Chapter 9 of 100

Chapter 9

13 min read3,359 words

Just as Xiao Letian was engaging Shi Dakai in a heated debate, the atmosphere in the mountain temple had become so tense that it was almost unbearable. People anxiously waited for news from the valley all day and night. The food and water they had brought with them during the breakout were very limited. Hunger, thirst, and mental stress had already caused several wounded to fall into unconsciousness by mid-morning.

Qing Sanye crouched on a low wall, his eyes fixed on the slope below. The sandy ground beside him was filled with arrows. If he spotted any signs of bandit attack, his rapid-fire arrows would show no mercy.

Shopkeeper Fan and his daughter and maid were busy boiling water and dressing the wounds of the injured. Hu Niu, her face flushed from the effort, kept glancing out from the low wall. She was eagerly awaiting the return of the handsome young man who would bring a miracle.

“Father, do you think Brother Xiao will be safe?” she asked.

“Don’t talk nonsense, call him Mr. Xiao… He will definitely be safe. Mr. Xiao is a man of great talent and a kind heart. Such a person will surely have divine protection and won’t be in danger,” the old man comforted his daughter, though he didn’t really know how to reassure her and could only resort to such mystical talk.

Just past noon, the white stone in front of the temple suddenly echoed with Sai Men’s shout, “Someone, bandits are approaching.” Soon after, the sentries under Qing Sanye also shouted, “Bandits, a single person is coming, it seems they are delivering a message.”

A bandit suddenly appeared on the gentle slope, stopping fifty paces from the temple gate. He shouted, “Listen up, people in the temple. You are lucky. Mr. Xiao is willing to exchange his life for your safety… This is Mr. Xiao’s letter, take it. We won’t be polite with the silver down there…” He then drew his bow and shot an arrow, which was tied with the letter, into the temple gate.

Qing Sanye rushed over in a few steps, unfolded the letter, and read it quickly. After finishing, he slapped his thigh hard. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Brother Xiao… He has sacrificed his life to save all of us…” He then covered his face and leaned against the temple gate, passing the letter to Shopkeeper Fan.

Qing Sanye was indeed an unusual Manchu. In his eyes, there was no distinction between Manchus and Han. He admired anyone who was a good man, regardless of their ethnicity. After last night’s fierce battle, he even found the big-nosed foreigner Lewis more likable, let alone Xiao Letian, who spoke perfect Mandarin.

Shopkeeper Fan had barely read half the letter when he couldn’t hold back his tears. “Mr. Xiao… Mr. Xiao has been captured by the bandits. He has sacrificed his life to save us… We owe him a debt of gratitude that we can never repay…”

The crowd was in an uproar. The older people wept and prayed to the gods for protection, while the younger, more hotheaded ones jumped up, shouting to rescue Mr. Xiao. Especially the ten riflemen who had shown their bravery the previous night, they were red-eyed and ready to charge out of the temple gate.

“Come back, you fools! Are you going to your deaths? Mr. Xiao is a hostage in the hands of the bandits. You will only be putting his life in danger!” Shopkeeper Fan kicked the ten men several times in anger, finally stopping the impulsive young people.

In just one night, these ten young men, who had performed great deeds, had come to regard Xiao Letian as their master. Their respect was genuine. The ancients had their own cunning. The power of the ten riflemen had been seen by important figures like Shopkeeper Fan and Qing Sanye, and their good days were about to begin.

It was foreseeable that in the future, these ten men would be the core of the Fan family caravan’s security force. Each of them would train a group of apprentices, and when the time came, raises, marriage, and buying land back home would all be within reach.

The ancients, deeply influenced by Confucian thought, felt genuine gratitude towards Xiao Letian. They truly wished they could take his place in this misfortune.

The temple was filled with sorrow. In a corner of the main hall, Hu Niu, clutching Xiao Letian’s Flying Tiger team leather jacket, was crying her eyes out.

Even the big-nosed foreigner Lewis was praying sadly, “God, Xiao is my first convert in China. Please protect him…”

No matter how sorrowful everyone felt, they all knew that it was impossible to rescue Mr. Xiao with just a few dozen people, especially since no one knew where the bandits’ stronghold was. The immediate task was for the caravan to reach Yixian County and leave this dangerous forest.

The caravan set off quickly. As they left the temple, Qing Sanye looked at the continuous mountains and silently vowed, “Brother Xiao, you must hold on. When I return, I will request reinforcements to eliminate these bandits. I will save you…”

Shopkeeper Fan was also secretly comforting his daughter, “Daughter, don’t worry. When I return, I will raise money and seek help from our Green Forest friends to negotiate. Even if it costs a mountain of gold, I will ransom Mr. Xiao back…”

As for Lewis, who was praying to God, he was also thinking, “What divine revelation did Xiao want to tell me? How many more secrets does he have? After we leave the mountains, I must not lose contact with these Chinese, and Xiao must be a key focus for the American intelligence department…”

As the caravan sped away from the forest towards Yixian County, Xiao Letian had already been taken to Shi Dakai’s base, Taibai Peak, deep in the mountains.

The path in the forest was difficult to navigate, with steep ascents and descents, and many turns. In many places, they had to dismount and walk, and some paths were hidden in dense forests, making it impossible for outsiders to find them without a guide.

