Chương 26: Let's Be Glorious Bandits

From White Flower City to Lianshan Prefecture, one had to cross a vast mountain range called the Everlasting Mountains. Legend said they were formed by ink casually splashed by the Everlasting Emperor when he attained the Dao. Later, the Hall of Eternal Life conducted a field investigation and concluded it was just a tall tale cooked up by the Great Sheng court to trick peasants into reclaiming wasteland in the mountains. When it came to clearing land and farming, peasants weren't fools.

They could see these mountains were nothing but barren rock and poor soil, nowhere near good enough for farmland. In the end, no one came. It was said that some desperate souls turned bandit here, but they all vanished without a trace. The locals mockingly called the area "Early Rebirth." As for "Everlasting," that was a joke. Merchant caravans always went around these mountains, even if it meant taking a longer route. No one risked crossing Early Rebirth territory.

Later, word spread that a Ninth Realm great cultivator had died here. The Underworld Bureau couldn't determine the cause. Nearby Land Gods and City Gods were too afraid to come near. Still, some foolhardy cultivators from elsewhere ventured in, hoping to find traces of the Everlasting Emperor, ideally some lost scroll of his that would help them ascend. Then came news that these explorers had vanished without a trace.

The cultivation world organized a rescue party, including several peak Ninth Realm great cultivators. That party also disappeared into the endless mountains. After that, the Underworld Bureau issued a public notice warning all cultivators not to enter the Everlasting Mountains, on their own heads be it. The notice sent shockwaves through the cultivation world. Everyone said even the Underworld Bureau dared not provoke whatever lurked within. There must be terrifying demons in those peaks.

In short, the Everlasting Mountains became a forbidden land. No one dared set foot there. Only flying swords carrying messages passed over the peaks. Fang Cheng, in a hurry, ventured over this forbidden territory. But his Divine Energy wasn't enough to carry him across the entire range. When he got tired, he landed to rest. He went on like this for days, stopping and starting, and nothing happened.

"Phew~!" Another evening. Fang Cheng descended from midair to rest by a stream at the foot of a mountain. He took a sip of the cool spring water. It tasted delicious, with a faint, sweet hint of blood. He didn't think much of it. Maybe a deer had drowned upstream. These things happened. He planned to rest by the stream for the night and continue in the morning. From above, he'd estimated that one more day of travel would take him out of the mountains. Fang Cheng was a little disappointed.

He'd been hoping to run into some of those so-called demons and avenge the fallen cultivators. But he had to get to Lianshan Prefecture quickly. His condition was deteriorating. The demon sword kept fighting for control. If he delayed any longer, he really would fall. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Sigh. I hope Lord Pei can help me." Fang Cheng sighed and looked up at the peak before him. He hadn't paid much attention when he landed, but now he saw it clearly. The mountain rose in sheer cliffs on all sides, its summit shrouded in thick clouds. The pines on its slopes grew in twisted shapes, like hunched old men, their branches draped with red and green vines. A mountain breeze rustled the needles, hissing like snakes raising their tails. At the thought of snakes, Fang Cheng felt hungry.

He decided to go up the mountain and find some game. Just then, he spotted several figures. Three men, ordinary-looking, dressed like farmers, coming down from the mountain. But the gear they carried told a different story. Two had short knives at their waists, and the third carried a massive axe on his back. They spotted Fang Cheng too. Like wolves spotting a rabbit, they closed in greedily.

"You're not bandits, are you?" Fang Cheng's face was full of fear, but the corner of his mouth kept curling upward.

"Ha! You guessed right, little bro. We're bandits!" The man with the axe answered. His name was Li Dagon, a tall, sturdy fellow. Back in Li Village, he'd been the strongest man around, good at everything, popular with the women, the natural successor to the village chief. All that was in the past. Now he had a much prouder title: "Underling of King Tiger."

"Join us, little bro. Under King Tiger, you'll eat well, drink well, live like a king!" Fang Cheng blinked.

"Join? Wait, you're bandits. You're supposed to rob me. Come on, rob me! Chop me up with that axe!" Li Dagon laughed.

"Look at you, poor as dirt. Don't worry. Once you join King Tiger's band, you'll see, it's a path to glory!"

"Big brother, stop wasting words on him. Let's just tie him up and take him back for the boss's brain hotpot." The speaker was Li Xiaogou, the youngest brother, shifty-eyed, short and weaselly. At the mention of brain hotpot, he couldn't help swallowing.

"Third brother, you don't get it." Li Dagon explained.

"Smart people don't come to Early Rebirth Mountains. This guy's clearly an idiot who got lost. Eating him would lower our IQ. King Tiger would blame us. Better to let him join, one more errand boy."

"Big brother's right." Li Xiaogou nodded, putting his knife away. He turned to Fang Cheng.

"Kid, you'd better behave. Or else... heh heh..." He grinned, revealing yellow teeth, his eyes gleaming. Fang Cheng shrank back, pretending to be scared.

"Well... I don't really want to be a bandit. I'm just hungry. I want brain hotpot... slurp..."

"No problem, little bro. You don't have to be a bandit, just a bandit's errand boy. We'll do the robbing. You just do odd jobs. Easy work." The third man spoke. He was Li Zhonggou, the second brother, medium build, thin, sunken cheeks and eyes. He looked like a schemer. While the third brother played the heavy, he showed a kinder face. The best way to win people over was a mix of stick and carrot. He continued, "You're hungry, right? Come back with us. There's a two-legged white pig in our fortress.

Tender, juicy meat, better than anything you've ever tasted. You'll remember it forever." Sure enough, Fang Cheng looked tempted, his eyes lighting up.

"White pig! I love white pig brains! Great, take me to your fortress! Quick! Hahaha... slurp... I can't wait to crack open all those stupid pigs' skulls!"

"Since you like it, come with us up the mountain." Li Zhonggou nodded with a smile. Then he warned, "There's only one white pig left. King Tiger gets first pick, he loves brains most. We wait till he's done before we get our share." Li Dagon patted Fang Cheng's shoulder.

"Forget the brains. And the offal, that's for the big shots. I'll cut you two slices of lean meat from the thigh. You can roast them on a stick like sweet potatoes. Pretty tasty too."

"Roasted sweet potatoes! I'm the best at those. I'm the sweet potato king of my village! Especially the red-fleshed ones. When you roast them, the juice sizzles out like boiling pig blood soup. It's almost as good as brain hotpot!" Fang Cheng couldn't help swallowing. His eyes, fixed on the three brothers, gleamed with bloodthirsty greed. But a good hunter knows patience.

"Hahaha..." The three brothers exchanged knowing glances. This guy was definitely an idiot. He'd do odd jobs for them. If he refused, well, he'd end up like the white pig, roasted on a skewer.