Mr. Feng led his men into the valley and found two burly men tearing into roast pig legs with big bites.
“Master Xu, Master Lu, I just got word that Jin Feng has taken men to chase Captain Zhao towards the Jialing River. Shall we make our move?”
“No need to ask, of course we will hit him!”
Master Lu slammed the pig leg onto the ground. “I have roamed Jinchuan for years and never felt so humiliated. Blocked at our gate and beaten. If Mr. Feng had not stopped me, I would have led the brothers to Xihe Bay days ago to get revenge on that Jin Feng bastard!”
“Lucky you did not go. Jin Feng is full of cunning tricks and brought back many powerful weapons from the battlefield. If you had rashly attacked Xihe Bay, your Shuangtuo Peak would be the next Tieguan Mountain!”
Master Xu sneered.
“Mr. Feng just said that the old soldiers, female soldiers, and men of Xihe Bay are now scattered everywhere. Only some women remain in the village. Killing a few women for us brothers is as easy as slaughtering chickens, is it not?”
Master Lu said scornfully. “If your Hutou Mountain has been beaten into cowards by Xihe Bay, just say it. I will take the Shuangtuo Peak brothers alone!”
The two were the chief bandits of Hutou Mountain and Shuangtuo Peak. The bandits in the valley were their subordinates.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone bandits.
When choosing lairs, they picked places easy to defend and hard to attack, while ensuring escape routes.
Behind Hutou Mountain was a hidden path. Though steep and hard to climb, descending with ropes was simple.
That was Hutou Mountain’s escape route.
Shuangtuo Peak was the same, with a path for fleeing in emergencies.
When the two bandit groups found their gates blocked, they escaped via these paths.
After escaping, the chiefs’ first thought was to find their backers, but Mr. Feng found them first.
Mr. Feng was Master Peng’s glove man, dealing with bandits. He knew their habits and thoughts well. With his glib tongue, he united the two groups from different factions.
“You two, Captain Zhao, Master Peng, and Master Zhu have all been caught by Jin Feng. From his stance, Jinchuan will have no place for us in future. We must go elsewhere to make a living. On new territory, local snakes will oppose us. Only by sticking together can we survive.”
Mr. Feng feared a fight and quickly mediated. “From now on, we are family and will conquer together. No infighting, or others will laugh.”
“For Mr. Feng’s sake, I will let it go this time!”
Master Lu of Shuangtuo Peak wiped his mouth and asked, “Mr. Feng, I heard the girls of Xihe Bay are all beautiful and fresh. Is it true?”
He was originally Master Peng’s man, long familiar with Mr. Feng, so he spoke casually.
“Yes, I have seen them. The textile factory workers are all fair and tender, with fragrance on their bodies, far better than the girls in the county brothels!”
Mr. Feng said. “Most importantly, Xihe Bay has many female slaves Jin Feng bought from Guangyuan. Not only fresh, but skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Many trained in brothels, best at serving men.”
Master Lu’s eyes lit up at once.
Among Jinchuan bandits, Shuangtuo Peak had the most captive women.
This Master Lu once boasted outside that he changed women every night and had slept with more girls than the emperor.
Hearing Mr. Feng, Master Lu wished to go to Xihe Bay now and abduct all the textile workers.
But Master Xu of Hutou Mountain still worried.
“Mr. Feng, Jin Feng is cunning and ruthless. I heard one of his men fought over a woman with a young master from the capital in a Guangyuan brothel. The young master’s guard injured him. Next day, Jin Feng gathered men, chased the young master on horseback for a day and night, exhausting over a dozen war horses, caught him, hung him at the Fengyue Workshop gate, skinned and抽筋ed him!”
Master Xu said. “For one subordinate he did this. If we attack Xihe Bay, it will be to the death!”
Guangyuan was not far from Jinchuan, with many merchants coming and going. What Jin Feng did in Guangyuan spread back.
But stories change in retelling.
Jin Feng’s conflict with Zhou Wenyuan became a more popular romantic tale among commoners.
“Old Xu, you know Jin Feng is ruthless. Even if we do not attack Xihe Bay, he will not spare us.”
Mr. Feng said. “We need money to feed brothers on new territory.
Jin Feng recently made a fortune selling soap. I heard his copper coins and silver ingots fill three big rooms, needing over a dozen accountants to count. If we take Xihe Bay, all that money is ours! With luck, we might get the soap formula, then we have a golden goose!”
Everyone has weaknesses. Master Lu loved women, Master Xu loved money.
Among Jinchuan bandits, Hutou Mountain collected the heaviest annual grain, with most starving commoners on their territory each year.
Though knowing Mr. Feng exaggerated, Master Xu was tempted.
He had heard of the soap and once thought of robbing Tieguan Mountain for the formula and workers, but defences were too tight, no chance.
Mr. Feng’s words hit his heart.
Gritting his teeth, he nodded. “Then listen to Mr. Feng. Attack Xihe Bay!”
“Since both chiefs agree, whatever past grudges, we are now one group. No one stabs in the back!”
A fierce light flashed in Mr. Feng’s eyes. “I say it upfront. If anyone backstabs, I, Feng Sheng, swear eternal enmity!”
Master Lu and Master Xu felt a chill.
Though each led hundreds of bandits, they genuinely feared Mr. Feng.
They had long seen his ruthlessness and methods!
Ordinary people escaping Jinchuan would flee far while Jin Feng was distracted by the three.
But Mr. Feng not only stayed but schemed to lure away Jin Feng and Xihe Bay’s main force, planning a burglary.
Such strategy and means far surpassed the two crude bandit chiefs.
“Mr. Feng knows my character. One word is a nail. I said attack Xihe Bay together, I, Old Lu, will never backstab!”
Master Lu patted his chest. “If I want Hutou Mountain, I will send Old Xu a challenge, no sneaky means!”
“A real man keeps his word!”
Master Xu also promised.
The temporary alliance formed. At Mr. Feng’s command, the valley bandits mobilised at once, marching in a mighty stream along mountain paths towards Xihe Bay.
