My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

For a time, the small courtyard was packed with representatives from the Martial Preparation Hall, the Lu Family, the Qin Family, and the City Lord’s Mansion. The atmosphere was tense.

Liang Cheng scanned the crowd and declared unequivocally, "Everyone, the goods were hijacked in my jurisdiction, so the responsibility is mine. I hereby swear that I will recover the supplies and slay the masterminds!"

He walked to the map, his finger sweeping toward Old Crow Mountain. "The bandits are carrying heavy cargo; they can’t have gone far. Based on the Personal Guard’s account and the tracks our men found at the scene, the bandits must have fled northeast after sorting through the goods."

"Thirty li to the northeast, only the Dark River system of Old Crow Mountain is capable of hiding that much cargo and that many men. I will depart immediately and personally lead an elite force in pursuit. During this time, the mining area will be temporarily managed by Lin Chong. It will be under complete lockdown—no one in or out. I expect your cooperation."

Wu Zhenshan immediately voiced his support. "As it should be. Steward Zhou and I will hold down the fort here and secure the rear for Town Guardian Liang!"

Zhou Jin smiled and nodded. "I will await your good news here."

Liang Cheng wasted no more words. He turned to Zhao Yuan and Li Mu. "Take fifty of our best Personal Guards, fully equipped. We leave at once!"

At that moment, Lu Qingzhou and Qin Huaiyu both stepped forward. "We’ll go with you!"

Liang Cheng considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But on this mission, you follow my orders."

"Of course."

"HYAH!"

Liang Cheng took the lead, with Zhao Yuan and Li Mu leading fifty elite Personal Guards close behind. Lu Qingzhou, Qin Huaiyu, and their men spurred their horses to follow, charging through the thin morning mist as they headed straight for Old Crow Mountain.

...

「At the Guardian Station.」

Wu Zhenshan and Zhou Jin watched Liang Cheng’s party depart. Zhou Jin then asked quietly, "Treasurer Wu, what do you think Town Guardian Liang’s chances of success are?"

Wu Zhenshan spoke slowly. "Town Guardian Liang is young and full of vigor, eager to prove himself. That’s a good thing. However, the terrain on Old Crow Mountain is treacherous, with a network of intersecting Dark Rivers. If the bandits truly have an inside man guiding them, I fear they will be difficult to find."

He paused, then looked at Zhou Jin with a faint, meaningful smile. "Besides, for bandits who could carry out such a precise robbery, how could they not have a backup plan? I’m afraid Town Guardian Liang’s path is fraught with peril."

A flicker of understanding crossed Zhou Jin’s eyes, but he said nothing more.

He recalled what Shen Wenyuan had told him before he came.

"If things go south, protect Liang Cheng."

...

The morning fog on Old Crow Mountain was even thicker than at the Dongshan Mine.

Liang Cheng reined his horse to a halt at the base of the mountain. Behind him, the fifty Personal Guards, Lu Qingzhou, Qin Huaiyu, and the others did the same.

"Map."

Zhao Yuan immediately handed over a map. Liang Cheng unrolled it, his eyes falling on several markings for Dark River entrances that had been circled in Cinnabar.

Old Crow Mountain was shaped like a giant, crouching crow, with three main ridges intersecting. Within it lay a dense network of Dark Rivers, its tributaries as numerous as a spider’s web.

"There are three main channels to the Dark River, and at least twenty tributaries."

Lu Qingzhou urged his horse forward, his brow furrowed. "If the bandits are truly hiding in there, it would take us over a month to search every path."

The two master craftsmen from the Qin Family that Qin Huaiyu had brought were also examining the terrain. One of them squatted, grabbed a handful of soil to sniff, then picked up a few rock fragments for closer inspection before rising and shaking his head.

"There are no signs of a large group of men and horses having passed through here. A convoy carrying heavy cargo couldn’t possibly move through without leaving a trace."

Li Mu returned from scouting ahead and reported in a low voice, "Commander, there’s a gentle slope three li ahead. I found wheel ruts, but they vanish at the edge of a Broken Cliff. I can hear flowing water below; it must be one of the entrances to the Dark River."

Liang Cheng listened, his gaze shifting to the northeast.

"Zhao Yuan, Li Mu, come with me for a moment."

Liang Cheng spoke suddenly, dismounting and walking off to the side. Lu Qingzhou and Qin Huaiyu exchanged a look but decided not to follow.

Liang Cheng whispered a few words to them. Zhao Yuan and Li Mu looked stunned for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

Then Liang Cheng returned and cupped his hands in a salute to Lu Qingzhou and Qin Huaiyu. "Senior Brother Lu, Brother Qin, I plan to split our forces into three teams to search the three main Dark River channels. I’d like to ask you two to lead your best men as one team, while Zhao Yuan and Li Mu will each lead another. Would that be acceptable?"

Lu Qingzhou was taken aback. "Brother Liang, what about you?"

Liang Cheng tapped a blank, unmarked area on the edge of the map. "I will go alone. This area has the most treacherous terrain and is rarely traveled. But if I were a bandit trying to hide a large amount of cargo, this is where I would choose."

Qin Huaiyu looked as if he wanted to object but held his tongue. Finally, he just nodded. "Very well. Brother Liang, you must be careful."

Liang Cheng said no more, but gave Zhao Yuan and Li Mu a look. They understood and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Move out!"

The fifty-odd men split into three teams and vanished into the foggy mountain forest.

Liang Cheng ran toward the unmarked, perilous area. But after a moment, he leaped into the canopy of an ancient tree, holding his breath and remaining perfectly still.

About the time it takes an incense stick to burn, three masked, black-clad figures slipped out from the woods behind him. They scanned their surroundings for a moment. One of them turned back, while the other two gritted their teeth and headed in the direction of the perilous northeastern area.

’So, I was being watched.’

Liang Cheng’s eyes turned cold.

He floated down from the tree and gave chase to the two lookouts. He caught up to them in moments. Their faces were etched with horror, but before they could even react, Liang Cheng’s blade flashed out with the force of Wind and Thunder.

His single strike claimed two lives.

Without hesitation, Liang Cheng pulled off their masks. His brow furrowed. Their faces looked familiar; he thought they might be outer guards for the Lin Family.

He searched their bodies but found nothing. He then turned and sped back the way he came, toward the Dongshan Mine.

’Something isn’t adding up,’ Liang Cheng thought. ’Hijacking the cargo would cause a huge stir and inevitably draw an investigation from all sides. The Fire Worship Sect has been lying low for eight years. Why would they be so foolish?’

’Unless... unless hijacking the goods was just a feint. The real goal was to lure the tiger out of the mountains. If that’s the case, then I’ll do the exact opposite of what they want. I’ll turn back and launch a surprise attack.’

...

「Meanwhile, at the Dongshan Mine.」

Wu Zhenshan stood in the courtyard, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed in the direction of Old Crow Mountain.

A man dressed in an ordinary miner’s uniform walked up to him and reported in a low voice, "Treasurer, Liang Cheng has split his forces and entered the mountains. He went alone toward the perilous northeastern area."