Chapter 1: The Bandit Chen Jiu

Chen Jiu's eyelids twitched, and he shot a glare at the fat man: "Fat pig, some things are not for you to ask, and some matters are not for you to inquire about. This is not something you are entitled to know, so watch your head!"

Being a bandit is not an easy task, especially for one without any martial prowess. If it were not for Chen Jiu's intelligence far surpassing that of others, he would likely still be a mere underling now

Qinglongzhai, although this name may seem rustic, it is home to over 1,700 bandits, all of whom are adept at various forms of violence and arson. Not to mention, there is no shortage of notorious criminals here; this place is truly a den of iniquity.

Fortunately, the Qinglong Mountain serves as a vital thoroughfare connecting the north and south, leading to the outside world. Although each caravan only extracts one percent, the profits remain substantial, sufficient to sustain the numerous bandits, both large and small, scattered throughout the mountains

Gazing at the white clouds in the sky, Chen Jiu fell into a daze. He did not know how he had come to this world, nor that he had been a bandit for a full eight years.

Regardless of what those business travelers think, Chen Jiu only knows that the makeshift shelter is on the verge of running out of supplies. If that batch of Fangxian Dao materials is not distributed, everyone will have no way to celebrate the New Year

Unfamiliar with this world, Chen Jiu did not know what else he could do besides killing. Whether the skills from his previous life could be of any use in this world was still uncertain. However, he was not worried about starving to death on Qinglong Mountain.

Indeed, it is a den of bandits. In the eyes of ordinary people, this place is a wolf's den; in the eyes of the court and the chivalrous heroes of the martial world, it is a dragon's pool and a tiger's den

Qinglong Mountain, a peak that is neither too large nor too small, is a natural fortress that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is unclear how these bandits managed to find this place

Although Chen Jiu claimed to be unaware of the terrifying power of this immortal path, the force that could instill fear in such an arrogant and formidable leader as the Big Boss must be considerable, even more so than the fear that the court has instilled in him.

Little Boss, you have no idea of our suffering. Here we are, day and night, drinking the northwestern wind, and after a month, I've lost three pounds. If this continues, my life will be in jeopardy. Moreover, as you know, nothing has happened in this past month; this state of alertness is truly unnecessary and is just tormenting us

At this point, Chen Jiu glanced around and then lowered his voice, saying: "What we are facing this time is even more troublesome than provoking the court. If you sense something is amiss, you should make a quick escape; it seems this time we won't be able to get through it!"

Although the bandits maintain a strict hierarchy, in daily life, everyone drinks heartily and eats meat together, akin to their own brothers. If one were to truly harden their heart and reprimand, it would be utterly unacceptable, as it would undermine the bonds of camaraderie

However, just as Chen Jiu was in a daze, on the verge of leaving this world once again, the sound of hooves echoed from a distance. It was then that he encountered the head of the household and arrived at Qinglong Mountain, becoming a small bandit.

With a soft sigh, Chen Jiu retracted his head slightly. This time, the big boss had gotten into trouble. During the last robbery, he had thought it was just an ordinary merchant, but unexpectedly, there were actually goods contributed by a merchant association to the Fangxian Dao within.

Get up, get up! The leader has spoken: from today onwards, the stronghold must enhance its defenses to prevent the imperial army from collecting taxes. If any mistakes occur, everyone's lives will be at stake!

At that time, Chen Jiu felt that he was going to die, indeed, he was almost frozen to death

Ascending a stone step, Chen Jiu gazed at the distant mountains and rivers dancing in the silver pool, all covered in pure white. The New Year was approaching, and there were hardly any merchants traveling back and forth; everyone was waiting for the festivities. After the New Year, the accumulated snow on the mountains would melt, and at that time, the mainland would be accessible, reducing some of the dangers.

Chen Jiu shook his head: "Although our stronghold is far from the court and even disrupts its peace, the court looks down upon us. As long as we do not truly provoke the court, we will naturally continue to live in peace and safety!"

