Caught Red-Handed

Voices drifted intermittently from the other side of the mountain stream.

Zhou Yan frowned and set down the water gourd.

Zheng Tong had already raised a hand, signaling everyone to stay quiet.

Sun Ping hurriedly stuffed the scattered ginseng roots into his clothes.

Zhao Laosi gripped the handle of his short pickaxe, his gaze vicious and his knuckles white.

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow as several figures emerged from the shadows of the trees.

The bearded man at the front was around forty, clutching a black iron ruler in his hand.

The stench of blood mixed with sweat, and two or three old scars could vaguely be seen on his bare forearms.

Body Tempering Peak!

Three men followed behind him. One skinny man twirled a short blade, half a palm longer than an ordinary dagger.

A short, sturdy man carried an iron staff as thick as a goose egg, while the last man held a dagger and wore a fierce expression.

The four stopped seven or eight steps away.

Lei Bao glanced at the yellowish-brown ginseng in Zheng Tong's arms, paused for a moment, then looked at the others.

"Azure Cloud Gang. Lei Bao. You fellows look unfamiliar."

Zheng Tong pulled the mountain ginseng closer to his chest, one hand resting on his saber hilt. "So you are friends from the Azure Cloud Gang. We are from White Cloud Martial Hall. We came into the mountains to gather herbs. I hope you can make things convenient for us."

"Master Zheng's disciples?"

"You know our instructor?"

"One of Qingyun County's finest saber wielders. I've heard of him." Lei Bao rubbed his chin with the iron ruler and glanced at the mountain ginseng in Sun Ping's arms. "But I wonder whether Master Zheng ever taught you that Blackwind Ridge has a rule: when treasure is unearthed, everyone who sees it gets a share."

Wind poured in between the stone cliffs, making the vines rustle.

Lei Bao waited for a moment, then took half a step back and smiled. "If you won't share, that's fine. Let me ask you something instead. Have you seen anyone suspicious in the mountains these past two days? Early twenties, missing a piece of his left ear."

"No," Zheng Tong said.

"Really?"

Lei Bao's gaze passed over him and swept across Sun Ping and Zhao Laosi.

When it landed on Zhou Yan, he saw only a woodcutter in faded hemp clothes, an old chopping knife tucked at his waist. He looked like an ordinary farmer from a nearby village.

Lei Bao did not pay him any attention and withdrew his gaze.

"Why are you looking for that man?" Zheng Tong asked.

Lei Bao tapped the iron ruler against his palm.

"A scout sent by Black Tiger Hall. We're hunting him. He slipped into the western woods two days ago, wounded two of my brothers, then ran deeper into the mountains."

He paused and stared at Zheng Tong. "The western side of Blackwind Ridge belongs to the Azure Cloud Gang. You three from White Cloud Martial Hall have crossed the boundary."

Zheng Tong did not move. "Blackwind Ridge has no owner. Anyone can enter."

"Say that in Qingyun County, and you'll offend people." Lei Bao sneered. "The Azure Cloud Gang controls the docks in the western district, Black Tiger Hall controls the gambling houses and brothels in the eastern district, and the Sun Family controls the herb shops and pawnshops. When those three meet in town, none of them are friends. Your White Cloud Martial Hall is caught in the middle. Didn't Master Zheng mention any of this?"

"White Cloud Martial Hall only practices martial arts. We do not involve ourselves in gang affairs."

"Not involved in gang affairs?" Lei Bao rubbed his chin with the iron ruler. "Then where will you sell the ginseng you gathered from Blackwind Ridge once you leave the mountains? Black Tiger Hall's eastern shops won't accept goods from Azure Cloud Gang territory, and the Azure Cloud Gang's western docks won't ship on Black Tiger Hall's boats. If you sell it to the Sun Family, they'll squeeze the price of ginseng mercilessly. You know that, don't you?"

Zheng Tong said, "That is none of your concern!"

Lei Bao's gaze fell on the ginseng in his arms again, and his eyes lit up. He had clearly recognized its age.

A section of the mountain ginseng was exposed, its yellowish-brown wrinkles faintly visible between the folds of clothing.

"How about this?" Lei Bao paced half a step forward, his tone softening. "Give the Azure Cloud Gang some face. We'll help sell the ginseng for you at a fair price. Gathering herbs is not easy for you, and we won't take advantage of you for nothing."

