Chapter 189 - 145: Assaulting the Mountain (2)
Here in Boundary Mountain, in the Land of Three Waters, it was quite common for bandit strongholds to rise and fall.
Many bandit strongholds you’d never even heard of were likely swallowed up by others right after they were founded.
The reason Tenglong Stronghold was so well-known, however, was that it had conquered all the other bandit gangs in Boundary Mountain and the greater Land of Three Waters—dozens of them, large and small.
In other words, they were the only bandit force left in the region, and also the largest.
It was said that their stronghold housed over ten thousand bandits.
Even Fang Yue was a bit shocked. ’To think something like this could exist under the rule of the Great Wei Dynasty.’
’In terms of scale, it was already comparable to the Mo Mountain Tribe from back then.’
’With a force that large, they must have plenty of powerful experts.’
"Get out! Get out! Coming here to freeload again. Everyone, don’t believe a word this old coot says. He’s a famous old fraud in our county town."
Just then, the Shopkeeper came over with a look of utter disgust and began shoving the old man outside.
The old man, who seemed all too used to this kind of treatment, just chuckled wryly and shuffled away, cutting a sorry figure.
~~~~~~
"Hm?"
"Well, if it isn’t Fang! You were quick as a flash back there, snatching a horse without a moment’s hesitation. Heh, by the time I realized what was happening, all the good mounts were gone."
The familiar voice made Fang Yue freeze for a second.
Then he saw a tall, powerfully built man heading straight for his table.
The man had a burly frame and a full beard. His exposed arms were covered in dark, coarse hair, and he exuded a fierce aura. He looked like a great bear, a living warning for strangers to keep their distance.
Who else could it be but Xiong Da!
At this moment, Xiong Da sat down directly across from Fang Yue.
He grabbed the teapot and began to chug from the spout.
GULP, GULP. In one go, he drained the entire pot of tea, which had just been served piping hot.
Seeing this, Fang Yue smiled faintly and called the attendant over to bring two more pots of tea.
"Man, I was dying of thirst! What a run. It was a real loss, I tell you—I wore through two pairs of shoes."
Xiong Da said, laughing heartily.
’So he ran all the way here.’ Hearing this, Fang Yue’s guard went up slightly.
’It was true that a Martial Artist running at full speed could cover hundreds of miles in a day.’
’But the military mounts from the Guard Army camp clearly had special bloodlines; their stamina and speed were a cut above ordinary horses.’
’If Xiong Da ran here on his own and was only an hour slower than him, it meant his strength wasn’t as straightforward as his appearance suggested.’
’It seemed that while he looked like a brutish oaf, he was actually quite shrewd and full of cunning.’
’Anyone who took him at face value, thinking he was just a simple, rough-and-tumble guy, would be letting their guard down—and they’d definitely pay the price for it.’
Thinking of this, and recalling the man’s inconsistent attitude toward him before, Fang Yue became even more guarded.
"So, what do you say we team up for this one?" After catching his breath, Xiong Da lowered his voice and spoke to Fang Yue. "I’ve already contacted a couple of friends. For the Prefecture Examination to mobilize so many Martial Scholars for this final test... it’s definitely not going to be simple."
He’d been a bit cold to Fang Yue earlier, thinking his background was lacking, but that was then, and this was now.
That’s how one had to be—see which way the wind was blowing. If there was a profit to be made, you seized the opportunity.
This man before him was strong, and even better, he lacked powerful backing. That made him much easier to control.
"Xiong, I appreciate the offer, but I’m used to working alone. If we were to team up, we might just get in each other’s way. That wouldn’t be good for anyone."
Fang Yue shook his head, rejecting the offer outright.
He had no intention of teaming up with anyone. ’It’s better to go it alone. That way, you don’t have to worry about a knife in the back.’
’After all, on the surface, this test was about dealing with ’a group of mountain bandits’.’
’But in reality, all these Martial Scholars were rivals competing against one another.’
’The examiner for the Prefecture Examination never explicitly said that the Martial Scholars couldn’t turn on each other.’
’So, from the moment they left the Prefecture City, the competition between every Martial Scholar had already begun.’
’The scheming and plotting had likely already started.’
"Fair enough. In that case, I wish you a resounding success, Fang." Xiong Da laughed, his expression completely unfazed, showing not a hint of embarrassment at the rejection.
Still, it would have been awkward for him to stay any longer. He made an excuse about getting a room and left.
Over the next while, more Martial Scholars participating in the Prefecture Examination arrived one after another, some on horseback like him, others on foot.
All in all, by the time Fang Yue finished his meal, a good eleven or twelve Martial Scholars had checked into the inn.
As for the rest, some had likely already hurried on to Boundary Mountain, while others had probably checked into different inns.
Sanshui County Town was quite large, so it was only natural they wouldn’t all be gathered in one place.
~~~~~~
「The next day.」
After spending some more time gathering information, Fang Yue headed for Boundary Mountain. This time, of course, he was in disguise.
Of course, this disguise was far more professional than his previous attempts.
Fang Yue had specifically studied the Disguise Technique for this very reason. After all, the last time he’d used one—when he killed the black market merchant Yang Yan—his opponent had seen through it with ease.
Therefore, this time, Fang Yue didn’t alter his appearance too drastically.