The two bandits exchanged glances, understanding each other tacitly!

Then they both spat out the steamed buns from their mouths.

“Hurry up, use your foot to move the knife over here.”

“Alright!”

Working together, the two quickly moved the small knife into one person’s hand.

The rope was quite thick, and the process of cutting through it truly took considerable effort. Both men worked up a sweat all over their heads, struggling until the rope chafed their wrists red.

Blood marks appeared one after another!

“Da Chui, what do we do now?” Tie San asked.

“What do you mean what do we do? Escape quickly!”

Da Chui pulled Tie San to rush out.

“There’s still someone outside!” Tie San reminded him.

The two stopped inside the door, their eyes peering outside a few times, seeing Jingrong’s guard stationed right outside.

To force their way out clearly wouldn’t work.

Da Chui’s mind was quite nimble though. Grabbing Tie San, he said, “You start yelling now!”

“Huh?”

“Yell!”

Tie San looked completely bewildered until Da Chui struck him hard on the head.

He immediately cried out.

Ah—

The guard outside heard the sound and turned to open the door.

The two hid behind the door!

When the guard entered, he first looked inside, his gaze falling directly on that pillar, discovering the two bandits were no longer there. On the ground lay the severed rope.

He immediately realized something was wrong!

“This is bad!”

The guard was about to turn back to report when, just as he turned around, something heavy struck his head hard, and he fainted on the spot.

Da Chui and Tie San weren’t satisfied yet and viciously kicked the guard’s body several times before cautiously exiting the room.

But little did they know, Jingrong had long ago posted people at every exit on the second floor.

“What do we do, Da Chui?”

“What can we do? Wait first and see if we can break through.”

“But…”

Tie San’s words hadn’t even finished when sounds came from the inn’s main entrance.

“Hurry up, bring out the good wine and food quickly!”

Ten to twenty men swarmed in from outside, each arrogant and domineering, wearing strange and crude cloth garments, some in tiger skin, others in deer hide, and each with a curved blade tucked at their waist.

They were clearly rough men, mountain bandits.

After the crowd entered, they parted to form a path—

A tall, large-framed man wearing genuine leather boots walked in. His face was covered with stubble, hair disheveled, and his forehead bound with a yellowed cloth strip that pulled his brow into an even sharper angle.

Those seemingly bright eyes revealed an innate ruthlessness.

Making people dare not meet his gaze!

“Big brother, sit here.”

A subordinate named Ba Hu called out.

The man called big brother, Zhao Qing, strode over with large steps. Ba Hu quickly wiped the stool clean with his own sleeve.

As soon as Zhao Qing sat down, the innkeeper came over.

As if accustomed to such scenes, he approached with a bowed waist, smiling obsequiously and asking, “Second Chief, what wine would you like?”

Zhao Qing didn’t even glance at him, picking up the chopsticks from the table and poking at them.

Ba Hu then kicked the innkeeper’s rear, saying, “Same as before, hurry and bring the wine. If you spoil my big brother’s mood, believe it or not I’ll slaughter you?”

Raising his hand, he made a gesture of striking.

The innkeeper’s body leaned aside, his head lowered, his whole person trembling in fear as he quickly said, “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll bring it to you gentlemen right away.”

Having said this, he hurried off to serve the wine!

Just arriving backstage, the waiter whispered in his ear, “Innkeeper, why don’t we report this to the authorities? Those people are bandits. During this time, the number of guests at the inn has decreased significantly. If this continues, those people will eventually bleed the inn dry.”

The innkeeper’s face was full of worry.

While carrying wine jars, he sighed and said, “This inn was passed down from my father’s generation. I absolutely cannot let it be ruined in my hands. Even if I die, I must preserve this inn.”

“Then report to the authorities quickly!”

“Report to the authorities?” The innkeeper was extremely helpless, saying, “The magistrate of our Shanhuai County simply won’t intervene. Officials oppress the people, bandits pressure officials. We can only accept it. If we report to the authorities, those people might burn down my inn with a single fire. Wouldn’t I lose everything then?”

“But if this continues, what will happen to the inn? If no one stays here, the inn can’t sustain itself either.” The waiter worried.

Sigh—

The innkeeper glanced outside and shook his head. “Forget it, forget it. Let them drink. These ancestors still need to be appeased.”

Helpless.

Right at that moment, on the second floor above where the two men stood, Da Chui and Tie San crouched there, waiting for the right opportunity to rush out.

But they happened to encounter those people below.

“So it’s the Second Chief and his men.” Tie San exclaimed.

“Never thought we’d see the Second Chief after a whole year.” Da Chui sighed.

But Tie San wouldn’t think so much. He quickly pulled Da Chui and said, “Da Chui, let’s hurry and call the Second Chief to save us!”

Smack—

Da Chui slapped Tie San’s head with his palm.

“A year ago, after the First Chief and Second Chief had their falling out, the two sides became like fire and water. If you go to the Second Chief for help now, not only might he not save us, he might kill us. Even if he really did save us, when the First Chief finds out later, wouldn’t that be slapping him in the face? You and I wouldn’t want to live either.”

“This…”

Tie San rubbed his head, thinking it really was like that.

Originally, the First Chief and Second Chief of Gaoshan Stronghold, those two brothers, had an excellent relationship. But a year ago, for some unknown reason, the two suddenly had a falling out and fought violently in the stronghold. From then on, Second Chief Zhao Qing led his own people away from Gaoshan Stronghold and established another Gaoshan Stronghold on a different mountain peak.

For a year now, First Chief Zhao Huai and Second Chief Zhao Qing had never seen each other again.

If people under both of them encountered each other in the mountains, they would fight!

Over time, two factions formed.

Of course, various rumors also began spreading throughout the entire gang.

Some said the First Chief captured a woman who happened to be the Second Chief’s woman, and thus the two broke apart.

Others said the Second Chief developed ambitions and wanted to kill his own older brother to rule the stronghold alone as king, but was discovered, causing the two to break apart.

Still others said the Second Chief, worried about being implicated when the court sent people to suppress them due to the First Chief’s actions, led his own people away from Gaoshan Stronghold.

…

All kinds of theories existed!

At this moment on the first floor, all the seats were occupied by those bandits.

Zhao Qing wore a fierce expression, his hand constantly tapping the table with chopsticks.

All around, a bunch of people were making noise!

Talking about everything imaginable. After the innkeeper brought the wine up, everyone started playing finger-guessing games and competing at drinking.

Ba Hu poured a bowl of wine for Zhao Qing. “Big brother, drink.”

Zhao Qing squinted once, then casually threw the chopsticks in his hand toward a pillar.

They embedded firmly and solidly into the wooden post.