Chapter Forty-Three: Internal Strife and External Threats (Part 2)

Early the next morning, Meng Xiaoli stood before the martial arts training ground on Mount Chanzandao and announced to all the disciples gathered there: "Starting today, Ji Hongluan will take charge of the treasury. From now on, the Crimson Cult will operate on a distribution system based on merit—to each according to their work, more work brings more pay, no work brings no pay, and different duties will command different monthly stipends. Furthermore, Wuyu is appointed as the Right Protector, overseeing the defense of Mount Xixian and Mount Wangyou; Gu Youyou is appointed as the Left Protector, overseeing the defense of Mount Chanzandao and Mount Jile; and Fan Nu is appointed as the Chief Administrator, responsible for managing all male slaves and all internal affairs across every mountain. All disciples must obey these assignments, participate in daily rotational shifts, and make no mistakes. Anyone who dares to betray Guli Island henceforth will be executed without mercy." Upon hearing Meng Xiaoli's arrangements, the disciples acknowledged their orders one by one.

Gu Youyou glanced at Wuyu and rolled her eyes, while Wuyu maintained his habitual expression of gloomy detachment, revealing nothing.

After Meng Xiaoli and her entourage left, Wuyu and Gu Youyou organized the Crimson Cult disciples for their training.

Meng Xiaoli returned to the Illusion Dream Pavilion alone, reclined on a soft couch, and ordered the two male slaves in the room, "Come here and massage my shoulders." The two male slaves dawdled for a long time without moving. Meng Xiaoli looked back at them and saw that one male slave was breaking out in a cold sweat, trembling all over, his legs shaking so badly they could barely support him. He hesitated, not daring to step forward. The other male slave looked cowardly as well, yet he clenched his fists tightly and refused to budge. A nearby female disciple scolded the male slaves, saying, "The Cult Leader told you to massage her shoulders. What are you dawdling for?"

Meng Xiaoli turned on her side, propping her head with one hand, and looked at the two male slaves with amused interest. The more she watched, the heavier the feet of the two male slaves felt, unable to shift even half a step. With a faint smile, Meng Xiaoli asked, "Are you afraid of me?" One of the male slaves felt his knees go weak, dropped heavily to his knees on the floor, and begged for mercy, "Great and compassionate female Buddha, please let me go! I don't want to die!"

Meng Xiaoli raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "I didn't say I was going to kill you, did I?" Yet the moment her words fell, the male slave's mouth hung wide open as he gasped and struggled desperately for breath. His back stiffened, his body convulsed, and he crashed face-first onto the ground, white foam bubbling from the corners of his mouth. A female disciple rushed forward, squatted down to check the male slave's breath, and then looked up at Meng Xiaoli in disbelief, reporting, "Cult Leader, he—he is dead."

Meng Xiaoli was not a little startled herself. She sat up, looked at the collapsed male slave on the floor, and instructed, "Carry him away quickly. Such a timid coward, to be frightened to death so easily—I am not a vengeful ghost." The female disciple then called others to carry away the dead male slave.

Following that, Meng Xiaoli cast her gaze upon the remaining male slave. This male slave looked delicate and weak, dressed like a scholar. Though a man, his features were refined and clear. Meng Xiaoli knew in her heart that anyone captured and brought to Guli Island to serve as a male slave could hardly be considered a decent man, and she could only inwardly lament such a waste of a fine appearance.

Then she asked, "What is your name?" Upon hearing the question, the male slave replied, "Luo Yunsu." Meng Xiaoli commanded, "Then you shall come and give me a massage." Luo Yunsu clenched his teeth, tightened his fists, and replied with a trembling voice, "I am a man standing seven chi tall; how can I suffer such a great humiliation? You might as well kill me."

Meng Xiaoli's wonderful mood instantly vanished, becoming utterly dull. She gazed at the male slave before her and taunted, "Since you are so resolute, why are your legs shaking?" Pretending to be calm, Luo Yunsu cried out, "I am not shaking." Meng Xiaoli said uninterestingly, "I merely asked you to give me a massage. How on earth does that humiliate you?"

Luo Yunsu's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists and retorted, "How can a man serve a woman?" Meng Xiaoli countered, "Are only women permitted to serve men, while men cannot turn around and serve women in return?" Luo Yunsu answered, "Of course. It has been thus since ancient times."

Meng Xiaoli let out a light laugh, shook her head, and asked, "Just because it has been thus since ancient times, does that make it right?" Trembling all over, Luo Yunsu raised his voice and said, "Because women are useless! Aside from washing clothes, cooking, and bearing children, they cannot accomplish great things and can only depend on men. To make a man bow his head and serve a woman is nothing short of a supreme disgrace."

