Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 59 Slaughtering the Bandits

Su Yan said in a deep voice and went inside first.

Wang Xingyi followed closely behind, her heart filled with anxiety and trepidation. She didn't know if the two maids who had been with her since childhood were still alive. The dungeon was dark and damp, the flickering candlelight reflecting the horrific scenes in the cells on either side, making her shiver involuntarily.

Finally, in the deepest cell, she saw the two maids. They were still tied to the wooden chairs, almost naked, covered in wounds, barely breathing, and already unconscious.

"Xiaoying! Xiaoqing!"

Wang Xingyi screamed in anguish, tears welling up in her eyes again. She rushed to the cell door, wanting to go in, but was blocked by the cell door.

Su Yan stepped forward, cleaved open the prison door lock with a single sword strike, found two tattered outer robes, handed them to Wang Xingyi, and gestured for Wang Xingyi to go inside.

"They are still breathing, but their injuries are too severe and they need to be treated as soon as possible."

Wang Xingyi rushed to the maids' side, covered them with her outer robe, and gently stroked their cheeks, tears falling.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I'm the one who hurt you all—"

Su Yan stepped forward, pressed the acupoints of the two maids to temporarily stop their pain, and said, "This place is not safe to stay for long. I will take them out first and find a safe place to settle them. We will ask a doctor to treat them after the soldiers arrive."

Wang Xingyi nodded repeatedly, carefully helped the two maids up, and with Su Yan's help, walked towards the outside of the dungeon.

At this moment, the soldiers below the mountain had already seen the signal flare and were rushing towards Black Wind Ridge.

The moment the red signal flare exploded over Black Wind Ridge, the three hundred soldiers who had been gathered and waiting at the foot of the mountain rushed up the mountain path like tigers descending the mountain.

The remaining bandits in front of the village gate were already in a state of panic because One-Eyed Dragon had been crippled. When they saw the government soldiers charging towards them with swords and spears, they immediately lost the courage to resist. Some threw down their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy, while others tried to escape along the cliff face, but were shot down one by one by the archers who had already set up defenses, and fell into the abyss.

"Kill! Leave no resisting enemy alive!"

At the commander's order, the soldiers swarmed forward, smashing open the dilapidated gate. The bandits inside, leaderless and mostly still indulging in revelry, were caught off guard and surrounded by government troops. Screams erupted...

Cries for mercy rose and fell. A few who resisted were quickly killed by the well-trained soldiers, their blood staining the cobblestone path of the mountain stronghold.

Su Yan was helping two unconscious maids out of the dungeon, followed by a tearful Wang Xingyi. Hearing the sounds of fighting ahead, he felt a little calmer and said to Su Ye, "The government troops have already stormed the stronghold. You stay here and look after Miss Wang and the maids. I'll go to the front to provide support and prevent the bandits from making a desperate move and harming innocent people."

Su Ye nodded, took out some medicine from her bosom, and handed it to Wang Xingyi.

"Give them some basic first aid. I'll stay here and no one will dare to disturb them."

Wang Xingyi took the medicine, her fingertips trembling as she carefully wiped the blood from the maid's body. The girl curled up beside the maid, crying her heart out. Her former arrogance and willfulness had vanished, leaving only deep self-blame and pain.

"It's too late for regrets now."

Su Yan's tone was calm, yet it carried a hint of comfort.

"You are fortunate to have survived and to have recognized your mistakes. You should practice martial arts diligently and cultivate a righteous mind. If you can use your skills to protect others, that will be a way of repaying them."

After speaking, he turned and walked towards the Hall of Righteousness. The Hall of Righteousness had already been occupied by government troops, and the remaining bandits had all been captured; several bodies of those who had resisted lay on the ground. The military advisor leading the group saw Su Yan approaching and quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"Master Su, the mountain stronghold has been basically wiped out. The remaining bandits have either been captured or executed; none have escaped!"

"It's tough being a soldier."

Su Yan nodded.

"Please send men to search all parts of the stronghold, especially the study in the Hall of Righteousness and the residence of the One-Eyed Dragon, and make sure to find all evidence of the Xu family's collusion with the bandits. Also, please send men to bury the body of the Wang family's bodyguard at Shilipo outside the city and comfort the surviving family members."

