Chapter Five: The Brute Begins to Think

At that time, if Chief Li had declared the kidnapping from the start, though people would still gossip, at least Miss Xue would have had the courage to return home—at worst, she could have married into a humbler family instead. But now, even if she were to go back, the only path left to her would likely be entering a convent. In this era, a woman's reputation was of utmost importance.

Confronted with Miss Xue's angry questioning, Li Yun was at a loss for words. After stammering for a moment, he asked, “Then what should we do? Is Miss Xue planning to stay up in the mountains forever?”

Xue Yun’er was breathing heavily, fixing Li Yun with a piercing gaze. “You… Do you truly intend to let me go?”

She was a young lady from an official’s family—abducted by a band of brigands and brought up the mountain. It was impossible not to be afraid; if she truly weren’t afraid, she wouldn’t have lain motionless in bed earlier. She knew well that as gentle as this young man appeared, her fate was entirely in his hands—not only her safety in bed, but her very life or death could be decided on a whim.

Li Yun nodded, utterly sincere. “Miss Xue, I have no wish to cross the authorities. Let us find a way for you to return home safely, and in turn, your family should not seek trouble with us. What do you say?”

By now, Li Yun had abandoned any thought of fleeing to distant lands. He still had no idea how he’d arrived in this world, but after years of illness and bedridden days in his previous life, now, reborn, if nothing else, his body was strong and healthy. In just a few days, he was already considering how to survive in this world. He didn’t know what era this was, but his knowledge of ancient times suggested that one needed travel permits to go anywhere. He had none, and wanted notices for his capture as a bandit chief were posted everywhere below the mountain. Venturing out without a proper identity was courting unknown death.

More importantly, the times seemed rather chaotic. And so, his position as a bandit chief was actually an advantage; no matter what, Cangshan Stronghold had dozens of men—all of them capable of killing without batting an eye. In peaceful times, such men might be a burden, but in troubled times, they were a rare and valuable resource.

Chief Li was confident he could build the stronghold into something formidable—provided the authorities didn’t come to wipe them out. All he needed was time to grow.

Miss Xue stared at Li Yun for a long while before finally breaking down and weeping. “Then why did you kidnap me in the first place?” Her words, though simple, were choked with tears.

Chief Li watched the official’s daughter crying her heart out, and after a moment’s silence, shook his head and walked into the outer room. Miss Xue was already at her breaking point; there was no communicating with her now.

Though he was the chief and had his own quarters—unlike his men, who slept together in a large hall—the conditions were still far from luxurious. Fortunately, when the old chief was alive, Li Yun had lived in another small room with a smaller bed. Now exhausted, he tidied the bed a bit, lay down, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

He awoke after just an hour or two feeling completely refreshed. It was now evening. He pulled on a thin robe and stepped out into the courtyard, where the full moon hung high, bathing him in silvery light.

He wasn’t alone in the courtyard; a shadow fell at his feet. Looking up, he saw it was a wooden training dummy, worn from years of use.

Li Yun walked over, laid his hand on the dummy, and with a slight push, set it swaying violently. As if he’d practiced all his life, he threw two punches that whistled through the air, making the dummy creak and groan. After completing a set of movements, he looked down at his fists. This body… was certainly well trained, and perhaps even unusually gifted.

Noticing a burlap sack hanging nearby, he wondered just how strong he really was. Taking a breath, he let out a sharp shout and punched—the sack split open, and sand poured out in a torrent.

Chief Li stared in disbelief, dusting sand from his hand. “That’s a bit much,” he muttered.

Looking up at the moon, he thought of the former Li Mazi—if he was this skilled and had such a band of followers, how could he have been brought down by a handful of constables?

He closed his eyes and recalled the events of that day: himself, surrounded and attacked, then struck hard at the temple. Opening his eyes, Li Yun exhaled deeply. “So it was just stupidity…”

He turned and headed back inside. “No more reckless blundering. Time to use some brains.”

Soaked with sweat, Chief Li didn’t notice as he reentered that a window in the main bedroom quietly slid shut.

Behind it, Miss Xue leaned against the wall, heart pounding—not with excitement, but with terror. This bandit chief… was far more formidable than she’d imagined. If he’d wanted to take her by force during the day, she would have stood no chance.

After a while, hearing no movement from Li Yun, she couldn’t help but lift the window a crack again. By moonlight, she could see the sand still streaming from the sack—and the gaping hole left by his fist.

The next day, in the main hall of Cangshan Stronghold, Chief Li sat cross-legged on the tiger-skin chair at the head of the table, sweeping his gaze over the assembled lieutenants.

No one dared object to his slightly arrogant posture—after all, he’d always been this way. Only since his injury a few days ago had he seemed at all subdued.

“Everyone’s here,” the chief said, spitting out a stalk of wild grass. “I have a few announcements.”

“First, there are many constables at the foot of the mountain. They may not come up, but we must remain vigilant. From today, the men will take turns guarding the main paths up the mountain. At the first sign of trouble, fire a warning arrow.”

“No one is to leave the mountain for any business without my express permission.”

He slapped the table for emphasis. “Anyone who disobeys is betraying the stronghold—and becomes my mortal enemy!”

The men fell silent, not daring to say a word.

“And another thing.” Li Yun cast a glance at the plump second-in-command, forcing a not-so-friendly smile. “Since no one will be going down the mountain for a while, I’ll be in charge of distributing our stores of food and money.”

He held out a large hand, smiling. “Uncle, hand over the storeroom key.”

Second-in-command looked startled. “Er… what do you want the key for?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Li Yun stood, speaking coolly. “I’ll be dividing out rations for the brothers.”

He turned to the crowd. “Give me the storeroom, and I’ll take care of everyone’s needs from now on.”

The second-in-command’s face twitched, but reluctantly he handed over the key, forcing a smile. “Should I take stock of the storeroom first…”

“One more thing,” Li Yun cut him off coldly. “There are rules for meetings—no more calling me by my nickname.”

“I don’t like it.”

“And there’s no need for you to check the storeroom.”

He turned to the crowd. “Old Eight and Old Nine, take some men and guard the storeroom.”

These two were newly promoted by Chief Li himself and were relatively trustworthy. They responded at once and hurried off.

“Gentlemen,” Chief Li rose to his feet. “Though this trouble began with me, it now concerns all of us. No one can escape—go down the mountain and you’ll be arrested. If any of you have the guts to leave, do so openly now, and from this day forward, we’ll have nothing more to do with each other. I, Li, will not stand in your way.”

“But if you trust me, within three months, I’ll resolve this.”

“And after that…”

He slapped the table. “Everyone will live a good life from now on!”

Everyone stared in astonishment. Somehow, it seemed… their chief was not quite the same as before.

The second-in-command, in particular, looked at Li Yun with suspicion and wonder.

Had a blow to the head… awakened something in him?