Night fell.
The mountains were cooler than the sweltering mortal world below.
Lin Ning lay half-reclined on his bed, brows slightly furrowed, his heart troubled.
After treating Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu today, he hadn't reaped the huge merit he'd imagined.
Not a single hair's worth...
If that was the case, then some of his earlier assumptions must be wrong...
He'd thought doing good deeds would earn merit, and indeed, fetching water and repairing the roof for the childless elderly had given him merit points. So why did healing the injured and sick give him nothing this time?
If saving lives and treating wounds earned no merit, then what counted as merit at all?
Could it be that Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu's injuries were too minor to count?
That didn't add up either. Zeng Niu's cultivation method emphasized defense, so his injuries were lighter, sure, but Zhou Shi had been beaten badly.
If his injuries went untreated, he'd surely be left with lasting damage, or might even die.
How could that earn no merit?
"Snap!"
Suddenly, a spark of insight flashed through Lin Ning's mind—he'd thought of a reason!
These two were mountain bandits, they'd killed before!!
And he remembered something else. Yesterday he'd already been a little puzzled—he'd clearly fetched water for the childless elderly across more than a dozen mountain strongholds, but the merit points he received were fewer than expected, noticeably short.
Thinking about it now, didn't the missing points line up exactly with the households whose heads were male bandits?
Fetching water for Grandma Liu, Aunt Sun, and the others—those had all given full merit points.
In the unlit dark room, Lin Ning's eyes shone bright—he'd found the problem!
Any male bandit would inevitably have blood on his hands, lives taken.
Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu were no exception.
So saving them earned not a shred of merit.
But then...
Lin Ning's face darkened again. The people in the stronghold who constantly got injured and needed treatment would only ever be these bandits!
Ordinary womenfolk didn't hunt, so how would they get hurt?
If that were true, his path to farming merit points through medicine was completely blocked.
How much merit could he earn playing friend to the womenfolk? Truly depressing.
However...
Lin Ning's gloom didn't last long. After all, the heavens had already handed him such an enormous cheat, letting him fulfill a lifelong wish.
If even merit points came this easily, there'd be no fun in it at all...
In his past life, he'd fought and struggled like a beast for fame, status, and wealth, never getting a moment's rest.
In this life, he no longer wished to live that way.
There was nothing urgent needing his attention for now anyway—if not leisurely, then at least he could take things at his own pace.
Thinking this, the resentment and irritation in his heart faded, and drowsiness crept over him. Lin Ning slowly drifted to sleep.
..
But not long after Lin Ning fell asleep to the occasional cicada cry from the bamboo forest behind his house, the mountain gate of Qingyun Village was already crowded with a crowd come to see off the departing warriors.
As one of the Thirteen Great Mountain Forts of Canglan Mountain, Qingyun Village was a major stronghold with several hundred people.
The men hunted and raided merchant caravans smuggling goods to the grassland, while the women handled marinating the game, tanning hides into clothing, gathering wild vegetables and fruit in the forest, and raising the children.
The stronghold had a herbal hut, a school, and even a workshop for forging swords and bows.
At this moment, aside from the unwitting Lin Ning, everyone in the stronghold had gathered here, Aunt Chun included.
They were sending the warriors off to war!
Tian Wuniang, clad in black combat garb, her gaze cool and her expression calm, sat mounted. Aside from Second Boss Fang Lin, who stayed behind to guard the stronghold, all the other leaders had turned out.
This time, it wasn't only the stronghold's "Green Saber Guard" marching out—Fang Zhi and a group of young disciples who'd grown into their own were also joining the expedition.
Their spirits seemed even more fired up than those of the silent veteran soldiers!
Second Boss Fang Lin, looking up at Tian Wuniang atop her large black horse, called out in a sharp voice: "Great Leader, go on your expedition with an easy mind. Every soul in this stronghold, high and low, will keep order and hold to their duties. All five hundred sixty-three of us await your triumphant return! May the ancestors of Qingyun Village bless the Great Leader and her forces with a safe return!"
"May the ancestors of Qingyun Village bless the Great Leader and her forces with a safe return!"
Hundreds knelt together, praying to the heavens.
Tian Wuniang watched this scene, giving a slight bow from atop her horse, and said in a faintly hoarse voice: "With the Second Boss watching the gate, my mind is at ease."
She said no more, her gaze turning to the heavy wooden mountain gate connected by a great winch.
This was the only passage linking Qingyun Village to the outside world.
