Chapter Twenty-Seven: Message Left at Two Dragons Fortress
The next day at noon, Li Yun finally returned to the Great Cangshan Fortress.
The mountain bandits of Cangshan, uncharacteristically well-behaved, lined up in two rows at the gate, grinning and shouting boisterously.
“Chief!”
“Chief!”
Li Yun grinned, striding in with a swagger that recognized no kinship, entering the stronghold.
The past few days in Pingyang County, though he hadn’t been assigned by anyone nor actually served in the county office, had left him feeling unsettled. Now, back in his own territory, that discomfort vanished like smoke.
Chief Li surveyed the fortress, a sense of mastery washing over him. By now, many in the stronghold knew the government troops would no longer attack Cangshan; the blade hanging over their heads had disappeared, and Li Yun’s prestige as chief almost rivaled his father's.
In such circumstances, this stronghold became Li Yun’s own little kingdom; if he wished, he could mete out life and death as he pleased.
He squinted, savoring the moment, then returned to himself, gazing at the somewhat shabby fortress and shaking his head slightly.
Being chief was exhilarating, but alas, the territory was too small; his triumph was limited to the stronghold.
Li Yun stroked his chin, muttering to himself.
He needed to expand and strengthen!
As these thoughts whirled in his mind, he greeted his brothers in the stronghold, soon arriving at the main hall. Composed, he seated himself on the tiger-skin armchair, looking at the other household heads seated nearby, and said with a smile, “Skinny Monkey has probably told everyone already—Miss Xue’s matter is resolved. From now on, Qingyang County won’t trouble our stronghold.”
“Everyone can live in peace.”
Second-in-command Yuan Zhengming looked at Li Yun and asked, “Chief, what about the chief’s wife…”
Li Yun frowned and cut him off, “Enough. That matter ends here.”
When Li Yun had led his men to seize the bride, he hadn’t told the elders in the stronghold; even the dozen or so he brought were all of the younger generation.
Had he informed them in advance, the elders would surely never have let him abduct the magistrate’s daughter.
Now Yuan Zhengming deliberately brought up the matter before everyone, clearly stirring trouble.
Li Yun grew displeased, slapping the table and saying gruffly, “When I woke and learned she was the magistrate’s daughter, I regretted it. My own marriage is important, but the safety of my brothers matters more.”
“So, for the sake of the brothers, I’ve already sent her back.”
Yuan Zhengming sighed and continued, “Chief, you understand the seriousness, which is good. But yesterday, some youngsters brought up two more people—they’re from the Gu family of Shidai County. This matter…”
“Do you know about it?” Yuan Zhengming whispered, “The Gu family is the dominant force in Shidai County…”
Li Yun could no longer hold back.
He slammed the table, sprang up, and cursed, “I did it! If I dare act, I won’t leave loose ends!”
“We’re mountain bandits—if we’re afraid of this and that, why did we take to the hills in the first place?”
He glared at Yuan Zhengming, speaking gruffly, “Second-in-command, what do you mean by this?”
Yuan Zhengming sighed and fell silent.
Li Yun snorted, then said, “Second Uncle, let’s make a bet.”
“If the Gu family manages to find our stronghold, the affairs of the stronghold will be yours from now on. Only when your time is up will I become chief.”
“If the Gu family doesn’t come knocking,”
Li Yun looked at Yuan Zhengming, “I’ll share the spoils with you. Afterward, you can either leave the hills or stay here to retire. Agreed?”
The second-in-command had been in the stronghold for twenty years. His earlier words weren’t meant to oppose Li Yun, but out of genuine concern for the stronghold’s safety. Hearing Li Yun’s proposal, he didn’t argue, stood up, looked at Li Yun, “Very well… it’s settled.”
Li Yun turned to the others, saying gruffly, “Everyone present, bear witness. We’ll set…”
“Three months as the limit, how about it?”
Everyone stood, cupped their hands, and agreed.
Li Yun snorted, hands clasped behind his back, and left the main hall with a grim expression—though inwardly delighted.
This stronghold would finally become truly youthful!
