Chapter 28: Encountering Mountain Bandits on a Distant Journey

  It was May 6, 183 AD, when Qin Feng began his first long journey. Looking back, the city wall of Luoyang, which was over twenty zhang high, lay like a giant on the endless horizon. Who could have known that this center of politics, economy and culture in Eastern Han would soon be burned to ashes by a fire?

  Those officials and nobles, the great families, were still indulging in the false prosperity of the Eastern Han, while Qin Feng began to strive for the Yellow Turban Rebellion a year later.

  Replacing manpower with horse-drawn carriages, they proceeded at a speed that was less than satisfactory on the post road and had already passed Nan Yang Prefecture by the second day.

  "Master, the Xinye County is not far ahead. Shall we stay there?" Zhou Shan asked. He had worked in the previous business for over a decade and had walked this road several times.

  There were forty people following Qin Feng, divided into several horse-drawn carriages. The horses were borrowed from Lu Zhan. "Xinye County?" Qin Feng looked at the sky, "It's still early, isn't there any other place to stay ahead of Xinye County?"

  "There is, but we have to pass by a place called Woma Mountain ahead, and there was a bandit gang stationed there a few years ago..." Zhou Shandao expressed his concern.

  For Qin Feng, time was pressing, and only with a large sum of money in his hands could he feel at ease. He said, "We don't have any goods either, let's speed up and get through this place quickly, just in time to catch the next ride."

  All the way, everywhere is a vast expanse of fields. If it were later generations, it would be endless farmland, but in this great Han dynasty, almost 90% are wild lands. The population is small on one hand, and most importantly, productivity is low. Except for villages and cities, few people are seen elsewhere, so Qin Feng's team stands out particularly.

  "Your Excellency, we will enter the territory of Xiangyang in just a few dozen miles. The city of Xiangyang is a large and prosperous metropolis, comparable to our Luoyang." After traveling for nearly a day, Zhou Shan feared that Qin Feng would be bored, so he spoke up.

  "Chengdu, Chang'an, Luoyang, Ye City, Xiangyang, Jianye. Except for Jianye, all the other places are also big cities at this moment." Qin Feng recalled some things from later generations. If you play a game to build a new force, if these cities are empty, they will be the first choice.

  "What the master says is indeed...". In Zhou Shan's view, the young Qin Feng was almost all-knowing, and it seemed that those great sages were no more than that. The master was so young, and his future prospects were boundless.

  Zhou Shan only recently learned that his master was a self-made man. However, as long as this business trip goes smoothly, a new wealthy family will definitely emerge in Luoyang City. "As for himself, who followed the master from humble beginnings..." Zhou Shan remembered his mother's words and calmed down his restless heart, "No matter what the future holds, I must be diligent and loyal in my work."

  "What's wrong with the people up ahead? Why are they in such a hurry?" At this moment, it was already near dusk. Qin Feng was just about to ask Zhou Shan to find a place to stay when he saw over ten people not far away shouting and running towards them.

  As he spoke, he ran a further distance and the shouting grew clearer.

  "Run quickly! Run quickly!"

  "The mountain bandits of Woma Mountain have arrived!"

  "Are there mountain bandits?" Qin Feng was startled in his heart. To him, these mountain bandits were only in legends.

  "Not good, everyone stop the car and turn around!" Zhou Shan pulled the reins, and the horse stopped its footsteps with a loud neigh. The other few horse-drawn vehicles also stopped one after another, and the crowd showed a look of panic and hurriedly turned their horses' heads.

  "Haha... I didn't expect to chase a group of small fish and end up finding a fat sheep! Brothers, charge!" Just then, three mounted bandit leaders blocked Qin Feng's path. Immediately, nearly a hundred bandits wielding large knives and long spears surrounded them.

  Qin Feng was shocked in his heart. For several days, he had been traveling smoothly, but unexpectedly encountered mountain bandits here. What to do now!

  "Your Excellency, just say that I am the first, only hope that Your Excellency can treat my mother well..." Zhou Shan said after making up his mind.

  "What do you want to do!" Qin Feng shouted loudly.

  "Hahaha......, let your leader come out." The leading mountain bandit chief waved his horse-killing knife and shouted loudly.

