Chương 125: Hu Xiaodao

Black Iron Stronghold. Hearing Knife recount his past, everyone easily grasped the general cause and sequence of events, and consequently felt a degree of sympathy for the man before them. The plot wasn't anything novel; it was a very old, clichéd, and melodramatic story. It was nothing more than an incident about two years ago. This Lieutenant, overflowing with a chivalrous spirit, saw a playboy from a wealthy family harassing a decent girl and stepped forward to uphold justice.

A conflict erupted, and Knife, possessing superior martial prowess, beat the young master and his lackeys until they were covered in injuries. Unfortunately for him, that young master was the son of the County Defender —his direct superior. Even worse, for whatever reason or deal struck with the County Defender, the girl ultimately turned around and bit him back, dumping the entire bucket of sh*t on his head! A conviction for disturbing the peace and intentional assault was unavoidable.

He lost his position, was sent to the yamen, and was sentenced to reform through labor. As if that wasn't miserable enough, Dong Bo, one of the 'Four Young Masters'—a man who held deep grudges—secretly ordered the prison guards to torture him, intending to grind him to death. How could a young, hot-blooded martial artist endure that? Knife ended up killing several of his fellow inmates. Fortunately for him, the prison guards, acting on orders to 'facilitate' interactions, were lax in their duties.

Taking advantage of this, Knife secretly escaped. He managed to flee here, but his grandfather, whom he depended on, couldn't leave and was ultimately killed in retaliation. Reaching this point in the story, Knife's eyes were bloodshot. Song Que and the others didn't know what to say, only able to sigh at the ways of the world today.

"Have you ever regretted what you did?" Hearing the Great Chieftain 'Impermanence' ask, Knife pondered for a moment, then resolutely shook his head, his eyes burning with hatred:"I do not regret acting chivalrously to save someone. But those who harmed me and my grandfather—I have sworn that one day, I will definitely repay this blood debt!" Repay kindness with kindness, repay enmity with enmity. A man should be like this!

Seeing that despite the hardships he had endured, this man's conscience remained as steadfast as before, Grandee Song couldn't help but admire him:"How old are you now?"

"To answer My Lord, this subordinate just turned twenty-four this year." He was slightly older than Old Wu. To have reached the peak of the Second Grade as a martial artist without any backing meant his talent could be considered quite good. Moreover, he was young, right in the golden age of a martial artist; it wasn't impossible for him to have a chance at revenge in the future.

"Since joining the Black Iron Stronghold, have you ever killed an innocent person?" Although he didn't understand why his Chieftain would ask such a thing, Knife answered honestly:"To answer My Lord, absolutely never! It is precisely because I refused to attack innocent commoners that I was disliked by the previous Chieftain and forced to do menial labor in the stronghold. If My Lord doesn't believe me, you can investigate." Glancing at Nie Feng and seeing him nod secretly, Song Que believed this man wasn't lying.

He pondered for a long time before speaking:"If I provide you with resources, bestow upon you supreme martial arts, and give you the opportunity for revenge, would you be willing to swear loyalty to me?" The prospect of revenge made Knife's heart leap. From the other's tone and words, it wasn't hard to tell that this Chieftain also harbored chivalrous ideals in his heart. Still, he probed cautiously:"I wonder what My Lord would want this subordinate to do in the future?"

"Rest assured, I will not force you to indiscriminately kill the innocent or do anything against your conscience. But when I need you, I want you to fight the enemy desperately without hesitation. Can you do that?" Knife had personally felt the martial prowess of these big shots. Furthermore, it wasn't hard to see that they were very young, meaning the forces behind them were certainly not small; there was no need to deceive him.

Without any hesitation, he knelt on one knee and saluted:"Hu Xiaodao is willing to swear loyalty to My Lord!" Nodding in satisfaction, Song Que spoke in a low voice:"Remember the words you spoke today. If you ever dare to harbor a second heart in the future, I will absolutely not spare you!" If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

The sudden surge of killing intent sent a chill down Knife's spine, but with an undivided heart, he felt no fear and pointed to the heavens to swear an oath:"As long as My Lord does not force me to commit acts completely devoid of conscience, I am willing to serve My Lord as my master! I will go wherever you point, without a second word! If I break this oath, may the heavens strike me and the earth destroy me!" Grandee Song didn't need to train him into a demonic villain.

Since he could express his stance like this, Song Que was satisfied enough. Withdrawing his aura, he smiled:"Very well, stand up. From now on, you will work under Horse Face, and your martial arts will also be imparted to you by him." Knife immediately stood up and respectfully bowed:"Thank you, My Lord!"

"Alright, give us the post-battle report."

"Understood, My Lord."

"In this attack, including Scarface's group of 5, there were a total of 57 enemies. In the end, 20 were killed and 17 were injured. One of the bandit leaders, Buck-Toothed Su, pleaded to surrender. Everything awaits My Lord's decision." Their side naturally had nothing to report; they hadn't even had the chance to engage in hand-to-hand combat! Lord Xiong Ba alone had hammered over a dozen people into 'meat pies'. Whenever Knife stole a glance at him, he felt a chilling breeze over his head.

