Chapter Three: The Old Leader's Hubris

The midnight moon, accompanied by the stars and guided by the autumn breeze, peered down upon the clash of blades on Renyu Mountain.

The main gate of the quiet mountain was bathed in lonely, flickering firelight, teased by a listless night wind. The on-duty disciples of the Bristleback Gang kept their eyes fixed on the darkness—the only path from which the Red Robe Sect could charge. Having just endured a fierce battle, the stench of blood and the specter of death had stoked their fighting spirit. Yet, just as the intensity peaked, the Red Robe Sect’s sudden retreat left them feeling utterly exhausted and drained.

It was a maddening sensation, like being forced to stop mid-flow; one had to endure the discomfort of tension left unresolved. The Bristleback disciples had endured this state for an entire night—a long, grueling night.

Finally, those crimson figures emerged from the darkness once more. The Bristleback disciples tensed, ready to strike, but the female disciples of the Red Robe Sect gathered outside the gate without any battle cries. Instead, they raised their blades and swords, dancing and singing, inexplicably cheering for a victory.

The Bristleback disciples were bewildered, clutching their axes with blank expressions. How had they already won? The battle had barely begun; they hadn't even touched the gate, yet the celebration had already started.

Watching the group of women below break into their old trade—flicking long sleeves and singing operatic tunes against the backdrop of flickering torchlight—one could not help but admire their charm and the atmosphere they created. Had it not been in the middle of a battlefield, who wouldn't have wanted to lay down their weapons and sit quietly to listen to a song?

A commander of the Bristleback Gang finally regained his composure and ordered, "Ignore them. They are merely trying to confuse us."

In the ranks of the Red Robe Sect, a female commander flicked her water sleeves and responded in a clear, high-pitched voice, "Haven't you heard? A deity of the Red Robe Sect has descended from the heavens, flying right over your heads. Old Master Yuan Bao’s head is about to roll!" The woman was spirited and graceful, her phoenix eyes bewitchingly stunning, her voice sharp and melodic. A Bristleback disciple who recognized her pointed and asked in shock, "Li Yaorao? Why aren't you back in Jiangnan performing your plays? Don't forget, it was the Bristleback Gang that made you famous! Now you stand with the enemy, barking orders at your former masters?"

Li Yaorao remained unmoved and replied calmly, "Never mind me; how did you lot end up here? You have a home you cannot return to and silver you have nowhere to spend. In the end, you waste your lives for Yuan Bao, and the silver you earn just circles back into his pockets. Isn't that amusing? It would be better to take this chance to overturn the past and become upright human beings."

"Have the strength to back that up before you speak!" the Bristleback commander retorted, raising his axe.

Under the deep blue-black dome of the sky, strange musical notes began to echo, alerting the Bristleback disciples. The sound came from the main peak, but the melody was peculiar—not a signal from their own side. Soon, a messenger arrived with orders: the Gang Leader demanded troops be diverted to support the main peak.

Could it be true? Had a Red Robe deity really bypassed the mountain base and flown right over their heads, just as Li Yaorao claimed? The Bristleback disciples muttered in trepidation as a detachment was pulled away to ascend the mountain.

Outside the gate, Li Yaorao, sharp-eared, deciphered the secret code in the music. It was the signal from the Sect Leader’s shock troops; they had reached their designated positions. The forces at the mountain base immediately launched a fierce assault to distract the Bristleback Gang.

Across Renyu Mountain, the sounds of battle shook the night. Fires erupted here and there, and thick smoke billowed. Yuan Bao, looking slightly flustered and having lost all interest in the banquet, retreated to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness to devise a battle plan.

***

As dawn approached, the first rays of the sun illuminated the eastern side of Renyu Mountain, ruthlessly tearing away the conspiracies hidden in the dark. Corpses lay scattered, and streams of blood flowed down winding trenches. The mountain fires had died out, leaving only plumes of desperate smoke swaying in the autumn wind.

Chen Feng’ao, head of the Reversed Sail Escort Agency, stood by Yuan Bao’s side and suggested, "Perhaps I should recall all the disciples of the Reversed Sail Escort Agency. Judging by the Red Robe Sect’s intentions, they don't seem to be raiding the branch halls."

"No," Yuan Bao said, as if sitting on pins and needles in his main seat. He waved his hand in refusal. "According to secret reports from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, the Red Robe Sect has indeed dispatched people to every branch hall. Even if it is a ruse, we cannot lower our guard. Branch halls are not like the headquarters; they are fragile. If one falls, it will trigger a chain reaction, leading directly to the headquarters."

Chen Feng’ao felt anxious but could only pace the hall in frustration. He cautiously advised, "Gang Leader Yuan, since the leaders of various sects have come to attend the banquet, their purpose is self-evident—they are here to help the Bristleback Gang. Why not use them?"

Yuan Bao rubbed his forehead and said deeply, "It is not yet time!"

Chen Feng’ao, his broad back carrying his broadsword like a wall, stood before Yuan Bao. Sensing Yuan Bao’s dilemma and stubbornness, he realized the man likely had his own plans and felt it best not to press further.

Suddenly, Yuan Bao let out a hearty laugh. He stood up and told the other sect leaders resting in the hall, "Gentlemen, my intention was to treat you to wine, but I did not expect the Red Robe Sect to raid our gates. I have troubled you all and caused you worry. The wine was poor, and you have barely slept. As an apology, I shall set another banquet in front of the Guest Hall. The gardens there are beautiful and remain in bloom through autumn—they have a unique charm. Would you do me the honor of moving there?"

