I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 201 Internal strife
Patting his round belly, Jassim let out a satisfied burp and slowly walked towards his camp.

As a newcomer who had only been with the Jackals for less than a year, Jassim attracted a lot of attention from the veteran Sand Bandits.

It is said that he loved fighting since he was a child, and he awakened his talent for thievery before he was 12 years old. After joining the Jackals, he was ruthless and eager to kill people. He dared to break with tradition and rarely went out to have fun. He would find new prey almost every three days. Even locals would not escape the fate of being skinned alive if they encountered him.

Although he hadn't been with the bandits for long, Jassim worked hard to learn the combat skills of the desert from the veteran bandits. In less than half a year, he was promoted to captain of the southeast region and deputy leader of the Jackals, thanks to his outstanding skills and killing techniques. He also defeated other bandit groups and absorbed many surrendered bandits.

This allows the jackals to grow stronger and more powerful, while also being able to prey on the most lucrative places, ensuring that everyone lives a comfortable and prosperous life.

According to many people's private opinions, only the rarely seen leader Nadir could possibly outmaneuver him. It could be said that if this mage-bandit were to retire, he would be perfectly capable of becoming the new leader of this pack of jackals and leading them to continue living a life of luxury.

What annoyed Jassim was that he had only taken two underlings back to the city for a nap when most of his men were wiped out, except for the incompetent but opportunistic old Cole who escaped unscathed.

The others reportedly died horribly, being swiftly killed by a man wielding a gun and a greatsword in less than a minute. His speed even dazzled Old Cole, who only survived by surrendering and dropping his weapons.

This made Jassim somewhat puzzled.

Although the jackals were wicked, apart from him, the others basically didn't like gnawing on bones. While high-level warriors could achieve this level of strength, the jackals all rode horses. How could this person run faster than a horse?

Even if he drank the speed-enhancing potion, he still wouldn't have that ability.

Although he suspected that Old Cole might be a double agent, Jassim, believing in seeing is believing, went to Yellow Sand Town under the cover of night. After examining the body, he found that the old dog hadn't lied after all; the injuries on the body were basically as the old man had imagined.

Is this baron up to no good?

Although the other party was also quite famous, Jassim was naturally not afraid of a retired professional. He killed a dog as a deterrent and threw it into the other party's house, put the corpse in his spatial bag to use for hot pot, and the group found a tavern to sleep in as if no one else was there. The next day, they swaggered out of the city.

Just as Jassim had predicted, the other side could only rage helplessly after he did all that, without even making a move. This made him and his two underlings feel a little smug. They put on the sunglasses made of black crystal and leisurely returned to the Jackal's camp.

Yes, besides killing people, Jassim also pays great attention to his appearance and style. After all, he goes out to kill people to make money. Once he has saved up enough gold, he will buy a manor, open a tavern, and slowly clean up his act. At that time, with his good looks and excellent strength, it will be easy for him to find a noble lady to marry.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. After returning to the camp, the leader who hadn't shown up for a long time suddenly returned. Upon seeing him, he immediately greeted him with a warm smile: "Jassim is back! Please have a seat."

Somewhat puzzled by the leader's enthusiasm, he realized that his move was rather reckless. He was doing this entirely to establish his authority, since if this old dog were to die suddenly, he would really take over. In that case, instead of him donating 30% of the reward, he would collect 30% of everyone's reward.

However, since it was a smiling face, Jassim did as he was told, and said with a smile, "Has the leader made a new breakthrough in his magical research?"

"The path of arcane magic is unfathomable, and I can't do much beyond that. Our deputy leader, on the other hand, has been making great progress lately; he seems quite capable."

As Nadir spoke, he rubbed his fingers together, and powerful sparks of lightning flashed in the cave. The blinding light caused many of the bandits to instinctively shield their eyes, their faces filled with fear.

It's not that no one has challenged this leader; once, a level 9 barbarian launched a challenge in an attempt to usurp the throne, but he ended up as a charred corpse.

Jassim sensed something was amiss. Although the Jackals didn't have this many members before he joined, they were still a dominant force in the Nas Desert. It would be unwise to confront them head-on before he had fully established himself: "You flatter me, leader. How could a mere lad like me have such abilities? I still need your guidance."

