Chapter 2

While Chen Jiu was lost in thought, a little bandit walked up to him, "Brother Jiu, the Chief is looking for you again."

Chen Jiu looked at this young servant, whose face was slick and full of kindness, but when you knew that this twelve or thirteen-year-old kid had over a dozen lives on his hands, you would never associate this smiling kid with a cruel murderer.

No one knew what this kid's past was like, but this kid was always the most vicious and cruel one during raids and lootings, even to the point of enjoying bloodshed.

Chen Jiu nodded, "I know, but hasn't your cultivation improved recently? How did you walk up without making a sound? You scared me."

The little bandit chuckled, "Thanks to Brother Jiu, the Chief gave me a manual of lightness skills a few days ago. It seems to be quite useful."

Chen Jiu rolled his eyes and pretended to be angry, "You know I can't practice, so you're showing off to me on purpose, right?"

"Where would I dare? Although Brother Jiu can't cultivate, you are the wise one who leads our bandit camp to revival. We can do without me, but the camp can't do without you."

Hearing these flattering words, Chen Jiu felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't let this guy continue, or it would be bad if someone heard.

"Alright, alright, I'm afraid of you. I can't believe how thick-skinned you are. Where is the Chief waiting for me?"

The little bandit smiled proudly, "In his room, it seems he has something important to discuss with you."

Chen Jiu nodded, "Alright, I'll go see the Chief. You go do your thing."

After saying that, Chen Jiu slowly walked towards the Chief's room. As Zhang Shiyang left, the little bandit looked at Chen Jiu's back with envy, "Sigh, no matter how high one's martial arts are, they are just a brute. I should learn more from Brother Jiu. When will this blood feud be avenged?"

The Chief was the leader of all the bandits in the camp. No one knew the Chief's identity because the first batch of old followers had all died in battles over territory. To this day, the Chief's identity remained a mystery, a mystery that everyone wanted to know, but only the Chief knew the answer.

This was the best house in the entire camp. As the leader of the bandits and the strongest fighter, the Chief always led the charge down the mountain, so it was only natural that he lived in the best house, slept with the most beautiful women, and drank the best wine.

Although Zhang Shiyang hadn't seen the most beautiful woman, he could already smell the wine, at least twenty years old Qingluo wine.

Qingluo wine was one of the most famous wines in the world, often enjoyed only by the nobility. However, even the nobility couldn't get their hands on this twenty-year-old Qingluo wine.

"Knock, knock, knock," a knocking sound came, followed by a slight movement inside, as if someone was tidying up.

After a while, the Chief's voice came from inside, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Chen Jiu, Chief."

There was a long sigh from inside, "It's you, kid. Why did you take so long? Come in quickly."

Then, light footsteps approached, and the door creaked open, revealing a beautiful woman, her face flushed.

Don't misunderstand, the Chief is not a woman.

With the wine and now the beauty, the Chief truly had the best resources. The beauty was as fresh as a head of cabbage.

"Hello, Lady," Chen Jiu greeted the woman, bowing and not daring to look more.

The woman nodded, "The Chief is waiting for you inside. Go in quickly."

After saying that, the woman left, clearly not allowed to listen to the camp's important matters.

Chen Jiu was used to this, so he walked in, closed the door, and walked down a corridor. Lifting the curtain, he saw a kang bed, on which sat a refined-looking man.

If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn't believe that this man was the feared bandit leader who could make all the children within eight hundred miles cry in fear.

Looks can be deceiving. Who would have thought that this scholarly-looking man was the bandit leader?

The Chief gently put down his teacup, "You finally came. Sit down."

Chen Jiu walked directly to a cabinet, pulled it slightly, and a chair appeared in his hand.

You couldn't see the chair from the outside, but Chen Jiu clearly knew the layout of the room well.

Chen Jiu was not at all polite, sitting down and getting straight to the point, "What does the Chief need me for?"

Next to the Chief was a small table with a cup of tea. The Chief gently pushed the cup, "It's a pity you can't practice martial arts. Otherwise, someone could take over my vast estate."

Chen Jiu remained silent, waiting for the Chief to continue. It was best not to respond to such words, especially not to believe the words of a ruthless bandit leader.

Sure enough, seeing Chen Jiu's lack of reaction, the Chief said, "According to tradition, is it possible for merchants to pass through here at this time?"

Chen Jiu understood the Chief's meaning and shook his head, "It's hard to say. Unless it's an emergency, no one would travel during the New Year, especially with the mountains blocked by heavy snow."

The Chief's face showed disappointment, "If no one passes through, we have no income. It's almost the New Year. Are we going to let our people starve?"

Clearly, the Chief was struggling internally. Without food and drink, his subordinates would not be content, and they might even overthrow him.

Every year at this time, everyone was happy to share the silver, but this year, the Chief had sealed the mountain due to the Fangxiandao incident. There had been no income for months, and the bandits were running out of resources. It would be abnormal if they didn't cause trouble. These bandits were not good people.

If they shared the tribute from the Fangxiandao, the Fangxiandao would likely come and demand their lives. But if they didn't share, it was almost the New Year, and there was a large batch of goods. The Chief couldn't give a reason for not sharing, which was a real headache.

The Chief dared not speak lightly about robbing the Fangxiandao's goods. A wrong word could mean death.

Chen Jiu clearly saw the Chief's hesitation, whether to keep his position or to save his life.

To keep his position, the Chief had to share the loot, but sharing it would mean he couldn't explain to the Fangxiandao, leading to a dead end.

Chen Jiu clearly disapproved of the Chief's approach. Wasn't it obvious which was more important, life or power?

After a while, the Chief pulled a package from under the table and quickly opened it. The glittering jewels almost blinded Chen Jiu.

Chen Jiu had already heard the sound of these valuables earlier.

The Chief looked at Chen Jiu, "These are the most valuable items from that batch of goods. Pick a few, and I'll distribute them tomorrow."

Good things shouldn't be given to outsiders. This rule applied everywhere. In the Chief's eyes, Chen Jiu was definitely a trusted confidant.

Chen Jiu sighed, already knowing the Chief's choice. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't.

He casually flipped through the items, and a palm-sized jade caught his eye. In a daze, Chen Jiu seemed to see a strange world within the jade, and a warm sensation spread through his hand.

Chen Jiu's face remained unchanged as he picked up the jade along with a few other interesting items.

"These few will do," Chen Jiu said.

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