Chapter Fourteen: Political Power Grows Out of the Barrel of a Gun

The situation was urgent—every second meant a life could be saved. Xiao Fei had no time to think; he wrapped Qin Tianbao’s torn clothing around his chest once more and, summoning every ounce of his strength, dragged him up to safety.

"Uncle, be careful," Liu Susu called out, quickly reaching to steady Xiao Fei.

"Sister-in-law, stay here and watch over this sissy. Hide behind that boulder and whatever happens, don’t come out," Xiao Fei instructed her.

"Don’t worry, uncle. I won’t move a muscle," Liu Susu replied.

Xiao Fei hurried off toward the other side, firing several shots at the retreating soldiers. His aim was to create a diversion, but his true target was the high-hatted man shielded by the soldiers. To capture the kingpin first, that was always the right move.

After Xiao Fei left, Liu Susu kept vigil over Qin Tianbao, hiding behind a large rock. Suddenly, her gaze landed on Qin Tianbao’s chest. As a woman herself, Liu Susu understood women’s bodies more intimately. Qin Tianbao’s upper garments had been torn open, and a bullet had grazed his left shoulder, leaving a bleeding wound. Liu Susu gently lifted the blood-soaked cloth, intending to bandage him—and to confirm her suspicions.

Sure enough, as she unwrapped the coarse cloth around Qin Tianbao’s chest, Liu Susu was stunned. That was no “bun” at all, but rather a woman’s most prominent curves.

"So, the fourth chief is a woman! No wonder he spoke in that soft, delicate voice and had such fair, smooth skin," Liu Susu thought to herself. It was clear that Qin Tianbao disguised herself as a man for convenience.

Worried that Qin Tianbao might feel embarrassed upon waking to find her chest bindings disturbed, Liu Susu quickly wrapped them back in place. She tore a strip from her own clothing and bandaged the wound.

Perhaps from the pain, Qin Tianbao groaned awake. Seeing Liu Susu tending to her injury, she was startled and instinctively covered her chest.

Liu Susu, understanding without a word, did not reveal the secret. She spoke softly, "Fourth Chief, you’re injured. I’ve bandaged you up. Please rest now."

"You... you did the bandaging?" Qin Tianbao asked awkwardly.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Liu Susu replied deliberately.

"Oh, no, nothing," Qin Tianbao faltered, afraid to give herself away, and said no more.

"Who would have thought the Second Chief was a traitor? If not for my uncle discovering it in time and rescuing you, the consequences would have been dreadful," Liu Susu said with pride.

"By the way, where’s that scoundrel Zhao Erkui?" Only now did Qin Tianbao remember she’d been betrayed by the spy.

"Don’t worry, Fourth Chief. My uncle has already taken care of him."

"Hmph, letting him die so easily is too good for him. If it were up to me, I’d have him drawn and quartered!" Qin Tianbao spat.

Liu Susu almost retorted, "What ‘me’? You’re clearly a woman," but, fearing to embarrass Qin Tianbao by exposing her, she kept silent.

By now, the gunfire on the mountain was even more intense. It was clear the brothers above were signaling each other and had begun their descent for support. As Xiao Fei predicted, faced with ambushes on all sides and no escape, the soldiers retreated onto the narrow mountain path. Their leader, confronted with this predicament, was at a loss.

At that moment, Xiao Fei made a snap decision. Noting that few eyes were on him, he activated the Thunderwing. In a flash, he was behind the enemy commander. Xiao Fei had observed for some time—this man was guarded by at least five soldiers; a sneak attack seemed impossible. But Xiao Fei took the risk, relying on the incredible speed of the Thunderwing to dart in.

The soldiers guarding the officer barely had time to react; it was as if a fierce eagle swooped down from the heavens, snatching the officer like a chick in its talons. This officer was Hu Changqing, commander of the First Regiment under General Hu Baiwan of Jiangning’s anti-bandit forces, and Hu Baiwan’s own nephew. He was in his forties, a veteran of over a hundred battles, having faced all manner of foes, but never anything like today.

Hu Changqing was seized by Xiao Fei, the wind whistling in his ears. He didn’t realize that he wasn’t simply being held—he was tucked beneath a pair of wings. To avoid being discovered, Xiao Fei concealed the Thunderwing as soon as they landed safely, so no one saw his wings.

"Who are you?" Hu Changqing asked, remarkably composed.

"Your executioner," Xiao Fei replied, pressing a pistol to the back of Hu Changqing’s head.

"Hmph, do as you will. But may I at least know the name of the man who’ll kill me?" Hu Changqing inquired.

"Hah, I never hide my name—Xiao Fei!" Xiao Fei answered truthfully.

"Xiao Fei? Forgive my ignorance. From which mountain stronghold do you hail? Judging by your bearing, you’re not from Azure Dragon Mountain, are you?" Hu Changqing ventured.

"Heh, you needn’t concern yourself with that. All you must know is that today is your last day," Xiao Fei said coldly.

