Chapter 58

The team had walked about two miles when a minor leader came to report to Liu Wanbao that one person was missing, which surprised Liu Wanbao and the others from Yu Xu Palace. Before departure, each small team had verified their personnel, and no one was missing. During the march, the minor leaders, Liu Wanbao, and the others from Yu Xu Palace were vigilant to prevent any of Wu Xingji's confidants from escaping to report, so they did not notice anyone falling behind. How could one person be missing now? Faced with Liu Wanbao's questioning, the minor leader hurriedly explained the reason.

It turned out that the missing person was temporarily added to his team when they went down the mountain for reinforcements at noon, and no one was very familiar with him. The minor leader's mind was still a bit confused after the chaotic events, and he overlooked this person when counting the team. Now, as his mind gradually calmed down and his thoughts became clearer, he finally remembered the forgotten person.

According to him, this person was named Gou Siyuan, arranged by the Mo brothers, and seemed to be the apprentice of Ding Yuchang. When Liu Wanbao and the others from Yu Xu Palace heard that he was Ding Yuchang's apprentice, they felt the situation was serious. At this moment, they did not have time to scold the brainless minor leader and quickly called the Mo brothers to verify the relevant situation.

The Mo brothers confirmed the minor leader's account, stating that they indeed brought Ding Yuchang's apprentice, Gou Siyuan, with them when they went down the mountain. They originally planned to have him help Ding Yuchang, so he was aware of Wu Xingji's plot. After explaining, the Mo brothers repeatedly apologized to Liu Wanbao and the others, admitting that they were scared and forgot about this companion. Although Liu Wanbao was furious and wanted to split these two useless people in half, he needed them to go up the mountain, so he could not act rashly. He glared at them and then waved them away, telling them to quickly disappear from his sight.

After dismissing the Mo brothers, Liu Wanbao and the others from Yu Xu Palace held an emergency meeting. They estimated that Gou Siyuan might have fled when Liu Wanbao finished his speech and reorganized the team. Although they could not be absolutely sure that he heard their plan, they believed it was better to be safe than sorry. This guy now had a grudge against Liu Wanbao for killing his master, so he was unlikely to just run away. The possibility that he would return to the mountain stronghold to report to Wu Xingji was high. If he reached the mountain first, their plan might be known to Wu Xingji. Even if Gou Siyuan did not hear Liu Wanbao's task assignments, just by telling Wu Xingji about Ding Yuchang's death, Wu Xingji would certainly make preparations, increasing the difficulty of their plan to capture the stronghold and potentially endangering the safety of Liu Wanbao's family.

Therefore, they decided to send Qingchen to leave the main group and chase along the road Gou Siyuan might take to the stronghold. If he could catch Gou Siyuan before he entered the stronghold, that would be best. If not, Qingchen would try to infiltrate the Five Tigers Stronghold and kill Gou Siyuan before he saw Wu Xingji, to prevent him from revealing their plan. If the opportunity arose, Qingchen could also kill Wu Xingji to reduce resistance for the subsequent actions.

Qingchen accepted the mission, mounted a fast horse, and galloped along the nearest mountain path to the Five Tigers Stronghold. Liu Wanbao and the others from Yu Xu Palace led the main group to accelerate their march, hoping to reach the Five Tigers Stronghold before Gou Siyuan.

Qingchen left the main group and rode madly. Although the road was difficult after the snow, he relied on his excellent riding skills and made the journey without much trouble. After about an hour, he arrived at Liangshuiquan Village at the foot of Xiayun Ridge.

Since he had not found any trace of Gou Siyuan along the way, Qingchen decided not to go further. Gou Siyuan was on foot and could not run faster than him. The village was only three or four miles from the Five Tigers Stronghold, and going further might encounter the stronghold's patrol. So, Qingchen dismounted and went to a small forest outside the village, planning to wait for Gou Siyuan on this inevitable path up the mountain.

