In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

"Walk."

Qin Shaolang uttered a single word and was the first to walk ahead.

He no longer walked silently as before, but deliberately made his footsteps heavier, each step making a "rustling" sound.

His back was slightly hunched, and he exuded a decadent aura of "I'm really unhappy".

Zhao Wu and Wang Tiezhu followed suit and immediately got into character.

The two of them are rough men by nature, and their cursing and swearing are completely natural; they don't need to act at all.

"Damn it, what bad luck!"

"The second-in-command is a complete idiot, leading us straight into a trap!"

"I almost didn't make it back!"

The two walked along, muttering curses under their breath. Their voices weren't loud, but they were loud enough for everyone around them to hear clearly.

The twenty-odd strong men behind them, though still nervous, were also infected by the atmosphere. They hung their heads and dragged their feet as they followed behind.

A patrol of vagrants, disguised as bandits, swaggered along the mountain path, torches in hand, heading towards the Black Wind Stronghold's lair.

The mountain road was easier to walk than they had imagined.

This is the main road that bandits have worn out over the years.

They left in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Ahead, another burst of firelight appeared.

It was another group of bandits patrolling the mountains.

Zhao Wu and the others' hearts jumped into their throats instantly.

coming!

The real test is here!

They instinctively gripped their knives tighter, their muscles taut like stones.

"relax."

Qin Shaolang's voice rang in their ears like a ghost.

"Keep cursing."

Zhao Wu took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and cursed even louder.

"Damn that Black King of Hell! All our brothers are dead, and he still sends us out to patrol the mountains? What a load of crap!"

The firelight on the other side was getting closer and closer.

The other side also spotted them.

"Halt! Who goes there!" a sharp shout rang out.

Qin Shaolang's group stopped in their tracks.

Across from them, seven or eight bandits, brandishing knives, cautiously surrounded them.

The leader, a man with a thick beard, frowned as he looked at Qin Shaolang's group.

"Which team are you from? You look unfamiliar."

Zhao Wu and Wang Tiezhu's hearts were pounding in their chests.

Finished!

We're about to be discovered!

Just then, Qin Shaolang made a move.

He kicked a nearby rock hard, making a loud thud.

"Hold!"

He spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground and roared furiously, "I'm from the Wild Wolf Gang! Damn it, I almost got wiped out down here this afternoon with the second-in-command! And who do you think you are?"

That violence and impatience were so real, without a trace of falsehood.

The bearded man was taken aback by his menacing appearance.

Wild Wolves?

He remembered; it was a squad under the second-in-command, and they were indeed the first to charge down this afternoon.

Looking at their disheveled and defeated appearance, they seemed to have just crawled out of a pile of dead bodies.

The bearded man's vigilance immediately relaxed considerably.

He sighed and cursed, "Don't even mention it. We're under the third boss's command. The first boss has gone mad and sent out everyone, saying not even a fly can be let in."

"Damn it, a bunch of peasants, what's there to be wary of! The second-in-command was just too careless!"

"Who says otherwise?" Qin Shaolang followed up, his cursing becoming even fiercer. "That valley is haunted! It's damned, it can inflict divine punishment! The rocks fall like rain! And it can even set fires!"

"Of the thirty-odd brothers in our Wild Wolves team, only a few of us are left!"

As he spoke, he turned back and pointed to the dejected able-bodied men behind him.

Those pale faces and the terror in their eyes were not acting at all.

It is true.

The fear of surviving a disaster.

At this point, the bearded man was completely convinced.

He patted Qin Shao-Lang on the shoulder sympathetically: "Brother, take it easy. Go back, drink a couple of bowls of horse urine, get a good night's sleep, and it'll all be over."

"Drink my ass!" Qin Shaolang impatiently slapped his hand away. "Isn't the Boss in the Hall of Gathering Righteousness?"

"He's here, he's in a bad mood right now, he's smashed several bowls. Be careful on your way back, don't bring bad luck upon yourself."

"understood."

Qin Shaolang waved his hand impatiently and led his men past them.

The whole process was thrilling but ultimately safe.

It wasn't until he was several dozen steps away from the bandits that Zhao Wu realized his back was completely soaked in cold sweat.

He looked at Qin Shao-Lang's back.

The fear in my heart was once again replaced by awe.

This is no gentleman.

He's practically a born bandit leader!

With that acting skill and presence, he'd be wasting his talent if he didn't become a mountain king!

With the experience of the first success, the road ahead became much smoother.

They encountered two more checkpoints, and each time they got past them by cursing and swearing.

Those bandits had no suspicions whatsoever.

The entire Black Wind Stronghold was immersed in chaos and dejection after a major defeat. People were filled with fear and anxiety, and no one had the mind to carefully investigate their own people.

soon.

A massive mountain stronghold nestled in a valley came into view.

The wooden stockade walls stand tall, with numerous arrow towers and two huge stone lions at the entrance, giving it a rather imposing appearance.

This is the lair of Black Wind Stronghold.

Torches blazed on the stockade walls, casting flickering shadows.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

Wang Tiezhu imitated Qin Shaolang, shouting at the top of his lungs at the village gate.

"The patrol is back... hiccup... they're back! I'm freezing, open the door and have a drink!"

He even let out a burp.

On the stockade wall, a leader poked his head out and shouted impatiently, "What are you yelling about! Are you at a funeral? Don't you know the chief is in a bad mood?"

"That's because the boss is in a bad mood, that's why he's drinking to drown his sorrows!" Wang Tiezhu shouted, his tongue thick with laughter. "Open the door now, or I'll freeze to death out there and haunt you as a ghost!"

The leader cursed and swore, but still waved his hand.

"Open the door!"

The heavy wooden door creaked and slowly opened inward.

Inside the gate was a huge square.

The square was filled with drunken bandits; some were wailing, some were cursing, and others were fighting over a jar of wine.

a mess.

At the deepest part of the square was a huge, brightly lit hall.

Gathering Hall.

That place is the heart of Black Wind Stronghold.

Qin Shaolang's gaze passed over the chaotic crowd and landed on the hall.

A cold smile curved his lips.

He made an extremely subtle gesture to Zhao Wu behind him.

One, a gesture of slitting one's throat.

Then, he took his first step and entered the impregnable mountain stronghold.

I entered this slaughterhouse, which was about to be stained with blood.