Chapter Two: The Wild Sands Roll (Part One)

Today, it just so happens that Mo Shi and Mo Yin, along with the brothers from the village, have come out to seek a livelihood by "borrowing" money. The two of them gathered their followers and, with a group of men, left the village to find a high slope frequented by merchants. They concealed themselves among the rocky beach behind the slope, and before long, everything was in order, just waiting for the fat sheep to fall into the trap

Only then did I manage to look at the person who had thrown the gift box of pastries to me, and I saw that she was a young maiden in her prime, around eighteen years old, dressed in emerald green, with features as beautiful as a painting, truly a stunning beauty

One could only hear that person say: "You, this reckless fellow, are indeed quite interesting. There has never been anyone like you in the Central Plains. I have some pastries in my bundle; if you do not mind, I shall give them to you." The voice, though separated by a distance of about ten zhang, was clear and distinct to everyone present, as melodious and pleasant as a yellow oriole emerging from the valley. This person, however, was a flower-like young lady.

The old man then instructed a servant from the Fortune and Prosperity Trading Company to bring forth a box of valuables

The little minions of Huangshazhai received the summons from the Seventh Master and were about to clear the way, when suddenly a figure sprang out from behind the earth mound, shouting: "Seventh Brother, hold on, let no one interfere, do not let that delicate young lady escape."

Although he did not pay much attention to the woman's appearance, he thought to himself, "This woman has given me such good food; she is truly a good person." He then shouted loudly, "Hey, you woman, you are indeed a good person, far better than that shameless old thief by a hundred times. Let us pass back to the camp." The woman, noticing that this rough man spoke in a coarse manner yet with sincerity, smiled slightly and did not take offense.

At this moment, the brothers recalled their parents' dying admonition to do more good deeds together. They pondered whether it was truly the case that their eight brothers had committed such heinous acts that they were destined to face dire consequences. At this time, filial piety was of utmost importance in society. Although the brothers recognized that each person's nature was difficult to change, they no longer behaved as they had in the past, where they would rob and kill anyone they encountered.

It turns out that this man from the Zhang family, having traveled through the desert for a long time, is quite clever. Ever since he learned about the preferences of the eight leaders of Huangsha Zhai, he has been attentive. In the past, whenever he encountered Mo Shi while doing business, he would always offer some delicacies from the Southern Dynasties. However, he had not prepared for this new elder who had just arrived, and now, upon hearing Mo Shi's question, he was flustered and did not know how to respond.

Old Seven leaned against a large rock and took out an object from his pocket. It was tightly wrapped in thick yellow butter paper, and when unwrapped, it revealed a fragrant piece of braised beef shank.

As the henchmen under the lead lined up in formation, Mo Shi held a ghost-headed knife in his right hand while his left hand still clutched a beef shank that had been gnawed down to just a small portion. He shouted loudly, "This mountain is mine, this tree is planted by me. If you wish to pass this road, leave behind some toll money. Anyone who dares to refuse will be struck down, one by one, without exception."

The lyrics of this mountain are like the repetitive recitations heard in a restaurant while listening to storytelling. He became so familiar with it that he truly felt its grandeur, secretly memorizing it, waiting for the day when he would encounter a robbery, ready to shout it out along with the books, without considering whether it would be useful or not.

Old Seven is inherently honest but somewhat gluttonous. Among the brothers, it is Old Eight, who is hot-tempered, that is even more fierce than him, not to mention how he wields a ghost-headed steel knife, taking down one person with each strike, regardless of the consequences.

Mo Yin took out a yellowed Buddhist scripture from his waist pouch, squinting his eyes to examine it closely. This scripture was a treasure that Mo Yin had painstakingly exchanged for at the Juting Haishi market. Indeed, it was a Buddhist text, specifically that of the Supreme Joy Buddha. Besides recording various techniques of intimacy from different dynasties, what was even more enticing were the numerous illustrations and images contained within.

In fact, this place is a barren stony beach, where one can find neither roads nor trees. The Eight Blades of the Northern Desert are indeed notorious for their heinous deeds in the desolate wilderness. However, the seventh brother, Mo Shitou, has never seen blood nor stained his hands with human life. Yet, the eight brothers are united in purpose; whenever there is someone to be killed, they always prioritize the eldest brother, Mo, to carry out the deed for the thrill of it.

Mo Shi saw his third brother suddenly appear and inwardly sighed in distress. He pondered that this woman had a decent appearance and had just given him such a rare delicacy, so he needed to protect her. He immediately threw away the steel knife in his hand, opened his arms to confront his third brother Mo Yin, and shouted loudly: "You there, woman, hurry and leave, do not fall into my third brother's hands and suffer that living torment"

Do not indulge in the Joyful Sutra, just when it reaches a critical point, how can one pay attention? It is only said: "Seventh brother, you may go and handle it yourself, for third brother is at a crucial moment, and just when encountering a dispute, https://m.hetushu.com.com, take care of it and call me back later."