Xiao Letian had long lost his way. He could only sense that the Taiping soldiers were leading him westward, deeper into the mountains. When the dazed Xiao Letian saw the evening glow on the horizon, he knew they had reached their destination.

“Damn, isn’t this Thundercliff? The Bullhead City?” Xiao Letian emerged from a grove of trees, and the view suddenly opened up. Below him was a cliff several dozen meters deep, and a suspension bridge came into view. On the other side of the bridge was a mountain peak that looked like it had been decapitated.

Indeed, in the distance, surrounded by mountains, there were five isolated peaks that had been neatly cut off. The largest was as big as three or four basketball courts, and the smallest could fit three rows of wooden houses side by side.

“This place is called Taibai Peak. Legend has it that the Star of Venus stayed here one night and, unable to find a clean place to rest, used his magic to flatten the five peaks, creating these flat summits. Surrounded by mountains, the five peaks are connected by suspension bridges, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. It’s a natural hiding place given to us by heaven!”

Xiao Letian turned around to find Shi Dakai standing behind him, a faint smile on his face. However, Xiao Letian was still angry and merely nodded before stepping onto the suspension bridge and walking in.

It wasn’t that Xiao Letian was impolite or disliked the beautiful scenery. He had long come to terms with the situation. As his name suggested, Xiao Letian was a man who could easily let things go. However, he was well-versed in negotiation tactics and knew that maintaining a certain distance could help him gain more resources.

That night, to show his indomitable spirit, Xiao Letian did not attend the victory banquet on Taibai Peak. Instead, he set up a simple table in his wooden house. The food was not particularly refined, just a lot of meat and fish, and the wine was the cheapest possible, but it was the most sumptuous meal he had had since his穿越.

After a hearty meal, Xiao Letian lay down and slept soundly, regardless of what happened. He was exhausted and needed to recover his strength.

When he woke up the next morning, he found that warm water for washing and a fine breakfast had been prepared for him. Xiao Letian smiled, “Well, they’re treating me like a pig. If they keep this up for two months, they’ll slaughter me for meat at the end of the year?”

Xiao Letian shook his head in self-mockery, officially beginning his life in the bandit camp.

For three days, Xiao Letian maintained a stern face, but the bandits treated him with great respect. He was served mountain delicacies and wild game at every meal, and two agile bandits always accompanied him when he went out. He could go wherever he wanted in the camp, as long as he didn’t leave the mountain.

On the fourth evening, Shi Dakai finally came to visit. Xiao Letian knew that his act was almost over, and it was time to start negotiating.

“Prince, you kidnapped me here, thinking I have some great power? Do you really think I can change the world? To be honest, the Qing Dynasty is not so easy to overthrow. Relying on the old ways? You might as well give up…”

Shi Dakai did not say anything but bowed deeply. “Mr. Xiao, you have always called yourself a solitary traveler from overseas, and you often express dissatisfaction with the Qing. I don’t think you returned from overseas to take the imperial exams and seek a position.”

“You say our path is blocked, and I admit that. But from another perspective, even though the Qing have just won and Zeng Guofan and the Beijing court are powerful…” Shi Dakai shook his head. “I think their path is also limited. A government that relies on selling the country can’t last long.”

Talent, indeed. No wonder people say Shi Dakai is the most insightful prince in the Heavenly Kingdom. Xiao Letian rubbed his nose, his mind racing. He suddenly asked Shi Dakai a question.

“Prince, I have one question for you. Do you want to be an emperor?”

Shi Dakai was taken aback and then smiled bitterly. “Last year, I faked my death at the Dadu River and saw through everything. You are right, the old path is blocked. What I want now is to follow the new path of opening our eyes to the world…”

“Good!” Xiao Letian slapped the table and stood up. “Very good. Since you are prepared to face failure, that makes things easier…”

Shi Dakai grabbed Xiao Letian’s hand excitedly. “Mr. Xiao, what is your plan? How many troops and supplies do you need? Although our Heavenly Kingdom has been defeated, we still have influence. If you ask, I can easily gather ten thousand troops…”

Ah? Xiao Letian almost choked on Shi Dakai’s words. You, you, you… You have that many troops hidden away? Xiao Letian stared at Shi Dakai, his eyes wide.

Shi Dakai felt a bit embarrassed under Xiao Letian’s gaze, thinking the strategist was doubting his words. “Actually… actually, ten thousand is an exaggeration. The Heavenly Kingdom often conscripted civilians during campaigns… But, but if you give me time, with my reputation as the Prince of the Left Wing, I can definitely gather three thousand elite troops…”

Xiao Letian, looking at Shi Dakai’s determined face, swallowed hard. He thought, “You still want to follow the old path? You’re definitely planning to raise the banner of rebellion again!”

“Prince, calm down… The new path I’m talking about doesn’t start with raising a banner. I want to write a book, a book that everyone can understand…”

“A book? Write a book?” Shi Dakai’s hand trembled, almost breaking Xiao Letian’s hand.

“Ouch, Prince, if you break my hand, I won’t be able to write anything…” Xiao Letian’s grand plan to transform China began with a scream in the tenth month of the third year of the Tongzhi era.

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