Mercenaries and Adventurers

At the same time, the bandits' lair in Luokpocket Cave.

Several bandit leaders gathered together listlessly and argued in a certain leader's house.

"Bullshit! Bullshit! Now you are blaming me. Who knew you were so useless? Everyone was so confident before, saying that they would be able to resist the militiamen on the mountain road for at least seven or eight days. But now you have stretched your hips and been beaten back. I'm here to blame my people for not taking action earlier." Iron Arm waved his hooked arm and retorted dissatisfiedly at the other three bandit leaders.

Delang, who was originally the most ferocious beheader, no longer had the arrogant feeling before. During the day, he personally organized a wave of people, preparing to defeat the militia's front in one fell swoop and reverse the unfavorable situation of the bandits, just like the usual robbery and encounter with a hard attack.

As a result, when he was about to attack, he felt that he was being stared at by the knight riding a tall armored war horse far below.

The feeling of death enveloped his entire mind.

He could even directly feel that if he had personally attacked with a few of his most trusted men, the knight on the opposite side would definitely take action and kill them directly.

Feeling that he was being targeted and unable to move, Delang had no choice but to let his men attack. As a result, he bumped into another man in armor that he had encountered before, and the spear militia he led bravely blocked the attack. The militiamen who took over from behind also followed suit. Shoot the bandits who don't have enough armor.

The bandits retreated hastily after losing most of their men.

Although the bandits who came back were afraid of him and no one said anything, the secret accusation and contempt made Delang feel like he had lost his soul.

He realized that the men he thought were brave could not defeat the militiamen who were still farming before.

In the room, the other two people who had been spat on were not in high spirits. The bandit leader who had always been calm and capable of making decisions was because he was the one who commanded the defense line on the first day. After being beaten back, he also realized What.

The other bandit leader, who was more cowardly, waited until the spitting of the iron arm had stopped, and then he boldly proposed an idea.

"Should we try to retreat during the day today? After all, if this continues, our cave entrance might be blocked after dark. By then, we will really have to wait for Iron Arm to make your previous arrangements. It worked.”

Iron Arm hit the table with a hook: "It will definitely work. Don't you know what the defense at Bingshuguan looks like? My ten men have already been prepared. As long as those damn guys After preparing the supplies, they can directly burn the large amounts of unprepared follow-up supplies at night. If they then set fire to other places in the level, the already chaotic Ice Flood Pass will definitely become a mess and be kicked apart. The fire! Hahahaha! What a pity, what a pity, if a hundred more people can take advantage of the chaos to attack from outside the checkpoint, maybe they can make a lot of money there." At the end, Iron Arm said with regret.

The cowardly bandit leader narrowed his eyes, stared at Iron Arm for a while and then stopped talking.

When Delang, the beheaded man, saw that everyone was silent, he got up from his chair and walked to the door of the house: "It's still fighting outside, so I'll go over first. If there is no other way. Hey, let's guard the entrance of the cave. .Some things to block the road should be prepared now.”

"Got it! I'll arrange for people to prepare immediately." The calm bandit leader raised his head and began to call his men over to arrange tasks.

---

In Bingxunguan, next to the stone wall of the checkpoint, there is a farmyard where the poor live.

The leaky house was simply blocked by some branches and soil. When the cold wind blew, the moist soil was frozen hard. Although it doesn't seem like a method that can be used for a long time, at least it will last through this winter.

The nine bandits were sitting around the fire in the middle of the room, talking casually and warming themselves up. There was a wooden grill on the fire, standing high on it, roasting a simply prepared roast chicken.

The chicken's internal organs and feathers were left casually in the corner of the house, placed together with the corpses of the original owners of the house. The male owner of the house was piled at the bottom of the corpse, and his neck was broken at a weird angle. The original mistress of the house was stabbed in the chest with a knife and died. A large amount of blood soaked and dyed her simple dress red. The two children of the owner of the house were covered with wounds from being beaten, and many of the teeth in their mouths were lost. After being playfully beaten by the bandits for a while, they broke their necks and died.

These bandits sneaked into Bingshuguan for more than two days and relied on eating the poultry raised by the family in the small yard to survive. Now, the roast chicken on the wooden grill is the last one, and all the bandits are ready to make a big fuss, waiting for the people who went out to investigate the news to come back. Once they get the latest news, they will Make a scene tonight.

In a corner of the room away from the fire, there were some clay pots stacked there. The tightly sealed clay pots still gave off a rather pungent smell, and they were filled with flammable lamp oil. This was originally a commodity obtained by the bandits during a robbery, but after anticipating that the militiamen would definitely come back to attack their lair this year, the leader of the iron-armed bandits arranged for these elite bandits to carry these items and hide in Bingxun Pass in batches. Always pay attention to the replenishment of supplies by the militiamen, and give him a fire to burn the supplies that he finally prepared in the level!

Crunch, crunch.

A set of footsteps walked into this remote courtyard. The snow in the courtyard that no one had cleaned clearly exposed the footsteps to the bandits in the house.

The bandit who was near the door immediately stood up from his lying position, quietly pulled out his sword and raised his axe.

