Chapter 25. Who are you selling medicine to?

There were ten people left at the Shanghua Pavilion: Feng Yanchao and his six sworn brothers, Han Caiyan and Xiaosu Bai, and also Licheshan.

Feng Yanchao, scratching his head, said with an awkward smile, "I'm sorry for being stubborn, and I'm grateful that you stayed."

Feng Yanchao, agitated, nodded to each person, making eye contact.

However, while the women learning martial arts from the sworn brothers and Lian Jiha were understandable, Licheshan was somewhat unexpected. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand why Licheshan had stayed by his side.

Therefore, Feng Yanchao felt even more grateful to Licheshan.

"Cheshan... You're a man of principle."

Feng Yanchao's eyes, filled with emotion, made Licheshan smile awkwardly.

After a while, Feng Yanchao, having composed himself, led the people outside. They were going to block the entrance to the mountain stronghold, just like they did at the Nanyang Merchant House last time.

Having experienced it before, the task wasn't difficult.

Before sunset, Feng Yanchao and the remaining bandits not only blocked the entrance but also built a second wall. The construction materials left in the mountain stronghold shortened the time needed.

As night fell, the Oufeng Mountain Stronghold was shrouded in darkness.

In the morning, it had been bustling with people, but now it was as quiet as a cemetery. The stronghold, having sent away even the caretaker and the children, was utterly silent.

Feng Yanchao lit a bonfire in the courtyard.

Perhaps because they were restless, people gradually gathered around the bonfire.

Once everyone was gathered, Feng Yanchao shared his thoughts.

"From today, we should take turns keeping watch. They might arrive tomorrow, but they could also launch a surprise attack."

The bandits nodded in agreement.

It usually took about two days to reach Shuzhou, but if they hurried, it could be done in one day.

"If you see the old Taoist, be ready to run the back way."

"Yes, Brother."

"We'll keep a sharp eye out."

Feng Yanchao looked at his brothers with a complex expression.

Zhuo Gao Ming, who was once a monk; Ma Xingdao, an escaped bandit; Xu Rendal, a petty thief; and Qu Shanqing and Zhang Suofeng, former slash-and-burn farmers. Reflecting on it, they had been together for five years already.

He had formed sworn brotherhoods to use Lian Jiha, but now he felt it was a good decision. He never thought they would stay by his side until the end.

"I seem to be a lucky person."

The bandits, understanding Feng Yanchao's feelings, chuckled.

Han Caiyan, stirring the fire with a branch, suddenly stood up.

"Big Brother."

"What is it?"

"Don't discriminate. Include us in the sworn brotherhood. We have to stick together, whether we live or die, right?"

After a moment's thought, Feng Yanchao asked the other two.

"Do you agree with Caiyan?"

"Yes!"

"Yes."

For Hasu Bai, it was something he had always wanted, but Licheshan, swept up in the atmosphere, quickly agreed. No one could say no in such a situation.

"Hmm! So you do? I don't think I'm bad, but what do you think, brothers?"

The six sworn brothers didn't object.

The three of them had already earned the right to be sworn brothers by staying in the stronghold.

"Alright, alright. From now on, Licheshan is the eighth, Caiyan is the ninth, and Hasu Bai is the youngest."

Thus, the number of sworn brothers increased to ten.

There was no grand ceremony, but Han Caiyan was delighted. Feng Yanchao and the six sworn brothers knew they had formed this way, roughly and informally.

If there had been a bandit who understood formalities, they might have imitated the Peach Garden Oath from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, Feng Yanchao and the other bandits, being of low level, didn't know any better.

Lian Jiha didn't mind the increased number of sworn brothers.

To him, sworn brothers were not "precious people who share life and death" but close friends. It was a step beyond the habitual use of "brothers" and "family" among bandits.

***

The next evening, the Wanshui Merchant House's extermination team arrived at Hajiavillage.

The first thing the chief, Guangfeng Swordsman Shang Wuqian, did was to find lodging. The village inn couldn't accommodate the seventy members of the extermination team.

He first allocated the empty rooms in the inn to the Wanshui Merchant House's leaders and then walked around the village with the village chief to find lodging for the other warriors.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep.

Shang Wuqian and the two leaders finally finished assigning lodgings and gathered in the inn's dining room to have their delayed dinner.

The chef, who had been resting, was called back to prepare a meal for the three, but he didn't lose his smile. The Wanshui Merchant House was a big customer for the inn.

With a simple dinner in front of them, the chief of the Bai Lang Brigade, Jiang Wude, said,

"Chief Dong, did you see the village chief's face? He looked like he had eaten shit..."

The chief of the Heixiong Brigade, Daliquan Dong Xueshu, nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. We came to help exterminate the bandits, yet he looks so sullen."

As the two grumbled, Chief Shang Wuqian chuckled.

"Of course, it was awkward for him to be asked to lend his house at such a late hour. The village chief worked hard to guide us, so don't be too harsh."

"Who said we were using it for free? We gave him plenty of money..."

"He's just full, that's all."

Despite Chief Shang's attempts to calm them, the two leaders continued to gossip about the village chief. It was the first time they had been treated poorly as leaders of the Wanshui Merchant House, so they were quite shocked.

As they were finishing their meal, someone approached them.

Shang Wuqian, glancing back, recognized the person.

"Chief Bai? Nice to see you."

The chief of the Huafeng Brigade from the nearby Tongbai County, Bai Ang, bowed to the three.

"It's been a while. I was wondering who was here so late, and it turned out to be people from the Wanshui Merchant House."

The four of them looked at each other awkwardly.

The eldest, Shang Wuqian, spoke first.

"I didn't hear that your merchant house was here... What brings you here?"

Shang Wuqian thought, "Baihua Merchant House seems to be here to spy, just like we did when the Nanyang Merchant House sent an extermination team to Hajiavillage."

