Chapter 52: Vicious

Pang Yu's mind went completely blank. Gu Xiaowu, who should have gone to Tongcheng, had appeared right at the moment of near success.

He murmured, "Xiaowu… why didn't you go to Tongcheng?"

"My illness hadn't cleared. Alliance Leader Huang told me to…"

Gu Xiaowu answered reflexively, not yet fully grasping the situation himself. He turned his dazed gaze back to Pang Yu's face. "Brother Pang, what are you doing?"

Pang Yu was utterly unprepared, no excuse ready in his mind. He only wanted to keep Gu Xiaowu calm, and subconsciously took a step forward.

Gu Xiaowu, still bleary-eyed, scanned the corpse-strewn main hall. His expression suddenly shifted, and he retreated two steps.

"Brother Yu, don't come any closer." With a sharp clang, Gu Xiaowu drew an ox-slaying knife from his waist.

Pang Yu stopped at once. He was nearly exhausted, his hands and feet trembling. Even stringing the Jue Zhang crossbow would be difficult now, and his movement speed was greatly reduced. Gu Xiaowu was a fresh combatant; if it came to a fight, Pang Yu had no confidence in winning.

Pang Yu's mind raced. He gave a cold snort and said, "Then Brother Gu, you stay back too. Wait until I kill Wang Guohua, that traitor who sold out his friends for gain."

Gu Xiaowu held his knife warily, his eyes darting back and forth between the floor and Pang Yu, seemingly utterly bewildered by the scene before him.

Wang Guohua coughed a few times, struggling to twist his body. He grabbed the waist saber from the ground and raised it in Pang Yu's direction, guarding against a sudden lunge.

"Gu Xiaowu, don't believe him! This dog of a runner poisoned us! Everyone in the hall was poisoned, and he killed them all one by one with his knife."

The Gu Xiaowu before him was Wang Guohua's only hope for survival. Though his tongue was somewhat numb, he still loudly proclaimed his defense.

Pang Yu let out two hearty laughs, drowning out Wang Guohua's strained voice. "Still spewing slander at a time like this? If I poisoned and killed all our brothers, then who colluded with those kneeling soldiers over there? And how did that Fang family Bazong lying over there get here?"

Pang Yu turned his head to look at Gu Xiaowu. "The connection between Wang Guohua and the Fang family — Xiaowu, you must have heard of it. The man lying over there is Fang Zhongjia of the Fang family, the Garrison Commander of Digang. Tell me, who lured him here?"

Gu Xiaowu's gaze towards Wang Guohua began to fill with suspicion, for the kneeling household retainer was indeed wearing chain mail. And the relationship between Wang Guohua and the Fang family was something Gu Xiaowu had heard about; gaining the favor of Country Squire Fang had once been one of Wang Guohua's boasts.

Wang Guohua gripped his waist saber tightly and gave two dry laughs. "Dog runner Pang, you talk well. If I lured those soldiers here, why are you the only one standing now, while everyone else is either dead or injured? Clearly, you are the one who brought them."

"I can stand because our brothers fought to the death, which was beyond your expectation." Pang Yu spoke with righteous indignation. "Brother Zhu Zong died in bloody battle, and you still stabbed him five more times. Brother Gu, go and look. Zhu Zong's body is covered in slashing wounds. That waist saber of Wang Guohua's is stained entirely with Zhu Zong's blood. He says I killed all these people — then look at my blade."

Gu Xiaowu looked at the short blade in Pang Yu's hand. Indeed, there was not a trace of blood on it, while Wang Guohua's waist saber was covered in bloodstains. Gu Xiaowu's cheek twitched, his expression gradually turning to grief and indignation.

Wang Guohua retched twice more. There was no food left in his stomach; he only brought up a little liquid. Stimulated by the gastric juices, tears and mucus streamed down his face. The hand holding his saber drooped back to the ground, the very picture of utter exhaustion. For a moment, he could not speak.

Gu Xiaowu took this as an admission of guilt and roared at Wang Guohua, "We are all brothers bound by the Sworn Brotherhood Ceremony! Zhu Zong has known you since childhood. Why would you commit such a vicious crime?"

Pang Yu seized the chance to interject, "Because he wanted to use our heads to defect to the yamen, to be recruited for surrender and redeem himself, and to split the silver with that Fang Zhongjia."

Gu Xiaowu turned blankly to Pang Yu. "Zhu Zong and the others are all dead. Brother Yu, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

Seeing that Gu Xiaowu believed him, Pang Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but did not let down his guard. He looked at Gu Xiaowu and spoke softly, "I don't know what to do either, but it comes down to defecting to the yamen or fleeing to another region. It depends on what you say, Brother Gu."

