In a remote mountain ridge, the mountain path was winding and rugged. Over a dozen bandits were following behind, while five or six bandits in front were carefully pushing a wheeled cart, trying their best not to let it shake too much for fear of displeasing the "big boss" on the cart.
Earlier on the road, Zhang San had revealed a little about his identity in the underground world. These bandits were clearly more afraid of Zhang San than righteous martial artists. With a palm strike that could easily knock down their boss, his martial arts skills were formidable for an underground expert.
In fact, the bandits were so afraid that every time someone needed to relieve themselves on the road, they would first report to Zhang San. It could be said that basically none of the bandits had any thoughts of escaping, and they were all just thinking about how to serve this fellow expert properly.
Through his observations along the way, Zhang San felt a trace of satisfaction with these bandits for the first time.
Although they had been pushing the cart for a long time, and the mountain path was becoming more and more remote and steep, this was proof that their stockade was arranged very covertly.
Zhang San thought to himself: At least they have some brains.
This made Zhang San feel a little more at ease, so he said to the bandit leader who was leading the way, "Your arrangement of this stockade is not bad. It looks quite covert."
The bandit leader nodded and bowed, saying, "We are honored by your praise, senior. As expected of an underground master like you to see through our Black Wind Stockade with one glance..."
"That's enough," Zhang San frowned. He thought to himself, this guy looks a whole generation older than me.
Previously he wanted to kill me, and now it's "esteemed elder" this and "underground master" that with every sentence.
Zhang San had to sigh, when it came to shamelessness, it seemed like all underground professionals had an innate talent.
Seeing that there was still a stretch of road ahead, Wang Xiaoer sat in the cart reading a medical book called "Forced Poison Removal with Silver Needles," while occasionally looking around at the group of bandits, not knowing what the little guy was thinking.
As for Zhang San, he struck up a conversation with the bandit leader walking in front.
Zhang San asked, "That said, you guys dared to become bandits without a license from the Hundred Kills Hall?"
The bandit leader sighed and said, "I won't hide it from you, esteemed elder. I and these brothers of mine were originally workers at the Star Sea Building in the city..."
Zhang San interrupted, "Star Sea Building? Isn't that the restaurant opened by the Star Sea Sect?"
Upon hearing this, the bandit leader spat and said, "It looks like you were also tricked, esteemed elder. In fact, it has nothing to do with the Star Sea Sect. It just relies on the decline of the Star Sea Sect to use their name to open a restaurant chain."
This was the first time Zhang San had heard such inside information about the restaurant industry, but he still asked doubtfully, "But no matter what, it's still a restaurant chain. Shouldn't the treatment be pretty good?"
The bandit leader smiled bitterly and said, "How could that be... Actually—please don't laugh, esteemed elder—I have a dream!"
Zhang San almost choked on his saliva.
A bandit? And he f**king has a dream?
However, Zhang San quickly reacted. After all, if a person didn't have a life goal, why would he take on such a dangerous career as an unlicensed bandit?
So although it sounded illogical, after careful thought, it was quite reasonable for a bandit to have dreams!
And as if having fallen into memories, the bandit leader went on, "My biggest dream is to marry a wife and live my days peacefully. I finally found the right girl, but when her mother asked about my house, I realized after working at the Star Sea Building for ten years, I couldn't even afford an outdoor toilet in the city. Only then did I know that in order to achieve my dreams, I have to stake it all!"
Zhang San was speechless.
The bandit leader passionately declared, "A man who does not strive, what's the difference from a salted fish! That was why I led my brothers to raise the banner of 'Black Wind Stockade'! This time, by stepping onto the underground path, we must win this round for our lives!"
Inspiring! Passionate!
Wang Xiaoer, who also harbored thoughts of getting married in the future, yelled encouragingly at the side.
However, Zhang San felt nothing at all. But out of curiosity about the income situation of unlicensed bandits, Zhang San asked, "So may I ask, what is your current income..."
Upon hearing this, the bandit leader lowered his head, then wept.
The surrounding bandits stopped in their steps seeing this scene.
Bandit A cried.
Bandit B also covered his face.
