Chapter 133: Smash and Grab, The Pampered Guest of the Wang Family

The resistance of the small tribe was fierce.

Yang Xuan led his men charging into the fray, looping around before returning. With a face smeared in blood, he tracked down Hong Chun, who was overseeing the operation, and said in an exasperated tone, "Boss Hong, there are real martial arts experts in there!"

Hong Chun glanced at him. "Incompetent!"

From the very first time Yang Xuan had called him Boss Hong, the dynamics between the two sides had been continuously shifting. Hong Chun grew increasingly superior, while Yang Xuan became more and more subservient, much like the boss of a criminal gang and a minor henchman.

Without realizing it, Hong Chun had come to regard this Brother Du before him as one of his own crew.

Seizing the moment, Yang Xuan cursed, "Despicable lackey, I almost got slapped to death by him. Forget it, this world isn't something our thirty men can conquer. Boss Hong, please take this younger brother in. From now on, I will go through fire and water for you, brother, without the slightest hesitation."

Hong Chun narrowed his eyes, gazing at him with an inscrutable look.

Yang Xuan cupped his fists and lowered his head. "Greetings, Elder Brother!"

The Old Thief solemnly cupped his fists. "Greetings, Elder Brother!"

Wang Laoer kept his head down in silence, firmly remembering what the Old Thief had told him: If you are slow-witted, just keep your head down and play the honest fool.

The moment the Old Thief lowered his head, his eye sockets reddened, just like a bullied wanderer finally meeting a strong and reliable big brother.

Hong Chun slowly nodded. "From now on, we are brothers of the same household. Do your work well."

"Understood," Yang Xuan said with a beaming smile. "Please give your orders, Elder Brother."

Hong Chun glanced at him and said indifferently, "Watch how I slay the enemy!"

With that, Hong Chun charged in alone on horseback.

At this moment, the flames soared into the sky, casting his figure in a particularly carefree and dashing light.

Someone within the small tribe soared up into the air, shouting, "Dog thief!"

Someone from their side also leaped into the air, soaring across.

Seeing that long hair fluttering in the night sky, the horse bandits could not help cheering.

"Hong Chun?"

The enemy expert exclaimed in shock, "It turns out to be you—"

Hong Chun struck out with a single palm.

Thud!

The enemy expert tumbled downward toward Yang Xuan's direction.

"Hong Chun, you... you..."

The expert hit the ground, and just as he tried to crawl back up, a blade from behind severed his head from his body.

Yang Xuan lifted the severed head by its hair. "Elder Brother is mighty!"

The horse bandits shouted in unison, "Elder Brother is mighty!"

Amidst the cheers, Hong Chun landed on the ground, standing with an arrogant posture.

Yang Xuan gave the Old Thief a look. "Keep the brothers alert."

The Old Thief's eyes suddenly lit up. "My Lord, good loot!"

"What good loot?" Yang Xuan followed the direction of his hand and saw a woman screaming as she rushed out of a tent, only to be cut down by a blade a moment later.

Several horse bandits were bickering among themselves, shouting things about why she was killed and how fertile soil shouldn't be wasted on outsiders.

"That woman has quite a bit of charm; she's probably Huai'en's mistress. My Lord, wait here."

The Old Thief quietly slipped away.

At this moment, Yang Xuan's thirty riders were shouting and hollering all around, occasionally cutting down a person or two, making it look reasonably convincing.

Yang Xuan was preparing to slip away and was racking his brain for an excuse.

The Old Thief sneaked back, holding up a single finger.

"What is it?"

"Gold! A whole chest of it!"

Yang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Damn it!

The finances of Taiping were somewhat tight, to the point where everyone joked that their lord should sell his body to secure a mine.

A whole chest of gold—we've struck it rich!

Keeping his expression entirely neutral, Yang Xuan said, "Half of the brothers, follow me."

"Charge!"

Yang Xuan spurred his horse and galloped toward the tent the woman had emerged from.

Hong Chun, who was stationed overseeing the command, saw this scene and nodded slightly.

His trusted aide muttered in a low voice, "Elder Brother, we've discovered quite a bit of grain. An eighty-twenty split... they're just shouting and waving their swords around a bit, we're getting shortchanged!"

As for the fact that this small tribe had been discovered by Brother Du, Hong Chun and his trusted aide had conveniently swept it under the rug.

Hong Chun said indifferently, "Yet they are extremely respectful."

Wealth and silk move people's hearts, but Hong Chun still maintained a shred of pride and needed an excuse.

The trusted aide said, "You can know a man's face but not his heart! If they genuinely wish to pledge loyalty to us, I don't think there should be any talk of an eighty-twenty split; it should all belong to Elder Brother."