Liang Keyong, leader of the Beggar Sect, and Zhongli Jian, head of the Gloomy Wolf Sect, exchanged glances. They knew Yuan Bao’s true intentions and were accustomed to such hypocritical pleasantries. Unable to leave and caught in a difficult position, they put on a show of polite refusal before feigning that they could not resist his hospitality, and the group set off for the banquet.

While drinking and enjoying the flowers, word suddenly reached Yuan Bao: the Red Robe Sect had breached the two side gates of Renyu Mountain and was closing in on the main gate, having wiped out the Bristleback guard. The Red Robe Sect was ascending the mountain, and the Bristleback Gang could no longer stop them.

"How can this be?" Yuan Bao grew more incredulous, cursing, "A bunch of useless trash! How can they be so easily routed by a group of women? The Bristleback Gang has truly wasted its resources feeding them until they were fat."

The Bristleback disciples were being mown down like summer leeks. Suppressing his rage, Yuan Bao commanded his subordinates, "Send everyone on the mountain down to meet the enemy. I will face her myself."

Yuan Bao turned, wiped the anger from his face, and forced a smile for the guests. "Gentlemen, these female thieves of the Red Robe Sect truly have some skill to reach the summit of my main peak. Let me go down and subdue them, and then I shall return to drink with you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cold, chilling female voice drifted from the air above: "There is no need to trouble Gang Leader Yuan to come down. We have already arrived."

The people at the banquet immediately rose, looking up and around to find the source of the voice. Only a scholar in white sat alone in a corner, leisurely waving a folding fan.

Yuan Bao turned and looked up. High upon the roof tiles of the Guest Hall, a line of women in red gradually appeared. The three leading women were dressed in red cloaks, their figures bewitching and their makeup terrifying—three parts human, seven parts ghost.

The leader had black hair reaching her waist, simply braided from her temples to the back of her head, with the rest of her jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders. This emphasized her cold, pale skin, and her red robes and black cloak made her dark eyes and crimson lips appear truly chilling.

A female disciple sitting on the roof ridge was licking the golden-scaled blood armor on the leader's fingertips with great interest. The sharp, inch-long golden nails on her slender, slightly curved fingers were made of metal—a deadly weapon. The blood armor was still dripping; evidently, many Bristleback disciples had died under those claws on the way up the mountain.

Seeing this, Yuan Bao realized the woman in the lead was Meng Xiaoli, known as the "Demon Yama Ghost Concubine." His heart sank. His men had just reported the news, and yet these female thieves were already before him. Their speed and ruthless methods were unprecedented. He wondered what the situation was like at the base of the mountain.

On the roof ridge, the face beneath the black hood remained expressionless. She spoke coldly to the people in the courtyard, "My apologies for disturbing your drinking. However, today is not the time for a banquet. If you wish to live, I suggest you leave immediately. It would be best if other sects did not interfere in the private feud between our two factions."

Just as she spoke, a Bristleback disciple came scrambling up, reporting, "Gang Leader, it is bad! The Red Robe Sect’s various units have converged into a massive force. Their momentum is fierce; the base of the mountain is about to collapse."

Yuan Bao glared at Meng Xiaoli on the ridge, filled with resentment. He heard Liang Keyong of the Beggar Sect comforting him from the side, "A bunch of demonesses; they cannot make much of a splash." He then turned to his own men and ordered, "Send all our people; leave no one behind here."

The raggedly dressed Beggar Sect disciples rose with a shout, grabbed their weapons, and rushed down the mountain to meet the enemy.

Hardly had the sound faded when another Bristleback disciple rushed up, gasping for air. He didn't bother with formalities and reported to Yuan Bao, "Gang Leader, disaster! A force of the Red Robe Sect has charged toward the back mountain. We are short-handed there; I fear it will fall!"

Yuan Bao panicked. The back mountain was where the families lived. Its terrain was lower and easier to access, so he had stationed plenty of troops there before the battle, but with fires breaking out everywhere and men being pulled away, it was too late to reorganize.

Yuan Bao stared daggers at Meng Xiaoli on the ridge. She flicked her black cloak and sat down on the roof tiles, watching the chaos below with leisurely provocation. "What will you do, Gang Leader Yuan? Give us an idea."

Before Yuan Bao could speak, the leaders of the other sects stood up and issued orders. Their disciples clamored in response, rushing off in different directions. The mountain was filled with a sea of people, with the solid red of the Sect mixed in—as if some deity had tipped over two vats of dye. The scene was spectacular.

Yuan Bao shouted up at Meng Xiaoli on the ridge, "A mere upstart sect, so arrogant and ignorant of the heights of heaven and the depths of the earth! Today, you have brought your entire Red Robe Sect here to die. Do not say later that I, Yuan, did not give you a chance."

Hearing the provocation, Meng Xiaoli revealed a faint, cold smile. She said to everyone present, "Do not waste your effort. What I, Meng Xiaoli, set out to do, I will see through to the end. If you bystanders have any sense, leave the mountain on your own, and I shall ensure your lives are spared."

"Wild talk! You demoness, I think your arrogance has gone to your head!" The shout came from Chen Feng’ao, head of the Reversed Sail Escort Agency. With that, he raised his great blade, carved through the air, and charged at the Demon Yama Ghost Concubine like a rampaging bear and a flying tiger.