Chapter 135: Calculations

Kong Sheng clashed with Tang Genshui in public, subtly gaining the upper hand. In this era of cold weaponry, he was woefully inexperienced in mounted combat, relying solely on his immense strength and keen reflexes to suppress Tang. Tang Genshui, however, was a true warrior, brave and skilled, wielding his spear with exquisite technique and an endless array of maneuvers.

The two engaged in a fierce duel, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage.

Inwardly, Kong Sheng was distressed. Despite his momentary edge, no one knew better than he that if the fight dragged on, he would surely suffer a crushing defeat against a veteran warrior like Tang Genshui, who possessed such masterful spear skills.

Kong Sheng felt deeply frustrated and helpless. He was not a general born to lead armies or engage in life-or-death struggles; his strengths lay in intellect and strategy. Yet, through a twist of fate, he had been forced to take up arms and charge into the fray. One slip, and he would either be dead or severely wounded.

Kong Sheng knew he could not afford to prolong the fight. Once Tang Genshui grasped his patterns and adapted to his raw power, the tide would turn. If that happened, he would never be able to escape Tang’s long lance alive.

Gritting his teeth, he decided to take a desperate gamble.

In the blink of an eye, as their horses crossed, Kong Sheng parried a sweeping strike from Tang’s lance. As Tang surged past, Kong Sheng suddenly roared, "Watch the spear!"

To the shock and astonishment of the bandits, Kong Sheng leaned out of his saddle and hurled his spear like a hidden weapon straight at Tang Genshui’s back.

For two warriors locked in mortal combat to discard their weapons was a move of utter madness. Such a throw was easily dodged; if Tang Genshui reacted in time to evade the flying spear and swung his lance around for a counter-strike, Kong Sheng would be dead.

As expected, Tang Genshui sneered, ducked low over his horse's neck, and reached back to catch the incoming spear.

Kong Sheng did not hesitate. He dug his heels into his horse's flanks. "Zhuifeng" (Wind-Chaser), already in perfect sync with his master’s intent, leaped forward. With the grace of a flying cloud, the horse cleared the bandits' defensive wall of spears. Amidst the clamor and shouts of the bandits, it galloped up the slope and, in a flash, arrived directly before Nangong Wang.

No one had anticipated that Kong Sheng’s true target in abandoning his spear was not Tang Genshui, but Nangong Wang, who was watching from the front. Even Nangong Wang himself had never imagined it. The horse’s supernatural speed and its masterful, soaring leap left everyone stunned—to possess such a legendary steed was truly a stroke of immense fortune.

By the time Nangong Wang’s guards reacted, Kong Sheng’s sharp "Polu" sword was already pressed against Nangong Wang’s throat. He barked, "Stop! Whoever dares to move, I will take his head!"

Tang Genshui was filled with regret, realizing he had fallen for Kong Sheng’s trap. He shouted in anger from his horse, "Do not harm my master!"

Seeing the bandits under her command shifting restlessly, seemingly unconcerned with Nangong Wang’s safety, Nie Chuchen’s alluring face darkened. She waved her hand and scolded, "Stay where you are!"

Though held captive and facing immediate death, Nangong Wang’s expression remained unchanged. There was not a trace of panic or fear. He smiled calmly, "Young Master Kong is truly heroic and full of cunning; you have opened my eyes. However, this divine steed of yours is truly remarkable—rare in this world and worth a fortune!"

Kong Sheng sneered, "Nangong Wang, I will not waste words with you. Let us go, and we shall part ways, never to cross paths again! Otherwise, even if it costs me my life, I will strike you down!"

Nangong Wang laughed lightly, "Using my life to threaten the heroes of Chemeng Mountain is futile. I am merely a guest here, a transient soul; my life is worth nothing to them. Besides, you still have your brother in the hands of Leader Nie. Even if it were a life-for-a-life trade, they would not be losing anything."

Nangong Wang spoke with chilling nonchalance.

Kong Sheng’s heart sank. From the way the bandits under Nie Chuchen were acting, he suspected that Nangong Wang was not a high-ranking leader at Chemeng Mountain, but an outsider taking refuge. If these people did not value his life, then this desperate gamble might have been in vain.

But the arrow was already loosed. Kong Sheng said coldly, "In that case, let us trade life for life."

He tightened his grip on the sword, pressing it a fraction closer until it pierced Nangong Wang’s skin, drawing a thin line of blood.

Nie Chuchen was enraged. She immediately held her own sword to the throat of the captured Wu Xian and shouted, "Little thief Kong, release my Senior Brother Nangong at once, or I will kill your subordinate!"

The moment the words "Senior Brother Nangong" left Nie Chuchen’s lips, a look of relief washed over Kong Sheng’s face. Nangong Wang, meanwhile, closed his eyes and let out a faint sigh.

"Nangong Wang, it seems your junior sister is straightforward and lacks your complex schemes. Since you are fellow disciples, I advise you to reconsider my proposal. We have no deep-seated hatred; why must we fight to the death? Let us go north, and we shall never interfere with one another again!"

As Kong Sheng’s words reached his ears, Nangong Wang slowly opened his eyes and raised his voice an octave, "Young Master Kong, do you not know? My junior sister led these men down the mountain not to avenge our Hongze naval forces, but because she coveted your legendary steed. In the hearts of my sister and the men of this stronghold, what is a mere hermit like Nangong Wang compared to a priceless divine horse?"

A playful glint flashed in Kong Sheng’s eyes. He realized that Nangong Wang was a man of profound intellect and deep calculation. By shouting this in public, he was testing and forcing Nie Chuchen not to sacrifice his life for the sake of the horse. Even if Nie Chuchen truly preferred the horse over her senior brother, she would be restrained by the eyes of the crowd.

After all, her authority over the Chemeng Mountain bandits relied on a code of honor. If she abandoned her senior brother for a horse, her prestige would plummet, and her position would be in jeopardy.

"Junior sister, do not mind me! Take this thief down and seize the horse! Genshui, if anything happens to me, you and the others must obey my sister’s commands and serve the stronghold! Death to any who disobey!" Nangong Wang declared with righteous indignation, once again closing his eyes in a show of martyrdom.

"Master!" Tang Genshui leaped from his horse in grief and bowed deeply toward Nangong Wang.

The dozens of men who had belonged to the Hongze pirates also knelt on one knee, their faces filled with sorrow, and pledged their obedience.

Kong Sheng held his sword steady, watching with a faint smile as Nangong Wang performed for the bandits. His understanding of the man deepened. Nangong Wang’s intellect, courage, and scheming were far beyond the ordinary. With just a few nonchalant words, he had manipulated his junior sister and the entire stronghold into his trap.

At the same time, he had masterfully consolidated the loyalty of his own men.

Though he possessed no martial skill, he was more formidable than an entire army; his ability to turn the tides with a mere flick of his hand was beyond anything one could imagine.