Volume One: The Wild Boy Chapter Fourteen: Concealing One’s Thoughts

Snow blanketed every corner of Mount Yi, and all living things were silent, like fallen leaves drifting on autumn waters, having forgotten their roots.

Amidst such a scene, Lin Changtian sang mountain songs, frolicking as if there were no bandits chasing him from behind. The transformation of his very bones allowed him to leisurely tease the pursuing bandits; whenever he reached a turning where he was nearly caught, he would suddenly accelerate and leave them behind in a trail of dust, yet never vanished entirely from their sight. This repeated so many times that the bandits, believing themselves the hunters, gradually realized the boy ahead was merely toying with them as one might take a dog for a run.

At this thought, Zhang Yi, the bearded second-in-command of Mount Yi, flushed with anger.

And so, shots rang out.

Hearing the gunfire behind him, Lin Changtian curled his lips into a smile and deliberately fled to a dead end, turning as the bandits encircled him, raising his hands and strolling over with a casual air.

Even in captivity, Lin Changtian’s face showed only swagger and smugness, leaving Zhang Yi puzzled. Before he could speak, Lin Changtian tossed over a token and declared, “Take me to your boss, make it quick, I’ve got—” But before he could finish, a flurry of fists and kicks from the bandits rained down on him. Dazed by the beating, Lin Changtian could only recall what Yu Baili had told him: “Remember, show a bit of skill first, and when they catch you, act as arrogant as you can—make them take you to see the leader. That’s how it’s always done in the dramas, can’t go wrong.”

Mount Yi Bandit Stronghold

The grand hall was brilliantly lit. The hawk-nosed leader looked shadowy and sinister as he fixed his gaze on Lin Changtian. The bandits, all fierce-faced, toyed with their weapons as if, at the leader’s command, they would tear the man before them to pieces. Yet Lin Changtian remained wide-eyed and innocent, gazing at the ceiling, as though unaware of the menace around him. In the hawk-nosed leader’s eyes, this only added to his air of mystery. “We must probe this lad’s depths,” the leader thought, signaling to Zhang Yi with a glance.

Zhang Yi, ever curious, spoke to his chief, “What’s wrong, boss? Didn’t rest well last night? I told you, everything in moderation. Can’t overdo it in one night, but you wouldn’t listen. Last night, eavesdropping on the wall, you really outdid yourself.”

The more Zhang Yi rambled, the more outrageous he became. The leader quickly coughed and shot him a glare. Yet Zhang Yi, seeing the cough, only grew bolder: “I keep telling you, your health matters most. You’re not young anymore, should stop with those double acts and such. You just won’t listen. Really, boss, it’s just a few seconds, but you insist on making the girl act for you. You’re something else.”

Sensing the odd looks spreading among his men, the hawk-nosed leader lashed out with a kick, sending Zhang Yi flying, then pointed at Lin Changtian and demanded, “You claim to have escaped from Little Green Mountain. The ones who destroyed that place were formidable—how did you get out? And when you saw our men, why did you run?”

Lin Changtian replied in a languid tone, “Boss, I won’t speak of other things, but as for your second-in-command, he chased me first. All the brothers here can attest to that.”

The leader glanced at his dazed second, asking, “Why didn’t you mention this?”

Zhang Yi shook his head, “Boss, someone said that brat was a roe deer, so I led the brothers after him. Halfway there, I took a good look and realized he was a man. But he was so fast! I couldn’t take it—everyone knows I was the fastest in these parts. Any time we lost a fight, it was because I retreated quickest. If I didn’t catch him, my reputation would be ruined.”

The leader waved his hand, indicating he understood, and turned to Lin Changtian again, “Fine, let’s settle that matter. But now explain how, with your skills, you managed to escape Little Green Mountain?”

Lin Changtian clasped his fists and replied, “Boss, let me tell you, those people are truly something else, no exaggeration. There was one brute who could lift a thousand-pound truck and spent every day intimidating us with his strength. But that’s nothing compared to their leader, a blade master—he was the real menace. He’d use us brothers for knife practice at the drop of a hat.”

As he spoke, Lin Changtian recalled the month of harsh training under Yu Baili on the mountain. Tears as large as beans welled up in his eyes, and his face was full of grievance, as if he truly had been a bandit of Little Green Mountain used as a training dummy.

“Especially Zhang Erhu…”

“What about Erhu?” A burly man among the bandits anxiously asked.

“And you are?” Lin Changtian replied.

“I’m his brother.”

Lin Changtian cursed inwardly—of all the names to make up, he’d picked one that hit close to home. “Poor Brother Lü Liang, who was always by Zhang Erhu’s side…”

“What happened to Lü Liang?” Zhang Yi immediately jumped up, roaring at Lin Changtian.

