Chapter Thirteen: Ascending the Mountain

Leaving Zhou's house, Xiang Yang walked slowly towards the outskirts of the county town, leading his yellow horse, while the envious gazes of passersby followed him. He was explaining things to Fu Da Chun.

"Da Chun, take this waist token and my Wild Goose Feather Saber back to your place. Meet me at the East Gate tonight."

Xiang Yang took out the constable's waist token from his怀. For someone about to go up the mountain, it was a ticking time bomb and couldn't be brought along. Even the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand could easily expose his identity, so he handed both over to Fu Da Chun.

What he was carrying now was a thick-backed long saber found by the Zhou family. It looked large, but it wasn't as sharp or heavy as the Wild Goose Feather Saber. It was enough for Xiang Yang.

"Brother Xiang, don't worry, I'll keep them safe. You be careful too. But I'm not happy that Zhou Fugui went back on his word. He clearly said whoever rescued his daughter would marry her and give him three tea houses."

Fu Da Chun carefully put away the waist token, feeling a bit strained holding the Wild Goose Feather Saber. However, his ruddy complexion showed he was in good spirits. After all, he was still a young lad, and this Wild Goose Feather Saber was a lethal weapon. Being able to play with it for an afternoon, how could he not be happy?

Xiang Yang, however, was unconcerned. "Don't dwell on these things. Besides, whether we can rescue Miss Zhou is still up in the air. Don't get your hopes up too high. Alright, I'm leaving. Be careful yourself, and don't get cocky just because you have a weapon."

With that, Xiang Yang mounted his horse, patted its flank, and headed towards the city outskirts. Passersby on the road all moved aside, leaving Fu Da Chun standing there with envy. When would he also be able to ride a horse like that?

However, after mounting his horse, Xiang Yang didn't head directly out of the city. Instead, he took a detour and arrived outside a stationery shop selling the Four Treasures of the Study. Seeing that no one was around, he dismounted and tore open Zhou Fugui's letter to read it.

As the saying goes, one should not harbor ill intentions, but one must also guard against others. Xiang Da Niu had killed two mountain bandits and injured over a dozen from Black Wind Mountain Stronghold. If not for the protection of the county town, Xiang Yang had no doubt that those bandits would have captured him and taken him up the mountain for a blood sacrifice.

Now that he was taking a huge risk by going up the mountain, his identity had to remain secret. If Zhou Fugui intended to curry favor with the bandits of Black Wind Mountain Stronghold and sell him out to them, he wouldn't even know how he died.

Fortunately, Xiang Yang had read the letter. Whether he looked at it horizontally or vertically, he couldn't detect anything amiss. He then entered the stationery shop and bought an envelope, disguising it as if it hadn't been opened.

If the Zhou family knew about this maneuver, they would surely break out in a cold sweat. They had indeed harbored such thoughts. However, Xiang Yang was currently a constable, and Fu Da Chun, who knew the inside story, was also a factor. They were somewhat apprehensive. Otherwise, they might have truly sold Xiang Yang to Black Wind Mountain Stronghold.

Exiting the city, Xiang Yang headed straight for a rugged path. The horse's hooves pounded the ground, kicking up dust. The weeds and bushes on both sides of the road stretched as far as the eye could see, looking quite desolate. It was indeed a small county town.

When Xiang Yang, riding his horse, saw the faint, hazy silhouette of Black Mountain in the distance, his heart trembled slightly. He took down the water skin hanging from the side of his yellow horse and took a mouthful of water to quell the unease in his heart. He then squeezed the horse's belly with his legs and rode straight towards Black Mountain.

Black Mountain was the largest mountain range in Anyuan and several surrounding counties, stretching for hundreds of miles with crisscrossing ravines and clustered peaks. The deeper one went, the more dangerous it became, with packs of ferocious beasts. In fact, dozens of unfortunate souls became meals for wild beasts every year.

