Chapter 222: Flying Eagle Mountain

Xiao Zhenggong shoved the two women aside and stepped out of the pool. He was visibly excited. The weather was cold, yet he didn't even bother wrapping himself in a towel.

"Old Luo, I knew you had it in you. Take the brothers from the hall and head to Iron Gate Fort. Bring the item back."

Luo Zhengnan reached up and touched the antenna on his head. He fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Boss Xiao, where did you say you wanted me to take my men just now? The signal isn't very good, and I didn't hear clearly."

Xiao Zhenggong repeated, "I said go to Iron Gate Fort and bring the item back!"

"Boss, I still can't hear you clearly..." Luo Zhengnan muttered as he slowly pulled the antenna out of his skull.

So that's your grand plan. You want me to take my men to Iron Gate Fort and retrieve it for you? Do you think it's that easy? If it were, He Jiaqing would have taken it long ago. Would it really still be your turn?

Luo Zhengnan wiped the antenna clean, placed it into a box, and let out a bitter smile.

Do you even know what kind of place Iron Gate Fort is? If I take people there... do you think any of us would make it back alive?

"Old Luo? Old Luo!"

The line had already gone dead.

Xiao Zhenggong dialed again, but a cold, mechanical voice answered, "The number you have dialed does not exist."

"This useless fool!" He yelled as he slammed the phone down. "I handed him an opportunity, and he couldn't even seize it!"

He stood there for a moment, seething. Then he picked up the phone again and called the hall master at Yellowclay Bridge.

To contact Puluo Province from the Outer Provinces, there were only two options. One was to send a letter. The other was to have a Spycraft Cultivator set up a hook. That was all. Any form of communication that relied on electricity was unreliable.

For something this urgent, a letter would be far too slow. That left only one option, which was the hook.

Each hall of the Jiangxiang Gang had its own Spycraft Cultivator, but Xiao Zhenggong wanted to keep this a secret.

Fortunately, the hall master of Yellowclay Bridge happened to be in the Outer Provinces on business. That made him the perfect person for this.

The call connected. Xiao Zhenggong didn't waste time. "Come to Yuezhou. Immediately."

The hall master at Yellowclay Bridge arrived that very night. Xiao Zhenggong dismissed the others, then spoke to him in private.

"Forget whatever you are handling in the Outer Provinces for now. Take your men, bring along the people from Blackstone Slope, and head to Iron Gate Fort. There's something I need you to bring back."

The hall master frowned slightly. "Boss Xiao... what exactly is it?"

"A spear."

"What kind?"

"A true spear. Cold steel."

"An enchanted artifact?"

Xiao Zhenggong froze for a moment. The truth was that he wasn't entirely sure what this thing was. He knew He Jiaqing had been searching for Zhao Xiaowan's soul. He also knew her soul was attached to a spear. But he wasn't sure if that spear was an enchanted artifact, a spirit-bound item, or even a wandering ghost with a physical form?

"Treat it as an enchanted artifact," he said. "That spear carries enough force to threaten an army. The moment you hold it, you will know if it's real."

He paused, then continued,

"It's currently in the hands of Iron Gate Fort's Fort Lord, Zhou Juan. Tell him we are willing to pay for it. Let him name his price. If he refuses... take it by force. You must bring it back. Do that, and I will make you an elder."

Han Jinwei, the hall master of Yellowclay Bridge, had only taken up the position earlier that year, and he was still in his early thirties. He was ambitious, capable, and full of drive.

Upon hearing the gang leader promise a generous reward, Han Jinwei immediately replied, "Boss Xiao, please leave this matter to me. There is no need to involve the people from Blackstone Slope."

Xiao Zhenggong frowned when he heard this. "Jinwei, Iron Gate Fort is no ordinary place. Your hall alone may not be enough."

Han Jinwei remained confident as he answered, "I understand that Iron Gate Fort is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but we have our own methods. I will make sure to bring the item back."

"Good!" Xiao Zhenggong praised. "If you need manpower or funds, just let me know. However, there is one thing you must keep in mind. This matter cannot be made known to outsiders. When you send your men to Iron Gate Fort, they must travel separately and avoid drawing attention."

"Boss Xiao, you don't need to worry about these matters. Please just wait for my news," Han Jinwei replied.