Gu Xiaowu did not come closer. He shook his head anxiously where he stood. "How can we go back to the yamen? I was the Vanguard General. Everyone in Tongcheng knows. I've offended all the great households. Even if I returned to the yamen, I'd die at the hands of those gentry…"

Seeing Gu Xiaowu at a loss, Pang Yu decided to offer him a way out. He advised, "There's no other method now, and the yamen cannot be trusted. Brother Gu, take as much as you can carry, go somewhere no one knows you, and never return to Tongcheng from then on."

"Brother Yu… I've never been to another region. The farthest I've gone is the border of Huaining. How would I survive out there?"

"With silver, you can live well anywhere."

Tears streaming, Gu Xiaowu thought for a moment, then fixed his eyes on Pang Yu. "Why do you only think of defecting to the yamen or fleeing to another region? Have you never thought of telling Alliance Leader Huang, letting him bring the brothers back to Yunji Temple?"

Pang Yu's heart jolted. His thinking tonight had been confined within this main hall. Moreover, knowing the country gentry had prepared a large force of Da Hang for the next morning, and that Huang Wending, caught completely off guard, would inevitably fail to escape, Pang Yu had long since excluded Huang Wending from any consideration.

He immediately remedied this, saying, "I feel that Huang Wending and Wang Guohua were in collusion long ago. Huang Wending deliberately took the others away so Wang Guohua could steal the silver. They planned to meet up in another region and split it. If we go looking for Huang Wending, wouldn't we be walking right into a trap?"

Gu Xiaowu indeed hesitated. He buried his head in thought for a long while, then suddenly looked up. "Since this Wang Guohua is so heartless, we won't be righteous either. We split the silver, then take his head to the yamen to claim merit. That way, the gentry won't make things difficult for us."

Pang Yu almost agreed in a single breath, but forcefully held back. He feigned a startled look on his face and even took a step backward. At the same time, he carefully observed Gu Xiaowu's expression. The torchlight flickered, making Gu Xiaowu's face appear bright one moment and dark the next. Gu Xiaowu's eyes flickered too; he was also carefully observing Pang Yu.

Pang Yu dared not confirm Gu Xiaowu's true thoughts. What if Gu Xiaowu was testing him? The moment he agreed, Gu Xiaowu might turn hostile and attack. Pang Yu felt himself growing weaker and weaker, the wound on his shoulder aching more intensely, his head even feeling somewhat dizzy. Pang Yu did not know if it was from blood loss or excessive physical exertion.

Inside the dim side hall door was that forty thousand taels of silver. Gu Xiaowu, standing at the hall entrance, was the final obstacle between Pang Yu and the silver.

Because of Gu Xiaowu's appearance, Pang Yu dared not signal his three helpers down the mountain. Otherwise, he would be unable to explain why he had arranged for people to assist him, and Gu Xiaowu might immediately turn on him.

This man had treated him quite well. Pang Yu had never even considered killing him.

Letting Gu Xiaowu leave posed an even greater risk. First, he might go find Huang Wending. Second, there would then be a witness to Pang Yu and his group taking the silver. Once word leaked out, those great households would ultimately force Pang Yu and his group to cough it up. All of tonight's risks would have been for nothing. Third, he might be implicated in the capital crime of killing the Digang household retainers. How could Pang Yu be willing to accept that?

Pang Yu looked at Gu Xiaowu before him, momentarily at a loss. Waves of anxiety surged in his heart. He hurriedly took two deep breaths, barely suppressing that agitation.

After a moment of silence, Pang Yu stared at Gu Xiaowu and spoke. "Killing Wang Guohua is to avenge our brothers. But if we defect to the yamen, what happens to us if Huang Wending captures the county seat?"

Gu Xiaowu said urgently, "Without Wang Guohua, Alliance Leader Huang's defeat and destruction is only a matter of time."

"Then you come and kill Wang Guohua. Take his head. This great merit is yours."

Gu Xiaowu stepped back. "I've never killed anyone. I can't do it."

Pang Yu continued to probe. "I don't dare kill either, and I dare not stay in Tongcheng. After today, the yamen will want to arrest us, the country gentry will want revenge, and Huang Wending might also want to kill us. I am leaving for another region right now. You step aside from the hall door, let me go in and wrap up some silver, and I'll be on my way."

"No, no, Brother Yu, don't you leave either. A man away from home is treated cheaply. Let's slowly think of a method. There must be a way."

