Chapter 4: To survive, one must be more ruthless

Outside the cave, the shouts and footsteps of people erupted, rushing over with a thunderous roar. Amidst the flickering shadows, there were explosive cries: "Save the leader—"

Below, some individuals coldly observed while holding weapons, yet ultimately, many felt a surge of passion within. In the hall, those who had hurried to move items quickly returned, and in an instant, the atmosphere became lively.

In the deep of night, the flames burned quietly. Gongsun Zhi removed his outer fur coat and lay on the stone bed that belonged to the former bandit leader, yet he could not fall asleep. He had observed most of the more than one hundred bandits in the hall just moments ago; although some had begun to feel a sense of belonging, there remained a portion who harbored other intentions.

In the corner, Dongfang Sheng cautiously observed for a moment, his eyes darting around, and quietly squeezed into the crowd. Soon, amidst the flames, someone shouted: "I follow the Great Leader!"

Having crossed over, the Xiongnu people, the lives of individuals, the future lords' attacks, and currently serving as a henchman for bandits, all pose a constant threat to life. The modern mindset of living in peace has come under immense pressure. Fortunately, this strong body allows him to preserve his life, and under this premise, he seeks greater safety

Outside, several bandit henchmen who were still drinking heard the screams and rushed in. They immediately saw the woman lying dead on the ground and looked on in terror at Gongsun Zhi, who stood holding a knife on the stone bed.

Puff

With a loud bang, the flying copper furnace struck the forehead of the foremost bandit who had rushed in, causing his body to fall. The furnace was overturned, and burning wood shavings and branches scattered through the air, showering sparks everywhere, while the few people in front screamed in agony and shook their leather coats.

"It is!" Gao Sheng and several lackeys clasped their hands in greeting

Bang

Gongsun Zhi restrained the arms of the bandit leader and walked over, raising the tip of his knife, pointing at the group of bandits rushing in, "... we taste blood on the blade; the strongest is the leader, right?"

Immediately, the woman's corpse was taken away. Gongsun Zhi sighed, buried his head in his knees, and sat there trembling all over, for he was indeed afraid

The woman's anguished scream echoed as she rolled off the stone bed, her body covered in blood, and after writhing on the ground a couple of times, she ceased to struggle

At this moment, Gongsun Zhi stepped on the back of the still-living bandit leader, let out a fierce shout, and brought down his blade, the crimson color spraying onto the ground from the severed neck, as the head rolled on the ground

You must be more ruthless than others... make them fear you, Gongsun Zhi, you must remember this!

Come on! Why don't you dare to take action while watching your leader being slaughtered?

The sharp blade cut into the throat without a trace of hesitation, and blood splattered across the blade's surface. He loosened his grip, and the man fell to the ground, clutching his neck and convulsing, blood spilling everywhere.

The entire person flew backward, crashing against the cave wall, then rebounding and landing on the hard ground. The short knife in his hand clattered to the ground not far away. The leader of the bandits clutched his abdomen, grimacing in pain as he let out a groan, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth

Gongsun Zhi wiped the blood off the knife with a woman's clothing and tossed it aside, tilting his head slightly: "I dream of killing, so do not come near me in the future, understand?"

Gao Sheng approached the past, glanced at the group of bandits, and spoke in a low voice: "Count me in"

The wind rushed into the tunnel, sweeping over people's heads, as a large number of bandits crowded inside, slowly retreating and parting, staring at the figure holding a severed head as it walked through the middle. The gaze extended as Gongsun Zhi carried the head into the vast interior. He glanced at Wang Kui and then directly sat down in the foremost position, placing the blood-dripping head at his feet.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, in a state of drowsiness, Gongsun Zhi vaguely heard the sound of faint footsteps. He suddenly jolted awake, his hand reaching for the hilt of his knife, gripping it tightly. Pretending to keep his eyes closed, he squinted through his narrowed vision as a woman's figure approached. She quietly shed all her clothing with a rustling sound and stealthily pulled back the wool blanket to slip inside.

... ...

On the other side, the man who had been thrown out stood up, his face and body covered in dust, bare and looking very disheveled. He glared at the other party, only to find that it was the "dog" he had previously summoned and exchanged. With a furious "ah," he swung his short knife fiercely. A blade met his strike head-on, clashing with a metallic ring and sparking in an instant, as a large foot loomed into view and kicked him squarely in the abdomen. With a furious "ah," he swung his short knife fiercely. A blade met his strike head-on, clashing with a metallic ring and sparking in an instant, as a large foot loomed into view and kicked him squarely in the abdomen.

