The Inconstancy of Gathering and Scattering

Night, pitch-black.

Within Golden Sand Valley, the Mine Protection Team's camp was brightly lit. All its members had gathered together, drinking and making merry, wolfing down meat and guzzling wine.

After Jiang Chen took up residence in Golden Sand Valley, aside from their daily patrols and guard duty, the Mine Protection Team's most important task had been hunting. Their days had been genuinely hard, so naturally they would not let such a chance to indulge slip away.

Seated at the head of the gathering, Xiong Li drank deeply, taking everything in.

Though that old Qian Wen is spineless, he really knows how to handle things.

As the thought turned in his mind, Xiong Li could not help feeling a trace of self-satisfaction. Since following Jiang Chen to Golden Sand Valley, his life had indeed been rather austere. Fortunately, Qian Wen was sensible and often arranged wine and meat for him. Today's banquet had been specially arranged by Qian Wen to thank the Mine Protection Team for their hard work these past days and for ensuring Golden Sand Valley's safety.

Just as Xiong Li was basking in his satisfaction, something in his arms suddenly moved, making his whole body jolt.

"Master, let's go rest. I've been thinking..."

A soft, coquettish voice sounded beside his ear. Lowering his head and seeing the spring-filled eyes of the beauty in his arms, a blaze instantly rose in Xiong Li's heart. He was burning with desire.

"Haha, since my beauty has such a request, how could I refuse to satisfy her..."

With a hearty laugh, Xiong Li casually tossed away his wine cup, lifted the beauty in his arms, and headed straight for the rear courtyard.

This beauty had originally been Qian Wen's concubine. Xiong Li had caught sight of her by chance at a banquet and immediately took a liking to her. Yet he knew Qian Wen's status, so he had kept himself restrained. Who could have known that, at a later gathering, he got drunk and failed to control himself?

Afterward, he had thought Qian Wen would seize on the matter and report his crimes to Jiang Chen. For a time, he regretted it bitterly, cursing wine for leading men astray. Yet after remaining silent for a long while, Qian Wen not only took the initiative to give him that concubine, but even provided a dowry.

From then on, his relationship with Qian Wen changed. Though he still looked down on him somewhat, it did not stop him from acknowledging that Qian Wen was a decent man, one worth associating with.

Seeing their leader act this way, the Mine Protection Team members cast aside all reservations and grew even more uninhibited.

Sitting amid the crowd, drinking wine and watching the scene unfold, Vice Captain Hu Yong could not help revealing a cold smile.

"Xiong Li, enjoy this final revelry of yours."

Lowering his gaze, Hu Yong drained the wine in his cup in one gulp.

At the same time, within his own residence, Qian Wen waited anxiously. Only when one of his subordinates came to deliver a report did his expression finally change.

"Beauty and wealth truly muddle people's hearts most easily. Though Xiong Li is fairly strong, he is ultimately just a crude bumpkin who has never seen the world."

Knowing that Xiong Li had completely entered the trap, Qian Wen's hanging heart finally settled.

"Xiong Li, go in peace. In your next life, remember this well: other people's women are not so easy to sleep with."

Looking toward the Mine Protection Team's camp, Qian Wen let out a cold laugh.

In truth, when he first sought to win over Xiong Li, he had wanted to use him to obtain more information about Jiang Chen. After all, Xiong Li and Skinny Monkey were Jiang Chen's right and left arms. He had not intended to kill Xiong Li so soon, but the Third Chief had made his decision, and Qian Wen could only obey.

Under such circumstances, Xiong Li and the Mine Protection Team became a massive obstacle that had to be removed.

"The Mine Protection Team is Golden Sand Valley's strongest armed force. Once it is gone, Jiang Chen alone will absolutely be unable to protect Golden Sand Valley. Forget that he is merely second-rate—even if he had already entered the first-rate realm, it would be the same. One must know that even the weakest official members of the Quicksand Bandits are second-rate."