Lin Changtian’s eyes darted as he choked up, “It was all because of me. Brother Lü Liang took my place as a sparring partner and was hacked many times by their leader. He was barely breathing by the end, and I only escaped by sneaking out during Lü Liang’s burial.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi’s eyes turned bloodshot. He addressed the hawk-nosed leader, “Boss, so many of our brothers are suffering in Little Green Mountain. Give me some men—I’ll avenge Mount Yi!”

Before the leader could answer, Lin Changtian leapt up, “No! Boss, you don’t understand—everyone in Little Green Mountain is an Awakened, and there’s even talk of a Boundary Walker among them. Now is not the time to provoke them.”

The hawk-nosed leader gave Lin Changtian a deep look and pondered for a long while before speaking, “This brother makes sense. We have only about ten Awakened ourselves, and if they have a Boundary Walker, a direct confrontation is unwise. Once we deal with those brats from Mount Si, I’ll personally lead the rescue of our brothers from Little Green Mountain. For now, it’s settled. Dismissed. Second Brother, see to our escaped guest’s comfort.”

Once the hall was empty, a striking woman emerged from the shadows. Her eyes glistened with springtime warmth as she caressed the leader’s shoulder and spoke softly, “Darling, you don’t actually believe him, do you?”

The hawk-nosed leader, Yu Wenlong, slid his hand over hers and grunted, “Believe him? After all my years in the Northern Territory? He’s a pawn, nothing more. The real trouble is Second Brother—always making a fool of me in public, always playing the fool as if I’d ever believe his nonsense. This so-called escapee from Little Green Mountain might well be his man, up to some trick. I’ll have to test them, test them!”

With that, Yu Wenlong seemed to exhale all his worries at once and soon fell asleep in his chair. The beautiful woman looked at him with a complex expression—by turns anxious, sorrowful, and fierce—until, as if recalling something, her face was suddenly filled with terror, and she retreated trembling into the shadows.

The hearts and secrets of all those in the stronghold were, unbeknownst to themselves, already entwined.

…

Zhang Yi, his arm around Lin Changtian’s shoulders, wept as he recounted all his memories with Lü Liang. He talked on until midnight, then wiped his tears, looking earnestly at Lin Changtian. “Brother, since Lü Liang died saving you, you must have been close. From now on, you stick with me. I’ll give you my real name, a tradition here—it means I treat you as a brother. If anything happens to you, I’ll see you get a proper memorial. My name’s Zhang Yi. And you?”

Lin Changtian thought for a moment. “Second Master, Chen Ziliang.”

Zhang Yi grinned. “That’s a cultured name. Your family must have hoped you’d be a good scholar, not mixed up in killing. Fate, though…”

At that moment, far away on Little Green Mountain, Chen Ziliang on watch sneezed and muttered to himself, “Someone must be thinking of me again.”

“Alright, from now on, you’ll bunk with me,” Zhang Yi said, and without waiting for a reply, shoved Lin Changtian into his quarters.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, Zhang Yi shook Lin Changtian awake. Seeing Lin Changtian’s confused face, Zhang Yi chuckled. “Brother Ziliang, the boss is holding a meeting today. Come on!” Without waiting for a reply, he threw on his clothes and dragged him off to the main tent.

All the bandits were gathered, listening to Yu Wenlong’s address: “Brothers, we’ve been at odds with those brats from Mount Si for a long time. Now it’s time to settle the score. But remember, Mount Si’s the only bandit gang in the southern North that can match us, so we must proceed with caution. No one gets careless—this concerns the future of our stronghold. Today, we’ll launch our first strike. Listen up: Fifth Brother, take your team and attack Mount Si’s northern outpost. Third Brother, circle around to the west. Fourth Brother, go to the east. Remember: no one touches the southern outpost. Surround on three sides and leave one open. When their reinforcements arrive from the west, east, and north, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Brothers are only to harass—not engage. Meanwhile, Second-in-Command, you’ll lead a surprise attack on the southern outpost and storm the main pass! Understood?”

“Understood!” The bandits roared, brandishing their weapons in excitement.

Lin Changtian couldn’t recall how he made it down the mountain. By the time he snapped out of his daze, he was already on the march. He looked at Zhang Yi in bewilderment. “So… we’re at war already?” Zhang Yi stroked his beard, his usual recklessness replaced by a calm air. “Yes, the world’s about to change.”

Seeing Zhang Yi suddenly playing the master, Lin Changtian smiled knowingly. “Indeed, the world is changing. And look at you, dragging me out in this cold without even a coat.”