However, that was a misunderstanding.

After a moment's hesitation, Bai Ang said with an ambiguous expression,

"I'm traveling to explore new trade routes on the orders of the head of the merchant house. Ah, I heard about the Wanshui Merchant House here."

So, he wasn't here to spy.

Shang Wuqian smiled, as if it didn't matter.

"Baihua Merchant House is considering the Oufeng Mountain route. I hope you get good news tomorrow."

"I hope so too. Well, I'll be on my way."

Bai Ang bowed and left.

His expression as he walked back to his lodging seemed somewhat troubled. He had come to verify a good trade route and ended up meeting the extermination team.

Unaware of this, Jiang Wude clicked his tongue.

"Tsk! We might do all the work, and Baihua Merchant House might reap the rewards."

Shang Wuqian said calmly,

"Don't worry about it. We're only responsible for protecting the merchant convoy. Business is the merchants' job, isn't it? The heads of the merchant houses will figure out the trade route issues."

Dong Xueshu, silently drinking tea, spoke to Jiang Wude.

"By the way, Chief Jiang, what about that young bandit from Oufeng Mountain Stronghold?"

"Yes?"

"How long do you think he can last against Senior Tian Di Merchant?"

Shang Wuqian, curious about Jiang Wude's assessment, watched him closely.

Jiang Wude, who had faced the young bandit in combat, was the one they wanted to hear from.

However, unexpectedly, Jiang Wude was slow to respond.

"Five seconds? Ten seconds? Twenty seconds?"

It took him a long time to answer, and even then, he kept using question marks.

That meant it was impossible to predict how long the fight would last.

Shang Wuqian frowned.

Jiang Wude's attitude remained unchanged, which made Shang Wuqian increasingly uncomfortable. This wasn't the respect for a revered teacher.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Despite this, Jiang Wude never gave Shang Wuqian the answer he wanted.

As Jiang Wude lay in bed, he kept thinking about the dinner conversation, tossing and turning.

Of course, he understood the chief's feelings.

But shouldn't he have some idea of the young bandit's martial skills?

***

Finally, the fateful day arrived.

The Wanshui Merchant House's extermination team marched up Oufeng Mountain in high spirits.

After about an hour,

Despite having long passed the halfway point, there was no sign of the bandits.

Daliquan Dong Xueshu burst out laughing.

"Haha! It looks like the bandits have all fled."

"Seems that way, doesn't it?"

Jiang Wude thought the same.

It was common for bandits to abandon their stronghold and flee when intimidated by the extermination team.

Whispers began to spread among the Wanshui Merchant House's warriors.

Seeing the mood shift, Chief Shang Wuqian lightly reminded them,

"Don't let your guard down. The bandits have never abandoned their stronghold without a fight."

Dong Xueshu and Jiang Wude looked around awkwardly.

That was true. This was what set the bandits of the Green Forest Path apart from ordinary bandits. The bandit leaders valued their reputation as much as the martial world's renowned figures.

The long procession of the extermination team came to a halt.

A moment later, a warrior from the front rushed back.

"The path is blocked by logs."

Shang Wuqian, exchanging meaningful glances with the two leaders, stepped forward.

Sure enough, the narrow uphill path was tightly blocked by logs.

What lay behind them was obvious even without seeing it.

Five sharp "Gek" (克) weapons glinted in the sunlight, mounted on the log wall.

It seemed the bandits of Oufeng Mountain Stronghold had chosen to fight rather than flee.

Shang Wuqian took a few steps forward.

"I am Shang Wuqian, the chief of the Wanshui Merchant House! Your courage for not fleeing is commendable, but I must inform you that we are forced to open the path of killing today."

As a lay disciple of the Wudang Sect, Shang Wuqian's greeting was both fierce and courteous.

A moment later, Feng Yanchao's head appeared over the log wall.

"I am Feng Mo, the leader of Oufeng Mountain Stronghold! Shang Wuqian, you scoundrel! Is it true that you begged and pleaded to the Wudang Sect to bring the Tian Di Merchant here?"

Despite his loud voice, Feng Yanchao's eyes were busily scanning the extermination team.

However, no matter how many times he looked, he couldn't see anyone who looked like a Taoist.

Thinking he had been deceived by the Wanshui Merchant House's lies, Feng Yanchao immediately started cursing.

"You bastards, worse than dogs! Who are you selling medicine to? Do you think we'll run away from that senile old man? Get lost! You cripples! Even if the Tian Di Merchant or someone worse comes, we won't flinch!"

Thinking the Tian Di Merchant wasn't there, Feng Yanchao even laughed at the extermination team.

Shocked by Feng Yanchao's insults, Shang Wuqian quickly turned around. Thinking his teacher's reputation had been tarnished, his hands trembled.

Even the Green Forest Path's bandits wouldn't dare to do such a thing. What kind of outrageous words were these! A man who should be begging for mercy, what kind of nerve does he have?

'What? He's not here?'

His teacher, who had been with him just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

The two leaders were equally flustered.

When the Tian Di Merchant vanished like a ghost, the leaders' heads quickly turned left and right.

At that moment,

"Roar!"

With a thunderous shout that shook the heavens, someone landed on the log wall. It was the Wudang Sect elder, Tian Di Merchant, who had flown over a distance of about fifteen meters in a single leap.

With a light flick of his hand, the five "Gek" weapons were cleanly severed and fell.

Finally, the Tian Di Merchant's feet touched the log wall.

Crack.

With his immense internal strength, the logs exploded, and the wall crumbled.

All of this happened in the time it took Feng Yanchao to take one breath.

When Feng Yanchao's eyes met the Tian Di Merchant's, he froze like a frog in front of a snake.

It's over.