Chapter 0002: The Golden Armored Hammer of the Tile Surface
Third Uncle, the Blue-faced Eighteen Ghosts have committed heinous acts and are wanted by the authorities. These criminals have substantial bounties on their heads. If one can capture any of them and deliver them to the government, a reward of ten guan will be granted. If the leader of the bandits can be captured and delivered to the authorities, a reward of one hundred guan will be awarded. If we can catch these thieves, there will be a significant reward!
At this moment, the thin thief over there had already dragged a young lady down from the cart, provoking a series of piercing screams from her. However, the more she screamed, the more it elicited arrogant and triumphant smiles from the thieves, as if they were cats joyfully playing with a mouse they had caught
Faced with this group of bandits, he could not allow the two vulnerable young ladies to fall into their hands, for they were the daughters of the county magistrate. They had the responsibility of escorting them, and if anything were to happen, none of them would escape unscathed, and their families would also be implicated.
"You are courting death; they are the Eighteen Ghosts of the Blue Face!" exclaimed a fellow townsman.
It is said that the order to exterminate the family of the magistrate and the order to destroy the household were issued by the county magistrate of Zhangqiu, whose daughter is in the carriage. The county magistrate is known as the Marquis of a Hundred Li. Within the hundred li of Zhangqiu, the county magistrate truly holds the power of life and death over commoners like Luo Feng and his group.
These individuals conceal their identities, and although they shout fiercely, Luo Feng can see that they are somewhat blusterous yet timid. Luo Feng, who is well-versed in the history of the Sui and Tang dynasties, understands that during the late Sui period, banditry was rampant and rebels were everywhere. However, these people are primarily composed of escaped laborers and starving refugees, who risk their lives to rob and kill for a morsel of food.
His madness has flared up again; sometimes, when he goes mad, he even fears himself
Since there is no way to retreat, we can only advance
Uncle Luo San couldn't help but sigh repeatedly at Luo Feng's frenzied actions
They are not without opportunities
It is now the fifth year of the Daye era. According to his estimation, during this period, Qin Qiong should be serving as a personal guard under the command of the Sui Dynasty's great general, Duke Rongguo, in the camp of Lai Huer. Historical records indicate that Qin Qiong had accompanied Lai Huer in battles against Goguryeo. However, the campaign against Liao has not yet commenced, so it is possible that Qin Qiong is merely passing through on his way back to his hometown.
Now, the second generation finds itself in an awkward situation, able to escape the monk but unable to flee the temple, yet if it does not run, it must confront eighteen robbers directly
Under the lure of great rewards, there will surely be brave men
"Xiao Wu, hurry and run!" The old man anxiously reached out to pull Luo Feng.
However, Ke Luofeng stubbornly did not run away, and instead persuaded them, "Third Uncle, we cannot run. Have you forgotten who that young lady in the carriage is? She is the daughter of County Magistrate Zhang. If anything happens to her, we won't be able to escape, and even the monk won't be able to flee the temple."
Seize the initiative
When the road is uneven, someone will tread upon it; when matters are unjust, someone will take charge. Li Cheng, Qin Qiong, today I will certainly take care of this matter
First, explain the reasons why returns are not allowed, and then present an enticing reward that will captivate everyone
Qin Qiong, Huang Ma, and Shuang Jian
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you bandits dare to openly block the road, cut corners, and rob virtuous women. What audacity you possess!
Brother Shubao, I have come to assist you
Luo Feng shouted at Qin Qiong, then picked up a wooden stick from the ground and continued to charge forward
However, in the face of those thieves with blue face coverings, several fellow townsmen still hesitated
A blue-faced thief is worth ten guan, while the leader of the thieves is worth one hundred guan; this is indeed a substantial sum of money
Although he was alone against the eighteen bandits, Qin Qiong on horseback seemed utterly unafraid. He urged his horse forward and reached out to take a pair of gold-ornamented batons from the edge of the saddle.
Before a person arrives, their voice has already reached
When we returned, we were dispatched by Constable Zhao to assist in escorting Miss Zhang back. Now that we have encountered bandits, even if we manage to escape, we will still face consequences from Magistrate Zhang. Not only can we not evade this, but our families will also be implicated.
Luo Feng was still persuading, but everyone remained hesitant
Indeed, Qin Qiong was from Licheng in Qijun, and Zhangqiu County is located to the southeast of Licheng. It seems quite normal for Qin Qiong to appear here.
