Order 24

After a while, a coarse and fierce voice resounded through the woods, replying, "It's Guo Shanfeng here, spit it out if you've got something to say."

The Village Chief of Water Buffalo Village, hearing the voice but not seeing the person, hurriedly clasped his hands together and shouted, "Lord Guo Shanfeng, we groups of people need to pass through the mountain. We hope you could show us some mercy."

After a moment of silence, the coarse voice responded, "People may pass, but all valuables must be left behind."

The Village Chief of Water Buffalo Village pleaded, "Lord Guo Shanfeng, don't ask for the moon. Even if you ask for more, what use is it if we can't produce it? Here's what, we've gathered five hundred Big Coins as a token of greeting, hoping to make friends with you. How about that?"

"Hmph, you think you can get rid of me with five hundred Big Coins? Who are you looking down on?" roared Guo Shanfeng.

With an embarrassed smile, the Village Chief of Water Buffalo Village spread his hands and said, "Five hundred Big Coins isn't a small amount! With natural disasters and chaos everywhere, everyone is having a hard time."

Guo Shanfeng was silent for a while before suddenly raising his voice, "Leave half of the goods you are carrying, and I'll let you pass right away."

Naturally, the Village Chief of Water Buffalo Village was unwilling. He gritted his teeth and said, "The goods I'm hauling are iron ore. Can you sell my goods for cash? Can they be eaten? Let's compromise, how about eight hundred Big Coins?"

Guo Shanfeng sneered, "Dammit, less than five Gold Beans, no deal."

Five Gold Beans was equivalent to five thousand Big Coins!

At this revelation, the face of the Village Chief of Water Buffalo Village instantly soured.

The people of Water Buffalo Village worked hard mining, and even selling all the crude iron ore they dug up might not earn them five Gold Beans.

Guo Shanfeng was asking for the moon; it was very difficult to negotiate with him.

"Lord Guo Shanfeng, wait a moment, please allow us to discuss this."

The three senior elders glanced at each other and glumly returned the way they had come.

All this, Fang Zhixing saw with his eyes and heard with his ears.

"This Guo Shanfeng is insatiable, too excessive," the Village Chief of Water Buffalo Village indignantly said.

The head of Black Bull Village spoke gravely, "It seems that this can't be settled amicably. We have no choice but to force our way through."

Seeing this, Fang Zhixing pondered for a moment and suggested, "There are many refugees here. We can mobilize all the refugees to storm their blockade. As long as we can breach a gap, we can break through forcefully."

Upon hearing this, the three senior elders strongly agreed.

There is strength in numbers, after all.

Not to mention so many people; even a group of wild boars would give the bandits a hard time trying to stop them all.

After that, the three senior elders gathered a multitude of refugees and persuaded them to storm the pass together.

"If we don't get through, we'll all starve here!"

"Don't be afraid; let's charge together following us!"

"There's strength in numbers; so many of us acting together will even make the bandits fear us a bit!"

The refugees, already panicking from hunger, saw no other choice and naturally were willing to follow when they saw someone leading.

Then, Fang Zhixing also suggested chopping some easily flammable firewood, lighting it into torches, and distributing them to each refugee.

If the bandits charged at them, they could use the torches as weapons to throw at them.

Everyone thought it was a very good idea, not only because it was very cost-effective but also because everyone could participate.

In less than half an hour, everything was ready.

By this time, it was getting darker.

The light on Fenglin Mountain gradually dimmed, but soon, it was lit by one torch after another, like falling stars linking into a river of stars.

"Charge!"

Following this loud shout, the three senior elders took the lead in the charge.

"Charge!"

Hundreds of people responded energetically, raising their torches and shouting as they rushed towards the mountain top.

Fang Zhixing also blended into the crowd, pulling a donkey forwards, but he deliberately stayed behind the group.

As the crowd reached the top of the mountain, they rushed forward, gradually stretching into a long line.

Fang Zhixing was in the latter half of the group, his eyes scanning back and forth.

Suddenly, he spotted many figures emerging on a high slope, shabbily dressed and disheveled, but each armed with various weapons: sticks, hunting knives, spears, and bows and arrows, a motley array.

"Boss, what do we do?"

A bandit had never seen such a situation before, instantly becoming flustered and at a loss.

Previously, when they blocked the road to rob, the refugees usually came one after another, and they could run up to rob directly or shoot them with cold arrows.

So many people running together, like a flood breaking a dam, truly made a shocking scene.

"What to do, are you blind?" Guo Shanfeng came forward, carrying a large sword.

He was a tall and strongly built man with an ugly scar on his face, fierce eyes, and a repulsive appearance, chewing on a chicken bone in his mouth.

Guo Shanfeng sneered, "Listen well, we'll rob those who carry the most."

"Yes!"

"Boss is wise!"

The gang of bandits understood immediately.

The next moment, they noticed the convoy of the three elderly men at the front of the long line of people.

Carrying cotton, beast hides, and iron ore!

It was really too conspicuous, hard not to notice.

"Brothers, follow me!"

Guo Shanfeng shouted, raising his sword and charging forward, with the bandits following and yelling.

"The bandits are coming!"

"Run quickly!"

The refugees were terrified and ran frantically.

"Quick, quick, quick!" The three elderly men urged anxiously, the wheels of their carts spinning non-stop, rattling loudly.

Suddenly, Fang Zhixing shouted loudly, "Don't panic, when the bandits get close, throw the torches all at once!"

This shout was full of strength, reaching everyone's ears.

The bandits also heard it, and then they realized why all those refugees had torches, and they couldn't help but become frightened, slowing their pace.

"Damn it, do you want to starve, or do you want to eat delicacies, drink spicy, sleep with women!"

Guo Shanfeng was furious, continuously yelling.

His words immediately took effect, the bandits were wildly stirred, producing strange howling sounds, like monkeys.

The distance between the two groups quickly closed.

Thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters!

"Throw!"

Fang Zhixing yelled, and he was the first to throw his torch.

As the first light of fire rose, suddenly, hundreds of torches flew into the air, illuminating the entire Fenglin Mountain brilliantly.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~

The torches crossed the air, tracing arcs, and smashed toward the gang of bandits.

Bang!

The torch thrown by Fang Zhixing hit a bandit, making him jump up and fall over.

The other bandits couldn't help but look up, dodging the incoming torches; some were hit, some dodged.

But many more torches fell on the ground, blocking the bandits' path.

With this disturbance, the bandits were thrown into complete disarray.

"Damn it all!"

Guo Shanfeng jumped up furiously, watching helplessly as hundreds of refugees slipped past under his watch and left him behind.

"Bring the bow!"

Suddenly, he stretched out his hand.

A bandit immediately handed over a bow and an arrow…

The chief of Water Buffalo Village immediately shouted, "Spread out, break through separately!"

Hearing this, the refugees, keeping their heads down, scrambled through the maple forest, and the scene instantly became incredibly chaotic.