Chapter 144: Bandit Infighting (Third Update)

Gentle Blade was well aware of his mission. The personal grudges among the leaders of Poison Dragon Mountain were irrelevant to him; his sole objective was to ensure that the stronghold was not captured by government troops during this period. To prevent internal strife within the stronghold, he and a group of players acted as though they were utterly loyal to Third Master Zheng, while secretly promising Scholar Lu that he only needed to exercise patience, as they would help him become the supreme leader when the time was right.

Unfortunately, Third Master Li Dahua was not on the mountain when they first arrived; otherwise, they would have fed him the same empty promises just to keep him under control. Upon seeing Li Dahua return to Poison Dragon Mountain accompanied by Chen Baxian, Gentle Blade realized that it was no longer possible to win Li Dahua over, and instead grew worried that Li Dahua might have already defected to the imperial government.

Entering Scholar Lu’s quarters, Gentle Blade said in a deep voice, "Master Lu, you must have noticed Li Dahua's return today. The strange outlander he brought with him has ties to the authorities, which strongly suggests he has already gone over to the government."

Scholar Lu nodded and replied, "Old Third has never been one to recruit outsiders on his own, and his underlings are all former dock coolies. Bringing two outlanders up the mountain this time is deeply suspicious. I didn't expose him on the spot because I figured this might actually be a golden opportunity. If Old Third colludes with the government to eliminate the First Master, we can simply use avenging the First Master as a pretext to execute Old Third, and then gather the remaining men to surrender to the government troops."

Gentle Blade felt a severe headache coming on. None of these three bandits on Poison Dragon Mountain were easy to deal with, and uniting them against the government was proving to be a truly daunting task! Scholar Lu’s plan had a high chance of success. He had no intention of remaining a bandit leader forever; once Zheng San and Li Dahua were eliminated, he could unearth the gold and silver buried by Zheng San, use a portion to bribe the county magistrate and the garrison commander, and instantly transform himself into an official man.

Of course, Gentle Blade could not allow Scholar Lu to execute this plan. Shaking his head, he said, "The risks are simply too high. Although Scholar Lu commands more men than Li Dahua, Li Dahua's subordinates are fierce and ruthless veterans, leaving you without a guaranteed victory. Furthermore, if government troops arrive while you and Li Dahua are locked in a bloody civil war, they will undoubtedly side with Li Dahua to crush you. In that scenario, you would be utterly doomed."

Scholar Lu flicked his folding fan and chuckled lightly, "If I decide to take this path, I will naturally contact the garrison beforehand. Since I know the exact location of Zheng San's buried treasure, I am certain the garrison commander will choose to cooperate with me rather than Li Dahua."

Gentle Blade gasped inwardly, thinking that these NPCs were more ruthless than the last! Whether Scholar Lu or Li Dahua defected to the government, his own mission would ultimately fail. After a moment of silent reflection, he shook his head again and said, "While the Master's plan is ingenious, I fear it remains unfeasible. Once you have exhausted your strength fighting Li Dahua, you will be powerless to resist the government troops. Officials are insatiably greedy and will undoubtedly demand every last ounce of your gold and silver. Would you comply with their demands or not?"

Seeing the expression on Scholar Lu's face shift, Gentle Blade pressed his advantage. "At that point, you would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board. Refusing to hand over the treasure would mean certain death, and even if you handed it all over, the officials would likely still silence you permanently to keep the secret safe."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Scholar Lu looked at him with an expression of profound gratitude and said, "Thank you for the timely warning! I was momentarily blinded by greed and nearly plunged into an abyss of no return. In your view, what should our course of action be?"

Gentle Blade spoke in a grave tone, "If Li Dahua has indeed colluded with the government, he will inevitably turn traitor tomorrow when the troops launch their assault. You must prevent him from leading troops to defend the Flying Cloud Ladder; if that strategic choke point falls, none of us will escape with our lives. Should Zheng San personally lead the defense, Li Dahua will surely demand to remain behind in the stronghold. You should use the excuse that the Flying Cloud Ladder is easily defensible and requires only two hundred men to hold, thereby keeping your own forces on the mountain as well to constantly monitor Li Dahua's movements."

