Chapter Forty-Five: Battle Renewed

Dragon Claw Peak is nestled halfway up the slopes of Panlong Ridge, commanding the only path from the foot of the mountain to its summit. It is the most treacherous point on the entire ridge. Its shape resembles a dragon’s claw reaching into the sky, making the shadowy Panlong Ridge appear menacing and dreadful in the darkness.

The mountain path splits at the “wrist” of the dragon claw—one fork winds upward toward the summit, while the other, narrow and rugged, stretches out toward Dragon Claw Peak. The route to the summit is relatively broad but controlled by a drawbridge built by the bandits.

To open this drawbridge, it must be operated from within, or else one must reach Dragon Claw Peak and use the winch to hoist the chains that lift the gate.

Qi Jun had considered disguising himself as a bandit and having the Third Chief call out to the guards at the gate to launch a surprise attack. But the risk of alerting the bandit leader and prematurely exposing their intentions made Qi Jun abandon the idea after careful deliberation.

Thus, the only option was to seize the winch at Dragon Claw Peak, open the drawbridge, and infiltrate from outside.

“The mountain path is slippery and narrow—everyone, be careful!” Qi Jun turned and cautioned the county soldiers. As he spoke, a few loose stones tumbled down the left side into a chasm so deep its bottom could not be seen, sending a cold sweat prickling across his skin.

Less than thirty meters ahead lay Dragon Claw Peak, yet this short stretch of mountain road felt to Qi Jun as interminable as a century.

The bandits had erected a watchtower on Dragon Claw Peak, manned by sentries who kept watch over the mountain and operated the winch to open the drawbridge.

Under cover of night and the sound of rain, Qi Jun approached the watchtower undetected. He pressed himself against the wall, ready to slip inside when the moment was right, but strange noises drifted out from within.

It was not the sound of bandits snoring, but rather the faint wailing of a woman.

Qi Jun paused, signaling the county soldiers to hide and stand by. He gently pulled open the door and slipped inside.

The sound grew clearer as he entered. Listening to the cries from upstairs, Qi Jun was certain it was a woman; interspersed with her sobs were the bandits’ grim laughter and curses.

He crept up the stairs, carefully placing his feet, and peered onto the second floor.

A young girl’s hands were tied to the bedpost. A bandit with a long scar across his back was straddling her, tearing at her clothes and cursing as he struck her.

Four other bandits stood around the bed, unmoved by her pitiful cries. They stared lecherously at the girl, one already fumbling to undo his belt.

The girl, knowing she could not escape her impending doom, could only plead helplessly and sob in humiliation. In such a remote mountain wilderness, who could possibly rescue her from this torment?

Yet when her desperate gaze fell upon Qi Jun, standing behind the bandits, hope suddenly blazed in her eyes.

Seeing that this scholar in a blue robe was not one of the bandits, she immediately looked to Qi Jun with pleading eyes, trembling as she cried out, “Please! Save me! Help me!”

Witnessing this scene, Qi Jun’s eyes flared with rage. The girl’s despair and the hope she placed in him seared deeply into his heart.

“This little wench sure can scream. Save your breath—soon enough, you’ll enjoy yourself…” The bandit straddling her was intent on stripping her, oblivious to her pleas for help. The other bandits paid no mind, dismissing her cries as futile despair.

A sharp twang! A crossbow bolt shot forth, piercing the head of the bandit atop the bed. Blood spurted out like a string of beads, splattering onto the terrified girl’s face.

The bandit’s body went limp, collapsing onto the girl, his face frozen in the final moment of death.

As the bandit fell, the girl screamed in terror, writhing desperately to dislodge the corpse. The other four bandits finally reacted, turning in panic and fury toward the assailant behind them.

One bandit at the rear spun around, just as Qi Jun lunged forward and stabbed him in the neck with a crossbow bolt before he could dodge.

The remaining three grabbed their blades and swung at Qi Jun. With no time to reload, Qi Jun ducked to the right, narrowly evading their attacks.

Missing their mark, the bandits raised their blades again. Qi Jun slipped aside, seized the nearest bandit’s wrist in a vice-like grip, twisted it, and pulled him in front to shield himself from the others’ blows.

The bandit in Qi Jun’s grasp screamed as his companions’ blades struck him, blood spraying across their faces.

Ignoring the blood, the two remaining bandits flanked Qi Jun and attacked. Qi Jun shoved the corpse to block one, and kicked the other’s wrist, sending his blade flying.

The bandit, stunned by the pain, instinctively reached for his fallen blade, but Qi Jun seized the opening and kicked him to the ground.

Qi Jun was about to finish him off when he sensed a sudden attack from behind. Instinctively, he rolled to the floor as a blade flashed overhead, narrowly missing his neck.

In one swift motion, Qi Jun flipped over and kicked the attacking bandit in the knee. As the bandit dropped to one knee, Qi Jun quickly turned to deal with the one he had kicked earlier.

That bandit had just risen to help his companion, but Qi Jun was faster, drawing a crossbow bolt and driving it into his heart with a dull thud.

With a shove, the bandit fell dead, eyes wide, into a pool of his own blood. Qi Jun turned to face the last bandit, calmly wiping the blood from his hands onto his clothes.

“Mercy! Please, spare me!” The last bandit, seeing four of his fellows defeated by this fearsome man, lost all will to fight. He collapsed to his knees, banging his head on the floor and begging for mercy.

Qi Jun glanced at him but paid no heed, turning instead toward the bound girl on the bed.

Seeing this, the bandit exhaled in relief, scrambled to his feet, and fled down the stairs.

Qi Jun knew the archers waiting outside would not let this one escape, so he had no need to pursue. He picked up a discarded garment and draped it over the girl, then untied the ropes binding her wrists.

Having witnessed Qi Jun dispatch five bandits single-handedly, the girl was still dazed with shock and terror. Only when her hands were freed and she saw the garment covering her did she feel herself returned to reality.

The garment belonged to the scarred bandit. The girl’s own clothes had been torn to shreds, so she hurriedly dressed herself, caring little for its origin—what was an enemy’s clothing compared to her dignity?

“Thank… thank you…” Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes as she whispered to Qi Jun, “Are you a messenger sent by the gods?”

“The gods?” Qi Jun was about to leave, but the question amused him. If everyone waited for the gods to save them from suffering, even the gods might tire and resign.

He shook his head, giving it no further thought. He had come to eliminate the bandits and open the drawbridge; rescuing the girl was merely incidental.

“You must be… I prayed for the gods to save me, and then you appeared…” The girl blushed, gazing at Qi Jun’s back.

“I’m here to suppress the bandits, not sent by the gods,” Qi Jun replied with a sigh, unable to spare more attention for this poor girl abducted by bandits. “Stay here for a while, someone will come to escort you down the mountain.”

“Wait!” The girl called after Qi Jun as he was about to leave.

Qi Jun felt impatient—his men were waiting outside, and Sun Jiu and the others awaited his signal. He did not want to linger.

“Sir, could you… save my sisters too?” The girl, grasping at her last hope, rose and knelt to plead.

“Your sisters?” Qi Jun stopped, realizing he might glean unexpected information from her.