Chapter 14: Follow the Chief and Eat Well

The situation was indeed troublesome. A surprise attack might have killed Zhou Xing easily, but an open brawl brought many uncertainties. Gao Yuan’s body was weak, and Lin Hongxiu had only recently recovered; neither was suited to a long fight.

Their best chance was to reach Zhou and kill him quickly. But the cunning bastard stayed back, directing his men from a distance. He meant to exhaust Gao and his companions with sheer numbers. If this went on, something was bound to go wrong.

Gao cursed inwardly, unable to see a way through. Sun Shuanghu was about to be cut down when a huge figure came running from the distance and charged straight into the crowd.

He carried no weapon, relying entirely on his strength. Bandits fell wherever he hit them, and he smashed a passage through the encirclement.

It was Wang Shuang, the man they called a fool.

“Run! Run, quick!” he cried, reaching Gao Yuan’s side.

Gao stared at him. “Why are you helping me?”

Wang’s honest face remained earnest. “You saved me! I help you!”

Was that why? Gao felt a pang. On the battlefield he had not intended to save Wang; he had merely taken a chance to attack Wu Xiangbei. Yet Wang had treated it as a debt for his life and come to his aid at the crucial moment.

Wang was only one man, but in a struggle so evenly poised, he was the weight that tipped the scales.

“Thank you!” There was no time for more. Gao fought his way through the opening Wang had made and charged straight at Zhou Xing.

Zhou, who had thought himself safe, was terrified. He was a capable fighter, but Gao had driven off Wu Xiangbei. Better to run first. He turned and fled without a word.

He was too slow. Gao gathered all his strength, his face set with killing intent. There was no retreat now.

“Kill!” He leaped, his short blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Ferocity flashed in Zhou’s eyes. Leaving himself open, he swung his long blade at Gao’s chest, prepared to take them both down.

Gao sneered. Trade lives with me? Are you worthy?

He drew a short breath and changed direction in midair. The blow missed; his blade swept forward like a serpent’s fang and cut diagonally across Zhou’s throat.

Blood spurted. One stroke had sealed his fate.

Zhou stood motionless, staring at the stronghold in anger, unwilling to accept his defeat. He could not even cry out. After a few unsteady moments, he crashed to the ground, raising a thin cloud of dust. Zhou Xing, chief of Blackwind Stronghold, was dead.

Gao planted a foot on Zhou’s head and raised his blade. “Zhou Xing is dead! Put down your weapons!”

The fighting bandits stopped and turned. A few men still loyal to Zhou raised their weapons. “Everyone together! Kill this ungrateful bastard!”

Before they could move, arrows hissed in from a distance. Lin Hongxiu had found a powerful bow and stood atop a boulder, red robes stirring in the wind. Her features were striking, her bearing fierce and untamed. The loudest of the men fell with arrows through their heads.

Silence settled over the scene. The remaining bandits looked at one another, but none dared step forward.

Sun Shuanghu lay bloodied on the ground, gasping. He wiped blood from his face and grinned up at the crescent moon. They had done it.

After a few breaths, someone called, “Gao Yuan, the chief treated you well! What’s the meaning of this?”

“Treated me well?” Gao kicked Zhou’s body and sneered. “I drove Wu Xiangbei back today, and tonight Zhou Xing and Xu Mazi sent men to murder me! If I hadn’t been careful, I’d have been thrown down the mountain for the wolves. You call that treating me well?”

Fourth Ding came running out, dragging Xu Mazi’s body. “It’s all true! Xu Mazi gave us ten taels to kill Brother Yuan tonight. Brother Yuan had no choice but to fight back! They betrayed him first. You can’t blame him! Every word is true; may heaven strike me down if I’m lying!”

Ding spoke with great passion. He knew how cowardly he had been and feared Gao would kill him as useless if he failed to show some value now.

The remaining bandits fell silent. With Zhou and Xu dead, there was no way to verify Ding’s story, but the explanation gave them some understanding of Gao’s actions.

Gao stood before them. “From tonight on, I’m in charge of Blackwind Stronghold. Anyone who objects can challenge me. Anyone who wants to leave may go. Well?”

The bandits lowered their heads. Challenge him? They had seen him fight, and he had the red-clad woman and the giant Wang Shuang beside him. Stepping forward would be suicide. Leave? Where could they go in a world torn by war? At least the stronghold offered food.

Gao surveyed them, his gaze sharp. Once he was sure none would challenge his authority, his tone warmed.

“Then we’re brothers from now on! I’m not Zhou Xing, and I won’t make empty promises. When there’s meat, we’ll eat together; when there’s money, we’ll share it. We’ll face hardship together and make Blackwind Stronghold strong! Go and rest tonight. Tomorrow morning I’ll open the treasury and divide the silver!”

The first part drew little reaction, but at the promise of silver, excitement swept through the crowd.

“Our chief is magnificent!”

“Our lives belong to you, Chief!”

“Follow the chief and we’ll eat meat!”

Their cheers rose to the sky.