"Why not kill this man?"
The usually silent boy broke the tense atmosphere, his gaze fixed on Lu Chao with a mix of confusion and scrutiny.
"There’s no need. If he wakes up, he’ll either come after us or flee. Either way, he’ll leave traces. And when that bearded man returns, what do you think he’ll assume? That his partner ran off with our 'merchandise,' right?"
The boy’s eyes widened in realization. He had thought they were being weak, unwilling to kill, but now he saw the cunning behind it. Annoyed at his own shortsightedness, he cursed himself for his impulsiveness—no wonder his uncle always called him reckless.
Originally, he had planned to escape on his own once they left the house. But now, he changed his mind. He would follow Lu Chao.
"Third Brother, which way should we go?"
The group stared at Lu Chao expectantly, already treating him as their leader, seeking his guidance for every decision.
The mountain forest at night was a place even grown men feared to tread, let alone a group of children.
"I have an idea. Let’s see if it works."
Half an incense stick’s time later, Liuzi woke up in pain. The door was wide open—those little brats had escaped! Damn it all! He, Liuzi, had been bested by a bunch of snot-nosed kids! How could he face his brothers in the afterlife with this shame?
Gritting his teeth, Liuzi staggered to his feet. Before his third brother returned, he’d hunt those little bastards down and make them pay! He’d make them regret ever being born!
Moments later—
"Goddamn it!! You little devils!! Where’s my horse?! My silver notes?! You even stole my shoes?! You animals!! Aaaah! I’ll kill you!! You fatherless, motherless scum!!"
His screams pierced the sky, startling the birds from the trees.
Liuzi’s eyes burned red with fury, like a beast on the verge of madness. In all his years in this line of work, this was the first time he’d been robbed!
Along the mountain path, he spotted freshly broken grass and trampled bushes. Hmph. They must’ve avoided the main trail, taking the horses downhill instead. Liuzi followed the trail.
Even if one of them knew how to ride, a single horse couldn’t carry six kids. They couldn’t have gone far.
On the official road, a donkey cart clip-clopped along.
"Ah, looks like rain tomorrow." The old driver, Old Man Zhang, wiped his brow and glanced at the sky. The air was stifling—a little rain would be good, save him the trouble of hauling water for the fields.
"Eh? A horse? And a plump one at that." Watching the horse graze leisurely, Old Man Zhang sighed enviously. These days, a single horse cost as much as ten donkeys—only the wealthy could afford one. Just as the horse was about to nibble on the crops, the old man panicked.
He hurried forward, clicking his tongue, and grabbed the reins.
"Hey! Whose horse is this?! It’s eating the crops!! Where’s the owner?!"
Only his own voice echoed in the empty fields.
"Did my ancestors bless me today?! Never found a single coin in my life, and now I stumble upon a horse?!"
Such was the way of the world—some rejoiced, while others despaired.
The bearded man’s real name was Qi Er. After joining the mountain bandits, his brute strength and fearless ferocity in fights earned him the nickname Qi Biao from the strategist.
Before entering the city, he first shaved off his beard and bought a set of clothes from a nearby farmer’s house to change into. Wearing a straw hat and carrying a bamboo basket on his back, he cautiously followed the crowd heading into the city. Though his burly frame stood out slightly, it didn’t draw much attention.
"Look up!"
A constable held up a wanted poster, comparing it to the faces of passersby. Qi Biao glanced at the drawing—it depicted him and Liuzi.
Seizing the moment when no one was watching, he swiftly turned around. It seemed their leader had been captured; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been exposed.
"Posting notices!! Posting notices!! The imperial court is hunting down fugitives!! Anyone with information must report immediately!!! A reward of fifty taels of silver!!!"
Several constables with broadswords at their waists beat drums and gongs as they pasted arrest warrants on the left side of the city gate.
At the mention of fifty taels, a crowd of commoners surged forward. Fifty taels was a fortune—more than they could save in a lifetime! If they were lucky enough to spot the criminals, they’d strike it rich!
"He’s a kidnapper! Took several children! A damnable fiend!! He ought to lose his head if caught!"
"Full beard and even bought a horse—that’s unusual. Keep your eyes peeled, lads. If you see this outlaw, tie him up and claim those fifty taels!"
"Fugui, you’re money-crazy! If you run into this desperado, you’ll probably piss yourself in fear, hahaha!"
……
Clip-clop, clip-clop!
"Make way! Everyone, move aside!"
Like a gust of wind, dust swirled as a troop of soldiers on horseback rushed out of the city.
After observing for a while, Qi Biao decided to head to a nearby village to stock up on provisions. He needed to move the "piglets" first, then discuss the next steps with Liuzi.
Their leader probably hadn’t revealed the drop-off location yet. The children in their hands were the gang’s lifeline—they were waiting.
Damn it, without the strategist, my head’s about to sprout weeds from thinking so hard! Qi Biao cursed inwardly.
At three quarters past the hour of the Monkey (around 3:45 PM).
Qi Biao hurried back up the mountain with a large sack of provisions, only to find the small hut empty. His eyes bulged with rage, his molars grinding.
"You treacherous rat, Liuzi!! How dare you betray the Xiangma Bandits!! After I came all the way back to find you!! When I catch you, I’ll rip out your tendons!! Flay you alive!!"
Stepping outside, he examined the freshly broken branches along the path—still green. They couldn’t have gotten far.
Grabbing half the provisions, Qi Biao charged down the trail. Strong and familiar with the mountainous terrain, he covered a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
Half a cup of tea’s time later, a few slender figures emerged in the hut—Lu Chao and the others.
"Lu Chao! You’re a genius! How did you know he’d leave some provisions behind?!"
"He originally packed enough for several days for a whole group. Carrying it all would make him too conspicuous and slow him down in his pursuit."
Having starved for a day, they wolfed down the coarse, barely edible food without complaint. Lu Chao divided the rest among them.
"Lu Chao, should we hide in the trees again?"
Earlier, while Liuzi was unconscious, they had scouted out a few dense trees nearby and climbed up. Except for the chubby kid, who struggled, the others managed easily, using broken branches to conceal themselves.
From the trees, they had a clear view for hundreds of meters around and were safe from wild animals—an ideal spot, except for the lack of water.
"The sky is getting dark, and it's not safe for us to descend the mountain now. We don’t know if the bandits will return, so I think we should go back to the tree. What do you all think?" Lu Chao was uncertain at this point.
"I suspect notices have already been posted in the city. The bearded man probably came back to move us elsewhere. They likely won’t return here. The night dew is cold, and staying outside all night might be too much for everyone." The usually quiet boy spoke up.
Lu Yuanyi glanced at his younger brother, then at the boy, unsure whose advice to follow.
Lu Chao suddenly realized something and nodded repeatedly. "You’re right. The most dangerous place is often the safest."
The boy silently repeated those words in his mind—Lu Chao kept surprising him.
"Since we’ve met, it must be fate. We were in such a hurry earlier that we didn’t have time to introduce ourselves properly. I’m Lu Chao, seven years old."
"I’m Lu Chao’s second brother, Lu Yuanyi. I’m eight."
"I’m Yingge, nine years old."
"I’m Yang Zongze, also nine."
"I… I’m Xu Zhiren. I’m eight." The chubby boy mumbled through a mouthful of dry rations, making everyone sigh at his carefree attitude.
"I’m Zhou Youcheng, nine years old."
Years later, when these boys had become influential figures in the Great Yuan Dynasty, they would still look back on the day they first met and marvel at the twists of fate."
