A few minutes later, Ye Yun returned to the camp with Liu Laosan and saw the caravan guards cleaning up the battlefield.
Seeing Ye Yun return, Manager Luo immediately stepped forward, bowed to Ye Yun, and said, "Thank you, Young Master Ye, for saving us. If not for you, this old man and everyone in the caravan would have perished here. For such immense kindness, this old man will certainly report to the family head and properly thank you!"
"Manager Luo, there is no need for this. Since I was traveling with the caravan, I naturally could not stand by and watch you die. Besides, it was merely a lift of the hand. There is no need to report it," Ye Yun said after accepting Manager Luo's bow.
Just as Manager Luo was about to speak, he suddenly saw Liu Laosan behind Ye Yun. Startled, he staggered back several steps. "Young Master Ye... I never expected you to capture Liu Laosan alive. You gave this old man quite a fright!"
Seeing how frightened Manager Luo was, Ye Yun smiled and said, "Manager Luo, there is no need to be afraid. Liu Laosan has already been subdued by me and poses no threat. I returned to tell you that I have something to attend to and must leave first. I will not be traveling with the caravan any longer."
"Ah! Young Master Ye, why is that? Could it be that you truly intend to wipe out Clearwind Stronghold?" Manager Luo asked, staring at Ye Yun in astonishment.
"I concealed quite a few things before. I hope Manager Luo will not take it to heart. This matter should not be publicized, so I could only handle it this way." Ye Yun nodded at Manager Luo.
Seeing Ye Yun admit it, Manager Luo looked at him worriedly and said, "Since Young Master Ye has already made his decision, this old man will not say more. I only hope that you will take great care on this journey and successfully wipe out Clearwind Stronghold. If you come to Blackwater Commandery City in the future, please be sure to let me know. This old man will certainly receive you properly, to repay the grace of saving our lives!"
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Manager Luo. If I go to Blackwater Commandery City, I will certainly pay a visit to the Luo Family," Ye Yun replied politely.
Before long, the captain of the caravan guards came before Ye Yun carrying a bundle. Looking at Ye Yun with gratitude, he said, "Young Master Ye, these are your spoils of battle. On behalf of the brothers in the guard team, I thank you for saving our lives!"
Faced with repeated thanks, Ye Yun felt somewhat uncomfortable. He accepted the things in the guard captain's hands and said, "I have received your gratitude. Then I'll trouble you, Captain, to pass my thanks on to everyone."
Ye Yun turned to Manager Luo and bade him farewell. "Manager Luo, I will take my leave first. If fate allows, we will meet again!"
With that, Ye Yun led Liu Laosan away, riding toward Clearwind Stronghold.
Watching Ye Yun's departing figure, the guard captain asked Manager Luo, "Manager, why did Young Master Ye suddenly leave? Wasn't he going to Blackwater Commandery City with us?"
Manager Luo shook his head and watched Ye Yun's figure gradually disappear into the distance. "Young Master Ye had something urgent arise, so he left ahead of us. Take the guards and bury the bandits' corpses."
After the guard captain accepted his orders and left, Manager Luo murmured to himself, I hope Young Master Ye succeeds in accomplishing his goal!
It was now about midnight, with several hours still remaining before dawn. Ye Yun led Liu Laosan swiftly toward Clearwind Stronghold.
At their current speed, they could reach Clearwind Stronghold within two hours and catch Wu Heihu and the others completely off guard.
Otherwise, if too much time passed and Liu Laosan still had not returned, Wu Heihu would inevitably grow suspicious.
As they traveled, Ye Yun asked Liu Laosan, who was riding beside him, "Liu Laosan, I heard Manager Luo say that your Clearwind Stronghold came to Blackwater Commandery three years ago. Why was that?"
"Young Master Ye, you do not know this, but Clearwind Stronghold is not merely a bandit den. Our three chiefs are all from the Wu Family of Rock Mountain Commandery, which neighbors Blackwater Commandery. We came to Blackwater Commandery to plunder supplies for the Wu Family's cultivation. The First Chief, Wu Heihu, is a member of the Wu Family, while Zhang Bao and I are guest retainers of the Wu Family.
There are others like us in the other two commanderies of Mysterious Continent, though who exactly they are is beyond my knowledge." Hearing Ye Yun's question, Liu Laosan laid out Clearwind Stronghold's origins one by one.
After learning the origin of Clearwind Stronghold, Ye Yun could not help but feel secretly enraged. The Wu Family was simply too despicable and shameless. As one of the three great families of Rock Mountain Commandery, it was actually doing this murderous business of killing and looting in the shadows.
When Ye Yun looked at Liu Laosan again, a flash of killing intent passed through his eyes. If they had merely been ordinary bandits, he would not have been so angry. Yet the truth was that members of a great family wore the skins of bandits, did the deeds of bandits, and used stolen resources to sustain their family. It filled him with fury.
Liu Laosan did not see Ye Yun's expression and continued, "Young Master Ye should also know that the City Lord of Blackwater Commandery City once mobilized troops to attack Clearwind Stronghold. I only heard Wu Heihu speak of this afterward. After that defeat, when their feathers were broken and arrows spent, the City Lord had originally planned to attack Clearwind Stronghold again. But the Wu Family sent someone to meet with him and reached some sort of agreement. Only then did he allow us to continue plundering."
At those words, the chill in Ye Yun's eyes deepened, though he suppressed the killing intent in his heart and asked Liu Laosan, "Since you plunder resources for the Wu Family's use, what about yourselves? And how do you hand the resources over to the Wu Family?"
Hearing Ye Yun's question again, Liu Laosan hurriedly answered, "Every three months, someone from the Wu Family comes to Clearwind Stronghold to collect the accumulated resources. Each time, we keep thirty percent for our cultivation and the stronghold's daily needs. More than two months have passed since the last handover. In a little over ten days, it will be time for the next one."
Liu Laosan's answer stirred Ye Yun's thoughts. He instantly considered waiting a few more days before wiping out Clearwind Stronghold, then catching the Wu Family's people in one sweep when they arrived.
Thus, Ye Yun pressed on, "How many people does the Wu Family send each time? What is their cultivation?"
"Young Master Ye, the Wu Family sends the same person every time. He is probably at the eighth or ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm. I cannot distinguish his exact cultivation. But I heard of him while I was in the Wu Family. His name is Wu Hai, and he is one of the elders of the Wu Family's War Hall," Liu Laosan said.
Liu Laosan now answered every question Ye Yun asked, all in the hope of gaining a sliver of a chance to live. Little did he know that Ye Yun had already sentenced him to death in his heart.
This answer made Ye Yun abandon his earlier idea. Since Wu Hai was one of the War Hall's elders, he was surely no ordinary opponent. Ye Yun still had some confidence in a one-on-one fight, but with the people of Clearwind Stronghold nearby, caution was the better course.
After that, Ye Yun and Liu Laosan raced onward at full speed. After more than an hour, they finally reached Beheaded Mountain, where Clearwind Stronghold was located.
From above, Beheaded Mountain appeared to be severed from the mountain range behind it, while the remaining portion resembled a decapitated head. That was why it was called Beheaded Mountain.
Only one side of the mountain could be climbed. The other sides were sheer cliffs, difficult to scale. Ye Yun followed Liu Laosan upward, passing several hidden sentries before arriving halfway up the mountain.
From afar, they saw a towering stone wall cutting off the mountain road across its middle. Only a large iron gate in the center of the wall allowed passage, and behind it stood two watchtowers, where several bandits were keeping guard.
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(End of Chapter)
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