Chapter Fourteen: Old Eagle Luo
On the road, the group took a breath. Around one or two in the afternoon, a series of towering mountains appeared before them—Tuoziling, they had arrived!
Ma Yuan saw such majestic mountains for the first time, all densely covered by impenetrable trees. Now he understood why the government’s attempts to suppress the bandits often ended in failure.
Such thick forests made it easy to enter but hard to escape, especially since the bandits were intimately familiar with the terrain. Government troops who ventured in were like cats chasing mice, endlessly outwitted by the bandits.
At the front of the group, Wang Qing raised his hand. “Stop. Come here, hand me the signal.”
A man behind him took out something resembling a fire striker from his pouch and handed it to Wang Qing. Wang Qing pulled it, and a red flare shot skyward, exploding in the air.
“Everyone, we’ve arrived in the territory of the Tuoziling bandit leader, Old Eagle Luo. I’ve sent word to them. When the time comes, follow my signals carefully. Old Eagle Luo is not a man to reason with. If we offend him, we may never return to Gao City!” Wang Qing whispered to the Wang family guards behind him, especially to Wang Xian and the others.
Sure enough, not long after, a small, agile figure like a monkey darted out from the woods. His eyes darted around sharply, revealing his cleverness.
“Was that your signal just now?” the wiry man asked, brandishing a short knife that radiated a chilling aura.
Wang Qing stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “Brother, I am Wang Qing, second master of the Wang family from Gao City. We came to your stronghold as agreed with your leader, Brother Luo. Please, lead us through.”
The wiry man sized him up with a playful tone. “So you’re here on the boss’s orders. Alright, follow me closely. The Eight Tiger Mountain is full of traps; one misstep could cost you your life.”
Wang Qing bowed again, handing the man a cloth-wrapped package. “Heh heh, thank you, brother. Please share this with your men as a token of goodwill.”
The wiry man took it without hesitation, a smug smile spreading across his face.
The group followed him up the mountain, each step fraught with tension. Indeed, as he said, the Eight Tiger Mountain was riddled with traps—like a fortress.
They even saw many guards posted at various points, a glimpse of the mountain’s formidable strength.
After winding through many turns, they arrived at a hidden encampment deep within the dense forest. The fort was heavily guarded by men armed with rustic guns, vigilantly on watch.
“You can take two or three men inside. The boss is in the main hall. The rest wait over there,” the wiry man said casually, pointing to a nearby section of the camp once they passed through the gate.
Wang Qing bowed once more. “Many thanks, brother.”
He then chose a trusted aide named Xu Hai, along with Wang Xian and Ma Yuan. Wang Qing deliberately included Wang Xian to broaden his experience. Hou Xinjie, afraid of the scene, chose to stay behind, avoiding the main hall.
Inside the main hall, Ma Yuan looked around. The hall was not particularly lavish.
The tiger-skin chairs, carved from some unknown wood, exuded a cold aura. Seated on one was a middle-aged man with thinning hair, wearing a vest and leather boots—Old Eagle Luo, the boss of the Eight Tiger Mountain.
“This is the second master of the Wang family from Gao City, here to pay respects to your stronghold,” the wiry man said respectfully.
Old Eagle Luo waved the man away, his hawk-like eyes sweeping over the group.
“Heh heh, the Wang family, huh? What’s the story?” Luo fixed his gaze on Wang Qing, clearly recognizing him as the leader.
Wang Qing narrowed his eyes. “Boss Luo, I’m Wang Qing from the Wang family of Gao City. Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m here about the batch of arms your Eight Tiger Mountain has seized.”
“This shipment represents half of our family’s assets. Our livelihood depends on it. We hope you’ll be merciful and release the arms. The Wang family will surely repay you handsomely in the future.”
Wang Qing came with genuine sincerity and had invested heavily, but such offerings were insignificant compared to the value of the seized arms. Now, the Wang family simply hoped Old Eagle Luo would be wise enough to show leniency.
Luo tapped his fingers on the tiger-skin chair, closing his eyes as if pondering. The “tap tap” sounded like the footsteps of grim reapers, eerie and unsettling.
After a moment, Luo exhaled deeply and spoke slowly: “Second Master Wang, your words are presumptuous. The Eight Tiger Mountain is doing well without your family’s arms. With them, life would be even better.”
“Why should I owe you a favor? I doubt those arms are worth that much.”
Luo’s tone was mocking, showing no intention of negotiation.
Wang Qing laughed aloud at this. Wang Xian and Ma Yuan behind him were stunned—how could Wang Qing laugh in such a tense situation? His courage was extraordinary.
“Boss Luo, if you won’t accept, so be it. The Wang family isn’t a noble clan, but we are respected in Gao City and hold ground in Jizhou as well. Losing this shipment is a temporary loss. Once I coordinate with the other two heads of our family, we’ll soon recover.”
Wang Qing finished confidently and made a motion as if to leave the stronghold, leaving Ma Yuan and the others puzzled but following him nonetheless.
“Heh heh, hold on. Second Master Wang, are you so impatient?” Luo stood up.
Wang Qing stopped but didn’t turn around, his back facing Luo. “Since you don’t welcome us, why should I stay?”
“Heh heh, don’t be so hasty. Sit down and talk,” Luo said, forcing a grin that made his icy face even more chilling. “Someone, bring tea.”
Only then did Wang Qing turn and sit on a chair nearby, with Ma Yuan and the others standing behind him.
When tea arrived, Luo began: “Heh heh, Second Master Wang, do you know why I seized your family’s arms this time?”
Wang Qing’s expression darkened. They had their suspicions but lacked solid evidence to report to the authorities.
Luo glanced at Wang Qing. “You probably guessed—besides your Wang family, only the Cheng family in Gao City can communicate with Commander Zhang in Jizhou.”
“This time, no need to hide it. The Cheng family paid me to act. Otherwise, Eight Tiger Mountain has no grudge with your Wang family. Why would I trouble myself?”