The atmosphere instantly froze...

Only the stream could be heard in the ravine. Sweat soaked Zhao Laosi's palm around the handle of his short pickaxe, while Sun Ping's Adam's apple bobbed.

The smile on Lei Bao's face faded slightly as he looked at Sun Ping.

"How long have you been in the mountains?"

"Since before dawn."

"Which route did you take?"

"The village road."

Lei Bao nodded, tea leaves caught between his teeth.

Sun Ping stepped forward half a pace, intending to say something, but Zheng Tong glared him back.

Lei Bao tapped the iron ruler twice with his fingers.

The standoff dragged on, and Zheng Tong frowned.

The rusty smell around Lei Bao grew stronger. It was not sweat; it was a sign that the Iron Fiend Technique was circulating.

The Azure Cloud Gang's signature cultivation technique was not passed down to anyone but core members.

The bluish-gray color of his bare forearms deepened, like iron left soaking in water for too long.

Zheng Tong tightened his grip on his saber hilt.

His thumb pressed against the guard, and the blade slid half a finger's width from its sheath.

This was the Drifting Cloud Saber Technique, White Cloud Martial Hall's signature art. The blade was nimble, and there was almost no sound from the sheath before it was drawn.

Zhou Yan shrank into the innermost part of the ravine, his back against the cold stone wall.

Zheng Tong's technique followed a fierce and forceful path, his skin taking on an iron-like sheen. It looked suited for enduring and overpowering attacks head-on.

White Cloud Martial Hall's Drifting Cloud Saber Technique, meanwhile, was agile. The saber was so light it seemed nearly weightless, emphasizing continuous slashes and strikes.

The two styles naturally countered each other. Whether the heavy could defeat the light depended on whether it could touch it, while whether the light could defeat the heavy depended on whether it could break through.

Zhou Yan ran through it twice in his mind and concluded that the Iron Fiend Technique held the advantage.

Moreover, one was at the Body Tempering Peak while the other had only reached Body Tempering Great Accomplishment, a full stage apart.

The skinny man grew impatient, spinning his short blade through his fingers. "Brother Lei, they're just herb gatherers. Why waste so many words on them?"

He stepped forward, his voice sharpening. "The people from Black Tiger Hall are still running around the mountains. Why waste time arguing with a few herb gatherers?"

Those words became the fuse.

The instant they moved, their techniques were revealed.

The rusty smell around Lei Bao suddenly intensified.

His exposed skin changed from bluish-gray to iron-colored. Iron Fiend Technique, tempering the body like iron.

The iron ruler smashed down with the force of the wind, while Zheng Tong advanced instead of retreating. A flash of saber light swept out.

Drifting Cloud Saber Technique, light as a feather, leaving only an arc of radiance in the air.

Clang!

The iron ruler struck the blade, sending sparks flying.

Zheng Tong's saber was knocked aside, but the Drifting Cloud Saber Technique excelled at continuous slashes and strikes. His blade curved around and sliced toward Lei Bao's wrist along the iron ruler.

Lei Bao hurriedly withdrew the ruler to block.

Sun Ping charged toward the other two men.

The Wind-Piercing Fist shot out, his fist cracking sharply through the air as it knocked aside the dagger wielder's arm.

The iron staff was already smashing in from the side.

Cao Heng's Tiger-Subduing Staff was powerful and heavy, its shaft howling through the air.

Sun Ping twisted aside in haste, and the end of the staff grazed his shoulder blade.

Before he could steady himself, the dagger stabbed at him from the other side.

No matter how fast the Wind-Piercing Fist was, it could not withstand two attackers at once.

Aah!

The dagger plunged into Sun Ping's left waist. He let out a miserable scream and dropped to his knees with a thud.

Zhao Laosi's eyes turned red.

The pickaxe head came crashing down, caving in the back of the dagger wielder's skull and smashing his face into a rock.

Just as Zhao Laosi was about to pull the pickaxe free—

The sound of wind was already behind him. Cao Heng's Tiger-Subduing Staff thrust in from behind, its tip striking squarely into the center of his back.

Zhao Laosi's chest bulged forward. His mouth opened, but all that came out was blood.

In just a few breaths, the two from White Cloud Martial Hall had already lost their ability to fight.

