Chapter 6: Formulating a Plan

Hearing Yang Chengzu's idea, the several leaders exchanged glances. Song Liansheng said, "Nephew, I am your elder, so I will speak my mind. This scheme of yours might not be bad, but why does it always feel like you're playing with your life? If this goes south, you'll be the first one to suffer. I am sworn brothers with your father; I can't just watch you jump into a pit yourself."

"Uncle, I accept your kind intentions. However, since ancient times, wealth and honor have been sought amidst danger. To save Master Zhang this time, I feel this is the only way. Who told that bunch of masters and young lords to be held hostage? If it weren't for these hostages, we'd just post a notice, send a hundred militiamen charging in, and knock down whatever 'General' they claim to be. Let's just do it this way."

Wang Zhong stroked his beard while looking at Yang Chengzu, thinking to himself: *Why does this kid seem a bit different after falling ill? At the very least, his courage has grown; he's starting to act a bit like his father, 'Bold' Yang.* He took over the conversation: "Kid, make sure you've thought this through. You still have a mother at home; you can't just charge in recklessly like this. In my household, I still have a suit of iron armor. Put it on when you come back."

"Mm, your father's saber is truly excellent. Even in our county or the prefecture, one might not find such a good blade. That saber cost a fortune; it's fully encased in steel. As the storytellers often say, it 'kills without showing blood'—a blade so sharp it can shave hair. I just don't know how much of your father's skill you've learned. He practiced the 'Killing Saber.' If you can master even fifty percent of it, then this matter will be within grasp."

The meaning behind Song Liansheng's words was that Yang Chengzu had to weigh the risks himself. After all, war is perilous, and the Yang family only had him as a single sprout. Teasing him in daily life was one thing, but watching him meet with an accident was quite another. Human hearts are made of flesh; since there was no grudge between them, when a major matter arose, one's loyalty would naturally lean toward their own kin.

Yang Chengzu smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I wouldn't dare say my saber techniques are extraordinary, but I have finally attained a bit of my father's proficiency. Besides, we are dealing with mountain bandits; there probably aren't any true heroes among them. Those who dare to target a Seventh-Rank official are mostly just novice thieves who don't know the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth. They'll be easy to handle."

Over there, Lady Liu, knowing his plan, grabbed his arm and wouldn't let go. "No, we aren't getting involved in this. Even if that money is spent and never recovered, Mother doesn't want it. I'd rather follow you to beg for food than watch you go to your death. Those are bloodthirsty dog-bandits; isn't your plan just sending yourself to the grave? You are my only support now. If something happens to you... how am I supposed to live?"

Yang Chengzu hurriedly smiled. "Mother, look at what you're saying. Your son hasn't lived long enough yet, and I haven't even given you a few grandsons. How could I bear to throw my life away? I know what I'm doing, so please do not worry too much. They are just a bunch of small-time thieves; I can handle them. Besides, don't I have a suit of iron armor to protect me? They can't hurt me. Just wait at home; I shall summon the men and go rescue the Great Master now."

The Xiangman Pavilion was located north of Hua County, separated from the county magistrate's office by a main street. Often, when bailiffs saw the walls outside the office covered in notices, they would paste the magistrate's proclamations—urging people toward goodness and away from vice—on the outside of the Xiangman Pavilion. In a small place like Hua County, the Xiangman Pavilion was considered one of the liveliest spots.

Usually, this time of day was when the girls rested and the establishment was closed to the public. But today, from the madam to the tea servers, everyone was trembling with fear, carefully serving the dozen or so "Great Lords" inside. Even the red-light girls had lost their usual airs, acting humble and cautious by the side, terrified that a single wrong word might bring a death sentence.

In terms of numbers, there were only about a dozen of them, and they might not necessarily have the upper hand against the Xiangman Pavilion's bodyguards and thugs. But unfortunately, these men held official status. These were the Jinyiwei Lords from the capital, who, upon arrival, had indiscriminately rounded up the entire Hua County magistrate's office.

With such prestige, how could a tiny place like the Xiangman Pavilion dare to oppose them? The madam, Jiu Niang, had been a famous beauty in her youth and was well-traveled, having gone through all eight prefectures of Henan and even hosted a Prefect. But she had never seen a spectacle quite like this.