Qingchen waited in the forest for about an hour. Just as he began to doubt whether Gou Siyuan had fled to the stronghold or escaped, a disheveled figure appeared in his field of vision. The person stumbled along the mountain path, his face full of panic, and kept looking back. His clothes were torn in several places, clearly from passing through the forest and bushes.

Although Qingchen had never met Gou Siyuan before, from the person's appearance, he almost certainly identified him. He tied his horse to a tree, adjusted his Daoist robe, and calmly walked out of the forest, standing on the mountain path with his hands behind his back, waiting for Gou Siyuan to come.

This disheveled person was indeed Gou Siyuan, who had fled in the chaos. When Ding Yuchang went to the dilapidated temple to meet Liu Wanbao, Gou Siyuan was left outside. First, his status was not high enough to enter rashly, which might cause suspicion. Second, he was to observe the state of the soldiers Liu Wanbao brought, and if anything unusual happened, he would warn Ding Yuchang and the others in the temple.

After waiting for a while, Gou Siyuan was shocked to see Liu Wanbao come out of the temple unharmed, while his master and the Mo brothers were nowhere to be seen. Later, after listening to Liu Wanbao's speech, he learned that his master had been killed, the Mo brothers had defected to Yu Xu Palace, and he and Wu Xingji were about to face a great disaster. As he was anxious and afraid that Liu Wanbao and the others from Yu Xu Palace would blame him, he was surprised to find that he had been overlooked.

When the soldiers were reorganized, no one came to call him. Seeing an opportunity, he gradually moved to the outer edge of the formation and then, taking advantage of the chaos, slipped into the nearby dry grass. After the soldiers left with Liu Wanbao, he cautiously came out, originally planning to escape as far as possible. But after a few steps, he stopped, hesitated for a moment, and decided not to flee. He felt he must avenge his master's death. He needed to inform Wu Xingji as soon as possible so he could be prepared. If possible, he could use a counter-strategy to capture Liu Wanbao and the others. Even if he could not kill Liu Wanbao to avenge his master, at least he could kill his family to vent his anger. With this resolve, he turned and ran towards the Five Tigers Stronghold on Xiayun Ridge. To avoid being discovered by the soldiers marching on the road, he took mountain paths, and his clothes were torn to shreds.

Fortunately, Gou Siyuan had practiced martial arts with Ding Yuchang, so his physical condition was still good. Despite the rugged terrain and small paths, he managed to keep going. Now, seeing that he was not far from the Five Tigers Stronghold and had not been caught by Liu Wanbao's group, he felt victory was within reach. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, caught his breath, and with the last of his strength, started running again.

Gou Siyuan ran for a short distance and had to stop, staring at a young Daoist standing on the mountain path, his heart filled with fear, and his legs trembling uncontrollably. He had seen this Daoist at the dilapidated temple at the foot of the mountain, knowing he was from Yu Xu Palace. The purpose of this Daoist appearing here was clear: to hunt down the escaped Gou Siyuan. At this moment, the mountain path was empty, and Gou Siyuan truly felt the helplessness of "calling to heaven and earth for help, but getting no response."

Now, Gou Siyuan knew that begging for mercy would be useless, and he had to fight. He steeled himself, drew his knife, and charged forward.

As soon as they engaged, Gou Siyuan felt that he was doomed today. Although he had learned martial arts for several years, he could not last ten moves against this seemingly ordinary Daoist. The Daoist used only one hand, wielding an unsheathed sword, and fought him with ease, as if playing with him.

The Daoist's expression was relaxed, and while he fought Gou Siyuan, he occasionally looked back at the mountain path, as if waiting for someone. Gou Siyuan was anxious, knowing that the Daoist was not killing him but waiting for the main group to arrive and then let Liu Wanbao decide his fate. Thinking of his master's fate, Gou Siyuan knew that falling into Liu Wanbao's hands would mean a terrible end, and he would rather be killed by the Daoist. The problem was that the Daoist would not listen to him, and he did not know what to do.

