Chapter 24: A Decisive Strike

With Jiang Feng's flight, the collapse of Black Wind Fortress could no longer be contained.

Aside from Xie Quan's most loyal confidants, the other bandits fled in all directions, desperate to save their lives.

The martial artists of the Tiger伏 (伏虎) Gang pursued them in groups, cutting down bandits with ease, as if slaughtering pigs and sheep.

But while others fought the thieves with all their might, Chen Yuan pursued a Bone-Refining bandit at an unhurried pace, showing no urgency to strike.

After initiating the ambush, Chen Yuan had singled out this particular bandit and had been entangling him until now without delivering a killing blow.

Wei Wuding's attention made him feel somewhat uneasy.

After several considerations, Chen Yuan chose to hide his true abilities, displaying only the strength expected of a martial artist who had just entered the Bone-Refining stage.

He had even made up his mind to let this Bone-Refining bandit go.

Having just broken through to the Internal Strength stage, he did not lack gold, silver, or cultivation manuals. What he needed now was to practice his martial arts steadily, rather than becoming entangled with Wei Wuding or getting caught in the internal strife of the Tiger伏 Gang.

Thinking this, Chen Yuan slowed his pace even further. He continued to shout and yell to maintain the illusion of a relentless pursuit, while in reality, he was drifting further and further away from the Bone-Refining bandit.

Seeing that the bandit was about to vanish into the mountain forest, Chen Yuan's shouts grew more urgent, yet his footsteps slowed once more.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan's heart jolted, and an inexplicable chill swept through his entire body.

Without thinking, he lunged forward and rolled onto the ground.

*Whoosh!*

Just as Chen Yuan hit the ground, a sharp whistling sound rang out. An arrow shot from behind, embedding itself deeply into the ground just in front of him, its fletching trembling slightly.

Accompanying the arrow was a furious roar

"You little bastard! I'll kill you to avenge Brother Dong!"

Chen Yuan scrambled to his feet, turning back to see Jiang Feng pulling another arrow, nocking it to his bow, and firing.

*Whoosh!*

Chen Yuan's expression changed. He raised his saber to block, but halfway through the motion, he suddenly stopped and instead raised his left arm to shield himself.

*Thwack!*

The arrow struck Chen Yuan's left arm, piercing three inches into the flesh.

"Argh!"

Chen Yuan let out a roar and swung his saber downward. With a *crack*, he severed most of the arrow shaft, leaving only the arrowhead embedded in his arm.

Seeing that he had failed to kill Chen Yuan, Jiang Feng drew a third arrow and nocked it.

But at that moment, Luo Hai caught up, shouting

"Jiang Feng, where do you think you're going!"

Jiang Feng glared fiercely at Chen Yuan, turned to fire an arrow at Luo Hai, and then bolted toward the valley entrance, cursing loudly

"You little bastard! I'll spare your life today, but wash your neck and wait—I will definitely kill you in the future!"

A flash of killing intent flickered in Chen Yuan's eyes. He slammed his foot against the ground with a loud bang and, without using any lightness skills, charged toward Jiang Feng!

Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment, then roared in anger

"You dare block me? You're seeking death!"

He handed his longbow to his left hand, drew a one-foot short sword from his waist, and met the charge.

A mere Bone-Refining little bastard dared to block his path? Truly suicidal!

*Thump, thump, thump!*

Chen Yuan strode toward Jiang Feng, leaving three deep craters in the ground. He raised his long saber with one hand and swung it down.

Chen Yuan used only thirty percent of his strength for this strike, but the blade tore through the air with a terrifying, whistling momentum.

Jiang Feng showed no fear. He raised his longbow to parry and thrust his short sword toward Chen Yuan's abdomen with his left hand.

His longbow was made of twenty-year-old ironwood, extremely resilient and impervious to chopping, burning, or soaking. How could a mere Bone-Refining stage martial artist damage it?

Seeing this, a cold sneer appeared at the corner of Chen Yuan's mouth as he secretly added more strength to his strike.

*Crack!*

The long saber slammed down, and the longbow snapped instantly.

