Chapter 11: The Name of Hu San

Moreover, in the strictly hierarchical world of the bandits, even after just a few days of immersion, the benefits of power had already left a deep impression on everyone's hearts.

Now, within the territory of the Ninth Subgroup of the Second Division, such ambitions began to take root.

This time, the Wolfheart Fortress bandits cast a wide net, gathering almost all the young people from the surrounding mountain villages. Naturally, among them were those favored by fate—the so-called extraordinary individuals of legend.

Such people only need the right environment to flourish, and with the relaxed atmosphere of idle conversation, the youths with hidden ambitions began to boast about their experiences in the mountain villages. Some had studied, some trained in martial arts, some knew how to set traps, and some were notorious for their prowess in fights—village bullies, so to speak. Intentionally or not, these exceptional individuals started to spread their reputations, revealing their talents.

Not only in the Ninth Subgroup of the Second Division, but also in the First Division and other subgroups of the Second Division, similar scenes were unfolding.

The difference was that in these other groups, the bandit leader had not left but sat nearby, facilitating the process, identifying promising youths, and using them to form the backbone of the group, providing structure and support.

Then, as prearranged, the bandit leader would fight the most respected youngster. If the candidate met his standards, the leader would cede the wooden cabin to him—thus officially establishing the leader of the group.

The cabin symbolized leadership and served as a lure to inspire the entire group to strive upward.

One must admit, the bandits' system was clever, exploiting human competitiveness, ambition, and envy—not only motivating the newcomers but also encouraging their proactive training.

Undoubtedly, with the bandit leaders' control, all groups were developing along these lines—some quickly, some slowly, some well, some poorly. But the Ninth Subgroup was different.

The bandit surnamed Zhao had witnessed Hu San's fighting firsthand. If they really had to fight, he knew not only would he fail to defeat Hu San, but simply not losing to him was a far-fetched hope.

He was capable, true, but not yet an elite bandit—far from it, and certainly no match for a master like Zhang Longbow.

So when the Third Lord Bandit didn't remove Hu San from the newcomers, the leaders knew that whoever ended up with Hu San's group would see all their plans for the evening come to nothing.

That was the real reason Bandit Zhao slipped away without a word. He believed any other leader would have made the same choice, for it was obvious who the real leader was.

Amidst the roaring mountain wind, Hu San sat by the campfire. Though his gaze rested on the flames, his mind had drifted far away.

Reflecting on the past few days, Hu San felt as if he had lived a lifetime in three days. Just three days ago, he was a mischievous child; now, he was a bandit capable of killing without blinking, feared even by veteran bandits.

His thoughts turned to his strange abilities in battle—the seamless connection with the swimming fish, the creation of the Fish Step, the giant bird soaring into the sky, the terrifying bird strike. None of these seemed meant for him, yet they had appeared.

Considering his humble origins, Hu San shook his head, his mind shifting to his suddenly ravenous appetite.

With time to think, Hu San began to form a judgment, an idea stirring in his heart.

"It must be connected to that deep pool. All my changes started there. If I get the chance, I must go back and see it again."

Thinking of his new eating habits and the brief surge of warmth strengthening his body, Hu San immediately began to plan for the future.

That plan was to obtain large amounts of food, continually strengthen his body, and learn the bandits' combat techniques—and, of course, master that half-written martial arts manual.

Looking back, Hu San couldn't help but smile wryly. As he succeeded in risking his life, the dangers surrounding him only increased.

He hadn't seen it clearly before, but now realized that the Third Lord Bandit's ambiguous attitude was meant to pit him against Zhang Longbow in a deadly contest.

Combine that with the half-manual Zhang Longbow held, and if Hu San hadn't suspected Zhang Longbow was more than he seemed, he would not have survived.

Moreover, with the bandits' ongoing ambiguous attitudes, Hu San was certain there were still those who wanted him dead.

And those most likely to want him dead were those holding the other half of the manual.

Hu San knew that his business with Zhang Longbow could not be hidden. If he were in possession of the other half, he would act—whether for personal gain or for the greater good.

Besides, the mysterious black dagger, the cotton candy that vanished as a shadow—everything pointed to even greater trouble.

