A Different World - Chapter 5: Mount Qiong

The night was cold and heavy with dew, and a light rain had fallen. Rainwater trickled into the hoofprints left in the mud or splashed into puddles, creating ripples. Suddenly, someone passed by, pausing briefly beside the prints before hurrying forward to investigate the path ahead.

 

The hoofprints extended out of the city to Mount Qiong, which overlooked Jianzhou. With its advantageous vantage point and steep cliffs at the rear, the terrain was a natural fortress, easy to defend but hard to attack.

 

Ye Yin hid in the low bushes and observed as bandits outside the mountain stronghold changed shifts on their patrol. He glanced up at the sky—it was the third watch of the night.

 

The bandits yawned lazily, chatting with their comrades to stay awake, occasionally bursting into laughter. Holding his breath, Ye Yin listened closely. They seemed to be discussing the spoils of their raid earlier that day.

 

Ye Yin’s expression darkened as he looked up at the large plaque hanging above the gate. In a low, cold voice, he muttered, “Red Moon Sect? Criminals who loot, burn, and kill dare to call themselves a sect.”

 

Taking advantage of the gap between shifts, Ye Yin deftly climbed the wooden stake wall and slipped into the stronghold before the patrolling bandits returned. He shivered from the cold, pulling his collar tighter as he hid in the shadows, silently observing.

 

Ye Yin had come alone tonight not to fight but to gather intelligence. If he could locate the Miracle Doctor Zuo directly, so much the better—it would save him a great deal of trouble.

 

However, after circling the base of the walls and searching throughout the Red Moon Sect, he found no one who matched the description of the “miracle doctor.” Crouching in the shadows, he murmured to himself, “Could it be that the Miracle Doctor Zuo isn’t here?”

 

Perhaps the townsfolk had been mistaken, confusing someone else for the doctor, or perhaps the doctor had managed to escape. Either way, this was not a place to linger. Ye Yin sighed regretfully and prepared to leave.

 

Just as he leaped onto the wooden stakes, he faintly heard a woman’s cries for help, carried on the cold wind. Looking down toward the base of the mountain, he hesitated before turning back toward the sound.

 

Near the stables was an open area with a square cage. When Ye Yin passed by earlier, the cage had been covered with straw mats, concealing its contents.

 

Now, as he returned, he saw a bandit pulling the straw mats aside and opening the cage to drag a young woman out, attempting to take her into the shadows.

 

The bandit grinned lecherously, his laughter vile. Pulling the woman close, he sneered, “You’re going to serve us sooner or later—might as well let me enjoy you first!”

 

The woman struggled desperately, using all her strength to push the bandit away. No matter how she pleaded, the bandit showed no signs of relenting. Just as she was about to despair, through her tear-blurred vision, she vaguely saw someone approaching slowly from the shadows.

 

“Help me…”

 

“Who are you talking to?” The bandit paused and suspiciously followed her gaze.

 

Ye Yin moved swiftly. Before the bandit could call out, he struck the back of his neck with a wooden stick. Confirming that the bandit had passed out, Ye Yin quickly turned his back and asked softly, “Are you alright?”

 

The woman huddled in a corner, trembling in fear. “Y-yes…”

 

“There’s movement! Who’s over there?”

 

“I saw Xiao Liuzi heading this way earlier. That rascal is always up to no good.”

 

“He dares lay a hand on the chief’s captives? Let’s go check it out!”

 

Hearing this, Ye Yin cursed inwardly, Trouble.

 

The still-frightened woman grabbed her unexpected savior and pleaded, “Please! Save us!”

 

“I…” Ye Yin turned his head slightly, his face conflicted. It seemed there were others still in the cage. In the past, mere bandits would have posed no threat to him. But now, weakened as he was, how could he protect them?

 

A torrent of thoughts raced through Ye Yin’s mind. If he failed to handle the bandits today and got caught here, what would happen to Chang’an back in the city? But if he just walked away, what would become of these captives?

 

Before Ye Yin could decide, the bandits had already arrived at the cage.

 

“Where are they?” The bandits looked around but saw no one nearby, though they had clearly heard something earlier.