Then, with a mouth full of blood, he smiled and said, "See, my trusted subordinates have arrived; you cannot escape!"

You two little thieves will also meet a terrible end! The bandit leader tilted his head back and spat out a mouthful of blood

Shouting loudly, the torches flicker

Soon, the sky will brighten.

Among the crowd, there were some who were dissatisfied with the former leader. Now that he is dead, there is nothing more to be said, and a few have stepped forward. They were originally individuals who thrived on violence and killing. Since they had witnessed the weapons being wielded and the bloodshed, they felt a sense of submission in their hearts. "Then count me in," someone shouted from the crowd. Naturally, some could not hold their ground, and those with a herd mentality began to echo the sentiment, with the responding voices starting to dominate.

A slap landed, and the bandit leader's mocking smile froze. Before he could react, Gongsun Zhi grabbed his hair and dragged him across the ground. At the broken wooden door, the blade had already struck the door frame, and as wood chips flew, the scholar, Suanru, covered his head and ducked to the side. Gao Sheng rushed over, pulling Suanru back a bit further, shouting, "Get out of the way." He kicked towards the copper furnace filled with burning wood.

More than ten figures, armed with weapons, were momentarily taken aback, casting wary glances at the wild-looking man.

In the spacious stone chamber, amidst the dim flickering firelight, the figures of the bandits either huddled together or stood scattered in the corners, silently listening to each other's words, their eyes occasionally glancing towards the stone seat, yet no one expressed their stance

Hahaha

The flames flickered in the wind that blew in, and the faces of the bandits revealed a sense of fear. More importantly, their leader was dead, and they could not help but feel lost; it seemed hardly worthwhile to risk their lives for a dead man.

Regardless of whether you are convinced or not, I occupy this position. If any of you can sever my head, you may also take this position.

Dongfang Sheng trembled and shouted at the door: "They are coming, what should we do?"

"... ... the leader, she ... ... you ... ..." The bald man was somewhat confused. The corpse on the ground originally belonged to the previous leader of the bandits' woman, and naturally, it now belonged to Gongsun Zhi. Her entry was also met with a nod of approval for her promotion, but her sudden death made him think that the woman was attempting an assassination

Gongsun Zhi's gaze was sharp and fierce, his blood-stained hand slapped down on the stone chair, his tone cold and harsh: "But today, the rules are set; if you cannot kill me, then you must die"

Everyone is fixated on this position... If I can't sit still, I will die..." With his arms resting on his head, he gazed at the soot-blackened ceiling, shrouded in smoke from the torches, "... One hundred people, just scaring them won't suffice... They need to be convinced... How to do that?"

Then... Gongsun Zhi revealed a smile, his knife positioned across the neck of the struggling bandit leader, "... you all better watch closely"

A few bandits attempted to advance, but Gao Sheng brandished his sword to block their way. With a series of metallic clangs, blood splattered, and one corpse fell to the ground, causing the others to retreat a few steps in fear

In the fleeting moment when Mars flickered on the edge of the blade, the naked bandit leader, wielding a short knife, rolled off the stone bed and could not help but grit his teeth and shout: "What do you want to do?!"

Gongsun Zhi grinned, kicking the head on the ground away, "Distribute the fine wine, good meat, and some excellent weapons and armor that this old thief has hoarded among the brothers. It is better to let the brothers live a few more days than to leave them to rot inside."

At that moment, the woman clutching the wool blanket let out a terrified scream as the burly Gao Sheng approached with a knife, swinging his hand to slap her face, causing her fair and ample body to roll away in a flurry.

"Having taken my belongings, from now on you are my brother," he added.

The heated body immediately pressed against Gongsun Zhi's chest, delicate and tender fingers first caressing his chest, then the entire person leaned in, the full jade-like form pressing against him, a soft gasp escaping the woman's lips, ... her hand moved down to the man's lower abdomen, and then ...

Gongsun Zhi walked over slowly, kicked the short knife on the ground aside, crouched down, reached out to lift the opponent's head, leaned over, and with a grin revealing his white, sharp teeth, said, "What do you want... Of course, it's to survive. The three of us want to live, so you can only die."