In the jungle to the east of the territory.
In a somewhat open clearing in the woods, a large group of people, numbering about a hundred, were encamped. Each man carried a weapon, though not of high quality: a few chipped iron swords and some rusty axes. Most of the other weapons were wooden spears without iron tips; iron spears were also present, but in very small numbers.
This group doesn't seem to be very wealthy, so others probably can't do anything to them. They just occupy a favorable location, and their stronghold is indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack.
That's right, this large group of people were the muscular bandits who came seeking revenge, along with the little girl Carly who had been captured to be their 'guide'.
"Chief, there's a village just ahead of here, and no other villages anywhere else," the scout who went to explore reported back.
The muscular man didn't know if the stranger was from the village ahead, and he didn't dare rush in to look for him. The stranger's archery skills were so impressive, his overall strength couldn't be too bad, and besides, he didn't know the stranger. With so many of them going, the stranger would definitely be on guard. The best course of action was to lure the stranger out.
"Hmm," the muscular man turned and glanced at Carly.
Carly was sitting on the grass, admiring the surrounding scenery. She felt this place must have been a former settlement; there were still burn marks on the ground. She felt a surge of excitement; she was about to find the stranger. But the muscular man's next words plunged her heart into despair.
"Carly, the territory of that outsider should be not far ahead. Now it's time for you to play your part. All you have to do is bring the outsider out. No matter what method you use, you know that if you don't do as I say, we will find your father and let him know why the flowers are so red."
Carly had a strong feeling that these robbers were no match for outsiders, which was why she didn't care; she was just there to get acquainted with them. But now this muscular man was asking her to lure the outsiders out.
What to do? Actually, Carly had thought about this for a long time on the way here. These robbers were here for revenge, but she wasn't. She was captured by them to identify people, and she needed to find a stranger to exchange gloves with! She didn't want to get involved, but now this muscular man himself was unwilling to take the risk and wanted her to go first, and even threatened her. She couldn't let him get away with it either.
"Chief, I'm just a little girl. How could I possibly have the ability to get him to come out with me? If it were someone else, even a minor nobleman, I wouldn't even be qualified to meet him." Carly looked at the muscular man with a troubled expression.
The muscular man remained deep in thought after hearing Carly's words.
"Chief, how about this? I'm the only one here who has seen outsiders. I'll go to the front territories first to scout out the situation and see who these outsiders are, and then we can make a decision."
The muscular man remained silent, analyzing the feasibility of what Carly had said.
"Okay, that's enough for now! Don't get any bad ideas. You know what the consequences will be." The muscular man said menacingly to Carly.
"Yes, Chief, I will always remember that." Carly stood up, brushed the grass clippings off her clothes, and knew she could only take it one step at a time now.
The muscular man still felt somewhat uneasy looking at Carly.
"Fatty, you go with her. Keep an eye on things and come back immediately if anything goes wrong."