Chapter 101: Collusion with the Mountain Bandits

The villagers outside the crowd were all taken aback when they heard someone shouting, “Horse thief, come out now or I’ll chop off your head!” They turned their heads in unison to look toward the outskirts of the gathering.

Not far from the edge of the crowd stood a burly man who had appeared without anyone noticing. Tall and rugged in appearance, he was dressed in sturdy attire with a cloak draped over his shoulders, a large knife strapped to his back, and a bamboo hat shading his face—clearly a man accustomed to the rough-and-tumble world of the martial underworld.

The man’s gaze was fixed on the crowd.

Xiao Ding quickly stepped forward from among the people, bowing slightly with his hands clasped in front of him. “May I ask what business brings you to my home, brother?” he inquired.

“Are you the master of this household?” the burly man asked, his eyes narrowing as they settled on Xiao Ding.

“That’s right,” Xiao Ding replied, neither deferential nor arrogant.

“Good, then. I’ve been looking for you. A few days ago, I went up to Misty Sunset Mountain and tied my horse at the foot of the hill before heading up. When I came down, my horse was gone. I heard some folks saw a group herding a batch of horses to your place. Did you steal my horse? Return it at once, or I swear I’ll chop off your head!” The man gripped the hilt of his knife behind him as he spoke.

The villagers whispered among themselves in low tones upon hearing this.

“So those horses behind his house are stolen…”

“No wonder there were dozens of them all at once…”

“Now that the owner has come looking, looks like they’re in serious trouble…”

“Yeah, that guy looks like he knows how to fight; he won’t be easy to deal with…”

“Seems like it’s best to walk the straight path—crooked ways always end up biting you in the end…”

Although their voices were hushed, those with sharp ears could still catch the murmurs.

Among the onlookers, Mrs. Zhou and Tian Dahua exchanged glances, silently thinking: Fortunately, Xiao Ding didn’t share any horses with them. It seems the horses were acquired through shady means, and if things go south, they might even lose their lives…

Xiao Ding heard the whispers but paid them no mind; he was fully aware of how those horses behind the mountain came to be there. Just as he was about to step forward to explain, someone behind him spoke up.

“I believe this brother has misunderstood. There are indeed horses here, but they weren’t stolen—they’re being looked after on someone else’s behalf,” Fan Sanpang said calmly as he emerged from the crowd.

Fan Sanpang had been busy in the kitchen, nearly done cooking and waiting for the feast to begin. Hearing no sign of the meal starting, he asked the women inside and learned there’d been a commotion outside. He washed his hands and stepped out just in time to hear the burly man’s accusations.

The man snorted upon seeing a short, stout fellow come forward from the crowd—a rather plain-looking man—and continued, “You clearly stole my horse. Don’t try to deny it! If you don’t return it, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” With that, he drew the large blade from his back with a sharp “clang.”

“Don’t get cocky!” Zhao Hu, Wang Chao, Ma Han, Dong Chao, and Xue Ba quickly grabbed nearby farming tools and building implements and stepped forward, positioning themselves fiercely alongside Fan Sanpang. Fan Sanpang also took a defensive stance, eyes locked on the burly man.

Though these five men were common laborers, they had spent some time as mountain bandits, making them braver than ordinary villagers. They carried a certain roughness about them, and standing there with heads held high, they looked quite intimidating.

The villagers saw the tension and wisely kept their distance, fearful that a fight might break out and harm them.

Xiao Ding was displeased to hear the man accuse them of theft while brandishing a blade. However, he kept his cool. He knew the man was skilled in martial arts, and although they had numbers, they were untrained amateurs. Even if Fan Sanpang had some fighting skills, he was far from a master, and Xiao Ding himself was less capable. It was best to avoid conflict.

Stepping forward, Xiao Ding bowed slightly and spoke politely, “Brother, you only wish to reclaim your horse. How about this: we’ll take you to the back mountain to look. If your horse is there, we will gladly return it. If not, we will gift you a fine horse. There’s no need for bloodshed or violence. Today is the joyous occasion of our new home—if you don’t mind, you’re welcome to join us for a drink…”

He didn’t dismiss Fan Sanpang or Zhao Hu and the others, but after speaking, he stood quietly, watching the burly man.

As the saying goes, “A professional knows immediately by a simple gesture.” The man saw the stance Fan Sanpang took and realized they were fighters too.

He had assumed these were simple villagers who would be scared off by a drawn blade, but to his surprise, there were martial artists among them. Observing the other large men and the calm Xiao Ding standing aside, he felt uncertain.

Hearing Xiao Ding’s words, the man was no fool. He thought it best to back down for now but couldn’t lose face. Sheathing his knife, he said, “Since it’s your housewarming, I won’t cause trouble. No need for wine—I have urgent business and must be on my way. Let’s quickly go see the horses.”

Xiao Ding called to Zhao Laixi in the crowd, “You all begin the feast first!” Then he, Fan Sanpang, and the burly man headed toward the back mountain. Zhao Hu and the others, uneasy about leaving Xiao Ding alone, followed behind.

At that moment, someone in the crowd finally recognized Zhao Hu and his companions.

“Hey, brother, those five men trailing behind Tian the Fool—don’t they look like the bandits from Flying Cloud Stronghold?”

“Hey, now that you mention it, I remember. They really are those bandits. Once when I went to the county town to buy things, they robbed me on the way back…”

“Yeah, I’ve been robbed by them too. I hadn’t noticed them before, but now that you say it, I recognize them.”

“How did Tian the Fool get mixed up with bandits? If the authorities find out, that’s a death sentence…”

“More than death—possibly the entire family wiped out…”

“Colluding with bandits could get the whole clan exterminated…”

At first, the whispers were low, but soon the entire gathering knew that these five were bandits and that Tian the Fool was friendly with them. Despite the danger, they had the nerve to stand up for Xiao Ding.

Unaware of this sudden turn, Xiao Ding had, in mere moments, become known as a criminal consorting with bandits.

At the back mountain slope, Xiao Ding led the burly man, but no sign of his horse was found. As promised, Xiao Ding gifted him a fine horse. The man’s previously cold expression softened into a reluctant smile. Though still somewhat embarrassed, he said little, simply thanking Xiao Ding and the others before mounting and riding off swiftly, clearly in a hurry.