Chapter 82: Never Lower Your Guard Against Others

"Everyone, let's not be hasty," the tall, thin man suddenly spoke. "Why don't we hear Leader Zhang out first?"

Zhang the Monk nodded, rose to his feet, and said, "Brothers, today I summoned you all with the Feather Dispatch, not for business, but to tell you something important. This morning I met with General Wang. He wanted me to relay a message to all of you!"

"What? You met General Wang?"

"At Widow Xu's house?"

"Heavens, Monk, doesn't that mean your identity is exposed?"

"Monk, could it be you've already thrown in with the army, colluded with them, and set up this trap to catch us all in one fell swoop?"

At these words, all twelve men—except for the tall, thin one—leapt to their feet with a clamor.

"No need to panic!" As the group seemed ready to draw their blades on Zhang the Monk, the tall, thin man spoke again. "We've been brothers for years. Don't you know what kind of man the Monk is? Do you really think he'd sell us out to the authorities?"

Zhang the Monk suddenly tore open his robe, slapped his own chest, and bellowed, "If you don't trust me and think I'd betray you all, dig out my heart and liver right now! If I so much as flinch, then may I not be my father's son or my mother's child!"

The man who had spoken before retorted, "If you've already met General Wang, why didn't he arrest you?"

"That's exactly why I called you all here!" Zhang the Monk said solemnly. "General Wang said that if we're willing to follow him, we can go to the northern camp outside the city in three days' time. All our past crimes will be wiped clean, and no one will come after us for old scores. From now on, we can live without fear!"

The leaders began to whisper among themselves.

"Can all the blood we've shed really be written off?"

"If we can really become General Wang's soldiers, that's a good thing."

"Yes, I heard since General Wang returned to Datong, the compensation for fallen soldiers has been five hundred taels of silver, and for those who distinguished themselves, their families have received as much as two thousand taels!"

"But can this be true? What if General Wang is just tricking us? If we go to the northern camp in three days, he might just turn on us and seize us all."

"Impossible. General Wang is a man of his word."

"That's right. He once stormed an execution ground to save one of his captains. How could such a hero be a man of empty promises?"

Zhang the Monk gazed at them intensely and declared, "Whatever you all decide, in three days I will go to the northern camp! My wife Feng and our children have waited three years for me. I can't let them go on like this, nor let them live in fear any longer. Even if it's a trap, I'll walk right into it with my eyes shut!"

All eyes turned to the tall, thin man.

He took a harsh drag of his pipe, exhaled, and said in a heavy voice, "It's true—living as bandits can't last forever. With the blood on our hands, if the authorities ever catch us, there'll be no good end. So we can't miss this chance! But Leader Liu has a point—if it's a trap, we'd be dooming not just ourselves, but over eight hundred men who follow us."

"Leader Cheng, just say what you mean!"

"Yes, you're always the shrewd one. Give us your advice."

Zhang the Monk echoed, "Old Cheng, give us a straight answer."

The tall, thin man replied, "To be safe, we can surrender, but we won't go to the northern camp!"

"Then where will we go?" Zhang the Monk asked.

"To Wang Village," the tall man said.

"Why Wang Village?"

"Because it's General Wang's family property. If he's willing to give us Wang Village to station our men, and no other troops are allowed in, we'll surrender. Otherwise, everyone goes their own way."

"Will General Wang agree to that?" Zhang the Monk questioned.

"If he's a man destined to accomplish great things, he will," the tall man replied.

"All right," Zhang the Monk said helplessly. "I'll go to the northern camp tonight and relay your words to General Wang."

That night, at the northern camp—

Wang Pu had just returned to his command post when Zhen Youcai rushed in.

"Youcai, how did it go?" Wang Pu asked. "Did Zhang Zian cooperate?"

"Zhang Zian was quite cooperative. After all, his own life is at stake," Zhen Youcai replied with a chuckle.

"Do you think you can have five hundred new muskets and five thousand Dragon King bombs made before New Year's?"

"There shouldn't be any problem. Zhang Zian said that if he's pressed for time, he'll get help from other arms workshops in Shanxi."

"Good," Wang Pu nodded. "With these firearms, the surprise attack on Guihua will be no problem."

"General, how is the matter of recruiting the bandit leaders going?"

"It's still uncertain. I told them to come to the northern camp in three days if they want to enlist."

"General," just then Xiao Qi entered the tent and announced, "There's a man outside the gate demanding to see you."

"What's his name?" Wang Pu asked.

"He says he's Zhang the Monk."

"Zhang the Monk?" Wang Pu turned to Zhen Youcai. "He's one of the main bandit leaders."

Then he told Xiao Qi, "Bring him in."

"General, since he's a bandit leader, shouldn't I call Big Beard and Scarface in for backup, just in case?"

"There's no need. Just bring Zhang the Monk in now."

"Yes, sir."

A moment later, Xiao Qi led Zhang the Monk into the command post. Seeing Wang Pu seated behind the desk, Zhang the Monk hurriedly knelt on one knee and saluted, "Your humble servant Zhang the Monk greets General Wang."

