A Word To Heaven

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Beside the carriage, the Third Leader rushed over in a few quick steps, yanked Xu Yan out of the cart, and snarled viciously, “Are you looking for death or what!”

Actually, without the First Leader’s orders, Lu Hai was already heartbroken by the broken inkstone and scattered calligraphy scrolls littering the roadside. He couldn’t tell whether those scrolls were good or bad, but if the old man in the carriage really was the current Left Chancellor, how could the things he carried not be valuable?

Just as he was about to deliver a vicious kick, Lu Hai noticed a stream of water shooting toward his face. Unable to dodge in time, he got sprayed full in the face.

“What kind of hidden weapon is this!”

Wiping his face with his hand, he finally saw clearly that the little Taoist priest across from him was actually holding a small black pig, and the water on his face carried a fishy stench.

This Nine-Headed Snake had actually been sprayed in the face with pig urine.

“I’ll hack you to death!”

In his fury, Lu Hai suddenly raised his steel blade, and a very dim halo appeared on the blade’s surface. Others couldn’t see it, but Xu Yan could see it crystal clear.

Seeing the halo on the opponent’s steel blade, Xu Yan’s heart sank. He had seen that kind of halo before. With no time to think further, he hurriedly backed away while holding Little Black, saying urgently, “Pig, pig urine clears heat and detoxifies, it can be used as medicine! I killed someone, I’m also a member of Yuan Mountain Stronghold!”

Lu Hai didn’t care whether pig urine could clear heat or not, but the opponent’s words “I’m also a member of Yuan Mountain Stronghold” finally made him pause his movements. The wisp of true qi that could only be mobilized by circulating his dantian was slowly withdrawn.

Hundreds of bandits were watching around them. He was the Third Leader—if he could break his word even to his own people, what would become of his prestige in the future?

Suppressing his rage, Lu Hai glared hatefully at Xu Yan. At this moment, Flying Centipede Liao Jiuming also approached, laughing heartily, “Third Brother, so you also have times when you’re bested by others, haha.”

“Big Brother, that’s a pig.”

Lu Hai stared at the little Taoist priest, not knowing whether he was calling Xu Yan a pig or cursing the little black pig in Xu Yan’s arms—perhaps this fellow had also learned the art of double entendre.

After cursing once, he also climbed onto the carriage, no longer paying attention to Xu Yan. Together with Flying Centipede, he examined today’s spoils of war. Before long, those bandits who had chased the first carriage also returned one by one, all panting heavily from exhaustion.

Racing against horses—they really couldn’t keep up.

While the two leaders examined things on the carriage, the other minions didn’t dare act presumptuously. They stared at the gold and silver on the ground, drooling. A bandit with a crooked nose and slanted eyes surrounded Xu Yan, laughing and cursing that this newly joined companion was too stupid. Two other scrawny bandits eyed the little black pig in Xu Yan’s arms, looking like they were planning to use this pig to improve their meals.

“Big Brother! We couldn’t catch up!”

At this moment, the Second Leader Han Lei strode over with large steps, his face full of anger. Seeing his expression, the surrounding minions all stepped back several paces.

This Thunderclap had an extremely violent temper. Often, at the slightest disagreement, he would swing his fists and start pounding. Nearly half of Yuan Mountain Stronghold’s minions had been beaten by him. In the entire Yuan Mountain Stronghold, only the First Leader could keep him in check.

“This really pisses me off!”

Han Lei turned in a circle, unable to find anything to vent his anger on. He swung his bowl-sized fist and punched the head of the cart-pulling horse. The big horse didn’t even make a sound—it was directly knocked to the ground, its four hooves kicking weakly. It was clearly not going to survive.

When the horse collapsed, the carriage nearly tipped over with it. Liao Jiuming and Lu Hai jumped out of the cart one after another. The two looked helplessly at Han Lei, no longer in the mood to examine their spoils.

“Big Brother, could that old man really be the current Left Chancellor?” Lu Hai voiced his concern: “If he really is the Left Chancellor, could our Qi Yuan Mountain be in danger?”

“What’s there to fear!” Liao Jiuming let out a cold laugh, saying, “Just government troops—it’s not like we haven’t dealt with them before. Those officials are all living in luxury and debauchery, and their soldiers are even more cowardly than mice. Haven’t we killed plenty of constables these past few years? Even if a large army comes to suppress us, Qi Yuan Mountain is easy to defend and hard to attack, with numerous peaks. If we can’t win, we’ll just leave. It’s just one stronghold—can they really establish a garrison here?”

