Chapter 51

After the meeting in the Gathering Hall ended, Wei Caisi and Liu Wanbao had a private discussion for a while. They allocated the leaders and bandits who would go down the mountain and those who would stay in the stronghold. Despite this, Liu Wanbao was still uneasy about the operation. After much consideration, he proposed to his elder brother, "Brother, I have been thinking, and I still feel uneasy. How about this: I will personally lead a group to the Jade Void Palace to investigate the situation there. A direct understanding will be more beneficial for the success of our operation."

Although Wei Caisi did not take his brother's concerns seriously, he did not want to offend him. After some thought, he nodded and said, "That's fine. Although 'Grass on the Fly' is agile, he is still young and not as observant as you. You should make the trip to the Jade Void Palace to investigate. I will wait for your news in the stronghold and will not take any action until I receive it."

Hearing this, Liu Wanbao quickly clasped his hands and said, "We are brothers, so there's no need for formalities, Elder Brother. I will take Xiao Liu and 'Grass on the Fly' with me. If there are no unexpected events, I will stay there and have Xiao Liu return to report to you. If there are any unexpected situations, I will return to inform you personally."

With Wei Caisi's approval, Liu Wanbao left the Gathering Hall and set off immediately with his men. Wei Caisi, the leader, then went to his fourth brother's room to check on his injuries and inform him of the operation. Since he was not confident in the fifth brother's abilities, he instructed the fourth brother to keep a close eye on the stronghold to prevent any external enemies from taking advantage of their absence.

Liu Wanbao, along with his adopted son Liu Xiao Liu and 'Grass on the Fly,' left the stronghold and rode their horses carefully through the thick snow towards the Jade Void Palace. They dismounted about four or five li away from the Jade Void Palace and walked cautiously forward. It was only the hour of Shen, and although the sky was overcast, it was not yet dark. The three of them stealthily approached the Jade Void Palace. Led by 'Grass on the Fly,' who was familiar with the terrain, they arrived at a small hill not far from the south side of the Jade Void Palace. They hid their horses behind the hill and then chose a relatively tall tree facing the Jade Void Palace. They climbed the tree and observed the situation from a high vantage point.

To their disappointment, there was not a single person in sight from the front hall to the rear hall of the Jade Void Palace. It seemed that due to the recent heavy snowfall, no pilgrims had come to offer incense, and the Taoist priests had taken the opportunity to stay in their rooms. Although they could not see the Taoist priests, it was still necessary to understand the layout of the Jade Void Palace, the positions of the buildings, and the direction of the paths.

Liu Wanbao carefully observed while taking out a charcoal pencil and paper from his pocket to draw a detailed map of the terrain. As he drew, 'Grass on the Fly' explained the general uses of the rooms based on his observations from the previous day. He particularly pointed out the location of the room where the Taoist priests stored their silver, which Liu Wanbao marked clearly on the map.

After observing for a while, Liu Wanbao had basically memorized the structure of the Jade Void Palace. He had no questions about most of it, but he was puzzled by the unusually large chimneys on the roofs of two rooms in the rear hall. He could not understand why such small rooms would have such large chimneys. Could they be kitchens? But why would a Taoist temple need two kitchens? Could they be watchtowers? But the holes on the chimneys were not large enough for archery. Although he could not figure it out, the three of them did not think the large chimneys were a significant issue and did not dwell on it.

After observing for a while longer, they saw that only a few Taoist priests occasionally came out of their rooms and entered others, with no signs of heightened vigilance. They decided not to wait any longer. The three of them climbed down from the tree and found a sheltered spot to start a fire to keep warm. They took out wine, meat, and dry rations from their bags to eat. They planned to wait until it was dark to get closer and observe whether the Taoist priests had any special night-time precautions.

In the howling cold wind, Liu Wanbao and his men finally waited until it was dark. They left their horses in place and cautiously approached the wall of the Jade Void Palace. Fortunately, the clouds in the sky had dispersed under the cold wind, and although there was only a crescent moon, the snow on the ground reflected enough light for them to see the path. This way, they did not need to risk being discovered by lighting torches. The three of them opened their eyes wide and moved forward with difficulty under the faint moonlight, eventually reaching the south wall of the Jade Void Palace.

'Grass on the Fly' pressed his ear against the wall and heard no unusual sounds. With the support of Liu Wanbao and his son, he climbed onto their shoulders and slowly ascended the wall to look inside. By the faint moonlight, he could vaguely see the scene inside. This was the front courtyard of the Jade Void Palace, with only a large bronze tripod in front of the Three Pure Ones Hall. The courtyard had no obvious objects. The Three Pure Ones Hall and the side halls were all pitch black, with no candles lit, indicating that no Taoist priests were on duty.

