Chapter 775: This Is an Insult to Us

Beyond the hundred-mile radius of the desolate city of Huangwu lay a vast, barren desert.

This was the domain of the Fourteenth Band of the Desert.

When Sandulong first scouted for a suitable hideout years ago, he set his eyes on this place immediately and had stayed here ever since.

During these years, Sandulong earned a formidable reputation. People in Huangwu City knew that beyond a hundred miles in that desolate desert dwelled fourteen gangs of desert bandits.

Yet, to the people of Huangwu, these desert bandits were not terrifying—they never robbed the poor.

Initially, merchants feared them greatly, but everything changed when the first bold merchant dared to test the waters.

Suddenly, the Fourteen Desert Bandits became popular. More and more merchants intentionally lingered in the area, hoping to be robbed by the Fourteen Desert Bandits.

From then on, merchants began referring to the Fourteen Desert Bandits as the Fourteen Desert Kings.

They were bandits who upheld a code of honor.

In the eyes of these merchants, the Fourteen Desert Kings were bandits with professional ethics.

“Today is another excellent day for a robbery,” Sandulong stood atop a sand dune, gazing at the blazing sun, sighing.

“Brother, you’re absolutely right. The weather is indeed splendid today,” the others chimed in.

“We’ve finally begun to grasp the art of robbery. What Big Brother once said wasn’t a lie—the art of robbery truly exists,” Sandulong said, his face showing a trace of nostalgia.

At this moment, everyone fell silent. Their ranks had grown over the years, taking in many new members, but at times like this, they all understood—the leader was reminiscing again.

Absolute silence was crucial now; otherwise, the Big Boss would fly into a rage.

And if the Big Boss lost his temper, it would be catastrophic—perhaps even days without food.

“Alright, let’s go rob,” after a while, Sandulong snapped out of his thoughts, waved his hand grandly, making the act of robbery sound as noble as could be, without a hint of wrongness.

To the Fourteen Desert Bandits, only during a robbery did they feel their existence had meaning.

…

“Why haven’t the Fourteen Desert Kings arrived yet?”

A caravan had stopped in the desert. At its head stood a flag, vivid and eye-catching. If someone from Huangwu City saw it, they would immediately recognize it.

It was the banner of a merchant guild from Huangwu City.

At this moment, a middle-aged man stepped out from the leading carriage, “Haven’t they come yet?”

“Not yet,” a servant, who had been watching the horizon, shook his head.

The middle-aged man looked at the desolate desert, then turned his gaze to the distance, where several caravans were approaching one after another.

“Didn’t expect our luck to be this bad—so many merchant caravans,” the middle-aged man said unhappily, as if someone were competing with them for the position of being robbed, which annoyed him greatly.

If someone unaware of the situation passed by, they would be shocked.

Now even the targets of robbery were competing for position—had the world really changed so much?

As the caravans approached, the middle-aged man frowned in displeasure. He recognized competitors among the merchants.

They competed not only in business but even in this—how infuriating.

“Oh, Manager Wang is here too,” a fat middle-aged man from a distant caravan smiled as he approached.

“Manager Li, last time it was your caravan that got robbed. Don’t tell me you’re trying to compete with me again this time,” Manager Wang said unhappily.

“Manager Wang, you shouldn’t say that. The capable ones get robbed. Besides, it’s not just you, Manager Wang,” Manager Li replied.

“Hmph.”

They were all merchants from Huangwu City. In the past, when their caravans traveled to other cities, they had to cross mountains and rivers, passing through many dangerous places.

Although they hired many powerful martial artists, four out of ten times they still failed, which was a heavy blow to them.

But now the situation was different. Any caravan chosen by the Fourteen Desert Bandits would have a smooth journey, arriving safely at their destination.

For the merchants of Huangwu City, being chosen by the Fourteen Desert Bandits was considered a great stroke of luck.

They had even tried offering large sums of money to hire the bandits for protection.

But to Sandulong and his men, this was a grave insult to their profession as bandits, so they firmly declined.

…

“Big Boss, there are so many merchant caravans again this time. Which one should we rob?” For some of the older members of the group, this was a headache.

As for the newcomers, they looked bewildered.

They never imagined that being a bandit could be this easy.

Caravans lined up, eager to be robbed, fearing they might be overlooked.

Sandulong was already used to this situation, “Follow the will of heaven.”

Suddenly, a long howl pierced the air. Sandulong leaped up, his figure majestic and commanding.

“Robbery…”

This shout shook the heavens and moved the earth, inspiring awe.

“The bandits are here… the bandits are here.”

At this moment, countless merchants screamed in panic, fear enveloping the sky and land.

Some merchants, coming from other cities to collect goods in Huangwu, now had their cargo and were preparing to return. Hearing of the Fourteen Desert Bandits’ reputation, they came to try their luck.

But seeing the terrified expressions of the other merchants now, they found it strange.

“Fourteen Desert Kings, please rob me! I’m willing to pay a certain fee,” the newly arrived caravan shouted loudly.

The surrounding caravans, who had been performing their roles so convincingly, looked at this caravan as if they were fools.

“This caravan must be new here.”

“How dare they say such humiliating words.”

“Yes, ignorance is no crime, but isn’t this a blatant insult to the Fourteen Desert Bandits?”

…

“Hmph, the Fourteen Desert Bandits never rob caravans that don’t fear us. Drive them away,” Sandulong’s expression changed upon hearing this, his anger rising. The Fourteen Desert Bandits were feared across thousands of miles. Now, there was actually a caravan that wasn’t afraid of them—it was an insult to their honor.

“Yes.”

“What’s going on?”

The newly arrived caravan was completely confused, not understanding the meaning.

“Robbery—men to the left, women to the right, and hermaphrodites in the middle. We of the Fourteen Desert Bandits only rob for wealth, never for lust or lives. But if you don’t behave, don’t blame us for being ruthless with our blades,” Sandulong roared, his powerful aura enveloping everyone.

“Mercy! Mercy!”

“Don’t rob me.”

Though the seasoned caravans pleaded with their mouths, their movements were quick—they immediately began lining up.

Men to the left, women to the right, and hermaphrodites in the middle—yet to this day, they had never actually seen a hermaphrodite.

“Big Boss, someone is standing in the middle,” a voice suddenly called out.

Sandulong’s expression changed, and he quickly moved forward.

Manager Li, his face full of fear, still stepped forward slightly, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me.”

“Hmph, rest assured, we of the Fourteen Desert Bandits are professionals. We don’t take lives or goods—we only take valuable items. Put everything valuable into that small bag,” Sandulong said sternly.

“Yes, yes…” Manager Li’s heart leaped with joy. He quickly gave orders, and everyone swiftly threw all their valuable items into the bag.

The surrounding caravans, seeing the Fourteen Desert Bandits rob Manager Li’s caravan, felt helpless—they hadn’t been chosen again.

Manager Wang felt regret in his heart. How had things turned out like this? Especially seeing the smug look in Manager Li’s eyes, his anger flared even more.

Boom!

Just at this moment, the earth seemed to tremble.

In the distance, yellow sands rolled like waves.

“Big Boss, the army from Huangwu City has arrived.”

“Hmph, the army from Huangwu City? Get ready for battle,” Sandulong roared.

“Yes.”