Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

However, Gu Rubing's idea was still a bit too optimistic.

As a second-rate military commander, he faced dozens of bandits, some of whom were already at the level of a second-rate military commander.

Gu Rubing had just finished dealing with a few people when he felt that his strength was almost exhausted.

Soon, a large number of bandits surrounded Gu Rubing.

"Boy, who are you? How dare you interfere in the affairs of Liuyun Village?"

"You guys are really outrageous. Doesn't the local county government care about you?"

"The county government? Haha, does the county government dare to interfere with us? Go report to the authorities and see if the county government dares to interfere with us."

Upon hearing this, Gu Rubing finally understood that the local county government was too weak, which meant that they were powerless to stop the bandits from entering the village.

After saying this, the bandit grabbed a villager from the side and shouted to the people around him, "Take out your grain. This is the last warning. One person will die after an incense stick burns, until you have given up all the grain you love."

Hearing this, Gu Rubing gripped his sword tightly. Looking at the number of bandits in front of him, he knew he was no match for them, but he should be able to buy the villagers time to escape.

Gu Rubing calmed himself down, then slowly stepped forward. Taking advantage of the bandits' inattention, he pierced through the chest of one of them with his sword, and then swung it again to stab the people around him.

However, the bandits reacted very quickly, blocking Gu Rubing's attack in the blink of an eye.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Rubing felt a chill in his abdomen, and a wound appeared on his abdomen.

However, Gu Rubing did not stop, but continued to swing the sword in his hand.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed, Gu Rubing has lost count of how many wounds he has.

Meanwhile, the bandits were also thrown into complete chaos.

Taking advantage of the chaos, many villagers began to run frantically.

But soon, Gu Rubing completely lost the strength to wield his sword.

The bandit leader, seeing that it was about time, swung his knife and knocked the sword out of Gu Rubing's hand.

The moment the sword left his hand, Gu Rubing felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he collapsed to the ground.

"It's really bad luck to run into something like this as soon as you step out. Tie it up."

"Yes, boss."

Several bandits quickly stepped forward and tied Gu Rubing up.

The bandit leader looked around and, finding that all the villagers were gone, had no choice but to lead his men away.

Less than an incense stick's time had passed since the bandits took Gu Rubing away when Zhao Yun arrived with a group of yamen runners.

However, the place was now empty, with only some bloodstains on the ground.

Zhao Yun slapped the county magistrate across the face.

"You're dawdling and delaying important matters. If our lord is in any danger, I will take your lives."

Upon hearing Zhao Yun's words, the county magistrate immediately knelt before Zhao Yun and kowtowed repeatedly.

Given Zhao Yun's speed, it shouldn't have taken this long, not even the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

However, when the magistrate learned that it was bandits who had entered the village, he immediately became reluctant to deal with it, clearly unwilling to take action.

It took the magistrate three incense sticks' worth of time to change his clothes.

And these yamen runners were also slow and inefficient.

Left with no other choice, Zhao Yun had to reveal Gu Rubing's and his own identities.

Upon hearing that it was Prince Lie, the magistrate immediately sped up his journey.

However it was still a step too late.

"General Zhao, please don't worry. Although I don't know how our lord is doing, I do know where he has been taken. These people are from Liuyun Village, and I know where they are."

"You know? You know why you're not going to wipe them out?"

"General Zhao, I am innocent! With years of war, the people are suffering greatly. Many have become bandits and robbers. We have limited manpower and simply cannot hold on. Moreover, Liuyun Village is a mountain stronghold with more than two hundred people. All I have are a few dozen constables. How could we possibly be their match?"

"Enough with the nonsense, take me to see them right now."

"Yes Yes!"

Gu Rubing was taken to a dungeon.

The robber threw Gu Rubing to the ground and turned to leave.

Gu Rubing saw that the dungeon contained everything.

Fleas, rats, and spiders and centipedes—this was the worst dungeon he had ever been in.

"As expected of a knock-off, they can't even improve the environment of the dungeon."

Gu Rubing muttered to himself helplessly.