On weekdays, these bandits are all lazy and idle, engaging in some profitless trades all day long. How can they endure such hardship? After a month of constant vigilance, nothing has happened, and thus their spirits have waned. One by one, they lean against the wall like noodles, unwilling to stand up.

A flamboyantly dressed little leader continuously kicked the bandits in front of the stronghold's gate

In his previous life as a top assassin, Chen Jiu was well-versed in various disciplines and knowledgeable in all matters. However, during a mission, he inadvertently arrived in this world.

Chen Jiu, this small leader, looked at this rogue and was momentarily at a loss whether to laugh or cry

Observing the still lazy bandits, the small leader couldn't help but rush in to deliver a flurry of punches and kicks. These bandits had grown accustomed to their idleness, and for the past month, it was unclear what had gotten into the chief, insisting that everyone remain on high alert.

The plump bandit shrank his head and said, "Could it be that we have offended the court?"

There is not a single good person in this stronghold, and there are no New Year goods, or rather, even if there are New Year goods, they are not distributed. At that time, what will those bandits and highway robbers think? It is even possible that everyone will become discontented and rebellion may ensue. Only a leader who can ensure that everyone has food to eat will be recognized as the chief by all.

Thus, Chen Jiu became prominent and was invited by the leader to serve as his military advisor and staff officer, after which Chen Jiu embarked on his journey as a mountain bandit

Although Chen Jiu possesses numerous skills in killing, his physical strength is quite low. In fact, this body has suffered from various ailments due to years of insufficient food and hunger.

After finishing this sentence, Chen Jiu turned around and leisurely walked towards the mountain stronghold

Upon hearing the mention of the three hundred killing sticks, several gatekeeping bandits quickly jumped up, then, like thieves, they cautiously looked around for a while. Turning their heads to look at Chen Jiu, one of them said: "Little boss, given our relationship, you wouldn't go to the headman to report us, would you"

After saying this, Chen Jiu seemed as if he had said nothing at all, looking at the bandit who was barely mustering up his spirits: "Not bad, not bad, now that looks like something. Rest assured, I will commend you in front of the chief!"

At present, that batch of supplies still remains in the warehouse of the stronghold. The leader dares not take action, or rather, is still hesitating, unsure whether it is possible to return this batch of goods to Fang Xiandao, and then everyone can let this matter pass.

Chen Jiu touched his nose and then grinned, saying: "You are here scheming and playing tricks; I can overlook it, but if the master finds out, I fear you will suffer a beating, and three hundred punishment sticks will be unavoidable"

Within a radius of one hundred miles, any merchant convoy passing through here must pay "taxes," although the amount is not substantial

The young leader appears somewhat refined, yet his gaudy clothing renders his image rather incongruous

The only reliance is on one's own knowledge, which far surpasses that of others. Over the past eight years, Chen Jiu has begun to emerge, providing strategies for the leader and meticulously planning a series of robbery cases, all executed flawlessly, with the court having no inkling that it was the work of the Qinglong Stronghold

Without an organization, who assigns you tasks and who handles the aftermath? In the assassin industry, one cannot operate alone. Moreover, there exists a high level of martial prowess in this world. Chen Jiu once witnessed the leader crush a piece of bluestone into powder with a single punch. If that were to strike a person, even nine lives would not suffice to survive.

Chen Jiu rolled his eyes, then said with a serious expression: "Although we are familiar with each other, this time is truly different. This time, the chief has given countless reminders and warnings. If any mistakes are made and the chief finds out, no one will be able to protect you!"

Chen Jiu has taken root right here, indeed, it is taking root

What, you said you can continue to be a killer

A few bandits stood up upon hearing this, and the fat one quietly leaned over and said, "Little Boss, do you think something significant has happened in our stronghold? Otherwise, our mountain stronghold has never been this strict before"

Possessing the body of a six-year-old beggar, who has already fainted from hunger three times, lacking even the strength to walk, let alone beg or engage in any money-making activities

A slightly plump bandit looked at the small leader; this fellow weighed not less than 300 pounds, but certainly around 250 to 260 pounds.