Chapter 55

In the "interrogation room," Liu Wanbao was still leisurely drinking tea, while Wang Xiaojun and the others remained silent, observing Liu Wanbao and patiently waiting for Liang Ziyue to bring people in. After a while, just as Liu Wanbao was about to finish his tea, the door opened, and Liang Ziyue entered with Qingchen.

After entering the room, Liang Ziyue walked straight to the back of the table and sat down on an empty chair. Qingchen, after bowing to Wang Xiaojun and the others, turned to carefully examine Liu Wanbao for a few moments, then said to Wang Xiaojun and the others, "Report to Master Uncle, this person is indeed the Liu Second Chief that I mentioned before. He is one of the three people who came to spy on our temple yesterday. I have seen him before, so I can confirm that he is indeed the Second Chief of the Five Tigers Fort, without a doubt. Moreover, when I followed the three of them to their hiding place, I overheard their conversation, which confirmed this."

Upon hearing Qingchen's confirmation that this person was indeed the Liu Second Chief from Xayun Ridge, Wang Xiaojun and the others had no more doubts and decided to persuade this Liu Wanbao. However, after hearing Qingchen's words, Liu Wanbao was like waking from a dream. Although he could not recall where he had seen this Taoist, he at least knew the answer to one thing.

Previously, he had been puzzled about how their actions were known to the people of Yuxu Palace, who had made preparations in advance. He thought it was likely due to an insider. Before being captured, he had even planned to find the insider after returning to the fort. Now everything was clear; there was no insider. They had been discovered when he brought people to spy. The other side had even sent someone to follow them and eavesdrop on their conversations, while he was completely unaware. Thinking about this, Liu Wanbao could not help but curse himself for his incompetence, for not noticing that he was being followed. If he had known that "Grass on the Fly" was not discovered the first time he came alone because the people of Yuxu Palace were busy moving and had relaxed their vigilance, and that it was his insistence on the second reconnaissance that revealed their presence, leading to a series of subsequent defeats, he might have had different thoughts.

After confirming Liu Wanbao's identity, Qingchen, still not satisfied, organized his thoughts and continued, "According to what I know, the Five Tigers Fort on Xayun Ridge has five sworn leaders, known as the Five Tigers of Xayun Ridge, which is the origin of the fort's name. The First Chief is called Wei Caisi, who led the attack from the front gate last night. He is a hero, valuing brotherhood and righteousness, and is a man of responsibility. However, he is quite greedy and will not easily let go of a big deal, even if the other side is powerful. The reason he launched a large-scale attack on our Yuxu Palace is that his spies learned from certain channels that we have a large amount of gold and silver stored here. And a spy named 'Grass on the Fly' indeed spied on a large amount of gold and silver when the Masters were preparing to move."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoguo, the head of the security team, blushed with shame, feeling very guilty for his and his team's negligence. This was something Qingchen had already known when he followed and eavesdropped on Liu Wanbao and the others. For this, Xu Shaoguo had already made a self-criticism to the committee about the security team's failure to detect the spies in time. It was precisely because of this mistake that the security team, harboring a grudge, put a lot of effort into formulating a defense plan, using all kinds of firepower to the fullest extent, and dealing with the enemy ruthlessly, successfully surrounding Wei Caisi and his main force.

Qingchen, apparently noticing Uncle Xu's embarrassed expression, quickly skipped over this part and continued, "Previously, our Yuxu Palace and the Five Tigers Fort had no conflict, despite being close to each other. We had some mutual respect, so we always lived in peace. This time, it was because the amount of wealth here was too great, tempting the greedy Wei Caisi to take the risk."

"The Second Chief of the Five Tigers Fort is this Liu Chief," Qingchen pointed to the seated Liu Wanbao and said, "Liu Second Chief is also a man of righteousness, treating his brothers and subordinates well, and is highly respected by the leaders and bandits on the mountain. Unlike Wei Caisi, he is not greedy and is steady in his actions, thinking carefully before acting. He is Wei Caisi's right-hand man. Before descending the mountain this time, I believe Liu Second Chief must have advised Wei Caisi."

