The Lost People of Teyvat

Chapter 33: Bandits in Shimen

"You are too polite, little brother. There is no owner here, so please do as you please."

The leading adventurer and the caravan leader looked at each other, nodded to each other, bowed to Chen Tianfeng, and agreed.

There was only one person coming. If he had bad intentions, he would not be their opponent. If they were not their opponent and the other party had bad intentions, then even if they refused him to stay, it would not be of much use. It would be better to stay and be careful. If the other party really had bad intentions and had accomplices, they would have a hostage in their hands.

"Thank you."

Chen Tianfeng bowed in return, left the chestnut horse outside the house, took the firewood off the horse's back, set up a stove on the side away from the caravan, and lit a bonfire.

Add water and rice to the pot, wait for the water to boil and the rice soup to roll, then pour in the cut fish fillets and shredded ginger, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and a pot of fragrant and delicious fish fillet porridge is ready.

Apart from the lack of scallion oil, the fish was caught in the morning, so there were no other flaws... Chen Tianfeng sniffed it and was quite satisfied.

The leader of the caravan watched Chen Tianfeng making a fire and cooking, and his vigilance was reduced a little. When he smelled the fragrance, his guard was also weakened - he had never heard that the bandit could cook well.

If you really have this skill, you can open a small shop in Liyue Harbor. It will make money faster and safer than being a bandit.

Except for a few bandits, most people would not do a job that would put their heads on the line if they had a choice.

Many thoughts flashed through the mind of the caravan leader. Suddenly, he met Chen Tianfeng's gaze. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and bowed: "Little brother, are you going to Mondstadt?"

"That's right. I've heard all kinds of stories and legends about the Free City of Mondstadt for a long time, and I've always longed for it. Now that I have the time, I'm going to go see it with my own eyes."

Chen Tianfeng's eyes were sincere, not like he was lying. He looked at the group of merchants, the pot of fish porridge in front of him was still bubbling and steaming: "I have cooked some porridge, would you like some?"

"No, no, thank you for your kindness, little brother. We have already had dinner." The caravan leader decisively refused.

Chen Tianfeng was not surprised and did not ask a second time. In the wilderness, no one would risk eating food given by a stranger if they met by chance.

"Little brother, are you traveling alone?"

"Well, it's always good to come and go easily. It's always good to see more scenery while you're young."

"Little brother is free and easy."

The caravan leader praised him and agreed, "It's good to go out more often. The more you see and learn, the more you know. There will always be benefits in the future."

"It's not that I can call it carefree, it's just a bit of youthful spirit and the recklessness of a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger."

"I have already surpassed many people. Besides, young people should be so determined and courageous."

The caravan leader sighed and shook his head, "Unlike my good-for-nothing son, who just stayed in Mondstadt and spent all day trying to improve the recipe of his dandelion wine."

"Well, everyone has their own aspirations and strengths. Who knows, your son might become famous with his many improved wine recipes and create a family business like Chenxi Winery." Chen Tianfeng would naturally not be foolish enough to agree with the other party and belittle his son.

“Haha, never mind building a family business. As long as his wine can be favored by Master Diluc of the Dawn Winery, I will be satisfied.” The caravan leader smiled.

"Everything is possible. There is an old saying in my hometown, which goes, 'Hard work pays off.'"

"Then thank you for your kind words, little brother."

The leader of the caravan smiled and bowed, thought for a moment, and said, "Brother, you should go to Mondstadt by the road that passes through the stone gate, right?" "Yes."

"Then little brother, be careful." The caravan leader looked a little serious and worried: "Shimen has been uneasy recently."

"Oh? Can you tell me more about it?"

"It is said that a group of mountain bandits came from nowhere. At first, they only did some business of blocking people on the road. They asked for little and did not hurt people's lives. If they met someone who was able to resist, they would let him go decisively. Moreover, the ground veins where they blocked the road were unstable, and there were always some projected monsters. Although they were just a few ordinary hillbillies, small slimes and the like, they were still a trouble."

"Although these bandits blocked the road and collected money, they also cleared out these projection monsters. In addition, they asked for little, so after a few times, they were able to gain a firm foothold."

"But no one expected that these bandits would suddenly become so powerful that they not only raised the tolls, but also planned to block the earth veins and create an earth vein flower."

The leader of the caravan sighed, "I heard that there are a lot more projected monsters at the stone gate now, and the difficulty of passing through is many times greater."

"Is there no one taking care of them?" Chen Tianfeng frowned.

Shimen is the main route for commercial transactions between Liyue and Mondstadt. How could they allow this group of bandits to destroy it?
"Yes, but the effect is not very good." The leader of the caravan said: "The Knights of Favonius are short of manpower due to the expedition, so they can only clear out the projection monsters. Liyue's Thousand Rock Army has sufficient manpower and strong strength, but these mountain bandits are too slippery and can run. We have wiped out the bandits several times, but we have not been able to wipe them out completely."

"It seems that this group of bandits is not simple."

"Yes."

"So, are you planning to take a detour?"

"We would like to, but if we take a detour, this trip will be in vain." The caravan leader shook his head and said, "We plan to stay at Wangshu Inn for a few days and form a group with people who are also returning to Mondstadt. It will be safer if we travel together."

"I see."

Chen Tianfeng nodded. There is strength in numbers, and this is true in any world.

"If you are not in a hurry, you can stay in Wangshu Inn for a few more days. It would be best to ask the innkeeper Huai'an to help you find some reliable companions." The caravan leader may have seen that he was young, so he gave him special instructions.

"Thank you. I'll make a note of it."

Chen Tianfeng thanked him sincerely.

As the night deepened, Chen Tianfeng finished his meal, cleared the pots and pans, and sat cross-legged beside his small campfire with his long sword across his legs. He practiced an unknown martial art while closing his eyes and pretending to sleep, yet he did not forget to be aware of his surroundings.

Whether it was because he had to be on guard against others or because he was in the wild, this was not the time for him to relax.

Two bonfires were burning, and from time to time there was a "crackling" sound of wood exploding. Outside the house, the night was quiet, with the occasional calls of unknown animals, intertwined with the only remaining chirping of insects in late autumn, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

a moment,
The calls of animals became chaotic, the chirping of insects stopped, and the harmonious atmosphere was broken.

Chen Tianfeng opened his eyes, stood up and pressed the hilt of the knife, his eyes passing through the door frame without a door, into the darkness in the distance.

"A monster is approaching! Wake up!"

The adventurer who was on night watch shouted, and looked at Chen Tianfeng with a slightly surprised look, then clasped his fists and said, "Brother Chen, can you see what kind of monster it is?"

(End of this chapter)