"Wait," Hu Changqing said, studying Xiao Fei’s youthful face. "You can’t be more than twenty, yet you wield such power. But how did you come to this—living as a bandit and bringing harm to the people?"

"I can’t stand you self-righteous officials. What makes you say I harm the people? When have you seen me murder or set fires?" Xiao Fei retorted.

"Well... perhaps you haven’t, but those bandits of Azure Dragon Mountain—"

"Then let me ask you, when did you see any of my brothers harming anyone?"

"That..." Hu Changqing was speechless. He had only just arrived in Jiangning and knew little about the local situation, hearing only what his uncle, Hu Baiwan, had told him.

Hu Changqing continued, "As a soldier, my duty is to obey orders. The General has decreed the destruction of Azure Dragon Mountain and the rescue of abducted girls."

"Rubbish! Your so-called general is a traitor to our nation—don’t you know that?" Xiao Fei shot back.

"Don’t insult my uncle!" Hu Changqing protested, struggling.

Xiao Fei jabbed him hard with the pistol. "Fool! All you know is to obey orders. Have you ever investigated the truth for yourself?"

Humiliated, Hu Changqing said, "A gentleman may be killed but not humiliated. Kill me if you must."

"Idiot! If I wanted you dead, would you still be alive?"

"Then what do you want?" Hu Changqing asked.

"Order your men to lay down their weapons and surrender. From now on, they’ll follow my orders alone," Xiao Fei said.

Xiao Fei had already calculated his next move. Since he’d arrived in this chaotic era, he must make his mark. In these warlord times, with battles raging everywhere, power came with soldiers. Why recruit his own when he could take ready-made troops? These soldiers were well-trained, far superior to bandits.

Hearing this, Hu Changqing laughed aloud. "What a joke! Ridiculous! Why should I obey you?"

"For this," Xiao Fei said, pointing down the mountain.

With their commander captured, the soldiers below were leaderless and thrown into chaos. Meanwhile, Zhang Zhixiang, the third chief of Azure Dragon Mountain, led his men down to join forces with the first chief, Zhen Sanjiang. Xiao Fei swiftly outlined his plan to attack Hu Changqing’s forces from both flanks. Hearing it, Hu Changqing couldn’t help but shudder, worried for his men yet secretly amazed at Xiao Fei’s military acumen at such a young age.

"Well? Are you afraid now? If you accept my terms, I’ll let you and your men go free," Xiao Fei continued.

"Hmph, a true man would rather die than be humiliated. We’d sooner be killed than captured. I believe my men would understand my reasons," Hu Changqing declared.

To be honest, Xiao Fei was beginning to admire Hu Changqing’s spirit, but he wasn’t ready to give up. "Do you have pig’s brains? Think—being captured by the enemy is one thing, but who is the enemy? Those who invade our sovereignty, seize our interests, harm our people—those are the real enemies. We are all compatriots of the Chinese nation. Why slaughter each other? Now, with warlords fighting and the people suffering, and foreign powers like Japan, Germany, America, and Britain repeatedly infringing on our sovereignty, you soldiers attack your own people instead of the invaders. Does your medal sit well on your shoulder? The great revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen once said: Expel the invaders, restore China. That is the duty of a true soldier, isn’t it?"

His impassioned speech even impressed Xiao Fei himself. These words struck deep into Hu Changqing’s heart. He was, after all, a patriotic general, a man of iron will and hot blood.

Xiao Fei knew that a man of such integrity would not hand over his troops immediately. He decided not to press further—he knew time would win him over.

"Hmph, since you are also a man of loyalty and honor, I’ll relax my terms. If you order your men to surrender their weapons, I’ll let you all go. What you do next can be discussed," Xiao Fei offered.

Hu Changqing, after much deliberation, finally said, "Alright, I accept your conditions. As long as you’ll lead us to fight for our country, I’ll follow you in all things!"

"Ha! Good, good!" Xiao Fei laughed heartily. He knew Hu Changqing was a man of his word.

Seeing them laughing and talking, Zhen Sanjiang was puzzled and hurried over. Xiao Fei quickly explained their negotiation.

Zhen Sanjiang was so astonished his eyes nearly popped out. He had never dreamed Xiao Fei possessed such extraordinary abilities.

With the agreement reached, the rest was easily handled, and the battle was soon settled. By an incredible coincidence, the third chief of Azure Dragon Mountain, Zhang Zhixiang, turned out to be an old comrade of Hu Changqing. Their reunion was a mix of joy and surprise for both.

After some discussion, Hu Changqing’s resolve to join Azure Dragon Mountain was only strengthened.

"Men, sound the long horn, set off the firecrackers, and welcome the new master of Azure Dragon Mountain, Xiao Fei!"

Zhen Sanjiang swung his whip three times, and the thunderous crack of the whip, together with his order, echoed through the mountains.

Today was destined to be a glorious and unforgettable chapter in the story of Xiao Fei’s second life.