Chapter 39: All Eyes Upon Them, The Second Wave of the Charge

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Mount Tunan, the Wan Family Manor.

“Hall Master, that wretched little Su family has no idea how to show gratitude. They actually dared resist the Twelve Wharves! And that is not all—someone helped them from the shadows, though I have no idea who. Every brother who went with me was injured!”

The thug who had gone to provoke trouble at the Su residence knelt in the middle of the manor hall, gnashing his teeth, his face twisted with resentment.

“Hall Master, you must avenge our brothers! More importantly, you must restore the Twelve Wharves’ reputation. We absolutely cannot let this matter end here! Otherwise, those lowborn peasants will grow bolder, and trouble is bound to follow!”

Seated in the place of honor was a man in his thirties. He wore a plain dark-blue silk robe, had a sturdy build and a short beard, and possessed deep-set eyes and features hardened by ruthlessness.

He was Wan Fu, master of the Twelve Wharves’ outer-city hall.

In a low voice, he asked, “After you were injured, did you inspect the scene? Were there any hidden weapons scattered on the ground?”

The thug hesitated, then shook his head.

“I looked. There were no suspicious weapons. That—that is the strangest part.”

“To pierce the wrists of more than a dozen men with such precision in the blink of an eye, with every wound striking the Daling acupoint… The person behind this truly has remarkable skill. The weapon resembles a needle, though the holes are somewhat larger than ordinary needle wounds. Just what kind of weapon did they use…” Wan Fu narrowed his eyes. After a moment, he asked, “And what is the background of the Su family? Have you investigated thoroughly?”

“I had everything looked into before we set out. They have no background whatsoever! They are ordinary farmers. They were exiled here only because they were implicated in someone else’s crimes. All ten members of the Su family are born-and-bred peasants. The only branch with anything resembling connections was Su Liang’s, and they are already tenant farmers under us!”

“Leave. I will handle this matter.”

After dismissing the thug, Wan Fu’s expression turned cold. He turned to the steward standing behind him.

“This matter has probably already spread. The other factions must be waiting to laugh at us. Whatever happens, the Wan Family Manor cannot become a laughingstock! Send five capable hall guards to Mount Tubei and test the Su family again. I want to see whether the person behind them can protect them every single time. If nothing stands in our way, kill them all. Let it serve as a warning!”

“Yes!”

The steward accepted the order and immediately went to deliver it.

Just as Wan Fu had said, the events on Mount Tubei had already reached the ears of every faction in the exile lands.

In truth, the incident itself was insignificant, hardly worth mentioning in the eyes of the great powers.

It had attracted attention only because, in all the years since the exile lands had been established, it was the first time someone facing oppression had dared to resist—and had even won the first exchange.

…

South of Windcloud City stood Looking Magpie Tower. Its top floor was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, while gauze curtains drifted in the breeze and the notes of a qin floated through the air. Beside the ancient instrument, a gilded bronze hill-shaped incense burner sent out a refined fragrance with its curling smoke.

A man in a moon-white robe sat before the qin. His long, slender fingers brushed the strings, and a melody of mountain spirits lingered beneath the rafters.

“Compared with the expert protecting them from the shadows, I am more interested in the Su family itself. The Twelve Wharves will suffer a setback this time. Heh heh heh… This performance is only going to grow more entertaining.”

“Send someone to Mount Tubei to investigate. Do not alert anyone.”

…

The Bai residence, north of the city.

The Bai family head, Bai Kui, came down from the training ground. Dressed in black martial attire, he was tall and imposing, every stride radiating authority.

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He took the sweat cloth from the steward and casually wiped away the perspiration. By the time he tossed it back, the steward had finished his report.

“That big-bearded fool was bound to meet his end sooner or later. But to think he would be bitten by a rabbit this time! Hahaha, what a joke!”

“Send men to infiltrate Mount Tubei. Do not alert the enemy. Have them observe from nearby. For Huo Ziheng to regard the Su family with such interest, they may not be as simple as they appear. Let me see how many hidden sharks that little Su family can draw out from the depths.”

“Where is Yu’er? What mischief has she gone off to cause now?”

…

An abandoned temple west of the city.

