Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 57 Rescue

The night was as dark as ink, and the mountain wind swirled mist through the forest. Black Wind Ridge, fifty miles west of Xiangyang City, lay like a lurking beast nestled among the mountains. Su Yan and Su Ye, dressed in sleek night-time gear, moved swiftly through the dense forest, their toes barely touching the withered branches and decaying leaves.

Two hours before dawn, the fog in the forest grew thicker, providing the two with perfect natural cover.

"We'll be at the foot of the mountain in three li. As Zhou Cheng said, there's a sentry post every hundred zhang."

Su Ye whispered, her sharp gaze sweeping across the dense forest ahead, her fingertips already gripping three bone-piercing hidden weapons. This was a method of generating hidden weapons that she had discovered by chance when she used the Flying Willow Force to launch willow leaves; it was not only silent but also incredibly powerful.

She knew that the bandits of Black Wind Ridge were extremely vigilant, and that the outposts on the perimeter, though weak in martial arts, were most likely to ruin important matters.

Su Yan nodded, slowed his pace, and suppressed his aura to its extreme.

Using the fog as cover, the two quietly approached the first sentry post.

The bandit was dozing behind a large tree, the dagger at his waist clanging, completely unaware that death was approaching. Su Ye flicked his wrist, and a bone-piercing nail silently struck his sleeping acupoint. The bandit groaned and collapsed to the ground, where Su Yan dragged him into the bushes to hide.

Following the same method, the two successively eliminated three outer sentries and successfully reached the foot of Black Wind Ridge.

The mountain path ahead was narrow and steep, with sheer cliffs on both sides. The outline of the village gate could be vaguely seen in the mist, and the black flag hanging there fluttered in the wind.

"There must be bandits patrolling both sides of the main road. According to Zhou Cheng, the coded message is 'Black Wolf Howling at the Moon,' which is interpreted as 'May wealth flow in.'"

Su Yan took out the Black Iron Wolf Token and held it in his palm.

"We'll split up and use a secret signal when we encounter bandits patrolling the mountain. We'll meet up at the big rock halfway up the mountain."

Su Ye nodded, and in a flash, he disappeared into the bushes beside the mountain path.

Su Yan then gathered his strength and leaped up the mountain path. He had only gone halfway when he saw four bandits carrying lanterns coming towards him. The lantern light illuminated their bare chests and backs, and the swords at their waists gleamed coldly.

"Halt! Who goes up the mountain so late at night?"

The bandit leader shouted angrily, his hand on the hilt of his knife, his eyes wary.

Su Yan calmly took out the Black Wolf Token and said in a deep voice.

"Black Wolf Howls at the Moon".

Upon seeing the token and hearing the coded signal, the four bandits' wariness vanished considerably. The leader grinned. "So you're one of us! Master Xu is going up the mountain, and the boss specifically ordered us to increase patrols. Brother, are you here to deliver a message?"

"By order of the Xu family patriarch, I have come ahead of time to inform the chief that the second master will arrive tomorrow."

Su Yan spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping over the four men, silently noting their positions and weapons. "How is the security inside the stronghold?"

"Hey, who's got the guts to come and trespass on our village?"

One of the bandits said casually.

"Xu Jiagang just gave us a reward and some good wine, and the brothers are drinking it now. Only the Hall of Righteousness is still guarded."

Su Yan took the opportunity to inquire further.

"That girl from the Wang family, she didn't cause any trouble, did she?"

"How dare we cause trouble! We behaved ourselves after being knocked unconscious by the chief and are locked in a side room in the back village, guarded by four brothers."

Another bandit laughed.

"But that girl is really beautiful. After Second Master has had his fill of her, he might just give her to the brothers to have some fun with."

Su Yan remained calm and nodded.

"I need to see the chief immediately. Lead the way."

The bandits, unsuspecting, led Su Yan into the mountain stronghold. When they reached a large rock halfway up the mountain, Su Yan caught a glimpse of Su Ye following them out of the corner of his eye. Taking advantage of the moment he turned around, he lightly tapped his fingertip, instantly knocking four bandits unconscious and causing them to collapse to the ground.

Meanwhile, in the back room of the village, Wang Xingyi slowly opened his eyes.