Nadir smiled after hearing this, but Rashid, the captain of the Northern forces, sneered, "Some people talk a good game, but after making a big deal, they only give you food and drink and don't mention any profit sharing. Isn't that a bit unfair?"

Jassim was baffled. Forget about profit sharing, he had recently lost several of his men: "Captain Rashid, I've recently encountered some ruthless characters and lost quite a few people. I was even planning to discuss borrowing some manpower from you. Where would I get the strength to do big business?"

"So what if someone died because of a big deal?" Rashid coldly threw a newspaper at the ground. "Five noble sons and ten thousand gold coins, the evidence is conclusive and even the officials have admitted it. Does Captain Jassim still want to deny it?"

Jassim frowned upon hearing this, but didn't even glance at the newspaper: "I'm sorry, I can't read. Everyone knows about this. As for what you're talking about, I haven't done anything about it. You can ask the other people in my team if you don't believe me."

Nadir was somewhat surprised that the other party dared to deny such solid evidence. Rashid, who was standing nearby, glanced at him discreetly before stepping forward.

“I know you have high aspirations and great strength, and I am no match for you in a one-on-one fight. But even as bandits, we must abide by the rules and reason. This 30% of the tribute is not for me, but for other brothers who are unlucky and have no business, so that they can have a chance to eat, afford medical treatment when they are injured, and have a guarantee to retire comfortably when they quit. You also received this favor when you first came, so why are you denying it now?”

"What are you saying? I've always been upright and honest. When have I ever done anything so shameless?" Jassim's face flushed red. Although it really hurt to take out 3000 gold coins, if he really wanted to rob 10,000, why wouldn't he use that money to win people's hearts? "To be honest, ever since the leader stopped managing things, I've been very concerned about my reputation. And how could others not know about the slightest thing that happens in our line of work?"

"Besides, when you do something, you have to split the profits. If I really kidnap this guy and don't give my brothers a share of the money, will they be able to vouch for me? My reputation isn't worth a few thousand gold coins. If I really do it, they can come forward and report me right now. Then everyone will have a sword. How many of them can I possibly beat?"

Jassim spoke passionately, but the other party didn't listen and sneered, "Although I see that these brothers look a bit confused, who doesn't know the wonders of magic? Maybe you bought some strange scrolls to make these brothers lose their memories and cooperate with you in doing all this? Of course, brother, you are ruthless. Maybe you secretly did this while the brothers were asleep. I don't think it's impossible."

Jassim was furious upon hearing this. This was nothing short of provocation. He stood up abruptly, gripping the scimitar beside him. "Where in this world do such strange magic exist? And even if it did, where could I possibly encounter it? If you feel that my strength is weakened by the recent deaths of many of my brothers and want to take my territory, then go ahead and ask. I'll take full responsibility."

"Hey, I didn't say that. I just want justice." Rashid feigned fear and took a step back, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword. "But it seems you want to settle things with a knife, brother. That's not in accordance with the rules." "Not in accordance with the rules?" Jassim said, taking a step back. He knew that the fluctuation of his power had probably made these people ambitious. The leader's feigned indecision and pursuit was the most suitable proof.

But if he really turned against them, they would have more people and greater power. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I can't even read many words, let alone use magic. This is pure slander. Boss, you have to be my witness."

Nadir nodded, but Narashid just sneered: "We're all rough men, and as the saying goes, seeing is believing. Brother, why don't you take out your spatial bag and let everyone see your assets and check the accounts? If everything is true, then we'll naturally clear your name."

Jassim was not about to agree to this. Besides storing personal items, the space bag also had the advantage of hiding secrets. As a captain with a vast plundering territory, how could he really hand over all the spoils every time?
Not to mention him, even his bandits would swindle money when doing a small business deal; it's just a matter of how much or how little.

Not to mention that he became a bandit just to make quick money, and naturally he had hidden gold in secret.

Seeing that Jassim refused to hand over the space bag, the other bandits under the captains also became suspicious. Some guessed that this was Rashid's deliberate obstruction, but considering that the captains were all rich and had been withholding their money, they naturally did not stand up for him.

Although everyone steals money, it's an open secret that everyone knows about it, and this windfall is mostly spent on taverns and women, so there's no way to save any.

