Chapter 111: Outsmarting the Mountain Stronghold

Xiao Ding called Zhao Hu and the others over, then told them the plan that had just occurred to him. Commandant Yan praised the strategy repeatedly, declaring that it was entirely feasible.

“Commandant Yan, does your unit carry any signal flares?” Xiao Ding asked after explaining his plan.

“You mean signal cannons?” Commandant Yan had never heard of signal flares, but he guessed what Xiao Ding was looking for.

“Yes, I suppose that is what they are called. Once we enter the stronghold and take Shi Jianduan prisoner, we will need something to signal you to launch the assault,” Xiao Ding explained. He did not know what signal flares were called in this era, but he knew that armies of the time must possess something similar.

“Then signal cannons are exactly what you need. We have some.” With that, Commandant Yan ordered his men to fetch one.

Xiao Ding discovered that the so-called signal cannon was actually made from a bamboo tube with a fuse attached. It looked somewhat like the fireworks of later generations that shot two bursts into the sky.

“Once you have subdued the bandit chief, light this signal cannon. As soon as we hear it go off, we will attack the mountain at once.” Commandant Yan handed it to Xiao Ding.

“Very well. Lead your men and lie in ambush at the foot of the mountain. Zhao Hu, the others, and I will go up first.” As he spoke, Xiao Ding slipped the signal cannon into the satchel slung across his body.

Xiao Ding, Fatty Fan, Zhao Hu, and the others each carried a satchel across one shoulder, and every satchel held a repeating crossbow.

Commandant Yan led his soldiers into hiding. Only then did Xiao Ding and Zhao Hu’s group set off toward the mountain path.

They had barely reached the foot of the mountain when the bandits keeping watch from the guard post at the summit spotted them.

“Who are you? Stop at once, or we’ll shoot!” a bandit shouted from above the stone wall.

“Is that Brother Zhang Dahu up there? It’s me, Zhao Hu!” Zhao Hu halted and looked up toward the top of the wall. Seeing that the guard appeared to be Zhang Dahu, one of the minor chieftains of Flying Cloud Stronghold, he called out to him.

“Zhao Hu, what brings you back?” Zhang Dahu asked suspiciously from above.

“Brother Zhang, is Chief Shi at the stronghold? Please inform him that I’ve discovered the whereabouts of the divine treasure of Sunset Mountain and have come especially to report it to the chief.”

“All right. Wait there a moment.” After answering Zhao Hu, Zhang Dahu turned and headed into the stronghold. Three or four petty bandits remained atop the wall, watching Xiao Ding and the others with wary eyes.

After a while, Zhang Dahu came running back and shouted down, “Zhao Hu, the chief says you may come up!”

“Got it!” Zhao Hu called back, then took the lead. Xiao Ding, Fatty Fan, and the others followed behind him.

The mountain path was extremely narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. At first, a cliff rose along only one side. But as they climbed toward the mountainside, cliffs hemmed in the path on both sides. Xiao Ding marveled inwardly at the treacherous terrain.

This truly was a place where one man could hold the pass against ten thousand. If the bandits merely hid atop the cliffs on either side and shot down at anyone climbing the path, however many men came to attack, none would survive. They could even stand above and hurl burning materials onto the road, roasting every attacker alive.

As he climbed, Xiao Ding felt a lingering chill of fear. Fortunately, he had not acted rashly and ordered Commandant Yan to storm the mountain. Otherwise, he might never have known how he died.

Flying Cloud Peak was no low hill. The group followed the winding mountain road for nearly the time it took to burn a stick of incense before finally reaching the summit. At the end of the path stood a heavy gate wedged between the cliffs on either side.

The gate was already open. With Zhao Hu at the front, they entered the stronghold.

Beyond the gate lay a level stretch of ground atop the mountain, with several buildings scattered across it. The largest and tallest stood in the center. It was the Hall of Brotherhood, where the bandits usually gathered.

Zhao Hu led Xiao Ding and the others into the hall as though he knew the place by heart.

Shi Jianduan sat in the chief’s chair at the very center of the hall. Two scantily clad young women stood beside him, kneading his legs and pounding his back.