'Grass on the Fly' climbed down from the wall and quietly described the situation to Liu Wanbao. The three of them then went to the wall of the rear courtyard, where 'Grass on the Fly' climbed the wall again to observe. The rear courtyard was completely different from the front courtyard. Most of the rooms were lit, and faint voices could be heard from inside. Afraid of alerting the people inside, 'Grass on the Fly' did not stay on the wall for too long. He quickly observed and listened, then climbed down and described the situation to Liu Wanbao.

After hearing this, Liu Wanbao nodded and whispered, "It seems these old Taoist priests all live in the rear courtyard, and there is no one on duty in the front courtyard. This is to our advantage. Tomorrow night, we just need to send someone to quietly enter the front courtyard, open the gate, and let our brothers in without anyone knowing. When the time comes, we will surprise them and rush into the rear courtyard. Those old Taoist priests will likely be killed before they even realize what's happening. Even if a few manage to escape, they will not be a threat."

He then took out the map he had drawn during the day from his pocket and handed it to his adopted son, instructing, "Xiao Liu, you and 'Grass on the Fly' should immediately return to the stronghold and give the map to the leader. Tell him that the Taoist priests are completely unprepared, and this operation will surely be a success."

Liu Xiao Liu did not take the map but expressed his concern to his adoptive father, "Adoptive Father, it's so cold here. Won't you freeze if you stay here all night? Why don't you come with us, or you and Brother Fei can go, and I will stay to monitor the situation."

Liu Wanbao waved his hand and smiled, "Xiao Liu, don't worry. Your adoptive father is not so weak. Since I promised the leader to closely monitor these old Taoist priests before he arrives, I must keep my word. Don't argue anymore. Take good care of the map and set off quickly. Remember to take all three horses, as the mountain paths are difficult to navigate at night. Be careful."

Seeing that he could not persuade his adoptive father, Liu Xiao Liu carefully hid the map in his pocket, handed a wine flask and some dried meat to his adoptive father, and then left with 'Grass on the Fly.'

After they had gone far, Liu Wanbao thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea of a perfect hiding place. He turned to the wall of the front courtyard of the Jade Void Palace, listened for any sounds, and then took out a grappling hook from his pocket and threw it onto the wall. With a light "clank," the hook caught the wall, and Liu Wanbao climbed up the rope, flipped over the wall, and entered the front courtyard. By the faint moonlight, he entered a side hall, found a sheltered spot, drank a few sips of wine to warm himself, wrapped himself in his clothes, and dozed off.

Liu Xiao Liu and 'Grass on the Fly' returned to the Five Tigers Stronghold on Xiaoyun Ridge that night and reported the situation at the Jade Void Palace to Wei Caisi, who had been waiting for news. They also handed him the map. With more detailed information and the map, Wei Caisi's confidence grew. He rewarded his two subordinates and let them rest. He also went to bed early to rest and prepare for the operation the next day.

On the morning of the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, on the open ground in front of the Gathering Hall of the Five Tigers Stronghold on Xiaoyun Ridge, three hundred bandits were ready to go down the mountain. On the steps of the Gathering Hall, the leader Wei Caisi was dressed and ready, looking confidently at the enthusiastic bandits below. He did not make a long speech but said, "My men, if we succeed in this operation, we can have a good New Year. The rule for this operation is simple: those who advance will be rewarded, and those who retreat will be punished." He then waved his hand and led the group down the mountain towards the Jade Void Palace.

As Wei Caisi led the group out, Liu Wanbao had already rekindled the fire on the small hill behind the Jade Void Palace. He left the Jade Void Palace in the early morning before it was light, and before climbing over the wall, he checked the moon gate between the front and rear courtyards to ensure no Taoist priests were practicing early in the morning before leaving leisurely.

In the afternoon, under the guidance of 'Grass on the Fly,' Wei Caisi's group met up with Liu Wanbao. Upon learning that the Taoist priests had not changed and were still unaware of the impending attack, Wei Caisi was convinced that the operation would be a success, and the six thousand strings of silver would soon be his. He ordered the bandits to rest on the spot and not to make any noise. He then discussed the attack plan with Liu Wanbao.

Liu Wanbao thought for a moment and suggested, "Brother, in my opinion, we should divide into two groups. One group, led by me, will climb over the wall while the Taoist priests are sleeping, open the gate, and rush to their dormitories. The other group, led by you, will block the rear courtyard to prevent any escapees."

Wei Caisi waved his hand and said, "Brother, that's not right. I should lead the charge, and you should be responsible for the blockade. We have always done it this way in our operations, and this time should be no exception."

Liu Wanbao wanted to argue, but Wei Caisi stopped him, insisting that the decision was final and there was no need to discuss it further. Liu Wanbao had no choice but to agree.

Time passed slowly in the cold wind, and night finally fell. When the moon rose to the middle of the sky, Wei Caisi gave the order, and the three hundred bandits split into two groups. Two hundred formed the main attack group and followed Wei Caisi to the main gate of the Jade Void Palace, while the remaining one hundred formed the interception group and followed Liu Wanbao to the rear wall of the Jade Void Palace. The attack began.

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