Chapter 115: Will You Be My Teacher? (Part One)

When Yang Yaozong, Liao Qiniang, and Han Xiong finally reached the mountain summit with their heavy packs, they were drenched in sweat. Looking back to overlook the valley, they saw the mountain terrain was craggy and majestic, with cascading waterfalls and dense, lush pines. Though the scenery was magnificent, it brought Yang Yaozong no joy; instead, it furrowed his brow with anxiety. His mind was consumed by how to escape the stronghold. Below, the mountain paths were rugged and treacherous, choked with thick forests and guarded by lethal traps, making a successful escape seem nearly impossible.

After a brief rest in the small village atop the peak, Yang Yaozong and Han Xiong were led by a woman to a bathhouse, where two tubs of hot water and clean clothes awaited them. Their soiled garments were taken away for washing.

Given Yang Yaozong’s conduct along the journey, Han Xiong had taken a liking to the handsome scholar. As they soaked in the warm water, they chatted freely, and Han Xiong answered Yang Yaozong’s questions—most of which were hardly secrets—with candor.

Yang Yaozong learned that Liao Qiniang’s father, Liao Dingyuan, had once run a security firm. In Jining Prefecture, there were two major firms: the Dingyuan Security Firm and the Xinglong Security Firm. At the time, Liao Dingyuan’s firm was the most powerful and prestigious. Whenever a shipment bore the Dingyuan flag, bandits and highwaymen would either let it pass out of respect or accept a small toll, ensuring the cargo arrived safely.

The turning point for the Liao family came when the then-Prefect of Jining personally requested that the Dingyuan Security Firm transport tax silver to the capital, Tianjing. For a merchant, working for the government offered the chance to build connections with high-ranking officials, which was far more valuable than the commission itself. Liao Dingyuan accepted the dangerous task, especially since the government provided soldiers as an escort.

Unexpectedly, a group of reckless bandits ambushed them, stealing the shipment and slaughtering the soldiers. Liao Dingyuan, having lost several of his best guards, rushed to the Jining Prefecture office to report the crime. Instead of listening, the corrupt Prefect accused the Dingyuan Security Firm of colluding to steal the tax silver and murdering the soldiers. He threw everyone from the firm into prison, intending to execute them in the autumn.

Liao Dingyuan had a contact in the yamen named Chen Guanghan, who discovered that the Prefect had conspired with the head of the Xinglong Security Firm. Jealous of Dingyuan’s reputation, the Xinglong head had bribed the Prefect, promising him the stolen tax silver in exchange for framing the rival firm.

With all his people imprisoned, Liao Dingyuan could not seek justice through the law; the Prefect held "proof" in the form of weapons found on the soldiers—weapons identical to those used by the Dingyuan guards. Realizing they would surely die, Liao Dingyuan had Chen Guanghan steal the keys, and they broke out of prison. During the bloody escape, Liao Qiniang, then five, was carried on her father’s back. Her sixth brother was carried by their uncle, but he was struck by a stray arrow in the spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Liao Qiniang’s mother and five other brothers perished under the soldiers' blades.

They eventually fled to Mount Baodu. The original bandit chief, respecting Liao Dingyuan’s martial prowess, took them in. Although they became outlaws, Liao Dingyuan refused to raid or harm the common people, choosing instead to manage the stronghold's internal affairs and establishing the village at the summit to protect the elderly, women, children, and the wounded.

Han Xiong’s voice was filled with righteous indignation as he recounted the story, his fists splashing water in the tub. Yang Yaozong felt a surge of fury himself, cheering aloud when Han Xiong mentioned that Liao Dingyuan had eventually killed the two masterminds behind his family's ruin. Impressed by Yang’s spirit, Han Xiong grew even fonder of the young scholar.

When Yang Yaozong asked how Liao Qiniang became the leader, Han Xiong spoke hesitantly, though the truth was an open secret. When Liao Qiniang turned eighteen, the former bandit chief, coveting her beauty, tried to force her to marry him. To protect her, Liao Dingyuan and his loyalists retreated to the summit. The chief blockaded the path, hoping to starve them out. Unable to bear the suffering of her people, Liao Qiniang went down to marry the chief, but he died of a stroke on their wedding night. Having already earned the respect of the bandits, she naturally ascended to the position of supreme leader. Her father, however, had never stepped foot off the summit since that day. Yang Yaozong mused that perhaps the father felt too much guilt toward his daughter to descend.

"Brother Xiong," Yang Yaozong asked, "how did you come to be on the mountain?"

Han Xiong laughed. "The brothers here are all poor souls, and I’m no different. I was a beggar. When I was twelve, Uncle Liao and Little Seven—that’s what I call her in private, I’m five years older than her, so she’s like a sister to me—were out buying supplies in Taierzhuang. I was starving, nearly frozen to death on the street. Little Seven draped her fox-fur cloak over me. Uncle Liao said it would only save me for a day, but she insisted we take me up the mountain. There was always enough for one more mouth. I’ve been here ever since. Once I realized they were bandits, it didn't bother me. As long as I was alive, and maybe one day I’d become a hero of the greenwood, it wasn't so bad!"

Yang Yaozong joked, "The Chief must regret taking in a boy who eats enough for three!"

Han Xiong roared with laughter, and they continued to trade jests until Liao Qiniang called from outside the door, her voice impatient, reminding them that lunch was ready.

As they emerged, Han Xiong remarked on how handsome Yang Yaozong looked even in simple, coarse garments. Liao Qiniang, seeing him with his sleeves rolled, his waist neatly cinched, and his healthy complexion, felt a strange, stirring charm in his appearance. She turned away quickly, her face burning and her heart racing.

At lunch, Yang Yaozong sat with the inner circle: Liao Dingyuan, the uncle, the sixth brother, and Chen Guanghan. The meal was quiet, but not awkward. Afterward, Yang Yaozong wandered to the vegetable gardens. He struck up a conversation with a woman watering the greens, asking about their water supply. She pointed out the deep, ever-flowing pools on the summit.

As they talked, Yang Yaozong noticed the dense planting of the greens. "Auntie," he asked, "do these vegetables grow slowly and attract many pests?"

The women were stunned. "How did you know?"

"To make them grow large and healthy," Yang Yaozong explained, "you must thin the seedlings periodically."

As he began to explain the process in detail, the women listened, captivated by the young scholar's knowledge.