Pang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. Even now, he still could not discern Gu Xiaowu's true intentions. As time passed, he had grown extremely impatient with this circular probing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Jue Zhang crossbow against the wall. He immediately tucked his short blade into his waistband and reached out a hand towards Gu Xiaowu. "Then wait a moment, Brother Xiaowu. I need to go get an arrow to kill Wang Guohua. After that, we brothers can discuss our next move."

With that, Pang Yu slowly walked to the corner and picked up the Jue Zhang crossbow. Holding a torch, he backed towards the center of the hall, where a household retainer lay fallen behind a pillar with a crossbow bolt in him.

As he retreated, he kept an eye on the corpses behind him while also watching Gu Xiaowu ahead. Once he had a crossbow bolt in hand, Pang Yu would no longer fear Gu Xiaowu. He could then first force Gu Xiaowu to put down his short blade.

Gu Xiaowu was thin and small. Without a weapon, even injured, Pang Yu felt he could easily subdue him. Then he could call his three helpers up the mountain, and everything would finally be under his control.

Just then, Wang Guohua on the ground suddenly mustered his strength to prop himself up. His voice hoarse, he said to Gu Xiaowu, "The moment he gets that arrow, you're a dead man."

Gu Xiaowu breathed rapidly, looking at Wang Guohua in panic, then immediately turning back to Pang Yu.

Pang Yu continued retreating as he said, "Brother Gu, don't listen to his provocations. I just want to kill him."

Propping himself up with one hand, Wang Guohua shouted, "Everyone in this hall was shot dead by him! That's why there's no blood on his blade! He wants the silver, he won't leave you alive!"

Gu Xiaowu let out a frantic yell, rushed forward two steps, and raised his knife at Pang Yu. "Stop right there! You are not allowed to take that arrow!"

Pang Yu had already reached the corpse's side. He could grab the crossbow bolt with one reach, but the bolt was not yet strung. At Gu Xiaowu's current distance, he could strike before Pang Yu finished stringing it.

He halted his movement and stared at Gu Xiaowu, speaking as calmly as possible. "I only dare shoot people with a crossbow bolt. If you don't want me to take the arrow, then you go kill Wang Guohua."

Gu Xiaowu wept and shook his head repeatedly. "No, I don't dare kill anyone either…"

"Then I am going to take the arrow. I can't stay here with you and waste the whole night."

Gu Xiaowu stood stunned for a long moment. Suddenly, he lowered his knife and said to Pang Yu, "Then take the arrow, Brother Pang. I trust you."

Pang Yu placed the torch on the ground, his right hand resting near the short blade at his belt in case Gu Xiaowu suddenly charged. His left hand grabbed the tail of the arrow and pulled. There was some resistance, but it was looser than the charred man in black. Applying force, the crossbow bolt finally came out smoothly.

Pang Yu felt a surge of joy in his heart — as long as he could string the crossbow bolt, everything would be under control. He was slightly anxious, but his eyes remained fixed on Gu Xiaowu.

Gu Xiaowu's expression was blank, as if he had frozen in place.

Pang Yu relaxed a little. He planted his right foot on the crossbow stirrup, gripped the tail of the crossbow with both hands, and pulled upward with all his might.

In that very instant, Gu Xiaowu suddenly raised his blade, his face twisted with ferocity as he lunged forward recklessly.

Gu Xiaowu had been waiting for this moment, because Pang Yu's hands were occupied with the crossbow and he could not draw a blade.

All of Pang Yu's strength was focused on drawing the string; his body was nearly locked rigid by the crossbow. Seeing this, he panicked, his footing gave way, and the force of the bowstring recoiled against him. His chest felt stifled, and his body pitched forward involuntarily.

The short blade reached his chest in an instant. In his panic, Pang Yu had not even adjusted his center of gravity. Gu Xiaowu lunged, and the two of them crashed to the ground together. The fall dazed Pang Yu, and with his strength already drained, it took both hands just to hold back the hand gripping the blade.

Gu Xiaowu had the upper hand. He pressed his left hand over his right, which held the blade, and roared, "Think you can fool me? You never used to stay at the temple, and the very day you do, trouble breaks out."

Pang Yu struggled to hold him off, no longer having the breath to trade words.

Wang Guohua's voice rang out with two rasping laughs. "Haha, Gu Xiaowu says he dares not kill. Dog flunky, who do you think killed Yin Deng? It was this Gu Xiaowu. Hacked Yin Deng over thirty times. Dog flunky Pang, tonight you'll die a wretched death at his hands."

Having spoken, Wang Guohua struggled to rise. Only one of his hands could move, and with that hand he laboriously dragged himself across the ground toward Pang Yu. That hand still held the waist saber, which clanged against the floor.

Pang Yu could hear the movement. Once Wang Guohua got close, with himself unable to move, he could only let Wang Guohua hack and stab at will.

