Chapter Sixty-Two: Tension Drawn Like Sword and Crossbow
When Ye Zihan spoke, his tone was forceful and unyielding. He knew that he was bound to offend the chieftain with these words, but he had no choice. Whether the other party agreed or not, he had to make his stance clear and make an effort.
The chieftain’s smile froze on his face, a trace of displeasure in his voice. “Brother Ye, what do you mean by this?”
“I want to take possession of Liuguang Stronghold and build a power that belongs to me, Ye Zihan!”
“Brother Ye, though you have helped Liuguang Stronghold greatly, if this is what you intend, none of us—myself and my brothers—will ever agree. Even if it means killing our benefactor, we would not hesitate.”
Ye Zihan had already predicted this response, so he was not in a hurry. He said slowly, “Brother Song, this is merely my intention. If you refuse, I won’t force you.”
The chieftain fell silent for a moment before asking, “May I know your reason?”
“It’s very simple: to build a force capable of opposing my enemy.”
“Enemy? Which enemy?”
“The Illusory God Palace.”
At the utterance of those three words, the chieftain’s eyes bulged like a fish’s, and his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg. His throat went dry, and he stammered, “You… you want to build… a force… to oppose the Illusory God Palace?”
Ye Zihan nodded heavily. “Exactly! The Illusory God Palace and I share a blood feud. Now, the entire human domain is under their sway; the five families and four sects are all but their slaves, seething but silent. More importantly, the elders of the Illusory God Palace are plotting something catastrophic—a great calamity! If no one stops them, the Three Realms will suffer irreparable harm.”
He paused, then continued, “I don’t even know the full nature of this calamity, but my two masters—once the three great guardians of the Illusory God Palace—were killed by those very elders. To betray and murder their own, what greater proof of their wolfish ambition could there be? All of this sounds grand and righteous, but at heart, my true aim is revenge—for my masters!”
The chieftain, Song Tielin, sank into silence. He did not ponder the supposed catastrophe but instead considered that Liuguang Stronghold was his life’s work. To simply hand it over was unthinkable.
“Brother Ye, do you truly wish to be an enemy of the Illusory God Palace? Do you truly want Liuguang Stronghold?”
Ye Zihan nodded with unwavering resolve. He would not lie to himself or others—at this moment, he had to make a choice between sentiment and ambition. Sometimes, reality demanded such decisions. “Yes. I want to use Liuguang Stronghold as a foundation and build from there.”
“Brother Song, I know you are loath to give away a lifetime’s effort. I won’t force you—consider my words today as the rashness of a foolish child, and forgive me for my offense.”
“Brother Ye, it’s not that I’m unwilling, but that I must weigh my options. If I remain as leader, Liuguang Stronghold cannot last. In you, I see boundless hope. I’m only wondering how to explain this to my brothers.”
At these words, Ye Zihan trembled slightly, disbelief flashing in his eyes as he stared at the middle-aged man before him, momentarily speechless.
“Brother Ye, I built Liuguang Stronghold with my own hands. I can’t bear to see it languish as a mountain outpost forever, nor do I want my brothers to be cursed for life as bandits. My abilities are limited; I cannot lead us further. But you are different. In you, I see a limitless future. Under your leadership, Liuguang Stronghold might soar to new heights and become a force that strikes fear into all!”
Having finished, the chieftain’s words carried a trace of sorrow. His intentions were heartfelt—he only wished for his brothers to cast off the stigma of outlaw and live good lives. Nothing else mattered. After much deliberation, Song Tielin had made his decision. He also considered that Ye Zihan’s enemy was the Illusory God Palace, but who could say how many years it would take to build such a force? Ten years? A hundred? Or even longer?
Ye Zihan pressed his lips together and nodded solemnly. Then, with a bang, he dropped to his knees. “In my life, I have knelt only before my mother’s altar and my two masters. Brother Song, this great kindness, I will remember forever. I swear to lead Liuguang Stronghold to the highest pinnacle and never betray your trust. In opposing the Illusory God Palace, I will not act rashly or waste our brothers’ lives!”
