Chapter 1140: Enlisting By Offering Amnesty
Translator: Lordbluefire
In ancient feudal society, there was a strong preference for males over females. Women were just a type of commodity back then.
In the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei wrote a classical quote that women were like clothes and men were like one’s limbs. If clothes tore, they could be mended, but if one’s limbs broke, they couldn’t be joined back.
This showed that women were nothing between brotherhood!
Right now, Zhang Kui’s questioning was sarcastic toward Expensive Pork, saying that their relationship couldn’t be compared to a woman.
Zhang Kui’s target was Sun Mo. He had received orders from the first boss to intentionally make things difficult for Sun Mo.
“This is Fourth Boss’s wife. How dare you do this!”
Expensive Pork’s eyes were filled with rage and he picked up a bench.
“Don’t fight! I’m fine!”
Mei Niang tugged at Expensive Pork’s clothes, wanting to appease the matter. It was because she was afraid to mess things up for Sun Mo.
“Sister-in-law!”
Expensive Pork was about to console her when Sun Mo’s voice rang out. “I’ll be the one to decide if it’s fine!”
“Oh? That’s imperious!”
Xu Hong turned his head and saw an extremely young man pushing through the crowd and entering.
“Fourth Boss!”
Mount Zhao’s bandits all lowered their heads and greeted him.
Hearing this way of address, Zhang Kui spat out thick phlegm. He had been in the mountain stronghold for five years and in terms of seniority, he should have been the one to take this position.
“Mei Niang!”
When Sun Mo saw Mei Niang trying hard to hold back her tears, he felt very bad. The wife of a recommended-candidate should be able to live without worrying about food and clothing no matter how bad life was. However, she had to come to this mountain stronghold and suffer because of him.
“Zhang Kui, if you have anything against me, just come at me. Why are you bullying my wife?”
Sun Mo reproached.
“Brother Sun, you’re making things sound too serious. I was just trying to have a talk with Sister-In-Law, but she despised my identity as a bandit and wasn’t willing to pay me any heed. Therefore, we had a bit of an argument.”
Zhang Kui was no fool.
He intentionally changed the fact that he had been trying to take liberties to that he had been viewed with despise. If Sun Mo continued to pursue this matter, it’d make him appear narrow-minded.
But if Sun Mo didn’t pursue the matter, he’d definitely feel horrible as if he had eaten feces.
“If she despised bandits, she wouldn’t have followed me into becoming an outlaw!”
Sun Mo let out a cold snort. “Other than spending your life idling away, you only go and rob some small traveling merchants who go through hardships to earn money. Even I look down on you, let alone my wife. If you’re capable, go and rob those landlords and rich merchants!”
Zhang Kui’s countenance instantly turned bad to be lashed out at in public. “I dare you to say that again!”
Pui!
Sun Mo spat out a mouthful of saliva and said fiercely, “I don’t quarrel! I only kill!”
“Fourth Boss is imperious!”
The spectating bandits cheered.
“If it’s a fight you want, then a fight you’ll get! Don’t complain if I were to kill you by accident!”
Zhang Kui smirked.
The first boss had said that if he were to kill Sun Mo, not only would he be given the position of the fourth boss, but the Red Turban Army would also fall under him in the future.
What a wonderful thing!
Zhang Kui had long since wanted this group. With them, he’d be able to attack any estate he wished and sleep with any woman he wanted!
“Is Boss Sun being too careless?”
Many people looked doubtful.
Zhang Kui had broad shoulders and a round stomach, his height almost reaching 1.9 meters. In ancient days, he’d be a ferocious general who could hold up against many people by himself. On the contrary, Sun Mo only had a scholarly vibe to him.
“This guy is doomed!”
Expensive Pork chuckled. He had seen Brother Sun’s capabilities before.
“Are you ready?”
Zhang Kui held onto a big blade and couldn’t wait. After Sun Mo nodded, he dashed out. His massive body brought about a gust of strong wind, blowing up the sand and dust on the ground.
“Die!”
Zhang Kui let out an explosive bellow and slashed his blade down.
Sun Mo dodged elusively like a ghost, avoiding the attack. He then appeared next to Zhang Kui and his Yanling Blade sent out a stream of silver light.