Just as Gou Siyuan was at a loss, about ten people, dressed as soldiers, came from the direction of Xiayun Ridge. The leader was a burly man, bald, with a face full of scars and a beard. In the cold, he wore only a single layer of clothing and carried a large nine-ear, eight-ring broadsword on his shoulder, talking to his companions behind him.

Seeing this man, Gou Siyuan felt like a drowning person seeing a lifeline and shouted loudly, "Brother He Si, I am Gou Siyuan, come and save me!"

He Si heard the shout, looked over, and saw Gou Siyuan, with whom he had a relatively good relationship, fighting a young man dressed as a Daoist and struggling to hold his own. Because of the failed attack on Yu Xu Palace by the chief, Wei Dangjia, and the severe injury of the second chief, Liu Dangjia, the soldiers of the Five Tigers Stronghold were wary of Daoists. Seeing his friend fighting a Daoist, he knew something was wrong and quickly waved his hand, leading over a dozen soldiers to rush over.

Seeing this, Qingchen silently blamed himself for being too careless. He had thought the soldiers of the Five Tigers Stronghold would not patrol so far, but he had overlooked the fact that Wu Xingji, determined to harm Liu Wanbao, would expand the patrol range to prevent his plan from failing. Now, it was impossible to capture Gou Siyuan alive, and the only option was to kill Gou Siyuan and these soldiers to prevent the news from leaking. Making up his mind, Qingchen drew his sword and attacked Gou Siyuan fiercely.

Seeing reinforcements, Gou Siyuan's spirits rose, and his knife movements became more agile. He thought he could hold out until He Si came to save him, but the Daoist suddenly changed his tactics. His sword, as if alive, circled around Gou Siyuan's vital points, and in a single move, it stabbed at his chest with lightning speed. This move was fast and fierce, and Gou Siyuan could not block it in time. He had to twist his body to avoid the sword tip.

He managed to avoid his chest, but his shoulder could not avoid the sword, which pierced him deeply, causing him to scream in pain. Before he could recover from the pain, Qingchen had already pulled out his sword and kicked him in the chest with his right foot. Gou Siyuan's body flew into the air, landing several yards away, rolling a few times before stopping, and then he lay still.

After kicking Gou Siyuan, Qingchen did not stop. He brandished his sword and charged at the approaching soldiers led by He Si. For a moment, the mountain path was filled with shouts, and about ten soldiers engaged Qingchen.

Although there were over ten soldiers, they were hesitant to attack after seeing Qingchen kick Gou Siyuan, who was considered skilled. The mountain path was narrow, with forests on both sides, making it difficult for many people to fight. Therefore, only three or four soldiers truly engaged Qingchen, and he had the upper hand.

He Si, although fierce-looking, had average martial skills. He usually relied on his appearance and strength to intimidate others. Today, facing a top-notch expert, his usual tactics were useless. After a few moves, he was already struggling. As the best fighter among the soldiers, if he could not hold his ground, the others had no chance. Soon, soldiers were falling, and the morale of the remaining soldiers dropped. The few who were shouting but not fighting were preparing to flee.

At this moment, footsteps were heard from the mountain path behind Qingchen, indicating a large group was approaching. He Si, while barely holding off Qingchen, glanced back and saw a group of over a hundred soldiers led by two mounted leaders, with the leader at the front being Mo Dan, a trusted confidant of Wu Xingji.

Seeing his own people arrive, He Si's heart was finally at ease. He thought that even if the Daoist was skilled, he could not stand against over a hundred soldiers. He then shouted to Mo Dan, "Leader Mo, I am He Si, sent by Wu Xingji to patrol the mountain. This man is a Daoist from Yu Xu Palace, come and help me capture him."

Mo Dan heard the shout, looked over, and said something to the soldiers behind him, then nodded and spurred his horse, leading over thirty soldiers to charge over.

