Volume One – The Remote Chen Kingdom, The Rebellious Marquis on the Immortal Path Chapter 9: The Black Wind Finds a New Master

Inside Blackwind Pass, Jian Rende had long since lost his former composure. His face was clouded with gloom; he had never imagined he would be outmaneuvered by a mere youngster.

Though Jian Rende had always cowered within the confines of Blackwind Pass, he was well-informed about events beyond its walls. Since the battle at Flying Fortress, he had already discerned the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes. Yet he had not foreseen just how terrifying his adversary would prove to be—not even the combined might of Leng Qiandao and his two companions had been enough to withstand him.

Now, Jian Rende no longer dared to entertain any hope of victory.

“Master, they have arrived!” At that moment, the commander responsible for defending the gate came to report.

Jian Rende’s heart grew heavier. He could not help but sigh deeply. “Come, let us go out to meet this rebel marquis.”

...

Before the gates of Blackwind Pass, Chen Yu and his followers arranged themselves in an imposing formation, waiting in silence.

Soon, there came a hurried and weighty sound of footsteps—Jian Rende had appeared. Without wasting words, Chen Yu motioned for Xia You to show the severed heads of Leng Qiandao and his two companions.

Although Jian Rende had already received this news, seeing it with his own eyes still made his breathing ragged and his expression darken. Yet he clung to a sliver of hope, forcing a laugh. “What is the meaning of this, Marquis?”

“Master Jian, we are all men of intelligence. Surrender, and I will grant you an intact corpse.”

Jian Rende panted heavily, his cold gaze tinged with fear, yet he could not utter a word.

“Hear me, defenders of Blackwind Pass!” Xia You shouted toward the city, “Seize the traitor Jian Rende at once, open the gates, and welcome the marquis. You will not be held accountable for the past. Otherwise, you will all be deemed rebels—and there will be no mercy!”

Already trembling with fear, the garrison soldiers grew even more panicked at these words. They wavered, uncertain what to do.

“Hmph! What are you waiting for? You are soldiers of the Chen Kingdom, not lackeys of Jian Rende. Will you persist in your delusion?” Xia You pressed the psychological attack.

At these words, many of the soldiers began to waver.

Jian Rende realized things were going awry and shouted angrily, “Mere empty words! We all know the crimes we have committed. Even Leng Qiandao and his men perished at your hands—what chance do we have? Even in death, I will fight gloriously!”

“Surrender, and there may be a sliver of hope. Resist, and death awaits you all. You have half a cup of tea’s time to choose,” Xia You issued the final ultimatum.

...

Time ticked by, each moment like a knife slicing into the hearts of the defenders atop Blackwind Pass. At last, after much inner struggle, someone made a choice and ran toward the gates—intending to open them in surrender.

“Kill any who disobey!” Jian Rende, still fighting for control, gave the order at once.

The gate commander hesitated for only a moment before notching an arrow and shooting the would-be defector dead.

Scarlet blood sent the wavering soldiers into greater panic, their faces pale as they bowed their heads in terror.

Chen Yu and his men, witnessing Jian Rende’s ruthlessness, showed neither anger nor response. The allotted time passed in silence. Then Chen Yu raised his arm and called out, “Attack!”

“Kill!” Xia You and the others roared like lions, surging forward. Surprisingly, it was not Xia You’s black-armored soldiers at the forefront, but Li Ke and the men of Flying Fortress.

“Hold the city! Do not yield!” Jian Rende bellowed, still hoping to struggle on.

Yet, just as battle was about to erupt, some of the defenders within the city seized the moment—they flung open the gates.

“Traitors!” Jian Rende shouted in fury. He thought he had cowed them, but his hopes were dashed after all.

At this sight, a faint smile played upon Chen Yu’s lips. He spurred his horse and charged forward. “Let’s go!”

The outcome of the assault was never in doubt—Jian Rende’s forces suffered a crushing defeat.

By the battle’s end, seventy percent of the defenders had surrendered. Those who perished were mostly Jian Rende’s die-hard followers. Jian Rende himself fell to a single stroke from Li Ke amid the chaos.

Surveying the state of Blackwind Pass once more, Chen Yu could only sigh helplessly, his heart filled with pity. He ordered Xia You and the others to imprison the surrendered soldiers for the time being, to be interrogated and judged later. He also commanded Tian Ying to lead men to transport back the wealth and goods that Jian Rende and his Blackwind Eighteen Strongholds had plundered from the people.

Having dealt with these matters, Chen Yu turned to Li Ke and the others. “Brother Li, what are your plans now? Will you stay, or do you intend to leave?”

To his surprise, Li Ke did not hesitate but fell to his knees, pledging his allegiance to Chen Yu. Having witnessed Chen Yu’s capabilities firsthand, he was filled with admiration—and besides, serving a marquis was no less promising than a life of banditry.

Chen Yu replied with a gentle smile, “Brother Li, there’s no need to decide so quickly. As I said before, if you wish to leave, I will not stop you and will even provide you with travel expenses. But if you stay, you must follow my commands; you will not have the freedom you once enjoyed.”

“I understand, Marquis. I only hope you will accept my service,” Li Ke replied earnestly, still kneeling.

Chen Yu nodded, no longer refusing.

Most of the remaining men from Flying Fortress were uncertain what to do, but after Li Ke explained the situation, the majority chose to stay. The rest decided to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Whether they returned to banditry or tried to start anew was no longer Chen Yu’s concern—as long as they did not cross his path again.

Blackwind Pass was now in desperate need of rebuilding.

Over the following days, the atmosphere within Blackwind Pass was tense and uneasy. Thanks to Xia You and his men spreading the word, the common people soon heard of these dramatic events. Many cheered Jian Rende’s death and the destruction of the bandits, but at the same time, they worried whether this new marquis would prove to be another Jian Rende—or someone even more fearsome.

The civilians of Blackwind Pass had suffered oppression for so long that they were numb and spiritless, living like timid mice, knowing only how to cringe and survive. Chen Yu made no special effort to change this, for he understood that their pain would take time to heal—it could not be fixed overnight. All he could do was govern Blackwind Pass as best he could.

“How is it, Third Brother? Finding it difficult?” Xue Han asked with a smile.

“No matter how perilous the road ahead, we can only forge through the brambles and thorns,” Chen Yu replied with a laugh. “Give it a year. In that time, we can also gather as much information as possible about the Heavenly Severance Mountains.”

“Indeed! This is only our first step. Whether we succeed or not remains to be seen,” Jing Zhe added with a sigh.

The three of them could not help but look toward the direction of the Heavenly Severance Mountains, their eyes filled with longing.