Stunned, Jiang Feng hurriedly retreated.

*Thud!*

How could Chen Yuan let him escape? He exerted force through his feet, leveled his long saber, and swung!

*Slash!*

The blade swept across Jiang Feng's neck, cutting through the flesh as smoothly as a knife through rice paper.

*Splurt!*

Blood sprayed out. Jiang Feng's eyes bulged. He reached up to clutch the wound, let out a few muffled groans, and slumped to the ground.

As Jiang Feng died, Luo Hai arrived.

Chen Yuan's expression suddenly changed. He released his grip on the saber, letting it fall to the ground, and clutched his wounded left arm, hissing through his teeth

"Sss..."

Luo Hai leaned down to check Jiang Feng's breath, then looked up and sized Chen Yuan up, exclaiming in amazement

"Good lad! You actually managed to kill Jiang Feng!"

Clutching his wounded arm with a look of agony, Chen Yuan said indignantly

"It was him! He shot Master with an arrow, which is why Master couldn't escape. I must avenge him!"

Luo Hai praised him

"Well done. With a disciple like you, Li Yong can rest in peace in the underworld... How is your injury?"

Chen Yuan shook his head

"I'm fine. Manager Luo, don't mind me. Kill more bandits to avenge the brothers of the guard unit. Erniu is deeply grateful!"

"Haha, good!"

Luo Hai laughed loudly, activated his lightness skills, and continued the pursuit of the Black Wind bandits.

With Jiang Feng's death, Black Wind Fortress collapsed completely, and the Tiger伏 Gang achieved a total victory.

Xie Quan and his few loyal confidants, lacking Jiang Feng's support, were no match for Wei Wuding and the other Bone-Refining martial artists. They were driven into a dead end in the valley.

As Wei Wuding's two sword strikes killed the last of Xie Quan's confidants, only Xie Quan remained, leaning against a cliffside, facing the siege of the Tiger伏 Gang alone.

Wei Wuding raised his hand to halt the advance of the others. Staring at Xie Quan, he said coldly

"Xie Quan, do you intend to resist to the bitter end? Surrender!"

Xie Quan held his spear with one hand, pointing the tip directly at Wei Wuding. He stared him down and asked

"How did you know I would take this path today?"

Wei Wuding replied

"The local powers in Yuzhou have all dealt with my Tiger伏 Gang. I waited for you outside the mountains for eight days. Once I learned you were moving the stolen goods, I immediately ambushed the mountains. As expected, I caught you."

Xie Quan said with realization

"So it was that bastard Li the Skin-Stripper. I thought one of my brothers had betrayed me. Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

Wei Wuding took a step forward

"My patience is limited. Will you surrender or not?"

Xie Quan asked

"Can you spare my life?"

Wei Wuding shook his head

"No."

Xie Quan curled his lip in disdain

"In that case, why should I surrender?"

Wei Wuding raised his long sword

"Don't refuse the wine when it's offered."

"Hahahaha!"

Xie Quan suddenly burst into wild laughter

"I know what you want. I can tell you. The reason I dared to kill and rob is because the Sanjiang Gang gave me three thousand taels of silver. If you want revenge, go find the Sanjiang Gang!"

Wei Wuding's expression shifted slightly

"The Sanjiang Gang? They have that much audacity?"

Xie Quan laughed loudly

"You dogs fight among yourselves, how should I know? Anyway, I've said my piece. Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Wei Wuding nodded

"Fine. I will take your word for it this once. Put down your spear and follow me back to the prefectural city to clear this matter up. I will grant you a dignified end."

Xie Quan grinned savagely

"Dignity? I've guarded the borders for thirteen years, fought my way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and then turned to banditry. I've taken hundreds of lives; I've already paid my dues. I don't need dignity!"

With that, he slammed his spear into the ground, pulled a short dagger from his waist, gripped it in a reverse hold, and lunged it into his own left chest!

"Stop!"

Wei Wuding activated his lightness skills and rushed toward Xie Quan, but it was too late.