Bandit C tearfully complained: "It's not enough we can't earn money, we still have to be afraid of government raids."
Bandit D accused: "Aside from fearing the government, we still have to be afraid that the Hundred Kills Hall will find out we don't have a license."
The bandit at the very back angrily pointed to the sky and cursed loudly, "We just want to buy a house and marry a wife, what wrong have we done?!"
What wrong have we done!!
After listening for a while, Zhang San, who was a confirmed bachelor, only felt a big headache.
Why did this whole group of grown men get driven to become bandits and cry over the matter of "buying a house and marrying a wife"?
The world was indeed too strange.
However, before Zhang San could finish feeling incredulous, the nine-year-old Wang Xiaoer also started weeping.
Zhang San felt an even bigger headache and scolded, "Why are you crying too?!"
Wang Xiaoer tearfully said, "Master, I also want to marry a wife. Are houses really that expensive?"
Zhang San was rendered completely speechless. He silently lowered his head, thinking: Why do I always run into idiots... And I even accepted an idiot as a disciple!!
Only now did Zhang San realize this world was far stranger than he imagined.
...
...
At night in the mountain stockade, the small house that originally belonged to the bandit leader was now naturally occupied by Zhang San. The main reason was that this room was on high ground that could overlook the whole stockade.
After all, they were bandits, so Zhang San still kept vigilant.
However, unlike bandits of mediocre martial arts, Zhang San was now more concerned with Wang Xiaoer's education, following the "dream" conversation from today.
Wang Xiaoer wanted to marry a wife!
Although he was still young, this kid obviously had thoughts in that area.
But for Zhang San, this was totally unacceptable.
As a confirmed bachelor, Zhang San believed living beings known as women, especially wives, were very dangerous for assassins. After all, with such a random person following you with no freedom day in and out, always wanting to stay together, wasn't that asking for trouble?
Not to mention you had to live together, and even sleep together at night!
Lie together on one bed!
Zhang San really could not accept that at all!
After all, it not only led to drastically increasing living costs, but also the constant risk of her discovering your assassin identity.
What if one day she self-righteously went to the officials to report him?
What if after a quarrel one day, she smashed things everywhere and eventually found his secret room?
Of course, you might think, it's Wang Xiaoer getting a wife anyway, not Zhang San, so why would Zhang San be troubled over it?
You are too naive.
As the most steady assassin with extremely farsighted vision, Zhang San was very clear on what was meant by "pulling a radish brings up mud with it."
Over the past few hundred years, how many underground masters were provoked into conflicts again and again, being stormed by groups of martial artists or underground fellows all because of arrogant and reckless disciples?
If you could beat them then it was fine, but what if you couldn't? Wouldn't you just directly die?!
Martial arts novels often wrote this way. Because of shortsighted disciples molesting the female lead, female second lead, female third lead...(next five hundred words omitted), the shortsighted disciple gets beaten to a pig head by the protagonist. Then when the master comes to back him up, the usual result was that not only did the master fail to help, but got himself killed too.
Indeed, there were quite a few such cases in the jianghu.
Wasn't this yet another risk where liking women could affect one's steadiness?
Furthermore, Zhang San truly could not understand why a man who could live perfectly fine alone would go through the huge trouble of taking a wife.
Whether it was those bandits or Wang Xiaoer, Zhang San expressed he really could not comprehend their thinking.
But in any case, as Wang Xiaoer's only mentor leading him on the wrong path in assassination, no, the right path in life, Zhang San decided he would have a good talk with Wang Xiaoer tonight on why assassins did not need marriage and why many top-notch swordsmen and bladesmen in the jianghu were all bachelors.
After all, aside from slipping hands, women were the only factor that could influence the speed of your blade draw.
That night, after months of wandering, the master and disciple finally had a feast of fish and meat in the mountain bandit village. They started a serious conversation.
Zhang San sat in a chair with Wang Xiaoer standing respectfully in front of him.
Zhang San said solemnly: "Xiaoer, it seems you have some ideas about getting married."
Wang Xiaoer happily said: "Master, you can't be trying to introduce someone to me! No, no, Xiaoer is still young. Let's talk about it when I grow up."