Chapter 45

The darkest moment before dawn, all sounds ceased, even the insect chirring seemed to have stopped.

Below the cliff behind Black Wind Stronghold on Old Crow Ridge, several black figures clung to the steep rock face like geckos, moving upward soundlessly.

Chen Wen led the way; his eightfold strength, agility, and balance let him tread the near-vertical cliff as if on level ground.

His fingers hooked into rock crevices, his toes precisely stepping on the tiny protrusions marked during earlier reconnaissance, his movements smooth and steady.

Behind him followed Zhang Cheng and three other militiamen with the best reflexes and steadiest nerves.

Although their palms sweated with nervousness, but looking at the steady back of their leader ahead.

And the safety rope tied around their waists, personally inspected by Chen Wen, filled their hearts with courage.

The whole climbing process was perilous but passed without incident.

Chen Wen reached the top first, quickly surveyed the surroundings, confirmed safety, then pulled up the following four one by one.

The five-man squad successfully infiltrated the rear of Black Wind Stronghold, like the tip of a dagger pressing against the enemy's back.

According to the reconnaissance memory, Chen Wen made a hand signal.

The squad members spread out tacitly, using the shadows for cover, feeling their way toward the gate.

Inside the stronghold lay dead silence, only snoring and teeth-grinding drifting from a few dilapidated wooden huts.

On the watchtower, the bandit on duty, spear in hand, nodded off, already off to see Duke Zhou.

The process of dealing with the sentries was clean and swift.

Chen Wen, like a ghost in the dark night, silently crept up to the watchtower.

A clean, swift chop of the hand sent the sentry collapsing to the ground, where he was quickly bound and gagged.

The other watchtower met the same fate.

Throughout, the sleeping bandits inside the stronghold noticed nothing.

Controlling the gate was key.

The heavy wooden door was cracked open a slit from inside, and Zhang Cheng produced a fire striker.

He lit a bundle of dry grass soaked in oil, then traced three circles in the predetermined direction outside the stronghold.

The signal was sent!

The main force of Jiao Tu Zhen, already lying in ambush in the forest outside the stronghold, was led by Zhao Lao Nian and others.

Seeing this long-awaited firelight, their spirits instantly soared.

Nearly thirty militiamen, like tigers bursting from a gate, silently yet with incredible speed charged toward the opened gate.

Only then did a bandit, getting up to relieve himself, stumble out of a hut, dazed.

Seeing the tide of figures pouring in, he was frightened out of his wits.

Just as he was about to scream, an arrow struck his shoulder with pinpoint accuracy, and he cried out in pain as he fell.

That cry, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly roused the entire Black Wind Stronghold!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"The gate is breached! Run!"

"Let's fight them to the death!"

Panicked shouts, clashing weapons, and cries for mother and father blended into a cacophony.

The bandits left to guard were mostly old, weak, and injured troops, their morale already low.

Now seeing the gate broken and the enemy descending like heavenly troops, who still had any will to resist?

Most of them scattered like headless flies, seeking only a place to hide.

A few diehard bandits tried to organize resistance, but facing Chen Wen's eightfold-strength-led precision strikes and Zhang Cheng's vanguard, they were as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Chen Wen's objective was crystal clear

——the largest wooden house at the stronghold's center, the residence of the Black Wind Stronghold's chief.

He moved like lightning, his broadsword flashing cold light; anyone blocking his path was either killed or wounded.

Zhang Cheng followed closely behind him, tasked with eliminating threats on both flanks.

"Bang!"

Chen Wen kicked the wooden house's main door open.

Inside the house

A corpulent, disheveled man was fumbling to grab the broadsword at the head of his bed.

This was the chief of Black Wind Stronghold.

"Who… who are you?!"

The chief's face was full of terror, he barked out a show of bravado while trembling inside.

Chen Wen had no nonsense.

He stepped forward, a flash of blade sent the broadsword flying, embedding it in the beam.

The icy blade's edge immediately rested against the chief's neck.

"Surrender, or die."

Chen Wen's voice carried no emotion.

Feeling the bone‑chilling cold at his throat, he gazed into the young man's eyes, as icy as an abyss!

The chief's courage collapsed instantly; he fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing like pounding garlic:

"Spare me, hero! Spare me, hero! I surrender! I surrender!"

The leader was captured, and the remaining resistance collapsed instantly.

From start to finish, the battle took less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

When the sky began to lighten, Black Wind Stronghold had completely changed hands.

【Successfully wiped out Black Wind Stronghold, eradicated a major hidden threat, combat command and personal martial prowess increased (x Bonus)! Diligence Points (WP)+300!】

【Current WP: 7001】

The next task is to tally the spoils and comfort the captured personnel.

The battle results were abundant, exceeding everyone's expectations.

The stronghold's granary was piled with looted grain; although coarse, the quantity was enough for Jiao Tu Zhen to last several months;

The armory contained dozens of weapons of varying quality—swords, spears, bows and arrows—greatly bolstering the militia's equipment;

Moreover, to everyone's surprise, a considerable amount of gold, silver, valuables, and cloth was discovered in a hidden cellar.

Furthermore, over a dozen captured women and artisans were rescued from the wooden shed behind the stronghold.

They had suffered greatly; upon seeing Chen Wen and the others, they seemed to see a savior and burst into tears.

"Beast!"

Zhang Cheng looked at the pitiful state of the rescued people and couldn't help but kick the bandit leaders, who were bound like zongzi, a few times.

Chen Wen arranged personnel to escort the rescued individuals and part of the seized supplies back to Jiao Tu Zhen first.

He also had Aunt Wang take charge of reception and pacification work, while he led some militia to stay behind to handle the final matters.

"Chief, how should we deal with these captives and this stronghold?"

Zhang Cheng asked for instructions.

Chen Wen looked at this stronghold full of iniquity and said coldly:

"The stronghold, burn it."

"Such a den of iniquity has no need to be kept."

"As for the captives……"

His gaze swept over those bandits whose faces were ashen.

"The chief culprits must be punished!"

"Those who have participated in killing and plundering, whose crimes are heinous, shall be executed on the spot to console the innocent dead."

"The remaining coerced followers shall be escorted back to Jiao Tu Zhen for labor reform, to observe their later conduct."

Thunderous methods also reveal a bodhisattva's heart.

When the soaring flames rose from Old Crow Ridge, it marked the time when the Black Wind Stronghold, which had brought calamity to the region, became history completely.

The prestige of Jiao Tu Zhen will also spread in all directions with this thick smoke.

The victorious troops returned laden with spoils.

The militia held their heads high; having undergone the baptism of blood and fire, the immaturity in their eyes faded, replaced by greater resolve and steadiness.

Chen Wen walked at the forefront of the troop, feeling little joy, instead growing more solemn.

The Black Wind Stronghold had been eradicated, but among the seized materiel were some weapons with an obvious uniform style.

And the scattered information extracted from the chief's mouth also faintly pointed to that greater shadow—Liu Du Tou.

"Liu Du Tou…… it seems our peaceful days are truly coming to an end."

Chen Wen gazed toward Jiao Tu Zhen, silently thinking to himself.

A greater storm is gathering on the horizon.

And Jiao Tu Zhen is this small boat that has just withstood the test of minor waves.

It must quickly become stronger in order to face the impending huge waves.