Chapter 31 : Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Mountain-Shaking Tiger
Deep within the mountains, hidden away in near-total isolation, stood a great stronghold. It was built on the most treacherous part of the range, with cliffs as sheer as if they had been cut by a blade.
Only a single winding path led to the summit. It was the stronghold’s sole route in or out, easy to defend and hard to assault.
A swiftly moving figure darted through the dense forest without pause.
An hour later.
He stopped before a cliff face and called out in a ringing voice, “Li Yanzhao of the Li Clan, acting under clan orders, has come to pay a visit to the Chieftain of the Blackclad Stronghold!”
His sonorous voice echoed through the mountains, startling countless birds into flight.
After speaking, Li Yanzhao took out a calling card from his sleeve and flung it out with a violent snap. The card flew like a bolt of lightning and lodged itself straight into the smooth, precipitous cliff.
A figure hidden in the dark revealed himself, removed the card, and said, “Please wait a moment while I report this to the Chieftain.”
After a while...
A wooden cage slowly descended from the cliff.
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yanzhao strode into it.
Once he had steadied himself, the cage began to rise again, and his view gradually widened.
As he looked upon the perilous terrain, Li Yanzhao’s expression grew increasingly grave.
The dangerous terrain of the Blackclad Stronghold far exceeded his imagination.
If anyone truly thought the Li Clan could easily squeeze the Blackclad Stronghold into submission, they would likely suffer a terrible loss.
“Honored guest, now that you’ve come up, please cooperate with us and cover your eyes.”
The mountain bandit who spoke to him was unexpectedly respectful.
Li Yanzhao did not refuse. Since he had come to someone else’s territory, he naturally had to follow their rules.
He obediently covered his eyes and, under the guidance of that bandit, headed deeper into the Blackclad Stronghold.
The moment he entered the stronghold, he heard waves of drilling cries and battle shouts.
They continued onward...
The sky gradually darkened.
A short while later, the bandit leading the way removed the black cloth from Li Yanzhao’s eyes.
“Honored guest, we’ve arrived. Please rest here for a while. The Chieftain will arrive shortly.”
Li Yanzhao nodded.
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Not long after, two maidservants of fair appearance brought in tea and pastries.
Li Yanzhao quietly sipped his tea as he waited for Mountain-Shaking Tiger to arrive.
He did not have to wait long before a loud, hearty laugh rang out from the rear entrance. “Hahaha! I was wondering why magpies had been chattering today. So it turns out a distinguished guest has come to my door.”
A moment later, a tall, powerfully built man with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and a full beard strode out through the back door.
Sensing the fierce and overbearing aura radiating from the man, Li Yanzhao guessed that this must be the famed chief of the Blackclad Stronghold, Mountain-Shaking Tiger.
So he rose to his feet and said without servility or arrogance, “Li Yanzhao, Sixth Elder of the Qingfeng Li Clan, greets the Chieftain!”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger laughed heartily and said, “Elder Li is too courteous. I have long heard of the great name of the Qingfeng Li Clan.”
“Please, sit.”
The two men sat down.
“Elder Li is a rare guest indeed. I wonder, what instructions might Elder Li have for coming all the way to this poor and savage place of mine today?”
Thinking of the reason for his visit to the Blackclad Stronghold, Li Yanzhao’s spirits lifted, and he said with a smile, “Great Chieftain, you flatter me. I would not dare speak of giving instructions. I came here under orders from my clan because there is one matter I wish to ask about.”
Hearing this, Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s expression grew slightly solemn. “Please speak, Elder Li. I will tell you all I know.”
“Good.”
Li Yanzhao took a sip of tea to wet his throat before he slowly began, “Great Chieftain, earlier today, a shipment of important goods belonging to my Li Clan was seized while passing through your esteemed territory. One of our clan juniors was gravely wounded and now hovers between life and death. Shouldn’t the Chieftain give the Li Clan an explanation for this matter?”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s pupils contracted slightly, and shock flickered across his face, but it soon faded.
Still, the warmth in his attitude was gone. In a somewhat colder tone, he said, “So Elder Li has come to my door to demand an accounting?”
“I would not dare. Flying Dragon Gorge is the Chieftain’s territory. I merely wish for the Chieftain to give our Li Clan an explanation.”
Li Yanzhao’s tone remained calm.
Mountain-Shaking Tiger gave a cold snort, his gaze darkening, and said in an incomparably domineering voice, “The Li Clan certainly carries itself with mighty prestige. Something was lost on my land, and now you want me to answer for it? What do you take my Blackclad Stronghold for? A vassal of your Li Clan? If I say no, what can you do to me?”
“Then next time, it will be a Qi-Blood Realm cultivator of my Li Clan who comes to call.”
Faced with Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s overbearing words, Li Yanzhao’s expression did not change in the slightest, nor did he show the least fear as he answered.
The moment those words were spoken, Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s face became extremely ugly.