A clever figure emerged from the henchmen of Huangshazhai, who, after receiving a box, asked without concern about the amount of gold and silver inside: "Since you are from the Fulu Trading Company, where has the leading man from the Zhang family gone? Why is he not present this time? Hey! Old man, since you are the leader, do you have any good food to offer me"

However, this Fulu trading company has been engaged in commerce between the Tatar state and the Ming Dynasty for many years, and it has always been managed by a man surnamed Zhang. This time, however, due to illness, he had to be replaced by this elderly man. The Zhang family man is steady and capable, and he has communicated all the rules for the journey to the old man, but there happens to be one particular rule that he inadvertently failed to mention

In the blocked caravan, an elder hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute, and said: "The ones ahead are the kings of Huangsha Village. I am the leader of the Fulu Trading Company's caravan, and I am aware of the customs of your esteemed village. This small token is merely a gesture of respect; I hope the kings will graciously accept it."

Since the eight brothers of the Mo family unearthed the Yuan army's treasure in the northern desert, they have enjoyed a peaceful and carefree life in this barren land for over a decade. As the Huangsha stronghold gradually flourished, the eight brothers approached middle age. Although each of them had taken several concubines, none had truly fathered a son or daughter. Even the third brother, Mo Yin, known for his lecherous and dissolute behavior, had not reaped any rewards in this regard.

The elder of the Fulu Trading Company never expected that the temperament of the strong man in this desert would be so peculiar, vastly different from the mountain bandits of the Central Plains. Having taken gold and silver, he now came to demand food. Merchants are not particular about such matters; this time, he had only brought some dry flatbreads to stave off hunger. At this moment, how could he dare to take them out and risk humiliation? It would only provoke the burly and fierce man before him, leading to his own suffering. Just as he was at a loss, another person emerged from the back of the caravan, urging the camels forward, and waved a small bundle in his hand, tossing it towards Mo Shi.

It turned out that Mo Yin, who was behind the slope, was engrossed in the Buddhist scriptures. Suddenly, he heard the pleasant voice of a young woman and could not help but peek out. To his astonishment, he saw a figure resembling a fairy, someone he had never encountered before. At that moment, he was unwilling to let her go and hurriedly rushed over, intending to abduct her back to the camp for leisurely enjoyment.

Mo Shi held the beef shank in his hand and hesitated for a moment, then handed it over to the three Mo Yin, saying: "Third Brother, do you eat beef?" Mo Yin, fearing that the juices from this foolish beef shank would dirty his treasured book, hurriedly replied: "Seventh Brother, you go eat by yourself, do not disturb Third Brother."

As the caravan approached, Mo Shih joyfully led the group of henchmen to meet them. Among the eight brothers of the Mo family, it was the seventh brother, Mo Shih, who particularly enjoyed being on duty, as his plundering activities differed from those of his older brothers, allowing him to reap some benefits from it.

Among the eight brothers, Mo Shixing is the most straightforward in nature, yet his heart is genuinely kind and simple. At this moment, although he first asks his elder brother about the food, he truly fears that his third brother might actually snatch his share. Hearing Mo Yin say this, he no longer holds back, quickly sits down beside him, and joyfully begins to eat.

The old man did not respond to the question, and thinking that there was no food left, he became somewhat anxious and angrily said: "You old man from hetushu.com, why do you not answer my question? Instead, you ask if I have brought any food for you."

It is said that there is always a distance of ten zhang between the caravan and Mo Shi in the far back. As this person emerged, he was right behind the caravan. Those walking there were travelers who had paid money to the Fu Lu trading company to join in their journey, not employees of the Fu Lu trading company. It was also not observed how this person made a move, yet the bundle he tossed fell directly into Mo Shi's arms

The sun in this desolate Gobi desert is extremely scorching, and even hiding in the shade beneath a large rock, it remains unbearably hot

Today’s luck is evidently not good; a group of people waited all day but saw no merchants passing by, and the sky was turning dark. Suddenly, a distant sound of camel bells rang out. Mo Shi raised his eyes and saw a long line of camels winding its way towards them. His spirits lifted, he gave Mo Yin a push and joyfully exclaimed: "Third Brother... Third Brother, business is coming."

In Huangsha Village, certain rules gradually began to take shape. Passersby, particularly merchants, were required to pay a toll based on the weight of their goods when passing through this area, thus ensuring that Huangsha Village would not be disturbed. Even when encountering merchants who were unaware of these rules, those captured by the subordinates would often only have their goods taken; if they foolishly resisted, they would be killed without hesitation, while the remaining porters and laborers would not be treated harshly.

Mo Shi opened the package and found inside a box of exquisitely crafted pastries. In a hurry, he picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, feeling it melt instantly with a soft, sweet flavor. He nearly swallowed his own tongue in delight. At that moment, he could hardly bear to eat any more, so he quickly hid it close to his body, securing it safely.