Chapter 100: Breaking the Stronghold

Before long, Yang Xing walked in.

Su Jiangfeng quickly stood up and said, "Head Escort Yang!"

The other three head escorts, though dissatisfied, stood up and cupped their fists in greeting.

Yang Xing returned the salute and asked directly, "What exactly happened? Who hijacked the shipment?"

"It was the Seven Wolves Stronghold."

Su Jiangfeng then recounted the entire incident in detail.

"How strong is this Seven Wolves Stronghold?" Yang Xing asked in a deep voice.

"Their strength is quite formidable," Su Tong, who was standing nearby, interjected. "The seven leaders entrenched in the stronghold are all masters of the Transformation Realm, and two of them have already reached the peak of that realm. Relying on sheer force will not work; we must find another way."

Seven Transformation Realm masters?

Hearing this, Yang Xing pondered silently. If there were no masters of the Dan Realm, there should be no problem at all. He had estimated that even a master at the peak of the Transformation Realm could not break his Diamond Body. As long as his Diamond Body remained intact, his life would not be in danger.

The three head escorts beside him remained silent. Yang Xing received the highest retainer; naturally, it was up to him to find a solution.

"Head Escort Yang, say something," Su Qun said, her brows knitting as she watched Yang Xing remain silent.

Ignoring her, Yang Xing asked, "Do you have a map of the area around the Seven Wolves Stronghold?"

"We do!" Su Jiangfeng quickly had someone fetch the map. "The Seven Wolves Stronghold is entrenched on Tiger Roar Mountain. The terrain is very remote, with rugged paths, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

Yang Xing took the map and examined it closely. The escort agency's map was very precise, clearly outlining even the narrow forest trails.

Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Su Qun asked, "Head Escort Yang, do you have a way to resolve this?"

Yang Xing shook his head. "No good plan yet."

"You!" Su Qun was so angry she could barely breathe. They paid Yang Xing two thousand taels of silver every month, yet at a critical moment, he claimed to have no plan. The other head escorts said nothing, but inwardly, they were fuming. What was the point of paying him so much silver?

Yang Xing folded the map, cupped his fists toward Su Jiangfeng, and said, "Chief Escort, I will take the map for now. Wait for my news." With that, he strode out of the hall.

"This Yang Xing..." Su Qun glared at his retreating back, yelping in frustration.

Su Tong waved a hand, his face full of worry. "We must think of other ways. We cannot afford to compensate for this 150,000 taels of silver." If the Fortune Escort Agency emptied its coffers, they could pay the sum, but doing so would completely destroy their reputation. Losing a shipment was a grave taboo for any escort agency.

***

Tiger Roar Mountain was located over 120 miles outside the prefectural city, with perilous terrain. It was named for a peak that resembled a crouching tiger, head held high, roaring at the sky and the forest. The mountain had once been scenic, attracting countless scholars, but after it was occupied by the notorious Seven Wolves Stronghold, it became desolate.

In the Loyalty Hall of the Seven Wolves Stronghold, the lights were as bright as day.

"Brothers, you’ve worked hard. Drink this bowl first!" A middle-aged man with a scholar’s face and wearing Confucian robes sat at the head of the table, holding a woman in his left arm and a large bowl in his right.

"Drink!" The other leaders below, each holding a woman, raised their porcelain bowls and downed the contents in one gulp.

"We pulled off a big deal this time. I looked in the chests—they were filled with jade. It’s worth at least thirty or forty thousand taels."

"Old Five, what are you dreaming about? The Thousand Illusion Pavilion is ruthless; we’ll have to cut that price in half at the very least."

"Even halved, that’s still ten or twenty thousand taels!"

The leaders were in high spirits. Such big scores were rare.

"The Fortune Escort Agency probably won't let this slide. If they dare to come, I’ll smash those escorts into pulp," said a bald, fat man, waving a heavy iron hammer ferociously.

The others burst into laughter.

"Old Seven, you’re overthinking it. Su Yi, their Chief Escort, is dead. The Fortune Escort Agency is nothing but a bunch of cowards. Yesterday, when we took the shipment, their head escort knelt and begged for mercy. I told him if he called me 'Grandpa,' I’d let him go. I was just joking, but he actually did it, blubbering about having an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child."

"Third Brother, did you really let him go?"

"Let him go? I chopped him down with one stroke. His head is hanging on the crooked tree at Flying Swan Ferry. What do his mother and child have to do with me?"

"Hahahaha!"

"It would be a blessing for them if we don't cause them any more trouble. They dare to come to our stronghold to die?" The first leader, Chai Guiliang, sneered. "Su Yi was a decent man, but what is his son, Su Jiangfeng? Just a useless fellow in the Internal Strength stage. Does he think he can hold the fort just by hiring a disciple from the Four Absolutes Sect?"

"From now on, every time the Fortune Escort Agency crosses Flying Swan Ferry, we will rob them." The leaders erupted in laughter again.

*Bang!*

Just then, a loud crash echoed, and a bandit ran in, panicked. "Chief! It’s bad! Someone is smashing down the stronghold gate!"

***

*Boom!*

A deafening sound rang out, as if a giant hammer were striking the massive logs of the gate. Snow atop the gate shook and fell in flurries. Outside the Seven Wolves Stronghold, a dozen bandits stared at the gate, trembling; the thick, sturdy wood no longer provided any sense of security.

*Crack!*

Another massive impact struck, causing the snow to vibrate and wood chips to fly. It was as if a wild beast were trying to break in. Unable to withstand the terrifying force, the gate began to shatter. With a thunderous crash, the gate splintered, and the wood fragments flew forward, striking a bandit in the chest and sending him vomiting blood.

The other bandits were stunned, staring at the gate. Amidst the swirling snow and dust, a tall figure slowly emerged.

"Who... who are you? Do you know where this is..." one bandit managed to stutter.

*Splurt!*

Before he could finish, a bloody hole appeared in his throat, and he collapsed, twitching on the ground. The blood on the snow looked hauntingly vivid.

Yang Xing held three steel beads in his left hand and said coldly, "I know."

As the dust settled, the bandits realized it wasn't a beast, but merely a young man carrying a long saber. Their fear diminished significantly.

"If you know, why come here to seek death?" The sixth leader, guarding the gate, frowned and barked, "Kill him! A heavy reward for whoever takes his head!"

"Kill!" Driven by the promise of a reward, the bandits swarmed toward Yang Xing like madmen.

*Whoosh!*

Yang Xing flicked his fingers, and the steel beads shot out like lightning, accompanied by a sharp, piercing whistle.

*Thud, thud, thud!*

In an instant, thirteen bandits were dead.

"A master!?" The sixth leader felt a chill run down his spine.

Before he could react, Yang Xing was already before him, drawing his long saber. A cold, shimmering light cut through the air, sharper and colder than the wind itself. The sixth leader tried to dodge and retreat, but a tyrannical palm strike caught him on the top of his head.

*No!*

It was too late.

*Bang!*

The force of the palm strike landed squarely on his crown. The sixth leader flew backward several yards and died on the spot.