Everyone sat around the campfire. The flames danced on Huck's rough face, reflecting the relief of surviving a disaster. He almost thought he was dead for sure. Lushen's voice still carried a trace of hoarseness after panting. After the blood-boiling excitement and trembling, only exhaustion remained: "So you're saying, the ones who truly refused Lord Solomon's grace are those bastards called the Brotherhood of the Mountain?"
Huck nodded vigorously and spat: "It's them! Mad Dog's gang! A bunch of desperate mercenaries and fugitives!"
"Originally, they wanted to surrender too! Don't know why they changed their minds! detained those among them who wanted to surrender! And intercepted people everywhere who wanted to surrender!"
A person beside Huck also spoke up to add: "They said they got the backing of a big shot. Land counts for nothing. As long as they are enemies with Lord Solomon, they will get more!"
Huck looked at Lushen, keeping his posture very low, speaking humbly: "My Lord! The misunderstanding is resolved! Now please lead us down the mountain! We are willing to offer our loyalty to Lord Solomon!"
The bandits following him made a commotion of agreement. The desire to go home overwhelmed everything. They were originally farmers, only becoming bandits to survive.
Lushen looked at them but didn't nod immediately. In his eyes, which always revealed simplicity and straightforwardness, a strange, thoughtful light now passed through. Even he felt surprised; he was actually thinking.
Lushen stood up and paced slowly, his gaze sweeping over the three soldiers looking at him, as well as Huck and his ragged bandits. He stopped, the corner of his mouth hooking into a strange arc:
"Going down the mountain, just like this... at most, you count as a group of rescued bandits. Lord Solomon is merciful and will give you land, letting you live."
Huck was stunned and spoke hurriedly: "My Lord, this... this is already a huge grace for us."
Lushen lowered his voice, husky and calm, yet carrying a capability to tickle one's heart: "Do you want to achieve a truly great merit? Let Lord Solomon look at you highly, be allocated the best public land, or even... possess your own private land, becoming important people to the Lord?"
The air seemed to freeze. Private land! These two words were like a red-hot branding iron, searing onto every bandit's heart. They were rootless duckweed. Public land meant farming for the lord, with most of the harvest taken away. Spending a lifetime selling their lives for others, they never thought they could own land truly belonging to themselves.
Huck's breathing became heavy, as did his brothers'. Greed and ambition flashed in their eyes: "My Lord... what do you mean?"
Lushen grinned, looking at everyone, baring his teeth: "Do a big job with me!"
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the forest, casting dappled white light.
Eight figures moved swiftly on the rugged mountain path. Leading them was Huck, closely followed by Lushen, his three soldiers, and three of Huck's brothers.
They soon arrived at the lair of the Brotherhood of the Mountain, a camp transformed from a natural mountain hollow. It was much larger than Huck's camp, easy to defend and hard to attack.
A bandit with a face full of transverse flesh stopped them, his tone unkind: "Huck! You spineless coward, you dare to come back!"
Huck strode forward, punched the man on the chest, and laughed loudly: "I figured it out! Rather than going down the mountain to farm land! Being a kneeling person! It's better to gamble with Mad Dog!"
Soon, they were taken to a crude wooden house at the back of the camp.
The house reeked of alcohol. An exceptionally burly man was sitting on the ground. Lushen's eyes constantly observed him quietly. He had a ferocious scar extending from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, eyes like a hungry wolf. This was undoubtedly the leader of the Brotherhood of the Mountain, Mad Dog.
Mad Dog sized up Huck, his eyes full of scrutiny: "You say, you figured it out?"
Huck straightened his body: "Figured it out! Solomon's mercy is fake! I saw with my own eyes his people distributing land at the foot of the mountain! It was all rocky land! Rather than farming that kind of land! Better to gamble with you!!!"
Mad Dog let out a low laugh and clapped his hands: "Welcome! Huck! My friend! I will definitely not disappoint you!"
Lushen had been observing secretly. He noticed Mad Dog's gaze always inadvertently drifted toward a person in the corner of the room.
That person wore clean, decent fine linen clothes, incompatible with the surrounding filth and roughness. He sat there quietly, holding a cup of ale, looking leisurely, as if not in a bandit's lair but in some noble's drawing room.
When Mad Dog's eyes met that person, there was even a trace of imperceptible fawning.
This discovery moved Lushen's heart. A bandit leader, a decently dressed man. This was absolutely not normal. It seemed he was the reason the other party suddenly changed their mind and refused to surrender.
The banquet started quickly. Mad Dog loudly announced the joining of Huck and his seven men. They now had over thirty people, powerful strength, not weaker than any force in the high mountains. As long as they constantly harassed Solomon's land, they would get more. The atmosphere became heated.
Lushen sat on the side, holding a wine cup, pretending to drink, but actually observing secretly. The Brotherhood of the Mountain refused to surrender, probably not because they were stubborn, but because they had a bigger backer behind them, with more tempting promises.
