Chương 146: Bandit Alliance at Eagle's Sorrow Ravine

The Black Iron Stronghold. The Shunfeng Escort Agency had just recruited a group of capable experts. Logically, escorting goods to the various towns around Qinghe County should no longer require Xiong Ba to exert himself. However, since the newcomers had just gathered, to ensure everything went smoothly, Song Que still had Xiong Ba and Li Xin make one more escort trip just to be safe. And so, Li Xin, who had just broken through to the Second Grade, was drafted.

The two of them only returned to the stronghold in the middle of the night yesterday. Boss Song was aware of it at the time, but since it wasn't anything urgent, he didn't bother them and continued his sweet slumber. Only today, when he had some free time, did he call someone over to ask about it. Hearing the young master's inquiry while he was practicing, Xiong Ba stopped what he was doing, ran over, and reported:"Young Master, A'Xin is still sleeping."

"That kid. He was only diligent for a few days and is already slacking off," Boss Song shook his head, feeling mentally exhausted.

"How was the escort trip this time? Did any of the newcomers cause trouble?"

"Hehehe, Young Master, we didn't encounter any issues. The whole group was very honest. It's just that there seems to be a bit of a problem in the surrounding towns and villages. Brother Hong wrote a letter and told me to bring it back for you. Let me go get the letter for you, Milord." Saying this, Xiong Ba hurriedly ran into the room. Before long, he brought out a letter and respectfully handed it to him.

No longer in the mood to practice martial arts, Song Que found a place to sit down and opened the letter first. Within moments, his expression grew incredibly solemn. In the letter, Zhong Hong mentioned that cases of missing persons had been occurring quite frequently in the towns and villages surrounding the county city lately. Brother Hong roughly estimated that in Xiangxi Town alone, where he had just visited, there were nearly a hundred known missing person cases in the past year.

The actual number would only be higher, not lower. The situation in the other surrounding towns wasn't much different. Combining this with the incident the Blood Demon Cult had recently caused in Yellow Leaf Town, Zhong Hong suspected that all of this was the handiwork of demonic practitioners and reminded Song Que to be extra careful. As images of the cruelties committed by Lu Chengcai flashed through his mind, a look of intolerance appeared on Boss Song's face.

His sense of chivalry and justice stirred, urging him to investigate this matter to the very end. But he knew that was unrealistic. In poverty, one cares for oneself; in success, one benefits the world. Right now, he could easily play the local overlord as a big fish in a small pond, but out in the martial world, he would merely be considered a second-rate small fry. He didn't yet have the qualifications to meddle in other people's business.

Even though he desperately wanted to hack all these Demonic Cult vermin to death with a single stroke of his saber, Song Que tactfully knew his limits. He could only sigh in sympathy for the common people living in the surrounding areas. He hoped this matter would attract the attention of the Six Doors and prompt an investigation. Shaking his head and pushing the matter aside, Boss Song began to channel his negative emotions into motivation for martial arts, dedicating himself entirely to cultivation....

Wiping the sweat off his body, Song Que sat comfortably under the shade of a tree and poured himself a large cup of cold tea to cool down. Listening to the birds chirping in harmony around him, his mood eased considerably. Right at this moment, Nie Feng hurriedly approached.

"Young Master, Knife has a matter to report!" Frowning and nodding, Song Que put on his Wuchang attire and walked down into the stronghold with Nie Feng. Seeing the two approaching, Knife respectfully bowed:"Greetings, Grand Stronghold Leader!" Waving his hand, Boss Song spoke:"Knife, what is the matter you wish to see me about?"

"Reporting to the Stronghold Leader: this subordinate has two matters to discuss with you. The first is the total income of the stronghold this month. The Black Iron Stronghold collected a total of 3, 300 taels in road tolls and 3, 000 taels from weapon sales. After deducting expenses and the brothers' salaries, we have a surplus of 1, 800 taels, which I have already ordered to be stored in the treasury."

Easily pocketing nearly 2, 000 taels every month—even though he was already wealthy, Boss Song still smiled so widely his eyes narrowed into slits. Seeing his Stronghold Leader satisfied, Knife continued:"There is one more matter. Recently, there has been a continuous stream of merchant carriages flying the flags of the Rooster and Locked Forest Strongholds passing through. Because the frequency was too high, our men got into a dispute with the other party a few days ago, causing a minor conflict.

Just now, someone came to deliver a message: Sha Maiquan, Stronghold Leader of the Rooster Stronghold, and Zhen He, Stronghold Leader of the Locked Forest Stronghold, have jointly sent a letter specifically inviting you to a meeting tomorrow night at the Hour of Xu at Luanshi Crag to discuss and resolve this matter." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Oh? Our stronghold actually has relations with other strongholds? Knife, explain this matter to me in detail." Seeing Song Que's confusion, Knife thoroughly explained the ins and outs of the situation:"Milord, previously, when Xu Shicai was the Stronghold Leader, our three strongholds formed a verbal alliance.

The weapons produced by the Black Iron Stronghold could be handed over to those two factions to sell on our behalf, and the merchant carriages of our three factions could freely pass through Eagle's Sorrow Ravine by hoisting our respective stronghold flags. Everyone had the responsibility to provide protection when passing through their territory. Originally, there were no issues with this. But in recent months, the number of carriages from those two strongholds has been unusually high.

The brothers below suspected they were selling their flags to merchant caravans to bypass our tolls, so they wanted to conduct an inspection. This led to a significant conflict between the two sides. Fortunately, it was eventually settled, and there were no casualties. Therefore, I only reported this matter to Stronghold Leader Horse Face and didn't dare trouble you with it, Milord." Nie Feng also nodded in confirmation:"There was indeed such a matter.

