Chapter 28: Breaking Through at the Crucial Moment

At dawn, as the sun rose, the heavy stench of blood was swept away, and Golden Sands Valley returned to its usual tranquility. Many had perished through the night—those bandits who had dared to invade were either slain or captured. Yet, the defenders too had suffered grievous losses. The faction led by Qian Wen, driven by profit, was almost uprooted entirely. Still, when sunlight crested the valley, order once again enveloped Golden Sands, and the chaos many had feared failed to materialize.

Jiang Chen had, in truth, prepared for this day long in advance. His aim was not mere destruction, but the capacity to seize Golden Sands Valley in its entirety. The events of the previous night were both an invasion and a cleansing. Zhao Meng had lured the Desert Bandits to plunder Golden Sands, hoping to erase all traces of his embezzlement of the gold sand. Jiang Chen, seizing the opportunity, intended to swallow up the valley and rid it of those who needed to be purged, making Golden Sands Valley wholly his own.

On the southern slope, within a quiet courtyard, Jiang Chen carefully examined the spoils before him. These had been taken from three Desert Bandits: aside from the signature sand masks, there were their weapons and carried medicines—no silver notes nor secret manuals were found.

At that moment, Thin Monkey entered, his body weary but his spirit elated.

"Chief, all matters have been dealt with. Also, Xiong Li is dead—he died in bed. Qian Wen, skilled in the arts of poison, laced the little concubine with venom and thus claimed Xiong Li’s life."

Lowering his head, Thin Monkey could not help but sigh at the mention of Xiong Li. Lust and greed are desires common to all, let alone those living the lives of bandits. In his eyes, coveting money and women was nothing unusual—he too had been tempted before. Yet he had greater faith in Jiang Chen’s extraordinary future, and so had staked everything on him, suppressing his own desires.

Xiong Li was different. He failed to read the situation clearly and perished on his bed, in a woman’s arms, at the edge of dawn.

Jiang Chen’s expression remained unchanged at the news of Xiong Li’s death.

"What is Wang Yuan doing?"

Turning to Thin Monkey, Jiang Chen shifted the subject.

"Chief, Wang Yuan is still in the dungeon and has yet to come out. Shall I fetch him? After all, Qian Wen held much information—it would be a shame to let him die just like that."

Thin Monkey glanced furtively at Jiang Chen’s face, his awe for the chief having deepened further after last night’s ordeal.

After a brief pause, Jiang Chen shook his head.

"No need. Let him vent for now—he has indeed earned some merit this time. As for Qian Wen, it matters little if he is dead; all that needed to be known, I already know."

"But once he emerges, go find him and have him promptly arrange the accounts. That’s his forte, after all."

Jiang Chen’s words were calm; his decision was firm.

Thin Monkey bowed in response.

"Chief, now that Golden Sands Valley is entirely under our control, no real trouble should arise. However, after such a ruckus last night, it’s impossible to keep word from spreading. How should we explain matters to Muyu Island?"

A trace of concern crossed Thin Monkey’s face as he voiced his greatest worry—he truly did not wish for misfortune to befall Jiang Chen.

"Send someone with this sand mask to Muyu Island. Say that Qian Wen conspired with the Desert Bandits to loot Golden Sands Valley."

Jiang Chen handed Thin Monkey the sand mask that had belonged to Li San the Swift Sword, his meaning clear.

The realization dawned on Thin Monkey.

Soon after, word spread to Muyu Island: Qian Wen had colluded with the Desert Bandits to plunder Golden Sands, leaving the valley stripped of its gold sand and its people devastated. The bandit community was thrown into an uproar.

"When the valley was on the verge of being overrun by the Desert Bandits, Jiang Wang broke through, stepped into the first rank, repelled the bandits, and saved Golden Sands. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was reading a storybook."

In a courtyard, Deputy Chief Zhou Quan smiled as he read the message handed to him.

Seeing his reaction, several subordinates exchanged glances.

"Deputy Chief, do you think this is mere coincidence, or is there something more behind it?" one of the bandits asked, directing his gaze at Zhou Quan.

Zhou Quan shook his head.

"I don’t know, nor does it matter. Jiang Wang had someone deliver a sand mask, and now that the third boss is missing, it’s almost certain Qian Wen really did collude with the Desert Bandits. As for when Jiang Wang broke through, only he could say."

"Whether he was hiding his strength or it was coincidence, it’s for the chief to handle, not us. Our job is to keep our heads down. I know now that the third boss has fallen, his enterprises are up for grabs, and you all want a piece. I won’t stop you, but mind your manners. This concerns the third boss—there’s no way the chief will ignore it. If you provoke his displeasure, hmph..."

Zhou Quan’s eyes swept over the gathered men, offering them a pointed warning.

As for Jiang Chen’s supposed breakthrough in the midst of battle, Zhou Quan was skeptical. Such tales circulated in the martial world, but most often, the supposed breakthroughs were merely those who had long hidden their true strength. Genuine breakthroughs in the heat of combat were exceedingly rare.

At the mention of the chief, a shiver ran through the hearts of all present. They were veterans of the River-Roving Bandits and knew all too well the chief’s fearsome reputation—he was a true butcher.

As Zhou Quan had predicted, the matter quickly drew Iron Butcher’s attention. He hurried back to Muyu Island from afar because of it.

"Desert Bandits—so the third boss really did have ties with them."

Within a warm chamber, Iron Butcher lounged grandly at the head seat, a sand mask in hand, casting a wide shadow across the floor.

He had already suspected Zhao Meng of embezzling the gold sand and had promoted a fourth boss to oversee Golden Sands Valley as a warning to Zhao Meng. He had hoped this would curb Zhao Meng’s behavior, but instead, the man had grown ever more reckless.

"The Desert Bandits are truly formidable, their network deeply entwined. Even the officials of Southern Jing cannot wipe them out entirely. No matter how many are slain, as long as there is demand, new bandits will rise."

"It seems the third boss used the Desert Bandits to connect with certain people, hoping to amass wealth and secure his own future. Pity he never realized that, in the eyes of those people, a mere warrior like him is nothing. In the end, all his efforts were likely in vain."

Thinking of Zhao Meng, Iron Butcher could not help but sigh.

He had taught Zhao Meng the Seven Wounds Fist for two reasons: first, because Zhao Meng was bold and resolute, and his temperament suited the technique; second, the Seven Wounds Fist developed combat power quickly, apt for those late to martial training like Zhao Meng. He had made Zhao Meng fully aware of the technique’s drawbacks at the time.

Back then, Zhao Meng had cared little for future consequences, saying, "Without the present, what future is there? Better to live fiercely for eight or nine years than to muddle along for decades." Yet, when the time came, his thinking changed.

"That haul of gold sand must have already been taken by the third boss. Recovering it will not be easy. But there’s something odd about all this: the third boss made no arrangements for his wife and children, nor did his enterprises show any movement. It seems less like careful planning and more like a spur-of-the-moment decision. Even the people I had stationed beforehand served no purpose."

"Moreover, Jiang Wang’s performance was beyond my expectations. Though I gave him the Tiger-Leopard Pill, his breakthrough was still too swift. Could he truly be a martial prodigy?"

Staring through the window towards Golden Sands Valley, Iron Butcher fell into deep thought.