Chapter 107: Chapter 103: Imposing Might (Part 1)

Zhao Lin planned to venture deep into the bandit stronghold this time, so he didn’t bring Liang Song into the mountains with him. It would have been too difficult to protect him.

He could manage bringing Liang Song along while running, but flying with him would be stretching his abilities too thin.

He moved carefully along the tops of the mountain cliffs. The valley below was empty, save for the occasional snort of a horse in the distance.

According to the two grunts he’d captured last time, there was a corral in the valley housing several dozen horses.

The mountain paths were treacherous. Keeping the horses on the summit would make moving them incredibly inconvenient, so they were kept nearby in the valley.

After observing for a moment and confirming no one was near, he leaped from the clifftop. Releasing energy downward and backward, he propelled his body forward in a slow, controlled flight.

A stretch of stone path connected the valley to the mountain trail, its surface embedded with irregularly shaped cobblestones.

This area was riddled with traps; only the bandits knew the safe way through.

Although Zhao Lin had forced the trap locations out of the bandit grunts, several months had passed. ’They’ve surely been moved by now.’ He decided to simply fly over the entire area.

Having flown over the valley, he faced a winding mountain path ahead.

On one side was a towering peak, on the other, a bottomless ravine. The path was only wide enough for two or three people to walk abreast.

Zhao Lin landed softly on the ground and glanced up the mountain. ’The bandits were clever, setting up their den in a place like this!’

The ground was dotted with inconspicuous little pits where animal traps were buried. The bandits sent men down to set them before dark, only removing them at dawn.

Although Zhao Lin doubted they could dig pitfalls on such a narrow path, he still cautiously opened two of his acupoints, venting energy downward to lighten his steps.

That way, if he accidentally stepped in a trap, he wouldn’t fall in completely.

It was late afternoon. The setting sun cast his long shadow across the ground.

Halfway up the path, a burst of hoofbeats suddenly echoed from the valley entrance behind him, followed by several shouts.

’Someone’s coming back!’

Zhao Lin glanced back in surprise, but the mountain blocked his line of sight. He couldn’t see a thing.

He didn’t know who it was, but he guessed they weren’t ordinary bandits.

Ever since he and Liang Song had ambushed them a few times, the bandits always had skilled fighters escorting them whenever they left the mountain, leaving no opportunity to strike.

At this thought, Zhao Lin quickened his pace.

Even though they were far off, the path wound back and forth. There was a chance he could appear in their line of sight.

A short while later, just as he was about to reach the summit, he heard footsteps approaching from up ahead.

’Someone’s up ahead, too?’

Zhao Lin stopped dead, his eyes flashing.

Judging by the sound, two people were coming down the mountain. They seemed to be carrying something that was making a CREAK-CREAK sound.

"Dammit. The men haven’t even eaten their fill, and we have to go feed the beasts."

"Ah, can’t blame anyone else. Just our bad luck."

"You think Elder Huang is cheating? How does he win every single hand..."

’So, it’s two bandits on their way down to feed the horses.’

Zhao Lin glanced at the pitch-black chasm below. ’I wouldn’t die if I jumped, but getting back up would be another story. My energy reserves aren’t deep enough to fly that high.’

He made his decision quickly and continued up the mountain.

The footsteps grew closer. Just as they were about to round a bend and run right into him, Zhao Lin leaped into the air. Venting energy downward, he shot upward and pressed his body flat against the cliff face.

A moment later, the figures of two bandits appeared below him.

Each man was carrying a shoulder pole with large wooden buckets hanging from either end. The buckets were filled with a mixture of bean mash and wheat bran for fodder. They walked single file down the mountain.

Zhao Lin held his breath, watching them in silence.

The two bandits, completely oblivious to the man clinging to the rock above their heads, continued on their way.

After a short distance, the bandit in the rear suddenly set down his pole. "Daya," he said, rubbing his shoulder, "I’m tired. Let’s rest a minute."

The bandit in front, Daya, dropped his own pole and sneered back at him. "What’s wrong with you? Did you grow up eating chaff? We’ve barely walked a few steps and you’re already giving out..."

As he mocked his companion, he happened to glance up. His eyes met Zhao Lin’s, and his jaw dropped.

Zhao Lin didn’t hesitate. Pushing off the cliff face with his toes, he opened all the acupoints in his back. The burst of energy sent him hurtling downward.

Like a hawk diving for its prey, he smashed a fist into the face of the bandit called Daya.

Daya didn’t even have time to grunt before he was knocked off the cliff.

As he threw the punch, his other hand drew the iron ruler from his belt. He swung it back, striking the second bandit on the head.

"AHH—"

The bandit opened his mouth to scream, but before the sound could escape his throat, he collapsed unconscious.

Zhao Lin walked over and kicked the unconscious man, his pole, and the buckets off the cliff after his companion.

A long moment later, several dull thuds echoed up from below.

He listened intently for a moment. Certain that he hadn’t attracted any attention, he resumed his trek to the summit.

Before long, a stone-walled stronghold appeared before him.

The stronghold sat atop a massive rock formation. It used the natural mountain terrain, requiring only two built walls. The tops of the ten-foot-high walls were covered with thorns and iron spikes. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

A wooden watchtower stood by the main gate, a young-looking bandit perched on top.

He held a wine gourd, taking a sip every so often, but he hadn’t bothered to glance down the mountain in a long time.