Xiao Ding saw that Shi Jianduan still looked like a down-and-out young nobleman. He remained thin, his complexion deathly pale, his eyes swollen and ringed with dark circles, as though he had gone days without sleep. Xiao Ding knew that these were signs of excessive indulgence and depleted vitality.

Two rows of underlings stood along either side of the hall, each with his chest thrust out and chin raised, clutching weapons such as cudgels and axes. Their clothes were ragged and their weapons mismatched, making the formation look somewhat ridiculous. Still, a timid person might well have been intimidated by the display and have no idea what sort of strength lay behind it.

Xiao Ding, however, had already crossed paths with these bandits several times. He knew perfectly well how much they were worth. The only person in the hall who gave him pause was Shi Jianduan. Xiao Ding knew the man’s martial skills were formidable; in a one-on-one fight, he would probably be no match for him.

“It’s you?” Shi Jianduan’s attention first fell upon Xiao Ding and Fatty Fan, who stood behind Zhao Hu and the others. That was hardly surprising. Xiao Ding was tall and powerfully built, standing half a head above everyone else and impossible to overlook.

Fatty Fan stood beside him. Where Xiao Ding was tall, Fatty Fan was short and broad, shaped like an enormous winter melon. He too drew Shi Jianduan’s attention.

Shi Jianduan had seen Xiao Ding and Fatty Fan once before, at the foot of Sunset Mountain. He had never expected to see the two of them arrive at Flying Cloud Stronghold with Zhao Hu and the others.

“Chief, these two are friends I recently made,” Zhao Hu said.

“Zhao Hu, I hear you’ve discovered the whereabouts of Sunset Mountain’s century-old treasure?” Shi Jianduan did not pursue the matter of Xiao Ding and Fatty Fan. Instead, he asked about what concerned him most.

“Yes, Chief. After making inquiries both openly and in secret, I learned that the treasure of Sunset Mountain is actually a giant python several hundred years old. Later, it was taken by the people of the Sky Net Sect from Jiaozhou.” Zhao Hu repeated the words Xiao Ding had taught him.

“Hmm. I’ve heard a little about that myself. They say the python’s hide is impervious to blades and arrows and unaffected by fire or water—a rare treasure indeed. But if the python has already fallen into the hands of the Sky Net Sect, what use is your coming to tell me? Do you think I can afford to provoke the Sky Net Sect?” Shi Jianduan asked with a frown.

“Chief, I’ve actually returned today for another reason. I wanted you to look at something.” As he spoke, Zhao Hu reached toward the satchel at his side.

“What is it?” Hearing that there was something to see, Shi Jianduan straightened from his half-reclining position and waved for the two women beside him to stop attending him.

“Take a look at this…” Zhao Hu said.

He had already drawn the repeating crossbow from his satchel. He swiftly released the safety, aimed it at Shi Jianduan, and pulled the trigger three times in succession.

Three bolts hissed through the air.

Although Shi Jianduan had been caught off guard, his martial instincts saved him. The instant Zhao Hu pulled the trigger, he instinctively shifted his body and avoided a fatal hit.

Of the three bolts, each more than half a foot long, one struck the hollow of his right shoulder, another pierced his right upper arm, and the third sank into the root of his right thigh.

Blood instantly stained his white robes crimson.

At once, Xiao Ding, Fatty Fan, and the others all drew their repeating crossbows and aimed them at Shi Jianduan.

“You…?” Shi Jianduan raised his left hand and pointed at Zhao Hu and the others with a trembling finger.

“Chief Shi, we came here today to take you into custody and bring you to justice,” Xiao Ding said as he stepped forward.

“So you’re agents of the authorities…” Shi Jianduan spat bitterly.

“Chief Shi, you gathered men, occupied this mountain, robbed travelers, and terrorized the people. The authorities have wanted to arrest you for a long time.” Xiao Ding leveled his repeating crossbow at him.

Shi Jianduan had just suffered the weapon’s power firsthand and naturally understood how dangerous it was. He did not dare move recklessly. The two women beside him had already collapsed to the floor in terror.

Nor did any of the underlings lining the hall dare step forward to rescue their chief. Several of them had recognized Xiao Ding. They had once tried to rob him, only to be stripped clean by him in return—not even their trousers had been spared. It was an experience they would never forget for the rest of their lives.