Chapter 26: A Midnight Intrusion at Qixia Mountain

Under the shroud of night, Xu Feng arrived at the foot of Qixia Mountain.

This band of mountain bandits had entrenched themselves here for years, becoming a thorn in the side of both the imperial court and passing merchants. Qixia Mountain possessed treacherous terrain; surrounded by water on one side and steep cliffs on two others, only the front approach remained, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. This was precisely why the bandits had established their stronghold here.

As Xu Feng reached the base of the mountain, he saw Zuo Jincheng leading a group of people, evidently planning a night raid. Among them were the government soldiers Zuo had spoken of, as well as his so-called martial arts companions. All in all, the assembly was a chaotic, disorganized crowd.

After a brief glance, Xu Feng shook his head. Coming here had been the right decision; relying on Zuo Jincheng’s group to rescue anyone would have been a near-impossible task. They believed themselves to be stealthy, unaware that by appearing in such a grand, noisy fashion at the foot of Qixia Mountain, they had likely been discovered long ago.

"Truly, ignorance is bliss. Does Zuo Jincheng really think these bandits are fools?"

Most martial artists were straightforward by nature. Of course, there were also those who were cunning and treacherous; if his suspicions were correct, these bandits surely had other outposts at the base of the mountain acting as lookouts. Long before they had even approached, the mountaintop had already received word.

"Brothers, the reason we chose a night raid is to catch Qixia Mountain by surprise. The hardest part is this path up the mountain; once we reach their main camp, they will be nothing more than a ragtag bunch of cowards."

"Brother Zuo is right. We follow your lead; we are all at your command."

Before the assault, Zuo Jincheng even gave a pretentious speech. Xu Feng grew increasingly speechless; they truly had no fear of exposing their position.

As expected, in the next second, torches lit up the heights. A rain of arrows followed immediately. Their intentions were lofty, but the reality was brutal. While their individual strength might have surpassed that of the bandits, that only mattered if they could successfully close the distance. As the dense volley of arrows rained down upon them, few were able to escape unscathed.

Xu Feng pondered for a moment but did not turn away. It was not out of mercy, but because he needed someone to draw the bandit's fire; if Zuo Jincheng and the others were all wiped out, he would become the sole focus of the enemy's attention.

"Brothers, keep firing! Do not let a single one of these imperial dogs escape. Anyone who dares to trespass on Qixia Mountain shall be executed without mercy!" The bandit leader commanded his subordinates to launch a second wave of arrows.

Seizing this opening, Xu Feng drew his sword and charged out. The first wave of arrows had already taken out half the group; some had lost all organization and were fleeing in a panic, running aimlessly.

"Why are you running like headless chickens? Organize and break through from the same direction! If you don't want to die, charge toward the east!"

Zuo Jincheng ran the fastest, casting aside all regard for his image, wishing his parents had given him an extra pair of legs. Fortunately, thanks to Xu Feng’s reminder, a portion of the group managed to escape. Once he confirmed there were no survivors left on the field, Xu Feng followed in their wake. He intended to infiltrate Qixia Mountain via the waterway on the other side; the main path was clearly a dead end.

"Take stock and see how many of you remain."

"Who is in command? How could you be so reckless, so utterly devoid of sense?"

As the voice rang out, Xu Feng slowly emerged from the shadows. Seeing his signature mask, many present shuddered. Most were disciples of the Jianfeng Mountain Sect, and they indeed had a history with the "Ghost-Faced Man." The others remained calm, though they were surprised that the Ghost-Faced Man had not only appeared but had also helped them—he did not seem as evil as the rumors suggested.

"Senior, you are...?"

"I have a long-standing grudge against Qixia Mountain. I have come to take the life of their leader."

The group looked thoughtful upon hearing this; the reason was plausible enough. Led by a swordsman, the group bowed one after another to thank Xu Feng for his intervention. Reputation aside, Xu Feng had genuinely saved their lives just now; without him, not one of them would have escaped. Only Zuo Jincheng stood in place, his expression sour.

"There is no need for such formalities. Saving you was merely a matter of convenience. From here on, you will draw the bandits' attention from the front, and I will conduct a decapitation strike against their leader."

"You only need to provoke them from a distance; there is no need to get close."

With Xu Feng taking the lead, they were naturally unwilling to take any further risks. However, before leaving, someone couldn't help but offer a word of caution.

"Senior, please be careful. The leader of the Qixia Mountain bandits is a Martial Sect expert. Although he only recently broke through, you must still be wary."

Xu Feng had not hidden his strength, appearing only as a common martial artist, so such concerns were inevitable. Xu Feng did not answer, slipping away quietly on his own. As he had expected, there were very few people on the water route. Qixia Mountain seemed to have gambled that the imperial court would not attack via water, likely because the court lacked a navy.

After disposing of the two thugs guarding the wooden boats, Xu Feng successfully reached the summit. Their defense system remained quite complete, with patrolling bandits everywhere.

These men were far more professional than the ones Zuo Jincheng faced at the foot of the mountain. Xu Feng did not act rashly; he hid nearby to observe the patrol intervals before moving. Several bandits were absorbed into his Human Emperor Banner before they could even react, not a single sound escaping them.

After clearing the surrounding lookouts, Xu Feng began searching for Elder Feng. His primary goal was the rescue; he could not put the cart before the horse. There would be plenty of opportunities to improve his strength later.

"If you want to live, stay silent. Tell me, where is Elder Feng, whom you captured?"

He grabbed a bandit who appeared to be of higher status and successfully extracted the exact information from him.

"Who goes there? Who sent you here?"

Just as Xu Feng reached the location where Elder Feng was being held and intended to spirit him away, he was inadvertently discovered. This was no fault of his own—the man had simply happened to wake up for the night. It was just bad luck.

"Elder, do not panic. I am here to rescue you. I will get you out of here now."

"Very well, thank you, brave warrior."

Xu Feng did not intend to become embroiled in a prolonged fight. He sprinted away with the elder. Having grasped the terrain of Qixia Mountain before entering, he was able to navigate it with ease. Soon, he brought Elder Feng to a hidden path.

"Elder, go down the mountain from here and do not look back. Zuo Jincheng and the imperial party are at the foot of the mountain. As long as you reach them, you will be safe."

"So, you are a brilliant disciple of the Jianfeng Mountain Sect. I have no way to repay this debt of life."

It seemed Elder Feng had mistaken Xu Feng for one of Zuo Jincheng's men. With the pursuing troops closing in, there was no time to explain. Xu Feng pushed him away and then drew the pursuers toward the opposite direction. Elder Feng made his way down the mountain in terror, and sure enough, he saw Zuo Jincheng and the imperial group at the base.

"Elder, over here!"

Seeing Elder Feng, Zuo Jincheng was overjoyed and immediately prepared to leave with him. The mission to rescue the man was complete, and Xu Feng had no desire to interfere further in the aftermath.