Chapter 11 Casino (Part 1)
Twelve days later.
Zhang Xuanning had a long sword on his waist, and behind him were four groups of brothers, all of whom had brought their swords with them.
Night has come. Although this world is ten times more prosperous than the Sui Dynasty in history, it has still not exceeded the limits of technology. Candles are difficult for ordinary people to own, and the tiny sparks of lamp oil make Hukou County even more silent, and the thick darkness is even more impossible to dispel.
"Is this the Majiaji? One of the two subordinate groups of the Qingyi Gang?"
Gui Xiliang nodded repeatedly and said impatiently: "Majiaji is one of the 20 townships in Yamaguchi County. We have already investigated clearly that there are only more than 20 brothers in Majiaji. The leader is Ma Xiongyuan. They mainly run gambling dens. We can swallow them all in one bite."
"Nonsense, Majiaji is mostly made up of people with the surname Ma, they are considered a clan, so don't be fooled by the fact that there are only more than 20 people. If something really happens, Majiaji can provide you with thousands of men!" Zhang Xuanning's voice was cold, "Otherwise, do you think the Qingyi Gang will tolerate its existence? It is just a subordinate group, not a swallow-up?"
"Besides, a township market as big as Majiaji has accumulated hundreds of years of experience. Even if the tribesmen in various places have only learned some superficial martial arts, the combined strength should not be underestimated. If we rush in, we might end up capsizing in the gutter!" Zhang Xuanning pondered and said, "Wait, wait until the dead grass brings the people in there up. Once they bring them up, maybe there will be a good solution."
At this time, less than a mile away from "Majiaji", there is a "Tudi Temple" by a small river. In the wilderness at night, insects are chirping, the wind is blowing the grass and leaves, and occasionally some small animals are moving.
No matter what time it is, the atmosphere of this era is always fresh, but this desolate place has a chilly and gloomy feeling.
Not long after, footsteps were heard. Suan Si Cao came over with an old man. He was pulling a trailer full of grass . The old man was wearing patched clothes and had a straw rope tied around his waist. He limped as he walked.
"You are Erguaizi?" Zhang Xuanning said in a low voice, leaning forward slightly to look at him: "You are also from Majiaji, why are you helping me?"
After shaking for a while, the old man raised his head and said, "Son, for my son!"
"Master, I have already checked it out. His son was originally a gambling partner. Two years ago, he was said to have stolen money from the gambling den and was beaten to death. The old man himself also had one leg broken. This is indeed true." Suansi Cao stepped forward and said, "His wife became ill because of this and died not long after."
"My son, he took the money to treat my illness, only two taels of silver, and he was beaten to death. He has no regard for the friendship of our clan at all!" Hearing this, the old man burst into tears.
"Stop crying, you know what we are going to do, and you also know what you are going to do!" Zhang Xuanning said coldly.
"I know. My son is dead, my wife is dead, and I have a broken leg. What's the point of living?" The old man stopped crying. He wiped his tears and said through gritted teeth, "I have waited for several years, just for this day! What else should I be afraid of?"
Zhang Xuan remained silent.
For any group, it is certainly unforgivable for a servant to steal the boss's money. Especially for this kind of gang, the family rules are even more severe. Although stealing a few taels of silver does not necessarily mean the death penalty, if the boss is in a bad mood or wants to establish his authority, he may be beaten to death.
But for a family, the death of a son, and the only son at that, is like the sky falling. When a person’s last hope in the world is gone, what else can he talk about?
The so-called family ties are nothing but nonsense.
It is no wonder that the old man, knowing that this gambling den is the source of wealth and lifeblood of the Ma family, still colluded with outsiders to destroy it, even at the risk of his own life. You know, betraying his people will definitely lead to his death.
"How is the situation at the concentration?" Zhang Xuanning couldn't help but be shocked when he thought of this. People can be controlled only when they have concerns. Without concerns, they can do anything crazy. No matter how talented you are, or how virtuous you are, you can only kill, but you can't stop such things.
"Master, he talks too much. I have already made it clear. There are patrolling soldiers from our clan outside. But it doesn't matter. He can take us in. As long as we disperse, the soldiers will patrol at night, but they will withdraw at mid-night. The twenty men in the casino all have some martial arts skills, and Ma Xiongyuan is very difficult to deal with." Suan Si Cao said.
"Yeah, I know that too." If they were going to attack, of course they had to find out the situation. Majiaji relied on this casino for its livelihood. Surrounding the casino, there was food, entertainment, and everything else. The key was that the casino was famous for "no fakes", so guests could gamble with confidence. Of course, there were very few local gamblers in Majiaji, and most of them came from other places, so it was not difficult to get in.
"Is the time clear?"
"I've figured it out, Xiangzhu. I think the best time is between Yin and Mao. The village guards are all asleep, and the guys in the casino are tired after a night. There are only a few people who gamble until dawn. We can start there." Suansi Cao said enthusiastically: "As for our weapons, we have to ask the old man. He is a local and has a way to get them in."
"Well, isn't that a good point? Gao Zhandao!"
"exist!"
"Get your archers ready. Don't take action yet. If there are any sharp objects, order them to attack together and shoot all of them. Especially when you see Ma Xiongyuan, it's best not to give him the opportunity to use his martial arts." Zhang Xuanning said in a commanding manner with a serious face.
Bows and arrows can penetrate armor within ten meters. If you are not a top-notch expert, there is no way to confront them head-on. This is the army's greatest weapon against experts. For this operation, Zhang Xuanning tried his best and found five military bows. Although there are only five, they can play an important role in such a scene.
After that, they started to enter in batches.
Zhang Xuanning had the highest martial arts skills, so he was among the first group to enter. What he saw was a circle of wooden fences, three meters high, with the door wide open. There were two village guards, and people coming in and out from time to time. Although Zhang Xuanning didn't recognize the faces, he just glanced at them and didn't pay much attention.
As soon as you get here, you can hear bright lights and noisy voices. The source is of course the casino.
Zhang Xuanning took a look and found that the casino was built very solidly, with a separation between the inside and the outside. There were a few big men in the house outside, but once you entered the house, it was very lively inside.
It was almost the same as a small modern casino, with various gambling tools laid out in the hall, including Pai Gow, odd and even, dice, and betting. Each type of gambling tool was surrounded by people, and their only expressions were excitement and nervousness, with some even glowing.
