A daily intelligence report; in chaotic times and famine years, grain is plentiful.

on the official road.

Chen Mo and Sun Dazhu pushed a cart full of hay, hurrying towards the village.

Now that they have an extra hundred taels of silver, they don't feel too relaxed.

After all, in this chaotic world, who knows what bandits or brigands might suddenly appear in the mountains?

Sun Dazhu looked nervous and kept glancing around.

"Brother Mo, how about... we take the money and run away?"

He recalled Chen Mo's conversation with that Lieutenant General Zhao, and felt uneasy.

"Why run?"

Chen Mo turned his head to look at him.

"The general wants us to hand over so much grain after the autumn harvest. How is that even possible? We might as well run away."

Sun Dazhu stared intently at the cart and said, "Now that we've received over a hundred taels, we can easily find a secluded place, buy a few acres of land, and live a peaceful life."

In his mind, stability and peace have always been the best approach.

"Where do you think you're going? There's chaos and war everywhere. There are bandits in the north and a locust plague in the south. Where do you think you can run to?"

Chen Mo countered with a question.

Sun Dazhu was also taken aback, unsure how to respond.

"Besides, we've been rooted in Shannan for generations, and we know a lot of people there. If we go to other places, where we don't know anyone, we might not be able to keep our money, and we might even die faster."

Chen Mo knew very well that running away was just an escape.

While it's true that one can escape the Wang family, in chaotic times, those without a strong foundation will eventually be oppressed by others.

Now that Chen Mo has finally made contact with General Zhao, who is his powerful backer, if he seizes the opportunity, he might be able to bring down the Wang family and even allow the villagers to live a good life.

The most important reason is that if Chen Mo were to run away with his elderly father and sister, the risks would be too great.

"But Brother Mo, what about the general's request..."

Sun Dazhu was still very worried.

"Don't worry, the rules are set in stone. As long as the Wang family doesn't dare to cause trouble, it won't be difficult for us to gather enough food. This is a good opportunity for us to deal with the Wang family."

Chen Mo's eyes remained resolute.

Sun Dazhu pondered Chen Mo's words and gradually came to understand his meaning.

"What if it really doesn't meet the requirements...?"

"There aren't that many 'what ifs'."

Chen Mo interrupted in a low voice.

What he wanted was never just to survive, but to gain a foothold in this famine and support his family and the villagers who trusted him.

When Chen Mo was oppressed by Wang Mang, many people in the village stood up for him. These people could have united to deal with the Wang family.

The two stopped talking, quickened their pace, and pushed the cart, trying to get back to the village before noon.

After walking for about half an hour, Chen Mo suddenly stopped and looked towards the mountains and forests ahead.

"What's wrong?"

Sun Dazhu asked in confusion.

Chen Mo simply turned his head and gave him a look.

Sun Dazhu immediately realized what was happening and followed Chen Mo's gaze, and was immediately startled.

Could we have really run into bandits?

"Don't panic, there's a fork in the road ahead."

Chen Mo reminded him.

Sun Dazhu nodded, and the two continued pushing the cart, turning into another side road.

The path was overgrown with weeds on both sides and dimly lit.

They had only taken a few steps when a loud shout suddenly came from ahead.

"Stop right there! Leave your money!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than ten masked men emerged from the woods.

They surrounded Chen Mo and his companion, wielding knives and axes.

The leader of the robbers came out, brandishing an axe in his hand, and approached Chen Mo step by step.

"Don't move, it's a robbery!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Dazhu was so frightened that he drew the short knife from his waist.

What you fear most is what happens.

The money I just got hadn't even warmed my hands yet, and suddenly I encountered robbers.

"Heroes, we are just two penniless wretches, we have no money on us. Please, heroes, have mercy on us and let us go."

Chen Mo looked somewhat panicked and begged for mercy repeatedly.

At that moment, he knew in his heart that these people were definitely not ordinary bandits.

They had only left the town less than an hour ago; what a coincidence!

There must be someone else behind this.

Sun Dazhu was taken aback and looked at Chen Mo with a puzzled expression.

When did Chen Mo become so timid?

You know, he always stood his ground against the Wang family, and he was completely unfazed when killing Zhou Hu. Why is he suddenly begging for mercy today?

However, with so many robbers suddenly appearing before them, it would indeed be difficult for him and Chen Mo to deal with them alone.

Am I going to die here today?

"No money? What's in your car?"

The bandit leader pointed his knife at the cart.

"It's just some dry grass, worthless. We only have a few dozen coins left. The heroes are all after money; there's no need for them to fight us poor wretches..."

Chen Mo pleaded again.

"Stop pretending. It's too late to beg for mercy now. Today, you're not only leaving behind the money, but also your lives!"

The bandit leader spoke in a fierce tone.

"We'll give you all the money, but can't we at least know why we died? Who sent you?"

Chen Mo maintained his flustered expression, his right hand quietly reaching into the hay.

"When you're about to die, stop talking nonsense."

The leader of the robbers was quite disdainful and approached with his knife.

"Brothers, let's go!"

Someone shouted, and the ten masked robbers attacked from all sides.

"Big Pillar!"

Chen Mo shouted, then bent down abruptly, pulled out a bow and arrow from the haystack, and quickly shot them at the bandits.

He's been hunting in the mountains every day these days, and his archery skills have become extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, three robbers were shot and fell to the ground.

Sun Dazhu didn't hesitate; he immediately took out his bow and arrow and began to shoot.

The masked men were clearly caught off guard and it was too late for them to dodge.

Several arrows pierced their throats!

The other robbers present were stunned and stopped in their tracks in fright.

"Kill them quickly!"

Upon seeing this, the bandit leader shouted orders again.

But the next moment, he was all alone.

The fighting power of the two people in front of him was clearly beyond his imagination.

Chen Mo, who was just begging for mercy, has now transformed into a ruthless killer who doesn't blink an eye.

In a mere instant, of the ten robbers, six died on the spot, and three were already seriously injured and collapsed to the ground.

The bandit leader was so frightened that he turned to run away, but an arrow pierced his thigh, and he fell to the ground in pain.

Chen Mo strode forward and pressed an arrow against his head.

"Don't move!"

He shouted.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me..."

The robber begged for mercy repeatedly.

"Who are you? Show your face!"

Chen Mo said coldly.

The robber leader nervously pulled down his mask, revealing a terrified face.

Looking at the unfamiliar face, Chen Mo frowned and demanded, "Who sent you?"

"Yes, yes... the Wang family, I'll tell you everything, please don't kill me!"

The man was already terrified and begged for mercy.

"The Wang family?"

Chen Mo's expression was solemn; he had already guessed what was going on.

"It was them. Wang Mang ordered us to ambush you on the way, steal your silver, and even said we should eliminate you completely... Please spare our lives, sir! We were just following orders and have no grudge against you."

The man said, trembling.

Chen Mo's eyes grew even colder, flashing with murderous intent.