Knife mentioned this issue not long ago, but I didn't take it to heart initially, so I didn't report it to you." Nodding in understanding, Song Que frowned and asked:"So, the two Stronghold Leaders inviting me to a meeting tomorrow night is solely to discuss this matter?" Knife pondered:"It's also possible that those people caught wind of the fact that our Black Iron Stronghold has changed ownership. Therefore, they want to meet with you, Milord, to propose a new agreement. I can't say for sure.

You don't have to go; just writing a letter to inform them would suffice. After all, we are independent and don't need to take orders from anyone." Grandee Song stroked his chin in thought. News leaking out was inevitable. After all, with the Black Iron Stronghold causing such a massive commotion, it was impossible for absolutely no one to leak the information. Regarding their personal identities, perhaps they hadn't been exposed yet, but it wouldn't be long before someone grew suspicious.

If nothing else, Boss Song's pair of black dragon steeds were far too eye-catching. Later on, when the bandits went to play in the county city more frequently, there would likely be some speculation. However, Song Que judged that the probability of being exposed right now was extremely low. He acted very discreetly and kept a low profile, and the management within the stronghold was also very strict. Others probably hadn't had the chance to notice him yet.

In that case, the meeting tomorrow night should solely be about the merchant carriages from the various strongholds passing through Eagle's Sorrow Ravine. After thinking for a moment—since those two were still his clients after all—Song Que ultimately chose to give them some face and meet them once. Gathering a bit of intelligence would also be good.

"Alright. Knife, help me write a reply. I will be there on time tomorrow night."

"Understood, Milord!" Waiting until Knife had walked far away, Nie Feng asked worriedly:"Young Master, how about I go with you tomorrow, just in case any danger arises?"

"No need. The other party explicitly asked for me to go alone. Our Black Iron Stronghold cannot act cowardly and make others laugh at us. Furthermore, I have looked over the Luanshi Crag area a few times; the terrain is open and difficult to set up an ambush in. I trust there won't be any danger. Facing two Second-Tier martial artists, I am confident I can escape safely. You don't need to worry, Old Nie."

After weighing it for a moment, Nie Feng took a deep breath and nodded:"Everything as you command, Young Master. Please be careful." With Lightning scouting the terrain in advance, Song Que was quite confident in his safety and just smiled to reassure Old Nie. Despite this, cherishing his life, Boss Song didn't dare be negligent. Starting that very day, he controlled Lightning to pay close attention to any rustling grass or blowing wind at Luanshi Crag.

The moment he noticed even the slightest anomaly, he was ready to cancel the meeting. After all, a bunch of thieves and bandits had no credibility to speak of. If he knew there was danger, he obviously wouldn't foolishly rely on his strength and charge in headfirst. That wouldn't be called bravery; that would be called seeking death.... In the quiet, dark night, on the rugged mountain road, Song Que rode Dark Cloud, carefully staying concealed the entire way.

Timing it perfectly for the start of the Hour of Xu, he slowly appeared at Luanshi Crag. For some reason, during this journey, he felt restless and uneasy—so frustrated that at times he wanted to turn back. He stopped to investigate countless times, and only after ensuring there was nothing amiss around him did Grandee Song grit his teeth and attend the appointment. Looking down from the sky, the hundred-meter radius of Luanshi Crag was filled entirely with jagged rocks.

The line of sight was clear, offering no place to hide people. From yesterday until now, only the two men who had just arrived were present, currently waiting by a central boulder. There was no unexpected ambush as he had feared. When Song Que appeared, the two men in the center simultaneously noticed him. These two didn't intentionally wear masks, only ordinary night-traveling clothes, evidently seeing no need to hide their identities.

Even from a distance, Song Que could feel a faint oppressive aura radiating from them. Especially the one on the left, who triggered a sense of alarm in his mind; this person's cultivation was definitely not ordinary. However, the aura of the two men gave him a very bizarre feeling, as if he had encountered them somewhere before but couldn't recall where at the moment.

After carefully looking a few more times and confirming he had never met them, Song Que tossed his doubts to the back of his mind, dismounted, and leaped forward. Nimble as an ape, he bounded over the boulders, covering three or four meters with each step. In moments, Song Que stopped in front of the two men, keeping a distance of ten meters, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am the Stronghold Leader of the Black Iron Stronghold. Greetings to you both." Looking at the unfamiliar masked man in front of them, the two men didn't show much surprise at all, merely nodding indifferently. The person on the right even spoke in a mocking, sarcastic tone:"You must be the new Stronghold Leader 'Impermanence'. Acting so secretive and sneaky, it seems you are hiding quite a few secrets, hehe."

"Hmph, that is none of your concern." Song Que spoke coldly, but his vigilance spiked inwardly. It seemed the other party had already gathered quite a bit of information about him. It was best to quietly observe the situation and wait for them to reveal their objective.

"Alright. It doesn't matter who you are, as long as we know you manage the Black Iron Stronghold, that is enough." At this moment, the other man, who hadn't spoken until now, said in a deep voice:"Allow me to introduce us. I am Sha Maiquan of the Rooster Stronghold, and this is Zhen He of the Locked Forest Stronghold. We called you out here today because we want to talk..."

"No need to talk. Kill him..." Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed in the ears of the three men. Song Que's expression changed drastically, the hair all over his body exploding and standing on end. Without a second's hesitation, strength erupted beneath his feet, and his entire body shot backward like a cannonball.