Chapter 68: Unrestrained Dominance

Sang Biao was already in a foul mood from his recent defeat and had no desire to deal with Wang Cui, but still, greedy for her body, he forced himself to say a few kind words.

“He’s probably off wasting time at some gambling den again! Why bother with him at all?!”

Just mentioning Wang Scar—otherwise known as Scar Brother—made Sang Biao seethe with anger.

The fish business had been going well, bringing in a handsome sum every month for the mountain hideout, enough to keep the brothers from constantly having to descend the mountain to rob travelers.

Don’t think banditry is an enviable trade—one never knows when they’ll run into someone tougher. If you could make money lying down, who would risk their life with a blade? One never knows if they’ll encounter government troops sent to root out bandits or hardened strangers from elsewhere; death could come before you even realize it.

But for some reason, Wang Scar had vanished after making a killing selling fish a few months back. He disappeared without a trace.

Without the fish money, there were no funds. No funds meant you couldn’t hold onto your men, nor expand your power. Who would risk their life for you without pay?

The mountain’s finances had grown so dire that hunger gnawed at everyone, and unrest brewed among the ranks! Only then had Sang Biao, as the leader, reluctantly taken his men down the mountain to rob the road.

Who would have thought they’d run into a steel wall?

With chaos already brewing on Mount Mao’er, Sang Biao hadn’t had time to bother with Wang Scar; but now, with matters settled, Sang Biao made up his mind: he would find that little bastard Wang Scar and wring every last coin out of him!

“I have only one brother! You heartless brute!” Wang Cui wailed, clawing at him. “If it weren’t for my brother working all hours fishing, where would you be today? Now he’s missing, and if anything happens to him, I’ll never let you off!”

Sang Biao, in a fit of irritation, slapped her hard.

She collapsed to the ground, face bloodied.

“You think you’re so important, do you?” Sang Biao snapped impatiently. “A woman like you, daring to threaten me? Keep whining and I’ll throw you into the labor pit with the slaves!”

Wang Cui clutched her face, tears streaming, not daring to make a sound.

“Boss, I know where Scar Brother is,” said Wang Yuan weakly, covered in blood.

“I heard people say Scar Brother fought with Qin Zhen over territory, and after that, he vanished. Many say Qin Zhen… killed him!”

Even though Qin Zhen ordered a news blackout, there had been too many villagers who witnessed the commotion. Some things cannot be silenced, no matter how hard one tries.

The rumors had started to spread.

“What?! My brother is dead?!” On hearing her brother might be dead, Wang Cui lost her mind. She threw herself at Sang Biao, screaming, “Boss, he’s my only brother! You must avenge him!”

She was answered with another resounding slap.

Revenge?

Sang Biao’s expression was cold.

Today, with just twenty men, Qin Zhen had sent his two hundred running. How could he possibly take revenge? To clash head-on with Qin Zhen now would be suicide.

To Sang Biao, Wang Cui was nothing more than a plaything. He’d never risk his life for a woman.

But Wang Scar was still his man, and in front of so many eyes, Sang Biao had to give his brothers an explanation.

“You’re sure Qin Zhen killed Wang Scar?”

“Ninety percent sure,” Wang Yuan replied, not daring to be too certain.

“I will never share the same sky as Qin Zhen!” Sang Biao gritted his teeth. “One day, I will kill him!”

Elsewhere.

After several days' journey, a majestic city loomed before the caravan.

Coastal City!

One of the three great cities of Southern Jiangnan.

Behind the caravan trailed over a hundred corpses. They had once been wounded survivors, but the journey had claimed them, their bodies now cold.

Strung together, their bodies were battered beyond recognition by the rough terrain, a ghastly sight.

Yet, thanks to these corpses, Qin Zhen’s journey had been smooth—no more bandits dared approach.

“Who goes there?!” The city guards, shaken by the spectacle, shouted down from the high walls.

“I am Chen Kuai, newly appointed city guard of Coastal City!” Head Constable Chen drew a bronze badge from his robe and held it up for the soldiers to see.

“These are the mountain bandits I slew on the road! Confirmed to be from Mount Mao’er. All have been executed!”

The whole city was stunned.

The Mount Mao’er bandits had long plagued Coastal County, tormenting countless innocents, with even officials at a loss for what to do.

Who was this Chen Kuai, to have slain so many bandits?

Amid the astonished whispers, someone recognized him.

“Isn’t that Head Constable Chen from the county office? He’s our local hero!”

“The one who led a whole village in resisting the sea raiders?”

“No wonder! Only a true hero could rout the bandits so easily!”

Hearing the praise and admiration, Chen Kuai felt his heart soar with pride.

To return home in glory—this was the pinnacle!

“How arrogant!” Li Han muttered sourly, lips curled. “We’re the ones who did the killing. Why does he get all the credit?”

“Boss Qin must have his reasons. Let’s just do as we’re told,” Zhao Ming whispered back.

While Constable Chen rode at the head of the line, basking in admiration from the crowd, Qin Zhen kept a low profile.

Reputation meant little to him.

Fame often brought trouble.

Qin Zhen hated trouble. Pragmatic and shrewd, he preferred to quietly amass his fortune.

If people learned that Qin Zhen, with just a handful of villagers, could drive the Mount Mao’er bandits into flight, what would the county magistrate think? What would the soldiers think?

Would they suspect him of building a private army?

Qin Zhen had no wish to expose himself yet. For now, he wanted his fishing village to be seen as nothing more than a prosperous hamlet, not a martial force.

“So, you’re the city guard, sir!” The gate soldiers rushed out to greet Chen Kuai, fawning over their superior in hopes of currying favor.

“Hang these bandits’ corpses above the city gate!” Chen Kuai declared coolly. “Let it be known to all—bandits are not to be feared!”

The townsfolk applauded, and the soldiers looked on with open admiration.

“Sir, and these people?”

Qin Zhen’s group had also caught the guards’ attention.

“These are villagers I encountered on the road,” Chen Kuai replied casually, omitting any mention of their battle with the bandits.

This, after all, had been carefully arranged between him and Qin Zhen.

“I see!” Realizing they were just ordinary villagers, the crowd lost interest and returned to flattering Chen Kuai.

As one corpse after another was hoisted atop the city gate, a pair of cold, contemptuous eyes watched from afar.

“Making a show of force before even entering the city? Putting on airs the moment you arrive—you’re courting death!”