That very night, he set off and returned to Puluo Province.

Watching him leave, Xiao Zhenggong felt even more certain that he had not misjudged him. Han Jinwei was someone capable of achieving great things!

***

On Flying Eagle Mountain, the stronghold chief, He Zhenlei, was still waiting for news from Ma Dingfu.

Zhou Juan was dead, and so were all the men on the mountain who had supported him. Only Little Ma remained.

Ma Dingfu had taken the position of Fort Lord, and He Zhenlei had no choice but to accept it. Iron Gate Fort had already acknowledged him, and it was far too late to interfere.

However, Ma Dingfu had promised to deliver ten thousand silver dollars once he secured the position. Now that some time had passed without any word, He Zhenlei could not help but wonder if he intended to go back on that promise.

Should I send someone to give him a warning? No. I shouldn't rush this.

Ma Dingfu has endured for years to reach this point. Now that he's finally become Fort Lord, it's only natural he would grow a little proud. If I push him to pay up too soon, I might drive him to turn against me.

Better to take it slow

, he thought.

In time, I will send a few trusted men to stay by his side. They will keep an eye on him... and remind him when necessary.

After all, Ma Dingfu belongs to Flying Eagle Mountain. If that ever comes to light, he won't be able to stand firm in Iron Gate Fort.

As long as I hold that over him, there's nothing to worry about. He won't dare go back on his word. Of course... It's best that this little secret stays hidden. The moment it's exposed, I lose my leverage... and Iron Gate Fort stops being so easy to squeeze.

Understanding the stakes, He Zhenlei had just decided there was no need to rush matters with Iron Gate Fort. Then, something that truly worried him happened in the blink of an eye. More than ten men he had sent down the mountain to collect grain were ambushed and only one made it back.

The man's name was Chen Zhuyu. He was a minor leader in the stronghold. His right ear had been cut clean off. He dropped to his knees, wailing nonstop.

"Lord Lei! Those bastards from Iron Gate Fort attacked our brothers!"

He Zhenlei froze. "Who did you say attacked you?"

"The people from Iron Gate Fort!" Chen Zhuyu cried. "We had not gone far down the mountain when we were ambushed. Fifteen of our brothers died. I am the only one who made it back, risking my life!"

That wasn't the truth. Even if he had run for his life, he still would not have made it back. He had been captured alive. It was Li Banfeng who let him go, just so he could bring the message back.

He Zhenlei still did not believe a word of it.

"You didn't see wrong?" he asked slowly. "It was really people from Iron Gate Fort? Those Homebound Cultivators never leave the main gate!"

Chen Zhuyu shook his head hard, almost frantic.

"Lord Lei, I didn't see wrong," he said. "I have been there before. I know them. Wu Yongchao was there. I recognized him right away. And Tang Yanning too. I have seen her before! It was them. I am sure of it."

Silence fell.

What is Little Ma trying to do? Is he really going to turn against me?

He Zhenlei's hands began to tremble from anger.

"Take a few men and go to Iron Gate Fort," He Zhenlei said. "Don't fight them, and don't talk too much. Just meet their Fort Lord and tell Ma Dingfu that I miss him."

That brat has forgotten where he came from!

He Zhenlei thought.

If he doesn't come to apologize to me in person, I will expose everything, even if it means giving up all the benefits from Iron Gate Fort!

Chen Zhuyu took five capable fighters and set out at once. They left at noon. By evening, only one person came back. It was Chen Zhuyu. This time, his left ear was gone as well.

He stumbled forward, dropped to his knees, and cried so hard he could barely get the words out.

"Chief, I took the brothers there. They told me to wait in a room to meet their Fort Lord, but we never saw him, and they attacked us again,

"All five of them... dead. They killed all of them. And they cut off my other ear... Chief! Youhave to stand up for me!"

He Zhenlei was so furious that the veins on his forehead bulged.

Little Ma... I must have been blind to misjudge you, you bastard. Do you even remember who gave you your place in Iron Gate Fort? And you dare pull something like this on me?

"Take this letter to Iron Gate Fort," He Zhenlei said coldly. "Stand at their gates and read it out word for word. If anyone asks where it came from, tell them Ma Dingfu wrote it himself. If he denies it, he can come face me in person!"

He shoved the letter into Chen Zhuyu's hands.

