With the death of the Second Head of Jiu Lan Mountain, many mountain bandits immediately surrendered, shouting for mercy.
They were never righteous individuals to begin with; their previous talk of loyalty was merely because it served their interests. Now that the situation had reversed, they naturally switched sides without hesitation.
"You traitors!"
"Have you all forgotten the kindness the Second Head showed us in the past?"
"If any of you ever fall into my hands, I'll kill every traitor I see!"
A fierce-looking, scar-faced burly man emerged, holding a blade to Song Xingzhi's neck as he held him hostage.
This was none other than the Fourth Head of Jiu Lan Mountain, Scarface. Song Xingzhi had fallen into his trap and was now in his clutches.
"Fourth Head, you can't even save yourself, yet you still want to kill us?"
"We all have families, unlike you, who's all alone."
"We're abandoning the darkness for the light. The First Head abandoned us and ran. How much is loyalty really worth?"
The captured bandits, seeing the Fourth Head's murderous intent, immediately urged him to surrender as well.
A wise man knows better than to fight against impossible odds.
They were all mountain bandits, not righteous heroes. Loyalty was just something to boast about when there was money and beautiful women to be had.
Who would actually be foolish enough to throw their lives away for it?
When the First Head, Xu Shaofei, learned that Jiu Lan Mountain was under siege, he swiftly escaped through the new secret passage, leaving the rest of them behind as scapegoats to delay the government troops.
Since the First Head had shown no loyalty or righteousness, why should the underlings bother with such principles?
"Hah, back when there was wine and meat, you all fought tooth and nail to become mountain bandits. Why didn't you think of your families then?"
"Now that there's trouble, every one of you runs faster than anyone else."
"You traitors, you all deserve to die!"
In his rage, the Fourth Head applied more pressure, and a bloody mark appeared on Song Xingzhi's neck.
"Zhou Jin, you dog! If you don't want him to die, drop your weapon and surrender."
"He's been your subordinate for years. You can't just stand by and watch him die, can you?"
The Fourth Head had grown up with Hu Mianlang and regarded him as a brother. Seeing Hu Mianlang die tragically under Zhou Jin's sword, he was consumed with the desire for revenge.
Zhou Jin killed his brother, so he would kill Zhou Jin's brother.
"Your Highness, don't mind me! These bandits deserve to die."
"Your Highness must not let me interfere with the mission to eradicate the bandits."
Hearing Song Xingzhi's words, the Fourth Head deliberately pressed the blade deeper.
"Shut up! Say another word, and I'll chop your head off."
"Since I can't escape anyway, I'll take a young general with me."
"It'll be a worthy death."
"Dog! It seems you're just like all those high officials—cold-blooded, heartless, and selfish."
The wound on Song Xingzhi's neck was already deep. If the Fourth Head pressed the blade any further, it could be fatal.
With a clang, Zhou Jin threw down his sword.
"Release him, and I will serve as your hostage."
The Fourth Head snorted coldly. He was fighting alone now and wouldn't fall for such tricks so easily.
Zhou Jin was cunning; many had been deceived by him. Killing him wouldn't be easy.
"Take off your clothes, then come over."
The Fourth Head feared Zhou Jin might be hiding weapons. With Zhou Jin's formidable combat skills, the Fourth Head worried he wouldn't be able to handle him.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jin slowly began to undo his belt.
The Black Auspicious Cloud-Edged Brocade Belt was held in his hand, and with a release, it fell to the ground.
His slender hands continued to undo the Black Pearl Hidden Buckle, pulling open his outer robe, which Zhou Jin casually tossed aside.
Xu Bao'er widened her eyes, watching with great interest. Fourth Leader, you're really something, blessing everyone's eyes.
That night, she hadn't gotten a clear look at Zhou Jin's physique, but now she saw he was incredibly well-built. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, enticing Adonis belts, and perfectly defined eight-pack abs.
Truly a divine masterpiece in the mortal world!
"Enough, come here."
As Zhou Jin stripped down to only his black underpants, the Fourth Leader lost patience and urged him to come forward and meet his end.
By now, Song Xingzhi was barely conscious due to the injury on his neck, his lips pale.
Zhou Jin quickly stepped forward, signaling the Fourth Leader to release Song Xingzhi.
But the Fourth Leader had never intended to let Song Xingzhi go—from the start, he planned to kill them both.
Killing these two would be a worthy death; his wretched life would finally have some value.
Pretending to release Song Xingzhi, the Fourth Leader had already prepared his blade, swiftly swinging it at Zhou Jin.
If not for Zhou Jin's agility, that sudden strike would have sliced off half his head.
Seeing that Zhou Jin was not an easy kill, the Fourth Leader decided to finish off Song Xingzhi, who lay on the ground.
He reversed his grip and thrust the blade downward, but Zhou Jin moved fast enough to kick the heavy sword away, saving Song Xingzhi from certain death.
"Be careful!"
The soldier's voice drowned out Xu Bao'er's warning.
Seizing the opportunity, the Fourth Leader drew a dagger from his waist and plunged it fiercely into Zhou Jin's back.
Zhou Jin grunted in pain, dropping to one knee.
Seeing this, Xu Bao'er quickly took out a throwing dart and hurled it at the Fourth Leader. Unfortunately, the mountain wind at night was too strong, blowing the dart off course.
Ah, forget it. Zhou Jin, it seems luck isn't on your side.
Anyway, the male lead won't die. If he gets injured, I can just step in to save him and deepen our bond in the process.
Xu Bao'er took out some melon seeds, ready to slack off a little.
True to his role as the male lead, Zhou Jin swiftly threw a punch with his right hand, striking the Fourth Leader in the abdomen.
"Ouch!" The Fourth Leader howled in pain, stumbling back several steps.
Zhou Jin quickly picked up the heavy blade from the ground and, with a fierce swing, severed the Fourth Leader's head.
Instantly, blood splattered everywhere. The once-ferocious Fourth Leader was now lifeless.
Splatters of blood sprayed across Zhou Jin's sharply defined face, slowly trickling down.
The mountain breeze lifted his flowing black hair as he calmly pulled the dagger from his shoulder and tossed it aside.
Under the moonlight, his exquisitely handsome face, fierce eyes, and the bloodstains smeared across his cheeks were like scratches on a beauty's face—shattered and bewitching.
The Fourth Leader's head rolled near a pair of Black Soap Boots, eyes wide open as if refusing to close in death.
The Mountain Bandits present were terrified, fearing they might share the Fourth Leader's fate.
The soldiers quickly stepped forward and lifted the fallen Song Xingzhi.
Zhou Jin bent down, casually draping the black robe over his shoulders without fastening the belt. The Peace Buckle, which had fallen into the mud, was picked up and reattached to his robe.
The open black robe swayed with each step Zhou Jin took, accentuating the lines of his abdominal muscles beneath.
Suddenly, Zhou Jin halted and looked up toward the Albizia Tree where Xu Bao'er was hiding.
Oh no, has he spotted me?
Xu Bao'er curled her legs, trying to conceal herself among the dense flowers and leaves.
Zhou Jin's gaze at this moment was extremely cold, carrying a detached chill that saw through the mortal world—aloof and murderous.
A breeze blew, gently swaying the branches as silk tree blossoms, like pink fans, drifted down and landed in Zhou Jin's broad palm.
Zhou Jin slowly clenched his hand, crushing the silk tree blossom in his palm. Then he turned, mounted his horse, and left directly.
Xu Bao'er, still hiding in the tree, let out a deep sigh.
So close—she hadn't been exposed.