Song Tielin burst into hearty laughter and helped Ye Zihan to his feet, his faith in the young man’s potential evident. So young, yet already close to the noble Dragon Clan, and a dual practitioner—both a summoner of wood and a shadow warrior of fire. With such qualities, how could he not be impressive?
“Come, let’s wake the others and tell them our decision.” The chieftain took Ye Zihan’s hand and led him to the room where they had drunk the night before.
They roused the others and explained the matter, which immediately provoked a chorus of discontent.
“To hand Liuguang Stronghold over to Brother Ye? Impossible! No matter how great the debt we owe, this is the kingdom we risked our lives for!”
“Indeed, I cannot agree. Brother Ye, you helped us destroy Qingshui Stronghold, and for that we can never repay you. But if you seek to take Liuguang, you make yourself our enemy.”
“If you become our foe, no matter who you are—even a benefactor—we will show no mercy!”
“That’s right! Brother Ye, do not forget, you were the spark for all of this!”
The other two leaders and ten captains were unanimous in their opposition, anger etched on every face. Were it not for their gratitude from the day before, they might have already struck at Ye Zihan.
Yan Chen frowned deeply, his gaze toward his companion complex. He could not understand why Ye Zihan would claim Liuguang Stronghold for himself, but seeing his resolute expression, it was clear he would not give up until he succeeded.
Mo You, ever blunt, had shrunk to the size of a palm, but at the others’ hostile words and looks, he returned to his true form and shouted in annoyance, “Why all the fuss? My big brother wants Liuguang Stronghold as a favor to you! Shouldn’t you all be calling him chief by now?”
“Mo You, that’s enough!” Ye Zihan barked, pulling the dragon back. He swept his gaze around the room before continuing, “I know this is abrupt and hard for you to accept. But I, Ye Zihan, must have Liuguang Stronghold this time!”
“Fine! If you want the stronghold, you’ll have to step over my body first.”
“You’ve made your intentions clear. So let us be clear too: if you try to take it, we’ll treat you as we did Qingshui Stronghold.”
Mo You could not hold back and roared, “So be it! Let’s fight!” Then he unleashed a deafening dragon’s roar that shook the room and silenced everyone.
The room was filled with angry, silent stares directed at Ye Zihan, but none dared speak—after all, the dragon at his side was not someone they could afford to offend.
The chieftain stepped forward. “Brothers, hear me out. I am entrusting the stronghold to Brother Ye after much agonizing thought. We became mountain bandits because we had no other choice. Tell me, who among us was born to be an outlaw?”
The room fell silent. Even Mo You, usually so lively, closed his mouth and listened intently to Song Tielin’s speech.
“None of us wanted to be bandits or bear this shame. If Liuguang Stronghold stays in my hands, we will remain mountain thieves, scorned for life, with no way out—destined to rot on this mountain.”
“You’ve all seen it—Brother Ye is brimming with possibilities. Under his leadership, we can carve out a real future, not just eke out an existence as bandits!”
Song Tielin looked around the room. All his brothers hung their heads, lost in bitter memories. They were men of pride, driven to banditry by desperation—who in the world would willingly bear such infamy?
“But… but Liuguang Stronghold is our hard-won kingdom. To just give it away…” Captain Huang He started, and the other leaders quickly agreed.
Ye Zihan took two steps forward. “This stronghold is not mine alone—it is still yours. I am merely joining this family, though now I will take the lead. Everything else remains as before. I will never strip you of your rights or duties. I wish to build a force, one that will make even the five families and four sects tremble. Such a grand vision cannot be achieved by me alone. I hope you will help me forge a new path.”
The room was still. No one answered. Mo You was about to explode again, but Ye Zihan stopped him.
Yesterday, they had all drunk and laughed together; today, they were on the verge of drawing swords. The situation was tense.
Yan Chen pondered. Naturally, he would support Ye Zihan, even if his friend’s approach seemed so forceful. They were brothers, and he believed that under Ye Zihan’s leadership, Liuguang Stronghold would be transformed. The others sensed this too, but simply could not find a way to yield.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Yan Chen. “How about this—let Ye Zihan duel any champion of Liuguang Stronghold. If he wins, the stronghold falls under his command. If he loses, he must apologize to all the leaders and captains.”