Liu Wanbao did not answer Qingchen's question because he did not expect the other side to have such a clear understanding of their situation, even guessing his possible reactions. This truly reflected the saying, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." What else was there to say?

Qingchen did not mind his lack of response and continued, "The Third Chief of the Five Tigers Fort, Wu Xinqing, is a rough man but is very loyal to Wei Caisi. He lost his life two years ago in a fight with an enemy to save Wei Caisi. The Fourth Chief, Xing Buduo, is a very intelligent person and has always been Wei Caisi's strategist. Unfortunately, he was recently attacked by an enemy and is still bedridden. The Fifth Chief, Wu Xingji, is Wu Xinqing's younger brother, but he is far inferior to his brother and is the least deserving of the five leaders. He bullies men and women in the fort and does all kinds of evil deeds. According to what I know, he is very interested in Liu Second Chief's daughter, which has led to multiple conflicts between the two. If it weren't for Wei Caisi's consideration for his brother, he would have been expelled long ago. Additionally, the Five Tigers Fort has over twenty leaders of various ranks and more than five hundred bandits, making it the largest bandit group in the Fangshan area."

After saying this, Qingchen looked at Liu Wanbao and asked, "Liu Second Chief, is what I said true?"

Liu Wanbao was very surprised by Qingchen's words. He could not understand how this Taoist had gathered such information. Something like Wu Xingji's interest in his daughter was known only to the people in the fort, and outsiders would not know. Could it be that there was indeed an insider in the fort who had leaked this information to these Taoists?

Seemingly reading Liu Wanbao's thoughts, Qingchen explained, "Liu Second Chief, you don't need to worry. These things were not intentionally leaked by anyone in your fort. I, a Taoist, like to wander around when I have nothing to do. Sometimes, I would visit the Five Tigers Fort, find the scenery there very pleasant, and stay for a few days. These things I saw with my own eyes or heard from the bandits and leaders during their daily conversations. Of course, I also met you, the Second Chief, in the fort."

Qingchen spoke casually, but Liu Wanbao was terrified. This meant that this unassuming Taoist was a top-notch expert who could enter and exit the Five Tigers Fort as if it were a no-man's land. He could take the lives of Liu Wanbao and the others in the fort at any time if he wished. It seemed that Liu Wanbao was lucky to be alive today.

At this point, Liu Wanbao could no longer sit still. He put the teacup on the ground, then bowed to Qingchen and Wang Xiaojun, who were seated, and said, "What the Taoist said is true, and I am very impressed by the Taoist's abilities. I admit my defeat at the hands of the Taoists. I just want to know why the Taoists brought me here. Is it just to humiliate me? I may be a rough man, but I have a sense of honor. If you want to kill me, go ahead. I won't blink. I ask the Taoists to give me a quick death so that I can join my brother in the afterlife."

Liu Wanbao's passionate speech left Wang Xiaojun and the others somewhat amused and at a loss. It seemed that Liu Second Chief was convinced that they would kill him, so he was putting on a brave front, waiting for the execution.

After exchanging glances, Zhang Weixin finally stepped forward and said with a smile, "Liu Second Chief, you misunderstood. I and my fellow disciples did not bring you here to take your life. We are all Taoists and do not wish to cause unnecessary bloodshed. The previous killing of Wei First Chief and the bandits was out of necessity. We brought you here to save your life, as well as the lives of your family and the remaining bandits in the Five Tigers Fort."

Liu Wanbao was momentarily confused. He thought these Taoists and his side now had deep enmity, so how could they say they wanted to save his and the fort's lives? He then asked, "What do you mean, Taoist?"

Zhang Weixin replied, "I mean that you, your family, and your subordinates will soon be in mortal danger. I and my fellow disciples do not want to see the kind of ruthless slaughter that happened in the front courtyard of Yuxu Palace, so we want to help you avoid this disaster."

"Who wants to take my and my family's lives, and how do you plan to help us? What are the conditions for your help?" Liu Wanbao asked, still puzzled.