Instead of growing angry, Meng Xiaoli slipped on her shoes, stepped down from the soft couch, walked right up to Luo Yunsu, and asked, "Is a man only permitted to bow his head and pledge allegiance to another man?"

"That's right," Luo Yunsu answered decisively. Despite his fear, he still thrust his neck out. Meng Xiaoli burst into loud laughter, looked at Luo Yunsu again, and asked, "When all is said and done, history is written by the victors. Then why cannot this victor be a woman?" Not daring to meet Meng Xiaoli's eyes, Luo Yunsu insisted stubbornly, "A woman cannot become a ruler."

Meng Xiaoli cupped Luo Yunsu's face with one hand and stared curiously into his eyes. Luo Yunsu's gaze flickered in panic, darting everywhere. He heard Meng Xiaoli press closer and say, "A formidable woman can indeed become a ruler. In the past, there was Wu Zetian; today, there is me, Meng Xiaoli. Your very life is in my hands—you do not even possess the qualification to be unconvinced."

Luo Yunsu pushed Meng Xiaoli away with both hands and roared, "You are dreaming! To make me serve a woman—did you ever ask for my willingness or my feelings?" Meng Xiaoli stepped forward, grabbed Luo Yunsu by the collar, and demanded with equal force and clarity, "When making women serve men, did men ever ask for women's willingness or feelings?" Luo Yunsu stared into Meng Xiaoli's eyes, momentarily struck speechless. Meng Xiaoli continued, "Do you know that women have feelings too? Have you ever cared? Have you ever tried to understand?"

Every single question sounded as though Meng Xiaoli were interrogating her former lover, Long Ye. Meng Xiaoli stared bitterly at Luo Yunsu for a long moment before slowly releasing her grip. Then she said, "Men never cared, so why should I care? I say you are my slave, and your only option is to obey. If you refuse to submit, come and kill me. If you cannot kill me, you will simply have to obey my words."

Meng Xiaoli's expression then softened as she looked at Luo Yunsu and asked, "Can you kill me?" Cold sweat pouring down his face, Luo Yunsu stared fixedly at Meng Xiaoli. He breathed heavily in deep thought for a long time, then shook his head and sighed, "I cannot kill you. Even if I were to sleep beside you skin to skin, I would never be able to harm you in the slightest."

Meng Xiaoli nodded, closed her eyes deeply for a moment, and asked, "Knowing full well that this is so, why are you still unyielding?" Luo Yunsu stood on the ground with his shoulders hunched and sighed, "I simply cannot submit to a woman."

"There is nothing to be unyielding about. In the ways of Jianghu, whoever is strongest is the boss," Meng Xiaoli turned and sat back down on the soft couch, continuing, "I respect you as a human being. For all the male slaves who serve me and my disciples, I grant compensation according to the monthly wages of female slaves in the marketplace. Although I abducted you, I have not tyrannized the male slaves or deliberately humiliated you; I have merely exchanged the roles of men and women. Yet you cannot endure it. I do not understand why you cannot accept this."

Luo Yunsu nodded in a daze and replied, "Yes, there is nothing I cannot accept. I should accept it; indeed, I really ought to accept it, and I have no qualification not to accept it."

With satisfaction, Meng Xiaoli said, "Since that is the case, honestly and steadily be my slave. If you wish to rebel, wait until you have the strength to do so. Now, can you massage my shoulders for me?" Luo Yunsu nodded, wiped the cold sweat from his face with his sleeve, dragged his feet across the floor to the front of Meng Xiaoli's couch, and cautiously began to massage her shoulders. Shortly afterward, he softly requested, "How about this—may I also take you as my master and become your disciple?"

The corners of Meng Xiaoli's mouth curled upward into a giggle. She pulled Luo Yunsu's hand and said, "I'm sorry, I do not take male disciples. You had better honestly remain my slave. Rest assured, I will give you a worry-free, good life, and I will protect you thoroughly." Luo Yunsu abruptly pulled his hand away and had no choice but to continue massaging Meng Xiaoli's shoulders, while Meng Xiaoli joyfully revelled in her satisfaction.