  Qin Feng saw the gleaming big knife, over a hundred people's eyes were venomous and their faces were ferocious, his hands and feet were trembling. However, he resolutely said: "I am!"

  Zhou Shan saw that his lord did not adopt his suggestion, and he was moved at the same time with anxiety in his heart.

  The leader of the mountain bandits led his horse away, saying with a sinister tone: "You little brat, who are you? Soft and tender, probably some rich family's pampered child."

  With a swish, the horse-slaying knife fell on Qin Feng's shoulder, and the bright big knife made the sweat on his forehead come down instantly.

  "Hahaha......" Seeing Qin Feng's appearance, the leader of the mountain bandits couldn't help but laugh and said: "You little brat, do you want money or your life?"

  "This big brother, it seems you've misunderstood. We came from the north to make a name for ourselves in Jiangzhou. We're all just poor commoners, where would we have any wealth?" Qin Feng quickly said, calming himself down.

  "Rush into Jiangzhou?"

  "Yes, I've heard that the land in the south is fertile and rich in products. Whatever you plant grows well, and you can even have multiple harvests a year. And on top of that, you can make a living by fishing... We're all struggling to survive up north, so we're heading down south to try our luck. We're all poor folks, why must you make things difficult for us?" Qin Feng said with a pitiful expression.

  The leader of the mountain bandits was taken aback at first, then flew into a rage and shouted: "Dare to deceive me! It seems that you young man won't shed tears until you see a coffin. Brothers, give them some color to look at..."

  The bandits shouted and pulled several people down from the horse carriage. These people were all poor people from Luoyang, who had never seen such an array before, and they cried loudly in fear, urinating and defecating at the same time.

  The leader saw this and disdainfully shouted: "You little thief, quickly hand over your valuables. If you don't..."

  "This old fellow, we really don't have any money......" Qin Feng was shocked in his heart. If this money were to be taken away by these people, the development plan he had set would also die in its infancy.

  "It seems like you're after money and don't care about your life, brothers, kill him for me..."

  "Brother Qin, save us..." Several people captured by the mountain bandits cried out in terror, and the rest were also frightened to death.

  Several gleaming large knives were raised high, and once they fell, it would be a scene of severed heads and broken families. Qin Feng's heart was unbearable, and he shouted: "Wait... Zhou Shan, give them the money."

  "Master!" Zhou Shan's heart was anxious, if this money is given to these mountain bandits, the business will be finished.

  "Give it to them, and everyone follows me Qin Feng, is my brother. Money is an external thing, I will never lose the lives of the brothers for money."

  "Brother Qin......" Everyone was moved for a moment.

  A whole box of money, hundreds of strings, the mountain bandits saw it and were overjoyed.

  "Haha, you little brat dare to cheat us! You said you didn't have any money, now die for me!" The leader of the mountain bandits viewed human life as worthless, and once he got his hands on the money, his cruel nature was revealed. He shouted: "Brothers, kill all these people!" A cold light flashed, and the blade of the horse-beheading knife rushed straight towards Qin Feng's neck.

  "My life is over! Qin Feng saw the blade of the horse beheading knife falling on his head. The opportunity to cross, Cai Yan's gentle feelings, the ambition to contend for hegemony, countless thoughts flashed through his mind..."

  But just then……

  "You dare, thief!" A loud shout, and a white horse came galloping, the rider holding a long spear that extended from the side, the spearhead accurately striking the blade of the horse-slaying knife, with a crisp "ding" sound, sparks flying everywhere as the horse-slaying knife was knocked back.

  "Die!" With another shout, the long spear suddenly shot out like a snake leaving its hole, expanding over seven feet, and instantly pierced the horse bandit's chest.

  The horse thief didn't even have a chance to resist, and the moment he was shot, his whole body felt numb, staring incredulously at the long gun in front of his chest, rolling off the horse and dying on the spot.

  He was saved! It was just an instant, but Qin Feng felt as if he had gone through a century. "Who saved me?" He hastily turned his head and saw a young man wearing a white robe riding on a majestic white horse, over eight feet tall, with a silver spear in hand, looking magnificent, with sword-like eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, his face was like the bright moon, exuding a sense of thick and elegant demeanor.