It was indeed written by Ma Dingfu himself. Every word was there in black and white. It explained Zhou Anju's death, laid out the current situation in Iron Gate Fort, and even stated Ma Dingfu's intention to become Fort Lord, along with his request for He Zhenlei's support.

There was no room for denial. Today, He Zhenlei intended to drag everything into the open.

However, Chen Zhuyu didn't want to go. Both his ears had already been cut off. If he went again, who knew what else they might cut off.

He Zhenlei cursed him out and sent someone else to deliver the letter to Iron Gate Fort.

The man set out early in the morning. By late that night, there was still no news.

He Zhenlei lay in bed, staring into the dark, unable to sleep.

His thoughts wouldn't stop.

Has Ma Dingfu struck again? What if he refuses to admit it? What if he claims the letter isn't his? Is there really nothing I can do about him?

He Zhenlei tossed and turned, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a solution.

As he lay awake deep into the night, his throat felt dry and he wanted to get some water.

A bowl of water was suddenly placed before him.

Li Banfeng stood there, calmly pouring it.

He Zhenlei grabbed the bowl without thinking and raised it to his lips. Just as he was about to drink, he froze.

His whole body shuddered. "Who are you?"

Li Banfeng gave a short and simple reply. "Fort Lord."

He Zhenlei blinked. "What Fort Lord?"

"The Fort Lord of Iron Gate Fort."

That makes no sense at all.

He Zhenlei stared at him, really stared this time. The man wore a fedora pulled low and a scruffy beard that hid most of his face. You could look at him for a long while and still not be sure what he looked like.

This guy is the Fort Lord of Iron Gate Fort? Little Ma didn't become Fort Lord?

He Zhenlei asked, "What should I call you?"

Li Banfeng looked a little impatient. "Didn't I already tell you? My name is Fort Lord. Surname Fort, given name Lord."

What kind of name is that?

He Zhenlei thought.

Is this man really the Fort Lord of Iron Gate Fort?

Li Banfeng also wanted to ask that question. "The men you sent down the mountain to seize grain were killed by me. The lackeys you sent to Iron Gate Fort were also killed by me. And the group you just sent to deliver the letter were killed by me too.

I have been thinking about this for a while. As someone who have claimed this mountain as your own, you should have some backbone. I keep killing your men every time I see them, yet you don't dare to strike back. Are you really the chief of Flying Eagle Mountain?"

He Zhenlei's face twisted as he let out a furious roar. "How did you get into my stronghold?"

Li Banfeng spoke as if he were offering friendly advice. "No need to make such a fuss. The guards at your gate are already dead. As for the men you sent to Iron Gate Fort, they couldn't keep their mouths shut. They told me everything about how Flying Eagle Mountain is set up."

He Zhenlei gritted his teeth and leapt off the bed. "I will take your life!"

Li Banfeng stepped forward and kicked him straight in the mouth.

A sharp crack rang out as his front teeth flew loose. Before He Zhenlei could even steady himself, another kick followed, sending him crashing back onto the bed.

"I already told you," Li Banfeng said. "Your men couldn't keep their mouths shut. They told me everything about your cultivation.

As a bandit chief, you have got quite a reputation. I thought you would at least be at the fourth level. But after hearing from your men, I found out you are only a level-three Martial Cultivator. And someone like you can dominate a region? I didn't expect that. Looks like you have picked up some tricks from Deception Cultivators too."

He Zhenlei's face twisted. He clenched his teeth and tried to speak, but Li Banfeng kicked once more, breaking his molars as well.

"Don't grind your teeth," Li Banfeng said. "I don't like that sound."

He Zhenlei covered his mouth. His voice came out muffled.

"What do you want?"

Li Banfeng said, "Seeing what you are worth, I won't make things too hard for you. Tomorrow, take your men and attack Iron Gate Fort. Bring everyone who can fight. As long as you go, I will spare your life. But if I don't see you tomorrow morning, you can wait for someone to collect your corpse."

He Zhenlei was stunned. "You want me to attack Iron Gate Fort?"

Li Banfeng raised his hand and slapped him across the face. "Your cultivation is weak, and your ears don't work either? Don't make me repeat myself. I will be waiting at the fort tomorrow."

Author's Note:

PS: There's nothing better than real combat for sharpening one's fighting skills.