Clear Wind Stronghold

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Clear Wind Stronghold (清风寨)
Affiliation	Mountain bandit organization operating around Green Mountain City
Occupation/Role	Road robbery, covert infiltration, and armed rebellion against the court
Status	Destroyed as an organized force during the Six Gates and government assault on Ox-Crouching Mountain. Surviving leaders, including Shang Youyan, were captured, while collaborators were arrested or pursued; the full truth of the stronghold's destruction was subsequently sealed in Six Gates archives. 146 147 149 150 155 176 177
First Appearance	Chapter 22

Power Progression

Period	Development	Evidence
Before Chapter 22	Became the largest bandit stronghold around Green Mountain City and survived for more than a decade despite repeated Six Gates and government campaigns against regional bandits.	22
At least eight years before Chapter 66	Established a long-term infiltration network in Green Mountain City, providing agents such as Sun Ping with silver, martial instruction, and external-hardening arts.	66
Chapters 75–111	Its River Temple Village outpost, lower-ranking Thirty-Six Bandits, city spies, and a shipment of more than twenty standardized heavy crossbows were successively exposed or destroyed.	75 80 97 101 104 111
Chapters 123–131	Its confirmed Ox-Crouching Mountain base proved to be a fortress comparable to a small city, while its Chief was believed capable of forming a Great Heavenly Circuit. A preliminary Six Gates decapitation raid failed.	123 131
Chapters 145–155	Eight hundred armored elites encircled the mountain, a fire attack breached the stronghold, and Yin Zijing defeated the Chief. The organization dispersed and was uprooted.	145 146 147 149 155

Background / History

Clear Wind Stronghold emerged as the largest bandit stronghold around Green Mountain City. While numerous mountain strongholds had previously been destroyed within a year by Six Gates and government troops, Clear Wind Stronghold endured for more than a decade by concealing its location and evading searches. It was initially said to lie deep within Little Green Mountain, with its members described as appearing and vanishing like ghosts. Its actual base was later confirmed to be on Ox-Crouching Mountain. 22 80

The stronghold capitalized on regional unrest caused by roving rebels, returning to open road robbery. Its first direct encounter with Chen Jing occurred when nearly a hundred bandits ambushed a medicinal-herb caravan in a narrow mountain hollow. Rejecting the Wei Yuan Escort Agency's fifty-tael payment, the bandits ordered the caravan's cargo seized and every witness killed. 22

Over time, Clear Wind Stronghold developed a network inside Green Mountain City. Its infiltration had begun at least eight years before Sun Ping's exposure, with the organization funding agents' martial training and supplying them with external-hardening techniques in exchange for future service. 66

Zhou Yunhan served as an inside man at Hundred Flowers Pavilion and White Horse Pharmacy, using his position to provide the stronghold with medicinal herbs, silver, intelligence, and likely caravan-route information. After his plot to abduct Bai Zhixing failed, he died in the resulting fire. His son Zhou Fan fled to the stronghold and offered his family's savings in exchange for revenge against Chen Jing and Cheng Qingshi. 43 47 49

The stronghold later ordered the ambush that crippled Cheng Qingshi's leg, retaliating for Zhou Yunhan's exposure and death. Sun Ping's interrogation confirmed the order, while later investigations exposed further moles within Six Gates, the yamen, and government troops. 65 67 110

Appearance

Clear Wind Stronghold was a major fortified settlement hidden in Ox-Crouching Mountain rather than an ordinary bandit camp. Its defenses made it comparable to a small fortified city. 123 146

• Stockade walls built from massive logs and rammed earth, seven or eight zhang high. 146
• Heavy wooden battlements atop the walls. 146
• Rows of watchtowers and regular wall patrols. 123
• Arrow towers positioned on both sides of the main gate. 123
• Crossbow mechanisms visible behind its battlements. 123

Organization and Resources

• The Chief — Supreme leader of the stronghold; his voice alone commanded immediate silence from the assembled chieftains. He ordered Chen Jing's assassination and was believed to have opened all twelve primary meridians and the three great passes, allowing him to form a Great Heavenly Circuit. He was ultimately defeated by Yin Zijing during the fall of the stronghold. 104 131 149
• Shang Youyan (Mr. Shang) — The stronghold's white-robed strategist and operational brain. He tracked Chen Jing's operations, recognized him as the source of several setbacks, coordinated plans for city-based agents to assassinate him, and controlled the organization’s deployments, communications, intelligence, and lists of collaborators. He was captured after the final assault. 104 145 153 155
• Thirty-Six Bandits — Named bandit ranks within the organization; the members Chen Jing had encountered before Chapter 111 were considered among the lowest tier and below the level of opening four meridians. Liu Su was one such member, while Komodo held the Fifth Seat. 80 111 151
• Bandit leaders — Included Coiled Dragon Staff, Armored Golden Blade, Han Yang, Zhang Tie, Zhu Can, Liu Su, Komodo, and others involved in combat, recruitment, outpost operations, or the defense of the stronghold. 80 95 97 104 127 149 151
• Military equipment — The stronghold possessed crossbows, arrowheads, bows, armor, and helmets despite crossbows being strictly controlled Yu Dynasty military equipment. It fielded more than twenty standardized heavy crossbows during its attempt to silence Chen Jing and Lu Xiucheng. 97 101 123 104
• Supply network — River Temple Village supplied bandits in exchange for provisions, while Shangchuan Sect, Jinghe Medicine Shop, White Horse Pharmacy through Zhou Yunhan, and several Green Mountain City noble families secretly provided money, grain, medicinal herbs, intelligence, and military supplies. 47 75 119 123

Criminal Activities

Road Robbery

Clear Wind Stronghold specialized in killing and robbing travelers on mountain roads. During the caravan ambush, its forces refused a ransom payment, sought both the medicinal cargo and the deaths of all caravan members, and pursued those who escaped into the forest. 22 23

Infiltration and Espionage

The stronghold planted agents throughout Green Mountain City and its institutions.

