Hearing that Xiang Yang had a token and a letter, the bandits felt more at ease. Two of them stepped to Xiang Yang's sides and boxed him in, intending to confiscate the thick-backed saber in his hand.
But how could Xiang Yang agree? Everything he had learned was in that saber. Without it, he would be nothing more than an ordinary youth with a bit more strength, at the mercy of others. He would never agree to place his life in someone else's hands.
Seeing Xiang Yang's guarded stance, the lead bandit's expression darkened somewhat. But thinking of Zhou Fugui, whom this man represented, he suppressed his anger. "Forget it, forget it. Since he's here to deliver a letter and ransom someone, there's no need to be too harsh. You two just keep an eye on him."
Truthfully, if it had been some burly and fierce-looking man, the minor leader would never have allowed him to keep a sharp weapon in hand. But Xiang Yang was still so young, just a teenager. What tricks could he possibly have? That was why he handled things lightly and did not enforce the rules too strictly.
Xiang Yang let out a breath of relief, tightened his grip on his saber, and followed the bandits up the mountain. They did not take the mountain road opened by earlier travelers, however, but a narrow path thick with shrubs.
With two burly men hemming him in on the road, Xiang Yang sheathed his saber. Remaining cautious, he also wanted to sound them out, so he put on a flattering expression and an ingratiating tone, heaping praise upon the bandits.
"Hmph, you've got a sweet mouth, kid. I'm not afraid to tell you this: our stronghold is as solid as chicken soup. Even the authorities can do nothing to us. Zhou Fugui made the right choice by coming up the mountain to pay the ransom.
"After all, even thieves have their code. We bandits keep our word too. Take the money, release the people—we've never done any shameful business. If you don't believe me, go ask around at the foot of the mountain. Not a single hair was lost from Landlord Liu's family in Liu Village."
The lead bandit was not particularly educated. He had turned "solid as gold soup" into "solid as chicken soup," but it did not affect what he meant. In short, coming to pay for the hostage's release was absolutely the right decision, and they were men of principle as well.
"Haha, you are all heroes of the greenwood, your every word worth a thousand gold. Of course I trust you all, or I would not have come up the mountain. By the way, I admire heroes most of all. I heard the three chiefs of your stronghold are all warriors who could face a hundred men alone. Could you tell this little brother about them?" Xiang Yang asked, his eyes turning.
At the mention of the three chiefs, the bandits' expressions immediately changed. They had been lofty and arrogant, but now they shrank like quails. The leader even gave a hush, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered his voice.
"How can we discuss the three chiefs in private? Still, what you said is not wrong. Other than the First Chief, who never shows himself, so no one knows how skilled he is, the Second and Third Chiefs are both highly accomplished martial artists.
"But the Third Chief was injured some days ago. Someone slashed him across the chest. I heard it was done by a constable. Tsk, tsk. Who would have thought those soft-legged shrimps at the County Yamen had such a ruthless man among them? But in the end, that constable still could not escape Big Saber."
At those words, Xiang Yang's heart jolted. His hand around the saber tightened until veins stood out, yet his face still wore an expression of awe. If Xiang Da Niu could injure Hu Qiang, it proved only one thing: Hu Qiang was not as difficult to deal with as imagined.
In terms of saber technique, Xiang Da Niu and Xiang Yang were about half a pound for half a pound. Xiang Da Niu had trained for more years and was more practiced, but Xiang Yang was more talented and quicker-witted. When father and son had practiced saber forms in the past, setting aside Xiang Yang's lack of strength and judging solely by their saber moves, he could win six or seven bouts out of ten.
I can't act rashly. Hu Qiang may be injured, but he is in the stronghold, protected by numerous bandits. There is no chance to strike. Besides, I came here to gather information. I still have to wait.
Xiang Yang steadied his mind and followed the bandits, silently memorizing the route as they walked. But clearly, these bandits were experienced. They led him twisting and turning through countless bends, and Black Mountain's terrain had many similar features. Before long, Xiang Yang had been spun dizzy, unable to match a single path with what he had remembered.
This is good too. Otherwise, I would have worried that these bandits might refuse to release the hostage, or kill me afterward to silence me and prevent the stronghold's exact location from leaking out.
After winding around like this for roughly half an hour, they arrived beneath a perilous peak. Though the mountain was steep and dangerous, the level valley below was flat enough to accommodate the bandits' lives.
From what Xiang Yang could see, a wooden fence stood ahead. On either side were wooden watchtowers over ten meters tall, with two fierce bandits holding sabers atop them and watching the distance. Farther inside stood one wooden house after another, and quite a few children were playing about, likely the bandits' descendants.
The leader exchanged a few words with the bandits in the watchtower. The man above shouted, and two old men in their fifties or sixties came hobbling out from inside and pushed open the wooden fence, revealing a gap wide enough for several people to pass. The instant the group went through, they shut it again, leaving not the slightest opening. They were extremely cautious.
Xiang Yang proceeded all the way with care, passing through numerous wooden houses. Along the way, he saw bandits sitting bare-chested outside their houses, basking in the sun. Every one of them had a cold, menacing air, their gazes chilling. Others were exchanging techniques, arm-wrestling, or grappling, looking even more ferocious. Naturally, many were also indulging in lust in broad daylight; slapping sounds and the frantic panting of men and women rang endlessly from within the wooden houses.
In the end, the bandit minor leader brought Xiang Yang before a large building constructed of brick and tile. Hanging at its highest point was a black-lettered plaque on a red background that read "Enforce Justice on Behalf of Heaven." It reminded Xiang Yang of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness from Water Margin. It was probably where these bandits held their meetings.
"You two watch him closely. I'll report to the Second Chief. Don't wander around, and you, kid, don't get any bad ideas. If you die, you die for nothing. This mountain is full of wild beasts. If we throw you out there, not even a whole corpse will be left."
The minor leader threatened him, then turned and entered the large building.
Xiang Yang nodded repeatedly in agreement. After all, he truly did not dare move recklessly after seeing the place along the way. He only knew a set of basic saber techniques, and he had practiced the Iron Crotch Technique for only one night. Though his strength had increased considerably, among these fierce bandits, it really amounted to nothing.
Inside the great building, in a hall built with a certain elegance, two men of entirely different builds and temperaments were discussing the target and details of their next operation. Hearing the minor leader's report, they exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. Since fat sheep had come to be slaughtered, why risk losing their heads by going out to pillage?
At the easternmost end of the hall stood three armchairs. The middle seat belonged to the First Chief, the left to the Second Chief, and the right to the Third Chief.
The Second Chief sat in his own chair. He was not tall, and his looks were ordinary, but dressed in a scholar's robe and long gown, with a feather fan and a silk headscarf, he truly resembled a learned scholar rather than a bandit who robbed homes and plundered villages.
"Xiao Liu, bring him in. And mind your attitude. He's here to bring us money, after all. There's no need to humiliate him for no reason."
This minor leader had a record of treating people who came to pay ransom as if they were neither eyes nor noses, his attitude exceedingly unfriendly.
But Poison Scholar had not expected Xiang Yang's flattery to surge like a tide, sending Xiao Liu into wave after wave of ecstasy until he could scarcely stop. Xiang Yang had barely suffered any mistreatment at all; even his weapon had not been confiscated.
The minor leader happily agreed. If this deal went well, then as the guide, he would receive a share of the money and be able to squander it freely for a while.
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