*Thud!*

The dagger sank hilt-deep into his chest. Xie Quan's eyes bulged. He staggered two steps, leaned against the cliff, and as his body slowly slid down, he laughed bitterly

"I'll go ahead of you. You Tiger伏 Gang and the Sanjiang Gang can fight it out. It would be best if you both destroy each other, and hundreds of people die to accompany me to the grave. Haha... ugh..."

Wei Wuding looked down at the lifeless, vacant-eyed Xie Quan. His face was incredibly grim. With a flick of his wrist, a sword shadow flashed, and he decapitated Xie Quan.

Then, using the tip of his sword, he flicked the head behind him and commanded

"Wrap it up and take it back. Report to the Hall Master!"

Yu Zhenchuan reached out, grabbed Xie Quan by the hair, and took it

"Yes!"

...

With Xie Quan dead, Black Wind Fortress lost all power to resist. Only a few scattered bandits remained, fleeing into the forest.

Wei Wuding wasted no time, immediately employing torture to interrogate the captured bandits.

From their mouths, Wei Wuding learned the location of the Black Wind Fortress and the fact that Wu Dong and Li Yong had died together. When Chen Yuan and Zhao Shan heard this, they were overcome with grief.

Wei Wuding also personally searched the bodies of Xie Quan and Jiang Feng, finding thirteen hundred taels in silver notes and some medicinal pills for healing and detoxification.

While Wei Wuding was searching the bodies, Chen Yuan watched closely from the side, a flash of tension in his eyes. Only when he saw Wei Wuding return empty-handed did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

Subsequently, Wei Wuding divided the group into two. Twenty men stayed behind to tend to the wounded and collect the corpses, while the others immediately set out to completely wipe out Black Wind Fortress.

Chen Yuan's left arm had been pierced by Jiang Feng's arrow, so he should have stayed behind, but he proactively requested to go along.

Wei Wuding was quite surprised to learn from Luo Hai that it was Chen Yuan who had killed Jiang Feng. Seeing Chen Yuan insist on going, he smiled and said

"You killed Jiang Feng; your merit is great enough. Do not go, lest you aggravate your injury. Once we return to the prefectural city, I will report your achievement to the Hall Master. You will not lack rewards."

"Director Wei, I am not trying to steal credit!"

"Then why not stay here and recover?"

"My master was killed by the bandits of Black Wind Fortress. I must see the fortress destroyed with my own eyes to ease the hatred in my heart. I ask Director Wei to grant my wish!"

As he spoke, Chen Yuan attempted to bow, but the movement pulled at his wound. His features contorted, and cold sweat poured down his face, yet he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Wei Wuding was deeply moved. He stepped forward quickly to support Chen Yuan and said

"Very well. I will grant your wish this once. But you must not fight again; you must keep your body useful to serve the gang."

Chen Yuan said joyfully

"Yes! I will follow all of Director Wei's instructions!"

Hearing this, a smile appeared at the corner of Wei Wuding's mouth, and he nodded slightly.

...

Guided by the bandits, the Tiger伏 Gang party successfully located Black Wind Fortress, easily breached the gates, killed over a dozen bandits, and captured more than twenty.

There were many bandits left in the fortress, but the highest cultivation level was only the Bone-Refining stage.

With Wei Wuding and Luo Hai leading them, they were no match at all.

The Black Wind Fortress, which had once reigned supreme in the Chiman Mountains, was thus annihilated.

After the suppression of the fortress, Wei Wuding ordered the bandits to be interrogated in groups.

These bandits were terrified and confessed everything, revealing the location of the fortress's hidden treasures, the stolen goods, and the crimes they had committed.

Wei Wuding sent men to ransack the entire fortress. They found the armor, sabers, and crossbows stolen from the Hundred Weapons Hall of Leping County, as well as three thousand taels of silver hidden in a cellar.

This amount seemed significant, but for a medium-sized fortress like Black Wind, it seemed a bit meager.

Wei Wuding subjected the prisoners to further torture, but gained nothing more.

Still unsatisfied, he personally led men to search every inch, turning the entire Black Wind Fortress upside down, only to find a few dozen taels of miscellaneous silver.

(End of Chapter)