Chapter Eight: Extra Payment Required!

At the foot of the Azure Mountains.

On a patch of open ground, a makeshift shelter had been set up to ward off the blistering sun.

Beneath the shelter, a middle-aged man in the robes of a seventh-rank official, distinguished and proper in appearance, kept glancing anxiously up toward the mountain.

Beside him, a middle-aged man dressed as a military officer lounged on a recliner, eyes closed, resting in leisure.

“Master Xue.”

The officer opened his eyes and said, “Sit down and rest for a while. There’s no use in being anxious—haste will get us nowhere.” He shook his head and mused, “I must say, your region is truly unruly. Bandits in these mountains, daring to abduct the county magistrate’s daughter in broad daylight!”

The man addressed as “Master Xue” was Xue Song, magistrate of Qingyang. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, “These mountain bandits have plagued us for years now. On one hand, they are ruthless; on the other, our county borders another, and neither side is willing to put in the effort. Who would have thought—who would have thought…”

Xue turned to the military officer with a bitter smile. “Commander Du, she is my favorite daughter. How can I not be anxious? How can I not worry?”

At these words, Commander Du’s eyes flickered. Rising, he smiled and said, “Master Xue, the journey from the provincial city is no short one. We rushed here as quickly as we could. Now that your daughter has been missing for several days, it is not the time for panic. Take some rest and wait for news.”

Xue Song sighed deeply, weighed down by worry. “Those damned bandits…”

As the two spoke, a bloodied soldier ran up in a panic, stopping before Commander Du and whispering something in his ear. The commander, whose belly had begun to show the years of indulgence, turned pale at the news.

“How many casualties?” he demanded.

The messenger’s face was grim as he replied, “Sir, those bandits know the mountain too well. They come and go like ghosts and have set traps everywhere. Just from the traps alone, seven or eight of our men are injured…”

“And now, the bandits have started to ambush us along the path…” He glanced at Magistrate Xue and lowered his voice, “We haven’t even glimpsed the stronghold, but more than a dozen men are already unable to move. Four or five have been killed…”

“The rest of the brothers… they’re losing their will to fight…”

Commander Du’s expression darkened. “Take me up the mountain to see for myself.”

The man wiped blood from his face, grabbed the commander’s sleeve, and shook his head. “Sir, Wang Gui was shot through the back with a single arrow, pinned right to a tree…”

Commander Du froze, his face turning even grimmer. “He wasn’t wearing armor?”

“He was,” the man whispered, “Not just any—his father’s old iron suit. It made no difference. That arrow pierced right through…”

At this, Commander Du abandoned all thought of climbing the mountain. There was a formidable archer up there—someone who could draw a bow of several stone! Against such a foe, armor was useless at close range; it was as if one stood naked before death.

He had no wish to die.

Commander Du returned to the shelter and, after a moment of thought, ordered, “Have the men hold their positions. No one is to climb further.”

Magistrate Xue grew desperate. “Commander Du, if you halt here, what of my daughter?”

Commander Du grunted, “Magistrate Xue, I’ve already lost several men! Over a dozen more are gravely wounded. This fortress is too tough—we can’t crack it!”

Xue’s face grew ashen, and he spoke in a low voice, “Commander Du, I had an agreement with Commander Cao. I’ve already paid what was promised…”

Seeing that the magistrate had laid his cards on the table, Commander Du made no further pretense. He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to move away, then said coldly, “Master Xue, the money you handed Commander Cao—how much of it reached those of us risking our lives?”

Xue stammered, “Didn’t I give you a hundred strings too, Commander Du…”

“A hundred men—if we all die in these mountains, is a life worth only one string of cash?” Commander Du’s voice rose in anger. “These are brothers who have followed me for years, as dear as my own kin!”

Xue’s guilt deepened. “Then what does Commander Du propose?”

“There must be more money!” Commander Du’s gaze hardened as he ground out, “Five thousand strings, and my brothers will do the job for you!”

