Chapter 51: Seizing Control

Pang Yu heard this and suddenly remembered the black-clad men's leader — it was Fang Zhongjia, whom he had seen at the County Vice-Magistrate's office, and whom Mr. Yu had then identified as the Garrison Commander of Digang. No wonder his men had chain mail and trained in military techniques.

The black-clad men were indeed Fang Zhongjia and his household retainers. The able-bodied servants of the Fang Family he had brought were poor in combat and had all been left on the mountain path to intercept anyone who slipped through. In his estimation, his own side had chain mail, their weapons were all official-made weapons, and his household retainers were elite troops who had fought and killed those salt smugglers before — dealing with twenty or thirty rioting Green-Skins should have been as easy as chopping melons and slicing vegetables. He had clearly heard them drinking wine; one surprise charge inside and they would all be cut down in the blink of an eye, with no chance for the enemy to counterattack.

Who could have known they would meet a counterattack so quickly? He could not fathom it no matter how hard he thought — how could they be drinking yet still carrying weapons? And that Jue Zhang crossbow ultimately decided the entire situation.

Fang Zhongjia suppressed the regret in his heart and spoke: "If not for your fence-sitting, Wang Guohua, how could so much slaughter have been wrought today? Everyone in this hall died because of you. Yet you feel not a shred of guilt, and still hide in the shadows shooting arrows — that makes you even more shameless."

His voice was somewhat weak; that first arrow had clearly wounded him badly.

Wang Guohua gave a cold laugh and said, "We brothers were here drinking wine. Garrison Commander Fang came uninvited under the dark moon and high wind, politely bearing swords as gifts, and killed several dozen of my brothers the moment you entered. And you still blame me for it? Truly worthy of an official's — of someone tempered in a house of officials."

Although Wang Guohua's words were sharp, his tongue seemed somewhat clumsy. Pang Yu listened carefully to every syllable — another characteristic of Grass Crow poisoning was numbness of the tongue and limbs. He just did not know whether Wang Guohua and his men themselves had noticed it. If they realized they had been poisoned, from their perspective the most likely suspicion would be that Fang Zhongjia had bribed someone to poison them, and Wang Guohua would then attack Fang Zhongjia as quickly as possible before the poison took full effect.

Fang Zhongjia knew nothing of this. He replied coldly, "You do not reflect on the kindness my elder brother showed in recognizing your talent, and insist on wallowing with that bandit gang — that alone is bad enough — yet you even dared to be so audacious as to stir up rebellion. My brother, because he appreciated your talents in both civil and martial arts, was still willing to give you a way out. If you would only seize Huang Wending, he would help you absolve your crimes and redeem yourself. I never imagined you would still refuse to repent, and would brush off and stall my elder brother."

Wang Guohua's voice suddenly grew louder, as if stirred to anger. "Do you take me, Wang Guohua, for a child?! Mr. Fang is nothing but a country squire — on what grounds could he help me escape my crimes? What sort of goods you civil officials and military officers are, I, Wang, have long known. How could I rashly entrust my life to the likes of you? If the County Magistrate and the Prefect will not offer amnesty, I, Wang, would rather gamble on fate, seize the silver and flee to another region, than believe the nonsense that drips from your mouths."

Pang Yu took advantage of the two men talking and slowly retreated back beside the Buddha statue. Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps came from nearby — someone had entered the main hall through the back door.

Pang Yu stopped moving. From the footsteps, it seemed to be two people. The one in front was panting somewhat heavily, his throat constantly emitting faint grunting sounds.

He moved very slowly, testing the ground with his foot for obstacles before advancing.

The footsteps drew near Pang Yu. Pang Yu felt the other's foot bump against his own waist. He lay on the ground, not daring to make the slightest sound. The man did not notice anything unusual, thinking it was a corpse. He only paused briefly, then stepped over Pang Yu's body. The second man stepped over him as well.

The one in the lead slowly moved a few steps out from beside the Buddha statue. Pang Yu, on the ground, opened his eyes a sliver — the man in front was actually holding a Jue Zhang crossbow.

The conversation in the hall continued. Wang Guohua coughed twice and said, "You and I need not fight to the death. There are over forty thousand taels of silver here. Your men have killed half of my brothers, so now we cannot carry that much away. Let us each take half and go our separate ways — that would be for the best. Otherwise, the only outcome is mutual destruction."

