Chapter 110: Luring the Snake from Its Lair

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Liuzi originally planned to drug the food or, after Kong Sheng and his companions fell asleep, use incense to lull the five of them into unconsciousness and then tie them up, leaving them completely at their mercy. Whether to spare any lives depended on the moods of the two leaders.

Unexpectedly, Kong Sheng and his group seemed on guard, refusing the inn’s food, and even had someone keeping watch overnight. This made it difficult for Liuzi to act.

Liuzi exchanged a glance with another worker, then deliberately spoke loudly, “Old Five, go make some hot tea for the guests!”

Old Five eagerly ran to the back.

Liuzi strolled slowly over to Mu Changfeng and probed, “Sir, after a long journey, aren’t you tired? This small, remote place has no sights to see. You’d better head back to your room and rest.”

Mu Changfeng opened his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips, “Young man, I’m neither tired nor sleepy. You may go; I don’t need your concern.”

Liuzi let out a soft “oh” and forced a smile, “Very well, sir, then please make yourself comfortable. We won’t disturb you.”

His face darkened as he retreated to the back room. Old Five grabbed his arm, lowering his voice, “Liuzi, these people aren’t easy to mess with. I think we should forget it. Their luggage is light; they probably don’t have much worth taking. Better to let it go.”

Liuzi glared, “You don’t know anything! Those five horses, especially that white one, is a divine steed worth a fortune. If we could… steal that horse and present it to the master, that would be a great achievement.”

He winked, nodding toward the main hall, “I refuse to believe this guy can stay awake all night. No rush; we’ll wait until midnight, then light the incense and knock them out!”

Old Five hesitated, “Alright, it’s been a long time since we had a job. If we don’t do this, the two of us will be starving for sure!”

Because of his absolute trust in Mu Changfeng, Kong Sheng slept soundly. But his mind was restless; he awoke in the early hours.

Throwing on his cloak, he grabbed his broken Lu sword and stepped out. Descending the stairs, he saw Mu Changfeng still sitting with sword in hand, eyes sharp and alert. The two workers were nowhere to be found.

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Kong Sheng smiled and pointed to the stairs, softly saying, “Brother Mu, you should rest. I’ll keep watch.”

Mu Changfeng hesitated, “Young master, you should rest instead. Let the brothers Wu Xian and Wu Jie stay up.”

Kong Sheng shook his head, “Let them rest. They’ve been traveling with us for days and are already full of complaints. No need to tire them further.”

Mu Changfeng sighed and pointed to a side room in the hall, indicating the two scheming workers were inside. Without further ceremony, he clasped his fists to Kong Sheng and turned to retire upstairs.

Though a hero, he was not invincible and needed rest to restore his strength. Yet, accustomed to the hardships of the wandering life, he could endure a midnight watch.

Kong Sheng glanced at the workers’ room and quietly opened the inn’s front door. Outside was pitch black; the cold wind brushed past him, chilling him to the bone. He shivered and wrapped his cloak tighter.

He stepped onto the stairs, letting the wind blow, and gazed up at the vast night sky studded with stars. The town was silent and dark—no light, no barking dog—permeated by a suffocating stillness.

Kong Sheng sighed deeply. If this place was like this, the war-torn heart of Suiyang would be even worse. They still had hundreds of miles ahead. Though anxious and rushing, what could he do upon arrival? Could one man turn the tide alone? Even he had no great confidence.

But there was no turning back. With the imperial decree, to shrink back in fear would not only bring universal condemnation but also be rejected by the age itself. Was he to live a second life hiding in the shadows of Tang, never seeing the light?

In the side room on the first floor, Old Five and Liuzi were growing impatient. All night, Mu Changfeng had kept vigilant watch by the door, sword quietly drawn, so they dared not act rashly. Now, hearing Mu Changfeng retreat to rest and being replaced by the seemingly weak scholar Kong Sheng, they sensed their chance had finally come.

Old Five peered through the door crack, watching Kong Sheng’s movements. Liuzi whispered, “Old Five, no half measures. Let’s take out this kid first, then go upstairs, light the incense, and knock out the others!”

Old Five gritted his teeth, spat into his palm, and rubbed his hands, “Damn it! Liuzi, we move together. Be quiet—don’t alert the guy upstairs!”

He meant Mu Changfeng.

They tiptoed out, creeping closer to Kong Sheng, who stood upright, lost in thought. Old Five held a rope, while Liuzi gripped a dark, battered club—one that had felled many before—with a fierce glint in his eyes and a savage expression.

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This was their practiced method of attack: one would slip the noose over the victim’s neck while the other struck the back of the head with the club. Their coordination was seamless, and the victim was usually caught unawares.

They approached, and Kong Sheng appeared oblivious.

Old Five sneered silently and suddenly threw the rope toward Kong Sheng’s neck. Simultaneously, Liuzi leapt up, swinging the club toward the back of Kong Sheng’s head with a whoosh.

To them, dealing with a weak sixteen- or seventeen-year-old scholar like Kong Sheng was a sure thing.

But at the moment Liuzi’s club was about to strike, Kong Sheng suddenly turned his head swiftly, a calm, mocking smile on his face.

Liuzi’s mouth dropped open in shock; before a sound could escape, Kong Sheng’s heavy fist struck him squarely in the face, hitting his nose with a force that recalled the famous fight scene in “Lu Zhishen Punches the Gatekeeper”—“Blood gushed out, the nose crooked to one side, but it looked as if an oil and soy sauce shop had opened, with salty, sour, and spicy flavors all spilling out.”

Liuzi collapsed with a thud, face covered in blood, mumbling incoherently, legs kicking helplessly.

Had Kong Sheng continued with a few more punches like Lu Zhishen, Liuzi would have been severely beaten, if not killed.

Old Five’s rope caught Kong Sheng’s neck, but in a panic, no matter how hard he pulled, Kong Sheng calmly twisted the rope with one hand and remained perfectly still.

What strength Kong Sheng possessed! Not even two Old Fives combined could match him.

Kong Sheng sneered, lifted the noose off his head with ease, then pulled sharply. Old Five lost his footing, stumbling backward. Kong Sheng raised his foot and mercilessly kicked him flying.

Was Old Five courting death? Kong Sheng had known this might be a black inn, so he had been cautious.

In truth, he had deliberately stepped outside to lure the snakes out.