Volume One: The Wild Boy Chapter Sixty-One: A Small Figure

Night had fallen deep.

In a haze, Yang Feng found himself dragged to the bonfire, seated alongside the generals of Mount Si. Qi Yong handed him a piece of food, smiling as he said, “Are you moved?”

“I dare not move, I dare not move, I’m very honest,” Yang Feng stared hungrily at the food, not waiting for it to fully settle in his hand before snatching it and devouring it greedily.

Watching Yang Feng eat with such urgency, Qi Yong couldn’t help but chuckle, teasing, “What’s this? They don’t even feed you enough on Mount Yi? You’d be better off following me.”

“Follow you? Brother, I don’t even know which mountain you belong to,” Yang Feng mumbled around his mouthful, words and food mixing together, a cumbersome sight.

“Me?” Qi Yong paused, amused, patting Yang Feng’s shoulder. “Suddenly a band of outlaws appeared and only raided Zhang Yi’s alliance territory—who else but Mount Si?”

Yang Feng’s mouth gaped wide, barely managing to close it again, mumbling, “To tell the truth, everyone on our mountain thought it was an enemy from the alliance stirring up trouble. No one ever suspected Mount Si.”

“Hm? Why is that? Does Zhang Yi really believe that one battle could cripple us?” The generals of Mount Si exchanged bewildered glances, each growing indignant.

“No, no, no,” Yang Feng quickly waved his hands, fearing their anger might turn on him. “The reason for stopping the assault on the mountain was Zhang Yi’s idea. He claimed the alliance was stretched too thin, so the attack was called off. Mainly, while you all were stirring things up, those on Mount Yi each had their own schemes, taking the opportunity to cause trouble. There’s even a bandit named Wu Lao’er who was caught doing something wicked. Because of all this, the alliance has been in turmoil lately, with every bandit chief clamoring to break up.”

Qi Yong glanced at Lü Liang in surprise. Lü Liang remained silent, shooting him a look before picking up Yang Feng’s words, “So Zhang Yi’s not managing things anymore? With his skills, would he let this situation develop?”

Yang Feng curled his lip and spat on the ground. “He’s nothing—always using people, playing games, bullying the weaker chiefs to assert his authority. Normally, everyone fears him, few dare oppose. But this time, only his territory escaped the outlaws—who could believe he had nothing to do with it? Before meeting you all, I thought Zhang Yi was using this chaos to reorganize the alliance, to sweep out those chiefs who wouldn’t submit.”

Qi Yong rubbed his hands, excitement flashing in his eyes. Sensing the opportunity, he turned to his men, “We’ll harass Mount Yi in three directions. I’ll command one route; General Kui Sheng will lead another, and Commander Lin will march with his troops. Send some men to brief them thoroughly—if possible, gather our three forces here to plot the grand plan!”

“Yang Feng!” After settling his orders, Qi Yong turned back, his gaze blazing, drawing his long blade in one hand and a purse in the other. “Since you worry about your future, how about I grant you a glorious one?”

Yang Feng dared not answer, putting down his food, stammering for a long while but unable to speak.

Lü Liang pretended to restrain Qi Yong’s blade, scolding, “What is this behavior? Even if you and Brother Yang Feng have struck up a friendship, you can’t lose your integrity for it! If I’m not mistaken, Brother Yang Feng surely intends to stand with the alliance, ready to die for righteousness as Mount Yi faces disaster. Truly admirable, though it’s a pity for your wife and children in the village.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yang Feng put his hands behind his back, crouching silently and picking up a stone, his eyes fierce—he hated nothing more than others bringing up his family.

Lü Liang feigned ignorance of Yang Feng’s gesture, spreading his hands and speaking calmly, “Brother Yang Feng, don’t be rash. Have you ever heard the name Yu Baili?”

The stone dropped from Yang Feng’s hand with a thud. What kind of figure was Yu Baili? Fierce as a vulture, he single-handedly crushed half the northern domain. Had he not vanished with Shen Yi’an long ago, not even ten Zhang Yis would dare dream of rebellion.

“That lord has returned? With his temper, if he knew Zhang Yi had rebelled, he’d have smashed Mount Yi to pieces—why only send soldiers to harass?” Yang Feng was no fool; after the initial shock, he quickly regained composure, watching Lü Liang warily for his answer.

Lü Liang scratched his head and laughed, “To be honest, it’s his personal disciple who’s returned, just back from the Central Plains—ferocious, learned all of Marshal Yu’s skills.”

“Oh,” Yang Feng’s eyes darted, feigning innocence. “So what do you want me to do?”

Lü Liang’s smile broadened. “Just go back to your camp and say you were robbed by white-clad outlaws. Wait five days, and when we launch our surprise attack on Mount Yi, simply open the gate. When it’s done, your family will be safe and sound.”