Several silver ingots were tossed out from the side hall, clinking and clanging as they landed beside the dead household retainers. At that moment, the black-clad man's hair also caught fire, flames blazing fiercely atop his head, illuminating the silver ingots on the ground with a brilliant, snowy gleam.

After the torches had been thrown into the main hall, those three household retainers had shifted from the wall to behind a hall pillar. The retainer wounded in the thigh had collapsed in the corner; a large pool of fresh blood had spread beneath him. It seemed his femoral artery had been pierced, and by now there was no more movement from him.

Among the three, one was helping Fang Zhongjia staunch his bleeding, while the other two's attention was completely drawn by Wang Guohua's voice from the side hall. Now, as silver ingots were continuously tossed out, they were all craning their necks to look. A single silver ingot was an enormous fortune, and the ingots flying out one after another had a powerful visual impact.

Having been struck by the powerful crossbow, they were actually quite panicked. For the moment, they were only guarding against the direction of the side hall entrance, completely unaware that someone had already come in through the back door.

Wang Guohua's voice continued, "If we take the silver, we'll all be rich men. Why fight to the death? I, Wang, am no reckless man. As long as I get a way out, I will never return to Tongcheng in this life, and will absolutely not bring trouble upon the Fang Family."

Even Pang Yu felt that Wang Guohua's words were very tempting — especially with Fang Zhongjia wounded and Wang Guohua holding the advantage of the powerful crossbow, the chance of Fang Zhongjia killing Wang Guohua was already very small. These were very practical terms.

But the two men who had entered through the back door proved that everything Wang Guohua said was a lie. He had no intention whatsoever of splitting the silver with Fang Zhongjia; he only wanted to divert Fang Zhongjia's attention, making the other side believe his group was still inside the side hall, while sending his other subordinates, carrying the Jue Zhang crossbow, to circle into the main hall and launch a sneak attack from an angle the enemy was not guarding against.

The man in front quietly raised the Jue Zhang crossbow. Pang Yu remained completely motionless.

The bowstring thrummed. A scream rang out in the hall. Then, from the side hall, Wang Guohua bellowed, "Strike!"

Two figures charged out of the side hall. The man behind the crossbowman also charged out. The crossbowman stayed where he was, pointed the crossbow downward, stepped on the foot stirrup beneath the stock, then grabbed the tail of the crossbow with both hands, preparing to draw the bowstring.

Just as Pang Yu had estimated, Wang Guohua's group had already discovered signs of poisoning. Since death was certain either way, they would rather stake their lives on eliminating Fang Zhongjia's group. Otherwise, they could simply have continued the sneak attack with the Jue Zhang crossbow.

A bloody battle had already erupted inside the hall. Pang Yu heard the unending sound of blades clashing, and from time to time someone let out a muffled groan. Clearly, the two groups had reached the final decisive moment.

Wang Guohua's group had three men in close combat. After the crossbowman's sneak attack, the household retainers were down to two. Wang Guohua's side held the advantage, and under the threat of the poison, they were all resolved to fight to the death.

Those two household retainers had no heart for a desperate fight and were beaten back step by step. The wounded Fang Zhongjia could not flee in time and was stabbed in the back by Wang Guohua's blade. The blade edge tore through the chain mail. With a scream, Fang Zhongjia fell face-down to the ground and never moved again.

Wang Guohua shouted loudly, directing his two companions in the attack. Looking from the ground, Pang Yu saw the two household retainers, seeing Fang Zhongjia fall, were scared out of their wits. They abandoned Fang Zhongjia and fled outside the hall.

The crossbowman seemed to be running out of strength. Several times he tried to draw the string but could not pull it fully. Finally, he mustered all his remaining strength and barely managed to draw the string full. With a crisp click, the catch locked into the notch on the trigger, and the bowstring hooked onto the crossbow mechanism's lug. He then took a crossbow bolt from his waist and placed it into the bolt groove.

The crossbowman finished his preparations and limped after them to the main entrance. There was shouting outside — it seemed the black-clad men's side did have reinforcements, but their combat strength was not strong. The crossbowman shot another man, drawing a panicked cry from the enemy.

A panicked voice shouted, "The Bazong is dead! Run, run!"

Then chaotic footsteps retreated toward the mountain path. Wang Guohua and his men pursued, hacking and slashing, determined to kill until the enemy dared not turn back.