“What?”
Zhang Kui was very surprised and couldn’t care about his face as he retreated and dodge the attack rapidly. However, he was still half a step late.
Swoosh!
The steel blade slashed his neck and blood immediately gushed out.
“F*ck your mom, he’s so ferocious?”
The spectators were all shocked.
Swoosh!
Sun Mo sent another slash down, chopping off Zhang Kui’s arm.
“Have… have mercy…”
Zhang Kui was scared out of his wits and kept pleading for mercy.
It was because one could only sense how terrifying Sun Mo was when pitting against him.
“Trash!”
The first boss who was watching the situation from a dark corner rushed out. “Brother Sun, stop it!”
Zhang Kui was his trusted aide who helped him sustain his position in the mountain stronghold. Therefore, he couldn’t watch Zhang Kui be killed.
Swoosh!
Sun Mo’s steel blade stopped on Zhang Kui’s neck.
“Brother Sun, we’re all brothers. Why do you have to go so far?”
The first boss seemed as if he was perplexed, but he was actually hinting to everyone that Sun Mo didn’t treat everyone as his brothers.
“Zhang Kui, why did you harass my wife?”
Sun Mo’s tone was icy-cold, piercing through one’s bones like the freezing winter. It almost froze Zhang Kui’s skin. “Don’t be in a rush to reply! You only have one chance!”
Zhang Kui looked at Sun Mo’s eyes and the lies that reached his mouth were swallowed back.
“The First Boss made me do it!”
Sun Mo’s gaze when looking at him was as if he was looking down on a wild dog or an ant, without any hint of pity. It was as if he could crush him to death easily.
“What are you talking about?”
The first boss panicked.
“I… I don’t have a choice!”
Zhang Kui was really scared. Turned out that death was such a horrifying thing.
“First Boss, if you have any dissatisfaction, just tell me straight. Don’t come up with all these tricks.”
Sun Mo smiled bitterly, looking like a victim, wanting to earn some sympathy.
“Brother Sun, I had taken you in when you had nowhere to go!”
The first boss’s hidden meaning was that he had done Sun Mo a great favor. Sun Mo would be an ingrate to be targeting him now.
“First Boss, I don’t like the way you said that. If you didn’t let Brother Sun stay, there’d be others who would! We are the ones who are benefitting a lot from it!”
Expensive Pork’s voice was very loud. “Without Brother Sun, would our stronghold be able to afford to have white rice every meal?”
Gulp!
Many people gulped upon hearing this. Turned out that Mount Zhao’s bandits were having such an extravagant life!
“First Boss, it’s pointless to say more. Let’s decide things with the blade.”
Sun Mo suggested.
“Uhh!”
The first boss subconsciously looked toward Zhang Kui, thinking to himself, (Even if there was something wrong with my head, I wouldn’t fight with you.)
Sigh!
He had schemed so much, but didn’t expect that Sun Mo was so good at fighting!
Zhang Kui felt that the blade Sun Mo was resting on his neck was pushed down a little. He instinctively raised his head and happened to meet Sun Mo’s gaze.
In that instant, Zhang Kui understood.
If he wished to live, he’d have to kill the first boss. He had no other path to take.
Just as Zhang Kui was hesitating, Sun Mo kicked out at him.
Bang!
Zhang Kui rolled toward the first boss and then leaped up agilely to his feet. He then slashed his blade out toward the first boss’s neck.
“It’s all your fault! You are the one who incites disharmony between us brothers!”
Zhang Kui let out an explosive bellow. “I was really blind to be viewing you as my big brother!”
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Zhang Kui kept on swinging his blade.
“How can you live up to the position of the first boss without any morals? How will you be able to carry the several thousand lives in the mountain stronghold?”
Expensive Pork let out an explosive bellow and came attacking too.
Many Red Turban Army members were in the crowd. They had long since felt dissatisfaction toward the first boss and didn’t talk any crap. All of them just drew their blades and came charging over.
The first boss panicked and his face turned completely pale.
“Sun Mo… I’m willing to give up my position as the first boss!”
