81 Pei Yuanshao

Wang Laohu, his composure shattered, had been struck by the strange sound, which damaged his internal meridians and sent his blood surging in reverse. Nearly vomiting blood, he scrambled back in terror to the bandit line, shouting to the Great Chief, "Big Brother! A formidable enemy lurks here! We must retreat at once!"

Cheng Lao’er, grasping his spear and pulling his horse forward, asked with a sneer, "What’s this, Wang Laosan? You charge halfway only to come running back? What formidable enemy? Are you just losing your nerve, afraid to press the attack?"

Pale-faced, Wang Laohu retorted indignantly, "There is a terrifying sorcerer in that village! A strange sound rang out and shocked me into injury. If you don't believe me, go see for yourself! It’ll scare the life out of you."

"A sorcerer? Surely not!" Cheng Lao’er’s expression shifted; if there were truly a sorcerer involved, he dared not approach either.

The bandits began to stir with unease, their fear of the supernatural evident.

The Great Chief silenced their murmurs and barked, "A mere sorcerer—what is there to fear? Let me go and see!" He spurred his own horse forward, a long bow slung across his back and a broadsword in his hand, riding alone toward Xiaobai Village. He pulled to a halt two hundred meters away and shouted, "Come out, sorcerer! You dare injure my brother Wang? Show yourself and let me see what you look like!"

Inside Xiaobai Village, there was absolute silence. The players were all watching to see what the Great Chief looked like.

Huan Zhen glanced at the leader and shook his head, saying to Zhan Xiaobai, "This man has a steady presence and formidable martial prowess. My zither music cannot harm him."

Zhan Xiaobai told him not to worry, then stepped forward to call out, "You there, state your name first! I, Xiaobai, do not speak with nameless bandits."

The bandit leader pointed his broadsword directly at Zhan Xiaobai and roared, "I am a man who does not change his name or surname—I am Pei Yuanshao! Send out your sorcerer who plays these tricks, so I may end his life!"

Pei Yuanshao!

Inside the village, the players gasped, whispering among themselves, "Pei Yuanshao? How did such a powerful NPC appear?" "With our current strength, who could withstand his attacks?" "How unlucky, running into this guy. We might all be wiped out."

Zhan Xiaobai was secretly alarmed.

He had actually encountered the famous Yellow Turban general, the NPC Pei Yuanshao. In this game, anyone who had made an appearance in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*—even the most minor character—was considered a nightmare-tier entity; none of them were to be trifled with. Pei Yuanshao alone was terrifying, to say nothing of his lieutenants, Cheng Jian and Wang Laohu, or the one hundred and fifty bandits of varying levels behind him.

Zhan Xiaobai spoke up quickly, "Great Chief Pei, there is no sorcerer in my village, only a zither player. In his haste to protect the village, he accidentally injured Chief Wang. I am here to apologize on his behalf and ask that you, in your great magnanimity, do not take offense."

Hearing Zhan Xiaobai’s sincere tone, Pei Yuanshao’s expression softened. Since the other party had apologized, he did not want to dwell on such a trifle. His priority was food; otherwise, his men would go hungry by tomorrow.

Pei Yuanshao shouted, "Fine, I accept your apology. But you must immediately offer ten *shi* of grain and one thousand copper coins as compensation."

The people of Xiaobai Village turned pale. *That is far too much! We aren't wealthy; if we give you all our grain and copper, what are we supposed to use?*

Zhan Xiaobai was annoyed. Ten *shi*? It would be easier to just kill him, he thought. He replied, "Great Chief Pei, I have a thought, if I may speak."

Pei Yuanshao paused. "Oh? Let's hear it."

Zhan Xiaobai continued, "You need grain, but you aren't selling it or hoarding it to rot—you just need enough to eat, right? I have a small suggestion that could resolve your food crisis, but I would like to discuss it with you privately."

As he spoke, he walked out of the village. Jian Ba and Qiu Shui tried to stop him, but Zhan Xiaobai assured them there was no cause for concern.

Pei Yuanshao sat calmly on his horse, waiting where he was. His martial prowess gave him the confidence that he was safe; he had no fear of the village playing tricks.

