Black Wind Mountain Stronghold

With news of Xiang Yang having a token and a letter, the bandits felt a bit more at ease. Two of them walked to Xiang Yang's sides, flanking him and intending to disarm him of his heavy-backed saber.

However, Xiang Yang was unwilling. All his skills were in his saber; without it, he was just an ordinary youth with a bit more strength, at the mercy of others. He absolutely refused to entrust his life to anyone else.

Seeing Xiang Yang's defensive stance, the leading bandit's expression soured slightly. But remembering that this person represented Zhou Fugui, he suppressed his anger. "Forget it, forget it. Since he's here to deliver a message and ransom someone, there's no need to be too harsh. You two just keep an eye on him."

To be honest, if it were a robust and fierce individual, the minor leader would never have allowed them to keep a sharp weapon. But Xiang Yang was young, still a boy, how much skill could he possibly have? That's why he took a lighter approach and wasn't so strict.

Xiang Yang breathed a sigh of relief, tightened his grip on his saber, and followed the bandits up the mountain. However, they didn't take the previously cleared mountain path but a trail overgrown with bushes.

Xiang Yang was sandwiched between two burly men, his saber sheathed. While being cautious, he also wanted to probe for information. Thus, he put on a fawning expression and spoke in a flattering tone, praising the bandits.

"Hmm, you've got a sweet tongue, kid. I don't mind telling you, our stronghold is as solid as a rock, even the government can't do anything to us. Zhou Fugui made the right choice coming up the mountain to pay the ransom.

After all, even outlaws have their code. We bandits also value integrity. We take the money and release the person; we've never done anything unscrupulous. If you don't believe me, go down the mountain and ask. The Liu family in Liu Village didn't even lose a single strand of hair."

The leading bandit's education wasn't high; he mispronounced "solid as a rock" as "solid as chicken soup," but it didn't hinder his expression. The meaning was clear: you made the right choice coming to pay the ransom, they were honorable people.

"Haha, you are all heroes of the greenwood, your words are worth a thousand gold. I naturally trust all of you, otherwise, I wouldn't have come up the mountain. By the way, I admire heroes the most. I've heard that your three leaders are all unmatched heroes who can take on a hundred men? Could you tell me about them?" Xiang Yang asked, his eyes darting around.

When the three leaders were mentioned, the bandits' expressions immediately changed. They went from swaggering to being as timid as quails. The leader even shushed him, glancing around to ensure no one else was listening, and then whispered, "How can we discuss the three leaders privately? But you're not wrong. Except for the First Leader, who never shows himself and whose skills are unknown, the Second and Third Leaders are both highly skilled in martial arts.

But a few days ago, the Third Leader was injured, slashed across the chest. I heard a constable did it. Tsk tsk, I didn't expect those weaklings from the county yamen to have such a fierce person. But in the end, he didn't escape the Third Leader's saber."

Hearing this, Xiang Yang's heart skipped a beat. He tightened his grip on his saber, veins bulging, but maintained a look of admiration on his face. Xiang Da Niu being able to injure Hu Qiang only proved one thing: Hu Qiang wasn't as difficult to deal with as he had imagined.

In terms of saber techniques, Xiang Da Niu and Xiang Yang were evenly matched. Although Xiang Da Niu had practiced for more years and was more skilled, Xiang Yang had higher natural talent and a more agile mind. In their past practice sessions, excluding Xiang Yang's lack of strength, purely based on saber techniques and moves, he could win six or seven out of ten times.

"I can't be impulsive. Although Hu Qiang is injured now, he's in the stronghold with many bandits protecting him. There's no opportunity to strike. Besides, my purpose here is to gather information, and I need to wait."

Xiang Yang calmed himself and followed the bandits, memorizing the route as they walked. However, it was clear that these bandits were experienced, leading him in circles. Coupled with the overlapping terrain of Black Wind Mountain, Xiang Yang soon became disoriented, and none of the paths he had just memorized matched.

"This is for the best. Otherwise, I'd be worried these bandits wouldn't release the person, or they'd kill me afterward to silence me and prevent the stronghold's exact location from being leaked."

After meandering for about half an hour, they arrived at the foot of a treacherous peak. The peak was steep, but the valley below was flat, sufficient for the bandits to live.

As far as Xiang Yang could see, there was a wooden fence in front, with tall wooden watchtowers over ten meters high on both sides. On top, two fierce bandits armed with great sabers were monitoring the surroundings. Further inside were rows of wooden houses, with many children playing. They were likely the bandits' offspring.

The leader exchanged a few words with the bandits on the watchtowers. The people on top shouted, and two old men, around fifty or sixty years old, stooped as they pushed open the wooden fence, revealing a gap just wide enough for a few people to pass. As soon as they passed, it was closed again, leaving no room for escape, showing extreme caution.

Xiang Yang proceeded cautiously, passing through many wooden houses. Along the way, he saw some bandits outside the houses, sunbathing shirtless. They all had fierce auras and chilling gazes. Some were sparring outside, arm wrestling, or wrestling, appearing even more ferocious. Of course, many were also engaged in lewd acts during the day, with the sounds of "pa pa pa" and rapid panting from men and women echoing from within the wooden houses.

Finally, the minor bandit leader brought Xiang Yang to the outside of a large building constructed of brick and tile. At the very top was a plaque with red background and black characters that read "Enforce Justice on Behalf of Heaven," reminding Xiang Yang of the Assembly Hall from Water Margin. It was likely the place where these bandits held their meetings.

"You two keep a close eye on him. I'm going to report to the Second Leader. Don't wander around, and you, kid, don't have any bad ideas, or you'll die for nothing. There are fierce beasts all over this mountain; if they throw you out, you won't even have a complete corpse."

The minor leader threatened and then turned to enter the large house.

Xiang Yang nodded repeatedly in agreement. He truly dared not move rashly during the journey. He only knew a basic saber technique and had practiced the Iron Crotch Technique all night. Although his strength had increased significantly, it was nothing compared to these fierce bandits.

Inside the large house, in a relatively elegant and tasteful hall, two men with vastly different builds and temperaments were discussing their next targets and related matters. Upon hearing the minor leader's words, they exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Since there were fat sheep to be fleeced, why risk their lives by going out to plunder?

In the hall, at the easternmost position, were three chairs. The middle one was for the First Leader, the left for the Second Leader, and the right for the Third Leader.

The Second Leader sat in his chair. He was not tall and looked rather ordinary, but he wore a scholar's robe and a silk scarf, making him look like a well-read scholar rather than a bandit who robbed and plundered.

"Xiao Liu, call him in. And be polite, after all, he's bringing us money. There's no need to humiliate him unnecessarily."

This minor leader, Xiao Liu, had a history of being disrespectful to those who paid ransoms, treating them with disdain.

However, the Poison Scholar didn't expect Xiang Yang's flattery to be so overwhelming that Xiao Liu was completely enthralled, unable to resist. He wasn't mistreated at all, and his weapons weren't even confiscated.

Xiao Liu happily responded. If this deal went well, he would receive a sum of money as the guide and could spend it lavishly for a while.