 

One bandit circled the cage and spotted someone lying behind a haystack not far away. Pointing, he shouted, “Xiao Liuzi is over there!”

 

They rushed over, ready to chide him for his antics. But when they rounded the haystack, they found Xiao Liuzi unconscious on the ground.

 

“Something’s wrong!” One bandit grew wary and turned to alert the others. Before he could take two steps, someone burst out from the shadows and tripped him. The figure moved quickly, striking him with the stick until he too lost consciousness.

 

The remaining bandit shouted in alarm, “Someone’s here! Intruder!”

 

His cry roused the slumbering bandits, who grabbed their weapons and rushed out. They turned to the shouting bandit for details, only to find him stammering incoherently.

 

“I… I don’t know. He… suddenly jumped up, and then… he disappeared…” The bandit gestured upward and toward a nearby rooftop, his own explanation sounding absurd even to him.

 

He was just a farmer before; how could he have encountered someone capable of such feats? Could it be… a ghost?

 

“Disappeared where?”

 

Hearing a loud, commanding voice, the bandits instinctively stepped aside, bowing slightly in respect.

 

The newcomer had a booming voice and stood eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and powerful arms. A scar running from his left shoulder to his right hip gave him an imposing air.

 

“L-Laoda…” The bandit stammered in fear, taking a moment to compose himself. “We… we heard a noise here and came to check. We found Xiao Liuzi unconscious, and then Gou Sheng was knocked out too. The person who did it…”

 

Unable to bear his colleague’s fumbling explanation, another bandit interjected, “Er Shu said the intruder knocked out Gou Sheng and then jumped onto the roof.”

 

“Onto the roof? Why aren’t you searching already?” Chen Laoda scowled and bellowed.

 

Someone capable of such feats—who could they be? Could it be…? Chen Laoda grew anxious and ordered a thorough search of the stronghold.

 

“Laoda, nothing on the east side!”

 

“Laoda, nothing on the north side either!”

 

“Laoda…”

 

Chen Laoda listened to the successive reports, but Ershu firmly insisted that he had not seen wrong. So, Chen turned his attention to the woman beside the cage. Striding forward, he grabbed the woman on the ground and demanded, “Where is the person?”

 

The girl was so frightened she couldn’t speak. She kept shaking her head, indicating she didn’t know either.

 

“If you don’t talk, I’ll kill you!” As soon as Chen Laoda finished speaking, he drew his blade and was about to strike the woman.

 

“Fire!” someone suddenly shouted. Everyone turned to see thick smoke rising from the other side of the mountain stronghold. They had no time to catch the intruder and hurried to fetch water to extinguish the flames.

 

Chen Laoda’s attention was also drawn away. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a flash of a blade and quickly retreated. A figure appeared, leaping to where he had just been. Had he been a step slower, he would likely already be dead.

 

Ye Yin gripped the knife he had snatched from one of the bandits tightly. He felt a twinge of regret at not injuring Chen Laoda.

 

Chen Laoda retreated behind his men and saw clearly that the attacker was just a boy. The boy’s face was extraordinarily handsome, and Chen gave a playful smile. “Whose young master is this, looking so refined? Did you lose your way? How about staying here so I can take good care of you?”

 

With that, he ordered his men, “Brothers, capture him for me, but don’t harm that pretty face!”

 

“Yes!” The bandits brandished their weapons and charged. It wasn’t entirely Chen Laoda’s fault for being distracted by lust. The boy who had suddenly appeared was breathtaking. The courtesans at the Tianxiang Pavilion paled in comparison to his beauty. Not only was he good-looking, but his spirited demeanor surpassed anyone they had ever seen.

 

Ye Yin frowned deeply. Using a nearby wooden bucket as a step, he vaulted onto the roof to evade the bandits. Then, pinpointing Chen Laoda’s position, he leaped with the knife aimed at Chen Laoda, intending to capture the king first.

 

Chen Laoda raised his sword horizontally to block the strike. Planting his back foot firmly, he lowered his center of gravity and countered with swift slashes.

