Chapter 147: Breaking Free

Page 1 of 3

The night grew deeper.

In Kong Sheng’s opinion, the wine of this era was so weak and bland it might as well have been water. Its alcohol content was, at most, three or five percent—hardly stronger than modern beer.

Kong Sheng, Nangong Wang, and Nie Chuchen passed the cups back and forth, refusing no toast. Nangong Wang had a poor tolerance for alcohol; after only three or five cups, he was already half-drunk. He was not even a match for Nie Chuchen, a woman who remained utterly composed as she exchanged cup after cup.

Nangong Wang, his eyes clouded with drink, waved an arm. “Junior Brother Kong… You and Junior Sister Chuchen possess the Fangtian painted halberd left behind by our master as a token of betrothal. This is a bond decreed by Heaven. Why not heed your senior brother’s advice and get married tonight… Ha ha!”

Nangong Wang burst into loud laughter.

Kong Sheng felt an entire waterfall of cold sweat pour down his back.

Nie Chuchen, for her part, neither blushed nor affected coyness. Her eyes flashed like flames as she cast Kong Sheng a glance, then laughed merrily. “Senior Brother, Chuchen would be more than willing. I’m only afraid that Junior Brother won’t agree.”

Taking advantage of his drunken courage, Nangong Wang suddenly slapped the table. “I say, Junior Brother Kong, stop being so coy! Chuchen… Junior Sister Chuchen is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, and she possesses remarkable martial skill. Her archery is utterly sublime. The two of you are a perfect match, a union ordained by Heaven! Junior Brother Kong, a beauty is throwing herself into your arms, and you are blessed beyond measure—yet you keep hemming and hawing. Are you even a man?!”

Kong Sheng was caught between laughter and tears, but he paid no attention to Nangong Wang’s provocation. He simply lifted his cup, drained it in one swallow, and smiled without answering.

Nie Chuchen did not take offense. With a radiant smile, she raised her cup and invited Kong Sheng to drink again. “Junior Brother, come. We met at Chemen Stronghold, and that meeting too was a fate decided in a former life. To fate—drink this cup dry!”

Kong Sheng met her blazing gaze and raised his cup in acknowledgment. Then he drained it once more.

Nangong Wang laughed heartily beside them. “Junior Brother Kong… Er, Junior Brother Kong’s capacity for drink is astonishing too. Could that be something you were born with?”

Kong Sheng gave a soft chuckle. “Senior Brother Nangong, this wine is as insipid as water and has no strength to it. If we meet again someday, I will certainly treat you to some rich and potent liquor.”

Kong Sheng had long since entertained the thought of “improving” the wine of this age. The process was not especially complicated: one needed only to build a distillation apparatus and further purify this low-proof liquor. As a modern man with the advantage of foresight and a wealth of scientific knowledge, he had countless ideas for inventions and innovations. He simply lacked the time and energy to put them into practice for now.

Once he had the leisure and money, Kong Sheng would certainly advance technological progress in the Tang era—not because he wished to become some pioneer who transformed the age, but simply to make his own life more comfortable and carefree.

…

The three of them talked and laughed, drinking to their hearts’ content until the latter half of the night, around the fifth watch.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

In the first half of the evening, Nangong Wang had still been able to keep them company. But in the latter half, he could no longer withstand the alcohol. He wrapped himself in a cotton cloak and fell asleep on the floor.

Nie Chuchen was a woman, but having made her way through the rough-and-tumble world of the martial underworld, she cared little for such formalities. In high spirits, she had drunk several cups in quick succession, and the alcohol soon went to her head. Her personal maidservant, who had been attending her at her side, helped her into the inner room, where she retired to bed.

Kong Sheng sat cross-legged before the table and glanced at Nangong Wang, who was sleeping heavily on the floor. From the corner of his eye, he looked toward the curtain of the inner chamber, where the candle had just been extinguished. A faint smile touched his lips. He slowly rose, took up the Fangtian painted halberd, closed the door, and walked into the courtyard.

“Who is it?” he demanded softly.

Mu Changfeng removed his face covering and slowly stepped out of the shadows in the corner.

Kong Sheng was startled. “Brother Mu?”

Mu Changfeng smiled. “Young Master! I was worried, so I slipped into Chemen Stronghold tonight. I have been waiting for you for quite some time.”

“Most of the bandits are sleeping soundly, and the stronghold is laxly guarded. Why don’t we leave the mountain tonight? Even if the bandits discover us, with the strength of the two of us, I believe we may still be able to escape safely.”

Kong Sheng pondered briefly, then nodded. “Very well. Brother Mu, let us go down the mountain at once.”

As he spoke, Kong Sheng hesitantly looked at the Fangtian painted halberd in his hand. It was the betrothal token that the wandering swordsman Fan Yuncong had left for Nie Chuchen. He was refusing to marry Nie Chuchen and fleeing down the mountain in the dead of night; if he took the halberd with him as well, it seemed rather dishonorable.

And yet he loved the weapon dearly. It was so perfectly suited to his hand, as though it were an armament destined to share a spiritual bond with him. If he let it slip away, he would surely regret it for the rest of his life.

Mu Changfeng knew nothing of the tangled conflict in Kong Sheng’s heart. He urged him in a low voice, “Young Master, there is no time to lose. We must leave immediately. If we rouse the bandits, matters will become troublesome.”

