Fang Xiong declared boldly: “This is your eldest sister-in-law!”
The young bandit’s eyes grew even wider. “What, another sister-in-law? Chief, just how many do you have?!”
With a heavy slap to the boy’s head, Fang Xiong barked: “This is your proper sister-in-law!”
Qian Jiaoniang inconspicuously surveyed the terrain. She had recently read Xing Muzheng’s military texts and understood that this landscape was easy to defend and hard to attack, with natural barriers surrounding it. In truth, it would be difficult to assault.
The older bandit, who had a long scar across his face, stared at Qian Jiaoniang for a long while. He couldn’t shake the feeling he’d seen her somewhere before.
Just then, a young woman with her hair wrapped in a green scarf, twin blades at her waist, came running over. “Chief, weren’t you the one who called me back? How’d you get here later than me?”
Qian Jiaoniang looked closely—wasn’t this the very maid who had spilled water on her? The “maid,” really a female bandit, looked back at Qian Jiaoniang, gasped, “Dingxi Marchioness—!”
Before she could finish shouting, Fang Xiong clamped a hand over her mouth. “What are you yelling for? Get lost!”
The woman muffled protests, pointing at Qian Jiaoniang. That was General Xing’s wife! How could the chief have tied her up? Was he planning to use her to extort money from the general? Was he courting death? Who would dare provoke that ever-victorious commander?
Fear surged in the young woman’s heart, but Fang Xiong’s gaze was too terrifying; she could only cower and hold her tongue. Fang Xiong shoved her aside, then told the scarred bandit: “Uncle Dao, spread the word—old rules. Pack up and withdraw!”
The scarred man was startled. “The Juzhou army has already come?”
“No army yet, but that god of slaughter might be on his way,” Fang Xiong said. “Now’s not the time to hold out. Better to retreat first! Niu Dan, go release the boats!”
He tossed something to the younger bandit, then turned to drag Qian Jiaoniang into his quarters.
Qian Jiaoniang’s heart lurched. She hadn’t expected Fang Xiong to be so hasty to flee. Did he really fear Xing Muzheng this much? Or was it that his stronghold never had so many men, and he’d been lying before?
Fang Xiong pulled her into his own room. Inside was a girl, no more than seventeen or eighteen. When she saw him enter, she shrank timidly into a corner, clearly terrified of him. Fang Xiong barked at her to get out. The girl hurriedly lowered her head and scurried out in small steps, sneaking a glance at Qian Jiaoniang as she went. In her eyes flashed terror, unease, relief, and dread all at once.
Once inside, Fang Xiong immediately began changing clothes right in front of Qian Jiaoniang. She frowned and turned her head away. He quickly changed, then pulled a box out from under the bed. Inside were several pairs of shoes. He swapped into a pair of black boots, then pulled several banknotes out of two other pairs and stuffed them into his belt.
“That’s all?”
Fang Xiong looked up, startled, only to see Qian Jiaoniang had already made herself comfortable in a chair.
“Look harder,” she said lightly. “That’s too little.”
“……”
“What are you staring at me for, keep looking! Oh, and did you tell someone to prepare my luggage? At least ten sets of clothes, and fabric—forget it, I’ll make do for now, just ones that fit. And shoes, prepare five pairs for me too.”
Fang Xiong asked strangely, “What, you’ve accepted it already?”
“Accept, my *ss! I’d love nothing more than to stab you to death with one thrust!” Qian Jiaoniang glared at him and spat hard, “I was living perfectly well as the marchioness of the Marquis Manor, and you d*mned b*stard kidnapped me. Now I can’t go home, and you’re still spewing this cr*p at me!”
…Wasn’t that the same as accepting? Fang Xiong grinned wide, the two fresh knife scars on his face making his expression all the more hideous. “I just like that fiery temper of yours. Fine, fine, I’ll go find clothes for you, and get you something to eat too, alright?” He came up and stroked her soft cheek with his rough hand, then laughed as he left.
As soon as he was gone, Qian Jiaoniang quickly stood and scanned the room. Fang Xiong’s place was full of wine jars and big blades. By the window stood a large table, scarred with marks, with a few three-tiered wooden drawers on top. Qian Jiaoniang strode over and pulled one open: inside were several iron arrowheads. She slipped the sharpest one into her sleeve, then immediately sat back down as before.
Outside, Fang Xiong grabbed the female bandit who had been disguised as a maid. Seeing her build was similar to Qian Jiaoniang’s, he told her to fetch a few clean outfits for her. The woman wanted to bring up Qian Jiaoniang’s identity again, but Fang Xiong impatiently urged her to hurry and get the clothes. Just then, a gate guard came running. “Boss, Bao Black Fat has come up the mountain!”
Fang Xiong asked at once, “How many men did he bring?”
The guard didn’t quite get his meaning. “How many… he only brought four underlings. Is that a lot or not?”
