22: Chapter 22 Releasing the People

The laughter and foul language in Juyi Hall instantly froze because of the woman's harsh words.

Immediately following that was an even more unrestrained burst of wild laughter.

"Blood for blood? Hahaha!"

Iron-Armed Monkey acted as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world; he pointed at the woman holding her head high and winked at Chen Fan.

"Chief, this broad is spicy! The brothers like this type! You have a taste first, and once you're tired of her, let the brothers have some too!"

"Right! Take her! Let her know just how formidable the heroes of Black Wind Mountain really are!"

"Make her scream! Make her beg for mercy!"

A group of bandits overflowing with hormones clamored and jeered, their eyes gleaming with a predatory green light.

The woman in silk trembled imperceptibly, yet she still gritted her teeth, showing no sign of fear. The maid behind her, however, had long since collapsed to the ground in terror, sobbing uncontrollably.

Chen Fan lightly tapped the jade thumb ring in his hand against the table.

*Thud.*

The sound wasn't loud, yet it caused the clamor of the entire cave to come to a screeching halt.

Everyone shut their mouths and looked toward the bandit leader in the main seat.

Chen Fan interrupted the bandits' jeering; he looked at the mistress and servant pair without feeling anything special.

A gentleman may appreciate beauty, but he is not a lecher.

Although he was currently a bandit, deep in his bones, he was still a Soul who had received a modern education. Forcibly seizing women was something he couldn't bring himself to do and looked down upon.

"What is your name, and where are you from?"

He spoke in a rough voice, yet it was flat and devoid of any emotion.

The woman in silk was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting the bandit leader to ask this.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the fear and anger in her heart.

"I... we are the family of a merchant fleeing from disaster. We were just passing through and did not mean to offend you heroes."

Fleeing from disaster?

Chen Fan's gaze swept over her.

Though her clothes were stained with mud and her hair was disheveled, the silk fabric was high-quality Su embroidery. The small section of her wrist inadvertently revealed was as delicate as jade. More importantly, her composure in the face of danger was definitely not something an ordinary merchant family could cultivate.

This woman likely had an extraordinary background.

But so what?

He was only a temporary king of the mountain and had no interest in prying into others' family matters.

"Smiling Tiger," Chen Fan called out.

"Aye! Chief, your servant is here!"

The Third Chief, Smiling Tiger, hurriedly squeezed out from the crowd, bowing with a face full of flattery.

"Find two clever ones and escort them down the mountain."

Chen Fan waved his hand as if shooing away two flies.

"What?"

The cave fell into a dead silence once again.

All the bandits thought they had misheard.

Iron-Armed Monkey was the first to jump up, his face filled with disbelief.

"Big Brother! This... this is top-quality goods delivered right to our door! You're just letting them go?"

He pointed at the woman, so anxious he was scratching his head and ears.

"Such a pretty lady—if you don't want her, giving her to the brothers would be fine too! The brothers are tired of the women on the mountain!"

"Yeah, Chief! It's such a waste!"

"Can't let them go! Can't let them go!"

The bandits grew restless again.

Why would they spit out fat meat that had already reached their mouths!

Chen Fan slowly raised his head and gave them a faint, sweeping glance.

"Did you not understand my words?"

His voice wasn't high, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness.

Iron-Armed Monkey's whole body stiffened under his gaze, and the words that followed were all stuck in his throat.

The Chief was an Eighth-Grade expert; ten of him wouldn't last a single move against the Chief.

Iron-Armed Monkey's drunkenness half-vanished. He lowered his head sheepishly, not daring to say another word.

Seeing that the Second-in-Command had backed down, the other bandits also shut their mouths one after another.

In the cave, only the crackling of the burning torches remained.

The woman in silk and the maid beside her were both stunned.

They had imagined countless miserable endings, but they never expected that this bandit leader, who looked the most menacing, would actually let them go so easily.

"What are you still standing there for?" Smiling Tiger kicked a bandit who was still holding the woman. "Didn't you hear the Chief? Hurry up and send them down the mountain!"

The two bandits snapped out of it and hurriedly let go.

Smiling Tiger stepped forward himself and squeezed out a smile for the woman in silk that looked worse than crying.

"This... this Madam, please. Our Chief is magnanimous and won't hold a grudge against you."

The woman in silk took a deep look at Chen Fan sitting on the tiger-skin chair; the man had already lowered his head to continue playing with his jade thumb ring, as if everything that just happened had nothing to do with him.

She bit her lip, neither offering thanks nor making any more threats. She simply helped up her terrified maid and, under the 'escort' of the two bandits, walked out of the cave with staggering steps.

The disturbance was thus settled.

The oppressive atmosphere in Juyi Hall was quickly dissipated by the scent of gold, silver, and fine wine.

"Drink! Drink!"

Iron-Armed Monkey, likely wanting to drown his sorrows, lifted a wine jar and gulped it down greedily.

The bandits also threw themselves back into the carnival of dividing the spoils.

Chen Fan drank two bowls of wine symbolically and then found it dull.

He stood up, shouldered the large Ghost-Headed Greatsword, and under the reverent gaze of the bandits, turned and walked into the corridor leading to the rear hall.

The noise and the smell of alcohol were sealed away by the heavy stone door.

He liked quiet.

He walked through the corridor and pushed open the door belonging to the bandit leader.

The stone chamber was brightly lit.

Yun Niang, Honge, and Cui Qiao, the three bandit wives, were sitting together chatting about something. Seeing him enter, they immediately stood up.

"Chief."

Three women, three different styles.

Yun Niang's gentleness, Honge's fieriness, and Cui Qiao's charm.

Compared to those idiots in Juyi Hall who only knew how to think with their lower bodies, these three women clearly allowed him to experience the pleasures of being a mountain king much more.

Chen Fan grinned and, imitating Black Wind Demon's manner, tossed the Ghost-Headed Greatsword into a corner.

He opened his arms.

"All of you, come here."

Honge and Cui Qiao giggled and threw themselves into his arms, one on each side, a soft and fragrant embrace.

Only Yun Niang still stood in place timidly.

Chen Fan didn't mind; he picked up the two beauties in his arms by their waists and strode toward the large stone bed.

The door was heavily kicked shut by him.

Outside the door was the bandits' revelry.

Inside the door was the mountain king's private paradise.

Cui Qiao was tossed onto the bed, her clothes half-undone. She panted and hooked her fingers around Chen Fan's neck.

"Chief, aren't you afraid... that the woman you let go will really bring people back for blood for blood?"

She had been hiding in the inner room just now and had heard the commotion outside.

She had originally thought the Chief had taken another woman as a bandit wife and felt a bit of jealousy in her heart.

She hadn't expected the Chief to actually let her go in the end.