These words struck precisely at Hong Chun's desires. He glanced over just as Yang Xuan dismounted and led his men charging into the tent. Amidst the firelight, the shadow of him wielding a saber and hacking away could be seen projected onto the canvas.

"Ask him about it later."

Yang Xuan's men followed him in to slaughter, and a short while later, they emerged panting. The Old Thief, bringing up the rear, accidentally managed to set the tent on fire.

Amidst the raging flames, Yang Xuan was singed slightly by the fire, prompting him to kick the Old Thief before pulling him into a comforting embrace around the shoulders.

Hong Chun took all of this in and said indifferently, "This man has some ambition."

Upon hearing this, the trusted aide praised, "Elder Brother's eyes are like torches; this man indeed has ambition. If we take him in, he might stir up trouble down the line."

Hong Chun let out a cold snort. "Tell him later that he will take a share just like the rest of the brothers."

The trusted aide said worriedly, "I'm just afraid they'll turn hostile."

"Then we'll kill them!" Hong Chun gestured with his hand. Yang Xuan's group first pointed at themselves, and after seeing Hong Chun nod, they walked over with smiles on their faces.

Approaching him, Yang Xuan said, "Elder Brother, just give your orders."

This fellow is so proactive and enthusiastic; he's probably trying to win my favor so he can stir up trouble within the ranks of the horse bandits using his thirty-odd men.

Should I keep him?

"So much grain!" A horse bandit in the distance cheered.

Huai'en treated his mistress with utmost care and devotion; that grain was enough to sustain this small tribe for over a year.

With this grain, Hong Chun believed they could comfortably tide over this year.

Horse bandits, after all!

Living today with no guarantee of tomorrow!

It seemed this Brother Du warranted caution!

Hong Chun looked at Yang Xuan and said indifferently, "Since we are brothers of the same family, let's forget about the eighty-twenty split. Everything goes into a common pool, how about that?"

Yang Xuan forced a laugh. "Elder Brother, what does a common pool mean?"

The trusted aide beside Hong Chun sneered, "All this grain belongs to the public store, and everyone eats and uses the same amount every day. Of course, Elder Brother's share is different."

The Old Thief said with grief and indignation, "We were the ones who staked this place out!"

The trusted aide mocked, "Could thirty riders have broken this tribe on their own? My word is final. Agree to stay, or if you don't..." He glanced at the horse bandits who were gradually gathering around and smiled gently, "Either be wiped out, or... get lost!"

"Let's go!"

Yang Xuan mounted his horse. After wheeling his mount around, he didn't forget to look back and hurl a parting threat: "Mountains are high and rivers are long, we shall meet again in the martial world!"

"Hahahaha!"

A burst of laughter erupted among the horse bandits.

The trusted aide sneered, "Thirty-odd riders and they dare utter such words. If not for the concern of taking casualties among our brothers, none of you would have walked away today!"

Yang Xuan and his thirty riders looked fierce and bold as they rode away. If they had been surrounded and annihilated, the horse bandits would have had to pay a heavy price.

As Yang Xuan and his men receded into the distance, Hong Chun turned around, and his subordinates broke into cheers.

"Elder Brother! Elder Brother! Elder Brother!"

The trusted aide praised from the bottom of his heart, "By acquiring so much grain this time, we'll have a good life for both this year and the next."

"A good life indeed!" Hong Chun looked on with high ambition as his men hauled out the grain. "How many people were captured?"

The trusted aide replied, "Thirty-odd people."

Hong Chun said calmly, "The usual rules!"

The trusted aide nodded and shouted, "Kill all the captives, every last one of them."

The captives kneeling on the ground all began to wail and cry.

"Spare our lives!"

Hong Chun remained indifferent.

His father had been an official in Northern Liao, whose household was confiscated and family property seized due to corruption. His father had made him escape through a dog hole while enduring torture without ever revealing his son's whereabouts.

From that day on, revenge became the driving force of Hong Chun's existence.

Hong Chun could also be considered a cultivation genius. Relying on mediocre cultivation methods, he had reached his current level, and calling him an expert was no exaggeration.

However, he soon realized that going it alone made revenge impossible; he couldn't even get close to the dog emperor. Therefore, he gathered a band of horse bandits, relying on plunder to sustain them and sharpen their blades and spears.

His first attempt failed, and he was driven by the Northern Liao army like a stray dog. This taught him that sheer numbers were useless—no amount of men could compare to an elite force.

Thus, he streamlined his horse bandits down to three hundred riders, dominating the region for a time.