The crossbowman stopped where he was and began panting heavily as he drew the crossbow again. By now, his hands and feet were somewhat numb, and his strength was growing weaker and weaker. He had just pulled it halfway open when suddenly someone pressed tightly against his back. An arm wrapped around his neck from the right, locking onto the left arm. Then the left arm lifted upward, using leverage to tighten the right arm choking his neck, and finally the left palm clamped down firmly on the back of his skull.

The crossbowman immediately could not breathe. In his panic, he dropped the Jue Zhang crossbow. Just as he grabbed the arm across his neck, the person pulled backward, and the crossbowman toppled onto his back. Having lost his center of gravity, he could not apply strength from any other part of his body and could only desperately try to pry that person's arm away.

But those two arms were crossed and braced against each other. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not budge them. The crossbowman was on the verge of suffocation. His legs kicked wildly as he struggled in terror with all his might. Wang Guohua and the others were just outside the hall, not far away, yet the crossbowman could not make a single sound to call for help.

A moment later, the crossbowman's eyes rolled back, his entire body went limp, and he lost consciousness.

…

Inside the main hall, the clothing on the dead black-clad men had burned away completely. The mountain wind blew through the hall, making the flame on the torch on the ground flicker incessantly. Light and shadow wavered across the Tathagata statue, the Buddha's face gazing compassionately upon the great hall strewn with dead and wounded.

Some of the wounded rioters who were not yet dead still writhed and moaned on the ground.

A few lightly wounded rioters had originally been playing dead, waiting for an opportunity, but now they too discovered their hands and feet were numb, and even moving was extremely difficult. Although this was an excellent chance to escape, they lacked the strength to flee the hall.

Wang Guohua, supporting a companion, stumbled back into the main hall. Behind him followed another comrade, also somewhat wounded but still able to walk on his own.

Fang Zhongjia's group had originally left a few of the Fang Family's able-bodied servants at the mountain path junction, but those men had no combat experience whatsoever, and their fighting ability could not compare at all to the household retainers. After Wang Guohua wounded one of them in the darkness, they panicked and fled down the mountain without a care for anything else. The local gentry's forces had been scared witless tonight and no longer posed a threat, but Wang Guohua knew deeply that the crisis was not over.

The moment the few of them entered the main hall, Wang Guohua and the companion he was supporting both collapsed to the ground together. Wang Guohua let out a retching sound and vomited up a great deal of filth.

The severely wounded companion lay on his back and said with a tearful voice, "Brother Wang, my hands and feet are all numb."

Wang Guohua grunted. His own hands and feet were also beginning to go numb. Back in the side hall, they had already noticed their tongues and limbs starting to tingle. Wang Guohua had guessed that someone had poisoned the wine and food, and naturally believed Fang Zhongjia had bribed someone to do it. That was why, before the poison took full effect, they had fought to the death to drive off Fang Zhongjia's group.

As long as Fang Zhongjia was defeated, Wang Guohua felt he still had time to withdraw. But now, with the threat gone and thinking it over carefully, this poisoning seemed somewhat suspicious. If Fang Zhongjia had ordered the poisoning, why not wait until they were incapacitated by the poison before attacking?

Thinking of this, Wang Guohua glanced at Fang Zhongjia. Fang Zhongjia was still lying where he had fallen, a pool of blood beneath him. He looked utterly lifeless.

Wang Guohua turned his head to look at those rioters still writhing in the hall, his eyes flickering constantly. If Fang Zhongjia had not been the poisoner, then the poisoner was very likely still inside the hall. The poisoner certainly would not be poisoned himself, while his own hands and feet were growing number and number. Once his side could no longer move, the poisoner would come out to kill. Anyone who could still move was a danger.

Without further concern for helping his companion, he used both hands and feet on the ground and crawled over beside those still writhing. Using his blade, he stabbed at their vital points. The comrade who could still move, seeing this, followed suit. Carrying a blade and a torch, he ignored the pleas of the wounded rioters and hacked his way through them all.

Moments later, all those who could still move had been sent to the bliss of the afterlife. Wang Guohua and his men, after several bouts of fierce combat, had long since exhausted their physical strength, and were also in a state of advancing poisoning. Now, without the intense stimulus of danger, once their mental spirit relaxed, their physical stamina became even harder to sustain. The last companion who could still move finally could hold on no longer and slowly slumped to the ground.

Wang Guohua rested for a moment, then forced himself to his feet, the filth still lingering at the corners of his mouth. He had drunk the least wine in the hall, which was why he could still hold on until now.