This guy is indeed a formidable fighter and impressive, but he's also an arrogant fellow who would never be on friendly terms with others.

Furthermore, Jassim had previously mocked everyone for only stealing chickens and playing around with women, lacking ambition, and being a bandit who only knew how to drift through life, unlike him who was capable of taking his underlings out for a good meal and drinks. Even without sandstorms, he would still show off by wearing his expensive sunglasses, looking incredibly smug.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Jassim had already lowered his waist, gripped his knife, and prepared to fight to the death when Nadir spoke up: "What are you doing? We bandits are supposed to be loyal and fair. How can we start fighting amongst ourselves over a few words from those scoundrels? Is this even right?"

Nadir, however, had been secretly observing and noticed that Jassim's brothers all looked bewildered, clearly unaware that they had committed such a serious crime without actually making any money.

There are spells in this world that can erase and alter memories, but those obviously don't exist among these bandits, and this kid wouldn't be so lucky as to find such a magical artifact.

After saying that, he stood up, patted the other person on the shoulder, and acted as a peacemaker: "Alright, alright, do you still not believe me? But this matter is really a bit strange, it's normal for the brothers to have some doubts, but let's just explain it clearly and let it go."

If the leader had already given up, then Rashid, the bad guy, naturally had no choice but to give up as well. But he had some questions: "Then I don't understand. My men personally led people to see the ransom that those nobles were collecting, and the baron also brought back those who had been kidnapped. He even insisted that we were the ones who did it, and even wanted to send an army to wipe us out. If you didn't do it, then who did it?"

Jassim finally understood how he had been framed, and said angrily, "I think this is probably a trick by those lackeys, trying to sow discord among us brothers. If we fall for it and a fight breaks out, they can easily defeat us one by one. What a vicious heart they have!"

Hearing Jassim say this, some of the bandits gasped: "Indeed, those corrupt officials usually eat people alive, they probably really think that way."

“I think so too. The Nas Desert has been explored for thousands of years. How could a blue dragon suddenly find some magical item? It’s probably just those government dogs spreading rumors to ruin our brotherhood.”

A bald, burly man shouted, "That's right! If we're just bandits, we'd be idiots to believe the newspapers. If these guys had any sense, they wouldn't want to eat sand in the desert. This is definitely slander and a rumor. Just ignore what they say."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Although Rashid looked rather grim, he didn't say anything and simply turned and left.

Just then, someone whispered from outside. Nadir picked up the wine glass on the table: "Alright, forget about those unpleasant things. It's said that that foolish baron has already set off eastward with his lackeys, preparing to find our camp in that vast desert. How utterly hilarious!"

Upon hearing this, the bandits burst into laughter. Jassim, relieved by the atmosphere, suddenly remembered something: "I heard that the temporary camp is quite close to the Blue Dragon's lair?"

“That’s right. In fact, I once signed a contract with the Blue Dragons, whereby I would provide them with 10 camels every month in exchange for a temporary place to stay.”

Perhaps in high spirits after drinking, the leader suddenly revealed a secret that surprised many of the veteran desert bandits. He smiled and invited Jassim to raise his glass as well: "Although we don't know who leaked the secret and sent them in that direction, it's fine if these guys just stay there and don't move. If they really fight against our brothers who stayed behind, then they'll know what it means to be the Lord of the Desert!"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Jassim also smiled and drank the beer, finding it unusually sweet, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

To make sourcing easier, they've been getting their supplies from private distilleries. The quality from these small places is very inconsistent; they might even use wheat that's been aged for years, which can cause stomach upset after drinking it. They're utterly unscrupulous merchants.

However, when he saw double images appear before his eyes, Jassim suddenly realized something was wrong. He instinctively tried to call his underlings to help him out, but found that he couldn't say a word and couldn't even stand up straight.

He looked at Nadir and saw him give him an incredibly friendly smile, but at that moment he felt an overwhelming sense of treachery, and his whole body went cold.

Nadir shook his head as he looked at the swaying Jassim and beckoned to the bandits beside him: "Hey, you must be exhausted after a long day of running around. How come you're drunk after just a little bit? Carry him to the deputy commander's room next door and let him rest. Make sure he's safe."

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(End of this chapter)