“Alright,” Yang Feng agreed at once, bowing, “Night’s already late—if I delay, someone in the alliance might suspect. I’ll take my leave.” Lü Liang nodded, personally bringing his mount and helping Yang Feng up, his face grave. “All depends on you, Brother Yang—be careful. This horse is swift, you’ll save some time on the road. The future is long—see you atop Mount Yi!” With that, he slapped the horse’s flank, and the steed vanished in a few heartbeats.

Qi Yong sheathed his blade, looking at Lü Liang in confusion. “Did you really believe his nonsense? Don’t tell me you’ve mistaken him for a good man after a chat.”

Lü Liang didn’t look at him, his smile broadening. “What threat does Mount Si have now to make an old rogue like him surrender so easily? Yang Feng didn’t even ask about rewards—clearly he’s planning to betray us as soon as he returns.”

“Then why give him your horse?”

“No need to worry—think about it. We’ve raided half the day and never touched Zhang Yi’s territory. Mount Yi’s terrain is complex; we need a ‘guide,’ don’t we? Leave a few to guard, the rest—lightly equipped, mount up, follow the tracks, move quietly so as not to alarm him!”

...

“What? Are you sure those were Mount Si’s men?” Zhang Yi stared in astonishment at Yang Feng, who had knocked on his bedroom door in the dead of night, falling deep into thought.

Yang Feng sighed. If his wife and children weren’t on the mountain, he’d never be so loyal to Zhang Yi. “Commander, to be honest, it’s lucky those white-clad men didn’t pursue me by night, or I wouldn’t have made it back today.”

Zhang Yi squinted, his brows twitching, sizing Yang Feng up and down. With a cold snort, he sat back in his chair, questioning, “Yang Feng, I know what kind of person you are. Be honest—is it those thieves who sent you back as an inside man?”

Yang Feng cursed inwardly, his face plastered with flattery, giving Zhang Yi a thumbs-up. “Heh, you really are the southern king of the north—nothing gets past you. But please see this clearly: yes, they asked me to be a spy, but I never told them the truth. You know, my wife and two kids are still on the mountain!”

“Enough. Tomorrow you’ll need to steady the alliance’s morale. Do that well, and I’ll guarantee your wealth here! Also, a new batch of ‘shadow beasts’ just arrived in the village—some are quite fine. Why not pick one for yourself? Far better than your wife, eh?”

These ‘shadow beasts’ were innocent women, either sold or abducted, brought to Mount Si. Their humanity had been stripped away; their eyes long lost any spirit. Living seemed only to serve as playthings.

Not everyone shared Zhang Yi’s perverse appetite for these ‘shadow beasts.’ Yang Feng was baffled at the sudden mention, about to find an excuse to decline, when he saw Zhang Yi’s expression grow playful, drawling, “Yang Feng, I’ve given you my favorite toy—dare you refuse?”

“I accept, I accept. Commander, you’ve spoken so—how could I dare refuse?” Yang Feng wiped sweat from his face, hands behind his back clenched into fists, though his flattery never faltered.

“Since you’ve accepted, I’ve even given you my personal prize. Don’t you know how to repay me? Yesterday I saw a woman somewhere—looked like your wife. So let’s swap for a change—this batch of ‘shadow beasts’ is yours, don’t be ungrateful. Don’t let a woman ruin your brotherhood. Besides, you’ll get her back eventually—a new flavor for both. That’s the logic, right? Go back, take a day to think—don’t do anything foolish.” Zhang Yi pressed his left hand on his blade, no longer pretending to manage affairs, bandit ferocity showing as he stared at Yang Feng, the mountain lord’s tyranny chilling to the bone.

“Yes,” Yang Feng’s face was eerily calm, as if he truly agreed to the deal, but the nails embedded in his flesh carried boundless murderous intent.

He wiped the blood onto his inner garment unnoticed, smiling at Zhang Yi with clear meaning.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. Tell me—when did those Mount Si white-clad men agree to attack? Every detail—tell me!”

“They said five nights from now. Nothing more was mentioned.”

“Hmm?” Zhang Yi shot upright. “What did they promise you afterwards—no specifics?”

“Just some empty words, nothing sincere. But they likely know the alliance’s situation well.”

Zhang Yi’s disdain grew, further strengthening his resolve to play with Yang Feng’s wife. “So you went out and got yourself captured, spilling all our secrets? Hmph. If that’s so, you’d better thank your wife when you return.”

“But, Commander, one thing puzzles me—why did Mount Si insist I ride their horse back?”

Yang Feng feigned confusion, secretly glad he’d left himself an escape—pretending not to see through Lü Liang’s plan, he rode the horse straight home.

Zhang Yi cast Yang Feng a contemptuous glance, mocking, “Maybe they saw you limping and took pity—wait!” As he spoke, he suddenly cried out, ignoring his armor, grabbing his blade and dashing out.

At that very moment, the generals of Mount Si bared their fangs in silence.