"If Li Dahua attempts a betrayal, I will shoot him dead on the spot, and you will take command of his remaining faction. Once you absorb his forces, your strength will be on par with Zheng San's. At that juncture, my ten brothers and I will devise a way to send Zheng San to an untimely grave, making it entirely natural for you to become the master of the stronghold."

"Upon assuming leadership, you can unearth the treasure, gather your forces, and initiate a formal surrender to the government. Because Poison Dragon Mountain's military strength will still be intact, the authorities will not dare to move against you. You will then be able to take your wealth and wander far away, living a life of absolute freedom and ease. Wouldn't that be magnificent?"

Scholar Lu clapped his hands in delight and exclaimed, "A truly brilliant strategy! Gentle Blade, if you and your companions help me accomplish this great feat, I will certainly treat you generously."

***

In the early hours of the following morning, the bandit scouts stationed down the mountain hurried back to report that a force of over a thousand government soldiers was advancing up the mountain. In the grand assembly hall, Zheng San's eyes flashed with a murderous glint as he declared, "With the natural stronghold of the Flying Cloud Ladder, we have nothing to fear from government troops. We will simply annihilate them and seize their firearms and ammunition."

Li Dahua drew the Mauser pistol from his waist and stated, "The First Master is entirely correct. Those government troops are nothing more than a mob of rabble. We have defeated them twice before, and we can crush them a third time. I am willing to lead my men to defend the Flying Cloud Ladder."

Just as Zheng San was about to agree, Scholar Lu, standing nearby, shook his head and said, "First Master, this time the government is throwing their entire force against us; we must not underestimate them. While Old Third's men are numerous, the victories in our previous two battles were both directed by you personally. I believe it would be best for you to lead your elite troops down there yourself."

Gentle Blade chimed in with a nod, "Indeed. The Flying Cloud Ladder is vital to the life and death of Poison Dragon Mountain. Only with the First Master leading the troops can we ensure absolute success. Although the Third Master is brave, the First Master is far more skilled in command."

Gentle Blade's words secretly flattered Zheng San, who laughed heartily and said, "Everyone has their own strengths! Since you all feel that my command is the only way to guarantee success, I shall make this trip! Old Third will remain behind to guard the stronghold, but Second Brother, will you accompany me down the mountain or stay?"

Scholar Lu gave a bitter smile and replied, "First Master, you know my constitution is weak. Every time I go up or down the mountain, I am utterly exhausted. You go ahead to the Flying Cloud Ladder first, and if the battle becomes critical, I will bring men down to reinforce you."

Chen Hao stepped forward with a smile and said, "I hear the Second Master is the brilliant strategist of Poison Dragon Mountain. If the Second Master accompanies the First Master down the mountain, our chances of repelling the government troops will be all the greater. If the Second Master is concerned about physical exhaustion, I am quite willing to help construct a sedan chair, and you need only assign two men to carry it."

Scholar Lu was momentarily left speechless. At that moment, Gentle Blade laughed loudly and said, "Chen Baxian, you've only just arrived on the mountain and don't yet understand the situation here. While the Second Master is full of resourcefulness, the First Master has always been a master of boundless strategy. The Second Master is fully capable of commanding the Third Master, but he does not have the standing to command the First Master."

A hint of smug satisfaction crossed Zheng San's face. He drew his pistol and declared, "There is no need to argue further. I will take two hundred brothers to defend the Flying Cloud Ladder against a thousand useless government soldiers. Second Brother, Third Brother, both of you remain on the mountain!"