After several days of observation, Hu San realized that the so-called martial artists were not as powerful as he had imagined. Through careful probing, he learned the true strength of the Third Lord Bandit and his ilk.

Looking back, the abilities of the cotton candy creature were beyond any martial artist—almost legendary, as if belonging to gods who could fly and disappear.

"Trouble, trouble, damn it, I just want to survive—why is it so hard?"

Thinking of what the future might hold, even Hu San, with his temperament, felt a pang of envy.

At this moment, the crowd's discussion crescendoed. The several village friends who had been grouped with Hu San—Lin Hu and Jin Yuan, who had roasted chicken with him in the graveyard; Tan Yue, the head of another group of village children, and his lieutenant Gu Bai—saw Hu San lost in thought and dared not disturb him. Instead, they mingled with the crowd, spinning wild stories.

They recounted their supposed heroic deeds—especially Tan Yue, who was a bully among the children and strong as an ox. Back in the village, Hu San's gang had suffered much at his group's hands.

Even with Hu San's cunning leadership, his group never gained much advantage, attesting to Tan Yue's fierceness.

But after becoming bandits, Hu San's meteoric rise made Tan Yue and his peers abandon any thought of rivalry, leading to talk of allegiance.

Now, being grouped together, their bond only deepened.

As for Lin Hu, Jin Yuan, and Gu Bai, they were usually sidekicks, stealing chickens or playing minor roles, their stories lacking legend and not worthy of comparison to Tan Yue.

As their conversation continued, the three began to boost Tan Yue's reputation. After all, Tan Yue was now one of their own, a subordinate of Hu San, and they ought to support each other.

But for some reason, without Hu San's permission, none dared mention his feats. After much experience, Hu San's stature in their minds had become lofty—he had gained true prestige.

Within the Ninth Group, Tan Yue was not the only one worthy of comparison. Among a hundred children, there were other bullies, and now some began to stand out.

For example, Xiang Bao from Ivory Mountain Village, and Lei Ming from Thunder Village—both were no less than Tan Yue. If properly trained, they might one day reach the level of Zhang Longbow.

As their stories unfolded, Xiang Bao glanced at Hu San, still lost in thought by the fire, and interrupted Tan Yue's boasting. "Tan Yue, I see the leader treats your brother very kindly. Does your brother have anything special about him? Why not tell us, so we can learn a thing or two?"

"Exactly! We're all members of the Ninth Group now, and should support each other. If your brother has anything unique, let us know so we're prepared!"

Lei Ming, long holding back, immediately chimed in, using the opportunity to probe Hu San's background.

Seeing the ferocious bandit leader so friendly towards Hu San, these village bullies could not help but feel jealous.

But not knowing Hu San's true strength, they dared not act rashly.

Hu San returned from his reverie, quickly grasping the situation, and signaled Lin Hu.

Lin Hu patted his chest, coughed to draw everyone's attention, and replied, "You little brat, how dare you ask about my Third Brother's secrets? But since you're young and ignorant, I'll let it slide this time. Remember, my Third Brother has the record of slaying ten elite bandits in one battle."

"Exactly! Brats like you need another ten years of training. What, haven't you heard of my Third Brother Hu San's reputation?"

Lin Hu had mastered this routine from village days, when they needed to recruit more hands to compete with Tan Yue's gang. The stories were usually exaggerated, but this time, there was a real achievement.

"Ten elite bandits in one fight? Impossible!"

Xiang Bao and Lei Ming both widened their eyes in disbelief. Even Lin Hu and Tan Yue, if they hadn't seen it themselves, would never believe that the scrawny youth before them could possess such power.

"Hmph, why not try it for yourself? With Third Brother's strength, he could crush you without consequence. If you're so keen, give it a try!"

Tan Yue, seeing the disbelief, spoke up angrily.

Jin Yuan egged on, "Being in the Ninth Group with Third Brother is your luck. Behave, or we'll beat the crap out of you."

With this, the group's momentum overwhelmed the crowd. Though the other youths remained skeptical, none dared challenge them.

Even Xiang Bao and Lei Ming, who started the questioning, shrank back. Forget ten elite bandits—one ordinary bandit could kill them ten times over.

No matter how you looked at it, the Ninth Group had gained a remarkable figure.