When Assistant General Nie returned with the three wounded bandits, they were kneeling in front of Manbao, tears and snot streaming down their faces as they recounted their miserable experiences of the past few days.
"...Last year, we took this same road and there were no bandits. Who knew this year the mountains would be infested with such ferocious bandits? Our master said it's important to stay alive first. As long as Qing Mountain is there, we will not worry about having no firewood. So, if they wanted money, we gave money. If they wanted to take all the goods, we let them have them..."
The three paused their crying here, and Manbao asked, "And then?"
Wiping their tears, they said, "Perhaps seeing our master's cooperation, they took all of us up the mountain, wanting us to join them in banditry."
Manbao and the others: "…That's a bit too much."
