Chapter Forty-One: Framed
The young master on the bed finally recovered from the recent shock. He paid no heed to modesty, scrambling off the woman in a flurry, his eyes blazing red as he stared at Hu San and shouted, “Are you Hu San? Well, you’ve got nerve, barging in to disrupt my business. You must be tired of living!”
“You are the second young master?”
At this point, Hu San was in no hurry. With a flick of his wrist, there was a sharp crack as he broke the neck of the burly man, tossing the body aside.
“That’s right. If you dare lay a finger on me, my father will never let you off.”
Seeing Hu San kill his personal guard without a moment's hesitation, the second young master finally felt fear, though he still tried to appear fierce.
Hu San said nothing, his gaze sweeping over the second young master.
“If you let this go, I’ll give your elder brother ten virgins, one hundred taels of gold. How about it?”
The second young master was flustered now, and the woman beneath him had buried herself deep in the blankets, curled up tight, not daring to move.
Hu San remained silent.
“Then I’ll ensure you become a warrior and leave Qilian Mountain for the Great Bend Kingdom. There, warriors are everywhere and beauties fill the land—far superior to this godforsaken place.”
The second young master raised the stakes again.
“You’re from the Great Bend Kingdom?”
This time, Hu San spoke.
“That’s right. My father is the second brother of the Chen family patriarch. Our family rules Qinghe County. If you cross me, you’ll regret it.”
With these words, the second young master grew arrogant once more.
“So, the second master of the mountain stronghold has such a background.”
Hu San stroked his chin, then suddenly moved forward, closing in on the second young master and landing a punch on his head before retreating.
Bang!
With just one punch, the second young master’s head burst like a balloon, brains splattering everywhere. He was dead beyond all doubt.
“So, people from Great Bend aren’t invulnerable after all.”
Muttering to himself, Hu San glanced at the woman half-exposed on the bed. He had to admit she possessed some beauty—a fact that explained the second young master’s eagerness to become her groom.
“Take today’s events as if you saw nothing. Live well with my brother from now on, or you know what awaits you.”
He spoke casually, not caring whether the woman heard him, then strode out, this time through the main door.
Pushing open the door, he stepped into the courtyard, facing a crowd of startled and suspicious eyes. Hu San smiled faintly, spread his hands, and declared, “Today is a day of celebration. You’ve all had your fun. Now, it’s time for you to depart this world. Do it!”
With Hu San’s shout, the bandits stationed at each table drew their blades, their teeth clenched. Though the news from inside that the victim was the second young master had shaken them, in Hu San’s presence, their fear of him far outweighed their dread of the second master.
After all, offend the second master and you might live a while longer. Offend Hu San, and death follows immediately. The choice was clear to every bandit.
With the element of surprise, the second young master’s men were drunk and distracted by Hu San’s presence. Thus, the slaughter was swift and total—none escaped.
As for the village maids who had served wine, they were pale with fright. Hu San spared them; such events could never be hidden from those who cared, and silencing witnesses would only draw suspicion.
His task now was to eliminate those who knew the second young master’s identity and delay exposure for as long as possible. How long that would be depended on fate.
Ordering his men to clean up the aftermath, Hu San went to see his parents and elder brother, who were paralyzed with fear.
Facing Hu San now, his parents and brother could no longer connect him to the child he once was. Amidst their joy lurked awe; even his parents spoke to him with restraint, let alone his brother.
Hu San asked after his younger siblings and learned they were unharmed, hidden away in another home.
Seeing his family so intimidated, Hu San could only tell his brother, “Your wife is in the house, likely frightened. Go comfort her, don’t be harsh. In such circumstances, she had no choice.”
His brother agreed; truthfully, Hu San need not have said it. In mountain villages, such misfortune was not rare. Whenever bandits came, many young women suffered.
After so many years, the villagers were used to it; life continued as before. Hu San, wielding great power, saw things differently—his perspective had surpassed theirs, hence his words.
He ordered his men to bring some money and cloth to his parents, then saw his younger siblings. Noticing that with him present, the family hardly dared speak aloud, Hu San could only smile bitterly and sigh.
