Chapter 260 - 258: Interception
When Chen Yuan brought the men from Yandang Mountain before Feng Tianbao, the latter was stunned.
First, he hadn’t expected Chen Yuan to be so fast; he had actually managed to bring out the band of horse bandits from Yandang Mountain.
After all, when he had gone to Yandang Mountain, he hadn’t even been able to get a meeting with Duan Hengshan.
Second, he hadn’t realized this band of horse bandits from Yandang Mountain was so formidable. If he’d known, he would have put in more effort back then.
"This is Lord Feng Tianbao, Steward of the Court’s Flying Dragon Institute. And this is Big Master Duan Hengshan of the Yandang Mountain Twelve Blade Halls, the ’Hundred-Piercing Demon Saber’."
Chen Yuan introduced the two men.
With a calm expression, Duan Hengshan cupped his fists toward Feng Tianbao. "Steward Feng."
Feng Tianbao, for his part, took an immediate liking to Duan Hengshan.
"Big Master Duan, you have an impressively powerful build! If you were in the army, you would surely be a fierce general of our time!
After we deal with the Nine Swords Alliance and the Vigorous Martial Army, would you be interested in joining the Court? I, Feng Tianbao, can guarantee you a bright future!"
Chen Yuan realized something. ’It seems this Steward Feng doesn’t just hold me in high regard; he wants to invite any talented Martial Artist he meets to join the Court.’
’He probably shouldn’t be managing horses at the Flying Dragon Institute. He should be in charge of recruitment.’
Duan Hengshan simply shook his head, his expression calm. "Forgive me, Steward Feng, but my ambitions do not lie with the Court. We are horse bandits, wild and untamable. We’re not fit to be officials."
Feng Tianbao shook his head in disappointment.
Only after coming to a border region like You Province did he realize that the Court’s name didn’t carry much weight here. Sometimes, it even had the opposite of the intended effect.
Chen Yuan said, "Steward Feng, everyone is here now. Shouldn’t it be time to make our move?"
Feng Tianbao nodded. "Since you planned all of this, Master Chen, we will follow your command."
Among those present, Feng Tianbao was from the Court and Duan Hengshan was a bandit leader. Chen Yuan had contacted both of them, and both trusted him.
Therefore, it was only natural that Chen Yuan would be the one to direct their next move.
Besides, Feng Tianbao was from the Central Province Capital City and didn’t know much about You Province.
As a Steward of the Flying Dragon Institute, Feng Tianbao didn’t actually know how to raise horses, but he knew to respect the experts. The Horse Masters at the Flying Dragon Institute, though not powerful Martial Artists, held extremely high status.
And here, Chen Yuan was the foremost expert.
His understanding of You Province and the Nine Swords Alliance was far deeper than anyone else’s.
Chen Yuan pondered for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Although the Nine Swords Alliance is a local power, their strength is not to be underestimated.
This Zuo Tianyuan is a capable man. He puts on a show of being generous and respectful to his subordinates, which has allowed him to gather many expert Independent Martial Artists and build a considerable network in the Jianghu.
Right now, his men are scattered, procuring warhorses, and are gradually making their way back to the Nine Swords Alliance. This presents a perfect opportunity for us.
Big Master Duan, your men move like the wind. You can strike first, ambushing the Nine Swords Alliance members on the road, seizing their warhorses, and weakening their forces.
On my end, I’ve already sent Master Guan back to the White Tiger Hall to gather some elites. Once Big Master Duan has intercepted all the Nine Swords Alliance Martial Artists on the outside, we will close in like a great net, launching a direct assault on their base at Qifeng Mountain."
"And what will we be doing?" Feng Tianbao asked.
Chen Yuan replied, "You and I, Steward Feng, will act as central support. If any experts from the Nine Swords Alliance or the Vigorous Martial Army leave Qifeng Mountain to provide reinforcements, we will immediately move to support the Twelve Blade Halls."
Pei Zhan, the second-in-command of the Twelve Blade Halls, known as ’One Slash Severing the Soul,’ frowned. "Master Chen, are you looking down on the Twelve Blade Halls? It’s only the Nine Swords Alliance. You think we can’t handle them?"
"Do not underestimate the Nine Swords Alliance. As far as I know, they have two Vice Alliance Leaders who are at the Half-Step Primordial Pill Realm.
Second-in-command, since you’ve reached the Peak of the Condensing Truth Realm, you should know just how difficult it is to take that half-step.
Besides, even if you don’t take the Nine Swords Alliance seriously, what about the Vigorous Martial Army? Their Deputy Generals are veterans forged in the slaughter of battle arrays; their strength is considerable.
Ambushing the Nine Swords Alliance’s horse-buying teams won’t be a problem for you. However, if you encounter experts of that caliber, you can certainly fight them if we’re there to support you. If we can’t get there in time, you are to retreat immediately. Do not, under any circumstances, engage in a head-on clash."
Pei Zhan was about to say more, but Duan Hengshan’s brow furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "All of you, listen carefully to Master Chen! I brought you all out of Yandang Mountain to win a foothold for us. If you all die, what use is more territory? Be careful, and follow orders!"
"Yes, Big Master!"
This time, Pei Zhan and the others didn’t dare say another word, and all obediently complied.
Watching this scene, Feng Tianbao once again felt a pang of regret.
Here were over a thousand horse bandits—disciplined, powerful, and swift as the wind.
If they could be put to use by the Court, they would surely become a formidable army.
It was a pity the Court was riddled with treacherous officials and parasites, to the point that even these borderland heroes and Jianghu experts had lost all faith in it.
At this thought, Feng Tianbao sighed once more.