"Haha, young man, you've already become hostages of bandits, and you still want a peaceful environment?"

Just as Gu Rubing was muttering to himself, a voice came from the corner.

The sudden sound startled Gu Rubing.

Gu Rubing then noticed that there was an old man in the corner. The man was filthy and looked like he had been locked up there for a long time.

"who are you?"

"When I was the previous magistrate of Kushan County, this group of bandits came into the village to rob us. I discovered them and led a few constables to stop them, but I was no match for them and was captured. However, no one has come to ransom me. Counting the days, I have been captured for almost half a year. I am afraid I will not be able to get out."

"Six months? No one has redeemed you, and they haven't killed you yet?"

"They seem to have some kind of agreement with the magistrate who will replace me, so they've kept me alive. I don't know the specifics, but it's not bad. Although the environment is a bit poor, at least we have food and drink."

Upon hearing this, Gu Rubing frowned.

The fact that a county magistrate could be captured by bandits shows just how rampant the bandits were in the area.

"The bandits here are so vicious, doesn't the local magistrate care?"

"Manage? How can we manage? I am the local magistrate. As far as I know, there are six bandit strongholds here, and each of them has more than two hundred people. Our local county government only has a dozen or so yamen runners. How are we supposed to manage them?"

"Why not mobilize the local garrison?"

"Mobilize? Young man, don't be ridiculous. Do you know that these six mountain strongholds are only in this area, and only within my jurisdiction? What about other places? Now that King Lie is fighting everywhere, the people are already suffering greatly. But we understand King Lie. If he wants to end the war completely, he has to end it all with war. But some people just can't bear the suffering and have become outlaws. The city defense army simply can't handle them all."

Gu Rubing calculated their location; they were on the edge of Liangzhou.

Is this the situation in Liangzhou now?

"Yes, trade has been opened up in Liangzhou. The caravans that come and go have money, but the local people don't have money and don't have enough food. They can only become bandits and rob. Once they rob a caravan, they will leave. They don't care how many people die. When there are no caravans to rob, they can only rob the people."

Upon hearing this, Gu Rubing couldn't help but sigh, "With the Han Dynasty in such a state, it is the common people who suffer the most."

Just as they were talking, the bandit leader personally led a group of people into the dungeon.

"Kid, you're here chatting again? You think you'll have the same good life as that guy? He killed so many of our brothers, this time we're going to show you what we're capable of. Brothers, take him away."

Soon, Gu Rubing was tied to a log.

The chieftain of Liuyun Village personally took out a whip and lashed it at Gu Rubing.

Gu Rubing had seen people whipped before, but this was the first time he had been whipped himself. He now truly understood just how painful it was.

"You just want money, right? I'll give you money, how about that? Consider it redemption for me."

"Huh? You're rich? Are you from a merchant caravan?"

Gu Rubing shook his head.

"Then why waste my breath talking to you? The little bit of money you gave me isn't even enough to feed a beggar."

The chieftain prepared to smoke again.

"Although I am not a member of a caravan, the people in the caravans do not dare to resist me."

Upon hearing this, the chieftain immediately stopped what he was doing and looked at Gu Rubing carefully.

He had met all the prominent people in Liangzhou, and after confirming that he did not recognize Gu Rubing, he assumed that Gu was just bragging, and he whipped him even harder.

Gu Rubing couldn't help but sigh. On the battlefield, tens of thousands of men couldn't capture him, but now he had been captured by a group of bandits. It was truly a cruel twist of fate.

However, just as the chieftain was still whipping Gu Rubing, a bandit covered in blood suddenly rushed into the dungeon.

"Boss, something bad has happened! A group of county officials have stormed in."

"What county government? How many people are there in the county government? Why were you beaten up like this? A bunch of useless trash."

"No, no, this time it's different. One of them is too powerful. With one shot, he killed dozens of people."

"What? Are you scared out of your wits? Who can kill dozens of people with one shot? Is that even human?"

After cursing the bandits, the chieftain swaggered out of the dungeon.