He staggered to the entrance of the side hall. Before the charred black-clad man, the ground was covered with silver ingots, but Wang Guohua had no strength to pick them up, let alone the large pile of silver inside the side hall.

He somewhat regretted returning to the main hall. After chasing down Fang Zhongjia's group earlier, he should have hidden in the woods beside the mountain path. Now, even walking out was becoming a struggle.

He fiercely swept his gaze across the dim main hall and suddenly roared in anger, "Who poisoned us?!"

The voice echoed through the main hall, but no one answered him.

The collapsed companion said dejectedly to Wang Guohua, "Perhaps it was Zhu Zong who poisoned us. He urged everyone to drink so much wine today. Maybe he also wanted to swallow the silver for himself."

"That would be nice. I hacked him five times — he's long dead." Wang Guohua leaned against the hall wall, propping himself up to keep from collapsing. "What I fear is that the poisoner isn't dead yet."

Wang Guohua suddenly raised his head. "Where's Zhang Er? He had the crossbow…"

The attendant's mouth hung open, and before he could speak — *Thwump! — a thunderous sound rang out.

A crossbow bolt flew out from beside the Buddha statue, cutting through the air across the great hall and striking Wang Guohua in the thigh. Wang Guohua spun around and crashed heavily onto the stone floor.

Wang Guohua wailed up at the ceiling. From behind the Buddha came a creaking, rattling sound. The attendant knew it was the string being drawn back — he would be next for certain. He struggled desperately to stand, but his limbs no longer obeyed.

He leaned against the hall wall in despair, watching helplessly as a crossbow bolt came straight at him. The bolt struck him in the ribs, the powerful force knocking him askew. Bloody froth spilling from his mouth, he slowly slid down beneath the hall wall.

Aside from Wang Guohua, not a single person in the hall made the slightest sound.

Wang Guohua's head was covered in beads of sweat from the pain. Gritting his teeth against the agony, he turned his head toward the Buddha statue. A figure emerged, carrying a Jue Zhang Crossbow and slowly approaching.

Wang Guohua knew this man had to be the one who poisoned them. He glared at him with fury, until the man drew close — then a look of sudden recognition dawned on Wang Guohua's face.

He said with bitter resentment, "Should have figured it was you all along, you Dog Runner. Sure enough, not a single Xuli is worth a damn."

Pang Yu breathed lightly, his entire body drenched in sweat. The blood flowing from his left shoulder had dyed half his clothes red. He was nearing the limits of his stamina. Though he had not taken part in any blade-to-blade combat, he had fought bare-handed twice and spent the entire night in a state of extreme tension. By now he was utterly exhausted — but fortunately, everything was already under control.

"From the sound of it, Brother Wang, you think you're worth a damn yourself. Everyone in this hall is a brother you swore an oath with at the Sworn Brotherhood Ceremony. If Fang Zhongjia hadn't arrived a step early, we would all have died at your hands."

Wang Guohua lay on the ground and shook his head weakly. "Just give me a clean end."

Pang Yu set down the Jue Zhang Crossbow. "No more bolts. Once I find a crossbow bolt, I'll come give you that clean end."

Wang Guohua forced out two rasping laughs. "If you've got the guts, kill me with a blade right in front of me. A dog of a runner who doesn't even dare kill with a sword — I, Wang Guohua, a hero all my life, dying at the hands of a dog runner."

Pang Yu had no energy left to trade barbs. He placed the Jue Zhang Crossbow by the corner of the wall, drew a Short Blade into his hand, and prepared to search the room for spare crossbow bolts, then use a bolt to shoot Wang Guohua dead and buy more time to move the silver. Wang Guohua had not drunk much wine, and with his formidable martial strength, as long as he could still move, Pang Yu would not go near him.

The light in the hall was dim. Pang Yu turned around and picked up a torch. As the light brightened, he remembered the charred man in black had a crossbow bolt in him — but the stench was nauseating.

While he was still searching for other crossbow bolts, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the side hall: "Zhu Zong, that method of yours works. I covered my head with a thick quilt and slept in the Monks' Quarters, broke a sweat, and sure enough I'm much better."

Firelight appeared in the side hall, and footsteps rapidly approached. Pang Yu's scalp went numb. Before he could react, a figure carrying a lantern strode quickly out of the side hall.

The man looked up and saw Pang Yu holding the torch. The two faced each other, both frozen in shock.