Chapter One: Crisis

Twilight descended, draping the hills and ridges under the moonlight in a veil of deep blue. A scholar in white stood alone against the wind, gazing upward at a white pigeon circling in the sky. As he slowly raised his arm, the bird tucked its wings and landed upon it. The scholar retrieved a note from the pigeon’s leg.

"The Red-Robed Goddess Sect has entered the border."

Having read the note, the scholar crushed the paper in his palm. Behind him, many men in plain robes emerged, silently following his gaze toward the distance.

The thunder of hooves and the flutter of crimson robes filled the mountain road as a continuous procession of women rode past, their momentum aggressive and ostentatious. Under the blue moonlight, the Goddess Sect disciples appeared like a tide of red, stirring up waves of dust and shattering the silence of the vast, rugged forest as they charged toward Mount Renyu.

The traveling column did not notice that, in the hidden shadows of the hills on both sides, a group of men kept watch every mile.

The scholar’s bright eyes, reflecting the starry sky, tracked the movement of the red-robed cavalry. He raised a hand, and the men behind him, understanding his signal, retreated silently into the darkness.

Once the rear of the red-robed column reached the far end, a cannon fired. A firework shot into the sky, exploding in a burst of brilliance that split the night and the Milky Way. From both sides of the mountain, a group of men dressed in brown, wielding double-headed axes, charged down with a roar.

Instantly, the path ahead of the red-robed cavalry was blocked. Everyone pulled hard on their reins; the horses, startled, reared up and neighed. The women in red drew their blades and swords while mounted, adjusting their formation in a heartbeat to engage the enemy.

The roars from both sides shook the forest. The red and brown factions clashed on the mountain road, the clanging of weapons ringing out incessantly.

Ten miles away, another contingent of red-robed women galloped through the night, circling to the flank of Mount Renyu and charging straight for the mountain gate.

The brown-clad ranks of the Guanlie Gang had been waiting for a long time. As the fireworks rose from the guard posts, shouts erupted at the gate. A dense tide of brown surged forward, axes raised, their blades reflecting the cold, piercing light of the moon.

The women of the Red-Robed Goddess Sect were fierce and fearless. Seeing the enemy intercepting them, they spurred their horses forward, launching a ferocious charge and slashing with their weapons.

Having received reports from his disciples, Yuan Bao, leader of the Guanlie Gang, was busy entertaining guests on the main peak of Mount Renyu.

This middle-aged man in luxurious brocade robes had a round, fleshy face, short and sparse yellow eyebrows, and a pair of majestic, tiger-like amber eyes. He possessed a bulbous nose, distinct ears, and thin lips. Of medium build and somewhat portly, every piece of his attire and accessories was expensive; even the two divine axes crossed at his waist glittered blindingly whenever they caught the sunlight.

Yuan Bao was not unaware of the Goddess Sect’s assault. Between the declaration of war from the sect’s leader, the "Demon Yama Ghost Concubine" Meng Xiaoli, and the intelligence provided by the spies of the Fengyun Pavilion, Yuan Bao had prepared meticulously for this battle. However, regarding a newly emerged sect consisting entirely of women, Yuan Bao felt that taking them too seriously would be a loss of face.

While he prepared, he made sure his outward demeanor remained nonchalant, as if he could dismiss them with a wave of his hand.

The rumors that the Red-Robed Goddess Sect intended to bathe the Guanlie Gang in blood did not frighten Yuan Bao, but they terrified his many concubines. Fearing they might be implicated, they scrambled to hide their money or flee south. When the butler ran up to tell Yuan Bao which wife had fled south or which concubine had packed her bags, Yuan Bao couldn't be bothered to care. He only asked, "Where is my wife?" The butler replied, "The Mistress is still in the hall entertaining guests." Yuan Bao nodded in satisfaction.

