Suppressing Bandits

Amidst the murmurs, Lin Feng also followed the crowd.

It was then that he realized most of the people in this village were elderly, with very few young adults.

Subsequently, under the declaration of the Soldier, Lin Feng learned that they were there to collect taxes; he had thought, judging by the situation, that they were there to conscript able-bodied men.

"Sir, our small village truly cannot afford to pay taxes. The mountain bandits from the nearby mountains constantly raid us. It's already very difficult for us to survive. Could you please be a bit more lenient?"

The Soldier, evidently aware of the situation here, sighed and said,

"Old Village Chief, I understand your difficulties, but I am also acting on orders. It's not that the imperial court hasn't sent troops to suppress the bandits. How about this: I will return in half a month. I hope by then you can gather the grain."

"But, but..."

Before the Village Chief could speak, the Soldier left with his tax-collecting subordinates.

After the few mounted Soldier departed, the villagers immediately sighed in despair.

They were all worried about the grain needed in half a month. Right now, even eating their fill was a problem. The grain in the fields would take at least two more months to harvest, and by then, it would probably be plundered by the mountain bandits again.

Adding the grain they had to hand over, they truly wouldn't have enough to eat.

.....

After hearing this news, Lin Feng conceived an idea.

Didn't the system's mission involve helping ten neutral creatures?

These villagers should be considered neutral creatures. If he helped them resolve the bandit problem, wouldn't the system's mission be directly completed?

After the villagers dispersed, sighing in despair, Lin Feng found the old Village Chief.

"Village Chief, where are the mountain bandits near your village located?"

"Alas, those mountain bandits are on the mountainside of Crow Mountain. That place is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The imperial Soldier sent to suppress the bandits always just go through the motions when they come, symbolically attacking once and then leaving. I even heard that those mountain bandits have already bribed the imperial Soldier sent to suppress them, which is why they haven't been defeated."

"Officials colluding with bandits?"

Lin Feng thought to himself, 'Yes, how could such a large imperial court not be able to defeat a group of bandits?'

"What if I said I could help you exterminate these mountain bandits?"

As soon as Lin Feng finished speaking, the old Village Chief sighed.

"Young man, I appreciate your kindness, but you shouldn't waste your efforts. You might even lose your life."

The old Village Chief continued,

"I heard that the Chief of the mountain bandits has learned a second-rate cultivation method and possesses extraordinary martial prowess, even capable of shattering a stone mill with a single palm. If it weren't for that, the several villages nearby could organize their young men and resist those mountain bandits."

"Heh heh, it's fine. Tomorrow, I will bring you the head of that mountain bandit."

Lin Feng smiled slightly. No matter how formidable those mountain bandits were, could they withstand a laser gun??

"Then, then this old man thanks you here. By the way, young man, which village are you from?"

"Oh, I was just traveling through here and happened upon this matter. We, people of the jianghu, cannot stand to see such things, so Village Chief, rest assured, these mountain bandits will definitely not see tomorrow's sun."

With that, Lin Feng inquired about the location of Crow Mountain and then turned to leave.

An hour later, Lin Feng arrived at the foot of the mountain.

And saw a wooden sign.

"Green Mountain Stronghold."

"This arrogant?"

Looking at the wooden sign, which seemed to proclaim territory, Lin Feng could imagine how incompetent the imperial court in this area was.

After all, he had never heard of any mountain stronghold daring to openly erect a sign at the foot of the mountain.

He continued to walk upwards.

Lin Feng did not see any bandit sentries along the way.

He only saw a watchtower with two bandits standing on it when he reached halfway up the mountain.

At this moment, the two bandits were chatting and laughing, discussing which village they would raid for a feast in a few days, completely unaware of the approaching death.

After all, the only ones who could threaten them were the imperial Soldier sent by the court, but they had already bribed the officials, who would always inform them in advance when they were coming.

So it was no wonder that these mountain bandits were so relaxed.

Lin Feng, hidden in the bushes, silently activated his three 'Old Six' skills, then raised his gun and fired.

The sound of the Vanguard Assault Rifle was very quiet, like a water gun.

But its power was astonishing.

The moment Lin Feng pulled the trigger, the two bandits, who had just been chatting and laughing, were instantly pierced with large holes.

The high temperature of the laser instantly ignited the bodies, and soon black smoke began to rise.

The other bandits in the stronghold, upon seeing the black smoke rising from the burning tower, thought it was a fire and quickly called for people to extinguish it.

Soon, more than a dozen bandits rushed out. Lin Feng sneered and directly pulled the trigger.

In less than a second, all these bandits turned into mutilated charred corpses. Finally, the situation outside the stronghold was discovered, and the entire stronghold immediately became agitated. Dozens of small-time bandits quickly climbed the wooden wall, thinking that the government had broken its promise and was coming to attack them.

"Good, good, are you all here?"

Lin Feng chuckled and pulled the trigger. The wooden wall was instantly sliced open by laser bullets, and the bandits standing on it were dismembered one by one.

The bandits who hadn't yet climbed the wooden wall were instantly terrified by this scene and scrambled towards the Assembly Hall.

After the Chief of the mountain stronghold learned of this, he quickly got up, grabbed his weapon, and rushed out. Besides him, the Second Chief and Third Chief also followed him out.

Lin Feng, who had waited for a long time without seeing any bandits appear, no longer hid. He directly left the bushes and walked towards the burning wooden wall.

After crossing the fire, Lin Feng raised his gun and easily shot the stunned bandits. Soon, he saw an exceptionally burly man carrying two meteor hammers.

This must be the Chief of this mountain stronghold, right?

"May I ask who you are, brother? It seems our Green Mountain Stronghold has not offended you, has it?"

Hiss~~

However, his only response was a red laser beam.

The Chief, Second Chief, and Third Chief were instantly dismembered by the laser.

"So much talk."

Lin Feng didn't have time to waste with them. Completing the system's mission quickly and then seeing if there was anything useful in this stronghold was the real priority.

The remaining few bandits had already lost their will to fight and were quickly dealt with by Lin Feng one by one.

Subsequently, Lin Feng went inside the stronghold and, upon opening the warehouse, saw a large amount of grain and weapons piled inside.

Besides that, Lin Feng also found many scantily clad women in a special room. Upon inquiry, he learned that these women had all been abducted by the bandits from nearby areas to serve as concubines for their Chief.

After searching the stronghold, Lin Feng ultimately only found one useful item.

A secret manual.

"Heavenly Star Meteor Hammer."

This should be the secret manual that the Chief practiced.

.......