Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 519, 518: The Village Tower Appears Again

Upon hearing this, the bandits fell silent once again.

Those present were all seasoned veterans of the underworld; how could they not understand the deeper meaning behind "Second Master's" words?

The pretext of "issuing a challenge" was a lie; the real purpose was to force everyone to take his side wholeheartedly!
Take the man sent back to deliver the declaration of war—if he doesn't return, how will the remaining brothers who stayed with "Second Master" survive? If he returns to the stronghold and tells the truth, who can guarantee that the bandits in the stronghold won't have any ulterior motives? And whether Black Third Sister will let him return is anyone's guess.

Therefore, none of the bandits were willing to take the initiative to be the "messenger".

Seeing that no one made a move, "Second Master" smiled and said, "You are all brothers, you know each other well. If you insist that I choose, I can only point with my eyes closed."

Just as the bandits were filled with fear and anxiety, a lazy voice suddenly came from the corner: "Fine, I'll go."

Everyone turned around in unison and saw that it was Fang Youliu who slowly stood up from the ground.

"Second Master's" eyes lit up: "What courage! And you... what's your name again?"

Fang Youliu rolled his eyes: "Don't ask, the answer is just that it's a lowly job."

It's obvious he really cares.

Shunzi leaned closer and whispered, "What are you getting involved in?"

Fang Youliu yawned: "I have to make the trip anyway—my carriage is still parked at the inn."

At this moment, one of the bandits, not quite grasping the situation, instinctively wanted to speak up and reveal the identities of Feng Xiuhu and his two companions, but was pulled back sharply by his experienced accomplice, and quickly fell silent.

"Third Master" had been waiting impatiently for a long time, and pointed at Fang Youliu, saying, "Then it's you."

"Second Master" then took the key from the police station and personally opened the cell door for them.

He said to the other party, "Good brother, thank you for making this trip. Please tell Hei San Niang that you should come back as soon as you get the news. All of us brothers are waiting for you."

Fang Youliu gave a perfunctory reply and left, abandoning everyone else—his biggest concern was his own carriage.

……

The words are divided into two parts.

Leaving aside Fang Youliu's departure, let's turn to Feng Xiuhu, who was mixed in with the bandits and led out of the police station by "Second Master" and "Third Master".

"Second Master" still cared a lot about Shunzi, and when they walked down the street, he came over again to try and get information out of him: "Brother Abao is so strong, he must be a big shot among the bandits."

Shunzi wasn't good at making up lies, so he turned to Feng Xiuhu for help.

Feng Xiuhu then looked at the bandits beside him: "Second Master is asking you a question. Is our Ah Bao any kind of person?"

It was the same quick-witted bandit from before. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Hey! Why isn't he someone important? He's our second-in-command!"

"Ah, yes, yes."

"He's got the makings of a second-in-command."

"Didn't the police already say that he is the second-in-command?"

The bandits all echoed his sentiments.

"Second Master's" eyes suddenly lit up: "Second Master! Then you must be very familiar with Black Third Sister?"

Shunzi's eyes darted around: "Actually, we're not that close... I've only been the second-in-command for a short time."

Indeed, not long ago, about a minute ago.

"Second Master" assumed that Shunzi was still mindful of loyalty and unwilling to reveal Hei Sanniang's affairs, so he just smiled and let it go—he wasn't in a hurry.

"Second Master" and "Third Master" led the group to a hot pot meal. After the meal, the bandits were all a little drunk and had become quite familiar with each other. After the meal, "Second Master" and "Third Master" took them to a factory.

One of the bandits, speaking with a thick tongue, asked, "Judging from this situation, does Second Master intend to send us to work as laborers in the factory?"

"Second Master" shook his head with a smile: "You must be drunk. Do you think I, Ma Er, am the kind of person who would let my brothers suffer? I'm just finding you a place to stay."

It turns out it's time to arrange accommodation.

After circling around the factory, Feng Xiuhu suddenly spotted a familiar building.

It was a ring of fortified houses rising from the ground.

The reason it is described as a "circle" is because the entire village building is built around a large, narrow-at-the-top chimney.

The large chimney was built entirely of red bricks and appeared to have been abandoned, so it was put to use by the owls.

"Second Master" pointed to the village building and said, "This is it. The environment here is a bit poor, but it's just a temporary place to stay. Once this big event is accomplished, I will definitely find a spacious courtyard for the brothers."

"Second Master" was clearly not a first-timer here. The owls they encountered along the way were not surprised to see him leading outsiders into the village.

The group took the elevator up to the floor, where "Second Master" and "Third Master" led them to a large room to settle them in, and agreed to meet again the next day.

No sooner had "Second Master" and "Third Master" left than the bandits, who had been drunk just a second ago, instantly sobered up.

They immediately surrounded and blocked Feng Xiuhu and Shunzi.

Shunzi instinctively reached under his clothes—only to remember that his gun had been confiscated by the police.

Feng Xiuhu raised his hand to signal Shunzi not to rush, and then addressed the bandits: "You also want to be the second-in-command?"

The bandit who reacted the fastest spat on the ground: "Stop talking nonsense. Let me tell you this first: if you dare to say anything to Second Master, I'll skin you alive."

Feng Xiuhu understood what he meant and thumped his chest loudly: "Don't worry, once a bandit, always a bandit. I, Ah Hu, am determined to be a bandit!"

The bandit sneered, "You had better tell the truth."

Feng Xiuhu chimed in: "Sincerity for sincerity. I'm showing you my sincerity, so shouldn't you tell me something sincere in return?"

The bandits exchanged silent glances, then looked back at Feng Xiuhu: "What do you want to hear?"

Feng Xiuhu asked, "I want to hear about the love and hate between Hei Sanniang and the foreign master."

"whispering sound--"

The bandits sneered, "You really are an outsider. On the Flying Sand Road, who doesn't know that our Copper Whistle Gang's leader, Black Third Sister, is a tough character?"

Another bandit chimed in: "Although our Copper Whistle Gang is a bandit gang, when it comes to righteousness..."

Feng Xiuhu raised his hand to interrupt: "Stop. I know you've caused plenty of trouble for the foreigners. I'm asking, why are the foreigners targeting Hei San Niang?"

The bandit sniffed, quite smugly, and said, "Of course, it's because our leader is not only brave but also resourceful. We've succeeded in bombing foreign railways and robbing foreign goods every time, pushing the foreigners to their limits, which is why they invited Second Master and Third Master to help us."

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback: "Wait, you already knew that Ma Er was working with the foreigners?"

The bandit rolled his eyes at him: "It's nothing new—the news that Second Master is stationed in Fornas City was released by the government."

"The Copper Whistle Gang isn't the only one on Feisha Road. With the arrival of Second Master and Third Master, many bandits from other gangs have even volunteered to join them, either because they admire their reputation or because they want the money in their hands. Those with guts like our Copper Whistle Gang are actually a minority."

Feng Xiuhu bit his nails and remained silent—he had a vague feeling that he had been set up.

(End of this chapter)