Chapter 23: Subduing the Bandits

  Yue Fei saw everyone going down the mountain and said to his brothers: "We should also go home, lest the elders worry."

  Wang Gui listened and asked: "Big brother, are we just going back like this? Ahead of us is a shortcut where a bandit is harming travelers who come and go. Are we not going to do anything about it?"

  "Yes, big brother, when we see injustice on the road, we draw our swords to help. We brothers are all going to do great things in the future, can't we even handle this small matter?" Zhang Xian asked back.

  "I just heard the locals say that the bandit's kung fu is impressive, I wonder who's more powerful between him and Brother Yue? I'd like to go see for myself how good his kung fu is, and whether he can withstand my big knife," said Tang Huai.

  "You three brothers, I really can't do anything about you. That bandit, with a guilty conscience, robbed people on the road just to survive. He didn't care about his own life or the consequences that would follow. There must be a reason for this. Why should we bother with such trivial matters? Moreover, we are unarmed now. If we were to fight, what would happen?" Yue Fei said.

  "Big brother, we four brothers have all practiced martial arts. Are we still afraid of a lone bandit? We've never seen that bandit before, what's the harm in going to take a look?" Zhang Xian said.

  "Big brother, you once said that a real man should have the courage to take the head of the commander-in-chief in the midst of thousands of soldiers and horses. How come when it comes to this bandit, you're afraid? Were all those things you told us before just empty talk?" Tang Huai asked back.

  "Big brother, without any weapons we can use tree trunks. Two fists are no match for four, let's go and meet this bandit, see if he has three heads and six arms! Big brother, make up your mind! Don't let our brothers lose heart." Wang Gui led the army again.

  Yue Fei saw his brothers talking loudly and understood their feelings.

  "My brothers all want to try their hand, if I don't go, they'll think I'm a coward. Actually, I just think it's better to have one less thing to worry about, since my brothers all want to go, then let's just go and meet them." Yue Fei thought to himself.

  "Gentlemen, since you all insist on going, let's go now. But first, let these villagers be sent back, so as to avoid innocent people getting hurt in the fight." Yue Fei said.

  "Big brother is absolutely right. You guys take the goods back first, and we four will be right back." Zhang Xian said to the Zhuang Ding men.

  "Uncle Yue, take us to see! We just hide aside and don't come out is all." one of the villagers said.

  Zhuang Ding and others expressed their willingness to follow Grandpa Yue on his journey.

  "You people, you really don't know how to live. If that bandit is fierce, we can barely take care of ourselves, where would we have the energy to take care of you? In a situation like this, it's best if you didn't come." Yue Fei said.

  Everyone listened and had no choice but to pack up their things and leave.

  Four brothers saw the villagers return home, and with no more worries, each of them pulled out a tree trunk as thick as a bowl, removed both ends, leaving about one zhang (a unit of length) as a weapon, and turned to the back mountain. When they arrived at the back mountain, they saw from afar a large man, with a face like a pot lid, over eight feet tall, wearing an iron helmet, wearing an iron chainmail armor, with a white robe underneath, tightly tied with a leather belt, riding a high-headed black dragon horse, holding two iron clubs, sitting majestically on the horse, blocking a group of people, fifteen or sixteen, who knelt on the ground begging for mercy: "Good man, spare our lives! We are all poor commoners, we don't have anything valuable on us, please, great sir, show us mercy and let us go!"

  "Ah! You people want money but not your lives. If you know what's good for you, hand it over quickly, or else I'll take action. If you don't hand it over, humph! You'll all die." The bandit said.

  Yue Fei saw that the bandit was so arrogant and unreasonable, he hated it so much that his teeth were clenched.

  "My brothers, I think this bandit is a good fellow, he has just taken the wrong path. Let me go and have a word with him. You stay here and don't come up," said Yue Fei.

  "Big brother, you'd better bring your men along, how can you fight him empty-handed?" Tang Huai said.

  "No harm, I think this man is a rough person, can be taken by strategy, not by force. I didn't bring any weapons to show my sincerity, and also to put him at ease. First, I'll try to persuade him with kind words, see if he's willing to change his ways; if he doesn't listen, and insists on being stubborn, it won't be too late to take action then. If I really can't defeat him, you three can come together then." Yue Fei said.

  "Big brother is right, we are willing to listen to big brother's teachings." The three brothers said in unison.

  Yue Fei walked forward with a smile and said, "Friend, I'm asking you for a favor, let them go first! They are also from poor families, pitiful enough."

  The big man with a dark face glanced at Yue Fei, and saw that he had a clear brow and bright eyes, with an air of dignity. He spoke in a gentle tone, curiously asking: "Who are you? Why do you care about this trivial matter? Are you also going to give me gifts?"

  "Of course, as the saying goes: rely on the mountain to eat the mountain, rely on the water to eat the water. You do this business, naturally also for a living. Giving gifts is necessary." Yue Fei said.

  "You're a reasonable kid," said the big man with a dark face.

  "I am a rich merchant's son, my servants and carriage are behind me. These people are small-time traders, there is no profit to be made from them, so let them go, I will take care of that part," said Yue Fei.

  The big man with a dark face listened and thought it made sense, so he said: "Let's spare you for the sake of this young master, you can go."

  Everyone got up and left with a thousand thanks.

  "Alright kid, now you can finally give us the gift!" the dark-faced big man said.

  "I agreed, but my two companions will not agree." Yue Fei said calmly.

  "Where's your buddy? Call him out and ask him." The burly man with a dark face asked impatiently.

  Yue Fei stretched out two fists and said, "These are my partners. If you can win them over, I'll give the gift to you; if you can't, then don't even think about getting a single penny." Yue Fei said with a serious expression.

  The big man with a dark face heard this, his face turned iron green with rage, thinking: I, an eight-foot-tall man, was actually fooled by a little girl, if this gets out, wouldn't people laugh their teeth off?

  "Hah! You little brat, speaking such reckless words. Today, I'll teach you a lesson and see whose skills are sharper, my dual axes or your fists!" The black-faced big man said, jumping off his horse, swinging his dual axes towards Yue Fei, striking left and right. Yue Fei dodged to the side, avoiding the axes, and swiftly moved behind the big man. The big man turned around, again swinging his axes. Yue Fei dodged to the left, lifted his right foot, and kicked out fiercely. This kick landed squarely on the black-faced big man's left ribcage, sending him tumbling to the ground.

  Yue Fei stepped forward, one foot on the black-faced big man, and asked: "Your Majesty, do you still want a gift?"