Chapter 43: Capture Alive

"They say… they say they'll exterminate… exterminate our Heifengzhai, the charge is… is…"

The lackey turned deathly pale from fright, stammering, unable to finish his sentence.

"Damn it, speak up!"

Heifeng's voice suddenly rose, like a clap of thunder.

"It's… it's colluding… colluding with the Demonic Cult!"

The lackey finally managed to say it all.

"The Demonic Cult?!"

Heifeng froze, then burst out laughing,

"What a huge joke! I've never even seen a hair of the Demonic Cult, yet they accuse me of colluding with it!"

"This is clearly someone framing me!"

His anger surged within him.

"Big Boss, the government troops are almost at the mountain gate! What… what should we do?"

A bearded, burly man asked anxiously; he was the Second Boss of Heifengzhai, known as Tieniu.

Heifeng suppressed his anger.

He said in a low voice:

"Brothers, it hasn't been easy for our Heifengzhai to get to this point."

"Now someone wants to put us to death; we absolutely cannot sit and wait for our doom!"

"Even if we fight to the death, we must make them pay!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The original fear was replaced by fervent fighting spirit.

"Tieniu, immediately gather the troops and guard the mountain gate."

"I'll go meet him; today I'll let them know you don't mess with a tiger's butt!"

Heifeng issued the order decisively.

"Brothers! Kill! Kill every last one of these bastard government troops, loot all their gold and silver!"

"Tonight we'll take these as food and drink and celebrate properly!"

Heifeng let out a furious roar, making the valley reverberate with a hum.

The lackeys behind him, each a ferocious demon, brandishing swords, spears, and sticks, howled as they charged down the mountain.

Heifeng looked at his battle-hardened, ever-victorious force, his heart swelling with pride.

"Big Brother, look!"

A scrawny lackey at his side pointed down the mountain, his voice trembling as he spoke.

Heifeng impatiently followed the lackey's finger and saw at the mountain base, besides the dense ranks of Heifengzhai troops, there was also a particularly conspicuous army.

What startled Heifeng even more was that this army flew a black flag embroidered with a ferocious ghost-face pattern.

"Ghost… ghost… Ghost Face Army!"

Heifeng felt a chill surge from his feet straight to the top of his head.

Who in the underworld doesn't know the fearsome reputation of the Ghost Face Army?

Although he claimed to be a regional overlord, he had once personally witnessed the Ghost Face Army in action; their terrifying combat power remains a nightmare he cannot shake.

"Quick! Quick, tell the brothers to stop!"

Heifeng's voice began to tremble—it was actually the Ghost Face Army.

However, Heifeng was still a step too late.

"Kill!"

In the Ghost Face Army, a commander clad in black armor and wearing a ghost-faced mask coldly uttered a single word.

The next moment, the Ghost Face Army moved.

Shrieks and the clash of weapons echoed through the valley.

Heifeng watched this hell-on-earth scene before him, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

He knew everything was over.

"Chief! Run! The Ghost Face Army is coming for us!"

Heifeng gave a bitter laugh, strained to push him away, and muttered:

"Run? Where to? I've roamed the jianghu for years, robbing the rich to help the poor."

"I thought bribing the officials would save me, but in the end I still can't escape death……

"Want to die? Not that easy!"

A cold, clear voice came from behind him.

"Who are you?"

Heifeng's voice trembled.

"Jiang Xiaomu, have you heard of him?"

Heifeng, bewildered: "I've never heard of him!"

Jiang Xiaomu: "........."

Jiang Xiaomu looked satisfied at the scene before him; the Ghost Face Army's combat power was indeed formidable.

He slightly turned his head and ordered the burly commander beside him:

"Keep a live one; bring Heifeng to me."

"Yes, sir!"

The commander clasped his fists in reply, then waved his hand, and several ghost-faced army soldiers pounced toward Heifeng like wolves and tigers.

"Jiang Xiaomu! Let me go, I have plenty of gold, silver, and treasure hidden in the stronghold."

"As long as you let me go, I can tell you—I'll give you everything!"

Heifeng was pinned to the ground by several soldiers, struggling desperately, he roared at Jiang Xiaomu.

Jiang Xiaomu walked up to Heifeng, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful arc.

"Even if I kill you, I can still take your treasure."

"Ding! Target detected: Heifeng, reward for capture alive: 300 days of points!"

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded in Jiang Xiaomu's mind.

"What background does this Heifeng have, to be worth so many points?"

Out of curiosity, Jiang Xiaomu asked:

"Heifeng, why did you become a bandit?"

Heifeng was stunned, never expecting that this Ghost-Faced Yama would actually speak to him.

He hesitated a moment, then laid out his entire background and ordeal.

"My name is Li Tieniu; I was originally a hunter in a nearby village, making a living by hunting and farming."

"Later, after offending a local bully, I was framed for murder."

"I was forced into losing my family and home, with nowhere else to go, I fled to Black Wind Ridge and became a bandit."

"Although I became a bandit, I have never actively harmed the common people."

"Sometimes I even rob the rich to help the poor, aiding those impoverished families."

Heifeng said this, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

"I'm not like those scoundrels who oppress the people and commit all kinds of evil!"

After hearing this, Jiang Xiaomu silently nodded in his heart.

"Do you want to live?"

Jiang Xiaomu asked.

Upon hearing this, Heifeng's eyes lit up immediately.

"As long as you spare my life, my lord, I am willing to serve you as an ox or horse, to go through fire and water, without hesitation!"

"Good."

Jiang Xiaomu said lightly.

"I can give you a chance."

Upon hearing this, Heifeng was overjoyed and hurriedly asked.

"My lord, please give your orders; I will obey any command!"

Jiang Xiaomu gave a slight smile, glanced at the ghost-faced army soldiers behind him, and said lightly:

"Who will come and learn just how formidable our Heifengzhai chief is?"

As his words fell, a towering man eight chi tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, stepped forward.

"Him."

Jiang Xiaomu casually pointed at Zhao Hu and said to Heifeng,

"If you can defeat him, I will spare your life."

Upon hearing this, Heifeng inwardly lamented.

Although he considered himself highly skilled in martial arts, he was only a local tyrant on a tiny plot of land—when had he ever seen such a formation?

"What? Are you afraid?"

Jiang Xiaomu's tone carried a hint of mockery,

"You weren't just saying you'd roamed the jianghu for years, countless times robbing the rich to help the poor, were you?"

"How come you now don't even dare to accept a challenge?"

Heifeng's inner anger was ignited by Jiang Xiaomu's words:

"Who… who said I was afraid? I'm just… just afraid of getting my hands dirty!"

"Good! You've got backbone!"

Jiang Xiaomu clapped his hands, his tone full of teasing,

"Then please, Heifengzhai chief, impart your instruction!"

Heifeng knew he had no choice, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.