Chapter 376
Chapter 376
Snowridge City, a hundred *li* from White Night Commandery City.
The moment Shen Lang received word that Zhang Chong's army had entered White Night Commandery City, he breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Chong had finally entered the fray. Just as expected, the Su Clan, in their characteristic greed, had their eyes fixed only on Shen Lang's side, mesmerized by the immense amount of gold he possessed. How much gold had Shen Lang’s group plundered so far? Even Shen Lang couldn't say, but it was certainly an astronomical sum.
Most of the clandestine trade between the Western Regions and the State of Yue, and between the State of Chu and the State of Yue, took place in White Night Commandery. There were hundreds of merchants from the Western Regions in the commandery, but now they had all been plundered and killed, so no one truly knew how much money had been taken. What was certain, however, was that the two hundred men under Shen Lang’s direct command had not taken a single gold coin. Roughly twenty to thirty thousand men had gathered around Shen Lang, with the raiding parties changing with each new target. The honest ones had all taken their looted gold and fled to the countryside, preparing to live out their days in peace.
And at some point, the nature of those following Shen Lang had completely changed. They were no longer in the group for revenge or to overthrow the merchants of the Western Regions, but to strike it rich. With their pockets full of gold and jewels, they were like beasts that had tasted meat and could no longer be stopped. The only reason they still followed Shen Lang's orders was that one final target remained.
White Night Commandery City. The five cities they had previously plundered were small; White Night Commandery City was the main fortress, so it naturally held more wealth. They eagerly hoped Shen Lang would lead them to White Night Commandery City for a grand plunder. Moreover, numerous spies from the Su Clan had infiltrated the ranks of the plunderers. In other words, the raiding party following Shen Lang had been thoroughly corrupted, leaving only villains. The decent men had either left or turned wicked.
It would be forever impossible to gather people with the lure of plunder to achieve a great cause and build a strong army. Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong had both used that method, but they ultimately failed. Plunder was like a demon; once unleashed, it could never be contained.
* * *
A subordinate formally reported to Shen Lang.
“My lord, the Su Clan's thirteen-thousand-strong army is forming an encirclement and will soon make a move against us. Su Zhan's army is thirty *li* away, the warrior monks of the Great Tribulation Temple are thirty-five *li* away, and the Three-Eyed Demon’s bandits are thirty *li* away. They are surrounding us from the west, south, and north, leaving the east open. Furthermore, the atmosphere in the city is very strange. The able-bodied men are looking at us with hostility.”
Shen Lang sneered as he listened to the report.
“I didn't lead them to plunder White Night Commandery City, preventing them from getting their windfall. Of course they'd be displeased with me!”
Just then, Shen Thirteen announced.
“My lord, the leaders of the militia wish to see you.”
“Let them in!”
For the past ten days, Shen Lang had led a multitude of men on a plundering spree throughout White Night Commandery. The raiding party following him grew larger and its composition more complex. Several wanted master thieves and men of great martial skill had joined his ranks, leading to a constant influx of new people. They had chosen five leaders to represent the twenty thousand men, a process in which Shen Lang had not interfered at all.
Now, three of those five leaders had come to see him. Not all five came for fear that Shen Lang might capture them all in one fell swoop. The two who stayed behind were in charge of support from the outside.
The three militia leaders spoke.
“Greetings, Lord of the City.”
Shen Lang stepped forward with a friendly expression to greet them.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, my three generals?”
“Lord of the City, we have been stationed here in Snowridge City for several days. The brothers can no longer bear it; they are anxious to charge into White Night Commandery City and plunder it at once.”
“That's right. It's only because we've been holding them back. The more impatient brothers were about to demand the leadership to step down.”
“Lord of the City, you promised us that if we followed you, we would strike it rich. Are you going back on your word now? White Night Commandery City is right before our eyes, filled with mountains of gold and silver. To tell us not to go and take it is truly heartless!”
Wasn't this a clear attempt to pressure him into stepping down? Outside, thousands of able-bodied men stood in dense formation, clad in crude armor and holding various weapons. Each carried a heavy money pouch on his back, though no one knew how much it contained. They had all become rich. The thousands of men standing outside began to shout.
“Lord of the City, when are we going to plunder White Night Commandery City? You must give us a clear answer. If you refuse to speak, don't blame us for being rude.”
“Lord of the City, your refusal to go to White Night Commandery City—could it be that you have other intentions, that you're coveting the brothers' money? Your army may not have taken any money, but you never stopped us from plundering.”
Not only the three militia leaders, but thousands of greedy men were lined up, pressuring Shen Lang to concede. Someone within the ranks had been constantly spreading rumors that White Night Commandery City was where mountains of gold and silver lay. They incited the crowd, claiming that one haul from White Night Commandery City would be greater than all the plunder from the five smaller cities combined. If Shen Lang did not lead them to plunder White Night Commandery City tonight, these beasts blinded by greed would surely revolt. Moreover, the Su Clan's army was steadily tightening its encirclement, closing in on Shen Lang's group. They were, without a doubt, in an extremely precarious situation, and Shen Lang was sitting on a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
* * *
A rather shabby boat was moored at the docks of Raging Tide City.
*Rumble.*
Though it was already summer, thunder and lightning cracked across the sky, which was covered in dark clouds, threatening a downpour at any moment. Inside the boat sat a stunningly beautiful woman. She was Su An, the Crown Prince's mistress, and standing before her was a man. He was currently the most formidable figure in the Great Yue Dynasty.
