Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Chapter 140: Avoiding Bandits (Three Chapters in One)_2

Chapter 141: Chapter 140: Avoiding Bandits (Three Chapters in One)_2

Translator: 549690339

The bandits immediately charged forward with loud howls.

When Jiang Sanlang saw their large numbers, around one to two hundred, and his side only had several dozen, he knew they were outnumbered and promptly led his men to retreat.

He naturally couldn’t lead the bandits to South Slope, and North Mountain wasn’t an option either, as many villagers were hiding there. The crowd could only flee east.

A portion of the bandits pursued them, while the rest ransacked houses one by one.

However, the villagers had already taken all their food and valuables with them, leaving only those items too bulky to move.

Some households had left a small amount of grain, but the quantity was minimal.

The bandit leader took this in stride. Not many big scores were met on their robbing sprees, unless they went to market towns or county cities.

Villages like this were mostly filled with the poor, their houses run-down and dilapidated. Finding a family with several dozens of pounds of grain was rare.

However, the households with gray brick and tile houses were different; they were surely the local wealthy families.

The bandit leader, along with twenty or so of his fellows, stormed into Clan Leader Chen’s house and found quite a few valuable items, along with several hundred pounds of grain.

As such, he decided to settle down there, directing his men to scoop rice for cooking, pull vegetables from the garden, and cook them with the stolen meat.

Jiang Sanlang and his group desperately sprinted east, trying to shake off the bandits.

But these bandits were hell-bent on taking their lives, pursuing relentlessly and intermittently shooting arrows.

Two other villagers were hit by arrows, Jiang Sanlang swiftly had others carry them and run, while the rest provided cover, but this inevitably slowed them down.

“Hahaha! I want to see where you can run to!” The lead bandit laughed manically and directed his men to shoot another volley of arrows.

Suddenly, an arrow shot from a nearby tree, hitting the man right in the face.

It was shot with formidable force, penetrating the bandit leader’s temple in an instant.

The bandits froze, then all turned to look at the large elm tree in the distance, charging towards it with loud howls.

Another arrow shot from a tree further away, hitting the bandit at the front square in the chest. He thudded to the ground, motionless.

Then, another arrow, dropping another bandit in an instant.

The bandits were all shocked, and quite a few turned to flee out of fright.

The person in the elm tree jumped down and ran off.

Some bandits wanted to chase after him, but were driven back by arrows flying from the tree.

Jiang Sanlang noticed the commotion and, recognizing the archer, quickly turned back to provide support.

The tide began to turn at this point. Jiang Sanlang and his men shot arrows at the bandits while throwing iron pitchforks and stones, causing injuries to several of them.

The bandits, being a motley crowd, saw the situation going south and abandoned their injured comrades, fleeing frantically.

“Elder brother, second brother, how did you get here?” Jiang Sanlang asked, his heart pounding in fear.

If they weren’t careful, both his brothers could have been killed.

“Let’s find a safe place first before talking.” Said Jiang Dalang, gathering the fallen bandits’ weapons.

A few villagers also ran over, jabbing at the injured bandits with pitchforks to send them off to meet King Yama, before collecting their arrows and weapons.

One villager had been seriously injured in the fierce battle, so Jiang Sanlang gave him two pills that his daughter had given him.

As the villagers carried their wounded teams, they were at loss about where to go.

“You guys should head to North Mountain.” Jiang Sanlang remembered his wife, children, and his elderly parents back home. He couldn’t escape with them and could only part ways.

“Alright.” Some villagers were willing to head to the North Mountain, as their family members were there.

However, a few others insisted on accompanying Jiang Sanlang.

Jiang Sanlang shook his head, “You all should go to North Mountain together. What about your families if you come with me?”

Several people hung their heads, and finally followed the crowd of villagers to leave.

After the villagers left, Jiang Sanlang and his two brothers detoured to South Slope, keenly observing their surroundings to avoid any bandit tracking them.

Luckily, it was getting late, and it was raining, causing the bandits to take shelter in the villagers’ houses and reluctant to come out.

Upon reaching their home on South Slope, the three brothers dared not rest. They gathered up three houses, making sure not to leave behind any food, cotton quilts, or other items.

Even if they had to find a place to burn or bury them, they must not leave these things to the bandits.

Jiang Sanlang wanted to return home to check, but the courtyard doors were locked.

After some thought, he decided to climb the wall to get in, and peeped through the window only to be greatly shocked.

The house was empty. Not only were the trunks and the like gone, but the furniture had also disappeared without a trace. And of course, there was no trace of the large vats of rice grain either.

Jiang Sanlang furrowed his brows, went to check the kitchen, and found that the dishes, pots, and even the water vat were all gone, leaving only the two vacant stoves.