The Thief Prince

It was dusk, and the sun was about to set.

Smoke rose from every chimney, a time when families should be enjoying their time together, but the streets of Jingmen Town were filled with tension.

The gatekeepers urged the travelers to hurry into the city, glancing up every now and then at the end of the main road.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from the end of the official road.

The gatekeeper's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted, "Quickly! Close the city gate!"

The pedestrians panicked even more and rushed into the city gate.

Someone even shouted, "The bandits from Niutou Mountain are here again!"

It would have been better if they hadn't talked about it; the more they talked, the more chaotic things became, with everyone pushing and shoving their way through the doorway.

This gang of thieves was notorious in Jingmen Town. They were known to frequent the night, committing arson, murder, looting, and all sorts of atrocities.

Although the town organized local militia to guard against thieves, it was impossible to guard against them every day, and they still couldn't stop them.

A few days ago, the entire Gu family was slaughtered by bandits, which frightened all the wealthy families living outside the town, causing them to move out of their manors and back into the town.

However, as the sound of horses' hooves grew closer, the gatekeeper was filled with doubt and apprehension.

The bandits from Niutou Mountain only travel with a few horses, so why is there such a commotion today, as if dozens of riders are galloping in together?

The cavalry arrived in the blink of an eye, and the gatekeepers closed the two city gates, leaving only a narrow gap for people to pass through.

Seeing that the bandit cavalry was only a few dozen steps away from the city gate, and that there were still dozens of civilians outside the gate who had not yet entered the city.

The gatekeeper gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and frightened the people away: "Run! You can't get in!"

Those in front pleaded, while those behind cursed and swore. The gatekeeper simply replied, "How can we let the whole town die with you?"

He then forcefully closed the gap and inserted the latch.

Despite the people's cries and pounding on the city gates, no one answered.

At this moment, the garrison commander of Jingmen Town had arrived at the city wall and was peering down.

But below the city, the cavalrymen were all clad in armor and armed with blades, all carrying black flags, and stood in neat rows.

Seeing that the cavalrymen were fully armored and their spirit was even better than that of the imperial guards in the prefecture, he couldn't help but secretly lament his predicament.

Where did this gang of bandits get such a windfall? They've all put on armor!

Why are you coming here with such fanfare today? Are you planning to attack the city?

The young officer in charge glanced at the crowd of people crammed into the city gate and then ignored them.

Instead, he raised his voice towards the city wall: "People of the town, do not panic! We are heroes from the Black Wind Stronghold of Liangshan Marsh!"

Jian Zhen was slightly taken aback.

From Liangshan? Not from Niutou Mountain?

Liangshan is far from here. Why rob a poor little town instead of the wealthy Yuncheng County?

Fearing that no one would answer and that this would anger these thugs, the town guard cautiously poked his head out and asked, "What brings you, sir, to my Jingmen Town?"

Yan Yun replied, "Take a look at this!"

After saying that, he waved to the henchmen beside him.

The henchman raised a long spear high, and the overseer looked over and saw a bloody human head stuck on the spearhead.

Upon seeing this, everyone on the city wall gasped in surprise and dared not look directly at it.

Yan Yun announced loudly, "This is the head of Wang Jing, the bandit leader of Niutou Mountain!"

"My elder brother heard that this man had committed many evil deeds, killing and eating flesh, so he led his troops to level Niutou Mountain, and his head is right here!"

At first, the people on the city wall could not believe it, but a few survivors who had been harmed by the Ox-Head Mountain bandits mustered up their courage and peeked out to take a closer look.

"It's Wang Jing! It really is that devil!"

"That guy was really killed?"

"Well done! Well done!"

Discussions arose from the city walls.

The garrison commander was stunned, and after a long pause, he stammered, "Hero, are you here to collect your reward?"

Yan Yun scoffed, "We're thieves too, why should we ask for the government's reward money?"

The magistrate realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly shut his mouth.

Yan Yun continued, "My brother sent me to deliver a message! The world is in a difficult time, and we common folk have no choice but to become bandits in the mountains to survive."

"But there is one thing I must say first: cannibalism is against human ethics, and if such an evil deed were to spread, it would ruin the reputation of the entire bandit community!"

"We, Liangshan, uphold justice on behalf of Heaven; we will never tolerate such a thing!"

"I have come to Jingmen Town today to tell you all that if anyone commits such evil deeds again in the future, feel free to come to Liangshan and report it!"

"We swear to Heaven that we will pursue these scoundrels to the ends of the earth and kill them!"

Having said that, he raised his hand, picked up the spear with the human head stuck in it, and threw it forcefully onto the city wall.

As the spear plunged into the city, Wang Jing stared intently at the group of local soldiers.

Ignoring the gasps of alarm from the city walls, Yan Yun turned his horse around and waved, "Let's go!"

Dozens of riders, like a black whirlwind, swept along the official road, kicking up dust, and disappeared into the twilight in a moment.

The people on the city wall stared at each other, and no one spoke for a long time.

After a long while, a brave village soldier stepped forward, took the head off the tip of his spear, and presented it to the town magistrate.

"Governor, this head..."

The town official only glanced at it before feeling a chill run down his spine. He waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Take some lime to pickle it and send it to the county."

The local militia then asked, "How should the merits be reported?"

"Report the truth!" The supervisor glared at him. "How dare you embezzle such a merit?"

Regardless of whether the higher-ups would believe it, this bunch of oddballs from Jingmen Town managed to capture the bandits of Niutou Mountain.

He had mentioned this matter to the county government many times, but to no avail; he couldn't even see a single county soldier.

Perhaps even the county magistrate is colluding with the bandits, so why should I go and cause trouble?

A group of local militiamen nearby whispered among themselves, "Can those heroes of Black Wind Stronghold on Liangshan really act on behalf of Heaven?"

Upon hearing this, the supervisor coldly replied, "If you encounter thieves again, just go to Liangshan and ask them. See if you can return!"

The local militiaman shrank back and dared not speak again.

. . . . . .

From a distance along the official road, Li Zheng saw Yan Yun return to the group and asked, "Is the matter settled?"

Yan Yun replied, "I handed over the dead man's head to them and also announced the name of Liangshan."

"Well done."

Yan Yun asked with some doubt, "Brother, will the people appreciate our kindness?"

"Why should anyone feel indebted to me?" Li Zheng smiled.

"Then why does my brother still do this?"

Li Zheng said, "Think about it, if in the future, when ordinary people are desperate and have nowhere else to turn, they will remember what happened today. What will they do?"

Yan Yun's eyes lit up: "Death is inevitable, why not go up the mountain and take a gamble!"

"That's right," Li Zheng laughed. "Once the banner of 'acting on behalf of Heaven' is raised, desperate people will gather here one after another."

"As for why they were driven to desperation, that's a question for the authorities."