Mistress Yuan, surnamed Liu, was outwardly tough but inwardly anxious. Usually, she helped her husband manage business with ruthless efficiency. Though not a fighter, she could hold her own. Hearing that fighting had broken out at the foot of the mountain, she grew agitated and, in her unease, confronted her husband. "Will there be trouble? The Goddess Sect has gained quite a reputation these past two years. Many bandit gangs have fallen at the hands of the Ghost Concubine. She has destroyed our human trafficking business, shut down our gambling dens, and dismantled our brothels. We cannot underestimate her abilities."

"Enough, what is there to fear!" Yuan Bao waved a hand impatiently. "No matter how high her martial arts, if she wants to attack Mount Renyu and crush my Guanlie Gang, she still has a few years of studying military strategy to go." He patted his wife’s shoulder with his fleshy hand. "Rest assured, we have the numbers. Ten against one—how could we not handle the Red-Robed Sect? She won't even make it through the gate."

Yuan Bao’s drooping eyes darted left and right before he whispered into his wife’s ear, "Besides, the Beggar Sect, the Ghost Wolf Gate, and the Reverse Sail Escort Agency are all here. Even if the Ghost Concubine had ten heads, she couldn't reach me."

Yuan Bao winked at his wife with a sly, confident smile, patted her shoulder comfortingly, and walked steadily into the hall to entertain his guests.

Inside the Loyalty Hall, the atmosphere was grand and opulent, illuminated by bright candlelight. Several round tables were filled to capacity.

Amidst the din, the head table was occupied by several middle-aged men of various sects and backgrounds: Zhongli Jian, leader of the Ghost Wolf Gate of Jiangsu; Liang Keyong, leader of the Northern Beggar Sect; Chen Feng’ao, head of the Reverse Sail Escort Agency in Xi'an; as well as various other heroes and prominent martial artists.

Seeing Yuan Bao enter, the leaders waved him over. Yuan Bao bowed with a hint of apology and said with a smile, "My old friends, I had some matters to attend to, which dampened the mood. I shall punish myself with three cups."

As they watched him drain his cups, Chen Feng’ao teased, "With the enemy at your doorstep, Leader Yuan still has the leisure to share drinks with us. Such spirit commands my admiration."

Yuan Bao cared nothing for the slaughter at the foot of the mountain. After three cups, his expression remained unchanged. "I have arranged ambushes at every entrance to the mountain. Unless the Red-Robed Sect has grown wings and can fly directly onto my head, they aren't getting in."

Yuan Bao drank and laughed with his peers, ordering music and dance to entertain them.

Just as the festivities were at their peak, a subordinate rushed in, panicked, and whispered into Yuan Bao’s ear: "Leader, the scouts report that the main force of the Red-Robed Goddess Sect has converged and is attacking the main gate of Mount Renyu."

"Look at their pathetic efforts," Yuan Bao scoffed to the others at the table. "Like flies without heads—bumping here, pushing there. What good does it do?"

He spread his hands wide, brimming with bravado. "I have fortified the walls and cleared the fields. Qingzhou is my territory. If I cut off their food supply, they will starve to death." Yuan Bao was arrogant to the extreme.

On the mountain, they drank and danced, enjoying the moonlight, while at the foot of the mountain, the disciples of the Sect and the Gang fought for their lives without a moment’s respite.

Fire flickered, blood sprayed, and the cries of battle shook the heavens.

The main force of the Red-Robed Sect charged, specializing in attacking the main gate. Having fought battle after battle to secure their place in the martial world, these female warriors were filled with hatred and a spirit that could swallow the sky.

As for the brown-clad disciples of the Guanlie Gang, they had long been unaccustomed to battle. Half were bought from human traffickers, and the other half were just looking for a job to earn some monthly wages; they had no intention of dying for the cause.

But the battlefield changed in an instant, and they had to fight for survival. Furthermore, Yuan Bao had promised ten taels of silver for every head of a Red-Robed sect member. The Guanlie disciples charged with fervor, hacking at anyone wearing red.

