Volume Two: Bandits of This Place, Chapter 117: A Matter of Luck

Youthful worries are always fleeting.

With the sudden appearance of the Weinan Mountain Pass, all of that turned into joy.

“This time, it should be no mistake, right?” Lin Changtian squinted slightly, restraining his eager spirit as he awaited Xu Yong’s response beside him.

“Look at that war general descending from the pass—he’s well-built, his steps heavy, and the horse beneath him trembling weakly. No doubt, he must have endured great hardship. At a glance, I’m sure he’s someone both of us recognize.”

As soon as those words were spoken, a young man tried to maintain composure, but his homesickness betrayed him; his legs no longer obeyed, and within moments he spurred his horse forward, beyond anyone’s reach.

The neighing of horses mingled with the sound of hooves as Kuisheng led a troop of fierce soldiers past, encircling Lin Changtian and Xu Yong.

“You’ve come a bit late. By schedule, you should have arrived earlier!” Kuisheng frowned, seemingly reproaching Lin Changtian’s delay.

Lin Changtian felt a little embarrassed, turning his eyes as he tried to think of an excuse. “We were delayed by a roadblock.”

“A roadblock? Who in the Northern Domain would dare to stop us now?” Kuisheng lifted his head confidently, shooting Lin Changtian a fierce glance, as if daring to trample down anyone causing trouble.

Sishan was indeed powerful and prestigious at this moment. Any force passing through the Weinan Mountain Pass in the Northern Domain lowered their heads, even putting away any sharp weapons in advance.

“Cheng Yu.”

Kuisheng pursed his lips. He believed one should be charitable; after all, one couldn’t be fighting every day.

“That lord stopped you? Could it be... he wanted to pick a fight with Sishan?”

“No,” Xu Yong shook his head, taking up Kuisheng’s words. “Actually, to be honest, it was our Sishan lord who provoked them first.”

Kuisheng glanced oddly at Lin Changtian. “You haven’t gotten addicted to assassination, have you? You couldn’t resist stirring trouble for Cheng Yu again?”

“What nonsense!” Lin Changtian was angry. Did he look like some reckless fool? “I only charged with Xu Yong into the ranks of tens of thousands of Cheng’s iron cavalry. Other than that, I’m quite well-behaved.”

Everyone at the Weinan Mountain Pass had been hopeful. Lin Changtian’s solo charge into Anma City had long been legendary throughout the Northern Domain, drawing many heroes eager to witness the might of Sishan’s lord.

But now, many were even prepared to flee overnight...

This was no longer audacity; it clearly seemed like madness.

Lin Changtian was displeased. He sensed their gazes—those were... unfriendly.

“Shouldn’t your focus be on how the great leader of Sishan escaped the fangs of a dark and evil force? What kind of looks are those—clearly doubting my strength!”

That was where he was wrong. Who in the Northern Domain would belittle Lin Changtian’s combat prowess? They simply looked down on his intelligence when acting foolish.

Xu Yong laughed angrily, knocking Lin Changtian’s head as he said, “You’ve got some nerve! If I hadn’t acted decisively, Cheng Yu would have chopped me down so you could survive!”

Lin Changtian blinked innocently. The sword was in the other’s hand… how could he be blamed?

The two bickered over such a trivial matter. Kuisheng, tired of it, stepped forward to smooth things over. “Changtian, how do you think the new Sishan cavalry looks?”

Lin Changtian perked up, ignoring Xu Yong, and glanced to the left, surveying the thousands of soldiers at a glance. After a while, he gave a thumbs-up and sincerely praised, “This time, it’s not inferior to Chu Ji’s force. Even if Yu Baili arrives, we can hold several rounds!”

“So you really see him as a measure of combat power?” Kuisheng chuckled, equally pleased with his newly trained soldiers. “Like I said, what’s the point comparing to Yu the Elder? No boasting, even if tens of thousands of our troops surrounded him, if a few got away, he wouldn’t be a hero. After all this fighting, all we’re thinking about is a decisive charge to break Anma City and take Ma Hui’s head!”

Lin Changtian looked at Kuisheng, this sounded familiar. “Ma Hui’s left arm I’ve already severed at the root. Frankly, he’s now at the end of his strength. Anma City is no longer peaceful. Rumblings everywhere, all held up by Du Zhaolin.”

His tone was calm, as if Ma Hui truly had become a cripple.

“Tsk.” Kuisheng took a deep breath and genuinely admired, “I thought holding Weinan Pass was enough to boast about. I never imagined you two would be braver than any man in Sishan!”

Lin Changtian stood facing south, hands behind his back, glancing at Kuisheng. The man was as undisciplined as ever.

“Do you think sheer bravery alone wins the day? There’s also our inborn wisdom, courage, handsomeness, decisiveness, perseverance... and luck.”

He ran through every adjective that could describe a man, each new word bringing a slight smile to his lips.

But at the last word, his face fell, brows knitted, lips pursed.

Luck—at the end of the day, it was the foundation of his success.

Or perhaps, all these arrangements were the result of... fortune?