Shortly thereafter, Meng Xiaoli called over a nearby female disciple and asked, "Tell me, how was he captured and brought to Guli Island?" The female disciple reported, "Replying to the Cult Leader, Luo Yunsu and the one who was frightened to death were both schoolteachers. Protector Wuyu captured them, saying that they relied on having read books for a few years and possessed somewhat pleasing appearances to deceive women's affections, while their natures were thoroughly cowardly. Protector Wuyu originally intended to kill them, but Protector Gu stopped her and brought them back to Guli Island. Among that batch of male slaves, you chose him to perform menial tasks in the Illusion Dream Pavilion." Upon hearing this, Meng Xiaoli nodded and said nothing more. From then on, she kept Luo Yunsu close by to serve her in the Illusion Dream Pavilion.

Having perfected her internal administration, Meng Xiaoli led the disciples of the Crimson Cult to eradicate all the surrounding bandit gangs one by one. Along the way, she recruited women, plundered gold and silver, captured men—some of whom were given as rewards to meritorious disciples, while others were marched up the mountain to serve as male slaves.

The Crimson Cult was ever-victorious, advancing like a hot knife through butter. The relatives of those killed by Meng Xiaoli refused to let the matter rest and came to Guli Island seeking revenge. Those who viewed the Fiendish Underworld Ghost Ji as an enemy were too numerous to count. These people formed bands, lingering day and night around the vicinity of Guli Island, with individuals constantly seizing opportunities to breach the borders of Guli Island. The female guards stationed on the various mountains of the Crimson Cult could not let down their guard for even a single second. Because they shared a common enemy, these people spontaneously forged an alliance, naming themselves the "Exorcism Squad," and swore to kill the Fiendish Underworld Ghost Ji and annihilate the Crimson Cult.

Thus, a spontaneously formed civilian force, sailing in boats of all shapes and sizes, approached Guli Island under the cover of night. The disciples keeping watch on the lookout tower of Mount Xixian were the first to detect the anomaly and immediately fired signal flares toward all the mountains.

Amidst the thick night, by the time Meng Xiaoli received the disciples' report, these intruders had already successively leaped ashore at the foot of Mount Xixian. The female guards of Mount Xixian had long since lit torches, and the walls defending the island were brightly lit, leaving the intruders nowhere to hide. Burning with hatred for the Fiendish Underworld Ghost Ji, they raised their weapons and charged up Mount Xixian.

Wuyu and Gu Youyou each organized their troops to come and block the advance. Seeing that this mob was fiercely aggressive, wielding a variety of weapons and wearing diverse attire, and that the ranks included not only stout men but even women ignorant of martial arts and youths who had not yet reached adulthood, Meng Xiaoli made a quick assessment of their numbers and ordered, "Do not launch a strong counterattack. Let them come up the mountain."

The invading force easily fought their way halfway up Mount Xixian. At their vanguard was a tiger-backed, bear-waisted, dark-faced woman carrying a broadsword, who looked three parts more ferocious than any man.

The dark-faced woman looked around and noticed that the Crimson Cult female disciples were not fighting seriously at all, retreating after exchanging only a few blows. Sensing danger first, she shouted, "Be careful, it's a trap!"

As soon as her words fell, waves of Crimson Cult female disciples indeed rushed out from all directions in a surrounding pincer movement, attacking from left and right while cutting off the retreat route behind them. The dark-faced woman rallied her troops, shouting, "Charge to the summit!" Immediately, while fending off attacks from all sides, she led her people charging toward the mountain peak.

The summit was defended by Meng Xiaoli leading her troops, meeting the enemy head-on from a position of elevation. On the left, Gu Youyou led a force in a flanking attack; below, Wuyu led a detachment to block the way; and on the right, Military Advisor Ji Hongluan led a force to encircle them. This invading troop of a thousand people instantly found themselves trapped like turtles in a jar and had no choice but to grit their teeth and fight their way out.

Meng Xiaoli leaped into the thick of the fray, heading straight for the dark-faced woman at the vanguard. The dark-faced woman swung her broadsword and slashed at Meng Xiaoli, shouting, "Female demon, return my husband's life!"

Meng Xiaoli easily dodged aside, flicked her red sleeve, and struck downward at the dark-faced woman's face, saying, "And which one is your husband?"

Stepping aside and executing a spinning slash with her knife, the dark-faced woman yelled, "The bandits you slaughtered! Most of us here are the families of those you murdered, and today we have come specifically to seek revenge!"

Floating lightly, Meng Xiaoli evaded the blade's qi, countered with a palm strike, and slapped the dark-faced woman squarely in the abdomen. The dark-faced woman channeled her internal energy to withstand the blow and flew back a few paces, still sustaining internal injuries. Meng Xiaoli laughed from the side, saying, "So that's how it is. You allied to come and kill me, which actually saves me a great deal of trouble, sparing me from having to deal with you one by one."