Chapter 72

As Wang Lun parted ways with Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian, he hadn't taken more than a few steps when Zhang San ran up to him and reported, "Chief, two of our foot soldiers were injured, one of them had his leather armor cut through, but fortunately the wound wasn't deep, and it's been treated. The personal guards and the villagers are unharmed!"

Cao Gai, who was kneeling nearby, upon hearing this, looked extremely embarrassed. He thought to himself that with his seven or eight hundred men surrounding this group of less than a hundred, and with over a hundred of his own men dead or injured, the other side had only two minor injuries, one of which was caused by a long spear during the retreat. Thinking of this frustrating outcome, he lowered his head in shame again.

While some were disheartened, others were relieved. Wang Lun, upon hearing the news, let out a sigh of relief and dismissed Zhang San, then slowly walked over to Cao Gai. Cao Gai, feeling utterly ashamed, looked up at his nemesis and said, "Leader Wang, you can kill me, but please spare my brothers Zhu Tong and Lei Heng! And these villagers, they were all forced to come here and have no grudge against you. Please be merciful and let them go; I, Cao Gai, will take full responsibility for everything!"

Seeing that Wang Lun had released Wu Yong and had no intention of killing Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian, Cao Gai felt a glimmer of hope. Seeing Han Bolong lying on the ground, likely in a dire state, he only asked Wang Lun to spare Zhu Tong, Lei Heng, and the villagers. As for himself, he knew he had offended Wang Lun too much and didn't expect to survive this time, so he remained silent.

"Wang Lun, from the moment we met until today, have I ever been the one to provoke you? That night, you coveted your old rival's wealth and tried to rob him on the way. Now you've brought people here to ambush us. Tell me, if I spare your men, will your brothers agree? If I were in your hands, would you let me go and spare my men?" Wang Lun asked, looking at the defeated Cao Gai.

Cao Gai's face turned pale at these words. He knew that in their line of work, showing mercy to the enemy at a critical moment was irresponsible to oneself. But seeing Zhu Tong, who was silent with his eyes closed, Cao Gai felt a surge of guilt. He mustered his strength and pleaded, "Killing me alone is enough; these people pose no threat to you! Even I, Cao Gai, am no match for you. I've never spoken soft words in my life, Leader Wang, this is my last request. I, this blind and unworthy man, bow to you!" With that, the tightly bound Cao Gai fell to the ground, his disheveled hair covering Wang Lun's shoes.

Seeing this, Lin Chong and the others nodded in approval. Regardless of their stance, this man's character was far superior to that of his dog-headed military advisor.

"Scholar, you can't kill Cao Gai!" Li Kui, who had run over at some point, shouted. Everyone had seen him defect during the battle, so no one stopped him. However, Jiao Ting and Mo Gui stepped forward to flank him.

Wang Lun looked thoughtfully at the black man and asked, "Why can't I kill him?"

"If you kill him, I'll be the one who breaks my promise. Even though you're a good man, I have no choice but to fight you!" Li Kui shouted.

"Black man, aren't you just asking for death?" Mo Gui, surprised by his reaction, admired his sense of righteousness and said, "Why not join us on the mountain and take a seat? It would be more enjoyable than serving this man!"

"That good man, Scholar, didn't ask me to join the mountain, and if I go up on my own, won't you look down on me?" Li Kui shouted, but then muttered, "Do you, this black charcoal, keep your word?"

Everyone laughed at this. Ruan Xiaoqi, seeing Li Kui's imposing figure and admiring his straightforward nature, said with a smile, "Black man, this skilled Mo family brother is our seventh leader. How can he not keep his word? Brother Wang didn't ask you to join the mountain because he respects your commitment. Join us, and if anyone looks down on you, come to me, Ruan Xiaoqi, and I'll stand up for you! But why are you willing to die for Cao Gai?"

Li Kui replied, "Newlywed, you have a sense of righteousness, but am I not? You pleaded for Wu Xuegu to save him, and I can't protect Cao Gai this time?"

Seeing this black bear-like man determined to protect Cao Gai, yet calling him "this man" repeatedly, everyone found it amusing. Li Kui, seeing their strange expressions and suppressed laughter, was annoyed and said, "You're all bad people, laughing at me!"

Wang Lun, amused by Li Kui's antics, had already made up his mind about the fate of the man at his feet. This person was a crucial part of his future plans, and he couldn't let him die so easily. He then said, "Li Kui, if I don't kill Cao Gai, will you join me on the mountain?" Cao Gai, hearing this, was shocked. Bound and unable to move, he could only turn his head with great effort, looking up at the man through his disheveled hair. From this angle, he saw Wang Lun as tall and imposing as a mountain, and thinking of his current situation, he felt a mix of emotions.

"You're all bad people, you might trick me into joining the mountain and then secretly kill Cao Gai!" Li Kui shouted.

Wang Lun looked at Li Kui and asked, "What do you want, then?"

"You're a good man, Scholar, but I don't trust these people. I'll stay at Cao Gai's manor for three to five months to ensure his safety, and then I'll join you!" Li Kui called out, adding, "I want a seat, not to be a servant!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Mo Gui couldn't help but say, "You, black man, have the makings of a businessman, so good at haggling!"

Wang Lun laughed but ignored Li Kui, looking down at Cao Gai and saying, "Cao Tianwang, you asked if I could spare you. I'll answer you now!" With that, Wang Lun took a short blade from someone nearby, squatted down, and with a flash of the blade, Cao Gai's bindings were cut. Cao Gai, now free, quickly got up, looking at Wang Lun with a complex expression, wanting to say something but remaining speechless.

"Thank you, Leader Wang, for your great kindness. We, the blind, have offended your tiger's might and deserve to die a thousand deaths!" Wu Yong, seeing this, was overjoyed. Thinking that Cao Gai wouldn't be killed, he assumed Wang Lun wouldn't target him either, and hurriedly helped Cao Gai up, thanking Wang Lun profusely.

Wang Lun, looking at the two men who had narrowly escaped death but reacted so differently, nodded without a word. Wu Yong, eager to leave, suddenly heard Wang Lun say, "Cao Tianwang, are you just going to leave?"

Cao Gai was taken aback and then said, "Good sirs have come from afar, I will offer a small gift!"

Wang Lun nodded and said casually, "You have six brothers, making seven of you. One ten thousand strings of cash each, then." Cao Gai's family had lived here for generations, and he had been in the smuggling business for over twenty years. His wealth should not be less than that of his old rival in Xixi Village. Even if he had spent over ten thousand strings of cash to buy 1,200 acres of land recently and spent a lot to bribe the officials in Yuncheng and Jizhou, his financial foundation was still strong. Moreover, in a few months, he would flee due to the birthday tribute incident, and it would be better for him to leave the valuables to the soldiers than to let them go to waste.

Cao Gai's face stiffened at this, and he looked at his brothers, sighing helplessly. "I'll go get it, Leader Wang, please wait a moment. What about my villagers?"

Wang Lun stared at Cao Gai without a word. Cao Gai met his gaze for a while, and Wu Yong, seeing this, pulled on Cao Gai's muddy sleeve. Cao Gai finally lowered his head, giving his strategist, who had sought survival in the midst of battle, a complex look, and said nothing more, turning to walk towards the stream. Wu Yong instinctively followed but stopped after a step, remembering that Wang Lun hadn't given the order, and stood there awkwardly.

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Please note that the last part of the text contains some HTML tags and a note about mobile users, which I have omitted in the translation.