Iron Furnace Stronghold

After consolidating his realm in the small courtyard for two days, Shen Che had thoroughly familiarized himself with the wild and overbearing Horizontal Training True Qi within his body.

He felt that his current state was better than ever before.

It was time to check out the mission hall.

Demon Suppression Division, side hall.

Yan Xiu's teacup trembled in his hand when he saw Shen Che push the door open.

How many days had it been?

Didn't this kid say he was borrowing demonic energy to go into seclusion to break through?

And he was out already?

"Lord Yan," Shen Che cupped his hands in greeting.

"You... broke through?" Yan Xiu put down his teacup and meticulously sized up Shen Che.

He sensed a completely different aura from Shen Che than before.

More refined, more substantial, like a mountain, like a prison.

This aura clearly possessed the characteristics of a True Meridian Realm martial artist.

"A fortunate success," Shen Che replied.

The corners of Yan Xiu's mouth twitched.

Fortunate?

You call this fortunate?

Others go into closed-door cultivation, facing death with a slim chance of survival, spending years of time and still might not be able to open a single True Meridian.

You, on the other hand, went for a stroll in the Demon Suppressing Prison for half a day and broke through upon coming out?

Comparing people is enough to make one angry.

"What business do you have coming here this time?" Yan Xiu rubbed his temples, deciding not to dwell on this monstrous anomaly anymore.

"I want to take a mission."

"Take a mission?" Yan Xiu was startled, then realized, "That's right, you've just broken through, and it's the time you need resources to consolidate your cultivation."

He thought Shen Che was here to exchange for cultivation techniques or pills.

"What type of mission do you want? Slaying demonic beasts, or something else?"

"High contribution points," Shen Che stated concisely.

Yan Xiu gave him a deep look, pulled out a scroll from a pile, and pushed it over.

"This mission has the highest contribution points."

Shen Che picked up the scroll and unrolled it.

[Mission: Exterminate Iron Furnace Stronghold.]

[Location: Iron Furnace Mountain, Ping'an County.]

[Details: Iron Furnace Stronghold is a group of fierce bandits who have occupied Iron Furnace Mountain for many years, with over two thousand followers. They claim the mountain as their own, often descending to rob villages and towns, burning, killing, and looting, committing all sorts of evil deeds. The Ping'an County yamen has repeatedly attempted to suppress them, but each attempt has ended in failure, and the bandit menace grows worse.]

[Reward: 300 Contribution Points.]

Three hundred contribution points.

Shen Che remembered that the exchange price for a Meridian Opening Pill within the Division was one hundred contribution points.

Three hundred points meant three Meridian Opening Pills.

This reward was quite generous.

The only drawback was that the target was bandits, not demonic beasts.

This meant no time value would be accrued.

However, three Meridian Opening Pills were enough to save him a significant amount of time value expenditure.

This deal was worth it.

"I'll take it," Shen Che closed the scroll.

"Have you thought it through? Those bandits at Iron Furnace Stronghold are not to be trifled with," Yan Xiu warned. "They've occupied Iron Furnace Mountain for years, and the terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack. With over two thousand people, even an elite squad from our Demon Suppression Division would have to think twice."

"Although you've entered the True Meridian Realm, you are still only one person."

"Rest assured, my lord," Shen Che tucked the scroll into his robes. "I know what I'm doing."

"If you need help, you can go to the Ping'an County yamen and ask them to send troops to assist you," Yan Xiu added as a final piece of advice.

Shen Che nodded and turned to leave.

Watching his retreating back, Yan Xiu picked up his teacup and blew on the steam.

This kid really couldn't stay idle for a moment.

However, it was a good thing for a young person to have drive.

Shen Che didn't delay. That same day, he took a fast horse from the Demon Suppression Division and headed straight for Ping'an County.

Three days later.

A county town shrouded in gloom and mist appeared on the horizon.

Ping'an County.

Its name meant "peaceful," but the atmosphere in the town was anything but.

Few pedestrians walked the streets, and those who did hurried along, their faces etched with worry and fear.

Most shops were closed, and the town looked desolate.

Shen Che casually stopped a passerby to ask for directions.

"Young man, you're not from around here, are you?" the passerby said, his face full of panic. "Hurry up and leave, don't stay here, it's not safe!"

"The damned scoundrels from Iron Furnace Stronghold just massacred Fengxi Village outside the city two days ago! Over a hundred people, not one survived!"

