Chapter 112: Bear King Fortress

Chen Yi He and Qiu Yichen, on their way north, encountered a situation where a martial arts sect was oppressing the common people.

After the heavy rain, the muddy road was truly difficult to travel; even horses struggled to keep steady, let alone ordinary people carrying heavy loads and wearing shackles on their feet.

About thirty-odd people in uniform clothing, each holding whips and long swords, constantly drove the enslaved common folk.

The enslaved commoners numbered about seventy or eighty, all women, children, and elders; their ankles were bound with heavy shackles, and as they walked on the soggy ground, each step sank deep, making it hard to pull free.

One old man accidentally fell into the mire; with a "crack," he was whipped. His body was already weak, and after days of travel, the lash made it even harder for him to rise.

"Hurry up! You're asking for a whipping!" the man nearest the old man stepped forward and lashed him; seeing the old man still not rise, he decided to strike again.

"Crack!" This lash did not hit the old man's body but landed on Chen Yi He's palm.

The heavy, forceful whip vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, with no response; no matter how much strength that person used, they could not pull the whip from Chen Yi He's hand.

"Who… who are you? Aren't… aren't you afraid of death?"

"You dog!" Chen Yi He jerked the whip hard; the man had no time to loosen his grip and was flung face‑down into the mud, getting a mouthful of filth.

This move of Chen Yi He drew the attention of all those holding whips and swords, and they surrounded him.

The leader stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said politely, "Sir hero, I don't know where we have offended you; if we have, please accept my apology."

"Where have you offended me? You're blocking my way." Chen Yi He found it funny, didn't want to lose his temper right away, and simply looked for fault.

"This road is wide enough; how could you be in the way no matter how you go?" the man who had crawled out of the mud asked angrily, glaring at Chen Yi He but daring not to say more.

Because the leader reached out to stop that person, he said, "I am Xiong Yao, chief steward of Bear King Fortress; my subordinates are rude—please don't take offense." After saying that, Xiong Yao lashed that man hard with his whip, "Still not going to apologize to this sir!"

"Sir, I was wrong!" the man immediately dropped to his knees, doing a complete 180‑turn in attitude.

Chen Yi He found it amusing, but he needed an excuse; otherwise striking out would be unkind, so he forced the man to say, "Bark like a dog three times, and I'll forgive you, sir."

Xiong Yao's face changed instantly; he was about to flare up but held back. He told his subordinate, "Still not barking?" Xiong Yao could see Chen Yi He was no ordinary mortal; they could not afford to offend him now—if they really fought, they wouldn't fear defeat, but the chaos would let their captives escape.

Moreover, the most important task at present was to send these seventy‑plus laborers to Bear King Fortress to build a castle for the Bear King.

If there is any delay, once the Bear King loses his temper, the consequences will be unimaginable!

"Woof, woof, woof." The man really began to bark like a dog.

Chen Yi He nearly laughed himself off his horse, pointing at the circle surrounding him and saying, "Hahaha, hahaha! You really are dogs!"

This truly made Xiong Yao angry—himself and his men being called dogs, how could they endure? Even the best temper couldn't take it; no matter how strong the opponent, could they still be a match for their thirty‑plus men?

"Your words are unnecessarily harsh," Xiong Yao asked Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He replied expressionlessly, "For people like you, is it worth my speaking politely?"

Xiong Yao's face changed; his men immediately gripped their swords, ready to charge forward at a command and chop Chen Yi He into minced meat.

"Don't toast and then refuse the drink—punish yourself with another. Go twenty li north and you'll be in Bear King Fortress's territory." Xiong Yao's teeth were almost grinding; this was his last tolerance. In the martial world, especially in the north, who doesn't give Bear King Fortress face? "We've repeatedly shown forbearance; don't be ungrateful—don't make everyone unhappy."

"I don't give a damn whether you're the Bear King or the Pig King—what's it to me? You draw your swords at the drop of a hat—it'll drive someone crazy!" Chen Yi He insulted.

"Damn, that's too arrogant! Brothers, take him down!" Xiong Yao could bear it no longer and waved his sword, issuing the order.

Neither the Heaven's Secret Sword nor the Purple Tempered Sword was drawn; in fewer than twenty moves, Chen Yi He knocked down the thirty‑plus men of Bear King Fortress, mounted Xiong Yao's back, grabbed his hair, and asked, "Do you submit?"

Xiong Yao's face was buried in the mud pit, his mouth full of filth, barely able to breathe; he kept slapping the ground, begging for mercy.

Chen Yi He lifted Xiong Yao's head and asked again, "Do you submit now?"

"Yes, yes, I submit!" Xiong Yao said, coughing up mud as he spoke.

The commoners, seeing this scene, all tried to stifle laughter, afraid to laugh loudly lest Bear King Fortress people retaliate later.

Chen Yi He pointed two fingers at the commoners, and the shackles on their feet and the burdens on their backs all fell off!

"Thank you, great hero! Thank you, great hero!" The commoners knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to Chen Yi He in gratitude.

"Why does Bear King Fortress enslave you?" Chen Yi He asked.

The commoners dared not answer, heads lowered, fearing to see Xiong Yao's furious face.

"Why won't you speak?"

A few commoners began to stammer, and Chen Yi He faintly heard, "They treat us as slave labor, work without pay, and don't bury us when we die."

"Work without pay, die without burial? Is that really how it is?" Chen Yi He asked Xiong Yao.

Xiong Yao dared not speak.

"Is that really the case?" Chen Yi He pressed again, "If you don't speak, I'll bury you in this mire!"

"It… it's the Bear King's intention; it has nothing… nothing to do with us," Xiong Yao forced to say under Chen Yi He's coercion.

"What are you trying to do, treating the commoners like this?"

"The Bear King wants to rebuild the castle, Bear King Fortress." Xiong Yao replied. Not answering would be a dead end; once they reached Bear King Fortress, the Bear King would avenge him and his brothers!

"Bear King Fortress… interesting…" Chen Yi He muttered, rose from Xiong Yao's body, stepped on his head to get back onto his horse, and from start to finish his feet never touched the mud.

"You'd better let us go and not provoke the Bear King, or don't blame me for not warning you!" Xiong Yao struggled in the mud, and, unusually kind, advised Chen Yi He.

"Oh? I'd like to see that…" Chen Yi He felt life was no longer so dull.