Chapter 47: Weasel bandits of the Red Mountain

"Bruh, you just had to say it, huh?" I asked, trying to keep my calm by dipping my head in the water.

"What? I said IF such a group existed, you'd be on the hit list. I didn't say you're already on one, geez!" Goldy sighed.

"I understand what you're saying. I'm fine if it doesn't exist. However, think about it. Such a big discrepancy. You really think that the Gods will stay silent on that?" I asked.

"Well, no… But, think about it. You started messing up with this timeline ever since you jumped into this world. Don't you think those Gods would have incinerated you by now? That means, they can't attack you yet or can't attack you at all… Or they just don't know who messed up this world because of some unknown reason." Goldy put forth his thoughts.

"Hmm… That makes sense... However, I should probably stay vigilant from now on. There are a lot of things I don't know. The Gods will screw me over if I'm not careful." At this point, I was completely paranoid. Like, think about it. Goldy isn't a God's apostle or something like that. And even then he's eons powerful than myself. This means that the actual God's apostle would probably be far worse of a fatality for me. Save me from this predicament, oh benevolent Go… Crap. There's no use chanting to that existence when the war is waged against now, right?

"This woman! Hey. Nothing's gonna change if you just sulk in the bath thinking about some unknown entity that you're not even sure exists. Powerful than me, you say? Maybe if such people existed, I'd be pleased. You know how hard it is to find a sparring partner for me, right? So, these apostle guys would make stuff fun… That is if they exist. As of right now, they don't exist; at least not in my eyes. So, rather than thinking about people who don't exist, let's just think about the people that exist and the goals before us. Don't think too far. That just might ruin the present for you. We got a bandit eradication event before us. So, let's focus on that, shall we?" He asked. Well, I guess he's right. Too much paranoia isn't that good. I'm gonna focus on the present as he spoke of. So, I nodded my head to his request.

Nighttime had befallen over us once again and we were going out this time as well. However, unlike past excursions where we robbed sects, this journey had a more noble reason. We are gonna get rid of the filth in this world. At least, we're gonna set our sights on that glorious mission. Anyway, this is gonna be the stepping stone of the legacy of the masked woman… Masked woman… It doesn't sound that cool. Well, my naming sense sucks like the devs of the game anyway. So, I'll let the people pick it, just like they did with my cat burglar persona. Ah, cat burglar is a pretty good name.

Anyway, the bandits that we've targeted today are one of the minor bandit groups of the infamous red mountain, which is filled with multiple bandit groups. The name of this bandit group was weasel bandits. An appropriate name, if you ask me. These bandits are cunning and fantastic actors. They blend in with a merchant group going through the red mountain as fellow travelers, who are scared of the predicament they were facing. And since these people provide free work like carrying stuff, some greedy merchants readily agree to their request. And that would mean their doom.

The weasel group then shows them their acting prowess. A few of the strong-looking men of the weasel group will surround these merchants and ask them to leave the valuables there if they want to live. Before the merchant's bodyguards could act on it, the brave people who worked for free throughout the journey will jump up and take the fight against them. The testimonies from the people who got robbed described the fight as extremely real and that normal eyes couldn't discern if the fight they had was real or not. This meant, it is EXACTLY like pro-wrestling! Oh, yeah baby!! How long has it been since I've seen a proper wrestling match…

Anyhow, while this fight ensues, almost everyone would have their eyes stuck on to this fight. That's when the third squad of the bandit group strikes. They could be called the true essence of this group. While the first and second squad were basically actors, the third one were weasels. They rob the merchants right under the eye and then weasel their way out. And once they do so, they inform the other two squads about it and they end up picking the pace of the fight, eventually tiring both sides.

Now, if the merchant asks his bodyguards to kill his comrade on the opponent's side, the weasels from this side stop them knowing that both of their squads were tired at this point. They would plead with the said merchant to let them fight till death to protect his honor and BS like that. Moved by these strangers' "loyalty", these merchants will allow them to do so. Hell, someone would even give them a pouch filled with money as a noble sacrifice. And this would be like a side mission quest completion for those bandits as they end up stripping the merchant of all his money. An overwhelming victory for the bandit side with minimal efforts.

However, there's still a glaring hole in the way they work. What happens when the said merchants become aware of the looting that bandit does? They'll retaliate, right? What then? For sure, they'll attempt for the annihilation of the bandit group who tried taking away what was their possession, right? Wrong.

It would've been so simple for many people if that was the case. But, the glaring hole in their plan was intentional. So, if someone were to exploit this weakness, they would instead face the monster of the weasel group; Guo Ning. Unlike what his first name implies, his nature isn't peaceful at all. He's a man filled with rage.

There's a rumor among merchants that had to pass through the red mountain due to time constraints and stuff. The rumor said that if you ever met up with the Weasel bandits and you're actually able to identify them, merely act accordingly and let them steal your stuff peacefully. Because the moment you bare your fangs against them, Guo Ning would come for your head and it's not something that anyone would appreciate.

Even though that was the case and some people feared that bandit group, there was a reason why they stayed as a minor group amongst all the others. They simply weren't good enough if some influential merchant arrived in the red mountains with a humongous army marching beside them. Guo Ning might be strong. However, in the end, he was just one human. He might win against these elite soldiers if it was a duel. However, it would never end up as a duel but a straight-up mauling. That's what made the Weasel group a weak one. That's why they were stomped by other bandit groups. I heard that Guo Ning tried fighting against big shot bandit groups yet suffered multiple defeats. Hell, I've heard that several of those bandit groups that he faced actually offered him a spot in their groups, however, this guy was adamant about making the weasel group the best bandit group in the entirety of red mountain. I gotta give it up to his tenacity, man… I think he has some sort of a deep connection rooted with the Weasel group. Maybe, he was rescued by them or something, which made him indebted to the group. Anyway, the level of servitude he has for the group is tremendous. I understand why some bandit groups scouted for him. Well, if we are to believe rumors, even some sects scouted him. I mean, the will to serve under one group, a weak one at that, without even thinking about betrayal even once… is a man worthy of respect, no matter what field he's working on. However, I have to keep that emotion aside this time though. Because I'm here to decimate and trample all over him.

Knowing that the weasels won't come out if I'm in a large group, I headed into the mountains alone. It's not like I can afford a large group anyway. Therefore, although I really wanted to say something cool like it was all planned, it's just that I'm piss poor after spending all the money on stuff like the costume I'm currently wearing. However, I did one thing to attract their attention though. I bought a cart and filled it with rubbish to give off a feeling that I'm holding onto something slightly valuable.

Anyway, it didn't take much time for the weasel squad one to come running towards me as expected. The game has begun.