"Now the whole town is buzzing, saying their next target is us, Ping'an County!"

Shen Che thanked the passerby and walked directly towards the county office.

At the entrance of the county office, a few yamen runners leaned listlessly against the stone lions, lacking the strength to even stand straight.

Upon hearing that Shen Che was sent from Cangyun City's Demon Suppression Division to handle the Iron Furnace Stronghold affair, one yamen runner slowly went inside to announce him.

Before long, Shen Che was led into the back hall.

A middle-aged man in official robes, with streaks of white at his temples, sat at the head seat sighing. He was the Prefect of Ping'an County, Wang Changshou.

Wang Changshou looked up and was stunned when he saw Shen Che walk in.

He was too young.

And alone?

The last shred of hope on his face instantly extinguished, replaced by deep disappointment and bitterness.

"The Demon Suppression Division... sent only you?" Wang Changshou's voice was dry.

He had expected Cangyun City to send a team of elite Demon Queller Envoys.

Instead, all he got was a young man who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen.

Was this their way of telling Ping'an County to fend for itself?

"It's enough," Shen Che said directly. "Prefect Wang, I need your assistance."

"Assistance?" Wang Changshou gave a bitter smile, his entire demeanor collapsing. "Lord Shen, to be honest, the year before last, I organized over ten thousand imperial troops and led them myself to annihilate Iron Furnace Stronghold."

"The result... we lost nearly three thousand men, and didn't even get close to their mountain gate."

"Iron Furnace Mountain's terrain is treacherous, with only one path leading up. It's a pass that's impossible to conquer. We simply couldn't break through!"

"I don't need you to attack it," Shen Che interrupted his lament.

"What I need you to do is gather all your soldiers and wait for my signal outside Iron Furnace Mountain."

Wang Changshou looked bewildered. "Wait for a signal? What signal?"

"I will infiltrate Iron Furnace Stronghold alone and kill their leader," Shen Che's tone was calm.

"First, capture the ringleader. Once the bandit leader is dead, the two thousand rabble will surely scatter."

"Then, you can lead your troops in for the kill."

Wang Changshou's eyes widened, as if seeing the young man before him for the first time.

Infiltrate alone?

Kill the leader?

Was he dreaming?

"Lord Shen, you... do you know that Iron Furnace Stronghold has three leaders, each a ruthless martial arts expert! The stronghold itself is heavily guarded, how could you possibly..."

"That's my concern," Shen Che interrupted him again.

"All you need to tell me is whether you'll do it or not."

"If I fail, you don't need to worry about me. Just retreat with your troops immediately."

Wang Changshou stared intently at Shen Che.

He saw no trace of flippancy or arrogance on the young man's face.

Only calmness and absolute confidence.

A wild thought began to grow in his heart.

Take a gamble?

If he lost, things would just go back to how they were. His tenure as Prefect would end, and Ping'an County might be massacred.

But if he won...

Wang Changshou slammed his hand on the table and stood up, a look of determination flashing across his flushed face.

"Good!"

"I'm in!"

"This subordinate will immediately mobilize all the county's forces. Tonight at midnight, they will all obey your command, my lord!"

Midnight.

At the foot of Iron Furnace Mountain, a dense army was gathered. Torches stretched endlessly, yet an eerie silence prevailed.

Over ten thousand prefectural soldiers, their morale at an all-time low.

Many of them still bore the shadow of their last disastrous defeat.

The mountain wind blew, bringing a chill.

Shen Che stood at the front of the formation, gazing up at the mountain before him, which lay crouched like a colossal beast in the darkness.

The entire mountain was shaped like a giant, inverted iron furnace. Its slopes were steep, with sheer cliffs rising a thousand feet.

The stronghold was built on the summit of the "furnace," accessible only by a winding, rugged stone staircase.

This path was now brightly lit, with a checkpoint every ten paces, heavily guarded.

A frontal assault would indeed be suicide.

Shen Che's figure flickered and vanished into the night as he rapidly scouted around the base of the mountain.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he returned to Wang Changshou's side.

"There's a cliff on the back of the mountain, about a hundred zhang high, nearly vertical, and unguarded."

Wang Changshou was startled. "My lord, no one can possibly climb that place!"

A hundred-zhang cliff, slippery and sheer – even a monkey would fall to its death.

"I can climb it."

Shen Che left those words behind and once again melted into the darkness.