"Open! The! Gate!!"
Second Boss Fang Lin's face was somewhat unassuming and his voice a bit shrill, but he carried real prestige and had won people's hearts. He raised the torch in his hand high, his sharp voice ringing through the stronghold.
"Glory!"
"Glory!"
"Glory!"
Hundreds of villagers cried out as more than twenty brawny, muscle-bound men hauled at the winch together.
Amid a harsh grinding sound, the massive gate, weighing ten thousand jin, was slowly hauled open.
This time, serving as the Great Leader's personal guard, Fang Zhi, Hu Xiaoshan, Zhou Nini, Zhou Shi, Zeng Niu, Li Xuan, and the others led the way out of the stronghold.
Third Boss Hu Dashuai led the Green-robed Army close behind.
Fifth Boss Zhou Cheng had already set out ahead with his men, riding fast to relay news along the way.
Fourth Boss Deng Xueniang was already out on the grassland, laying traps and poison along several routes.
Great Leader Tian Wuniang was the last to leave the stronghold. Little Jiu Niang, her small face tense, was also dressed in combat garb, riding atop Little Gray. In a young, tender voice, she called out loudly to Tian Wuniang: "Sister, total victory!"
Tian Wuniang's gaze lingered on Little Jiu Niang, softening considerably, and she nodded slightly. "Listen to Aunt Chun."
After Aunt Chun whispered a few words to her, Little Jiu Niang took Aunt Chun's hand, nodded firmly, and called out loudly: "Don't worry, Sister, I'll listen to Aunt Chun, I promise. Don't worry, come home safe soon! We'll be waiting for you!"
The corners of Tian Wuniang's mouth curved up slightly. She nodded, then spurred her horse, ready to depart—when suddenly the crowd of villagers parted, and a youth in white robes came walking forward, unhurried.
The scene suddenly fell silent.
In the past, this was the youth who'd most despised the idea of a young woman riding off to war, burning, killing, and plundering.
Seeing Lin Ning suddenly appear, both Aunt Chun and Jiu Niang tensed, and Second Boss Fang Lin hurried forward as well, fearing he might say something inauspicious.
Tian Wuniang simply watched him with an indifferent gaze.
As Lin Ning drew near, he let out a soft sigh, then, to everyone's shock, gave a bow and said: "Thank you for your hardship. Come home safely."
This scene left countless people wide-eyed.
Even in a stronghold untouched by proper education, the pattern of men being valued over women still held firm.
Men beating their wives was practically an everyday affair—some kind households struck lightly, some black-hearted ones struck hard.
Almost never did one see a man bow to a woman.
Especially not when one considered how much Lin Ning had once despised Tian Wuniang—many in the stronghold had felt sorry for her, worrying she'd have no choice but to endure domestic abuse down the line.
Because of Lin Long and Madam Ning, if Lin Ning had beaten her, Tian Wuniang wouldn't have resisted at all.
Many couldn't bear to picture that scene, and some even wept just talking about it.
This was one of the reasons Lin Ning had been so unpopular in the stronghold...
Everyone had assumed Lin Ning had come today deliberately to humiliate someone, but they hadn't expected this scene before their eyes.
Let alone everyone else—even Tian Wuniang's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, though the ice lake within remained undisturbed, her expression indifferent.
Only Aunt Chun and Little Jiu Niang were overjoyed. Aunt Chun cried "Oh dear!" and blamed herself: "I shouldn't have coaxed you to bed so early, it's all my fault, I've gone and played the villain."
But her face bloomed with a smile full of hidden meaning—hardly the look of someone blaming herself.
Little Jiu Niang giggled and said: "Brother-in-law, you came to see Sister off too?"
Lin Ning ruffled her hair and nodded.
Second Boss Fang Lin then said to Tian Wuniang: "Great Leader, the auspicious hour has arrived, time to depart."
Aunt Chun and Little Jiu Niang shot him fierce glares. Tian Wuniang nodded slightly, then lingered no longer. Her gaze swept across the crowd, pausing briefly on Lin Ning's face, before she pulled the reins. Her mount, sensing her intent, wheeled around and bolted out through the gate, the clatter of hooves fading gradually until it vanished into the dark night.
The mood of those seeing them off grew steadily heavier. Which departure had ever not left family members anxious and worried?
Often, when the group returned, one or two would be missing—sometimes more...
"Sister, come home soon, promise me!!"