Chen Hao could not help casting a glance at Gentle Blade. This player was formidable; he had clearly discerned his own objectives and made meticulous preparations. If Li Dahua intended to coordinate with the government forces later, he would first have to eliminate Scholar Lu. Since Scholar Lu was aided by ten elite players and commanded a force no smaller than Li Dahua's, achieving victory would not be easy.

After Zheng San led his detachment down the mountain, Scholar Lu shouted to the remaining hundreds of bandits, "Keep your eyes sharp and stay alert for spies within the stronghold! If anyone attempts treason, take them down immediately!"

Li Dahua's expression darkened. Scholar Lu remaining on the mountain with his men presented a major obstacle, not to mention the ten formidable outlanders. Returning to his quarters with a gloomy expression, he said, "Brother Baxian, Scholar Lu has undoubtedly grown suspicious of me. With him staying behind to keep watch over us, what should our next step be?"

Chen Hao replied calmly, "At this point, we can no longer worry about all those details. If Zheng San returns victorious, and Scholar Lu possesses the evidence of your collusion with Deng Wentong, you will not escape with your life either. Have your men prepare themselves. I will slip out to see if I can find an opportunity to eliminate those outlanders first. Once those outlanders and Scholar Lu are dead, dealing with the remainder will be simple."

Tang Qunying chimed in, "Brother Baxian, why don't you let me come with you? It won't be easy for you to handle all those outlanders alone."

***

Chen Hao shook his head. "Sister Tang, your marksmanship is exceptional, but the moment a gunshot rings out, the mountain will plunge into a general melee, which works against us. My proficiency lies in blade techniques, allowing me to quietly eliminate enemies one by one. If I am exposed, you and the Third Master must immediately initiate your attack. Your duty will be to protect the Third Master and shoot Scholar Lu."

With those words, Chen Hao walked out of the room. Employing his lightness skill, Cloud-Stepping Grasp, he climbed onto the roof and slipped away toward the opposite side. Aside from Gentle Blade, who remained by Scholar Lu's side, the other nine players were patrolling the area and directing Scholar Lu's men to occupy advantageous terrain.

Chen Hao ambushed a bandit under Scholar Lu's command who was of similar build, dragged the man into a deserted room, stripped him of his outer garments, and put them on. Presently, a player approached. Chen Hao deliberately turned his back to him. When the player came within a five-meter radius, he called out loudly, "Master Lu sent me to inspect the patrols. Stay alert and be prepared for any sudden developments."

Chen Hao slowly turned around. As the player drew close, failing to recognize the familiar face in time, a heavy blade flashed and severed his neck.

As usual, Chen Hao dragged the corpse into the room, pulled out a spare set of starter clothes from his pouch to wipe the blood from the floor, and then walked away with his head lowered toward another sector...

Gentle Blade was extremely cautious, but he had never anticipated that Chen Hao's combat attributes would be abnormally high, nor that he possessed lightness skills capable of stealthily infiltrating their territory. Chen Hao quickly dispatched seven players. When the eighth player was struck down, his high physical sturdiness prevented the blow from being immediately fatal.

Enduring the agonizing pain, the player drew a Colt pistol from his waist and tremulously pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

As the gunshot rang out, Chen Hao swiftly evaded into a room, but the sound had already shattered the fragile peace. The two factions, whose nerves were already stretched to the breaking point, instantly erupted into a fierce melee.

Li Dahua drew the Mauser pistol from his belt and led his men in a charge against the opposing force. Tang Qunying produced two Brownings, continuously pulling the triggers. With every shot, a bandit fell, and within moments, eight bandits had been slain by her hand.

Gentle Blade shielded Scholar Lu as they emerged from their quarters. While directing his men to counterattack, Scholar Lu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Li Dahua has turned traitor and become a government spy! Whoever captures him will be handsomely rewarded when the First Master returns!"

Li Dahua, having received prior instructions from Chen Hao, bellowed back, "Scholar Lu and we are not cut from the same cloth! He wishes to return to his life as a scholar and has now led his men in rebellion! Brothers, take him down at once!"