Casting his gaze toward South Slope and seeing it as tranquil as ever, Qian Wen began making his final preparations, consigning every account book to the flames. After today, every trace would be erased.

Not long afterward, five small boats approached Golden Sand Valley beneath the cover of night. Accompanied by the whistle of arrows cutting through the air, the Golden Sand Valley guards standing watch atop the wooden towers fell dead at once. Just like that, several dozen bandits easily set foot upon Golden Sand Valley's land.

As for the Mine Protection Team, which had originally been responsible for Golden Sand Valley's security, they showed no reaction at all, because most of them were already drunk senseless.

Before long, battle cries and screams rang out through Golden Sand Valley, shattering the stillness of the night. Then flames spread, as though they meant to burn a hole through the darkness itself.

On South Slope, before the courtyard, Jiang Chen stood in silence, calmly watching the scene. Rat Prodigy crouched beside him, while Stone and Wang Yuan stood behind him.

The Third Chief's decision to strike Golden Sand Valley had been a spur-of-the-moment one, leaving Qian Wen too little time to clean up loose ends. During this process, some of his unusual actions caught Wang Yuan's attention, and with Rat Prodigy's help, they ultimately discovered a few clues.

At that moment, a figure rushed up from beneath South Slope, moving like a monkey with extreme agility.

"Chief, it has been confirmed. The ones who came are indeed the Quicksand Bandits."

Arriving before Jiang Chen, Skinny Monkey reported the information he had gathered one by one.

Hearing this, Stone and Wang Yuan's expressions changed slightly. The Quicksand Bandits' reputation was simply too great. If the River-Sweeping Bandits were local tyrants who occupied a mountain and proclaimed themselves kings, then the Quicksand Bandits truly wreaked havoc throughout the entire Nanjing Kingdom. The name "gathering and scattering like quicksand" was known to all. Rumor had it that not only did the Quicksand Bandits possess first-rate experts, but they even had martial arts grandmasters.

"The Third Chief is actually colluding with the Quicksand Bandits? This..."

His heart filled with shock and disbelief, Wang Yuan instinctively wanted to say something.

However, when he saw Jiang Chen's figure, ever unmoving and unshakable like a green pine, he silently swallowed his words.

"Gathering and scattering without constancy—thus they are quicksand. That is quite an interesting organization."

Firelight reflected in his dark pupils. Jiang Chen's mind did not waver because of the Quicksand Bandits' appearance; instead, he was more interested.

To understand his surroundings, Jiang Chen had spent these days gathering information about the outside world through various channels. Part of it concerned the Quicksand Bandits. After all, within the Nanjing Kingdom, the Quicksand Bandits were truly infamous, hated and denounced by everyone, as though every evil deed in the world was connected to them.

Yet few people knew that the true Quicksand Bandits were actually an organization seeking immortality. It had originally been founded by several martial arts grandmasters in pursuit of the immortal path. They widely recruited martial artists from all under heaven, asking neither about their origins nor their backgrounds, hoping only that everyone might work together so martial artists could truly step onto the immortal path as well. Only later did its nature gradually change, and it merely acquired the name of bandits.

"Chief, about Xiong Li..."

Looking at Jiang Chen, who had fallen into thought, Skinny Monkey hesitated before speaking.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen's gaze shifted slightly.

"He was given an opportunity, but he failed to seize it himself. Everyone must bear responsibility for their own choices."

His words were utterly calm as Jiang Chen gave his answer.

At this, Skinny Monkey silently acknowledged it. Though his relationship with Xiong Li could not be called inseparable, they were on fairly good terms. Previously, he had openly and covertly warned Xiong Li not to get too close to Qian Wen. Unfortunately, whether Xiong Li had failed to understand or merely pretended not to, he had not taken the warning seriously at all.

Above the word lust hangs a blade.

Lowering his gaze, Skinny Monkey sighed inwardly. Qian Wen had actually tried to approach him as well, but he had refused every time.