Qin Qiong
At the corner of the road, a large yellow horse is galloping towards us with a young man with a yellow face riding on it
Luo Feng's gaze turned towards the side of the carriage, where there were eighteen blue-faced demons, while there were only eight of them, indicating a significant disparity in numbers
Luo Feng shouted loudly, blood rushing to his head, and he directly lifted his leg to charge forward; he could no longer hold back, "Damn it!"
Having spoken, Zhu Hua raised the iron fork with both hands and shouted as he charged towards Qin Qiong. Although the opponent's horse was spirited and the man imposing, he did not feel intimidated. He was confident that he could stab this meddlesome young guard to death with a single thrust, then seize his horse and club, and later enjoy the company of those two young ladies.
The red-faced ghost shook the iron fork in his hand and roared, "Which one of you didn't keep your pants zipped, letting such a bird out to meddle in our good affairs?"
Bounties are enticing
It is merely a rabble, perhaps these eighteen ghosts are composed of a group of farmers, hunters, fishermen, vendors, and assistants
However, apart from the imposing Zhu Huaren at the forefront, who wielded a long iron fork measuring several feet, the others merely carried sticks and similar implements
Almost simultaneously, a loud shout came from the opposite side, like a clap of thunder on dry ground, deafening everyone present
Stop!
During his university years, Luo Feng was a member of the football team and had strong physical abilities. Additionally, he was known for his sense of loyalty and had often engaged in fights outside with Tu Shu, which gave him considerable combat experience. He was a person who valued loyalty and harbored a deep-seated hatred for evil; whenever he encountered injustice, he felt compelled to intervene. His friends had often advised him against this behavior, but he would always respond that one must act against injustice.
Two fists cannot match four hands, the blue-faced ghost has eighteen men, therefore he is very confident
"To capture the thief, one must first capture the leader. If we can find a way to eliminate Zhu Hua first, we will have a much greater chance of winning," Luo Feng gritted his teeth and said. He was once nicknamed 'Madman' because of the wildness in his character, which could be quite terrifying when he went into a frenzy.
After hesitating for a moment, I picked up two stones from the ground and followed along, "Xiao Wu, be careful."
With this loud roar, a sound of hooves followed closely behind
Indeed, there are as many as 18 of them, and they are all armed.
Luo Feng exclaimed in surprise
His third uncle behind him said, "He is a soldier from the garrison, probably a cavalryman. Just look at the yellow military robe he is wearing, and his horse looks quite spirited; it is clearly a warhorse. Moreover, those paired maces he carries are indeed weapons for combat on horseback, which ordinary people would not dare to carry.
Over there, Qin Qiong was already charging forward relentlessly, wielding his twin hammers.
The other few individuals hesitated, but ultimately followed suit. If it were not for the appearance of the cavalry from the Wei residence, they likely would not have dared to follow the madman Luo Wu.
Stop!
Luo Feng, however, maintained a calm expression, "What are those eighteen ghosts? They are merely a group of fleeing peasants. Look, aside from the tall Zhu Hua at the forefront, the others are just ordinary people. Moreover, the weapons in their hands are not swords, guns, or bows and arrows, but merely common clubs. They might intimidate some isolated merchants, but if we truly fight, we may not be without a chance. As long as we can capture that Zhu Hua first, I believe there is a great opportunity."
If a fight were to break out, it would merely be a chaotic brawl.
The old man was taken aback, "What should we do then?"
Luo Feng was now even more certain that this man must be the heroic figure he remembered from the Sui and Tang dynasties, Qin Qiong, also known as Qin Shubao. He did not expect to encounter him here.
If Constable Zhao had not run away, perhaps there would have been a servant with a knife to bolster everyone's courage
Hahaha! Zhu Hua sneered a few times, "You do have some courage, but are you sure you want to intervene? We are the infamous Blue-faced Eighteen Ghosts, renowned throughout Henan. Are you certain you can handle us? Just you alone?"
The blue-faced ghost, Zhu Hua, did not expect that a few peasant men would dare to take action. He spat on the ground and said to those around him, "You few go take care of those reckless ones, while the rest of you help me deal with this Qin fellow. That yellow horse is quite good; do not injure it, as it will be my steed in the future."