Be a lord in the world of Indian mythology

Chapter 44 The Standoff Before the Stone Bridge

The caravan immediately turned around and retreated towards the stone bridge.

After retreating a short distance and passing through several mounds that obstructed the view, we arrived at the stone bridge.

"It seems like this bridge didn't exist before..." Bim's muttered voice reached Vijay's ears.

Upon closer inspection, the stone bridge is wide and new, designed to be passable even during flood season.

Everyone stopped abruptly.

On the road in front of the stone bridge, a group of warriors in full armor, holding long swords and spears, stood in neat rows.

Behind them were defensive fortifications made of wooden spikes, thorns, and stone platforms. They weren't particularly sophisticated, but they were well-organized.

On the other side of the bridge, there are also visible fortifications, including a small fortress made of stacked stones.

These warriors, clad in the silver standard armor of Mohenjo-daro, stood like statues at the bridgehead, their expressions hard and their eyes cold, completely blocking all passageways.

It doesn't look like a proper road for people to pass through.

But compared to the eerie atmosphere of the city of Mohenjo-daro ahead, this place is clearly better.

As the commander of the caravan guards and a warrior personally appointed by Lord Roshman, Vilandra was of noble status and had previously traveled to Mohenzo's City, so he should have some influence over him. Therefore, he immediately stepped forward.

Vilandra began by introducing himself: "By Brahma, we are a caravan from Harappa. The priests ahead are of great respect, and we dare not trespass. May we ask if we may pass through here?"

The leader of the other side remained silent, first surveying the caravan with a cold gaze before immediately offering his terms: "The great Brahmin of Mohenjo has passed away, and the entire city is holding a sacred ceremony. All outsiders passing through this city must offer sacrifices as a sign of reverence! If you wish to cross the bridge, you may, but you must leave one-third of all your goods as an offering to the god of death before you are allowed to pass!"

One-third of the goods!

Vilandra was furious and immediately shouted, "I am Vilandra, the centurion of the Harappa City Guard! Open your dog eyes and take a good look!"

As fellow soldiers, the guards of Mohenjo should also know the value of a centurion! Not to mention that Vilandra had even made a name for himself in Mohenjo and was somewhat famous in the arena.

Unexpectedly, this identity caused absolutely no disturbance. The other party's attitude was extremely firm, their words icy, leaving no room for compromise: "Hand over the tribute and let us pass, otherwise you'll have to go back the way you came!"

No matter where or what checkpoint it is, there could never be such a high tax rate. These goods were prepared by the Mittal family with all their resources and are important supplies to be transported to the East. They are related to the entire caravan's profits and mission. The other party wants to take away a third of them as soon as they open their mouths. It is simply unreasonable and a robbery!

Vilandra's face turned ashen, but he forcibly suppressed his anger.

He quickly sized up the other side and saw that there were at least a hundred warriors in full armor in front of him. Although they were not led by an elite warrior like himself, their numbers were large, and they occupied a strategic location at the bridgehead. They were equipped with bows and arrows, long swords, spears and other weapons, which was enough to block the entire caravan's way.

More importantly, Mohenjo and Harappa have maintained friendly relations for hundreds of years. If the two cities were to go to war directly, it could trigger a conflict between them with unimaginable consequences.

Vilandra paused for a moment, then stepped back to Vijay's side and whispered, "Master, in the current situation, a direct confrontation is definitely not a wise move!"

"Why don't we hand over some of the goods? A third is indeed too much. We can negotiate with them to hand over only some less important and low-value goods and continue our journey to the East. That would be the wise thing to do."

By handing over a portion of the goods, we can leave safely.

Following normal logic, this is the safest and most reasonable choice.

Vilandra's point made a lot of sense, and Vijay was originally going to nod in agreement.

But in that instant, a thought exploded in his mind like lightning.

A brilliant, perfect excuse!

"Absolutely not!" Vijay shouted angrily, his determined gaze fixed on Vilandra before turning to the soldiers.

"By Brahma above, these goods are a weighty mission entrusted to me by the supreme Brahmin priest of Harappa and the noble Kshatriya Rajaman! They are precious tributes to be transported to the East on the orders of Lord Rosman and the Brahmins. If we lose these goods, we will not be able to reach the East smoothly, nor will we be able to complete the mission entrusted to us!"

"Let alone a third, even the slightest loss would be a grave disrespect to your two esteemed guests!"

"Your acts of robbery will surely be despised by Brahma and rejected by the gods!"

Vijay's face was flushed red, his eyes were wide with anger, and he was spitting everywhere. Anyone who saw him would think that he was extremely angry.

"Then you should retreat!" The soldier commander frowned slightly, seemingly not quite adept at handling the situation at hand.

"I will certainly report this matter to the Brahma priest and Lord Roshman, and let them explain it to you!"

Vijay jumped up, rushed to the soldiers' commander, and, spitting as he spoke, continued to embellish the story!

"Brahma priests and Roshmans? Never heard of them!" Perhaps provoked by Vijay's expression, or perhaps because Vijay was being aggressive, or perhaps because he was covered in spittle, he finally said what Vijay wanted to hear.

These words were like a boulder, crashing heavily into the calm surface of a lake.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became extremely tense.

With his lord humiliated, Vilandra could no longer stand idly by.

He immediately took a large step forward, drew the sharp blade from his waist, and stared directly at the soldier commander at the front with his imposing figure.

"By Yama, what are you doing?" Before Vilandra could even utter the oath of "a subject dies for his lord's dishonor," the other party roared.

Clearly, the warriors of Mohenjo were also thoroughly enraged by the caravan's tough stance. They roared in unison, instantly drawing their longswords and raising their spears, the blades and spearheads pointing directly at the caravan.

Vilandra's soldiers were not to be outdone, and they marched forward in formation, firmly protecting their centurions in the center.

A murderous aura filled the air; a bloody battle was about to erupt.

Seeing that the plan was about to succeed, Vijay immediately shrank back and shielded the soldiers in front of him.

The babbling river flowed slowly beneath the bridge, seemingly oblivious to the impending conflict. Sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, illuminating the cold blade and reflecting a blinding light.

"Master..." Bim had already drawn the short spear from his waist, but he remained loyally guarding Vijay's side.

Vijay didn't say anything, but simply pulled on Rabim's arm, and the two took another step back, blending into the caravan.