The Blackclad Stronghold possessed natural defenses, but such defenses could not stop a Qi-Blood Realm cultivator. That was precisely why, all these years, Mountain-Shaking Tiger had never provoked families with Qi-Blood Realm experts.
As the lord of a stronghold who commanded several thousand men, Mountain-Shaking Tiger was naturally not as simple-minded as he appeared on the surface.
A smile rose once more to his face, and he said with a laugh, “Elder Li, do not be angry. I was only making a small joke.”
“It would be better to make fewer such jokes. If the one who came today had been my Li Clan’s Family Head, I fear this joke would not have ended so easily.”
Li Yanzhao’s voice was quiet and faintly eerie.
Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s mouth twitched. Who in these lands did not know that the Li Clan’s young Family Head was infamous for nursing grudges and striking with ruthless cruelty?
At that thought, Mountain-Shaking Tiger forced a smile and said, “Yes, yes. Elder Li, please do not take offense. Rest here for a while. I will gather the brothers of the stronghold at once, investigate the matter, and give Elder Li an explanation.”
Li Yanzhao nodded in satisfaction. “Then I shall trouble the Chieftain. That shipment is of great importance to my Li Clan. If it cannot be recovered, my Li Clan will never let the matter rest.”
The threat in his words was laid bare without the slightest attempt at concealment.
“I understand.”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger smiled as he turned away, but the instant he turned, the smile vanished from his face.
Watching Mountain-Shaking Tiger stride away, Li Yanzhao lifted the teacup to his lips, and a trace of disdain appeared in his eyes.
He was nothing more than a bandit, yet he truly fancied himself some great figure.
...
Within the Blackclad Stronghold, the clear cry of a horn rang out, tearing through the stillness of the long night.
The various leaders and sub-leaders of the stronghold hurried toward the central stronghold from every direction.
After roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, dozens of leaders from the Blackclad Stronghold had gathered inside the central hall.
“Brother, it’s this late already. Why has the Great Chieftain summoned us?”
One of the headmen spoke in confusion.
“I’ve no idea either. I was just in bed enjoying myself with the little woman I’d snatched back. I was right at the damned critical moment, and that horn scared me so badly I shuddered all over. Damn it...”
His words drew loud laughter from the crowd.
“Enough fooling around. The Great Chieftain is coming.”
A sharp-eyed minor leader spoke in a low voice, and at once the great hall fell silent.
Sure enough, a few breaths later...
The Great Chieftain, dressed in coarse and rugged cloth, strode over expressionlessly and sat down upon the tiger-skin chair.
The crowd rose in perfect unison and cupped their fists in salute. “Greetings, Great Chieftain.”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger said nothing. He merely stared at the crowd coldly.
The gathered men were baffled, yet none of them dared act rashly, and so they could only stand there stiffly in place.
Just as the atmosphere grew unbearably oppressive, Mountain-Shaking Tiger finally spoke. “Do any of you still respect me as your Great Chieftain?”
The moment those words left his mouth, the crowd became even more confused.
One headman of relatively high status forced himself forward and said ingratiatingly, “Great Chieftain, what do you mean by that? We are all loyal to you with heart and soul!”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger let out a cold snort and shouted angrily, “Loyal to me with heart and soul? Fine words indeed. Then tell me—which one of you intercepted the Li Clan’s goods? Step forward now of your own accord.”
The gathered leaders looked at one another in silence.
At last, an ugly one-eyed man stepped forward and said, “Great Chieftain, a man should bear the consequences of his own actions. I was the one who took the goods!”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s vision darkened for a moment. He had not expected that it really had been one of his own men who had robbed the Li Clan’s shipment.
This was troublesome.
When he thought of how aggressively the Li Clan’s Sixth Elder had pressed him just now, costing him face, a nameless fury surged into his heart at once.
His mountain-like frame burst forward like thunder, and he drove a punch into the one-eyed man’s body. The terrifying force sent the latter flying backward, and only when he slammed heavily into the wall did he finally stop.
The one-eyed man struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and gave a bitter laugh. “Many thanks, Great Chieftain, for sparing my life.”
After venting his anger, the fire in Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s chest finally eased somewhat.
He demanded coldly, “Why did you rob the Li Clan’s goods?”
“We received word from an informant that it was a cartload of valuable medicinal herbs worth several thousand taels of gold. If we pulled off this job, the brothers in the stronghold would not have to worry about lacking medicine for Body Tempering anymore.”
The one-eyed man answered honestly.
“Medicinal herbs worth several thousand taels of gold?”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger licked his lips. Even he felt tempted by that.
But immediately afterward, he sensed that something was wrong.
“Where is that informant?”
“This subordinate does not know. He came masked, so I could not identify him. He only told us the route the goods would take and the strength of the escort.”