It was too late. Several tens of blades slashed and dismembered him, chopping him up into minced meat.
Most of the spectators were just watching the fun and cheered. However, people like Xu Hong who had some brains understood that great trouble was coming.
A vicious person like Sun Mo would definitely be unwilling to lay low in a small mountain stronghold.
As expected, Sun Mo came to visit after the banquet.
“Do you want to join our mountain stronghold?”
Sun Mo went straight to the point.
“I’m currently doing well now!”
Xu Hong rejected.
“Oh, there’s no helping it then. It seems like I can only have a chat with your third boss then.”
Sun Mo shrugged.
Hearing this, Xu Hong’s countenance changed. “What do you mean by that?”
“If you kill your first boss and lead everyone from the mountain stronghold to come to join me, I’ll give you a leadership position. When that time comes, we’ll get rich together.”
Sun Mo smiled. “Of course, if you aren’t willing, then I’ll go discuss things with the other bosses.”
Xu Hong broke out in cold sweat.
This Sun Mo was too brutal!
How many people amongst bandits had a good brain? There were really people who’d believe Sun Mo and come to join him. After all, the current Red Turban Army was doing very well.
Every few days, everyone would be able to hear news that the Red Turban Army had attacked a certain estate, getting a lot from their operations. Who wouldn’t want to lead a life like that?
“Can I think about it?”
Xu Hong tried to drag things out.
“You can, but I’ll only wait for a week at most before I contact the other people in your mountain stronghold. And the time you take to bring your first boss’s head to join us will determine your position in the mountain stronghold!”
Sun Mo patted Xu Hong’s shoulder. “You’re a smart guy. You should know that you don’t have a choice!”
Xu Hong smiled bitterly.
It was true that he didn’t have a choice.
It was because if he didn’t do it, others would.
Sigh!
Damn that Pang Jili. Why did he force Sun Mo into becoming an outlaw?
There wasn’t going to be any more peace in the Eight Hundred Miles Lake in the future.
The time that followed turned out as Xu Hong expected.
Some bandits felt that the Red Turban Army was leading too good a life and thus assassinated their first boss to come to join them, together with people who shared the same sentiments.
There were also loyal bandits who exposed Sun Mo. However, it was useless as there were other people in their mountain stronghold who obeyed Sun Mo.
The various factions in each mountain stronghold started to hold doubt against one another. All the contradictions that existed long ago erupted.
Some people spent a large amount of money on Sun Mo’s life. But the Red Turban Army’s numbers had surpassed half of the number of Mount Zhao’s bandits now. The remaining people were also training hard, hoping to be able to join them.
As the Red Turban Army continued to plunder, their military strength and reputation grew rapidly. The people within the borders of Jiangzhou all started to address Sun Mo as Heavenly King Sun.
With that, there weren’t any outlaws who’d dare to accept the job of killing Sun Mo.
With reputation, there would come the power to rally in supporters. Moreover, Sun Mo’s slogan was to enforce justice on behalf of heaven, with upright perspectives.
In the past, bandits didn’t dare to announce their real names as it’d bring shame to their parents and ancestors. But now, everyone felt that they shared the glory instead.
It was because the people they killed were tyrannic landlords. They also robbed the rich and helped the poor. They were a righteous volunteer army!
With Sun Mo’s group getting bigger and bigger, the ones who had it bad were naturally the government troops.
Jiangzhou’s Inspector General had given the orders to wipe out these bandits.
The Eight Hundred Miles Lake was so big. Where were they supposed to go to catch them? Moreover, the Red Turban Army was terrifyingly strong. They were now starting to attack some smaller counties.
In order to deal with the Inspector General’s blame, these government troops started to spend a large amount of money to buy heads from Sun Mo.
The owners of these heads were the bosses from the various mountain strongholds. They were the proof of loyalty the people who came to join Sun Mo had brought with them.
These were rare goods and there was no fretting that they couldn’t be sold. Therefore, Sun Mo didn’t ask for money and only asked for military weapons.
When the Inspector General heard the many reports, he felt that the bandits’ influence was being suppressed and things were turning for the better. However, at this moment, Sun Mo took over close to half of the bandits and then took down Sanjiang County.