…
In Li Yun’s courtyard, Liu Bo, Zhang Hu, and Skinny Monkey surrounded him.
Liu Bo, sharp as ever, whispered, “Second Brother, aren’t you afraid Second Uncle might send someone to Shidai and inform the Gu family?”
“He isn’t mad enough to do so.”
Li Yun rolled his eyes, “If he reports, the government troops will come. What use would being chief be then? He’d be the first to lose his head.”
He paused, then said to Li Zheng, “Still, we need to stay alert.”
“Skinny Monkey, keep your eyes open.”
Li Zheng nodded.
“Don’t worry, Second Brother,” Skinny Monkey said with a smile, “Most in the stronghold are on your side.”
Li Yun sat in his chair and asked, “Where are those two locked up?”
“In the cellar,” Liu Bo replied, then looked at Li Yun, “Second Brother, should we kill them?”
Li Yun stroked his chin, thinking.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Let’s beat them up first, vent my anger.”
Zhang Hu grinned, “No need for you to say—I already gave them a thrashing last night. Those city folk are soft, can’t take a beating.”
Li Yun narrowed his eyes.
These two lingered between life and death.
He decided to observe them for a few days.
After thinking it over, Li Yun looked at his brothers, speaking quietly, “Remember, whoever meets them must claim to be from Erlong Fortress, or else there’ll be no room to maneuver.”
The three looked puzzled, asking in unison, “Second Brother, what does ‘maneuver’ mean?”
Li Yun was speechless, waved it off, “Not important.”
He turned to Skinny Monkey, “Did you go to Erlong Fortress last night?”
“I did,” Li Zheng shook his head, “It’s an empty stronghold now, half-burned.”
Erlong Fortress had lost its main force; the few remaining stragglers couldn’t guard the wealth accumulated over the years, so…
They had to “split the loot and scatter.”
Within days, a medium-sized stronghold dissolved entirely. They abandoned their base mainly out of fear that neighboring bandits would come to plunder.
And since Erlong Fortress caught fire, it meant “colleagues” had already visited.
Of course, such ready-made strongholds, even if partially burned, are often occupied by new groups—well, gangs—after some time.
“Good.”
Li Yun smiled, “Then all that needs done is done. Brothers, rest well for a few days.”
Zhang Hu asked, “Second Brother, those two soft-skinned city folk cursed at you—aren’t you going to vent your anger?”
Li Yun shook his head.
“I haven’t decided how to deal with them. If I see them now…”
“They won’t survive.”
“These days, I’ll trouble you all to entertain them a bit more.”
Zhang Hu grinned viciously, thumping his chest.
“Leave it to me, Second Brother!”
…
Erlong Mountain.
Dozens of county constables from Shidai accompanied Master Gu, head of the Gu family, to the foot of Erlong Mountain.
Master Gu’s face was thunderous.
For the sake of his brother and son’s safety, he turned to a family servant, “You, go up and tell those bandits I’ve brought the ransom. It will be delivered to the mountain today.”
The servant, over forty, had served the Gu family most of his life and dared not disobey. Summoning his courage, he climbed up Erlong Mountain, and before long, trembling, scrambled back down and collapsed before Master Gu.
“Master, there’s… there’s nobody up there…”
“I… I went into the bandits’ den. On the wall… on the wall, there’s writing.”
Master Gu frowned, “What does it say?”
The servant shook his head, “Master, I… I can’t read.”
Master Gu snorted angrily, even more frustrated.
His anger was tinged with regret.
Had his attempt to root out the bandits brought trouble upon the Gu family?
But how did these bandits know the truth behind the matter?
As he pondered, surrounded by family and county soldiers, he ascended to the half-burned fortress on Erlong Mountain.
Sure enough, the stronghold was deserted.
Master Gu entered the charred main hall, where one wall had two crooked lines scrawled in charred wood.
“Leave the money, your kin will return within a fortnight…”
Master Gu deciphered carefully, reading further.
“If another person is kept on Erlong Mountain, the two of the Gu family… will die without a whole corpse.”