"Rest assured, Master, I'll arrange it right away!"

The soldier immediately accepted the order and instructed his men to split up and carry out their tasks.

Before long, several soldiers found an iron box in the one-eyed man's residence and quickly walked up to Su Yan.

"Master, these were found in the bandit leader's room; there were many letters and account books inside!"

Su Yan took the iron box, opened it, and found that it contained letters between the Xu family and Black Wind Ridge, as well as an account book recording the distribution of the embezzled funds. In the letters, Xu Zhenghong repeatedly instructed One-Eyed Dragon to rob merchants who opposed him, suppress competitors, and even explicitly demanded that One-Eyed Dragon kidnap Wang Xingyi to retaliate against the Wang family for their refusal.

The ledger detailed the distribution of the loot from each robbery, with the Xu family and Black Wind Ridge each receiving half, a staggering amount.

"The evidence is irrefutable."

Su Yan carefully put away the iron box, a cold smile playing on his lips. With these letters and account books, along with Zhou Cheng's previous confession and account books, the Xu family's crimes of colluding with bandits and committing evil deeds were undeniable, and no matter how they tried to deny it, they had no way to refute it.

On the other side, Wang Xingyi had already treated the wounds of the two maids. Perhaps it was the effect of the medicine, or perhaps it was because they heard the commotion outside, but the two maids slowly opened their eyes and weakly called out after seeing Wang Xingyi.

"Miss----"

"Xiaoying! Xiaoqing! You're awake!"

Overjoyed, Wang Xingyi wept and held their hands tightly.

"I'm so sorry, it's all my fault for making you suffer so much!"

"Miss, it's not your fault—"

The maid named Xiaoying shook her head weakly, her eyes filled with lingering fear.

"It's already a miracle that Miss was able to escape unscathed."

At this moment, Lin Wenyan, the prefect of Xiangyang, had also arrived at the mountain stronghold. Looking at the bandits who had been wiped out and the stolen money and evidence that had been seized, he showed a look of satisfaction and cupped his hands to Su Yan.

"Master Su, thanks to your and Miss Su's help, we were able to wipe out the bandits of Black Wind Ridge in one fell swoop and rid the people of this scourge!"

"You flatter me, sir. This is a matter between the government and the Quanzhen Sect."

Su Yan returned the greeting.

"The bandit leader, One-Eyed Dragon, has been crippled in martial arts. All the captured bandits are here. Please take them back to Xiangyang prison and punish them severely according to the law. In addition, these letters and account books are irrefutable evidence of the collusion between the Xu family and the bandits. Please keep them safe for future use in settling accounts with the Xu family."

"Rest assured, Taoist priest!"

Lin Wenyan said in a deep voice.

"The one-eyed man and these bandits have committed numerous evils. I will deal with them according to the law and show them no leniency!"

He immediately ordered that the one-eyed man and the more than fifty captured bandits be shackled and taken back to the Xiangyang prison. At the same time, he arranged for people to register and properly store the stolen money and goods. In addition, he specially dispatched a team of soldiers to bury the body of Wang's guards at Ganlipo outside the city.

Afterwards, several soldiers carefully helped the two maids and escorted Wang Xingyi down the mountain.

Wang Xingyi glanced back at Black Wind Ridge stronghold, her eyes filled with complex emotions. This was her nightmare, but it had also brought her to her senses, making her realize her past foolishness and ignorance.

Lin Wenyan walked up to Su Yan and spoke solemnly.

"Master Su, the matter at Black Wind Ridge is settled. I will immediately order the search and confiscation of the Xu residence and the arrest of Xu Zhenghong and his son. I request that you and Miss Su remain in Xiangyang to assist me."

"Don't worry, sir, we will stay."

Su Yan nodded in agreement.

"The Xu family's influence is deeply entrenched, and there may be unforeseen changes. With us here, we can ensure that nothing goes wrong."

As the sun set, its golden rays bathed Black Wind Ridge stronghold, dispelling the gloom and bloodshed of the past. Soldiers were clearing the battlefield, while in the distance, the cheers of the people, who had learned that the bandits had been wiped out, could be heard.