Chapter 71

The battle did not last long.

After all, there were many guards, and the strongest of the captains had all been defeated by Zhou Lu. The rest, no matter how hard they fought, could not cause much trouble. In the end, the three were hacked to death, and the remaining four of the Wild Bear gang were severely injured, bound and taken away.

As Wild Bear was being carried away, he struggled fiercely, his face full of anger, and roared at Zhou Lu:

"Fatso, you ruined our big plans, you won't die a good death. Even if I become a ghost, I won't let you off..."

The guards pressed down on Wild Bear viciously and finally took them away. Zhou Lu blinked sadly behind them. The smoke of battle cleared, and the valley grew quiet, leaving only the new bandits huddled in the distance, trembling with fear. Some of the more daring ones stared fiercely at the clumsy fatso, their eyes filled with a mix of envy, jealousy, and madness.

Had the fatso, who had been training with them just a short while ago, really risen to such heights?

As the second chief's personal guard captain, he now had power and wealth, could eat large pieces of meat and drink from big bowls, and could play with women as he pleased... The face of the long-haired, strong bandit turned a deep red, his body trembling with the excitement of the good life he imagined.

The guards led the few battered and severely injured captains far away to the mountain pass, while the new bandits cowered in the distance. Zhou Lu stood there alone, suddenly feeling lost.

"Where should I go?"

The fatso suddenly realized he knew nothing about Blackbeard Mountain. Where should he report to, who should he greet, where did the second chief live? He had no idea.

As the personal guard captain, what were his duties? Who were his subordinates, and who would follow his commands? He had no clue.

No one paid him any attention, as if he had become an extra person. This unfamiliarity made Zhou Lu feel very uncomfortable, and he was eager to find someone to get familiar with the situation.

"Should I stay here or go with those guards?"

Zhou Lu was still hesitating when one of the guards escorting the prisoners finally noticed something. He turned to see Zhou Lu standing there foolishly, frowned, and whispered something to the person next to him. Then, he ran back to Zhou Lu with his waist knife.

"Finally, someone is paying attention to me." Zhou Lu sighed in relief. The guard who ran back looked to be in his early thirties, with a slightly stubbled chin and a large tattoo from his right cheek to his neck, making him look fierce and capable.

From his attire, Zhou Lu guessed he might be a deputy captain or something similar.

Zhou Lu approached happily.

The guard frowned again, his face cold and wary. "Captain, you haven't settled in yet, right? Please follow me."

The guard's voice clearly showed some reluctance in addressing a new bandit as captain.

"Oh!" Zhou Lu nodded foolishly and then asked cautiously, "Are you also the second chief's personal guard? Are you my subordinate?"

Zhou Lu was eager to find people he could command to fulfill his desire to wield power.

The guard, looking at the fatso who had his buttons misaligned, frowned even more. It was hard to imagine that this fatso had accomplished such a great feat when the second chief was in danger. From now on, this fatso would be their direct superior?

A new bandit rising to such a position was hard for the old bandits, who had endured many years in the mountains, to accept. However, the fatso was directly appointed by the second chief, so they didn't dare offend him.

Not knowing the fatso's temperament, the guard felt a subtle sense of rejection, nodded stiffly, and then gestured indifferently, "Captain, this way."

The guard led Zhou Lu out of the mountain pass from the southwest gap. A winding mountain path led deep into the mountains. As they walked, they passed a treacherous slope covered with dangerous rocks, and there were signs of hidden traps and crossbows.

The feeling of being secretly watched made Zhou Lu's hair stand on end, and he drew in a cold breath.

After the treacherous slope, they walked another few dozen yards to a narrow pass. A thick stone wall blocked the pass, with only a wooden drawbridge spanning the ravine for passage.

At the pass, seven or eight fierce bandits with bone spears patrolled.

Seeing this, Zhou Lu's face turned pale.

This must be the heart of Blackbeard Mountain, and this pass is likely the stronghold of Blackbeard Mountain. The defenses here were so strict that even a rabbit running past would be watched by many eyes. Once inside, it would be extremely difficult to escape.

Was he really going to take such a big risk for a mere scouting mission out of a fit of pique?

Was it worth it?

Zhou Lu hesitated.

But at this point, he had no choice. The guard in front of him looked back in confusion at the fatso captain standing there, hesitating. Zhou Lu had no choice but to follow, gritting his teeth: Damn it, if it's hard to escape, I might as well not escape. Wouldn't it be just as enjoyable to be a powerful captain under the female chief?

Zhou Lu's face was full of defiance.

The guard led Zhou Lu across the wooden bridge and straight into the mountain.

After passing the stone wall, a large hill came into view, stretching for several miles. On the hill, caves were scattered here and there, some clustered together and others far apart.

These caves were likely where the bandits of Blackbeard Mountain lived, with different areas designated for different ranks. Higher-ranking bandits often had better-equipped caves.

The guard led Zhou Lu along the hill for a long distance, away from the most densely populated caves, to a quiet cliff face. On the cliff, a clean and tidy cave entrance was open, facing the sun, with a small courtyard made of stones in front, complete with stone tables and chairs.

Through the open cave entrance, one could see that the cave was about ten paces wide, clean and warm, with a stone bed covered in soft, long-haired animal skins, making one want to jump in and sleep.

The guard invited Zhou Lu into the courtyard and told him that this would be his residence as the personal guard captain, and that the other personal guards of the second chief lived nearby. The guard also proudly informed Zhou Lu that the five-mile area around this hill was the living area for the second chief's personal guards.

The guard let Zhou Lu familiarize himself with the surroundings and then ran off to get another thin bandit to bring Zhou Lu some wine and meat. After placing the food on the table, the guard and the thin bandit bowed respectfully and left.

"Hey..."

Zhou Lu raised his hand, hesitated, and then, seeing the two leave the cave, scratched his head in frustration.

On the way, Zhou Lu had tried to gather information by enthusiastically asking the guard various questions, but the guard remained tight-lipped, answering Zhou Lu's questions with one or two words, which made Zhou Lu, who was eager to talk, very frustrated.

He could see that as a new bandit who had suddenly become a captain, others had not yet accepted him from the heart.