The footsteps walked steadily outside the thick wooden door and stopped.

The bandits in the house fell silent, leaving only the crackling sound of the fat dripping from the roasted chicken onto the fire.

"Who is trekking on a snowy night?" a bandit guarding the door asked in a low voice.

The person outside the door immediately replied: "Those who desire wealth kill."

"Come in." Upon hearing the answer, the bandits breathed a sigh of relief and put down their weapons.

The wooden door opened, and a young man who didn't look like a robber at all walked in. He was wearing a tattered cloak, which didn't look out of place compared to the surrounding slums.

And inside the tattered cloak, there is an exquisite waiter serving him.

"How's the situation?" the bandit leader asked.

"Depending on the situation, all the supplies provided by the merchants have been arrived and are now being packed and inventoried. They may leave at any time." said the bandit who was hiding in the hotel and working as a waiter.

The other bandits became excited. They had been bored and hiding in the house for two days. They were so bored that they almost went crazy. If the leader hadn't told them, anyone who dared to run out without permission would have their feet cut off. , these bandits have already gone to play in the streets with red houses, pubs and the like.

But the bandit leader took a look at the weather outside, but his face was ugly: "It's only the afternoon, they won't leave now, right? If they set off during the day, how can we burn those supplies?"

The bandit who was lurking as a waiter shrugged: "I can't say for sure. I heard some militiamen guarding them say that their situation seems to have changed. They may have to prepare a third batch of supplies immediately, so this second batch of supplies must be sent immediately." In the past. After all, there are not many caravan guys who dare to transport supplies to the mountains and forests where we are hiding. Only the first batch of supplies can come back, and the next batch of supplies can be transported there again. "

The other bandits also heard what was said, and someone asked: "Boss, are you asking us to try to burn the militia's supplies during the day? Who can do this kind of work? If you do it, you won't be able to come back alive. Bar?"

The hidden elite bandits are not death squads. They have the confidence to take advantage of the chaos to escape after lighting a fire, so they participated in this operation. And before coming, the Iron Arm boss also made a promise. After completing this mission, each of them can lead the team personally, and each of them will have at least two subordinates.

Big and small, they can be considered as having people under their command, and they are no longer the lowest level bandits.

But when they rushed to burn the supplies in broad daylight, they knew that this was a wish for death. Even if the soldiers at Bingxun Pass draw their crotches again, their numbers and weapons and equipment are still there. In order to hide in the level, they didn't have many common weapons. Only the leader and the two bandits who were guarding the gate still had their own weapons. The others only found some crude weapons after entering the level.

Fortunately, the many jars of lamp oil used to burn the militia supplies were shipped in through a very normal process after paying a tax.

The little bandit leader thought for a moment and made a decision. No matter what, the supplementary supplies of those militiamen must be burned, otherwise their lair may not be able to sustain it for how long.

As for the daytime raid on the hotel where supplies were stored, we had to rely on other methods.

"Do you have any way to delay the escorting militia? It doesn't take long, as long as it lasts until dark. Any method will do." The bandit leader asked, looking at the hidden bandit.

The young bandit's face was full of embarrassment. He thought for a while and didn't know what to do, but he suddenly remembered a piece of information: "By the way, when I served those militiamen before, I heard them talk about the group they led this time. Captain, it seems that he has an extraordinary status and is very important."

"What kind of important law?" someone asked.

"How should I put it? Whether it's food, clothing, or accommodation, it's not something that ordinary people can afford. Think about it, they actually rented out a small single-family building in the most luxurious hotel in the level."

"This doesn't mean anything. Aren't some of the powerful businessmen in the level also living there?" said the bandit leader.

"But before, the militia captain who led the team, the person I was talking about, actually invited some powerful officials in the checkpoint and many powerful businessmen to come over to talk. I hid in the corner of the hotel and saw it with my own eyes. Everyone is saluting that person. You know, in Bingxunguan, those officials are no different from the local kings. They are all willing to salute, which shows that the militia captain leading the team must not be simple." The young bandit said with certainty.

After listening to the young bandit's explanation, the other bandits felt that this man did not look like an ordinary person. They looked at the little leader who led the team. The little leader stared closely at the young bandit and said in a deep voice: "Then focus on him! No matter what method you use, you must hold down the person leading the team. As long as the militiamen can't leave and no one escorts the supplies, naturally I can’t leave.”

The young robber's mind turned around and he chuckled. He rubbed his fingers and said, "Boss, I have a solution, which costs a sum of money. And the time is so urgent, so you have to pay more."

The bandits asked in unison: "What can we do?"

"Just go to the entertainment street in the checkpoint, go to the red house and hire a group of girls, and use accusations to accuse the militia captains of leading the militia captains who started the rebellion but gave up or got them pregnant, so as to entangle the leaders. Although they will probably find out something is wrong soon, from the time the girls make a fuss to the time they figure it out and calm down, it will probably be night." The young bandit said excitedly, rubbing his hands.

The other bandits also looked excited and thought this was a wonderful idea, and they all encouraged the leader to give him money quickly.

