Chapter 220

Grandpa, why didn't we just kill them just now? We're bandits—do we really need to worry about so much?

On the way back to the Wolf Cart, Taosan Niangzi was a bit puzzled.

Master and Jianren also looked at Heng Xian in surprise.

Heng Xian walked and said: "Killing them would be easy, but it's not the time yet—they are the miss and young gang leader of the Southern Green Mountain Stronghold and Cloud Pan Gang."

What we want to seize is their spirit veins, and they are currently our biggest enemies.

But right now our brothers are still assaulting cities and strongholds; two or three thousand of them haven't been fully subdued, so we shouldn't draw their attention!

Master looked relieved, clasped his fists, and said: "Sir, this is a mature move for the good of the nation!"

Taosan Niangzi also laughed and said: "Grandpa, you're absolutely brilliant!"

"Stop flattering me!" Heng Xian chuckled.

Master pondered: "Our movements to the north have been too big; from forming the Bandit Alliance to wiping out seven or eight powers, we've only taken a few short days—the south may not have reacted yet."

But if we wait a few more days, we definitely won't be able to stop the news from spreading; by then, the Green Mountain Stronghold will think we're challenging their hegemony over a five-hundred-li radius, and… it will still be difficult!

Heng Xian said: "When we go back, we should try to block the news—just seal it off for four days will do!"

"Why four days?" Taosan Niangzi asked.

Master hesitated and said: "I just heard them say it seems the old chief of the Green Mountain Stronghold is celebrating his birthday—is that the reason?"

Exactly! During the days of the birthday banquet, they will certainly have no time to attend to other matters, will relax their vigilance, and focus solely on the celebration; even if they really knew of our existence, by normal logic they'd likely wait until after the old chief's birthday to make plans.

Heng Xian picked up a dry branch, snapped it in two, and said: "When the time comes, I'll go give birthday wishes to that old elder!"

Master stroked his beard and said: "Your plan is to attack during their birthday feast, right?"

"How's the timing?" Heng Xian asked.

Master laughed and said: "Excellent beyond words—they've dominated a five-hundred-li radius for many years, virtually having no enemies, and would never expect us to take the initiative to attack!"

Moreover, the timing is just right—too early won't work, too late and we'll be passive!

Just then, a sudden rush of hoofbeats came from behind; looking back, a group of forty or fifty men brandishing swords and sabers came charging.

Jianren cursed: "Those two bastards sent people to chase and kill us!"

Heng Xian recalled that not long ago Lan Chengyu had sent three girls to hunt him down, and said: "This is their usual style—don't worry about it, Niangzi, use an illusion technique!"

"All right!" Taosan Niangzi turned back, a dazzling demonic aura rose from her body, and she blew out her mouth.

Only to see on the sand ahead, a hazy lake appeared visible to the naked eye.

A group of the pursuing men plunged 'plonk-plonk' into the lake, panicking, shouting loudly, and desperately flailing about.

Master clicked his tongue in amazement: "Niangzi's demonic arts are truly invincible!"

Taosan Niangzi chuckled lightly: "It's just an illusion technique to bully petty cultivators."

Heng Xian glanced at the sun: "It's already noon—I don't know how Fierce Tiger Stronghold and Clear Water Stronghold are doing; let's head back!"

They quickened their pace, soon returned to the Wolf Cart, got on the carriage, and with guards headed straight toward Fierce Tiger Stronghold.

Fierce Tiger Stronghold lies in a secluded mountain valley ninety li west of Vast River Town; they hurried along and soon arrived at the spot.

From afar, one could see beacon smoke swirling in the valley, a thick smell of blood, and faintly some crying.

Heng Xian frowned, his form flickered, he reached midair, and flew forward on his sword toward the valley.

Seeing this, Master and the others hurried to follow closely behind.

Upon reaching the air above the valley, looking down, they saw neat rows of fifty or sixty houses, with five or six of them now on fire.

Between these houses lay many corpses, bloodstains everywhere; in the middle, about two hundred people knelt in a heap, surrounded by over two thousand Bandit Alliance disciples packed tightly all around.

Heng Xian exhaled in relief—good, there hadn't been a massive slaughter, cutting off the 'troop source'.

He landed.

Upon seeing him, the two thousand Bandit Alliance disciples immediately shouted loudly: "Greetings, Sir!"

Baoyu, Su Lan, and Song Yi also stepped forward, clasped their hands in salute, and said: "Sir, Fierce Tiger Stronghold has been taken!"

