Chapter 661 - 654 - 1
"Oh, you’re quite the stubborn one, aren’t you? A couple words don’t go your way and you’re already shouting about fighting and killing. Fine, let’s give it a try and see if the men of Longhu Village are really vegetarians." Chang Dabo was also a hot-blooded man. The black-clad man’s words had provoked him. He didn’t covet the fifty thousand taels of silver anyway; even if the Family Head said otherwise, no matter whether the black-clad man could produce the silver or not, the brothers in the village valued loyalty. Having taken on Madam Lin’s business, they would naturally not go back on their word and perform such treacherous deeds. He figured the Family Head was just speaking off the cuff, teasing these black-clad men.
"If you truly intend to do so, you should know that our Family Head is no ordinary person. Although, you claim your bandit stronghold on Longhu Mountain with the government unable to deal with you, that’s because the higher-ups have yet to take notice. It’s not that they can’t take down a minor stronghold. No matter how many men you have in your village, it’s only three to five hundred at best. Can you contend with the thousands upon thousands of Dazhou troops? If you anger our Family Head and he dispatches troops to eradicate you, your village’s annihilation would be a matter of moments, without the slightest suspense." Left with no choice, the black-clad man had to take a tougher stance against these greedy bandits to instill some fear. Only then could the negotiations he was sent to conduct have a chance of turning around.
He was merely taking advantage of the fact that the bandits in the village were bumpkins with no worldly experience, ignorant of the Court’s current state of affairs. After all, given how the Yin Family had fallen out of the Emperor’s favor, it would not be easy to mobilize the army even if angered by the bandits’ actions. At most, they could dispatch Hidden Guards to assassinate the bandits, but it would be an unprofitable venture, costing a great deal of manpower and money for little gain. Why would a man as calculating as the Family Head make such a losing deal?
Now that the Yin Family was on the decline, not only in other aspects but also in the numbers of the Hidden Guard, all the talented individuals had been scooped up by other families. Their training methods and expenses couldn’t compare to the past. They were called Hidden Guards, but compared to the real ones, they were now at a deficit. The quality of the Hidden Guard was inconsistent, with many merely filling numbers. Aside from lacking physical skills, some were also not too bright. For instance, those among their ranks who made those foolish comments earlier. These individuals, not particularly talented, yet expert at sidelining and eliminating dissenters.
"Do you think we’d be scared? Just with your words, the Court would send troops to rout us? Isn’t that a joke? Who knows if what you say is true or false?" Chang Dabao was, in fact, somewhat convinced by the black-clad man’s words, and his aggressive response betrayed an underlying timidity. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked such a question that clearly belied his anxiety.
The brothers in the village respected loyalty, but they were flesh and blood with their own emotions. They were willing to risk their lives fighting against others, but their village was home to their families. Normally, when the government talked about suppressing bandits, it was just small skirmishes. But if the Court really sent a large force, most likely the village couldn’t be saved, and their family members would suffer as well.