Zhan Xiaobai reached the front of Pei Yuanshao’s horse, cupped his hands, and smiled. "I am the village chief of Xiaobai Village. It is an honor to meet you, Great Chief Pei."

They stood midway between the bandits and the village, two hundred meters from either side. Neither group could overhear their conversation.

"Are you not afraid that I might kill you with a single stroke?"

"If you kill me, I lose nothing, and you gain no advantage, do you? If we can negotiate a result that satisfies everyone, it benefits us both."

"Heh, you’re quite clever."

"You are too kind, Great Chief. I came to meet you personally only to ask one thing: if I provide you with grain, what will happen afterward? Will you leave immediately, or will you return in a few days to rob us again, until my village is ruined?"

Pei Yuanshao fell silent. He hadn't considered this. He was only desperate to feed his men. As for whether the village was ruined... that seemed to have little to do with him. It wasn't as if he hadn't destroyed villages before, though it was rare.

Seeing his hesitation, Zhan Xiaobai realized he hadn't thought it through. "I can give you five hundred *jin* of grain, but I have one small condition."

Pei Yuanshao frowned. "Five hundred *jin*? That’s so little, it’s barely enough for my men to eat for a day! You must double it."

Zhan Xiaobai remained calm. "Five hundred *jin* is not a small amount. There are over two hundred villages in Longyou. If every village gave you four or five hundred *jin*, you wouldn't even be able to carry it all. If you insist on one thousand, I will simply have to wait inside the village for you to attack. You might want to do the math."

Pei Yuanshao calculated: they consumed about four hundred and fifty *jin* a day. If thirty villages were willing to hand over grain, they would be fed for a month. He probably couldn't carry the haul from any more than that.

However, villages willing to hand over food voluntarily were rare. Until now, he had only found Xiaobai Village. The others refused to pay, come what may.

He shook his head. "The logic is sound, but too few are willing to give. It won't be enough."

Zhan Xiaobai laughed. "That is because you picked the wrong time to demand tribute. It is the end of the month; who has surplus grain now? If you had come right after the harvest, many villages would pay to ensure their safety. This five hundred *jin* is all I could scrape together by exhausting our reserves. Any more is simply impossible."

Pei Yuanshao suddenly realized the truth. If he could just make it through tomorrow, all the villages would have finished their harvest, making it much easier to demand tribute. "Fine, five hundred it is. State your condition."

"I will provide the grain on the condition that you do not appear near my village for the next month, to avoid panic. Furthermore, if other bandits come to raid us, I ask that you drive them away so that the grain intended for you is not stolen by them."

"Ha! Is that all? Longyou is vast; where can I not go? Agreed. As long as you pay on time, I will not harass your village. And with me in the area, no other bandits will dare show their faces. You have my word."

"Oh, one more suggestion: the land across the river is vast and rich with pasture, perfect for horses. You might want to visit that side and ask those villages for grain."

"Oh?" Pei Yuanshao narrowed his sharp eyes, looking toward the distant river, and nodded. "You want me to cross the river—do you have enemies there you want me to greet? ...Fine. Every village in this region must pay me anyway, so I’ll do you a favor."

Zhan Xiaobai felt a cold sweat. *Damn, he's sharp. He saw right through my intent.*

"When will you give me the grain?"

"I will have my men wait at [Location XXX] tonight. Please send your men to collect it."

Pei Yuanshao nodded. As long as he had the grain by tonight, he wouldn't have to worry about tomorrow. Just as he was about to leave, Zhan Xiaobai called out, "One more thing, Great Chief. If you ever find yourself in dire straits, our village is willing to offer secret support to help you through your difficulties."

Pei Yuanshao chuckled. "Good, I appreciate the sentiment! The Qiang and Di bandits in the Xiliang region are fierce and rampant; I may not be able to stay here long. If I’m forced out, I might move to the northwest, and I might need you to cover some travel expenses. I’m off! Giddyap!"

He spurred his horse back to the bandit line, leading his men away with raucous shouts toward the river shallows.

"System Notification: You have reached a secret agreement with Pei Yuanshao and established a connection."