 

Ye Yin noticed his opponent’s skilled defense and disciplined movements. From his earlier tests, he had gleaned enough information. He stopped holding back. With a flick of his wrist, he knocked Chen Laoda’s sword aside and slashed toward his vital points.

 

Chen Laoda couldn’t believe what was happening. Realizing he had underestimated his opponent, he shouted for reinforcements: “What are you all standing there for? Capture him!”

 

This person wasn’t some pampered young master. His sudden appearance at this place and time—what was his true purpose?

 

The girl, who had been thrown to the ground, clutched her throat and trembled for a long time before picking up a stick to help. Suddenly, she heard noises coming from the cage behind her.

 

“The bandit earlier used a key to unlock the door. Go find it and set us free!” The women trapped in the cage urged her anxiously.

 

The girl shook her head in fear. But when she saw that all the bandits had rushed toward her savior, she couldn’t hesitate any longer. Her legs wobbled, nearly giving out beneath her. Biting her lip to suppress a scream, she crept toward a pile of straw and searched the unconscious bandit’s waist for the key. Once she had it, she ran to the cage door while no one was watching. Her hands trembled as she tried multiple times to fit the key into the lock.

 

“What are you doing?!” A bandit noticed something unusual at the cage and approached with his knife drawn.

 

As the bandit drew closer, one of the women inside the cage reached through the bars, gripping the girl’s hands tightly to help her insert the key into the lock.

 

The girl hurriedly removed the chain from the cage door, freeing all the captives.

 

The women, who had been imprisoned on the mountain, exposed to the elements and suffering unspeakable abuse, had long since lost hope of salvation. Now, this was their last chance to escape the bandits’ lair.

 

“Catch them!” The bandits saw the women escaping and rushed to recapture them.

 

Ye Yin noticed the reduced pressure around him. He kicked away a bandit attacking him and hurled his knife at Chen Laoda, who was attempting to flee.

 

The blade sliced across Chen Laoda’s back, forcing him to his knees in pain. As he struggled to stand, he found a knife already pressed against his throat.

 

Sweating profusely from the pain, Chen Laoda begged for his life, “Spare me, hero! We’re just ordinary folk from the surrounding area. Driven to desperation, we gathered here only to find something to eat!”

 

Ye Yin scoffed coldly, glancing around at the wary bandits who didn’t dare approach. He exposed Chen Laoda’s lie: “When we fought earlier, you used military techniques. Your Red Moon Sect’s formations and shifts are also learned from the army, aren’t they?”

 

At the age of three, Ye Yin had been sent by his father to Kongshan Temple to train in martial arts. By eleven, he wielded a sword on the battlefield, growing up amidst blood and war. He would never mistake such skills.

 

Chen Laoda froze, knowing he couldn’t hide the truth. He admitted, “My brothers and I lost our ship to enemy fire. We swam ashore after two days and nights. Please spare us, hero. The Red Moon Sect will serve you faithfully from now on!”

 

Ye Yin’s expression turned even colder, devoid of emotion. “As soldiers, we either fight or die. Desertion is never an option. Not only did you flee, but you also occupied Qiong Mountain and preyed on innocent villagers. People like you? I wouldn’t dare take you in.”

 

“Hero, whatever you want, I can give it to you. Just spare my life!” As Chen Laoda spoke, he signaled to his men.

 

One of them began to sneak up behind Ye Yin, intending to attack him unawares.

 

“Ye Yin, watch out!”

 

An arrow whizzed through the air, tearing through the wind with a sharp “whoosh.” It grazed past everyone’s ears and struck the ambusher in the right shoulder.

 

Ye Chang’an’s hands trembled as he gripped his bow. The effort left him crouching in pain as fragmented memories flashed through his mind. But seeing Ye Yin surrounded by enemies, he gritted his teeth and grabbed the sword lying on the ground.

 

Author’s Note:

 

Thank you for reading!

 

“Chen Laoda” (陳老大) is not a personal name but rather a title or nickname. It translates to “Chen the Boss” or “Boss Chen.” “Laoda” (老大) is a term often used to address the leader of a group, especially in gangs or informal organizations.