Of course, this vast Black Mountain wasn't entirely disadvantageous. As the saying goes, "live off the mountain if you're by the mountain, live off the sea if you're by the sea." For example, Li Guo Village had organized a hunting team that specialized in hunting in a small section of the mountain range to make a living. The price of some wild beasts sold was much higher than the income from serving crops all year round.

Besides these, the most famous aspect of Black Mountain was the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, a wicked force that gave the government a headache but was powerless against it. Apart from Li Guo Village, no village in Anyuan had been spared the harm inflicted by these bandits.

Entering the mountain path, Xiang Yang found a hidden thicket and tied his yellow horse there. He carried his pack, holding the thick-backed saber, and was constantly vigilant of his surroundings. Strictly speaking, once on the mountain, especially the outer areas of Black Wind, one could encounter bandits from Black Wind Mountain at any moment.

The mountain path was rugged, but Xiang Yang, being young and full of energy, and having cultivated the Iron Crotch Technique which greatly increased his strength and endurance, didn't feel particularly tired. He quickly climbed over two mountain peaks, approaching Black Wind Mountain Stronghold.

However, as Xiang Yang rested by a tree as thick as a thigh, a "whoosh" sound made him instinctively roll over. His heart pounded, and cold sweat broke out on his back. Fortunately, the archery skills of these bandits were not precise, and combined with his quick reflexes and concentration, he managed to dodge the arrow.

The long saber was unsheathed with a "swish" and held horizontally in front of his chest, putting his body in its strongest defensive posture. Xiang Yang used a large tree to conceal his movements, carefully listening to the situation in the forest.

"Are you the brave heroes of Black Wind Stronghold? Please don't attack. I have important matters to discuss with the stronghold. I request your assistance in taking me to see some of the leaders."

Xiang Yang's voice was full of vigor and carried far. After a moment, the sound of rustling leaves could be heard, along with several heavy footsteps approaching.

"You want to see some leaders? Who are you? Come out and speak first, or don't blame us for being impolite."

The voice belonged to a rough man in his thirties or forties, with a coarse and fierce tone, which made Xiang Yang hesitate. The people outside had bows and arrows, and his saber skills were only slightly better than ordinary people. He couldn't withstand the continuous barrage of arrows.

"I am Yang Xiang. I was entrusted by Master Zhou Fugui of Anyuan County to come to your stronghold to discuss the matter of ransoming Miss Zhou in detail. I beg you not to make a move. I will come out now."

Xiang Yang didn't hesitate for long before speaking. As he said this, he emerged from behind the large tree, his right hand tightly gripping the long saber. If the people opposite him intended to attack, he would not be passively slaughtered.

Fortunately, perhaps Xiang Yang's explanation worked. Four figures emerged about ten meters away from Xiang Yang, but they did not attack.

The four were dressed in coarse linen clothes, appearing to live a simple life. However, they were all burly and strong, with fierce eyes, and carried weapons. At a glance, they were not to be trifled with.

"Well, well, a mere boy who hasn't even grown all his hair. To dare come to our stronghold alone, you've got some guts. We admire people like you the most. Put your saber away and don't make any sudden moves."

The bandit leader spoke, drawing his bow and aiming at Xiang Yang. Seeing that Xiang Yang had obediently put away his saber, he also lowered his bow and nodded. Then, he gave a meaningful glance to the three bandits beside him. The three understood and scouted the surroundings before returning after a while.

"No one else, just him. He doesn't look like he's from the government, and he's too young."

A bandit who seemed somewhat amiable said to the leader, with a hint of greed in his eyes as he looked at Xiang Yang. It wasn't uncommon for them to receive ransoms in the past, and each time they could make a fortune and live like gods for a period.

As for the wealthy tea merchant Zhou Fugui, they, who lived by robbing and plundering, had long heard of his name. How much would such a wealthy patron pay to ransom his daughter?

Xiang Yang breathed a sigh of relief and raised his hands to signal that he posed no threat. "Brave sirs, I have Master Zhou's personal letter and sealed money orders. They are absolutely genuine. Please take me up the mountain to discuss with the leaders in detail."