An old madman in ragged clothes, with a nest of straw atop his head, squatted before a fire. Two wild birds were skewered on a branch. Once the charred aroma told him they were nearly done, he ignored the heat and devoured them with gusto.

“Smack, smack… Ah, they smell wonderful, but they are a little small. Even if I gather all the meat together, it will barely fill the gaps in my teeth. You do not like meat, so I will eat yours for you as well!”

“I hear that hypocrite Bai Xiaofeng of Looking Magpie Tower recently acquired a fine ginseng root. Help me steal it, and I will give you a jar of Hundred-Insect Brew!”

“Oh, right. You were the one who acted at Mount Tubei, weren’t you? I have thought it over and over. In all of Windcloud City, you are the only one with such skill.”

At the corner of a mottled wall beside the ruined temple, a man sat with a saber in his arms. His eyes were slightly lowered, hidden in the dim light, and his voice was hoarse and deep.

“No. Two jars.”

“…Fine! Two jars it is! Strange. If it was not you, has another expert come to this miserable place? Well, well, now this is interesting! Come on, let us go watch the excitement!”

“Get lost.”

“Damn you. I will poison you to death sooner or later!”

Clang!

A broken saber shot through the air and came to rest pointed directly at the madman. The man slowly opened his eyes. In the darkness, they gleamed like cold stars—sharp, merciless, and brimming with killing intent.

The madman slowly turned his head toward the sky.

“Ah, what fine weather we are having today.”

…

The Su family had no idea that the incident at noon had drawn the attention and suspicion of several factions.

After lunch, none of them had the heart to leave the house and work. They all gathered inside. Their reckless courage had faded, and reason had returned, bringing fear with it.

Those men would certainly come back. From this point onward, their family would likely have little peace.

“For the next while, the women and children must avoid going outside,” Old Su said as he considered how they should respond. “The eldest and second sons must go out to work together. Neither of you is to go alone.”

He took the bow his wife had brought from Great Locust Village. His rough, callused fingers gently stroked its wooden frame.

“I will make some arrows from firewood over the next two days. I will also carve two wooden knives for you to carry. They may at least help you defend yourselves.”

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Su One and Su Two nodded, not daring to boast.

The women, meanwhile, held their children tightly in their arms. They were frightened, but their gazes remained resolute—for a mother’s courage was born of necessity.

Just as the Su family had expected, the Twelve Wharves’ second group arrived soon after.

Barely an hour and a half had passed since the previous attack.

It was the Hour of the Monkey. The gentle spring sun hung obliquely in the sky as someone once again began pounding urgently on the Su family’s gate.

“Su family! Hide quickly! Those men have come again! They are almost at the foot of the mountain!”

A nearby villager had summoned his courage to bring them the warning. After shouting it out, he immediately ran away.

Su One carried his knife to the gate and opened it, his eyes filled with the grim resolve of a man prepared to stake his life.

There was no escaping this. Even if they survived by hiding this time, what about the next?

The Twelve Wharves’ influence was everywhere in the exile lands. Were they supposed to lead the entire family in a life of endless flight from place to place?

Driven into a corner, they could only fight to the death.

The moment the gate opened, the figures outside appeared before Su One’s eyes.

His pupils contracted.

“Second brother, bring the hoe!”

There were five men in all, and each carried a blade. Their footsteps were light yet steady as they walked. At a glance, it was clear that they were unlike the thugs and ruffians who had come at noon.

These men knew martial arts.

The Su family was in serious danger this time.

Su One’s eyes reddened. His five fingers tightened around the kitchen knife in his hand.

“You bastards! I will fight you to the death!”

Su Two charged out with a hoe over his shoulder, eyes blazing.

“Big brother, I am here! I am putting my life on the line today! To hell with them!”

The other side was clearly provoked into anger by the brothers’ defiance. They shifted their grips, angling their blades forward. Looking at Su One and Su Two, they wore expressions of contempt and disdain, never once regarding the two men as anything more than insects.

The distance between the two sides rapidly narrowed.

A hundred paces. Fifty.

In the next instant, they would be upon one another.

Su One and Su Two steeled their hearts and charged across the threshold, shouting wildly to summon their courage as they prepared to fight.