Kong Sheng tightened his grip on the halberd’s shaft, gritted his teeth, and made up his mind. After weighing the alternatives, he decided to take the Fangtian painted halberd with him. If he found an opportunity in the future, he would make it up to Nie Chuchen.

Carrying the halberd, Kong Sheng followed Mu Changfeng as they quietly opened the arched gate. Tiptoeing along the long corridor, they made their way toward the outer stronghold. Kong Sheng knew no light-footed arts and could not move across walls and ridgelines as effortlessly as Mu Changfeng. He could only proceed step by step, relying on the clumsy method of slipping out of the stronghold.

Chemen Mountain was neither high nor rugged. Once they escaped the stronghold, they could reach the foot of the mountain in less than half an hour. And once they were down, the Wu brothers, Wu Xian and Wu Jie, would have horses waiting for them. By the time Nie Chuchen discovered what had happened, it would already be too late.

Because Kong Sheng had caused such a commotion in the middle of the night and thoroughly exhausted the bandits, many of them had gone back to sleep and were sleeping especially deeply. As for those assigned to guard duty, most had relaxed their vigilance because Nie Chuchen and Nangong Wang were accompanying Kong Sheng.

Thus, along the way, the two occasionally spotted a few sentries, but the men were sprawled drunkenly in the corners of the corridor, sleeping like logs. Not one of them was disturbed.

When they reached the courtyard of the outer stronghold, Mu Changfeng gave a soft hiss and signaled Kong Sheng to stop and wait. Kong Sheng nodded and quietly slipped into the shadows beneath the corridor.

Mu Changfeng drew a deep breath. Under Kong Sheng’s envious gaze, he leaped straight into the air and climbed upward like a darting civet. Without making the slightest sound, he landed atop the corridor and peered into the courtyard of the outer stronghold.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

From the Hall of Oaths in the outer stronghold to the tightly shut gate, five bandits stood guard. Two leaned against the flagpole beside the gate, nodding sleepily. One squatted before a brazier whose fire had long since gone out, though embers still glowed and occasionally sent up sparks, rubbing his hands for warmth. The remaining two paced back and forth across the courtyard in utter boredom.

The starlight was bright, and the five bandits stood at different positions around the courtyard. After a brief moment of thought, Mu Changfeng decided that he could not deal with all five simultaneously without making a sound. He leaped down, crouched beside Kong Sheng, and whispered a few words into his ear.

Kong Sheng shook his head and lowered his voice. “Brother Mu, we must not injure them. Nie Chuchen, Nangong Wang, and I share a connection through our master’s school. They have not made things difficult for me. Our primary aim is to get down the mountain; if we can avoid harming anyone, we should.”

Kong Sheng thought to himself that if they injured anyone now, he would form an irreconcilable blood feud with Nie Chuchen and Nangong Wang. It would hardly be worth the cost.

Mu Changfeng frowned. “Young Master, if we do not hurt anyone, there is no way we can escape. Once we cause a disturbance and alert most of the bandits, we will not be able to flee even if we wish to.”

Kong Sheng reflected for a moment. Knowing that it was difficult to have the best of both worlds, he could only smile bitterly. “I am the one dragging you into this, Brother Mu. Since it cannot be helped, please show as much mercy as you can and do not take their lives.”

Mu Changfeng acknowledged him with a grunt, then sprang forward.

He landed as lightly as a falling leaf, making scarcely a sound. Without hesitation, he struck down with his palm, knocking unconscious the bandit who had been squatting before the brazier. The two bandits who had been pacing shoulder to shoulder suddenly looked up at the sight of Mu Changfeng in black. They were just about to cry out and raise the alarm when a chill wind rushed over them from behind. A tremendous force struck the backs of their necks. Before either man could react, his head lolled to one side, and both collapsed unconscious to the ground with a muffled thud.

Mu Changfeng gave a quiet laugh and raised his thumb toward Kong Sheng, who was hurrying over with the Fangtian painted halberd in hand. Then Mu Changfeng launched himself through the air, and the long sword at his waist flashed from its sheath.

By the time the two gate guards leaning against the flagpole awoke, a cold sword blade was already poised beneath the neck of one.

The other fared no better. The broad, razor-sharp spike of a Fangtian painted halberd was leveled directly before his eyes. He had no time to react before cold sweat broke out all over him and gooseflesh rose across his skin. Then his groin grew warm, and a stream ran down between his legs. He had been frightened into wetting himself.

The overpowering stench of urine reached Kong Sheng, and he frowned, holding his breath.

Mu Changfeng barked, “Shut up! Make a sound, and you will lose your head!”

Kong Sheng did not bother with a single unnecessary word. He simply thrust the sharp halberd point forward another half inch, piercing the bandit’s skin until thin threads of blood emerged. The man was so terrified that his soul seemed to leave his body. His eyes rolled upward, his legs went limp, and he plunged face-first to the ground, unconscious.

Kong Sheng stared blankly. This was the first time he had ever encountered a bandit as timid as a frightened mouse.

In truth, this bandit band was a mixed lot. Three-tenths were deserters, another three-tenths were local farmers and common folk, while a little more than the remaining three-tenths were refugees who had fled south from Jiangbei and Henan.

When the woods grow vast, every kind of bird makes its nest. It was only natural that the bandits should be a mixed company of the worthy and the worthless.

To be continued.