“Even if we have to return and bring several hundred more men, we will get your daughter down from that mountain!”

At this, Xue Song’s face turned dark. He… didn’t have that much money.

Seeing the magistrate hesitate, Commander Du didn’t waste another word. He called his men over and ordered, “Tell everyone to withdraw and rest at the foot of the mountain!”

Magistrate Xue panicked. “Commander Du, I truly don’t have that much. What about a thousand strings…”

Commander Du rolled his eyes and ignored him entirely.

“Master Xue, after all the casualties my men have suffered, I, too, have to answer to Commander Cao. These bandits are formidable—no band of a mere hundred men could hope to wipe them out.”

“You’d best return to the provincial city and petition Commander Cao for more troops!”

With that, he straightened up and strode out of the shelter.

Magistrate Xue sat beneath the canopy, his expression extremely grim. Only after a long while did he clench his fists and grit his teeth.

“When…”

His whole body shook with rage.

“When did it become necessary for victims to pay for the suppression of bandits!”

In this moment, his heart was filled with a bitter mix of emotions.

The Great Zhou… the discipline of the realm was in shambles!

Elsewhere, as the first group of soldiers retreated from the mountain, Commander Du summoned a squad leader and spoke in a low voice, “We’ve been sent to exterminate bandits—we can’t return in disgrace. Do you understand?”

The squad leader immediately caught his meaning and replied, “Rest assured, sir. We’ll capture a few bandits alive for you, so you can report back to the authorities.”

Commander Du nodded in satisfaction and clapped his subordinate on the shoulder. “Go on, then.”

After instructing his men, he cast a scornful glance toward the distant magistrate and spat heavily on the ground.

“Bah!”

“All these years as an official—who knows how much he’s skimmed? If you’re stingy, just admit it; don’t pretend to be poor to my face!”

“If it were your son taken by bandits, I’d like to see if you’d part with the money then!”

“Serves you right that your daughter’s been snatched—who knows what the bandits are doing to her by now!”

After a few vitriolic curses, he finally felt his anger subside and went to check on the wounded.

When he saw several corpses being carried down the mountain, Commander Du’s face grew as dark as a storm.

But in his heart…

He was already calculating how much he could embezzle from the relief funds.

……

Within the main stronghold of the Azure Mountain bandits.

Li Yun and his two companions finally returned to the camp.

Of the three, Er Leng had loosed only a few arrows and had done little else, but Li Yun and Zhang Hu had fought for their lives. Physical exhaustion was one thing—it was their spirits that were truly spent.

Li, the chief of the stronghold and a man of remarkable talent, needed only to sit on a rock to catch his breath.

Zhang Hu had collapsed flat on the ground, arms and legs splayed wide.

As Li Yun caught his breath, Zhou Liang—known as “Lean Tiger,” third in rank within the stronghold—strode up, bowed with fist in palm, and reported, “Chief, the brothers below report that the soldiers have retreated!”

He glanced at Li Yun, then bowed again. “Chief, your bravery and cunning leave your men in awe!”

Zhou Liang was a long-standing veteran from the days of the old chief, and hearing his words, everyone nearby followed suit, bowing and saluting. In this den of mixed company, for once, everyone spoke with one voice.

“We are in awe!”

Li Yun took several deep breaths, seized the large bowl of cold water handed to him by Baldy, and gulped it down.

After a while, he finally recovered and shook his head slightly. “They retreated only out of fear for their lives. This…”

“It’s likely not over.”

Li Yun looked at the crowd and spoke slowly, “I’ll say it again—this trouble started because of me. Give me three months, and I’ll settle this mess for all of us.”

After this battle, the men’s confidence was greatly bolstered. With a stronghold established for twenty years, none believed the Azure Mountain bandits would fall overnight.

Li Yun’s words met with resounding cheers.

“Long live the chief! Long live the chief!”

“Long live the chief—”