Kuisheng, seeing Lin Changtian lost in thought, waved his hand eagerly. “I heard Old Xu fought in Anma City until dusk, cutting down countless enemy soldiers. The fierce battle on the ‘Frozen Wind Snowfields’ sent chills even far away in the Northern Domain. But you were even braver—single-handedly charging into Ma Hui’s residence, severing his left arm, and forcing a truce in the city. Only... Changtian, you haven’t yet told the Sishan brothers about your daring that day!”

“That can wait. Tell me first, how did Chu Ji fall? When I left, didn’t a group of ‘Hidden Cavalry’ come over from Mangyang Mountain? They were formidable troops. How did they end up defeated behind the Weinan Pass? It feels so sudden.”

“First, enter the pass, prepare some food, then I’ll tell you all the details.” Kuisheng smiled at Lin Changtian. After waiting all morning, his stomach was growling.

...

Inside the tent, many former generals crowded in, filling the space completely.

“So, you nearly scared Chu Ji into losing his nerve with three thousand cavalry?” Lin Changtian frowned, uneasy, fearing Kuisheng would nod and then utter some nightmare-shattering words.

He did nod, then reluctantly said, “On the eighteenth day of defense, Chu Ji and his troops vanished without a trace. I initially thought he was afraid of battle or trying to wear down Weinan Pass. But in the end, they shredded the network of countless spies I’d woven, cut off Sishan’s supplies, nearly starving the garrison—the first army to die of hunger on this soil. We tried countless methods but couldn’t stop them. Finally... somehow, Elder Liu intervened, taking down most of the Hidden Cavalry and letting some of the wounded and weak Chu Ji forces escape.”

“In the end, it still came down to Elder Liu?” Lin Changtian’s expression darkened. He seemed to lose all strength and sat heavily on the ground.

This was exactly what Ma Hui had said in Anma City, not a word different.

Luck, indeed, as it should be.

“Actually, that’s not entirely true,” Kuisheng pursed his lips but couldn’t hold back the frustration. “You haven’t seen how brutal the fighting was. The frontline squad defending the pass needed constant replacements. Many veterans were lost, and the troops just brought out now were mostly new recruits. From Chen Ziliang and Qi Yong to Lian Hua, both soldiers and commanders were wounded. We all fought desperately together, and except for the battle where we defeated Chu Ji, tsk, it was somewhat disgraceful.”

He rambled on quietly.

Lin Changtian grew gloomy too. He wanted to say something comforting, but words only turned into biting sarcasm, unsettling his thoughts. “Wasn’t it Elder Liu’s intervention that reversed the situation?”

Kuisheng didn’t respond, lowering his head with the other officers in the tent. Because that was the truth—though ironic—that victory wasn’t won by countless lives but by one seemingly decrepit old man moving his body.

Just once.

“Success depends on Heaven; planning depends on Man.” Chen Ziliang, supported by others, spoke slowly, “Borrowing a phrase from Qi Yong, there’s never fairness in warfare. None of us expected the Hidden Cavalry to cross the mountain and cut off Weinan Pass’s supply lines. Nor did they expect Sishan to have a keen-sensed Heavenly Realm warrior who could instantly foil Chu Ji’s entire strategy.”

Kuisheng shook his head, sharing a worried look with Lin Changtian. Neither replied to Chen Ziliang.

Perhaps they understood it all too well. The logic was sound, but after the battle, the countless losses paled against that one ‘just right’ divine intervention.

“Enough of this,” Lin Changtian closed his eyes, but his mouth wouldn’t stay shut. “It’s a bit absurd, but the result matters. Besides, it was satisfying... Now, tell me about recent developments.”

Kuisheng pondered for a while until his thoughts were clear, then spoke slowly, “Everything’s been going smoothly lately, though there are still many troubles. Many families and factions in the Northern Domain want to ally with us, which isn’t surprising—most follow the trend. Not just them, even Lin Yuan has given Sishan many benefits under the pretense of paying Lin Peiyou’s tuition. But with fame comes those who seek trouble.”

“Who dares be so reckless? Aren’t they afraid of following Ma Hui’s fate?” Xu Yong frowned in confusion.

As soon as he spoke, the room fell silent, the atmosphere turning strange as everyone stared at Xu Yong.

Qi Yong took up his words, suppressing a smile. “You don’t understand Northern Domain’s rules. Ma Hui was a Heavenly Realm warrior, once hailed as the top of the three great warriors. Yet such a figure fell to Commander Lin’s blade. So... those provoking aren’t after Sishan, but Commander Lin himself. But he’s not around, Chen Ziliang is injured, so the one defending Lin is your little darling, Gongsun Twelve.”

“A bunch of men don’t show up but don’t stop a little girl? Let her make a scene... if she’s hurt, will you care for her?” Xu Yong was angry. The surrounding generals dared not answer, remaining silent but watching Lin Changtian expectantly.

“Can they stop her?” Lin Changtian shrugged helplessly. “That woman is fierce, having defeated Kuisheng, Yang Feng, and Lin Zhao. No one can beat her. But you... already feeling protective?”

Xu Yong retorted stubbornly, neck stiff, “Gentlemanly manners, protecting women, the essence of manhood—it’s only right!”

“You never took care of Aunt Wang up north...” Lin Changtian muttered quietly, not letting Xu Yong hear.

...