Having stirred up such trouble, Hu San had no wish to linger. After extracting a confession from the village elder’s son, he killed the elder’s family, who knew the second young master’s identity, and cut down Zhang the Rabbit to prevent any leaks. Then, leading his men and carrying the corpses, he left Wolf Name Village under cover of night.
In truth, one more person knew much—the woman. Hu San was certain the second young master would have boasted to his future sister-in-law during their tryst, and her reaction then confirmed it.
Yet, with his current temperament, Hu San could not bring himself to kill her. If he did, he would sever all ties to his family, leaving only terror in their hearts, no affection. He would become no different from any other bandit in their eyes.
Perhaps it was immaturity, perhaps youth; in the end, Hu San spared the woman, leaving a small risk behind.
On the hillside, Hu San gazed at the tranquil village bathed in moonlight, sighed deeply, then turned to the silent bandits.
Though none had been harmed in the slaughter, each felt as if many comrades had died—the pressure wrought by the second master.
Pointing to the twenty corpses lined up nearby, Hu San spoke in a low voice, “By now, you all know who they were. Tonight’s deeds should have been mine alone, but we share our fate. If I, Hu San, am exposed, you’ll be implicated.”
“Since it’s done, there’s no room for regret. The second young master’s body is there—dead, but still useful.”
“To prevent future trouble, each of you must step forward and strike the corpse once. If you’d rather not, strike yourself instead.”
“Lin Hu, Tan Yue, Zhao Feng—you three first.”
Under the cold, quiet moon, Hu San’s gaze grew ever more chilling, like a lone wolf.
“Yes!”
The three were Hu San’s closest allies, and with no other path, the task was easy.
Then, under their supervision, the rest stepped forward in turn, each striking the corpse—no matter their thoughts, they were now bound to Hu San’s cause.
“Good. From now on, we are brothers, sharing hardship and danger. Now, we must consider how to cover up what has happened.”
“We are not yet a match for the second master, so we need time.”
“If anyone has good suggestions, speak up.”
Having finished, Hu San clapped his hands and ordered the second young master’s mutilated body to be bagged. Then, he sought opinions from the group.
“Third brother, why not dump them deep in the wilderness? Soon, beasts will follow the scent of blood, and their bodies will disappear.”
Zhao Feng offered this idea; the others nodded in agreement.
“No. The second young master vanished in this region—his movements won’t escape notice. If he disappears without a trace, the second master will search everywhere. Though this area is vast, Wolf Heart Stronghold’s power cannot conceal us for long.”
“If Wolf Name Village is found, exposure is just a matter of time.”
Hu San immediately dismissed the plan.
“What then? If we bury them randomly, it’s even easier to be discovered.”
Tan Yue frowned and fiddled with his blade in frustration.
“This: I recall that during the Wolf Fang battle, Black Bear fled. We’ll pin this on him. Let’s move the bodies to Wolf Fang Stronghold, creating the illusion of an attack led by Black Bear.”
“Whether they believe it or not, we’ll carve some words—seeking revenge for Wolf Heart Stronghold.”
“Then we’ll attack a few Wolf Fang patrols, framing Black Bear again.”
“We’ll bring the soldiers’ bodies to Wolf Name Village to fill tonight’s gaps. Afterwards, I’ll confess to the chief, saying these squads plundered the village, and in anger I killed them, only later realizing they were Wolf Heart bandits.”
Hu San spoke faster and faster, and the more he said, the colder the others felt. The plot was growing ever more tangled, threatening to unleash chaos.
Yet, it was too late for regrets. Those who knew Wolf Fang Stronghold’s intelligence reported it immediately.
Without delay, the group carried the corpses toward Wolf Fang Stronghold.
This time, they were ruthless. Whenever they encountered fewer than five Wolf Fang squads, Hu San led the slaughter. With surprise and Hu San’s prowess, at least four or five hundred died at their hands in just two days.
They found a hidden spot and dumped the bodies, marking them as revenge for Black Bear’s troops and targeting the three chiefs of Wolf Heart Mountain.
Most impressively, Hu San inscribed his own name as well—for he was the true cause of White Bear’s death.