Chapter 286: The Bandit Series – Kidnapping the Bride (Part II)

Three men sat in a private booth at the Green Bamboo Pavilion. Gan Zhao was savoring his tea, Ye Yuzhu was irritably waving his fan, and Qian Chuanzi was carefully observing their expressions while constantly shooting meaningful glances at his young master to prevent any sudden outburst where Ye Yuzhu might spring up and slit Gan Zhao’s throat.

Outside, night had already fallen. After Gan Zhao finished his third pot of tea and made five trips to the latrine, he finally sat back down and spoke unhurriedly. “Alright, now we can discuss our plan.”

Qian Chuanzi was confused. “Wh-what plan?”

Gan Zhao looked at him strangely. “Aren’t we going to snatch the bride?”

“Huh?” Qian Chuanzi shrank back in fright.

Ye Yuzhu remained as steady as a mountain. “Speak. How do we snatch the bride?”

Gan Zhao gave the two men across from him a cunning look. “That depends on you, Young Master Ye. If I recall correctly, back before your Ye family made its fortune, you had some history with the bandits in Funiu Mountain. I remember when we used to go play at Shulong Fortress, you even gave the fortress leader’s son a beating. Have you forgotten?”

Ye Yuzhu rolled his eyes and straightened up in his chair. “I remember. How could I not? I only fought that brat to help you out. I nearly cracked his skull open. Afterward, my father dragged me home and gave me a thrashing with a long bamboo switch. I caught a cold from it and was sick for half a year before I fully recovered.”

Gan Zhao continued, “The old fortress leader of Funiu Mountain is dead now. Care to guess who’s in charge today?”

Ye Yuzhu leaned back against his chair and clicked his tongue. “Based on your tone, it wouldn’t happen to be that little brat I thrashed, would it?”

“The very one. He goes by the nickname Old Monster Xiong, and he’s now the Great Chief of Shulong Fortress. I’ve sent men into the mountains to scout; he has considerable influence. As they say, soldiers and bandits are two sides of the same coin. Before Marshal Zhao can strike a deal with him, we’re heading into Funiu Mountain tonight. We’ll strike first to catch him off guard. The three of us can’t snatch the bride alone, but since you know Old Monster Xiong, we can borrow some men to help.” Gan Zhao set down his teacup.

Qian Chuanzi waved his hands frantically. “Hey, hey, hey, gentlemen! Going up Funiu Mountain at night? That’s far too risky. Shulong Fortress is built on a natural stronghold with layers of bandits standing guard. Charging up there blindly… isn’t it a bit unsafe?”

Gan Zhao glanced at him. “Chuanzi, has it been so long that you’ve forgotten how our three families made their start? Our ancestors were all grave robbers who made their fortunes off the dead. Are you really afraid of bandits?”

Stared down by the two of them, Qian Chuanzi felt his courage failing, sweat running down his temples. He wiped it away with his sleeve. “B-b-but what if those bandits refuse to help?”

Gan Zhao took a sip of tea, a flash of ruthlessness glinting in his eyes. He refilled the cup and shoved the tea bowl across the table toward Ye Yuzhu. Without moving an inch, Ye Yuzhu reached out, caught the base of the bowl, brought it before himself, and took a sip.

He said, “Then they can’t blame us for showing no mercy.”

Ye Yuzhu drained the bowl of tea, set his fan down with a sharp clack, and said to Gan Zhao, “No one rises early without a profit in sight. Speak. What do you want out of this?”

Gan Zhao peered through a gap in the window curtains. Below the Green Bamboo Pavilion, a servant was already waiting with three swift horses. He stood up and said, “No need. That Marshal Zhao offended me before, so consider this my way of venting a bit of spite. The horses are here. Shall we set off at once?”

Ye Yuzhu stood up, rolling his shoulders as he headed downstairs. “I’ve been sitting all afternoon. It’s about time I got up to stretch my legs.”

The three men went outside and vaulted onto their mounts. In the hazy night, the three fine horses galloped out of the city gates together, racing toward the massive mountain range cloaked in darkness.

Ye Yuzhu and Gan Zhao had trained in martial arts since childhood, so climbing a mountain was nothing to them. Ye Yuzhu in particular possessed exceptional light-body skill, scaling a cliff several zhang high in an instant without effort. Gan Zhao, mindful of Qian Chuanzi’s stamina, brought up the rear to help him climb. Taking advantage of the moonlight, the three of them climbed for half the night before finally spotting the mountain gate of Shulong Fortress.

