Volume One – Chen Kingdom at the Frontier, The Defiant Marquis’s Immortal Path Chapter 6: Fishing in Troubled Waters

Li Ke hurried forward to pay his respects. “Li Ke greets the Marquis of Rebellion.”

Chen Yu gazed at him calmly and asked, “Have you made your decision?”

Though Li Ke had already heard most of the story from Jian Rende and the others, and greatly admired their ability to withdraw safely from Blackwind Pass, he still hesitated. After all, to stake the fate of everyone in the stronghold on such a chance was no small matter.

Yet Chen Yu and his companions showed no sign of anger. Instead, Chen Yu said evenly, “Blackwind Pass will soon descend into chaos. Li Ke, you still have one more chance to choose.”

Just as Li Ke was about to ask for clarification, a brother from the stronghold came to summon him away.

Li Ke could only apologize and take his leave.

“It seems the remnants of Three Banners Valley have found their way to Feitian Fortress,” Xue Han remarked.

“Of course,” Chen Yu replied. “Everything will unfold just as we’ve planned.”

“Do you think Li Ke will side with us?” Jing Zhe asked, looking at his two brothers.

“He will,” they answered with confidence.

Jing Zhe shrugged, leaving the scheming to them, for he freely admitted he was no match for their strategies.

As expected, an hour later Li Ke returned to the inner courtyard, his expression heavy. He looked at the three, took a deep breath, and asked, “Was it you who orchestrated the Three Banners Valley incident?”

Chen Yu nodded with a faint, unconcealed smile.

“What is it you intend?” Li Ke asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“Why, to plunge Blackwind Pass into chaos, of course,” Chen Yu replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “After all, only in turbulent waters can one fish for profit. Otherwise, with over two thousand men in Blackwind Pass, how could we possibly kill them all?”

Li Ke’s face turned pale with shock. He had never expected such words to come from the mouth of a boy barely twelve or thirteen years old, spoken in such an even tone, as if he were simply playing a game.

“You mean to...” Li Ke struggled to believe, his voice trailing off.

A wry smile played on Chen Yu’s lips. “If these people die, then so be it. Tell me, Master Li, do you harbor any scruples in your heart?”

Li Ke was taken aback. The myriad crimes committed by the eighteen bands of Blackwind Pass were beyond counting. At times, even as a fellow outlaw, he found them loathsome, yet what choice did he have, living as he did in such a world?

At this moment, Li Ke’s heart was locked in struggle, memories of the past years flooding his mind.

Chen Yu and the others did not rush him, trusting that Li Ke’s decision would not surprise them.

Indeed, after only half a cup of tea’s time, Li Ke straightened his back, bowed solemnly to Chen Yu, and declared, “Li Ke pays homage to the Marquis of Rebellion.”

“Ha! Li Ke, you have not disappointed me. Very good. You will never regret today’s choice,” Chen Yu assured him.

Li Ke nodded gravely. Then, he asked, “My lord, what are our next steps?”

Chen An then offered his analysis to the group. “The greatest powers in Blackwind Pass are the troops of Jian Rende, the Cold Eagle Band, the Blood Tiger Band, and the Five Venoms Band. These four control most of the resources, leaving the other bands simmering with resentment. Only the threat posed by figures like Cold Blade, Hu Daoshan, and Lady Wang—second-rate experts known across the land—has kept them in check.”

Li Ke interjected, “That’s true. Rumor has it Cold Blade and his lot have long harbored ambitions to absorb the other bands, but the scattered nature of the groups prevented them from finding an opportunity.”

As he spoke, a sudden realization dawned on Li Ke, and he looked at Chen Yu in surprise.

“Precisely. That is the opportunity I’ve created for them,” Chen Yu said calmly.

Li Ke, however, was still puzzled. “But those ambitions truly exist.”

“Only Cold Blade and the others know that,” Xue Han responded evenly. “The other bands may not. Besides, we’ve just stoked the flames a bit more. Blackwind Pass is bound for chaos.”

Li Ke drew a sharp breath. Each step in this plan intertwined with the next, propelling Cold Blade and his peers to the very brink. Steadying himself, he asked, “Then, my lord, what are your orders?”

“Continue as usual in Feitian Fortress, but quietly spread word of the Three Banners Valley affair and direct suspicion toward the Cold Eagle Band and the other two. We have already left behind evidence. Anyone attentive enough will find it.”

Li Ke, still uneasy, said, “Forgive my bluntness, my lord. We can certainly redirect suspicion, but with Cold Blade’s ruthless methods, won’t he just crush the matter before it spreads?”

Chen Yu laughed. “Do not worry. I won’t allow that to happen. When people are pressed too hard, they either explode or collapse. If all of Blackwind Pass is gripped by fear and everyone feels isolated and threatened, what do you think will happen?”

Li Ke’s eyes lit up; he could already imagine the outcome. “Very well. I will see to it at once.”

Chen Yu nodded. Once Li Ke had left, he turned to Jing Zhe and Xue Han. “Elder Brother, Second Brother, the rest is up to you.”

Jing Zhe shrugged, joking, “A trivial matter. What can we do? You’re the marquis, after all!”

With that, the two slipped out of Feitian Fortress, unnoticed by anyone. Their light-footed skills astonished Xia You and the others.

“My lord, what should we do next?” Xia You and his companions asked.

“Rest well and regain your strength. When the flames have burned high enough, that will be our time to act,” Chen Yu replied calmly.

“We obey.”

…

Events unfolded exactly as Chen Yu had foreseen.

Blackwind Pass was thrown into utter chaos. Once the Three Banners Valley conspiracy was exposed, even the thunderous crackdown by Cold Blade and his men—who executed the remnants and terrorized the other bands—did nothing to quell the unrest. Instead, resistance only grew fiercer.

Soon after, several more bands were annihilated in the turmoil, and the situation spiraled beyond the point of no return.

Far from intimidating Cold Blade and his faction, these events pushed them to greater frenzy. They now saw a chance to dominate Blackwind Pass completely—a long-held ambition.

Even Jian Rende found himself unable to control the situation. The unnatural turn of events made him sense, however faintly, the presence of an invisible hand guiding everything from behind the scenes. In response, he changed his usual tactics, consolidating his power within Blackwind Pass and biding his time.

Jian Rende’s actions may have surprised Chen Yu, but they did not affect the grand plan he had set in motion.