With the plan set, Duan Hengshan and the other leaders of the Twelve Blade Halls each took command of over a hundred men and prepared to ambush the Nine Swords Alliance’s horse-buying teams.
***
「Three days later.」
Outside Pan Yang City, Liang Youxing, a Steward of the Nine Swords Alliance known as the ’Rain-Spreading Sword,’ was leading dozens of disciples, herding over two hundred warhorses back toward the alliance’s headquarters.
The most powerful faction in Pan Yang City had once been the Iron Armor Sect. But ever since Chen Yuan had killed its Sect Leader, the Iron Armor Sect, though some disciples remained, had fallen into ruin.
But these low-level Jianghu forces were like weeds; cut one down, and another sprouts in its place.
No sooner had the Iron Armor Sect been destroyed than three smaller factions rose to take its place in Pan Yang City, establishing a new order.
"Hurry up! Keep a close eye on these warhorses. If a single one goes missing, you’ll all have hell to pay!"
Liang Youxing berated his subordinates while urging them to quicken their pace.
He hadn’t been with the Nine Swords Alliance for long. Before that, he had been a fairly well-known expert among the Independent Martial Artists at the border of Youning.
With a cultivation at the Early Stage of the Condensing Truth Realm, his Rain-Spreading Sword technique could unleash a dense, intricate web of sword light, as powerful as a torrential downpour. Because of this, he had caught Zuo Tianyuan’s eye and was personally invited to join the Nine Swords Alliance.
Most Independent Martial Artists like him tended to fawn over their superiors while acting arrogantly toward their inferiors.
Zuo Tianyuan was a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster, the Alliance Leader of the Nine Swords Alliance, and a powerhouse in the Youning Border region. Yet, he had treated Liang Youxing with respect and showered him with compliments. Naturally, Liang Youxing was grateful for this recognition and favor.
But toward other low-level Martial Artists from a similar background, Liang Youxing’s attitude was quite harsh.
The Nine Swords Alliance was at a critical juncture. As long as he could procure a large number of warhorses, the alliance would gain the Vigorous Martial Army as a powerful backer. Thus, Liang Youxing was putting his all into the task.
Just then, a thunderous rumbling suddenly echoed from the side of the road.
Over a hundred horse bandits surged in from both sides, trapping Liang Youxing’s caravan in the middle.
Liang Youxing’s expression flickered, but he wasn’t overly panicked.
’Just a group of horse bandits,’ he thought. ’Crude rabble. They should be easy enough to handle.’
"Gentlemen, I am Liang Youxing, a Steward of the Nine Swords Alliance. These horses are part of our alliance’s business, so I ask you to show us some respect.
Otherwise, if things get ugly and our Alliance Leader Zuo has to personally intervene, it won’t end well for anyone!"
Although Liang Youxing’s tone wasn’t overly arrogant, it carried a veiled threat.
In the Youning Border region, the Nine Swords Alliance was currently the most powerful force.
It was normal for a group of bandits who didn’t know any better to block his path.
’But now that I’ve announced who I am, if they still refuse to be reasonable, they can just wait for Alliance Leader Zuo, a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster, to pay them a personal visit!’
The leader of the group was long-limbed and carried an enormous Horse-Cutting Saber. It was none other than the second-in-command of the Twelve Blade Halls, ’One Slash Severing the Soul’ Pei Zhan.
Hearing this, Pei Zhan burst into laughter, and the other horse bandits of the Twelve Blade Halls joined in.
"What is the meaning of this? Are you truly refusing to back down?"
Seeing their reaction, Liang Youxing’s expression darkened.
Pei Zhan raised his Horse-Cutting Saber and pointed it at Liang Youxing.
"Who the hell does Zuo Tianyuan think he is? Just some hypocritical scoundrel. You think you can scare me by bringing him up?
I came here today specifically for your Nine Swords Alliance. We’re taking your warhorses, and we’re taking your heads!"
In truth, even if Chen Yuan hadn’t sought them out to deal with the Nine Swords Alliance, the Twelve Blade Halls already had a very poor impression of them.
Because Yandang Mountain was situated deep in the forest, geographically it wasn’t considered part of the proper Youning Border region.
However, it was very close to the Nine Swords Alliance’s territory, so many of its leaders had been approached by Zuo Tianyuan for recruitment. Without exception, they all had a terrible impression of him.
One reason was that, at the time, Zuo Tianyuan was single-mindedly focused on currying favor with the Major Sects. His so-called recruitment method involved feigning respect to trick people into joining the Nine Swords Alliance first.
But since most of these men had offended either the Murong Family or the Sun-piercing Alliance, Zuo Tianyuan would then drag them along to grovel and apologize, sacrificing his own dignity to smooth things over.
An ordinary Martial Artist might have been deeply grateful for this, thinking that Alliance Leader Zuo had humbled himself before the Murong Family and the Sun-piercing Alliance on their behalf, and would even feel an irredeemable debt of gratitude.
But the men of the Twelve Blade Halls were a wild and untamable bunch, every one of them foul-tempered and stubborn to the core.
If they were the type of men who could bow their heads, they would have done so long ago. Why would they need Zuo Tianyuan to lead them in doing it?
Therefore, Zuo Tianyuan’s tactic was completely useless on them; it only made them feel that the man was a true hypocrite.
And since his recruitment attempts failed, and many of them had kill orders on their heads from the Murong Family or the Sun-piercing Alliance, the Nine Swords Alliance had even sent men to help those two factions hunt them down to curry favor. This only deepened the enmity.
Pei Zhan himself had been one of those hunted by the Sun-piercing Alliance with the assistance of the Nine Swords Alliance. He had only managed to escape with his life by fleeing into Yandang Mountain.
Now that he finally had a chance for revenge, a savage grin spread across Pei Zhan’s lips.