• Zhou Yunhan infiltrated Hundred Flowers Pavilion and White Horse Pharmacy, betraying Bai Deyuan's family and supplying the stronghold with resources and intelligence. 43 47
• Sun Ping acted as a spy and revealed that the stronghold had ordered Cheng Qingshi's ambush. 65 67
• Lu Xiucheng, chief of Six Gates' Anti-Theft Bureau, admitted to serving as a stronghold spy after his parent was taken hostage. 97
• Shao Yunhe cultivated internal force through the stronghold and served it in exchange for martial resources. 109
• Xu Anyuan's capture exposed additional moles in the yamen and government troops. 110

Coercion and Recruitment

Clear Wind Stronghold recruited agents through both material inducement and coercion. It supplied Sun Ping with silver and martial training during his poverty, while Lu Xiucheng was forced into service after the organization kidnapped a parent as leverage. 66 97

Rebellion

Han Yang attempted to recruit Chen Jing into the stronghold and openly stated its ambition to rebel against the court. Chen Jing refused and killed Han Yang during the ensuing battle. 95

The organization accumulated troops, grain, medicinal resources, armor, bows, and crossbows while cultivating a network of collaborators throughout Green Mountain City, making it a potential internal force for seizing the city should open rebellion begin. 97 123 140

Story Role / Major Arcs

Caravan Ambush

Clear Wind Stronghold ambushed the Wei Yuan Escort Agency's medicinal-herb caravan with nearly a hundred bandits. Wang Chong and Chen Jing broke through the encirclement, escaped into the forest, and killed pursuing bandits while evading the stronghold's search. 22 23

Hundred Flowers Pavilion Plot

Zhou Yunhan's failed attempt to abduct Bai Zhixing exposed his connection to Clear Wind Stronghold. The attack destroyed Hundred Flowers Pavilion by fire, and Zhou Fan subsequently sought the stronghold's help to avenge his father. 47 49

Six Gates Investigation

After joining Six Gates, Chen Jing received missions connected to the stronghold. His investigations uncovered River Temple Village's support of its bandits, exposed spies within the city, and revealed the organization’s access to illegal crossbows and other military equipment. 70 75 76 97 101 110

Pine Forest Village Operation

Evidence obtained from Ding Yunzhou exposed Shangchuan Sect's role in transporting medicinal herbs to Clear Wind Stronghold through Jinghe Medicine Shop. Chen Jing subsequently infiltrated the stronghold with Lu Xiaoyi and Qinghong to obtain herb ledgers, fought several of its leaders, and helped clear Pine Forest Village of remaining bandits. 119 126 127 130

Failed Decapitation Raid

After Xu Anyuan's interrogation revealed the stronghold's location, Yin Zhengping led trusted Six Gates experts into Ox-Crouching Mountain to assassinate the Chief and collapse the organization from within. Although they successfully reached the Chief's residence, the operation failed, leaving Yin Zhengping, Li Dingfang, and their party injured. 131

Fall of the Stronghold

Yin Zijing secretly assembled eight hundred armored elites to surround Ox-Crouching Mountain. His force launched a nighttime fire attack, while Yin Zijing, Li Dingfang, Chen Jing, and Six Gates officers scaled the walls to open the gates for the government army. 145 146 147

Yin Zijing defeated the Chief, triggering panic and dispersal among the bandits. Chen Jing pursued Shang Youyan and other fugitives, eventually capturing the strategist; the captured survivors were later paraded through Green Mountain City. 149 150 153 155

Aftermath

The destruction of Clear Wind Stronghold was publicly celebrated by Green Mountain City's residents, who saw captured bandits—including Shang Youyan—paraded through the streets. However, the broader truth concerning the stronghold's connections and destruction was sealed in Six Gates archives, leaving the official record unknown to ordinary citizens. 155 177

Relationships

• Six Gates — Principal enemy; Six Gates investigated the stronghold's spies, supply routes, and political collaborators before joining the final suppression campaign. Following the victory, it sealed the full record of the stronghold's destruction in its archives. 67 110 119 146 176 177
• Chen Jing — Major threat to the stronghold; he survived its caravan ambush, exposed its agents and supply network, infiltrated its base, killed numerous bandit leaders, and captured Shang Youyan during the stronghold's collapse. 22 104 126 150 153 155
• Yin Zijing — Commandery-level Six Gates officer who organized the eight-hundred-man encirclement, led the final assault, and defeated the stronghold's Chief. 145 146 149
• Shangchuan Sect — Secret collaborator that transported medicinal herbs to the stronghold with help from Jinghe Medicine Shop. 119
• Green Mountain City noble families — Several families covertly supplied the stronghold with resources and equipment, expecting its fortress and difficult terrain to deter official retaliation. 123 132
• River Temple Village — Supported the stronghold's bandits in exchange for supplies and concealed a bandit outpost at the River God Temple. 75 76
• Zhou Yunhan — Inside man whose failed kidnapping plot exposed Clear Wind Stronghold’s infiltration of Hundred Flowers Pavilion and White Horse Pharmacy. 43 47
• Zhou Fan — Sought revenge against Chen Jing through the stronghold after Zhou Yunhan's death; he later died upon learning of Chen Jing's rise within Six Gates and the stronghold's destruction. 49 155