads on the line."

These words made the atmosphere in the group even heavier, and no one spoke again.

The closer they got to Qing City, the more their hearts drummed with fear.

If it weren't for their village being deep in the mountains, requiring them to cross three peaks to reach another city, they wouldn't have come at all!

At this moment, the walls of Qing City could be vaguely seen, but there were no heads hanging on them.

"Eh? That's a bit strange!" Wang Xiao Hu, having sharp eyes, muttered.

Old Wang also frowned but said nothing, merely urging the cart to move faster.

After traveling a bit further, the outline of Qing City's not-so-tall walls gradually became clear.

There seemed to be figures moving at the city gate. Everyone's heart jumped into their throat.

Zhao Laosan even quietly moved his mule cart toward the side of the road, ready to turn around and run if the situation turned bad.

Yet, unexpectedly, the fierce, blade-wielding bandits they had imagined did not appear.

The city gate was wide open, with only eight people wearing armor standing on either side.

They held long spears and stood exceptionally straight, subverting the image of the garrison in everyone's eyes.

What was most surprising was that there were actually quite a few commoners entering and exiting the city gate, with bright smiles on their faces.

Old Wang and his group looked at each other, seeing the surprise on each other's faces.

For a moment, they were at a loss, standing there not knowing what to do.

Such dawdling behavior was soon noticed by the bandit guarding the city, who immediately walked over.

"Stop! What are you here for?" A bandit who looked burly walked up and blocked the caravan, but his tone was quite normal, without any shouting or killing intent.

Old Wang quickly got off the cart, putting on a smiling face and bowing slightly: "Good man, we are from Wangshan Village to the south. We brought some local cloth and mountain goods, hoping to exchange them for some salt and grain in the city."

The bandit looked over the caravan and swept a glance at Wang Xiao Hu, who was so nervous his face had turned pale, and asked: "First time here?"

"Yes, it is our first time." Old Wang's heart skipped a beat.

The bandit merely nodded and pointed inside the city gate: "Go on in! The rules are posted on the notice board in the gate tunnel. Read them clearly yourself."

"No bullying the market, no forced buying or selling, and certainly no harassing the commoners."

"Prices follow the official rates; don't even think about hoarding for profit. If you break the rules..."

He patted the blade at his waist, "Don't come crying for justice later."

These words were clear and logical, not at all like something a bandit who robbed houses and plundered could say; it was as if he had memorized them beforehand.

Old Wang was stunned, taking a long time to react before bowing repeatedly: "Understood, understood, we will definitely follow the rules."

The rule of charging five wen to enter the city only applied to merchant caravans; the surrounding commoners did not need to pay to enter.

The group clearly hadn't expected that they could even save on the city entry fee, especially since they had prepared it in advance.

The caravan slowly passed through the city gate, and as soon as they entered, they saw a large notice posted on the wall, the ink still quite fresh.

It listed seven or eight rules, nothing more than fair trade, prohibition of fighting, or galloping horses, and it even bore the official seal of the Qing City Magistrate.

"Dad, this..."

Wang Xiao Hu looked at the notice, his eyes wide.

Zhao Laosan also leaned in, smacking his lips: "This is bizarre. Bandits setting rules?"

Once inside the city, the scene before them left these outsiders dumbfounded.

The streets were very clean, without the ruined walls and scattered trash they had expected.

The shops on both sides were basically open, and although there weren't many customers, the shopkeepers were all behind their counters, clicking abacuses or wiping down the counters.

What surprised them even more was that there were actually patrolling bandits on the street!

These bandits were all wearing armor, looking exactly like regular soldiers; even their patrol formation was not lax, and each one stood tall.

Seeing an elderly person carrying heavy goods, one of the bandits even stepped forward to lend a hand, helping the elder carry the load across the intersection.

"Am... am I seeing things?" Zhao Laosan rubbed his eyes.

Old Wang also felt like he was dreaming. Where did this look like a city occupied by bandits?

Compared to the previous Qing City, it now appeared... orderly, even with a strange, eerie tranquility.

"Let's go to the market to sell our goods first." Old Wang suppressed the surging waves in his heart and said to the others.

The market was bustling with noise, much livelier than they had imagined, with people selling meat, sundries, and everything else.

The prices were indeed as the gate guard had said, very fair.

Old Wang found an empty spot, laid out his cloth and mountain goods, and while several people asked for prices, not a single one took out money to buy. ===== CHAPTER 185 =====