A dozen burly men had bloodshot eyes, all clutching weapons. The county officials were tied up tightly and tossed aside; occasionally, someone would walk over and kick them with a heavy boot. These were the county's masters—and they were being beaten like this?

"Dog official, your corruption has been exposed! All you need to do is pay five thousand taels of silver to save your life, which is already a bargain for you. According to the Great Code, you should be skinned alive, but why are you being so slow about gathering the money? Are you playing with us? Believe it or not, we'll skin you right here!"

Hearing this, Jiu Niang felt a chill in her heart. If they were skinned here, her business would be over. She hurriedly approached with a fawning smile, rubbing her chest against the man's arm, pretending not to smell the stench of sweat on him. "Great Lord, please do not be angry. To speak fairly, even if we were to gather five thousand taels, it would take some time to weigh it all out. Please calm your anger. I have prepared breakfast for you; otherwise, is there a girl you find pleasing? I can have her serve you for a while."

The man shook his head. "We can't take our turn until our Big Brother is finished. Until he gives the word, we can't act. Just bring the food. And remember, there must be wine and meat."

Seeing the look in these men's eyes—as if they were starving for meat—Jiu Niang felt a bit uneasy. *These Jinyiwei Lords from the capital... why do they look like refugees who have never seen meat before?* But no matter how much her mind wandered, this was not something her small brothel could interfere with. She could only serve them with all her heart, though she felt pity for the establishment's top courtesan, Ru Xian. Ru Xian had always maintained the brand of "selling art, not the body," but this time she had been taken into a room by the Jinyiwei leader. Once word got out, her reputation would be ruined, and she would have to be retrained from scratch.

Drinking strong liquor and eating high-quality braised meat, the men's eyes turned bloodshot as they scanned the exposed women around them with the gaze of hungry wolves. One man slammed the table. "I can't take it anymore! So many fragrant young ladies are right here and we aren't allowed to touch them, yet he's been inside with that woman for ages. What kind of bullshit is that? I'm going to have a taste, and let's see what he can do to me!" With that, he grabbed a serving girl and began dragging her toward a room.

But at that moment, the door swung open, and a burly man with a bare torso burst out, cursing, "Ma Laosan, who are you talking about? This is a place of pleasure; if everyone goes looking for women, who's going to watch the meat-hostages? I'm having my fun with your little sister-in-law, and then I'll swap shifts with you. Why can't you wait? Are you trying to start a rebellion?"

Standing behind him was a graceful and beautiful woman—the pavilion's star, Ru Xian. Her features were like a painting and her skin was like snow. Just the accidental glimpse of her narrow golden feet and her water-red bodice was enough to make one salivate, not to mention her noble and elegant demeanor, which made her look like a lady from a prestigious family.

Despite having been taken inside for quite some time, Ru Xian now looked like a plum blossom in the snow—untouched by dust. Her clothes and hair were not even slightly disheveled, and her temperament remained sacred and inviolable. Looking at her appearance, one could not see any trace of the "rain and clouds" she had experienced; if she were to move to another place, she could still say things like, "This humble girl only sells her art, not her body; I hope the gentleman will respect himself."

Ma Laosan looked at Ru Xian and couldn't help but swallow hard. "Boss, we came out to conquer the world together. Since we're brothers, you shouldn't hog all the good things. Since you're finished, fine—I'm going to have a turn with this little sister-in-law."

The burly man heard this and flared up. "Ma Laosan, what kind of nonsense are you talking? I'm claiming this woman. Once the silver arrives, I'm taking her away to live with me. If you dare to disrespect her, believe it or not, I'll tear you apart alive."

Ma Laosan, however, shoved the woman he was pulling away and reached for his saber. "Damn it. I called you 'Boss' once, and now you really think you're an ancestor? I'd like to see how you plan to tear me apart."

A few people from each side moved closer. Seeing the two about to fight, they began to protect their own, and a bloody skirmish was about to break out. Fortunately, a thin, small man acting as a lookout came in and said, "Boss, Third Brother, don't fight! The county magistrate's office has sent the silver!"