Then he recalled the gruesome state of Yin Deng's severed head. The Coroner had said at the time that the neck had been hacked dozens of times. Only tonight did he learn that the one who killed Yin Deng was Gu Xiaowu. Gu Xiaowu lacked the strength to sever a head in one stroke, but his savagery was something even Huang Wending could not match. No matter what, he could not fall into this man's hands.

With an angry bellow, Pang Yu rose onto the balls of his feet, thrust his hips slightly upward to gain room to move, and then swept both hands to the side, letting the short blade slice across his arm. Enduring the searing pain, he twisted the other man's hand, rolled over, and threw Gu Xiaowu off.

Gu Xiaowu was not a strong man and had never trained in martial arts. In an instant, Pang Yu had reversed the pin. Panic rising, Gu Xiaowu thrashed wildly.

Pang Yu was equally panicked. He had practiced Gracie Wine-Jitsu, and earlier in the darkness he had used the Cross Collar Choke and Rear Naked Choke to successfully subdue two opponents. But those had been surprise attacks when the opponents lacked sharp weapons — bare-handed combat. If not for that ox-slaying knife right now, he had many ways to subdue Gu Xiaowu. But with Gu Xiaowu holding a sharp weapon, especially the most dangerous short blade, those techniques were all useless.

Pang Yu could only desperately pin down Gu Xiaowu's knife hand. Any shift in position could get him killed. At any other time, encountering an opponent with a sharp weapon, Pang Yu would have long since fled. Those so-called bare-hand-against-blade techniques, in a head-on confrontation, might not succeed even once in ten tries.

The two men grappled on the ground in a stalemate. Pang Yu could now use his body weight, which took far less effort than before, but under the tension his strength was still draining fast. He freed his left hand and felt at his waist — his own short blade had vanished somewhere during the struggle.

The torch on the floor had been kicked into the corner by their thrashing, plunging the main hall back into dim gloom.

Another clang sounded from behind. Wang Guohua had advanced another step. His speed seemed slower than before, but it still set Pang Yu's heart burning with urgency.

Pang Yu strained every muscle to pin that hand down and shouted at Gu Xiaowu, "If you want to live, drop the blade and do everything I say. I'll let you stay in Tongcheng, with enough silver to last you a lifetime."

"When I killed Yin Deng, I never thought about Recruit to Surrender. Pang Yu, you want to take the silver… dream on. You killed so many of my brothers. If I get away… just wait to die. Wait till Huang Wending brings men to burn that Medicine Shop of your family… burn it to ashes."

"What did you say?" As Pang Yu spoke, he groped the ground around him with his foot. He touched something heavy and glanced over — it was the small wooden stool Wang Guohua had been sitting on while drinking.

Gu Xiaowu kept cursing furiously, "I'll definitely slaughter your whole family, slaughter your…"

"Slaughter how?" Pang Yu gasped for breath. The small wooden stool was now in his left hand.

Behind him, Wang Guohua shifted another step. Danger lurked on all sides in the dim hall. Pang Yu panted heavily, his mind seeming to have stopped thinking altogether; only his body still moved on reflex.

"Slaughter every last chicken and dog in your house! I know where your home is, I know your parents too…" Gu Xiaowu roared. Seizing the moment when Pang Yu's left hand was not pinning his shoulder, he raised his upper body and sank his teeth into Pang Yu's arm.

Pang Yu screamed in pain, his forehead beaded with dense sweat. Exhaustion and danger nearly shattered his mental spirit. Then a surge of fury rose blazing from his chest.

Pang Yu bellowed, "Every last chicken and dog!" He raised the wooden stool high and smashed it down toward Gu Xiaowu's head.

The wooden stool struck Gu Xiaowu's forehead with brutal force. Gu Xiaowu's raised head slammed backward hard against the bluestone floor, and the strength of his struggling instantly slackened.

"Kill! Kill!" Pang Yu roared from his mouth, like a man possessed, raising the wooden stool high and smashing it down again and again into Gu Xiaowu in the darkness.

The mountain wind swept through the hall with a moaning howl. The rear door's gate leaves, caught by the wind, swayed with a creaking, grating sound.

In the hellish main hall, Pang Yu panted heavily, his hands trembling uncontrollably. A tight, stiff sensation spread over them — it was blood congealing on his skin.

Behind him, Wang Guohua stopped moving. He knew that going any closer now was pointless, and simply lay on the ground, emitting a strange laugh.

Pang Yu summoned the last of his strength to stand. He picked up the torch, went out beyond the courtyard gate, and began waving it down toward the foot of the mountain.