I only reached the Foundation Establishment stage at eighty years old, and then the system appeared.

Although Yang Hongbo occupied a mountain stronghold, he didn't come here to become a bandit. He had soldiers, food, and plenty of silver. Why did he have to become a bandit?

Yang Hongbo divided the points he earned each day into three parts: one part was used to exchange for martial arts skills, one part was used to exchange for food, and one part was kept as a reserve.

Half a month later, there were already 5,000 third-rate martial artists and 5 second-rate martial artists in the stronghold. Yang Hongbo issued orders in the main hall of the stronghold.

"Yang Kuiyi, Yang Kui'er, Yang Kuisan, Yang Kuisi, and Yang Kuiwu, each of you five will lead a thousand men to thoroughly clean up the bandit strongholds within a thousand li of the imperial city."

"If you can make this place free of bandits within six months, I will exchange you for pills in the shop that can help you advance to the level of a first-class martial artist."

"Thank you for your kindness, Master! ✘5"

The five men each set off with their own thousand men. Yang Hongbo also exchanged for several second-rate martial artists and one first-rate martial artist.

He vividly remembered how his adoptive father had treated him!

Night fell, the moonlight was like water, but it could not extinguish the flames of revenge that were about to ignite in the mountain stronghold.

Yang Hongbo stood on the high platform in the center of the village, his eyes blazing as he looked into the distance at the brightly lit but sinister Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

In his heart, there was both resentment for past humiliations and determination for future revenge.

"Shadow Fiend," Yang Hongbo called softly, his voice carrying an undeniable authority, "you are my newly acquired first-rate martial artist, with superb skills. Tonight, I have an important task for you."

Shadow Fiend, a tall and slender man with a cold and stern face, knelt on one knee with a firm gaze: "Master, if you have any orders, Shadow Fiend will obey even at the cost of his life."

"Alright," Yang Hongbo nodded in satisfaction. "I need you to infiltrate the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion and rescue a dancer named Wu Mei. She once saved my life. You must be careful and ensure her safety."

Ying Sha nodded slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Rest assured, Master, Ying Sha will certainly live up to your expectations."

"Furthermore," Yang Hongbo's tone shifted, becoming colder, "after rescuing Wu Mei, I want you to lead a few second-rate martial artists to carry out a series of harassing operations against the Prince's mansion. No innocent people need to be harmed, but the goal is to create widespread fear and sleepless nights throughout the mansion."

"Yes, Master." Shadow Demon accepted the order and vanished into the night in a flash.

Yang Hongbo turned around and looked at the several second-rate martial artists beside him. They were Feng Xing, Lei Dong, Yun Yin, and Wu Suo, all of whom were skilled and had their own specialties.

"Windwalker, you excel at speed. Tonight, you will infiltrate the palace with Shadow Fiend and be responsible for providing support and relaying information."

"Lei Dong, your strength is amazing. You are responsible for making noise around the Prince's mansion to attract the guards' attention and create opportunities for Ying Sha and the others."

"Yunyin, you are skilled in the art of concealment. You are responsible for monitoring the movements within the Prince's residence. Report any changes immediately."

"Mistlock, you are skilled in using concealed weapons. You are responsible for providing remote support when necessary and ensuring the safety of Shadow Fiend and his men."

The four warriors responded in unison and went to prepare.

Soon after, Ying Sha quietly returned with Feng Xing, followed by a woman dressed in plain clothes with a pretty but slightly haggard face—it was Wu Mei.

"Master, Miss Wu Mei has been safely rescued," Ying Sha reported in a low voice.

Yang Hongbo quickly stepped forward, gently took Wu Mei's hand, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Aunt Wu, you've suffered so much. From now on, with me here, no one will dare to bully you again."

Wu Mei smiled slightly, tears glistening in her eyes: "Hongbo, you've made something of yourself. Seeing you like this now, I can die in peace."

"Aunt Wu, what are you saying?" Yang Hongbo quickly comforted her. "I will never forget your great kindness. Starting tonight, I will make that Prince Zhenbei's mansion pay the price."

With that, Yang Hongbo turned to Ying Sha and the others: "The operation begins. Windwalker, Thunderclap, Cloud Concealment, and Mist Lock, you will accompany Ying Sha and be sure to follow the plan."

The five men accepted the order and disappeared into the night once again.

Inside the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, the lights were bright, yet an uneasy atmosphere could not be concealed. Ever since Ying Sha and his group infiltrated the mansion, a series of strange events had begun to occur.

