Attack the Stronghold

If Falling Moon Market were divided into four, the stronghold would lie in the market's northwest corner.

It was a large compound. Unlike courtyards such as Bamboo Garden and Stone Manor, which were suited for residence, the entire compound had been built as a defensive fortification, with none of the messy, superfluous buildings.

The grounds were spacious and free of clutter, offering an unobstructed view in every direction. This ensured that even if someone infiltrated the compound, there would be nothing to conceal them.

Watchtowers stood around the perimeter, with people pacing within them on patrol.

The watchtowers alone would have been one thing, but there were also several elevated platforms, each fitted with a siege crossbow. Together with the twenty great bows stationed in the stronghold, its defenses could truly be called impregnable.

Inside the stronghold, ever since Duan Hong had left, Cloud Leopard had been gripped by an inexplicable restlessness, as though something was about to happen.

He did not believe Shi Zhongtang and Lu Qianshan would dare do anything to Duan Hong. One was timid as a mouse, while the other had no backbone to speak of. With the situation as it stood, neither had the courage to become enemies with Black Wind Stronghold.

Besides, they already intended to pledge themselves to Black Wind Stronghold. Before long, they would be one of their own.

What he feared was that the Qiao Household might make some major move.

But when he thought of the intelligence they had recently received, the Qiao Household was short on Lan Blood personnel. Even if they had made arrangements for Falling Moon Market, they likely lacked the strength to carry them out.

The intelligence Lu Qianshan had just brought over also proved this. In a place as important as Falling Moon Market, the Qiao Household had only sent a young man and a woman. Clearly, they had no one left to use.

And now, even those two had become turtles trapped in a jar.

Tonight, all they had to do was wait for Duan Hong to capture the pair. The young man was nothing special, but the woman was said to be quite beautiful and brimming with mature charm. He could savor her properly.

At that thought, Cloud Leopard's blood ran hot.

"Fifth Boss, something terrible has happened!" A sudden shout rang out.

Two people immediately came stumbling in, their faces deathly pale.

"What has you so panicked?" Cloud Leopard's face darkened, then his brows abruptly furrowed. "You two... weren't you with Old Seven at Stone Manor?"

"Stone Manor had an ambush! Seventh Boss and the others walked right into it. I'm afraid their fate is more ill than well!" one of the bandits wailed miserably.

"Bullshit!" Cloud Leopard flew into a rage. Rising to his feet, he kicked the speaking bandit to the ground. "Where would Shi Zhongtang get such courage?"

He turned to the other man. "You tell me!"

The second bandit wore the same miserable expression. "Fifth Boss, Seventh Boss truly fell into an ambush. The moment they went in, fighting broke out."

"Where is Old Seven?" Cloud Leopard's expression changed drastically. He finally realized the gravity of the situation, but he could not understand it. Had Shi Zhongtang and Lu Qianshan gone mad? How could they dare join forces with the Qiao Household and become enemies of Black Wind Stronghold?

"I don't know. We sensed something was wrong and immediately came back to report it!"

"Useless trash!" Cloud Leopard roared, snatching up the broadsword beside him as though he were about to strike. The two bandits immediately cried and begged for mercy.

He had not truly gone mad enough to kill them. If Duan Hong had really met with disaster, killing these two would accomplish nothing.

Shi Zhongtang and Lu Qianshan had turned traitor. Duan Hong's fate was unknown, and he was very likely already dead. The next target of the enemy would inevitably be him.

He pondered briefly between fleeing and staying, then quickly reached a decision. "You, return to the stronghold at once and send word. Inform Third Boss of the situation here and request reinforcements. And you, hurry and wake everyone up. Prepare to meet the enemy!" He had chosen to inform Third Boss because, at present, Third Boss was the only Lan Blood remaining at Black Wind Stronghold. Everyone else was outside.

He could flee immediately, but if he truly ran and simply handed Falling Moon Market over on a silver platter, he would inevitably face severe punishment upon returning to the stronghold.

It would be better to hold this place and wait for reinforcements. Then he might still make up for his faults with merit.

As for whether the enemy could breach the stronghold... what a joke. The Qiao Household had spent years making this place so solid. With him personally holding it down and so many brothers at his side, unless the Qiao Household committed five times the manpower or sent a True Blood, they could forget about shaking it.

If they had not caught the defenders off guard before, they would never have captured this stronghold so quickly.

In just a few words, Cloud Leopard had made all the proper arrangements. Before long, the stronghold became a hive of activity.

By the time Yang Yi led everyone to the stronghold, Black Wind Stronghold had already finished its preparations.

Using the firelight, Shen Qian studied the situation inside the stronghold from afar and felt his teeth ache. "This stronghold was built on an entirely different level."

Lu Qianshan, beside him, said, "The Qiao Household has been entrenched here for many years. This is the accumulated result of many Attendants of the Qiao Household."

He had entered and left this stronghold in the past. Although Yang Yi had previously demonstrated formidable strength, Lu Qianshan still felt it would be a precarious prospect for their limited manpower to seize it.

There was indeed only one Lan Blood left inside the stronghold, Cloud Leopard, but there were also several siege crossbows. Those things were what could deal fatal damage to Lan Blood. One misstep, and they could truly lose their lives here.

"Are the siege crossbows installed on those platforms?" Yang Yi asked. Though it was his first time here, he had already grasped all the intelligence he needed about the stronghold.

"Yes, sir." As Lu Qianshan answered, he pointed around, identifying the locations of the siege crossbows.

Yang Yi swiftly took it all in.

"Sir, should I have our men attack and break through the main gate first?" Lu Qianshan asked cautiously.

Yang Yi shook his head. "Black Wind Stronghold is prepared. Before we even get close, a few volleys of arrows will come down. No matter how many men you have, it won't be enough to throw away."

Golden Saber Hall was not entirely unprepared. Many of their people carried defensive gear, but they were still dozens of zhang from the gate. By the time everyone charged over, they would surely have suffered grievous casualties.

"Then what should we do?" Lu Qianshan said, his head throbbing.

Yang Yi stepped forward and loosened his limbs. "I'll go first. Watch the situation, then make your move!"

The moment Qin Siniang saw his stance, she knew what he intended. Though she had faith in Yang Yi's strength, she could not help reminding him, "Be careful. If it really doesn't work, retreat!"

Surprise appeared on Lu Qianshan's face. He had never seen such a leader who took the lead so readily. Under normal circumstances, should not the leader be the last to appear?

Whenever Golden Saber Hall had clashed with others in the past, he and Shi Zhongtang had done exactly that.

Boom...

Dust burst from the ground. As a violent gust swept past, Lu Qianshan's eyes widened.

In the darkness, Yang Yi shot toward the stronghold gate like an arrow loosed from the bow. The crimson blood energy winding around his legs formed a straight line through the night.

"So fast!" Lu Qianshan cried out.

Not only was he fast, his explosive power was terrifying as well. From the moment Yang Yi moved to the moment Lu Qianshan spoke, in those brief two breaths, that streak of red light had already crossed twenty zhang.

Lu Qianshan immediately understood that Yang Yi must have cultivated an exceptionally profound movement technique. Otherwise, he could not possess such terrifying explosive force and speed.

Lu Qianshan was not the only one startled. On one of the stronghold's elevated platforms, Cloud Leopard, who had been coldly watching outside, was also shocked.

After roaming the martial world for so many years, when had he ever seen such a ferocious man?

But he soon snorted coldly. A lone man actually dared charge the formation?

"Release the arrows!"

He did not even need to give the order. The Black Wind Stronghold bandits who had spotted the unusual movement had already acted in unison. In an instant, countless arrows whistled through the air.