As Northern Liao continuously recovered, Hong Chun found the possibility of his revenge growing increasingly slim.

He felt somewhat lost, feeling like a lonely ghost. The only thing left that could prove his noble status was his long hair.

His days hadn't been easy lately. After Liang Chao in Chenzhou was wiped out, the Tang army in Xuanzhou was also eyeing them like a tiger eyeing its prey, showing intentions of marching out to wipe them out.

With this grain, he could simply find a place to hide out on the grasslands for half a year before emerging again, and naturally, things would blow over.

Those prisoners were being hacked to death, their miserable screams piercingly harsh.

"Hong Chun, you won't die a natural death!" One prisoner survived the first strike, lying on the ground and wailing miserably, "Khan Huai'en will slaughter every last one of you!"

Hmm?

Hong Chun frowned. "This place is close to the Great Tang border; this isn't the territory of the Jibo tribe."

The man panted, wearing a ferocious grin. "One of the women in our tribe is Huai'en's person, otherwise how do you think we got so much grain? You damn bastard... wait for your death, hahahaha... ugh!"

The man's eyes bulged, and he breathed his last.

Yet Hong Chun felt a chill run through his entire body. His gaze shifted. "Interrogate the rest."

Two surviving captives were subjected to a round of torture, but not a single useful scrap of information was beaten out of them.

However, one of them made a rather interesting remark.

"Even when Great Tang scouts came by, they didn't bother us."

This!

"Elder Brother, Great Tang scouts never hold back when plundering grassland tribes. Why wouldn't they eat such a fat sheep?"

The trusted aide trembled as he said, "Could it really be related to Huai'en?"

To the horse bandits, the Jibo tribe was a colossal monster that they could not possibly resist.

"Huai'en is rumored to be terrified of his wife. His mistress... No wonder those Tang army scouts ignored them; it wouldn't be worth falling out with the Jibo tribe over a small tribe."

The trusted aide suddenly slapped his forehead. "When did you people migrate here?"

The captive replied, "Just a few days ago."

Hong Chun's eyelids were twitching wildly.

"That Du Hui said he came from Chenzhou, and that he found out this small tribe had money while he was still in Chenzhou. Damn it! That swindler, Elder Brother!" The trusted aide stomped his foot and cursed, "We've been scammed!"

One captive, desperate to survive, blurted out, "I know where the money is! It's in that tent. Huai'en's mistress lived inside, and there was a chest that no one was ever allowed to touch."

The trusted aide followed the direction of his hand. "Isn't that the tent Du Hui went into earlier?"

The tent had already been reduced to ashes. Several horse bandits went over to rummage through the ruins and shouted, "There's a chest, only half of it is left."

"It's this chest!"

At this moment, the chest was completely empty.

Hong Chun recalled how Yang Xuan's men had been bustling and slashing inside that tent earlier. Thinking back on it now, those people must have been taking the gold and silver inside.

Gold and silver were small in volume and easy to carry. Huai'en's woman naturally wouldn't drag a massive pile of copper coins along when migrating; it would be far too conspicuous.

Yet now the woman was dead, the tribe had been wiped out, and any clansmen who managed to escape would undoubtedly carry the news straight to Huai'en's ears.

"Du Hui!"

Hong Chun's eyes were completely bloodshot.

"Leave some brothers behind to transport the grain! Everyone else, follow me in pursuit!"

...

"Run for your lives!"

Yang Xuan led his subordinates fleeing like a trail of smoke, heading straight south.

"Pillaging a place and then running away is such a thrill," the Green Light flashed excitedly.

The Old Thief stroked the gold ingot inside his bosom, while Wang Laoer pulled one out and even bit it to test it.

"Dirty!" The Old Thief slapped Wang Laoer's hand away.

They fled all the way until dawn, at which point the horse bandits finally caught sight of them.

"Pursue!"

The horse bandits were ecstatic.

However, a city suddenly appeared ahead of them. Ox-horn horns sounded from the city walls, the gates swung open, and a troop of cavalry surged out.

"Retreat!"

Gritting his teeth, Hong Chun led his men back, subsequently dispatching scouts to gather intelligence.

"Du Hui is the Magistrate of Zhangyu County."

"No wonder he smiled so happily upon seeing government troops. Send men to Zhangyu County and seize an opportunity to kill him!"

People who liked to put on airs also cared deeply about their pride; once they lost face, they tended to hold a grudge for almost a lifetime.

When Khan Huai'en of the Jibo tribe learned that his mistress had been wiped out by Hong Chun, he flew into a rage, immediately ordering an army to set out and encircle Hong Chun. Meanwhile, he himself had to figure out how to appease a wife even angrier than he was.