What he saw was a ground littered with corpses.

There was also a person standing in the center, whose spear was stained with blood.

And all around that person were corpses.

It was said that people from the county government had arrived, but it was obvious that none of them participated; they all hid in the back.

Of the more than two hundred people in the entire mountain stronghold, only a few remained, and these few were all made by the one person standing in the center of the stronghold.

"what happened?"

The chieftain shouted and then walked up to the middle-aged man.

"Who are you? We, Liuyun Village, do not seem to have offended you?"

"Hand them over."

"A person? Who are you? Who exactly are you?"

The chieftain had already sensed the man's formidable strength.

"I am Zhao Zilong of Changshan! Immediately hand over the master, or you will die!"

Changshan Zhao Zilong? Isn't that Zhao Yun? Zhao Yun, the second-in-command of King Lie?
How could someone like this be here? Zhao Yun's lord, isn't that King Lie? Did I capture King Lie?
Thinking of this, the chieftain immediately realized that the man he had just captured had said that he was not from the caravan, but the caravan members would all bow their heads when they saw him.

Such strength is something only a powerful king like Lie Wang could possess.
The chieftain then realized what had happened and hurriedly slapped himself.

"General, please wait a moment, I will bring out the King of Lie immediately."

The chieftain was still secretly relieved that he hadn't obeyed his subordinates' orders to kill the man.

If Liu Bei were really killed, then his life, and even the lives of his entire clan, would be meaningless.

The chieftain walked up to Gu Rubing and immediately put him down.

"I have met King Lie. Please forgive me, King Lie. I never imagined that you were King Lie."

Gu Rubing knew that since the other party already knew his identity, it meant that Zhao Yun had already come looking for him.

"Summon Zilong to see me."

"Yes, yes, please wait a moment!"

Soon, the chieftain summoned Zhao Yun from outside.

Seeing Gu Rubing's disheveled appearance and the environment of the dungeon, Zhao Yun's face instantly turned ashen, and he pointed his spear at the chieftain.

"My lord, Yun killed him to avenge you."

After saying that, Zhao Yun prepared to make his move.

"Zilong, wait a moment."

Upon hearing Gu Rubing's objection, the chieftain immediately knelt before him.

"King Lie, I really didn't know it was you. If I had known it was you, I would never have laid a hand on you."

After he finished speaking, the chieftain continued to kowtow to Gu Rubing.

“I saw you killing children, and villagers.”

“Your Highness, we are just trying to survive. We have no other choice. Winter is coming soon, there are fewer caravans, and we don’t have enough supplies and food.”

"Really? I see you have plenty of provisions. Alright, I'm too lazy to argue with you about that. What exactly is your agreement with the magistrate?"

The chieftain was surprised that Gu Rubing knew about such a secret matter, and he admired Gu Rubing even more.

"Your Highness, the local magistrate has granted me permission to raid villages for grain five times when there are few caravans. He will not interfere during these five raids, on the condition that the previous magistrate's life is spared."

"Nonsense."

Gu Rubing never expected that the county magistrate would actually negotiate with the bandits.

The chieftain was so frightened that he lay down on the ground again.

"killed!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Zhao Yun swung his spear and pierced the chieftain's head.

Gu Rubing then walked deeper into the area, where the county magistrate was watching him.

With such a commotion outside, this person naturally learned of Gu Rubing's identity.

However, when Gu Rubing walked over, the county magistrate had no intention of kneeling down at all.

"Who dares to defy the King of Lie?"

After Zhao Yun finished speaking, he was about to step forward, but Gu Rubing stopped him.

"Alright, if you don't want to kneel, then don't kneel."

After speaking, Gu Rubing looked at the person in front of him.

"you're free."

"Freedom? What can I do? I'm no longer the county magistrate, and my family is all dead. You might as well let me retire here. That would be better."

"Whether you are the magistrate or not is up to me. I admire your courage to fight bandits. You remain the magistrate here. As for the previous magistrate, you can deal with him yourself. I don't care about these things anymore." (End of Chapter)