Chapter 96

“We can’t win!”

“Take the Third Leader’s body!”

“Bring our brothers’ corpses—we’re retreating!”

The bandits of Blackwind Stronghold grew increasingly terrified as the battle dragged on. At last, several minor leaders shouted for a withdrawal.

But at a moment like this, who dared carry bodies?

Everyone wished they had two extra legs to run faster. No one wanted to be burdened and left behind.

No one moved to retrieve the corpses.

Aside from a few men who briefly lifted the Third Leader’s body, the rest fled for their lives, scattering in total disorder.

Su Wangchuan grabbed two quivers of arrows from Blackstone Village and chased them out of the village, clinging tightly to the rear of their retreating formation. He drew and fired. Drew and fired again.

One arrow after another.

The experience for [Archery] and [Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar] ticked upward point by point.

Such a perfect opportunity to gain experience could not be wasted.

The bandits cried out in misery.

Where had this god of slaughter come from?

They could not hit him.

They could not outrun him.

By the time his arrows were finally exhausted, the bandits had been reduced to barely thirty survivors. They cast aside helmets and armor to lighten their load as they fled.

Even the Third Leader’s corpse, which had initially been carried, was abandoned by the roadside.

No one wanted to die.

Only after emptying two quivers did Su Wangchuan stop.

He flexed his arm. It was slightly sore.

Then he turned back to collect the fallen.

Experience was his first goal, but the spoils of war could not be neglected.

In the snow, whenever he encountered a bandit still clinging to life, he drew his hundredfold steel spear and thrust it clean through.

The bandits of Blackwind Stronghold were steeped in evil. If they lived, more innocents would suffer.

He showed no mercy.

When he found the Third Leader’s body, he searched it and discovered a gold ingot weighing three taels—worth fifteen taels of silver.

There was also a white birch bow.

And a hundredfold steel saber.

“As expected of a Third Leader. Quite wealthy.”

Sold off, the total value of these items would reach roughly 340 taels of silver.

“Right.”

“And there’s also this head.”

“Even an ordinary Blackwind Stronghold sub-leader starts at a fifty-tael bounty. The Third Leader was a Ranked Martial Artist. Surely he’s worth one or two hundred taels at least.”

A thrill of sudden wealth surged through him.

Without hesitation, he severed the Third Leader’s head and carried it back to Blackstone Village.

Zhao Heiniu led dozens of villagers out to meet him.

“Wangchuan!”

“Captain Zhao!”

They embraced in the snow.

Zhao Heiniu slapped his back heartily and laughed.

“I knew it! You have talent! You’ve truly mastered [Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar]! If you hadn’t rushed back in time today, the village would have suffered catastrophe!”

“Ding!”

A system notification suddenly sounded:

“You have helped Blackstone Village repel the large-scale invasion of Blackwind Stronghold. Your Reputation in Blackstone Village has risen from ‘Household Name’ to ‘Revered.’ Your status now rivals that of the Village Chief, Captain Zhao Heiniu, and Blacksmith Sun.”

Su Wangchuan was briefly startled.

He did not dwell on it.

Smiling, he said, “Master has treated me with immense kindness, and Captain Zhao once recognized my talent. Blackstone Village is like my home. If the village is in danger, I will return at once. I did not expect the bandits to be so brazen. Constable Yu had barely boarded his ship when they descended upon the village. Fortunately, I arrived in time.”

“Well done!”

Zhao Heiniu’s joy was evident. Then his gaze fell upon the head Su Wangchuan carried. His expression changed abruptly.

“That is…?”

“They called him the Third Leader. I assumed he would fetch a good reward, so I brought his head to claim the bounty.”

“Quick—back to the village. We’ll talk inside.”

Zhao Heiniu’s face grew grim.

The villagers hastily cleared the battlefield, dragging the bandits’ bodies back into the village.

Su Wangchuan reunited briefly with Blacksmith Sun at the village entrance before Zhao Heiniu interrupted.

“This attack was led personally by the Third Leader of Blackwind Stronghold. Now his head lies in our hands…”

“What?” Blacksmith Sun’s eyes widened. He stared at the severed head with wariness.

The Village Chief sighed.

“Blackwind Stronghold has three Ranked Martial Artists. Now that the Third Leader is dead, our feud with them has deepened. We will become a thorn in their flesh. There may be no peace for us henceforth.”

“If my disciple had not returned today, the village would already have been slaughtered. What talk is there of feuds?” Blacksmith Sun snorted in dissatisfaction.

The Village Chief hurried to clarify.

“That is not what I mean. Wangchuan is a Helm Leader of the Yulong Gang. He cannot remain here forever. If he leaves and Blackwind Stronghold returns for revenge, our village may still face destruction.”

At those words, gloom spread among the villagers.

The four inner disciples of the Yulong Gang remained silent.

They understood Blackwind Stronghold’s temperament—vengeful and unforgiving. The First and Second Leaders would surely seek revenge for the Third.

Zhao Heiniu sighed.

“At present, we must immediately report to the authorities and see how the County Magistrate responds. At the start of winter, Tianshui Village was wiped out. He cannot allow Blackstone Village to follow the same fate and stain his record.”

Su Wangchuan’s eyes lit up.

Truly, experience counted.

“Good!”

He summoned the four inner disciples and instructed them to sever several bandits’ heads and deliver them to the county office to report the matter formally and request official intervention.

They readily accepted, each hanging four heads from his waist before departing.

Meanwhile, under the Village Chief’s direction, the villagers continued clearing the corpses and gathering usable equipment.

Leather armor, weapons, and silver quickly formed several piles.

Su Wangchuan estimated the spoils.

More than three hundred taels in silver.

Some weapons and armor would remain in the village for the militia; the rest could be sold in Huishui County.

The Yulong Gang disciples moved swiftly. Upon hearing that over a hundred bandits had attacked Blackstone Village, the authorities dispatched four constables on horseback, followed by more than a dozen yamen runners.

Su Wangchuan understood their urgency.

On one hand, Constable Yu had just departed. The County Magistrate did not wish to appear weak before the people and had to respond forcefully.

On the other hand, the Third Leader of Blackwind Stronghold was dead. Reports suggested over a hundred bandits had fallen.

This was no trivial matter.

Instructor Yu arrived with the group.

When he saw the neatly arranged rows of bandit corpses outside the village, his scalp tingled. Shock filled his eyes. He could scarcely believe that Su Wangchuan had created such a scene merely by returning home.

“Verify the identities!”

“See how many are on the wanted list!”

With the officials present, the oppressive gloom over Blackstone Village lifted considerably.

Not long after, another group arrived at full gallop from Huishui County.

Hall Master Song of the Yulong Gang, along with Elder Lin Xun, led more than twenty inner disciples into Blackstone Village.

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