Chapter Four: Showing You Today

Not far away, the sounds of drunken shouting drifted through the air.

The Assembly Hall at the heart of the bandit stronghold was ablaze with light, filled with a boisterous clamor. Listening to the excited cries, one could only guess what debauchery the bandits were engaged in.

An Xin quietly replaced the hatch cover and leaped down.

He selected a sharp awl from among the torture instruments, walked over to the bandit, rolled him over, and pinned his neck with a knee.

He grabbed an oil lamp and held it to the man’s ear.

In an instant, a blister formed from the heat.

"Aah!"

The unconscious bandit jolted awake from the searing pain. Before a scream could escape his throat, a rag clutched in An Xin's hand was pressed firmly over his mouth.

The bandit could make no sound, his body convulsing in agony, yet he remained weak and breathless under the weight of An Xin’s knee.

"I ask, you answer."

An Xin set the oil lamp aside and brought the awl toward the bandit’s eye. The tip hovered just above his pupil, forcing the man to squeeze his eyes shut in terror.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm..."

The bandit whimpered. He could feel the immense strength of his captor; the hand pressing his head down was like an iron clamp, pinning him to the floor so firmly he could not move an inch.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the dim, flickering lamplight cast upon the man’s profile, the play of light and shadow revealing a terrifying, cold-blooded ferocity.

An Xin finally released his hand.

"I can't breathe!"

The bandit rasped, pleading with tear-filled eyes, "Good sir, please don't kill me!"

"Enough talk! What is this stronghold called? How many paths lead down the mountain?"

"Camel Mountain. The terrain is treacherous; there is only one path down."

"Is the path guarded?"

"No, usually not. We have informants in the village below; if there is danger, someone will send word."

"What are your men doing gathered at the Assembly Hall?"

"The second-in-command captured a young woman yesterday. Many of the brothers are queuing up over there."

An Xin fell silent.

After asking a few more questions about the stronghold, he realized the bandit had no further useful information.

"Good sir, I've told you everything I know. Please don't kill me, I have two little ones at home still waiting to be fed..."

Before he could finish, An Xin snapped his neck.

"Do you know where Camel Mountain is?" An Xin asked Wu Lijun as he stood up, leaving the corpse behind.

Wu Lijun quickly replied, "I do. It is south of Wuren County, and further south lies Dongyang Prefecture."

"Aren't you afraid?" An Xin kicked the bandit's body.

"I am not afraid!"

Even in the dim light of the dungeon, where the flame was no larger than a bean, An Xin could clearly see the terror on her face, yet she spoke with grit. "Young master, please take me with you. I promise not to hold you back!"

"Are you not waiting for your father's ransom?" An Xin asked.

"There has been no news for so many days. I don't know what has happened outside, and I do not wish to stay here waiting for an unknown fate," Wu Lijun said.

An Xin picked up the cell keys and tossed them in to her.

As Wu Lijun opened the door, he selected a sharp dagger from the torture tools and slung a coil of hemp rope over his shoulder. Wu Lijun emerged, picking up a guard staff for herself.

"Follow me."

An Xin climbed the ladder again, tilting his head to listen.

Wu Lijun followed behind. As she stepped over the bandit's corpse, she caught sight of a piece of rice paper illuminated by the oil lamp: "Ten years of sharpening a sword, the frosted blade yet to be tested..."

Seeing the words, her eyes brightened. She couldn't help but lean down to pick up the paper, tucking it away close to her body.

When she looked back at the corpse, the fear that had gripped her heart seemed to be washed away by those soaring, sharp, and heroic lines.

The way she looked at An Xin now was filled with admiration; his silhouette seemed to merge with the chivalrous heroes and valiant protagonists from the tales she had read.

He pushed open the hatch.

It was the time of the new moon; the moon was hidden, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars. The darkness was perfect for a quiet escape.

An Xin climbed to the surface and reached back to pull Wu Lijun up.

"Thank you, young master," Wu Lijun whispered.

The night wind blew, and she couldn't help but shiver.

"Make no sound. If the bandits are alerted, I will not be able to look after you," An Xin whispered, closing the hatch.

Wu Lijun gripped her staff tightly and nodded heavily. "Rest assured, young master, I understand."

An Xin surveyed the surroundings, cross-referencing them with the layout described by the bandit.

According to the bandit, there were roughly fifty people in the stronghold. The only decent building was the Assembly Hall; the rest were merely dozens of low, scattered stone huts and thatched shacks. The path down the mountain was clearly visible.

Once the route was set, An Xin used the houses as cover and sprinted toward the path. Wu Lijun followed, clutching her staff and lifting her skirt, running blindly behind him.

As they skirted around the latrine, they bumped into two bandits coming out, still pulling up their trousers. The bandits spotted them: "Who goes there!"

"Freeze!"

An Xin cast his immobilization spell, accelerating his pace. He drew his dagger; in a mere second, the blade sliced across both their throats. Blood sprayed like an opening floodgate, and the two men collapsed to the ground, their lives extinguished.

Wu Lijun, trailing behind, hadn't yet recovered from the sudden shout before she saw the two men cleanly dispatched by An Xin.

It was pitch black, and she couldn't see exactly how they died, but the gaze she fixed upon An Xin’s back grew increasingly bright.

"Hero Zhang!"

She chased after him, whispering, "Hero Zhang, you must be one of those wandering knights from the storybooks who kills with every ten steps and upholds justice for the world!"

An Xin turned to look at her. Though her face was streaked with dirt and grime, he could still see the admiration and awe in her eyes.

He didn't speak, merely rubbing his brow gently.

The immobilization spell was remarkably effective!

It allowed a novice like him, with no experience in killing, to easily dispose of seasoned bandits.

However, the spell clearly had a cost. Every time he used it, energy surged from between his brows. Though he didn't know what this energy was, the throbbing pain in his head told him that he must use the magic sparingly.

Enduring the discomfort, he helped Wu Lijun sink the two corpses into the pit behind the latrine, then continued their run toward the mountain path.

Just as they were about to reach the path, An Xin suddenly grabbed Wu Lijun’s wrist and ducked behind a thatched hut. "Someone is coming!"

Wu Lijun crouched, leaning against the wall, and mimicked An Xin by peering outside. They soon saw several people climbing the mountain with torches. Under the flickering light were a few bandits and a man in a long gown, walking with a limp.

When she saw the man's figure and face, Wu Lijun's eyes widened, and she gripped An Xin’s arm.

"Why is it him!"