Chapter 53: Pipi's Ambition

  Gou Lian is a hoodlum in Yangzhou City. Due to his parents' early death, he grew up eating at many different households. As he grew older, he naturally joined the underworld organization of Yangzhou City and became one of its members.

  He was famous for his bravery in fighting and earned the respect of older gangsters, soon becoming a well-known gang leader in several nearby streets.

  A few days ago, an employer found Dog Face and gave him a job. The job was simple, just doing his old business, blocking people in the northern suburbs of Yangzhou's North Gate, as long as they saw someone from Jibaozhai coming back, they would immediately intercept them and take away their goods. Moreover, this time the employer's reward was very high, so high that Dog Face felt it was worth risking his life for.

  Then, with a dog's face excited like being injected with chicken blood, he led more than 30 brothers to become unpaid honorary city gatekeepers. Every day, as soon as the sky brightened and the city gates opened, they came to the northern suburbs of the city, and only returned when it was about to get dark and close the city gates. Although the weather was cold, Dog Face still diligently brought his younger brother to keep watch outside the city suburbs, and today was no exception.

  In the late afternoon (from 3 pm to 5 pm), a lazy dog leaned against a pagoda tree, listlessly gnawing on a withered grass root with his eyes closed. Beside him were over ten little brothers, standing and sitting in disarray, making a ruckus.

  At this time, a rough-looking man came up with a smile and asked, "Big brother, we've all been stuck here for many days, not even seeing a ghost shadow, the brothers are all tired, looking at tomorrow is about to expire, tonight you must take the brothers to have fun."

  "Alright, where are you going?" The dog face asked with a smile that was not quite a smile, its hand shaking the branch.

  "Let's go to Cuihualou, I've heard that a new batch of Qingnu people arrived there the day before yesterday. With our brothers having silver, we must help them tidy up. Big brother, you say, isn't it?" After finishing speaking, this rascal let out a lewd laugh.

  Another ruffian sneered and snorted: "Tsk, you two are really useless, satisfied with just a little money? Didn't that customer say that the young master of Jibao Pawnshop brought a large batch of valuable goods this time, worth a fortune? If we can intercept this batch of goods, we can at least get this much." After finishing speaking, this ruffian stretched out five fingers and kept waving them.

  The withered grass in the dog's mouth kept trembling, and its face kept changing color, gradually revealing a greedy gaze. He spat out the withered grass from his mouth and said fiercely: "Hmph, these five thousand taels of silver are mine, whoever blocks my path will be dealt with ruthlessly."

  "Big brother, what if the idea doesn't come up?"

  "Then wait, and keep waiting until they show up." The dog-faced man's determination was great, it seemed that for these five thousand taels of silver he was willing to go all out.

  Seeing the old man's face didn't look good, several of the surrounding hoodlums shut their mouths.

  "Boss, they're coming! They're coming!" A rough-skinned guy who had climbed up to the treetop to keep watch shouted loudly.

  "Ah ha! I've got it!"

  The originally disheveled and scattered crowd stood up one by one, stretching their necks to look forward in a flurry of excitement.

  "You're in such a hurry, but the idea is still far away, at least half a mile outside!" The dog-faced man cursed impatiently: "Now let's all go to the official road, we'll rush over together. If they don't know what's good for them, I won't mind letting some blood for them."

  "Alright, big brother, just watch out, we're the best at this." The thugs, one by one, charged towards both sides of the official road like they had been injected with chicken blood, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished.

  "Hey, hey, hey....." The mischievous kid who was blowing the whistle on the tree continued to shout: "Wait, wait, don't go yet, it seems like there are a lot of people in their group."

  Unfortunately, it was unclear whether the warning voice of this bandit was too soft or if these bandits had been blinded by the 5,000 taels of silver reward, and the warning voice could only be helplessly dispersed by the late wind.

  At this time, Pang Gang and Kong Lin were chatting leisurely, their faces still bearing the marks of wind and frost from rushing for seven or eight days.

  "Kong Shaodong's family should be arriving at Yangzhou City soon!"

  Kong Lin let out a long sigh, "Sir, once we pass this place, we can see the city gate of Yangzhou. As long as we enter Yangzhou City, no matter how big Sun Xiyu's guts are, he won't dare to make a move in public. After I deliver the goods to my employer, I will definitely host a banquet and invite you and your party!"

  Kong Lin was very grateful for Pang Gang's escort, and it was precisely because of their escort that there were hardly any bandits who dared to lay hands on them along the way. Even those who had planned to do so would retreat after seeing Pang Gang and his over 200 elite soldiers from a distance. Therefore, Kong Lin's journey here could be said to have been without incident.

  Pang Gang smiled and said, "Don't be polite, we've taken your silver, of course, we'll do things for you. However, after entering Yangzhou City, I hope the Kong family will remember to keep their promise."

  "That's natural!" Kong Lin said solemnly, "Since I've promised the adult, I'll definitely do it. Our Kong family will never go back on our word, but for now, I still need to report this to my father!"

  Pang Gang nodded and said: "This is natural. However, this official can promise you that as long as your honorable surname moves into Wang Hai Fortress, this official will definitely not treat your honorable surname with discourtesy."

  At this time, a loud shout and rapid footsteps suddenly came from the front. Due to conditioned reflex-like vigilance, Pang Gang's eyes narrowed instantly, and he immediately pulled Kong Lin off his horse and shouted loudly: "All prepare for battle!"

  "Whoosh......" With a loud command from Pang Gang, the well-trained soldiers immediately rushed forward. Thirty long spearmen took the lead, thirty dagger and shield holders lined up in the middle, and the remaining sixty bird gunners began to take down the fire rope from their necks and ignite it. Even the one hundred logistics soldiers drew out their waist knives and protected Kong Lin, Kui Shu, and their companions in the middle.

  The dog-faced man led more than thirty of his henchmen, panting and rushing forward. The information they had obtained was that the young master of the treasure hall only brought seven or eight partners, which in the minds of the dog-faced man and others was simply a gift, and as long as they killed them, a large sum of silver would be theirs.

  The dog-faced man, as the leader, naturally took the lead and ran to the front. At this time, he only had one thought in his mind: to seize all their goods, kill all their people, then throw the corpses by the roadside, and the 5,000 taels of silver would be his.

  The dog face ran while shouting loudly, "All of you in front listen to me, leave all the goods in your hands for me, otherwise I'll kill all of you!"

  At this time, the dog's face had entered a state of inexplicable excitement, his complexion was excitedly flushed red, his right hand tightly grasped the short blade and waved it continuously in mid-air, his hairy arm exposed to the air also bulged with blue veins due to excitement, the rough skin behind him also drew out their blades and followed behind the dog's face, making strange cries.

  These young people, full of dreams and striving for them, rushed to the front of the oncoming troops, but the cold reality gave them a ruthless blow. What awaited them was not seven or eight companions in distress carrying jewels, nor were they the young masters with terrified expressions, but a row of guns like a forest and pairs of icy, bloodthirsty eyes.

  Next to the dense long guns, a soldier in military uniform stood with a shiny curved knife in his hand. He scowled and shouted loudly: "Long gunners, swordsmen retreat! Musketeers prepare!"

  "Whoa!" The two hundred gunners and shield bearers in front immediately retreated a dozen steps, revealing the two rows of soldiers behind them who had already raised their bird guns. The fuses in their hands were still hissing, and the dark muzzles of the guns were pointing directly at them...