Zhang Weixin, looking a bit embarrassed, said, "To be honest, the ones who want to take your lives are I and my fellow disciples. The way to save you is for us to abandon our plan to take your lives. As for the condition for not killing you, it's simple: you must hand over your fort and all your people to us and follow our orders."

Liu Wanbao was speechless, his face full of disbelief. At first, he thought Zhang Weixin was joking, but the serious expressions of the Taoists opposite him indicated that they were not. The method of using enemy members as hostages to force the enemy to surrender was not unfamiliar to Liu Wanbao. He had used it himself during raids, and it usually worked well. However, this was the first time he had seen a group of Taoists use people not under their control as hostages. Moreover, the tone of the Taoists suggested that they were confident and could control the people in the Five Tigers Fort at any time if they wished.

Liu Wanbao was unsure whether to believe them or not. If the Taoists had really captured his three hundred brothers and his wife and daughter in the fort and bound them in front of him, demanding that he surrender to save their lives, he might have done so. After all, the situation was stronger than the individual, and he could not sacrifice the lives of his brothers and family for his own reputation.

However, that was not the case. The Taoists were just making empty promises, asking him to surrender. This seemed too hasty. In his view, there were generally two types of people who could say such things. One was trying to bluff, using big talk to scare the opponent and defeat them psychologically. The other was extremely powerful, with an absolute advantage, and could do what they said. It was hard for Liu Wanbao to determine which type the Taoists in front of him were.

If the Taoists were bluffing, the scene in the front courtyard of Yuxu Palace was still vivid in his mind. If they were extremely powerful, Liu Wanbao still harbored a bit of hope that the Taoists might be good at defense but not at attack, and the bandits left in the fort could still put up a fight given the rugged terrain of Xayun Ridge.

Liang Ziyue, skilled at reading people, saw Liu Wanbao's hesitation and understood that while he was wary of Yuxu Palace, he still had some hope. Yuxu Palace needed to demonstrate its strength more fully to help him make a decision.

So he turned to Xu Shaoguo, who was sitting next to him, and whispered a few words. Xu Shaoguo then communicated his idea to Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin, and they agreed. Xu Shaoguo then left the room, and Zhang Weixin said to Liu Wanbao, "I can see that Liu Second Chief is hesitant about my suggestion, or perhaps you think I am bluffing. You might believe that the Five Tigers Fort still has the strength to fight us. Let me show you our strength, and you can make your decision after seeing it."

After a while, Xu Shaoguo returned to the room and nodded to Wang, Zhang, and Liang. Wang Xiaojun and the others then took Liu Wanbao out of the room with them. Outside, Tang Chao and Yang Xin were waiting. Seeing them come out, Tang Chao nodded to Wang Xiaojun and the others, indicating that everything was ready.

The group followed Tang Chao through the moon gate and the relatively clean front courtyard, out of the temple gate, and to a more open area. Liu Wanbao, now free, had no intention of escaping. First, he wanted to see the Taoists' abilities, as this was crucial for the future of the Five Tigers Fort. Second, the Taoists were all skilled martial artists, and he was unsure if he could escape. But one thing was certain: if he escaped, his captured subordinates would likely be punished, and he could not sacrifice their lives for his own.

About a hundred meters from a forest, they stopped. Tang Chao handed Liu Wanbao two iron plates and two wooden blocks, asking him to confirm their quality. Liu Wanbao, puzzled, took them, weighed them in his hands, and examined them. The iron plates were nearly an inch thick, and the wooden blocks, made of pine, were over half a foot thick. They looked ordinary, and he did not understand why the Taoists wanted him to see them. Tang Chao asked Liu Wanbao to hold the plates and stand them against a tree, then returned to where the group was standing.

It was around five in the morning, and it was still very dark. In the dim moonlight, the plates at a hundred meters were completely invisible. Yang Xin and Zeng Zhilin, the best marksmen among the group, took out their 95-type assault rifles, put on the night vision goggles used by the Xishan military during exercises, and fired at the targets a hundred meters away. Each of them fired ten shots, and then Tang Chao took Liu Wanbao to retrieve the targets.

