Chapter Seventeen: The Drum Blade (Seven)

After a long while, the intense pain he had imagined never arrived.
Qi Laosan only felt that Li Kuo intended to humiliate and torture him. Filled with anger, he opened his eyes and glared at Li Kuo, saying, “You’re supposed to be a man, so why go through such trouble? Just give me some pain—slash my neck, and we’ll be even. Don’t worry, I, Qi Laosan, am someone who keeps promises. Even in the afterlife, I won’t become a vengeful spirit to haunt you. I’ve never begged anyone in my life—so this time, I’m begging you, okay?”
Hearing his desperate desire to die, Li Kuo was speechless and laughed awkwardly. “How do you know I’ll definitely kill you?”
It was now Qi Laosan’s turn to be stunned. “You… you won’t kill me? Aren’t you an official army general?”
In Qi Laosan’s view, the official army had always been at odds with bandits like them since ancient times. The army killed bandits to gain merit, while bandits killed soldiers to vent their anger. This was a universal rule—so why did it change when it came to Li Kuo?
Li Kuo shook his head with a bitter smile. “Actually, I originally intended to kill you, but I didn’t expect you to be such a man of loyalty and righteousness. You’re the kind of man I admire the most in my life.”
These words coming from a Tang official army general truly surprised Qi Laosan.
Before he could say anything, Li Kuo continued, “But why did you go down the wrong path and become a bandit?”
In Li Kuo’s opinion, with Qi Laosan’s martial skills, even if he couldn’t pass the military exams, he could join the border troops to seek fame and fortune. Unlike the capital region of Chang’an, background didn’t play such a decisive role in the border troops. Isn’t An Lushan the best example? He rose from a minor general to a military governor of three regions, and eventually rebelled against the Tang dynasty—all by his own efforts.
Yet, that example now seemed all too tragic and helpless.
“Why become a bandit? Hehe…”
Hearing this, Qi Laosan burst into laughter. “You want to know why I became a bandit? Let me tell you—because of this world!”
After a pause, Qi Laosan added, “The official army hates bandits, the common people hate bandits—it seems every good person in this world hates bandits. But do bandits just pop up out of nowhere? I was also born and raised by my parents! If there’s another way out, who would want to live a life where their head hangs by their belt?”
Li Kuo fell silent for a moment.

Although his upbringing was difficult, he still came from a scholarly family and had never experienced such hard times, so he naturally couldn’t understand some of their choices. In Li Kuo’s view, though his family had fallen on hard times, their ancestors had been highly respected, and they would never become thieves even if starving.

“Take that bald guy for example—he’s my elder brother, named Jiang Chui. Do you know how he ended up becoming a bandit? He used to be a butcher in the village, saving up some silver by selling pork. Later, through a matchmaker, he married a wife to start a family. His wife wasn’t particularly beautiful but was virtuous and had a big butt, clearly the kind who would be easy to bear children with. The two lived a simple life, though hard, with hope ahead. One day, a thug from a neighboring village came to collect ‘monthly dues.’ My brother happened to be out selling meat, and since his wife couldn’t come up with the money right away, she asked the thug to come back another day. But the thug, seeing his wife’s beauty, had evil thoughts and forced himself on her. Unable to bear the humiliation, the poor woman hanged herself. When my brother returned home and saw what had happened, he cried for a whole day.”

Swallowing his saliva, Qi Lao San continued, “Later, he learned about what had happened from the villagers’ gossip and went to the county magistrate to seek justice. But the magistrate, bribed by the thug, unjustly declared my brother a liar and had him beaten severely. With no way to seek justice, my brother, in anger, became a bandit and started robbing others.”

Li Kuo couldn’t help but sigh. He had always thought bandits and robbers were despicable, but he never imagined their backgrounds could be so tragic.

“And we men have been through it all; we know the hardships of ordinary people. That’s why we mainly rob corrupt officials and wealthy merchants. Today’s actions in the city were also a last resort, taken after running out of food.”

Qi Lao San shook his head and said, “I’m telling you this not to make you feel sympathy, but to let you know that we live our lives without shame before heaven.”

Sighing deeply, Li Kuo replied, “But you shouldn’t force women either. Those women didn’t do anything wrong—what crime have they committed?”

Hearing this, Qi Lao San’s expression darkened, and he fell silent.

Indeed, even the most righteous bandits are still bandits. What they do is nothing but robbery and plunder. To survive, to survive in this cruel world, they have to become even more ruthless and cold-hearted.

“I’ve also talked to our leader about taking women, but he insists on it. After all, it’s already shameful enough that we’ve turned to banditry. If we can’t even leave behind a descendant line, it would truly be a disservice to our ancestors.” At these words, Qi Laosan closed his eyes, leaving it to Li Kuo to decide his fate. “Let them go!” Li Kuo ordered with a wave of his hand. “Commander, what do you mean?” Dou Qing was shocked and hurriedly asked Li Kuo in panic. “I said let them go!” Li Kuo snapped sharply, causing Dou Qing to instinctively take a step back. “Yes!” Dou Qing gritted his teeth and waved at his soldiers, “Let them go!” Although the soldiers of the Jianghuai Army despised bandits, it was the commander’s order, so they had no choice but to obey. Once the ropes around them were untied, Qi Laosan rubbed his swollen wrists and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Why did you let me go? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?” Li Kuo, unfazed, stood up and took a few steps, saying, “First, you won’t do that. Second, with your strength alone, you can’t kill me. So, I really don’t need to worry.” Qi Laosan was stunned, thinking this man was truly arrogant. “Are you that sure?” “Your eyes have already told me,” Li Kuo said with a shrug. “If any of your… ‘brothers’ want to return to Heiyun Fort, I won’t stop them. But only this once. If I see them again, I’ll kill them without hesitation.” After thinking for a while, Li Kuo smiled slightly at Qi Laosan and spoke frankly. “W-what did you just say? You agreed to let my brothers return to Heiyun Fort?” Qi Laosan stared at Li Kuo in disbelief, his eyes wide. “That’s right. Of course. If any of you want to join the army or return home to farm, I’ll fully support them. If anyone wants to go home, I can help them register in the Tangzhou area. And if anyone wants to join the army, as long as they meet my standards, I’m willing to make them my comrades.”