Zhao Lin circled around to the side of the mountain. Using the overgrown weeds as cover, he slipped into a hidden corner beneath the stronghold and concealed himself in the bushes, remaining perfectly still.

After a good while, a column of bandits sauntered into view.

There were over twenty of them in all. Some carried sacks of rice, others carried chickens and ducks, and several men were working together to haul a pig.

It looked like they had just returned from a supply raid.

The one in the lead was a burly man with a brutish face. Two large iron axes were tucked into his belt, and he had a person slung over his shoulder.

’Yin Hu!’

Zhao Lin’s heart skipped a beat as the name surfaced in his mind.

There were wanted posters for the bandits posted at the gates of Qinghe County. Zhao Lin had once shown the posters to a captive to identify the leaders.

The likenesses of the other bandit leaders were poor, some completely inaccurate, but this man was a near-perfect match for his poster. That was why Zhao Lin recognized him instantly.

Yin Hu was ranked third among the bandits, making him a very important figure.

"Third Master, you’re back!" the sentry on the watchtower called out with a grin.

"Damn you, you know it’s your Third Master, so hurry up and open the gate!"

Yin Hu cursed coldly and strode toward the gate.

The person on his shoulder squirmed. Yin Hu chuckled and slapped their rear. "Don’t struggle. I’ll make sure you’re nice and comfortable soon enough."

Only then did Zhao Lin see that the person he was carrying was a woman.

"Right away!"

The sentry leaped nimbly from the watchtower, unbarred the gate, and let the party inside, closing it quickly behind them.

The sun sank lower in the west, and wisps of cooking smoke began to rise from within the stronghold.

Zhao Lin took a few flatbreads from his robes and untied the waterskin at his waist. He ate the bread, washing it down with water. Then he scooped up two handfuls of dirt to scrub the grease from his hands before settling down on the ground to wait.

Time trickled by, and the stronghold gradually fell silent.

As the last rays of twilight faded, the gate opened with a CREAK.

Seven or eight bandits filed out, laughing and talking amongst themselves. They carried strings of animal traps and caltrops; they were obviously heading out to set the night’s traps.

’I can’t wait any longer,’ Zhao Lin thought. ’After dark, they might set those damnable things inside the stronghold as well.’

Zhao Lin rose silently to his feet. After listening for a moment, he gave a light leap, expelling energy to slowly lift himself several dozen feet into the air. From there, he scanned the area below, taking in the entire layout of the stronghold.

Inside the gate was a wide courtyard leading to a great hall. A plaque above the entrance bore the two large words "Unity Hall."

Behind Unity Hall was a hodgepodge of buildings, and deeper still were rows of houses packed tightly together.

With limited manpower and resources on the mountain, the bandits’ living conditions were quite poor, even worse than those of the villagers below.

Zhao Lin had seen a map of the stronghold drawn by a captive, so he knew the living quarters were roughly divided into three tiers.

The outermost tier was for the lowest-ranking grunts. It resembled a Hakka walled village or a miniature Kowloon Walled City, with one or two hundred men living in a circular, three-story building.

The middle tier, a set of low-slung row houses, was home to the minor chieftains, most of whom were at the Skin Refining Stage or Bone Training Stage.

The innermost tier housed the core members of the gang, such as Drilling Mountain Leopard, the second and third-in-command, and the other key lieutenants.

In short, the higher one’s status and strength, the deeper into the compound they lived, and the larger their house.

So far, Zhao Lin had killed thirty or forty bandits in total. But aside from Diao Liu and Heartless Pillar Zhao Feilong, they had all been small fry.

For the bandits, those losses hardly even registered. This time, he wanted to take out some of the big fish.

He had managed to assassinate Heartless Pillar Zhao Feilong when he was merely at the Skin Refining Stage. Now, having reached the First Layer of the Qi Realm and gained the ability to fly, he was confident he could take down anyone among the bandits—with the possible exception of Drilling Mountain Leopard, whose true strength remained unknown.

Entertainment was scarce on the mountain. Aside from drinking and gambling, the bandits had little to do. Only three or five of the more "ambitious" ones were in the training yard, honing their bodies.

Zhao Lin slipped through the compound without attracting any attention, easily reaching the innermost tier.

This area had a name: "Black Wind Pass."

Black Wind Pass was situated in a mountain hollow flanked by sheer cliffs. The ground rose in steps, like a series of terraced fields.

Zhao Lin scanned the area, searching for a target.

Strangely, many of the houses were empty. From only one room could he hear a woman’s sobs.

’Is it Yin Hu or Drilling Mountain Leopard?’

Zhao Lin’s mind raced. He had just seen Yin Hu bring a woman back from the raid. If he hadn’t given her to the big boss, Drilling Mountain Leopard, then he was keeping her for himself. It had to be one of the two.

"What the hell are you crying for? Keep it up, and I’ll throw you to my men and let them all ’take care’ of you!"

The shout belonged to none other than Yin Hu.

’It’s Yin Hu!’

Zhao Lin gritted his teeth. Gripping the iron ruler he had drawn from his belt, he slowly approached the house.

Yin Hu had just finished his vile business and would be off his guard. Now was the perfect time to strike.

However, this man was the bandits’ third-in-command, a fierce and savage fighter. It was unlikely he could be taken down in just a few moves.

If the fight dragged on and attracted other bandits, he would be the one trapped.

As Zhao Lin moved forward, he surveyed the surroundings, debating whether to charge straight in or find a way to lure Yin Hu out.

Just then, the sound of voices drifted down from above.