Under the light of Tang Chao's flashlight, the targets were clearly riddled with bullet holes. The two wooden blocks had shattered, and the two iron plates, though not broken, had numerous holes, demonstrating the power of the bullets.

Liu Wanbao was deeply impressed. He could not understand how the Taoists could see the targets in the dark—there was not enough light from the new moon—and how their strange weapons could easily penetrate such thick targets from nearly a hundred meters away. The loud noise from their weapons was also terrifying. The bright light from the Taoist's cylindrical object was also remarkable, clearly not a lantern or candle.

However, he now understood that his brother and the two hundred bandits had likely lost their lives to these strange weapons. Thinking about how these Taoists could kill over two hundred people in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he realized that their seemingly arrogant words were not just a bluff. They had the strength, and he needed to seriously consider his future.

As Liu Wanbao hesitated, Zhang Weixin patted his shoulder and suggested they return to the temple to continue the discussion. On the way back to Yuxu Palace, Liu Wanbao weighed the Taoists' demands, considering all possible scenarios. In the end, reason prevailed over emotion. Although he could not avenge his brother and joining the killers of his brother would ruin his reputation, for the benefit of the fort and the safety of his brothers and family, he was willing to bear the shame. As he stepped into the main hall of the Yuxu Palace, he made up his mind to accept their conditions and find a way for the surviving brothers to live.

In the main hall of the Yuxu Palace, Liu Wanbao solemnly bowed to Wang Xiaojun and the others, his face serious, and said, "I have seen the abilities of the Taoists, and I admit my defeat. I accept the conditions you have set. From now on, I will follow the orders of the Taoists of Yuxu Palace, no matter what the task."

Then, he pointed to the sky and solemnly swore, "Heaven above, I, Liu Wanbao, from this day forward, will be a subordinate of the Taoists of Yuxu Palace. I will not go back on my word. If I do, may I be punished by heaven and earth." He then bowed deeply to the group.

Hearing this, the group felt a great weight lifted from their hearts. Wang Xiaojun quickly stepped forward to help him up and said, "Liu Second Chief, you are too kind. Since you are willing to join us, we are all brothers from now on. There is no need to talk about subordinates. You are much older than us, and bowing to us would shorten our lives. We should bow to you."

As he said this, he bowed to Liu Wanbao, who quickly stepped aside, not daring to accept.

At this moment, Zhang Weixin came over, took Liu Wanbao's hand, introduced him to everyone present, and asked Liang Ziyue to call the other members of the group, including Yuxu Zi and Qingchen, to introduce them to Liu Wanbao. After a lively exchange, they sat down in the hall to discuss the next steps.

Although they had successfully persuaded Liu Wanbao, this was just the first step. To achieve a complete victory in the "Wan Gang Operation," there was still much to do. The first step was for Liu Wanbao to persuade the other five captured bandits to accept Yuxu Palace's authority and swear allegiance to Yuxu Palace.

Given Liu Wanbao's status and influence among the bandits, this task was much easier and simpler than persuading Liu Wanbao. The three survivors of the front courtyard battle were deeply impressed by the scene a few hours ago and would not object to anything Yuxu Palace asked them to do. Persuading the other two, who were close confidants of Liu Wanbao, was even simpler. As confidants, they naturally shared Liu Wanbao's thoughts and would fully support and cooperate with his decisions. After a short conversation, they all pledged to follow Liu Wanbao's lead, with no second thoughts.

With the simplest step completed, the next task was more challenging. Liu Wanbao had submitted to Yuxu Palace, but he was not the only one in charge of the Five Tigers Fort. There was the bedridden Fourth Chief and the useless Fifth Chief. Persuading these two to submit was another key to the success of the "Wan Gang Operation."

After a long discussion, they finally agreed on a plan as the sky began to brighten. Wang Xiaojun, the overall coordinator of the operation, then assigned tasks to the executors. As those who received their tasks left Yuxu Palace, the "Wan Gang Operation" entered a new phase.