Zheng Tong glanced over from the corner of his eye and saw Sun Ping convulsing on the ground while Zhao Laosi lay sprawled amid the rocks.

He was secretly shocked. He had not expected the Azure Cloud Gang to be so ruthless, and his hand trembled.

That brief moment was enough for Lei Bao's iron ruler to arrive.

His Soul-Severing Ruler Technique specialized in close-range combat, its ruler tip attacking joints as it shot straight for Zheng Tong's shoulder well.

Zheng Tong swung his saber back and slashed twice in succession. Clang! Clang!

He could not keep up with the third strike, and it swept across his shoulder, numbing half his arm.

Gritting his teeth, he retreated, but his saber light did not stop. Each slash came faster than the last, forcing Lei Bao back half a step through the sheer speed of the Drifting Cloud Saber Technique.

The two tangled in battle, the sounds of saber and ruler clashing echoing through the ravine.

Zhou Yan had been retreating from the very beginning.

He retreated to the innermost part of the ravine, his back against a large boulder and his chopping knife in his right hand.

The skinny man had been slashed across the shoulder by Zheng Tong's saber.

Blood flowed heavily, and the entire sleeve on his left arm clung to his skin.

He clutched his shoulder as he backed away, then looked up and noticed Zhou Yan watching from the side.

He licked his lips and changed direction, walking toward him.

The Viper Saber spun through his fingers.

The first strike stabbed for the throat, its tip aimed directly at Zhou Yan's Adam's apple.

Zhou Yan shifted aside. The blade stabbed into the stone wall, and flying chips of rock grazed his ear.

The second strike came in a backhand upward slash.

It swept upward from below, cutting toward Zhou Yan's chin.

Zhou Yan smiled lightly and leaned back, the blade passing just past the tip of his nose.

The third strike came in a diagonal chop.

Zhou Yan did not dodge. This man's saber technique seemed poorly trained.

This speed was painfully slow in his eyes!

He immediately stepped forward.

That step landed between the skinny man's feet.

His left hand clamped down on the skinny man's saber wrist from below, his five fingers tightening.

The chopping knife hacked into the skinny man's forearm.

Crack!

With one chop, the bone fractured.

His left hand yanked downward, pulling the skinny man forward, while his right fist surged upward from below.

Mountain-Breaking Fist, Stele Splitter!

Everything he had gained from two months of stance training and boxing was contained in that punch.

The Mountain-Breaking Fist at minor accomplishment erupted in that instant.

His fist struck squarely against the man's Adam's apple.

The sound of the throat bone shattering was even crisper than the chopping knife splitting bone.

The skinny man's eyes went wide, a gurgling sound coming from his throat.

He reached out to grab something, his fingers clawing twice at the air before his whole body went limp and collapsed, the back of his head striking a rock.

Zhou Yan released his wrist, bent down to pick up the short blade, and tucked it into his waist. His expression was as calm and unruffled as before he had attacked.

For a brief moment after the skinny man fell, the battlefield fell silent.

Lei Bao caught sight of the skinny man sprawled across the rocks. His furious roar shook the ravine with echoes. "The Gang Leader's task isn't even finished, and we've lost two men here!"

He urgently pushed the Iron Fiend Technique to its limit.

The iron color on his skin deepened, as though he had been coated in liquid iron.

The Soul-Severing Ruler Technique suddenly became fiercer, abandoning defense for attack.

The iron ruler whistled through the air, each strike faster than the last. Zheng Tong's Drifting Cloud Saber was suppressed, and all three consecutive slashes were knocked away.

The ruler tip struck Zheng Tong's left shoulder.

With a crack, Zheng Tong's collarbone fractured.

Zheng Tong grunted and staggered backward, his saber light falling into disarray.

Cao Heng had already risen from beside Zhao Laosi. He too had witnessed the entire process from the skinny man's attack to his fall. With a roar, he charged over with his iron staff, all the strength in his body bursting forth. The Tiger-Subduing Staff dragged across the ground, crushing stones and scattering fragments outward.

Zhou Yan took a step back until he was pressed against the cliff wall, switching the chopping knife to his left hand and freeing his right.

Cao Heng arrived before him in an instant.

The iron staff swung up. The Tiger-Subduing Staff came crashing down from above, aimed straight at the crown of his head.