Chapter 7: Taking Refuge in the Mountain Stronghold
The two walked side by side, chatting and laughing warmly, their closeness unmistakable.
Yet, the moment they crossed the gate of the mountain stronghold, Li Gui suddenly sprang up, drawing his waist knife and sweeping it fiercely in a horizontal arc.
Prepared for this, Li Gui’s blade was charged with power; even the chief among them was caught off guard, along with several others surrounding him, all receiving a brutal, fatal slash to their abdomens.
Blood gushed like a waterfall, drenching Li Gui from head to toe, transforming him into a terrifying specter soaked in a fountain of crimson.
“Scoundrels! How dare you scheme against me! Die all of you!”
Li Gui roared, wielding his knives with both hands, indiscriminately slaughtering those nearby.
He targeted those wielding weapons first, dispatching each with just a few swift strikes before moving on to the next.
Li Gui’s sudden eruption caught everyone completely off guard.
At first, the bandits had no illusions about truly fooling Li Gui; their plan was to overwhelm and butcher him if he didn’t fall for their ruse.
But Li Gui played along perfectly, even handing over sacks filled with gold and silver, which immediately eased the bandits’ suspicions.
Yet the chief, seeing Li Gui armed and traveling alone, suspected he was no pushover. Deciding to drug and incapacitate him with medicinal wine, he invited Li Gui to drink.
His real worry was that if Li Gui saw through the drugged wine, how would he counter it?
When they first approached, the chief remained wary, guarding against any sudden attack from Li Gui. But Li Gui chatted and laughed casually as they walked side by side, completely disarming the chief’s vigilance.
Once inside the stronghold gates, which were promptly shut behind them, the chief felt this was his domain; no matter how skilled Li Gui was, he would be like meat on a chopping block.
So naturally, the moment they crossed the gate, the chief’s guard relaxed—and disaster struck.
The sudden upheaval left the surrounding bandits stunned, unable to react or resist as Li Gui swiftly slew their leaders.
Those who survived were worse off—collapsing to the ground, clutching their guts, wailing and writhing, turning the night-time stronghold into a ghostly scene.
Li Gui had expected the bandits to break and flee like gamblers he had encountered before. Instead, they threw down their weapons, knelt, and begged for mercy.
“Spare us, mighty hero!”
“We are willing to serve you as our lord; inside this stronghold, you may command whatever you wish!”
“Bah!” Li Gui spat contemptuously on the ground. “Who would care about this shabby den?”
“If not for your attempt to ambush me, I wouldn’t have bothered with you!”
“I have taught you your lesson. We admit our wrongdoing and humbly beg you to show mercy and spare our lives.”
These bandits were far less shameless than common street thugs; they kowtowed profusely, begging endlessly.
“You scoundrels! Killing you would only soil my blade!”
After a moment’s hesitation, Li Gui decided to press on through the night rather than risk staying here.
“Bring out someone familiar with the road to the prefectural city at once! Guide me there!”
The bandits exchanged uneasy glances. After a long pause, one brave soul spoke up:
“Mighty lord, we seldom leave these mountains. Apart from some shortcut dealings down the hill, none of us have ever traveled more than ten miles from here. There is no guide for your journey.”
“No guide?”
Li Gui suddenly remembered—most people in these times lived their whole lives confined to one place, rarely venturing far.
Only itinerant merchants had any experience traveling long distances.
These mountain bandits were at most local petty traders, never bold enough to roam openly.
This was a problem.
Without a guide, Li Gui dared not wander blindly through the forest. Getting lost or encountering a beast would be a death sentence.
But staying the night here was equally unwise; he could not trust these bandits.
After much thought, he sighed and declared:
“Very well, I will be frank. I am a fugitive murderer, hunted by the authorities. I intended to seek a new life in the prefectural city but lost my way here.”
“Since no guide exists in this stronghold, perhaps fate has willed me to settle here.”
“Hear me well: from this day forth, I am the chief of this mountain band. Any objections?”
“No objections! We welcome you wholeheartedly!” The bandits, grateful to be spared, beamed and crowded forward, ready to flatter Li Gui.
“The chief’s skill is truly formidable—one stroke and Zhao Blackhead is dead. A true hero of our age!”
“With the chief here, who among the surrounding strongholds dares look down on Yushan?”
“Zhao Blackhead was doomed by fate—he brought this upon himself!”
After some hearty praise, one cautious voice asked:
“Your name, chief, if I may ask?”
“A true man does not change his name or surname. I am the Heavenly Killing Star, Li Gui.”
“A mighty name!”
“Resounding!”
“A genuine hero!”
The crowd burst into applause, lavishing praise.
Li Gui waved them off irritably. “Enough nonsense. Quickly clear away these bodies and prepare hot water to wash off this blood. The stench is unbearable.”
Everyone hurriedly took up their tasks, efficiently cleaning the corpses and the ground.
The clever one approached again to show loyalty: “Chief, Zhao Blackhead had several trusted men inside the stronghold. They must be dealt with swiftly.”
Li Gui’s brow furrowed. “Still survivors? We cannot leave any alive. Take some men and bring them all here.”
The man’s face tightened but, seeing Li Gui’s expression, dared not refuse. He called a group and headed toward the rear of the stronghold.
Li Gui sat at the gate, alert on all sides, listening and watching.
Until he received pledges of loyalty, he couldn’t trust these fair-weather friends. If they tricked him and led him into a trap inside, it would be a bitter injustice to die by a thousand blades.
Soon enough, a noisy crowd returned, pushing and shoving several bound men to the gate.
“Chief, these are Zhao Blackhead’s men. They’ve been captured.”
The unfortunate captives fell to their knees, begging desperately: “Chief, spare us! We are not truly Zhao Blackhead’s men. We merely offended Liu Talkative, who took revenge by framing us!”
“Oh?” Li Gui glanced coldly at the clever one, causing Liu Talkative to scramble to his knees.
“It’s a lie, chief! How dare I deceive you? They truly are Zhao Blackhead’s men!”
Li Gui glanced back and forth, uninterested in sorting the truth. He pointed at the captives.
“You claim you are not Zhao Blackhead’s men. Then tell me, who among you is truly his man?”
“Liu Talkative!”
“Nonsense! You’re just biting to save your own skin!” Liu Talkative blushed with anger, pointing and cursing at the other.
The two erupted into quarrels, accusing each other, dredging up old grievances, and hurling insults without end.