The three of them hid in the brush to rest. Parting the bushes, they saw the mountain gate just a short distance away. Tucked deep in the valley, the fortress was brightly lit, with sentries posted at every pass. All told, the bandits on guard easily numbered in the hundreds.

Qian Chuanzi caught his breath and whispered, “Gentlemen, look at how tightly guarded this place is, layer upon layer. How are we supposed to sneak in without being noticed?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Ye Yuzhu pushed aside the leaves, unfurled his landscape fan, and strolled out in plain sight. Qian Chuanzi never expected such an approach and tried to stop him, but to his surprise, Gan Zhao stood up on the other side and stepped out openly as well.

The moment Ye Yuzhu and Gan Zhao revealed themselves, bandits from both sides swarmed forward, surrounding the two in an instant with a forest of blades and spears. Qian Chuanzi hurriedly scrambled out of the brush after them, but at the sight of the standoff, he froze, not daring to make a move.

“Which path do you walk, and what price do you name?” asked one of the bandits holding a spear.

Ye Yuzhu closed his fan and cupped his hands to the surrounding bandits. “We walk the path of life, death, yin, and yang, and we bring gold enough to wrap ten thousand times around the waist.”

“Tomb raiders?” The bandits exchanged glances. One of them turned and ran quickly back into the fortress, presumably to deliver the message.

The three men remained locked in a standoff with the crowd of bandits for a while until the messenger ran back out. He gestured for them to follow and called out, “Our Great Chief requests your presence!”

The group was immediately “escorted” into the fortress. Before they even entered the main hall, Qian Chuanzi gripped Gan Zhao’s sleeve with both hands. “Gentlemen, I’m asking you, do you actually have a plan for what comes next? I have elders above and children below to look after—I can’t afford to throw my life away like you two.”

Gan Zhao whispered, “I’ve scouted it out. Shulong Fortress currently has four chiefs. Old Monster Xiong is their top pillar^[1]. He hasn’t been in power long, and the men aren’t fully united yet, so he’s nothing to fear. However, I’ve heard the fortress has a bandit strategist^[2] who is very good at manipulating people. We’ll play it by ear when the time comes. It’s best if we don’t give him a chance to speak.”

The three of them entered the hall. Torches lined the walls, and expensive carpets covered the floor. The table was crafted from a single piece of ancient rosewood. Indeed, four men sat at the head of the hall. Old Monster Xiong occupied the primary seat, a water pipe dangling from his mouth and a beautiful tiger skin draped over his chair. Having been woken up in the middle of the night, he looked extremely displeased.

Qian Chuanzi scanned the room and saw that every single person looked ferocious. Among the four chiefs, not a single one could muster a normal facial expression.

The bandit lackeys stood in a circle, the atmosphere heavy and deathly still. The oppressive weight of it left Qian Chuanzi’s back drenched in sweat, yet Ye Yuzhu, standing at the very front, remained as calm as ever, looking straight ahead without blinking.

After a long pause, Old Monster Xiong finally pulled the water pipe away from his mouth. Leaning forward from his seat in the hall to scrutinize the three men below, he asked, “Which gully did you crawl out of?”

Hearing this, Gan Zhao took a step forward, cupped his fist, and recited, “To admire a leaf, one must seek the Green Mountain’s leaf^[3]; to drink wine, one must taste the Sweet Wine. Gold and silver treasures leave no trace, for the Way lies only within these mountains. (We visit tonight to show the Great Chieftain a clear path to gold and silver.)”

As soon as Gan Zhao finished, Old Monster Xiong lunged upward and slammed his hand on the desk. “Upon Funiu Mountain stands the Funiu Tower; within the tower, every man is a true hero. Where would gold and silver treasures come from, and why would they vanish upon arriving here? (Shulong Fortress is powerful and numerous; there is no path we cannot walk. We have no need for you to lecture us over some gold and silver of unknown origin.)”

The moment Old Monster Xiong finished speaking, the surrounding bandit lackeys all took a step forward in unison. Gan Zhao wanted to speak again, but Ye Yuzhu closed his fan and held it out to block him, signaling for Gan Zhao to step behind him.

Ye Yuzhu walked forward with a light chuckle and cupped his hands. “Brothers, there is no need for tension. I have come here with no ill intent. I merely wish for the Great Chieftain to help with a small matter. Once it is accomplished, I shall personally offer a heavy reward of thousands in gold and silver.”

The second chief, the bandit strategist sitting to the side, gave a cold snort. “Now that sounds like human speech. But your Ye family has such a massive business; why would you ever need help from wild paths like us?”