After Tian Wuniang left, Little Jiu Niang, who had stayed brave and smiling all this while, suddenly shouted hoarsely into the darkness, and then could no longer hold back, breaking into sobs, her small hands covering her face, her small body trembling with fear.
Seeing this, Aunt Chun hurried to pick her up and comfort her, but nothing seemed to calm her.
Lin Ning stepped forward, taking her from Aunt Chun's arms, and said softly: "Don't worry, Jiu Niang, your sister's martial arts are extremely strong. Even if she runs into trouble, she'll always find a way through. From now on... I'll find a way to make sure the stronghold doesn't have to keep living like this."
Little Jiu Niang didn't understand these words, but Fang Lin, who had come over, understood them well. He gave Lin Ning a long look, then joined in comforting Little Jiu Niang: "Don't worry, Xiao Jiu. Third Uncle already told your Brother Xiao Zhi and the others—if the Great Leader gets hurt while they come back unscathed, I won't forgive them, I'll punish them tenfold. On this expedition, Third Uncle doesn't expect much of them, only that they support the Great Leader well, and at the critical moment, take a blade or an arrow for her—that alone would count as great merit. So the Great Leader will absolutely be fine. As long as the Great Leader is here, this stronghold stands. If something happens to the Great Leader, the stronghold is finished too. The Great Leader knows this herself, so she will surely come home safely... There, there, Xiao Jiu, no more crying."
"Brother... Brother-in-law, is what Third Uncle said... true?"
Little Jiu Niang, who had put on a brave face in front of her sister the whole time, now had eyes swollen red from crying, her gaze full of worry and fear, as she asked Lin Ning timidly.
Lin Ning smiled and nodded. "What Third Uncle said is true. If your sister loses so much as a single hair while the others come back unharmed, even if Third Uncle goes soft-hearted, I won't let it go so easily. This kind of tragedy can't keep repeating generation after generation—it should end here... Don't worry, Xiao Jiu."
These simple words made the faces of Fang Lin, Aunt Chun, Uncle Sun, and the other mid-ranking stronghold members standing nearby change dramatically.
Hearing this, a flicker of confusion crossed Little Jiu Niang's eyes, but she said nothing more. She'd caught the certainty and promise in Lin Ning's words, and so she stopped crying, simply burying her face in his shoulder, her breath still catching in little hiccups.
No matter how much she trusted her brother-in-law, she still worried about her sister—her only blood kin.
..
Yulin City, within the City Guard's manor.
Prefect Zhao Hua, Commander Luo Cheng, and a host of civil and military officials of Yulin City were hosting a banquet for Second Young Master Zhao Wuhui of the Yan Commandery Zhao Family, along with Yan Ke, Sect Master of the Blood Saber Sect and overlord of the martial world in Yan Commandery.
Prefect Zhao Hua was himself a disciple of the Yan Commandery Zhao Family—the family had spent generations' worth of accumulated foundation just to secure him this position.
Now was the time to start reaping some returns.
The Zhao Family had assembled a massive merchant caravan, personally led by the family's own elite direct descendant, Second Young Master Zhao, with protection provided by Yan Ke, Sect Master of the Blood Saber Sect, who shared deep ties with the Zhao Family.
Setting aside the fact that the Blood Saber Sect Master held the eighth spot on the Tiger Ranking with peerless martial arts, even Second Young Master Zhao Wuhui himself hailed from Jixia Academy, one of the world's three great holy lands of martial learning.
Across the entirety of Qi State, his name carried real weight!
However, this caravan was only nominally headed toward Qin State by crossing the Canglan River via the Luochao Slope Ancient Ferry—in truth, they intended to pass through Yi Xian Tian, cross the towering Canglan Mountain, and head to the grassland to seek huge profits.
The world bustles and crowds, all for the sake of profit, coming and going.
The Zhao Family had operated in Yan Commandery for centuries, and having poured out their accumulated foundation, they'd even managed to win over Luo Cheng and Yan Ke. This trading venture looked to be foolproof.
Only, whether they knew it or not, of the Thirteen Great Mountain Forts occupying Canglan Mountain, over two hundred li from Yulin City, a full five strongholds had already stirred into motion at the news.
Hundreds upon hundreds of bandits were sharpening their blades and readying their horses, eager to carve up this rare, fat prize—the kind that came along only once in ten years!
But then, who would end up the oriole, who the cicada, and who the hunter—until the mystery was uncovered, who could say?
..
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