Late at night, all was silent. Only scattered sparks remained of the campfire in the camp. Most bandits fell into a deep sleep under the paralysis of alcohol.
Lushen, his three soldiers, as well as Huck and a few trusted aides he selected, gathered sneakily in the shadows of the camp.
Huck whispered: "That messenger is arranged in a separate tent on the east side, guarded by two people."
Lushen touched the longsword at his waist, his voice cold: "Must act simultaneously. I'll take my men to deal with Mad Dog."
"Huck, you take your men to grab that messenger. Alive!"
"Then go release the people they detained! Let them pick up weapons! Create chaos!"
Huck reminded: "Mad Dog is very strong. He is a deserter."
Lushen's voice didn't change at all. He looked at the three soldiers beside him and grinned: "We are veterans!"
The three soldiers grinned simultaneously, looking at each other with smiles.
The operation began. Four black shadows walked in the shadows, silently approaching Mad Dog's wooden house.
Two bandits outside the wooden house were dozing against the wall. Lushen made a gesture, and two personal guards outflanked from left and right.
With two slight pfft sounds, the sound of sharp blades cutting flesh rang out. The two bandits didn't even have time to hum. Their throats were cut, mouths covered, and they were supported as they collapsed softly.
Lushen opened the door lightly. A strong smell of alcohol and sweat hit them in the face. However, what they didn't expect was that such a slight sound actually woke Mad Dog instantly.
Mad Dog was cautious in his life as a hunted deserter. The slightest disturbance could wake him up. His weapon never left his body.
"What do you want to do!!!" He was like an enraged beast, like a real mad dog, throwing a chair at Lushen, roaring as he drew his longsword.
The wooden chair came smashing with the sound of whistling wind. Lushen dodged sideways. The wooden chair smashed into pieces on the ground. At the same time, the three soldiers beside Lushen had already pounced from three directions.
This was a primitive and bloody fight, without rules. A soldier's arm was hit by the longsword Mad Dog swung backhand, the blade half-stuck in the arm bone. But the soldier endured the severe pain and hacked his longsword into Mad Dog's thigh.
Mad Dog roared in pain, turning around and kicking the soldier away. In this momentary gap, Lushen closed in, hacking down on his upper shoulder.
Blood splashed from the five people in the room. Mad Dog was indeed far stronger than the four of them in combat and physique, but his cowardly character of being unwilling to fight for his life was so fatal at this time.
"Someone come!!" Mad Dog kept roaring in anger, disrupting his own mind. "Come quickly!!!"
"Come quickly!!!!!"
But no one came. Almost at the same time, shouts of killing erupted on the east side of the camp. Huck successfully rushed into the messenger's tent with men and captured him. The released bandits took weapons, setting fires everywhere in the camp, shouting: "Mad Dog is dead! Surrender and don't kill!"
"Damn it!!!!" Mad Dog was terrified, looking at the four blood-covered men. Am I the mad dog, or are they?
Giving up the fight, he turned to flee. The scarred Lushen and three soldiers pounced. Mad Dog finally fell.
Those hungover bandits of the Brotherhood of the Mountain were awakened by countless messy noises. They stood up unsteadily, but saw a scene that terrified them out of their wits.
On a long wooden pole, a bloody head was impaled high up. It was exactly their leader—Mad Dog. His unclosed eyes were staring emptily at the sky.
Lushen and Huck stood side by side under the pole with the head. Lushen was covered in blood stains, wounds all over his body.
"Mad Dog is dead!!!!" Huck screamed with all his strength. "Lord Solomon's army has surrounded the valley!!! Lay down your weapons!! Kneel and surrender!! It is your only way to live!!!"
At the edge of the forest, Huck's men screamed diligently, banging pots and pans, as if thousands of troops were assembling.
Losing their leader and facing the pressure of a large army, the psychological defense line of this mob collapsed completely.
Unknown who was the first to throw away their weapon, then, the sound of weapons hitting the ground rose and fell. They knelt on the ground, lowered their heads, daring not look at that hideous head on the wooden pole again.
On the mountain path, Solomon was galloping with a dozen riders. Fortunately, this road wasn't too steep; at least there was a road, otherwise they could only walk.
Just when they finally arrived at Huck's original camp, Solomon widened his eyes.
Lushen and Huck were slowly walking out from the depths of the valley with over thirty people. Lushen even had a head tied to his waist.
"Lord Solomon!!" Seeing Solomon arrive, Lushen ran wildly in excitement, constantly shouting "My Lord," until he reached Solomon's horse. On his face covered with blood and dust, a simple and proud smile cracked open.
With his scarred body oozing blood, he knelt on one knee, raising the head high to offer to Solomon, his voice like a bell.
"Lord Solomon!!! Lushen did not shame you!!!"
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