The mountain bandits burst into raucous laughter.

Ye Yuzhu ignored the blatant sarcasm in the man’s tone and briefly explained his purpose to Old Monster Xiong, including the matter of Marshal Zhao forcibly seizing a commoner’s daughter.

Old Monster Xiong squinted at him, rubbing the stubble on his face. “This matter isn’t actually that difficult.”

The moment he spoke, the second chief cut in again. “Everyone knows that this Marshal Zhao is the local powerhouse of Linying. If we snatch his bride, will Shulong Fortress ever have a day of peace again? We are in the business of killing and looting, not hired thugs you can buy with a few silver dollars. We have no grudge against Marshal Zhao. If we do this once, how are we supposed to show our faces on these roads again?”

Gan Zhao shot back with a cold, mocking sneer. “You’re bandits, yet you’re dreaming of a peaceful life? You all talk so righteous and noble, but you’re nothing but cowards who fear death. Cowering like this, you might as well stop being bandits and go work as farmhands for someone else.”

Hearing this made Ye Yuzhu feel immensely satisfied, and he casually snapped his fan open.

“You! Damn it, they’re being impudent! Chief, we absolutely cannot let them leave Shulong Fortress alive tonight!”

At those words, the chieftains stood up from their seats in unison. The crowd of bandits also drew the sharp knives and heavy axes from their waists, baring their arms as if eager to tear the three men in the hall limb from limb.

Someone was the first to throw a broadsword, igniting a chaotic brawl in the hall. Surprisingly, Ye Yuzhu and Gan Zhao were able to go toe-to-toe with these hundred-odd men. Ye Yuzhu executed his unique light-body technique, his form leaping like a swallow onto the roof beams, leaving the bandits staring in slack-jawed shock.

Gan Zhao was blindingly fast, flying daggers hidden in his sleeves drawing blood whenever they flew. Qian Chuanzi possessed a deep mastery of boxing; his movements appeared slow and unassuming, but every punch hit hard with uncanny precision.

Seeing their hundred-man force rapidly dwindling to a few dozen, the second chieftain lost his patience. He drew the Luzi from his waist and fired a shot downward.

Gan Zhao reacted with lightning speed, grabbing Qian Chuanzi from behind to pull him out of the way. A stray bullet fragment grazed Gan Zhao’s hand, and blood instantly began to flow.

Old Monster Xiong rushed forward, wanting to call a halt, but Ye Yuzhu’s light-body technique^[4] was ghostlike. Before anyone realized it, he had appeared behind him and the bandit strategist. With a swift kick, he knocked the second chieftain off the platform. The man crashed headfirst into a pillar in the hall and passed out cold, the Luzi sent flying. Ye Yuzhu grabbed the furs on Old Monster Xiong’s shoulders with one hand and pressed the blood-stained tip of his fan against the chieftain’s throat.

“Wait, wait, wait! Brother, brother! Old Brother Ye, we’re all acquainted! Everyone down there, stop! We can talk this over, we can talk this over!” With his throat held fast, Old Monster Xiong fell to his knees and begged for mercy repeatedly. “Stand down! All of you stand down! Don’t go hurting my good brothers!”

Seeing their chief captured, the men in the hall dropped their weapons one after another and stopped fighting.

Keeping his grip on Old Monster Xiong, Ye Yuzhu looked at Gan Zhao. “How is it? Are you alright?”

Gan Zhao flicked the blood off his hand. “I’m fine!”

Old Monster Xiong raised his hands, a fawning smile plastered on his face as he looked at Ye Yuzhu. “I know I was wrong, truly wrong. Old Brother Ye, however many men you need, I’ll get them ready to head down the mountain tonight. We can talk this over, we can talk this over.”

“I will be staying in the fortress for the rest of the month. When the time comes, I will pick the men I need and lead them down the mountain myself; you don’t need to worry about that. Now go fetch a doctor! I need one! For the next month, you will do whatever I tell you to do, and I’ll spare your dog’s life. Do you understand?”

“Understood, understood! Everything is up to you, Old Brother Ye. I’ll listen to whatever you say, everything!”

Ye Yuzhu kicked him to the ground and casually wiped the blood splattered on his face onto his long robe. He looked up at the other two chieftains, who were trembling in place. “What are you looking at me for? Am I a doctor?”

“Find one! Go, go, find one! I’ll go right now!” Old Monster Xiong scrambled up from the ground, and the men fled outside in sheer panic.