Seeing this, He Si was delighted and shouted at Qingchen, "Stinking Daoist, my reinforcements have arrived. Surrender now, and I will give you a proper burial. Otherwise, I will chop you into pieces and feed you to the wild dogs."

Qingchen did not respond but intensified his sword movements, forcing He Si and the soldiers back several steps. Then he feinted a strike and jumped out of the circle, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at Mo Dan riding towards him, showing no signs of fear.

He Si, seeing his calm demeanor, was initially puzzled, then felt something was wrong. He subconsciously looked at Mo Dan, who was approaching, and noticed his expression was strange. Mo Dan did not look at the Daoist but stared at him, then raised his sword and slashed down. The target was not the Daoist but his own neck.

He Si did not have time to block or dodge. The combined force of man, horse, and sword made a "swish" sound, and He Si's head was severed, landing on the snow and rolling a distance before stopping.

This sudden turn of events stunned the soldiers under He Si, and they did not know what to do. The dozens of soldiers following Mo Dan quickly surrounded them, raising their weapons and shouting, "Drop your weapons, or you will be killed." The surrounded soldiers, though confused, did not dare to disobey, dropping their weapons and looking at Mo Dan with puzzled and fearful eyes, hoping for an explanation.

Mo Dan did not respond but dismounted, approached the Daoist, and bowed respectfully, then stood beside him, waiting for the main group to arrive. The surrounded soldiers, still in shock, saw the second chief, Liu Dangjia, who was supposedly severely injured, riding a horse with several Daoists and leading a large group of soldiers. His posture and expression showed no signs of injury.

Liu Wanbao rode to Qingchen and Mo Dan, dismounted, and said to Qingchen, "Daoist Qingchen, you have worked hard. What is the current situation?"

Qingchen smiled and pointed to Gou Siyuan, lying motionless in the snow, and said, "Fortunately, I did not fail my mission. I caught Gou Siyuan here and have dealt with him."

Liu Wanbao and the others from Yu Xu Palace breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the decapitated He Si. They then approached the surrounded soldiers. Liu Wanbao scanned the uneasy soldiers and explained the situation, asking if they were willing to join Yu Xu Palace. Given the circumstances, it was clear that none of the soldiers would refuse. Liu Wanbao was satisfied and, after warning them, had them pick up their weapons and follow the main group up the mountain.

As evening approached, Liu Wanbao and his group finally reached the gate of the Five Tigers Stronghold. Mo Dan led the way, and the gate was opened smoothly. They rushed in and quickly controlled the gate guards, who were then brought to Liu Wanbao.

The guards, like the soldiers on the mountain path, were confused by the sudden events. Liu Wanbao did not have time to explain and approached a familiar guard, sternly demanding, "Lietou Li Er, tell me where Wu Xingji is now. Who is commanding the soldiers in the stronghold, and where are they stationed? Where are my family members?"

Lietou Li Er, though confused, could see Liu Wanbao's stern expression and knew that any hesitation would mean death. He stammered, "Reply... Reply to the second chief, Wu... Wu Xingji is now outside Xing Dangjia's courtyard. The soldiers, except for those guarding the gate, are with him. Your family members are in Xing Dangjia's courtyard. Wu Xingji said you and the Daoists from Yu Xu Palace conspired to kill Wei Dangjia and are now leading people to attack Xing Dangjia's courtyard to capture your family and Xing Dangjia."

Hearing that Wu Xingji was leading people to attack Xing Dangjia's courtyard to capture Xing Dangjia and his family, Liu Wanbao was extremely anxious. If Wu Xingji controlled Xing Dangjia and his family, the situation would become very difficult. If anything happened to Xing Dangjia or his family, his efforts to compromise would be in vain. Without consulting the others from Yu Xu Palace, Liu Wanbao pushed Lietou Li Er aside, drew his single-edged sword, and ran towards Xing Dangjia's courtyard.

Zhang Weixin, Qian Yuans