The leader of the bandits also thought this method was good, but he took out his money bag and shook it: "There are only so many, have you seen enough?"

The young robber took it and looked at it: "Boss, with so little money in it, what level of girl can you hire? If you give it to someone who is just a good girl, they won't want it."

The other bandits cheered: "Others don't want it, we want it. Haha."

He glared at the other bandits and asked them to keep quiet. The leader of the bandits said: "Quiet, quiet. Who brings a lot of money when they go out to do business? You are so excited, so you all have money? Take it all out for me. Think about it now, and when I get back, I will ask the leader for supplies."

The bandit bosses were not happy, but under the pressure of the small leader, they weighed the idea of ​​attacking supplies during the day, then being surrounded and killed, and successfully delayed until night, setting fire to the supplies in the dark, and then taking advantage of the chaos to escape.

Between the two, the bandits chose the latter. So they obediently handed over the money bags they carried with them.

The young robber excitedly found a cloth bag to put the scattered coins in the money bag, and then put some large-denomination coins into the inner pocket of his clothes.

He immediately said goodbye and left here.

The young bandit leader waited for the man to leave and immediately gave a look to one of the bandits. The robber put on his coat, hid the long sword in his clothes, turned his head and pulled off a roasted chicken leg, then walked out of the door and followed the young robber sneakily.

The other robbers also started to clean up. Everyone ate a piece of hard bread with a roast chicken, and then each received a can of lamp oil, which they hung on their chests with a rope and hid in their clothes.

When everyone was ready, the bandit leader took them out and left the house alone. If they succeed, they will take advantage of the fire and chaos tonight to escape from Bingxeng Pass. If they failed, the residents hiding in this place would naturally not have to worry about being discovered.

The poor murdered family will probably have to wait until next spring, when the weather gets warmer and the bodies stink, before anyone discovers that they have died early.

---

Although the young robber is jealous of money, things are indeed going well.

The sword-wielding bandit who was hiding behind saw the young bandit first exchange a large number of scattered iron coins and copper coins into neat silver coins in the shop of the large chamber of commerce. Then the young robber took a small bag of silver coins and headed to a busy street with various entertainment and entertainment shops.

The following robbers saw the boy entering several red houses, and actually called seven or eight thickly wrapped girls and three or four guard thugs.

The money bag I originally carried in my hand looked much dry and flat, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

In this way, the stalking robbers no longer followed the young robbers, but turned back to the hiding residents' homes. But he was stopped by fellow bandits on the streets of the slums, and they followed him to the streets in the backyard of the luxury hotel where the militiamen stored inventory supplies.

In the uninhabited alley at the back of this bustling street, the other thieves were hiding in inconspicuous corners.

"How's it going? Did that guy go get money to do something?" The bandit leader asked immediately after seeing the following men coming back.

The sword-wielding bandit nodded: "That boy didn't lie. He first changed the coins, and then he hired seven or eight girls from the red house and walked all the way to the hotel."

It happened that at this time, from the front of the luxury hotel, there was a wave of sounds of girls acting playfully and yelling.

The bandits burst into laughter.

"It's started, I hope it works." The bandit leader asked one of his men to squat down, then stepped on the other man's shoulder and quietly poked his head out of the fence of the backyard of the luxury hotel.

In the open space in the backyard on the other side of the fence, many supplies were piled neatly on the ground. Inside, there were cold-proof supplies replenished from Bingshuguan, as well as tools for building tents and replacement tents, cans of grease for burning, many tools and consumables for repairing various weapons, and bundles of packed food bags. In addition, there were bundles of crossbow arrows made by Kendall that were specially transferred to the militia before the bandits were cleared.

A large number of donkeys carrying supplies are also kept in a wooden pen on one side, and some people from the chamber of commerce are providing food to the donkeys.

Several militiamen who were guarding the supplies heard the noise of the women coming all the way in front, and curiously walked over to watch the excitement.

But even so, there are still more than 20 waiters from luxury hotels, clerks from various chambers of commerce, and even a few burly mercenaries.

At this time, a big businessman was waving to these mercenaries and saying something.

The bandit leader reluctantly listened and found out that it was something valuable and that he must get involved.

do not understand.

In order not to be discovered by the people inside the wall, he did not dare to look further and quickly lowered himself.

"Boss, how are you?" the bandits asked.

"It's somewhat effective, but I don't know if I can trap the militia captain leading the team." He thought about it, then called another guy in the team who didn't look like a bandit with a knife head licking blood, and told him to go Tell the young robbers in the hotel that they must entangle the militiamen. If it's really bad, just take advantage of the commotion and stab a girl to death and frame it for the militiamen.

Even if those people can settle things later, no one knows when.

After receiving the order, the robber looked at his clothes, and they didn't look like clothes he could sneak into a luxury hotel.

The bandit leader twitched his lips and happened to see a set of clothes drying outside the wooden window on the second floor of the alley. Several bandits climbed up on a ladder, took off their clothes that were stiff from the cold, and put them on the bandit who was doing business.

He looks like a dog.

The bandit had to endure the chill caused by the cold clothes and jumped out of the alley to keep warm.