...

The Wang family's iron mine was located in a hilly region, with some areas even being surface-mined, which was extremely rare.

The manager of the mine was named Ding Cun. He looked much like a wealthy gentleman, a subtle, ambiguous smile resting upon his plump face.

After the two men introduced themselves, Ding Cun's smile grew even more ambiguous.

"To think it is Magistrate Yang standing in person."

Yang Xuan smiled. "You recognize me?"

Ding Cun cupped his fists. "Though we've never met, I've felt a spiritual connection with you for a long time!"

Spiritual connection?

Yang Xuan looked at those iron ore rocks, feeling as though he were gazing at rows of formidable Mo swords, numerous sabers, and countless long spears.

"Where are these ores transported to?"

"Chang'an." Ding Cun pointed toward the mine shafts. "The ore here is of good quality with few impurities, and the iron smelted from it is superior. The Chunyu clan is particularly fond of the output from this place."

"I'd like to buy some."

Ding Cun smiled. "Guests are rare in these desolate hills. Since Magistrate Yang has come, it's naturally not to see this old man, but for the ore. However, what does Magistrate Yang need iron ore for?"

He was an old fox, so Yang Xuan answered very frankly, "Taiping lacks weapons, and the prefecture has none. A living man cannot be suffocated by urine, can he? So, I've come to the Wang family to look for some."

Ding Cun was startled; he presumably hadn't expected it to be for this reason. "Magistrate Yang, this is..."

"Taiping sits right facing the Three Great Tribes, and as a result, it has been sacked multiple times. If we don't want to die, we must make every citizen a soldier." Yang Xuan stated the situation concisely and clearly.

"Is it truly that difficult?" Ding Cun sighed, wearing a sympathetic expression. "However, selling iron ore requires the consent of the main family."

Noticing Yang Xuan slightly narrowing his eyes with a trace of coldness, and recalling how the second young master of the family thought highly of this young magistrate, he hurriedly explained, "It's not that this old man is unwilling to accommodate you; this is the rule of the Wang family. Unless it's an absolute emergency, this old man wouldn't dare violate it."

"Right now is an absolute emergency!" Yang Xuan stopped being polite.

"What do you mean?" Ding Cun was able to manage such an important mine, meaning his status within the Wang family was not low, and he was privy to many internal matters. At this moment, his face chilled slightly, and the atmosphere instantly froze.

The Old Thief muttered in a low voice, "I'm afraid things are going to sour. Besides, gold is valuable, but Taiping is a bottomless pit. If we really forge weapons, the financial cost will be countless!"

Yang Xuan pulled out a thick envelope. "Send this by fast courier to the Wang family in Chang'an, with one condition: if the Wang family is satisfied, henceforth the iron ore for Taiping will be supplied at half price and delivered all the way."

"Half-price with shipping included!" Zhu雀 praised. "Little Xuanzi, you're too cunning."

Ding Cun took the envelope. "May I read it?"

"Feel free to read." Yang Xuan smiled.

As Ding Cun opened the envelope, he smiled and said, "Magistrate Yang probably doesn't know the preciousness of iron ore. What kind of thing could possibly be worth trading for ore? This old man is—"

The stack of letter paper was thick.

After reading the first page, Ding Cun raised his head in astonishment.

"Smelting techniques?"

Yang Xuan said, "The Wang family and the Chunyu clan have long since fallen out, yet you suffer from a lack of smelting techniques, forcing you to continuously sell ore to the Chunyu clan. Otherwise, once the Great Tang lacks ironware, the Wang family would become the target of public criticism. But what if the Wang family could smelt it themselves?"

Ding Cun's cheek twitched. "The Chunyu clan would go mad. But this... it's not like the Wang family hasn't tried smelting before; we've been trying all along—this old man even managed such operations in the past. It's just that the iron we smelted was inferior to the Chunyu clan's, which is why we remained at their mercy."

He turned to the second page.

A furnace was drawn very clearly upon it.

The third page and the dozen or so pages that followed were exploded-view diagrams, accompanied by detailed explanations of manufacturing methods and material ratios.

As someone who had spent half his life dealing with ironware, Ding Cun only needed to glance at it to spot several places that had previously baffled him, yet the diagrams provided extremely exquisite solutions.

He kept flipping forward.

It was entirely textual introductions.

After skimming through it roughly, he looked up and sighed, "The one thing this old man wants to tell the Chang'an Wang family right now..."

Everyone looked at him.

Ding Cun said with utmost solemnity, "Is to make Magistrate Yang a cherished son-in-law of the Wang family!"

*Jiao ke*: An honorable term for a son-in-law.