First, a loud noise suddenly came from the back garden, as if something heavy had fallen, which attracted the guards to go and check, but they found nothing.

Immediately afterwards, several sounds of hidden weapons whistling through the air came from outside the study, which frightened the Prince of Zhenbei so much that he hurriedly hid in a secret room and did not dare to come out for a long time.

What made everyone in the Prince's mansion even more uneasy was that every night, several servants would mysteriously disappear.

Some of these missing servants disappeared suddenly while on patrol, while others were abducted while they were asleep in their rooms. Without exception, no trace of them could be found.

The Prince of Zhenbei was furious and ordered the defense of his palace to be strengthened, with increased patrols and personnel. He even invited several martial arts masters to oversee the operation.

However, all of this seemed to be in vain, and disappearances continued to occur frequently.

"Your Highness, this can't go on," an advisor said worriedly. "The enemy has clearly come prepared. Our passive defense will only embolden them."

The Prince of Zhenbei frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "You're right. We must take the initiative, find the mastermind behind this, and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"But we don't even know who the other side is, so how can we take the initiative?" another strategist asked.

The Prince of Zhenbei sneered: "Hmph, no matter who the other party is, anyone who dares to provoke us will have to pay the price."

"Issue my order: conduct a city-wide manhunt for suspicious individuals, especially those who have recently appeared in the underworld. Once discovered, arrest them immediately and interrogate them thoroughly."

However, the orders from the Prince of Zhenbei had little effect. Ying Sha and his men moved like ghosts, appearing and disappearing without a trace, giving the Prince's residence no chance to capture them.

As the days passed, the atmosphere in the Prince's mansion grew increasingly tense. The Prince of Zhenbei was tormented by these strange events, unable to eat or sleep, and his temper became increasingly volatile.

However, in Yang Hongbo's mountain stronghold, the scene was quite different. Wu Mei's arrival added warmth and joy to the village.

She was not only skilled in singing and dancing, but also proficient in medicine. She often treated the wounded in the mountain village and was deeply loved by everyone.

Yang Hongbo would spend time with Wu Mei every day, listening to her recount her past experiences in the Prince's Mansion.

Whenever Yang Hongbo hears about how his mother was tortured to death by the princess, he clenches his fists, his eyes flashing with hatred.

"Aunt Wu, don't worry," Yang Hongbo said firmly, "I will definitely avenge my mother and make my cheap father pay the price he deserves."

Wu Mei gently shook her head: "Hongbo, revenge is important, but you must be careful. Your father is extremely powerful and not so easy to deal with."

Yang Hongbo smiled slightly: "Aunt Wu, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Right now, I'm just letting him experience the pain of losing a loved one. When the time is right, I'll let him know the consequences of disrespecting me, Yang Hongbo."

Several more months passed. The disappearances within the Prince of Zhenbei's residence continued unabated, even escalating. The Prince of Zhenbei was overwhelmed by these events daily, yet utterly helpless.

Meanwhile, Yang Hongbo's stronghold grew stronger and stronger. He not only used his points to exchange for more warriors and food, but also began training his own army and forging weapons, preparing to one day confront the Prince of Zhenbei.

On this day, Ying Sha suddenly came to Yang Hongbo and whispered, "Master, we have discovered a secret of the Prince of Zhenbei."

Yang Hongbo's eyes lit up: "Oh? What secret?"

Ying Sha smiled slightly: "Every year, the Prince of Zhenbei secretly travels to a secluded manor to meet with a mysterious figure. We suspect that this mysterious figure has a close relationship with the Prince of Zhenbei's power."

After a moment of contemplation, Yang Hongbo said, "Alright, Ying Sha, continue to monitor the movements of the Prince of Zhenbei. Report immediately if you discover that he has gone to that manor again."

"Yes, Master." Shadow Fiend accepted the order and left.

Not long after, Shadow Demon brought another message: "Master, the Prince of Zhenbei has already set off for that manor."

A sharp glint flashed in Yang Hongbo's eyes: "Good, the opportunity has come. Shadow Fiend, Wind Walker, Thunderclap, Cloud Concealment, Mist Lock, you will come with me. I want to meet that mysterious figure in person."

The six men accepted their orders and quietly left the mountain stronghold, heading towards the manor where the Prince of Zhenbei was headed. A contest of revenge and revelation was about to begin...