This was the most important food production place in Jiangzhou. At the same time, they were responsible for 10% of Jiangzhou’s taxes. But now, all the food supplies had been wiped out by Sun Mo.
With food supplies, Sun Mo didn’t stop attacking. Instead, he continued to press forward and at one point, even led 2,000 men and horses all the way to Jiangzhou City.
Even though they hadn’t attacked the cities, the officials and landlords in the city were all given a bad fright.
…
A dinner banquet was held in the evening at the mountain stronghold.
“No one mentioned the matter of enlisting us by offering amnesty?”
Sun Mo ate a peanut, feeling very displeased.
“Inspector General Zhang is a hot-blooded warmonger. Moreover, enlisting outlaws by offering amnesty is very troublesome. He doesn’t wish to be our guarantors!”
The third boss explained.
Being the Inspector General of an administrative division but unable to wipe out the bandits and eventually even offering to enlist them by offering amnesty. This would be the greatest denial to Inspector General Zhang’s capabilities. Therefore, he had been trying to suppress the various reports that were being sent to the imperial court, wanting to wipe out Sun Mo in the shortest time possible.
However, Sun Mo didn’t go head-on against the Inspector General’s army. After all, his goal was to be enlisted by being offered amnesty.
“Hmph, we’ll teach this Inspector General a lesson tomorrow!”
Sun Mo smiled coldly.
Three days later, Sun Mo led his men to the Zhuo Commandery that was near Jiangzhou. They robbed the money meant for taxes—a total of one million taels.
This sum of money wasn’t considered a lot, but it was enough to stir up a commotion in the imperial court.
Inspector General Zhang might be able to suppress his subordinates to not write reports, but he couldn’t stop Zhuo Commandery’s officials. Therefore, the Red Turban Army’s reputation skyrocketed.
To push the blame, Zhuo Commandery’s magistrate said that it was due to Inspector General Zhang’s incompetency that allowed the bandits to become stronger.
Therefore, the emperor removed Inspector General Zhang from his post and sent over a new one. The new Inspector-General was tasked to wipe out this rebellious army within a month and to get back the tax money.
Sun Mo was very satisfied with this outcome.
If they didn’t build up their impressiveness and make the enemies scared, why would they want to enlist you by offering amnesty?
Sun Mo started to be the one to make the first move, starting up guerrilla warfare and not taking the imperial court’s army head-on. At the same time, he had people disseminate news that the army had decided to kill all the farmers and villagers who had taken food from the landlords’ houses for military credit.
Killing the good and passing it off for gaining credit was a traditional skill that the imperial court’s generals had. Therefore, more people started to join the Red Turban Army.
Of course, some people continued to watch by the sidelines. However, being the schemer he was, Sun Mo added more fuel to the flames for them.
He had his trusted aides put on the uniforms worn by the imperial court’s soldiers and had them catch and kill people, committing all kinds of bad deeds. After massacring a few villagers, the hearts of the people in the Jiangzhou region became completely unsteady.
Finally, after becoming an outlaw for seven months, Sun Mo had himself a 100,000-man army.
The autumn harvest was delayed. Without food to eat and seeing that the winter was coming, the farmers were left with no choice but to join Sun Mo. Therefore, his influence grew even more.
After one winter, the entire Jiangzhou City was shattered by Sun Mo completely.
Not only were they unable to pay the taxes, but they also needed aid from the imperial court. Sun Mo was very lucky. It so happened that a locust plague had broken out in the north and the other ethnic group there wanted to head south to plunder.
Finally, a major character spoke up. If giving these bandits a few government positions could solve the problem, why should they waste food and money to continue the battle?
The Third Prince even wrote a report that the leader of the bandits, Sun Mo, was forced by Imperial Tutor Pang’s doted grandson and was left with no choice but to become a bandit. Otherwise, given his talents, it’d be very likely that he would become an advanced-scholar if he were to take part in the examinations this year.
Strife broke out between the factions in the imperial court, and Imperial Tutor Pang stepped down from his position. The Third Prince headed to Jiangzhou as a representative to enlist Sun Mo by offering amnesty.
With that, Sun Mo was only one final step away from his goal.