Hearing that, Fang Xiong let out a breath. So it didn’t look like an attack. Most likely he’d just heard about the lady being kidnapped and came to question him. He smacked the guard hard on the head, cursing, “Pig-brain! I’ve got no time to deal with him. Tell Uncle Dao to brush him off and send him away. You lot pack up quick—once he’s gone, you withdraw.”
“Got it, Boss. But Boss, I don’t want to pretend to be a peasant heading to Jiangzi. I want to go with you on the boat!”
Fang Xiong slapped him again. “With a mug like yours, you want to ride a boat? The boat’s not half as comfy as lying in bed! One more word and I’ll chop you up—now get going!”
The gate guard, cowed after being cursed, rubbed his head and ran off. Halfway there, Fang Xiong called him back: “Tell Uncle Dao to stall a bit before he goes!”
***
Bao Li sat in the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, sipping tea, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead from time to time, and nervously glancing at the two black-faced yamen runners behind him. Half his tea was gone and still no one had shown up. A cough sounded from behind, and Bao Li instantly dropped his cup. “I sent someone to summon Fang Xiong—where is he!”
Fang Xiong had come up the mountain several times, so everyone in Wuling Stronghold knew their collusion with the county magistrate. So they dared not treat him too rudely. The little bandit serving tea quickly said he would fetch him.
One of the black-faced yamen runners spoke, “Sir, why don’t you take a few more steps yourself and go look for Chief Fang?”
Bao Li immediately stood, “Yes, yes, let’s go!”
Of course, that black-faced runner was none other than Xing Muzheng in disguise, with Ah Da and the others posing as his men. Bao Li regretted bitterly, blinded by silver into covering up for the bandits. Today he had been knocked out and bound by Xing Muzheng, along with his three sons. With just a vague excuse, his sons each got a cut. How could he not confess? If he refused, collusion with bandits and the abduction of the Dingxi Marchioness—either charge was enough to see his entire Bao family of dozens beheaded. And before the beheading would surely come the thunderous wrath of the Dingxi Marquis. Bao Li had been bold enough—one couldn’t be timid and still collude with bandits—but he simply couldn’t withstand Xing Muzheng’s chilling gaze. He was utterly convinced that if he didn’t surrender, what awaited him was slow slicing to death.
What he hadn’t expected was that Xing Muzheng would risk himself personally, daring to enter the bandits’ lair with only a few men.
The tea-serving bandit couldn’t dissuade him. Bao Li, stern-faced and chest puffed, walked out of the hall. “Where is your chief, take me to him!”
Daoba, who had been in a small room behind the hall, came out unhurriedly at the commotion, smiling obsequiously. “Lord Bao, Lord Bao, forgive us for not greeting you sooner! Why didn’t you inform us of your arrival, so we could send men to carry you up? To think we made you walk all this way!”
Bao Li recognized him as Fang Xiong’s trusted man, and blurted out, “Did Fang Xiong bring back a woman? Where are they!”
Daoba froze, then quickly smiled. “No, no, our chief has been on his best behavior lately, following your instructions to the letter.”
Bao Li stamped his foot in frustration. “Don’t try to fool me! You’ll regret it if you do! Do you know who he kidnapped? The Dingxi Marchioness, wife of none other than General Xing, the Supreme Commander of all the armies! Has he lost his mind? And what about you—are you planning to go mad with him too?”
Now Daoba really was stunned. In Xie Dynasty, Xing Muzheng’s name carried more weight than the emperor’s. They didn’t fear that emperor who dreamed of immortality all day—but they did fear the battle-hardened Commander Xing. Right now they weren’t strong enough; once the army came, Commander Xing killing them would be as easy as crushing ants. Their chief had been wary of him too, which was why they had discussed sending back two chests of gold, just to quickly send this great deity back to Yuzhou. And now, in the blink of an eye, the chief had kidnapped the Marchioness? And even kept it from him?
Everyone here was sharp. Bao Li could tell at once from Daoba’s face that he had seen the woman but didn’t know her true identity. He put on his official airs. “Where is Fang Xiong, take me to him now!”
Though shaken, Daoba was utterly loyal to Fang Xiong. Even in his inner turmoil, he forced a smile. “My lord, it’s not that I won’t take you, but the chief really hasn’t returned to the fort. I don’t know where he’s gone!”
“You son of a bitch, trying to play games with me, is that it?”
“My lord, please don’t be angry, I wouldn’t dare! The chief truly hasn’t come back! You’ve been standing so long, you must be tired. Please return to the hall, sit down. Just the other day the chief brought in a few jars of fine wine, kept aside specially for you, my lord.”
“I don’t want to sit! Bring Fang Xiong here!”
“Yes, yes, this little one will immediately send someone to find the boss…”
The black-faced constable slipped away soundlessly. Catching sight of Xing Muzheng moving in the corner of his eye, Bao Li’s panic eased somewhat; he no longer felt so frantic, and focused on bickering with Daoba.
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