“And you still dared rob the shipment just like that? Don’t you know you were being used, damn it? The Li Clan has already brought trouble right to my door. Their man is sitting in the reception hall even now.”
The Great Chieftain roared, “Even if you meant to rob them, couldn’t you at least have cleaned things up properly? You even left survivors alive to run back and report it. Useless trash!”
“This subordinate was incompetent.”
The one-eyed man flushed red with shame.
“Where is that shipment now?”
“Hidden in a cave at the foot of the mountain.”
“Return it tomorrow.”
“What? Great Chieftain, that cargo cost us more than twenty brothers’ lives!”
The one-eyed man jerked his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“The current Li Clan is not one we can afford to provoke.”
Though he coveted that valuable shipment of medicinal herbs, reason ultimately triumphed over greed.
The Second Commander also spoke in confusion. “Great Chieftain, I do not understand. With your current strength, even if the Li Clan learns that we took their goods, what can they really do to us?”
The few highest-ranking commanders of the Blackclad Stronghold all knew their chieftain’s true strength.
Two years ago, he had already broken through the Qi-Blood barrier and advanced into the Qi-Blood Realm. He had merely kept it hidden.
In their view, since the Blackclad Stronghold also possessed a Qi-Blood Realm cultivator, there was no need to fear the Li Clan at all.
Mountain-Shaking Tiger shook his head.
Somewhat helplessly, he said, “What Old Fourth robbed this time was the Li Clan—a Li Clan with two Qi-Blood Realm cultivators in a single house. And that Li Clan’s Family Head is a famous young prodigy who can cross realms and kill stronger opponents. If I truly faced him, the one who would die would most likely be me. There is always a higher heaven, and always someone stronger.”
This was the thing Mountain-Shaking Tiger feared most about the Li Clan.
A young prodigy—his future was what made him truly terrifying, because no one could know just how far he might grow.
“And besides, this matter is likely more complicated than it appears. Old Fourth, I’m afraid you became a blade in someone else’s hand.”
Mountain-Shaking Tiger let out a sigh.
“Great Chieftain, I... I...”
The Fourth Commander’s face turned pale.
“You’re a grown man. Stop stammering like some old woman. If the sky falls, I’m still here to hold it up. But in the future, whatever you do, you must be more careful and cautious.”
Now that he had finally uncovered the whole story, Mountain-Shaking Tiger felt he could at last breathe easier. At least he now had something he could tell the Li Clan.
He dismissed the gathered leaders and returned to the reception hall.
There, Li Yanzhao had been resting with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps outside, he slowly opened them.
When he saw Li Yanzhao again, Mountain-Shaking Tiger knew that his own side was in the wrong, so he gave an awkward laugh and said, “Elder Li, the matter has been investigated. It was entirely a misunderstanding. One of my newly joined minor leaders robbed the wrong people. I will have men send that shipment back at once.”
Now that the medicinal herbs had been recovered, the stone hanging over Li Yanzhao’s heart finally dropped.
However...
“Great Chieftain, many men of my Li Clan died. Surely you do not mean to brush all that aside so lightly with a single sentence about robbing the wrong people?”
Li Yanzhao sneered.
Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s expression shifted slightly, but he still gave a faint smile. “Elder Li, do not be angry. The culprit has already been purged by my own hand. He was chopped to pieces and fed to the dogs.”
Li Yanzhao’s meaning had been clear—he wanted Mountain-Shaking Tiger to hand over the culprit.
But how could that be possible?
The one-eyed man was not only the Blackclad Stronghold’s Fourth Commander, but also one of the few high-level combatants in the stronghold, with Minor Accomplishment in the Physical Body Realm. He even carried some prestige within the stronghold.
If Mountain-Shaking Tiger handed him over to the Li Clan because of this matter, then what face would he still have left to command the Blackclad Stronghold in the future?
Hearing that, Li Yanzhao could not help but sneer again and again.
Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s words were riddled with holes.
Could a mere minor leader really mobilize that many Blackclad bandits?
Could a mere minor leader really grievously wound his Seventeenth Brother, a cultivator in the Physical Body Realm?
It was utterly laughable.
Judging by Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s attitude, he was clearly determined not to hand over the true culprit.
Since the medicinal herbs had already been recovered, Li Yanzhao did not continue pressing the matter. After all, this was the Blackclad bandits’ main stronghold. If he truly drove Mountain-Shaking Tiger into a corner and forced the beast to leap the wall, he might not leave the Blackclad Stronghold alive.
This debt could be settled another day.
“In that case, Li shall not trouble you any further. Many thanks, Great Chieftain. I will take my leave first.”
Li Yanzhao spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes. With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode away.
How could Mountain-Shaking Tiger fail to understand that Li Yanzhao was dissatisfied with the way the matter had been handled? But he had no choice.
In the end, he had still offended the Li Clan.
Watching Li Yanzhao’s departing figure, Mountain-Shaking Tiger’s face gradually darkened.