"Rise," Wang Pu said, waving Xiao Qi out. Xiao Qi took the hint, retreated, and stood guard outside.

"Leader Zhang," Wang Pu fixed his gaze on him. "Have you discussed with the thirteen leaders?"

"Yes, we have," Zhang the Monk replied.

"What did they say?"

"They're willing to serve under you, General, but they're still worried."

Zhen Youcai suddenly laughed coldly, "You're afraid it's a trap—that as soon as you enter the camp, the General will turn on you and arrest you, isn't that right?"

Zhang the Monk looked awkward and said nothing, which was answer enough.

Wang Pu's face darkened. "So what do they want?"

"They want you, General, to give them Wang Village to station their men," Zhang the Monk said, licking his lips.

"Insolent!" Wang Pu slammed his desk, rising in anger. "They dare set their sights on Wang Village! Zhang the Monk, go back and tell those thirteen leaders I considered recruiting them out of respect for their skills, but if they think I'm the one begging for this, they're sorely mistaken! I can't tolerate a bit of sand in my eyes. If they want to come, they can come; if not, so be it! If they don't report in three days, they'll have to live with the consequences!"

Meekly, Zhang the Monk replied, "I'll go back and relay your words, General."

"Go."

"Farewell, General."

Zhang the Monk cupped his fists, turned, and left the tent.

After Zhang the Monk was gone, Wang Pu cursed, "These arrogant bandits, to think they could demand Wang Village to station their men! Outrageous."

Zhen Youcai's eyes flickered and he said quietly, "General, I think this is just the bandits testing your sincerity. It's not their true intention."

Wang Pu looked intrigued. "How so?"

Zhen Youcai explained, "The one who made this demand must be quite shrewd. He deliberately proposed a condition you couldn't possibly accept, and sent Leader Zhang here to relay it for two reasons: First, to see if this is a trap—if it is, you'd agree quickly; second, sending Zhang the Monk here is in itself a test—to see if you'd have him followed or send troops after him to ambush the leaders when they gather."

"You're overthinking it, Youcai. Are those bandits really that clever?"

"We'll know by tomorrow," Zhen Youcai replied. "If I'm right, by tomorrow afternoon those bandits will come to the camp to enlist. If not, then they're just a bunch of simpletons and you can give up on recruiting them."

Wang Pu pondered, then said, "Whatever the case, we'll wait until the day after tomorrow."

On the official road from Datong to Kaolao Mountain, Zhang the Monk was galloping hard. His horse's hooves beat the frozen ground, kicking up clouds of dust that shimmered pale under the moonlight.

A whistling north wind howled across the open plain, cold enough to freeze a man solid.

Just as Zhang the Monk crested a low slope, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared before him like a ghost. His horse nearly crashed into it. Zhang the Monk shouted and yanked the reins; the horse reared up with a pained cry, hooves flailing in the air, but came to a halt.

Wiping cold sweat from his brow, just as Zhang the Monk was about to curse, he recognized the tall, thin figure in the moonlight—it was Cheng Xuan, one of the fourteen leaders! The words died on his lips as he exclaimed, "Leader Cheng, what are you doing here?"

Cheng Xuan approached, smiling. "I'm not the only one. All the other leaders are here too."

As Zhang the Monk glanced around, a dozen shadows emerged from the roadside grass. Under the moonlight, he saw it was indeed the other twelve leaders.

Perplexed, Zhang the Monk asked, "Brothers, what is the meaning of this?"

"Leader Zhang," Cheng Xuan said with a smile, "you'll know soon enough."

"Take his horse," another leader ordered with a wave.

Cheng Xuan led Zhang the Monk behind the hill, shielded from the wind. Zhang the Monk, now impatient, demanded, "Leader Cheng, what exactly is going on?"

But Cheng Xuan replied with another question, "Leader Zhang, did General Wang agree to our condition?"

"No," Zhang the Monk replied grimly. "I told you, General Wang would never agree to something like that."

To Zhang the Monk's surprise, Cheng Xuan didn't seem angry; instead, he smiled. "Just as expected!"

Growing more agitated, Zhang the Monk pressed, "Leader Cheng, what is all this about?"

Another leader spoke up, "Leader Zhang, to tell you the truth, asking to station troops at Wang Village and sending you to deliver the message was only to test General Wang's sincerity! Leader Cheng said that if General Wang had nothing to hide, he wouldn't agree to the demand. If he did, it meant he had ulterior motives."

"There's some sense to that," Zhang the Monk nodded. "But then why are you all waiting for me out here in the middle of the night?"

The leader replied, "Still to see if General Wang is as upright as the rumors say."

"What do you mean by that?" Zhang the Monk asked.

"You'll see soon enough. If no one follows you, it means General Wang truly intends to recruit us. If he does, then he means us harm!"

"You're judging a noble man by a petty heart," Zhang the Monk said angrily.

"Not so," Cheng Xuan corrected. "It's called being cautious—never letting your guard down."