Bandits were hard to eliminate, especially Yuan Mountain Stronghold with its three experts. Relying on the terrain, unless there were ten times as many government troops surrounding the mountain, Yuan Mountain Stronghold would never disappear.

“Government troops and constables aren’t much to worry about, Big Brother, but what if the border army mobilizes?” Lu Hai said with a frown.

The Great Pu had enjoyed a hundred years of prosperity, and the spring-like weather year-round made this land of rivers and lakes wealthy beyond measure. Not only were the high officials of the Pu Dynasty living in luxury and debauchery, but even the government troops were equally corrupt and rotten. Barely one in ten could actually fight. During the emperor’s military reviews, they looked impressive enough—silver spears and fine horses, each one appearing mighty and extraordinary—but when it came to actual combat, they would only end up throwing away their helmets and armor.

This was the decline that had gradually evolved from prosperity.

The Great Pu was indeed rotting in its prosperity, and the combat effectiveness of government troops had become weaker and weaker after years of putting horses out to pasture. However, the existence of the border army still could not be underestimated.

The Great Pu border army was a force that had truly seen blood, far stronger than government troops from all regions. Especially at Qi Yuan Gorge on the other side of Qi Yuan Mountain, where Great Pu border troops were stationed.

“The Western Pacification Army at Qi Yuan Gorge…”

A trace of wariness flashed across Liao Jiuming’s scar-covered face. He snorted and said, “No need to worry too much. If the border army dares to suppress our Yuan Mountain Stronghold, the Qi Kingdom will have a chance to take advantage of the opening. They won’t dare act rashly. Let’s go, back to the mountain!”

With the First Leader’s call, hundreds of bandits immediately responded with a thunderous roar. They pushed the carriage back toward the mountain forest. Xu Yan, holding the little black pig, was surrounded by several bandits in the middle. With escape impossible, he could only follow them toward the mountains, his face showing curiosity and panic, while his heart was full of bitterness.

Halfway up the mountain, Xu Yan turned his head to glance at the distant mountain road, a trace of bitter smile crossing his lips.

‘Fortunately, that old man’s family should be safe now.’

Selling out others wasn’t good, especially betraying one’s childhood playmate. Although Cheng Linwan had never given Xu Yan a pleasant look throughout the journey, they were still good friends who had played together since childhood.

Since Xu Yan didn’t want his playmate to fall into the hands of these bandit beasts, he could only sell himself instead…

Holding the little black pig, the seemingly foolish little Taoist priest stumbled along in the middle of a group of bandits, his blood-stained appearance looking utterly wretched. He would sniffle from time to time, looking as stupid as the little pig in his arms. He nearly tripped over a rock he hadn’t noticed, causing the surrounding bandits to burst into laughter.

Hearing the laughter, Liao Jiuming turned back to glance at the scruffy little Taoist priest, snorted with disdain, and paid him no more attention. For a long time afterward, this First Leader of Yuan Mountain Stronghold couldn’t even remember what the fellow looked like. The other bandits thought the stronghold had gained a free laborer—finally, they wouldn’t have to do the dirty and tiring work themselves.

However, what the bandits of Yuan Mountain Stronghold didn’t know was that they had brought back not just a foolish little Taoist priest, but also a pig—a pig that specialized in eating tigers!

In the distance among the mountain ridges, a hundred li away, the panicked horse with blood stains all along its path gradually slowed down. Having lost too much blood, the frightened horse finally calmed down.

Inside the carriage, the Cheng family members, who had been jolted until their bones felt like they were falling apart, not only showed no signs of painful moaning but were actually excited beyond measure. The two maidservants even embraced each other and wept.

The feeling of walking through the gates of hell—no one wanted to experience it a second time.

“Master, those bandits haven’t followed us, have they? This horse seems unable to run anymore.” The white-haired Old Madam Cheng clung to the carriage window, looking back. At this moment, it was Cheng Yu who was driving the carriage.

“They have no horses. Once we’ve passed a hundred li, they can’t catch up.” Gently flicking the whip, Cheng Yu’s voice remained calm: “After crossing this mountain, it’s still two days’ journey to Yongning Town. There’s a post station in the town where we can change horses and carriages.”

“Grandfather, Uncle Zhao was killed by Xu Yan! He killed someone!”

Cheng Linwan, who was still trembling with fear even now, finally remembered the bloody scene from before. The carriage was quite high, and while Cheng Yu was urging the horse forward, she had also clearly seen the blade that Xu Yan had thrust down.

The Uncle Zhao that Cheng Linwan mentioned was the Cheng family servant who had been stabbed to death by Xu Yan with a single knife thrust.