Heng Xian nodded, scanned the people of Fierce Tiger Stronghold, and saw the leader was a big-fat man about two meters tall, with cultivation at the Yuan Dan Initial Realm, his face full of horizontal flesh, not looking like a good person—must be their chief.

At that moment, the people of Fierce Tiger Stronghold also dared to lift their heads and look at him; among them, Heixuanfeng and Meigui, whom Heng Xian had met when he first entered the town, stared wide-eyed, looking bewildered.

"He..." Heixuanfeng couldn't help pointing a finger at him.

"Bold!"

Beside them, a Bandit Alliance disciple at the Qi Hai Realm chopped off his finger with a single blade.

"Ah—" Heixuanfeng clutched his bleeding severed finger, trembling with pain.

The surrounding lackeys of Fierce Tiger Stronghold hurriedly lowered their heads, trembling with fear.

At that moment, the big-fat leader suddenly dropped to his knees before Heng Xian, solemn face, and said: "I am Zhao Dahu, chief of Fierce Tiger Stronghold; I now swear by my Dao Heart to follow Sir in campaigns across the lands, to seize resources and spirit veins—if I harbor any second thoughts…"

Saying this, he forcibly broke off one of his own fingers: "Just like this finger, may gods and men alike condemn me!"

This bachelor's behavior left Baoyu and his group stunned.

Su Lan cursed: "If I had known it would come to this, why did we resist just now? So many people died!"

Zhao Dahua coldly said: "You have no qualifications to subdue me; I am waiting for the master. I, Zhao Dahua, am a man who stands between heaven and earth, and only a marvel like the master could be my elder brother!"

That remark was too slick—it displayed his integrity while flattering Heng Xian.

Baoyu and his group really had nothing to say: "We won't argue with you!"

Heng Xian fell silent for a moment, then looked at the Rose group: "What about you?"

"We wish to follow the master, even if we die a hundred times we would not refuse!" The shout shook the heavens.

"Rise up, join my bandit alliance—we are all brothers!"

Heng Xian waved his hand, feeling somewhat moved. "Damn, these bandits and mountain pirates have only this point worth praising: they lack integrity; as long as they can stay alive, surrender is as easy as child's play."

The disciples of the Fierce Tiger Stronghold rose one after another, each relaxing considerably.

Heng Xian was just about to arrange the reorganization matters,

"Sir!"

Just then, a figure stumbled in from the mountain pass, landing on the ground—it was Wang Dalin, who had gone with Sun Botian and others to attack Clear Water Stronghold.

But he was in bad shape at the moment, covered in blood, his breath weak, in a miserable state.

Bao Yu and the others couldn't help frowning: "What happened?"

Wang Dalin sighed: "The female chief of Clear Water Stronghold is too formidable—she's at Yuan Dan Initial Realm, and we are too; six of us fought her one-on-one for an hour, yet we all got wounded while she was unharmed!"

Heng Xian asked: "So you're saying we failed?"

Wang Dalin grinned: "No, we captured her, took down Clear Water Stronghold—there were over three hundred, all women!"

Bao Yu snapped: "Why are you running back here making a fuss?"

Wang Dalin pointed to the mountain pass: "We've brought all the captives here; I'm coming to ask for instructions—where should we place them?"

No sooner had his words fallen than a noisy clamor of voices drifted from afar, mixed with wailing.

Heng Xian glanced at the mountain hollow; it was sizable, able to hold three or five thousand—no problem: "Bao Yu, Su Lan, you reorganize the brothers of Fierce Tiger Stronghold; Master, Bao Zhu, clear the hollow and set up camp!"

"Yes!" Bao Yu and the others clasped their fists.

Heng Xian led Tao San Niangzi, Wang Dalin, and the others toward the mountain pass.

All that could be seen was a dark mass of people being escorted over from afar by Sun Botian and company.

Soon they drew near, and sure enough, Clear Water Stronghold was just as Wang Dalin had said: mostly women, ranging from teens to sixties, with some children and old men, each being driven forward, walking along in misery.

At this moment, Sun Botian's three brothers and Feng San Ge and a few others, all wounded, stumbled over from afar, clasped their fists and saluted: "Sir, we have fulfilled our mission—Clear Water Stronghold is taken!"

"You've worked hard!" Heng Xian looked around and asked: "What about that woman Dalin spoke of?"

Sun Botian pointed to a rear iron cage being escorted by a dozen or so Bandit Alliance disciples: "Inside, this woman is fiercely dangerous!"

Heng Xian strode over, reached the cage, peered inside, and couldn't help but startle.

(End of Chapter)