Chapter 96: The Red-Haired Mountain Bandits

In the regions of Moling, Wu, and Kuaiji, besides the Shanyue tribe in the south that constantly plagued the three prefectural governors, there were the recently emerged "Red-Haired Bandits."

Unlike common bandits, these Red-Haired Bandits had distinct crimson hair and possessed no fixed dens—a byproduct of the system's spawning mechanics—making them highly mobile and a persistent headache for local officials. Most of these bandits wielded iron blades and were stronger than typical brigands, with levels ranging from 17 to 20. They usually traveled in groups of 30 to 50, led by a chieftain.

Because these bandits were a new phenomenon, many players were unfamiliar with their true strength. Cheng Yuan was pleased to hear that Li Zhan intended to engage them, seeing it as a contribution to the stability of his territory. At the same time, he worried that Li Zhan might suffer heavy losses due to his lack of information. After some thought, he decided to have Cheng Ling and the clerk accompany Li Zhan to observe the situation.

Li Zhan was initially concerned about the safety of these two NPCs, as players could respawn, but NPCs would be gone forever if killed. However, seeing Cheng Yuan’s confident, beaming expression, he decided not to waste his breath. Besides, some NPCs possessed special skills, and it was possible that the "housekeeper" and "scholar" under this wealthy man had some tricks up their sleeves.

After bidding farewell to Cheng Yuan, who was still savoring his tea, Li Zhan led his soldiers, including Zhao Ming and Zhang Feng, with Cheng Ling and the clerk in tow, toward the square in front of the town hall. Just as they entered the west gate, a frantic, shouting NPC ran toward them and collided with Li Zhan. The soldiers behind him jumped, quickly grabbing the NPC and restraining him.

Li Zhan frowned as he looked at the disheveled man. Despite being pinned down by the soldiers, the NPC continued to jump and howl, covered in filth, mumbling incoherently:

"The Dragon-Back Staff and the Crow-Sparrow Halberd, combined they break the infinite; the Dragon-Back Staff and the Crow-Sparrow Halberd, combined they break the infinite... Hahahaha..."

Zhao Ming had four swordsmen pin the man down, then stepped forward to bow and apologize to Li Zhan. "I apologize for the disturbance, Mayor. It was my negligence; please punish me."

Li Zhan seemed not to hear him, his eyes fixed on the NPC. "What does he mean by that?"

Zhao Ming looked back at the man. "Mayor, he... he is a madman. He was wandering outside the city this morning. I had my men drive him away, but I don't know how he slipped back into the town."

"A madman?" Li Zhan scrutinized the NPC again. The jingle the man was chanting seemed to hold some mystery, but since he was a madman, any secret would remain unreachable. By now, the players had gathered in the square, waiting for Li Zhan. Jin Xue stood at the entrance of the town hall with her seven war wolves, drawing curious and fearful glances from the crowd.

Li Zhan shook his head and brushed the dirt off his clothes, walking toward the square. Zhao Ming hurried to catch up. "Mayor, how should we deal with this madman?"

Leaving a madman in the town was inappropriate; he would cause chaos and annoy the residents. Li Zhan replied casually, "Throw him out, but don't hurt him."

Zhao Ming acknowledged the order, and together with the four swordsmen, they dragged the struggling, laughing madman out of the town.

***

Soon, the madman's voice faded into the distance, and Li Zhan stood on the stone steps of the town hall. He surveyed the players, noting that the original group had grown by a few dozen, bringing the total to nearly three hundred.

Just as he was about to speak, he spotted Ruoyan hurrying over from the dyeing shed. Li Zhan felt a tremor of apprehension; the girl would surely insist on joining the fun.

Sure enough, once she climbed the steps, she pestered him, "Why didn't you call me for such a big event? You're too selfish!"

Ruoyan was now the officially appointed deputy mayor, holding a rank equal to Li Zhan’s, so she no longer needed to treat him as an outsider. However, being scolded in front of so many players made Li Zhan blush. "Well... we haven't left yet, have we? I would have called you when we were ready."

While he spoke, he opened his friend list and messaged her:
*Li Zhan: This mission is dangerous. We don't know the strength of the bandits, and there are wild oxen involved. It's not easy to explain in front of everyone. You should stay here; don't come.*

Ruoyan was about to reply when she saw the friend icon flashing. Seeing it was a private message, she read it, glanced at Li Zhan with a dismissive look, and replied:
*Ruoyan: Hey, I’m level 12 just like you, and I've learned swordsmanship. Why can you go and I can't?*

Learning that she had also reached his level and acquired skills, Li Zhan felt slightly relieved and couldn't help but ask:
*Li Zhan: You learned swordsmanship too? When?*
*Ruoyan: Naturally, when you were offline. Do I need to file a report for everything?*

The two continued to exchange messages, completely ignoring the players in the square. The crowd watched them stare at each other—in reality, at their dialogue boxes—with expressions shifting from confusion to suspicion, and finally, to knowing smiles. Eventually, some rowdy players began to cough loudly, a trend that quickly spread with increasingly exaggerated sounds.

Realizing their lapse, Li Zhan and Ruoyan snapped back to reality, both feeling embarrassed. Ruoyan turned bright red and fled into the town hall. Li Zhan turned to the smirking players, trying to maintain a stern face. "It seems everyone has a sore throat. Will this affect our upcoming operation?"

The players chimed in:
"Hard to say, Mayor. Our throats are sensitive to... stimulation."
"Exactly, Mayor. Please don't stimulate us anymore, or it won't be our throats, but our hearts that can't take it!"
"Hahaha, stop blathering! Mayor, do you remember those deer antlers I prepared for you? I’m still keeping them! Just say the word—buy one get one free!"

The crowd erupted in laughter. Li Zhan shook his head bitterly and regained his composure. "Enough joking. This is our first large-scale joint operation. There will be dangers, perhaps some unexpected encounters, and many unknowns waiting for us. If anyone regrets this, now is the time to back out."

The players responded in unison:
"No worries! Let the Red-Haired Bandits come harder!"
"I'm only level 13; I've got no gear to lose anyway!"
"Aren't there supposed to be 'encounters'? Nothing ventured, nothing gained! I'm following you, Mayor!"

Li Zhan signaled for silence and began organizing the groups. Those level 15 and above would form the vanguard with him, Zhao Ming, and the eleven soldiers. Those level 12 to 15 were grouped to provide support, while those below 12 were tasked with capturing wild oxen. He called Ruoyan out to lead the thirty-odd female players in a support role and to protect the "housekeeper" and "scholar." Jin Xue and her wolves would trail behind, and the missionary was instructed to stay with the vanguard.

After finalizing the arrangements, he tasked Zheng Jun with town security, and then led the three-hundred-strong force out through the east gate.

They marched in silence until they reached a wilderness about five hundred meters from a cliff. The cliff was five meters high, and below it, forty or fifty wild oxen grazed peacefully. In the center, a patch of low shrubs hid a cave entrance.

Just then, the bushes rustled, and a flash of red darted into the cave.