After being washed and dressed in coarse cloth, her hair was simply tied up, and the dust on her face had been washed away, but it couldn't hide the haggardness and despair in her eyes. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a bed and a table, and the doors and windows were firmly locked.

The door opened, and an elderly woman with gray hair and a withered face walked in carrying a bowl of thin porridge. Her tone was flat, almost indifferent. "Young lady, have some porridge. No matter what, you have to stay alive first."

Wang Xingyi turned her head away, remaining silent. Her tears had long since dried, leaving only endless regret and guilt in her heart. She thought of the two maids, and the way they had shielded her, and her heart ached as if it were being torn apart.

The old woman placed the porridge on the table and sighed. "Your two maids are still locked in the dungeon."

She paused, her voice extremely low.

"Life in the dungeon is worse than death; they... probably won't survive."

Wang Xingyi trembled, then abruptly looked up at the old woman, her eyes filled with pleading, "They're still alive, aren't they? Please, save them!"

The old woman shook her head, her expression complex.

"I'm just a cook, how could I possibly save anyone? Girl, don't expect anyone to come to your rescue. Black Wind Ridge is an impregnable fortress; even the government doesn't dare to interfere. What trouble could a merchant's daughter like you possibly cause?"

She looked at Wang Xingyi, her tone carrying a hint of persuasion.

"That Master Xu is incredibly powerful. If you know what's good for you, serve him well, and you might even get a title. That's better than dying in this mountain stronghold. If you insist on resisting, you might not even leave with a whole corpse."

"I'd rather die than serve that villain!"

Wang Xingyi gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes. She hated Xu Chengye, hated the one-eyed dragon, and hated her own arrogance and ignorance even more. If it weren't for her, the guard wouldn't have died, and the maid wouldn't have been humiliated.

Even so, she would never bow down to these bandits.

Seeing this, the old woman said no more, shook her head and left the room, locking the door behind her.

Wang Xingyi curled up in the corner of the bed, her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She recalled the Quanzhen Sword Technique that her Taoist master had taught her, and the tragic deaths of the guards in her home who had tried to protect her. A strong will to survive surged within her.

She can't die. She has to get out of here alive, avenge those uncles and elders, and seek justice for Xiaoying and Xiaoqing!

Outside the room, Su Yan and Su Ye had already quietly approached.

"The four guards at the back of the village were all drinking at the entrance of the side room, showing extremely low vigilance."

Su Ye whispered, her fingers gripping a hidden weapon, "I'll take care of the guards; you sneak into the room and rescue them."

Su Yan nodded, quickly calculating in his mind: After rescuing Wang Xingyi, he needed to immediately go to the dungeon to rescue the maid, then place the hostage in a safe place, and then return to the Hall of Righteousness to restrain the one-eyed man, waiting for the soldiers to arrive before launching a pincer attack. He said to Su Ye, "After dealing with the guards, you guard the entrance to the side room. I will take Wang Xingyi to the dungeon to rescue the people. Go quickly and return quickly, and do not linger in battle."

"clear."

Su Ye moved like a ghost, his fingertips wielding hidden weapons with pinpoint accuracy. Before the four guards could react, they had already collapsed and lost consciousness.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Yan stepped forward and lightly tapped the door lock with his fingertip. The wooden door opened with a click. He pushed the door open and saw Wang Xingyi curled up in the corner of the bed. The girl looked haggard, but her eyes held a hint of stubbornness and wariness.

"Miss Wang, I am Su Yan, a disciple of Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen Sect. I have come to rescue you at the request of Daoist Sun Bu'er."

Su Yan spoke in a calm tone, trying her best to appear gentle.

"There's no time to lose, come with me!"

Wang Xingyi looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with shock. Although she knew her Taoist master was a member of the Quanzhen Sect, she never imagined that someone from the Quanzhen Sect would come to her rescue. For a moment, she was unable to react.

"Your maids are still in the dungeon; we must rescue them immediately!"

Su Yan looked back.

Wang Xingyi finally came to her senses, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes, but they were no longer tears of despair, but rather tears of hope for survival. Trembling, she reached out and tightly grasped Su Yan's sleeve, and followed him out of the room.