Grandee Song nodded in satisfaction:"Horse Face, you go with Knife to take charge of the situation. Take this opportunity to screen the stronghold's personnel once more. All treacherous and wicked individuals are to be executed! The same goes for those who surrendered—we absolutely do not want anyone who indiscriminately kills the innocent! From now on, we specialize only in collecting road tolls; murder and robbery are strictly prohibited!"

"Understood!"

"Furthermore, I have information that One-Eyed Dragon had military crossbows stored away. Send people to their lair to confiscate their assets! Bring back anything useful to the stronghold, then set a fire to burn the place down! From now on, our family is the only one needed in this mountain range." Old Nie and Knife received their orders and left. Only then did the concerns about the Black Iron Stronghold in Grandee Song's mind temporarily settle.

After today, and with Knife's assistance, there would be no problem with Nie Feng taking full control here. As for recruiting Hu Xiaodao, apart from seeing that his temperament and aptitude weren't bad, he also had to find a helper for Nie Feng. Managing the entire stronghold was one thing, but practicing the Thousand Hammer, Hundred Refined Art also required someone! Old Nie couldn't exactly hold an iron rod and beat himself, could he?!

Fortunately, this guy Knife seemed quite decent so far, though the true extent of his character would only become clear later.... Early morning, as the sun just began to peek over the horizon, casting rosy rays. The unnamed mountain of the Black Iron Stronghold was faintly visible through the thin morning mist. As the wind blew, the mist swayed, intertwining with the morning light to create an even more ethereal and magical scene. Grandee Song leisurely and comfortably enjoyed a sweet, sound sleep.

Waking up in the morning and breathing in the clear, refreshing mountain air, tinged with the faint scent of grass and trees, made his spirit feel incredibly refreshed. He and his group were completely unconcerned that a thorough 'housecleaning' had taken place right here last night. Taking advantage of their prestige being at its peak, Nie Feng and Knife acted with lightning speed and decisive force.

They ruthlessly screened the bandits—both their own men and the surrendered prisoners—executing no less than ten people. It was hard to say how their combat power compared now, but if they were grading moral qualifications, the Black Iron Stronghold 'little friends' had absolutely climbed several rungs up the ladder! If there were an award for 'Friendliest Bandits of Eagle's Sorrow Ravine' right now, Song Que had no doubt they would easily take the grand prize!

After a night of vivid, unforgettable 'lessons', the group had achieved total enlightenment! Even as bandits, one needed to have a conscience: seek wealth, not lives, and if you 'eat the cake' (visit brothels), you damn well better pay for it! As for murder, robbery, and kidnapping innocent young women... from now on, the Black Iron Stronghold disdained such despicable acts!... After enjoying a morning workout with Xiong Ba and Li Xin, Nie Feng returned with breakfast.

"Old Nie, is everything settled?" Grabbing a steamed bun and taking a bite, Grandee Song asked with concern.

"Young Master, basically everything is settled. The stronghold rules have been issued, and no one raised any objections." Nie Feng smiled and nodded at him, conveniently omitting one sentence: Those who raised objections last night are no longer among the living.

"Ah, that's good. We will stay here today to help you cultivate the Thousand Hammer Art, and we'll leave tonight. I'll be relying on you for the work here from now on, Old Nie."

"Rest assured, Young Master. Nothing else will happen," Nie Feng patted his chest, brimming with confidence and guaranteeing it. Song Que didn't doubt his capability to handle this and smiled as he asked:"Mm, last time I saw a large iron cauldron in this courtyard. Where is it now?"

"A few days ago, I found it too in the way and had someone move it out. Wait a moment, Young Master; I will have someone bring it back."

"Mm, you can't practice this martial art without it. Hurry and call someone, Old Nie. I still have things I want to do later." Hearing this, Nie Feng didn't hesitate. He hurriedly found people to bring the large cauldron back and fill it with iron sand. Practice makes perfect! Under 'Teacher' Song's guidance, he also gloriously shed every single hair on his body! A shiny, white 'male mermaid' quickly buried himself in the sand until only a smooth, bald head remained!

Spending a little effort to help Nie Feng familiarize himself with circulating his energy, Grandee Song then left him be. Leisurely, he called for Knife and headed toward the back of the mountain; he had matters to attend to....

"Greetings, Great Chieftain Impermanence!" In an isolated courtyard behind the stronghold, over twenty burly men bowed respectfully to Song Que in unison. Everyone here was a non-combatant. Some had been coerced, while others had been driven to a dead end and joined voluntarily. But they all shared one thing in common: they were highly skilled in forging and crafting. Xu Shicai could be considered somewhat business-minded; he knew that if you want the donkey to run, you have to feed it grass first.

These blacksmiths, along with their families—young and old alike—were entirely provided for by the Black Iron Stronghold. And their duties? They didn't have to do any menial labor or worry about earning a living. They simply needed to focus on crafting weapons and items. Don't underestimate this group of twenty people! The profit they generated was enough to cover the expenses of the entire stronghold; robbing on the road was merely supplemental income!

This was exactly why the Black Iron Stronghold was so filthy rich, with everyone drinking, feasting, and partying every day. That is, until... they met Grandee Song! Looking at the respectful group before him, Song Que sighed inwardly. Treasures, indeed! Old Boss Xu was truly too kind! Naturally, he wouldn't be crazy enough to benevolently let them leave. Wasn't this carefree, worry-free life quite good for them? Coming to find these people today, Grandee Song primarily had matters he needed their consultation on.