Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 515, Section 514: Bandits and Train

After traveling for several days, we are finally almost at Fornes City.

At noon, Feng Xiuhu and his two companions rested briefly at an inn and had lunch there.

Shunzi rubbed his bottom as he jumped out of the carriage, muttering, "My bottom is almost numb from all the jolting."

Although we traveled along main roads, they were still not as smooth as the cobblestone streets in the city.

Fang Youliu said irritably, "I'm the one who's been working myself to death driving, and I haven't even complained yet."

Fang Youliu was indeed exhausted. Ordinary carriages consume horsepower, but his carriage used magic power as fuel.

Feng Xiuhu was the last to come out. He lifted the carriage curtain and stared at it for a second, and couldn't help but be stunned - this inn was so lively!

The shed and courtyard were packed with people, some eating and drinking tea, others whispering to each other; there were hardly any empty tables to be found.

The last time I saw such a bustling inn was when I accompanied Liu Weisen on a treasure hunt.

When the carriage stopped at the gate, everyone in the courtyard cast scrutinizing glances at it.

Feng Xiuhu excitedly glared back: "What are you looking at!"

So everyone turned their attention back to the present.

The waiter responsible for greeting guests quickly bowed and scraped as he approached: "Are you three resting or just stopping by for a meal?"

Shunzi waved his hand and said, "Let's have three bowls of tea to help us relax, and then we'll just have a quick bite before we leave."

The servant readily agreed and led them to the only remaining empty table.

Before leaving, he asked, "Gentlemen, would you like to feed the horse in front of the carriage?"

Fang Youliu was already used to dealing with these issues: "You don't need to worry about it. My horse has a bad temper. Don't get too close, or it will kick up its tail."

After the servant left, Fang You pointed north and said to the two men, "Foonas City is not far away. We will definitely arrive before dark."

If Fang Youliu said he could get there, then he definitely could. Feng Xiuhu had no doubt about this, so he nodded and said nothing.

But he didn't say anything; instead, someone at the next table spoke up.

One of them turned around and asked, "Are you going to the city to do business?"

Feng Xiuhu replied, "No, I'm running for mayor."

The man was taken aback, glanced at Feng Xiuhu, and then laughed, "You're joking, aren't you!"

Feng Xiuhu turned around and said, "Isn't it just a joke? Who are you? Why would I need to tell you what I'm doing?"

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the person who had spoken to me at the next table was a woman.

This woman was rather rugged; her skin was so rough it seemed like you could scrape off grit, a shallow scar ran across her left eyebrow, her cheeks were flushed with a healthy rosy glow, and her slanted eyes were frighteningly bright. When she squinted at Feng Xiuhu, they looked like the eyes of a pair of wild wolves.

His disheveled hair was hastily tied up with a cowhide rope. He wore a homespun cotton jacket with a mink vest over it, the black cotton wadding showing through the tattered parts. He wore riding breeches and boots, the breeches tucked into the boots, and a bundle of shiny whips hung from his lower back.

Even when she turned around to look at Feng Xiuhu, her right hand was still habitually placed on her thigh—this ensured that she could quickly draw the pistol from under her clothes.

Feng Xiuhu's words were harsh, and the other two men at the table with the woman glared at him with hostility.

The woman seemed unconcerned, laughing heartily as she replied, "I was just asking casually. You know, those who call that place Fornes City are either factory workers or business people who go to the city to do business—doing business with foreigners."

She winked at Feng Xiuhu: "You two are dressed so well, unlike those laborers covered in grease."

Feng Xiuhu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What if we call it Yuluan County?"

The woman raised her eyebrows in emulation: "Then he is naturally a man of ambition, a fine young man born and raised in Yu'ai Prefecture."

She pointed to the clouds in the sky above: "Anyone with a backbone would not stand to see foreigners bullying and oppressing under the patriotic spirit of our ancestors—such people only recognize Yuluan County and not that damned foreign name."

Feng Xiuhu was almost tired of hearing this, so he rolled his eyes and asked, "Fine, fine, which one are you?"

The woman was taken aback at first, then slammed her hand on the table and burst into laughter: "Haha! Which one am I?"

She turned around and struck up a conversation with the two men at the table: "Hey! He actually asked me which one I am?"

The two men joined in the laughter.

Feng Xiuhu was confused. He frowned and was about to start cursing when the woman suddenly stopped, pointed at herself with her thumb, and said, "I am Hei San Niang, a famous bandit in Feisha Road. Which one do you think I am?" Feng Xiuhu was baffled—he didn't know her.

How would I know you...?

Before she could finish speaking, Hei San Niang suddenly raised her index finger and placed it on Feng Xiuhu's lips: "Don't rush, just listen."

What to listen to?
Feng Xiuhu pricked up his ears, but after a long while he heard no sound.

Just as he was wondering, a sound finally came from afar.

Woo——woo——

Clang, clang, clang... Clang, clang, clang...

"This is……"

Feng Xiuhu's eyes lit up: "A train?"

Hei Sanniang gave him a mischievous smile: "Your ears are quite sharp—listen again!"

The train whistle sounded much clearer, as if it were getting closer.

at this time--

Boom! !

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out, the ground trembled, and a gust of wind carrying sand swept across the inn.

Feng Xiuhu's eyes widened: "The train exploded?"

Hei Sanniang spat on the ground: "It was I who blew up the railway!"

She suddenly stood up, drew her pistol, pointed it at the sky, and shouted, "Men! We're open for business!"

Upon hearing this, the various "guests" in the inn, dressed in all sorts of different ways, stood up and responded with all sorts of shouts and strange noises—it turned out they were all bandits!

"Rob his mother's!"

"Slaughter the foreigners first!"

"I wonder what good stuff they have on this trip!"

Feng Xiuhu was overjoyed and stood up to cheer, and Fang Youliu tried to pull him back several times but couldn't.

Just then, a bandit suddenly rode into the courtyard, looking flustered.

Upon seeing Hei Sanniang, he quickly shouted, "Master! We've been ambushed! That—that's an empty cart!"

Hei San Niang was momentarily stunned, then raised her hand and clenched her fist, instantly silencing the noisy bandits in the courtyard.

Once things quieted down, they finally heard other noises—a series of gunshots rang out in the distance, and more footsteps were approaching; the bandits who had been positioned at the front were fleeing in disarray.

Hei Sanniang's expression changed slightly, and she immediately gave the order: "The wind is strong—retreat quickly!"

Having said that, she rushed to the stable, pulled off the reins, climbed on, cracked the whip, and the horse galloped away.

Chaos immediately erupted in the inn, and in just a short while, the bandits scattered and disappeared.

Feng Xiuhu's excitement was short-lived. He looked around at the empty and messy courtyard and asked, "Shouldn't we follow suit?"

Fang Youliu said irritably, "You're not a bandit, what are you going to do with me?"

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Youliu's expression changed again: "Oh no, we really have to leave."

But it was too late.

A large, dark-skinned patrol of police officers poured in from outside, their muskets immediately pointed at the last table of guests in the inn.

Fang Youliu quickly put his hands on his head and squatted down on the ground, forcing a smile and saying, "Sir, it's a misunderstanding—we were just passing by."

PS: Thank you to [Patrick Star's Happy Life] for the generous donation. The rules remain the same: I'll make a note of it and arrange some fun places for the master when we arrive in Taijing.

P.S.: Dear readers, don't worry, I'm really busy this month and can't keep up, but I definitely won't abandon the project.

(End of this chapter)