The female disciples of the Goddess Sect, their brows knitted in fury and hands calloused, unleashed intricate techniques beneath their robes. They didn't rely on brute force, but rather on the principle of using minimal effort to deflect great strength. They were physically delicate yet possessed astonishing arm strength, wielding knives, swords, sleeves, and hooks.

Red mixed with brown; the red figures were agile, the brown shadows fierce. Blood splattered, limbs flew, and heads were severed. Within half a day, the base of Mount Renyu was a river of blood.

The half-cooked beef, glistening with grease, sizzled over the charcoal fire, fresh blood still visible. Yuan Bao sliced the meat and said with a hearty laugh, "As for eating raw meat, I learned it from Sect Leader Zhongli of the Ghost Wolf Gate. Eating raw meat and drinking blood is a pleasure now, but for Leader Zhongli in the past, it was a matter of survival."

"Past matters need not be mentioned," Zhongli Jian said, his wolf-like eyes narrowing. His stern face reflected the memory of his days as an assassin. To be sitting here today in one piece, daring to show his true face among so many martial arts heroes, the price he had paid was beyond words—bitter and unspeakable. He stroked his goatee, sipped his wine, and kept his emotions hidden.

Yuan Bao smiled at Zhongli Jian, his eyes crinkling. "Raw meat is beyond me, my friend. It must be half-cooked to truly taste right."

The guests at the table toasted one another, lost in their own world, indifferent to the war at the foot of the mountain. In the candlelight, their faces were filled with reckless laughter, drinking, eating, and watching the dance.

A Guanlie Gang disciple ran into the hall, gasping for breath. He leaned into Yuan Bao’s ear and whispered, "Leader, it's bad. The back of the mountain is on fire. The Red-Robed Sect is playing dirty."

"What?" Yuan Bao’s eyes widened in shock. He stood up abruptly and ordered without hesitation, "Quickly, organize men to put it out!"

Thinking of the autumn season, with the trees withering and the autumn winds rising at night, the Red-Robed Sect had sent people to start fires at the foot of the mountain. With the wind, the flames would spread upward, which was indeed troublesome.

Yuan Bao suppressed his unease, forced a smile, and explained to the leaders at the table, "Everyone, the back of the mountain is where the families reside. A fire has broken out, and I must go arrange for it to be extinguished."

The leaders exchanged glances. Liang Keyong, the Beggar Sect leader, waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Leader Yuan, please go ahead. If you need any help, just let us know."

"No, no," Yuan Bao said, feigning calm. "We agreed on a feast; how could I trouble you to take the field? It would dirty your hands. The Guanlie Gang can easily handle the Red-Robed Sect."

With that, Yuan Bao walked around the table and signaled his eldest son, Yuan Buxing, who was entertaining younger guests at another table. Yuan Buxing left his seat begrudgingly and asked, "What is it, Father?"

Yuan Bao whispered, "The back of the mountain is on fire. Go take care of it; don't let the Red-Robed Sect succeed."

Yuan Buxing looked back at his guests and said anxiously, "Father, I was in the middle of a good conversation! If I leave, won't the guests blame me for poor hospitality?"

Yuan Bao’s face darkened slightly, and he patted his son’s arm. "Go when I tell you to! The fire is a crisis; the Red-Robed Sect might use it to launch a sneak attack, leaving us caught in a pincer."

Yuan Buxing had no choice but to agree. He left with his men, looking reluctant and lazy.

No sooner had he left than another disciple reported urgently, "Leader, it's bad! The terrain on the side peak is steep, and the Red-Robed Sect is using bows to shoot fire oil into the forest. The side peak is also burning. That area is easy to defend but hard to attack, and we left no one to guard it."

Yuan Bao finally grew anxious. He paced a few steps and asked, "What about the main gate?"

The disciple replied urgently, "They are fighting fiercely! Not just the main gate, but both side gates are under assault. The Red-Robed Sect launched a violent attack from the start; they don't break through, but rather strike and retreat, keeping us in a state of tug-of-war."

Yuan Bao made an immediate decision: "Send men to put out the fire first!"