He had recently accomplished several earth-shattering feats. He had kidnapped the families of the Blackwater Terrace, demanding a ransom of one hundred million gold coins. He had led a few dozen men to storm the Jin Clan's villa, burning it to the ground. He had also led several hundred men on a phantom-like escape from the capital of Yue. And just a few days ago, he had led a group of female warriors to slaughter their way through Zhenyuan City, leaving it empty. He was the legendary master thief, Gou Duhuan, a man of many guises who appeared everywhere. The Three-Eyed Demon had once been his equal in fame, but now, there was no mention of the Three-Eyed Demon's renown. Gou Duhuan was now the number one master thief in the State of Yue, a legend.
Su An said to him, “I need you to do something for me.”
Gou Duhuan said in a hoarse voice, “If it's like last time, asking me to kill an innocent woman, I can't do it.”
Su An said gently, “No. This time, I need you to kill a great figure, a powerful noble.”
“Who?”
“Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo.”
Gou Duhuan’s gaze sharpened.
“No. Count Xuanwu has done no evil.”
Su An's voice turned cold.
“Brother, don't forget. When our Zhuo Clan was annihilated, did Count Jin Zhuo help us in the slightest? When our father, mother, brothers, and sisters were all being slaughtered, did Count Jin Zhuo say a single word for us?”
Gou Duhuan’s eyes twitched in pain. Su An spoke to him gently.
“Brother, you became the Military Champion of the State of Yue at eighteen. At nineteen, you became the disciple of the Left Pavilion Master. You weren't Father's biological son, but you were the pride of our Zhuo Clan. Now that I seek revenge for our family, who else can I rely on but you?”
Gou Duhuan’s lips trembled as he asked, “Then… when will you leave the Crown Prince's side?”
Su An said sweetly, “Soon. Once I find the mastermind who plotted against our Zhuo Clan, I will leave him and go far away with you, brother.”
Then, Su An reached her arms around Gou Duhuan’s neck and removed his mask. Gou Duhuan’s face was horribly disfigured, completely twisted from being burned. Su An gently kissed him. With hazy eyes, Gou Duhuan embraced Su An tenderly, as if holding a goddess. This woman was not only his sworn sister but also the love of his life. He was a fool for martial arts, but he had loved his beautiful sworn sister since they were children.
“Brother, this is the last time. The King has issued a warrant for your arrest. After you kill Jin Zhuo, I will never ask you to do something you dislike again. You find a suitable island and go into seclusion, and after I investigate the mastermind who plotted against our Zhuo Clan, I will come find you immediately. After we avenge our family, we can live together, like celestial beings. Doesn't that sound wonderful?”
Gou Duhuan remained still. Su An pleaded with him.
“Brother, Jin Zhuo is not an innocent man. I was like a sister to Jin Mulan, so when our Zhuo Clan faced annihilation years ago, I went to the Jin Clan and begged them to protect me. But they cruelly refused. In the end, I fell into the hands of the Hidden Yuan Society and was defiled by those beasts.”
Su An's words were a lie. After the Zhuo Clan was destroyed, Su An left Master Zhong Chuke's side and had never pleaded with the Jin Clan in her life. But this fabricated story was the one thing that could inflict the most pain and agony upon Gou Duhuan’s heart. The woman he loved most had been defiled by other men.
Su An said in a furious voice, “Brother, if Jin Zhuo hadn't cruelly refused my plea for protection, how could I have been gang-raped by those beasts? At that time, I was in a state between life and death, with no one to help me. Where were you then, brother?”
Gou Duhuan said in a hoarse voice, “Say no more!”
He leaped from the boat to the dock and quickly disappeared into Raging Tide City. Then, under the cover of darkness, he easily grabbed hold of the city's main fortress tower and began to climb.
“If I kill Jin Zhuo, I can be with Su An! Su An, wait for me. In one hour, I will kill Jin Zhuo! I see him over there.”
* * *
Inside White Night Commandery City.
Xiao Wuchang, the Administrator of White Night Commandery, was facing his final choice. Before, he could afford to maintain an ambiguous stance, but not anymore. He had lived quite comfortably in recent years. The prefects sent by the King to White Night Commandery were all driven out before long, but he had held the position of Administrator for over a decade. With the recent dismissal of Prefect Chen Qinong for corruption, Xiao Wuchang, having been the Administrator for over ten years, was practically the local tyrant of White Night Commandery.
Although he couldn't wield the immense power Su Lin held over Zhenyuan City, he was capable of seizing real authority from every new prefect. Moreover, such actions were supported by the Su Clan. As a result, in recent years, Xiao Wuchang had respected Su Nan more than the King, considering himself an official of the Su faction.
But now, the Su Clan was showing signs of rebellion. In that case, whom should he follow? Should he join Su Nan in rebellion? Xiao Wuchang was a native of White Night Commandery, but he was a palace graduate of the State of Yue, and the glory of passing the highest imperial examination still felt as vivid as yesterday. But what would happen if he didn't join Su Nan's rebellion? He would probably be a dead man. The two thousand garrison troops in White Night Commandery had long been bribed by the Su Clan and were riddled with corruption. The three chiliarchs were like servants to the Su Clan, their bellies full with the clan's money.