Chapter Seventy-Two: The Pact of Banner Mountain

Wu Qingshan drew a sharp breath. The feather fan in this man’s hand was, astonishingly, a hidden weapon—impossible to guard against. Even if he were given ten chances, he doubted he could dodge all those concealed darts; in his mind, Jiang Chen had always been the image of a frail scholar. Thus, although he admired Jiang Chen’s intellect, he’d always believed that, should danger arise, it would be his duty to protect his brother-in-law.

From Wu Qingshan’s perspective, Jiang Chen was as good as dead; the situation could not have been worse. Yet, to his utter astonishment, the scholarly Jiang Chen demonstrated remarkable agility, rolling across the vast deck of the ship and nimbly evading every projectile.

Though his movements seemed unremarkable, it was his quick reflexes and precise anticipation that made all the difference. True masters did not rely on ostentatious maneuvers—victory lay in making the right response in the shortest time. That alone proved Jiang Chen’s skills were far more than a mere dabbling in martial arts.

Jiang Chen’s next series of actions shattered Wu Qingshan’s understanding of him entirely. The man before him, so adept in combat, seemed nothing like the Jiang Chen he knew.

Yin Mufan attacked mercilessly, pressing the assault with the intent to force Jiang Chen’s submission—to make him reveal the whereabouts of the "Iron Spring Butcher." In the briefest exchange, the two clashed more than twenty times; on the surface, Yin Mufan held the advantage, but in truth, Jiang Chen had deliberately assumed the defensive, clearly with some greater purpose.

During their duel, Jiang Chen gradually maneuvered closer to Wu Qingshan. Though he was guarded by two men, for Jiang Chen, fighting at full strength, such obstacles were negligible.

With a resonant clang, the hidden weapons in Yin Mufan’s fan fired again, but by now, they posed Jiang Chen almost no threat. Raising his hand, Jiang Chen snatched up a fallen blade, fending off the darts as he flung the weapon toward Wu Qingshan’s position; one of the guards crumpled instantly.

Swiftly, Jiang Chen closed in and dispatched the other guard, restoring Wu Qingshan’s freedom.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

Wu Qingshan stared blankly at Jiang Chen, his mind a complete blank. What he had just witnessed seemed utterly unreal—almost as if he had awoken from a bizarre dream.

“Now isn’t the time to stand there gaping!” Jiang Chen snapped, delivering a sharp slap that finally jolted Wu Qingshan back to his senses.

“I… I’m fine. What do we do now?”

“Obviously, we get out of here first,” Jiang Chen replied, but before he could finish, Yin Mufan attacked again. This man’s martial prowess was formidable—he was the toughest adversary Jiang Chen had ever faced.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Jiang Chen shoved Wu Qingshan toward the edge and shouted, “Go! I’ll make sure he doesn’t interfere.”

Obeying, Wu Qingshan tried to retrieve the contents of the wooden box, but Yin Mufan’s men blocked his way. In the end, he managed to snatch the waist token in a narrow escape, but had no chance to reclaim the Fierce Wind Spear. Pressed by Jiang Chen’s urgent commands, Wu Qingshan leapt over the prow and, thanks to years of swimming, swiftly vanished into the river.

Yin Mufan paid him no mind. Fixing a cold gaze on Jiang Chen, he said, “He’s of no consequence. As long as you’re on this ship, victory is mine.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Jiang Chen replied.

Seven paces separated them. Yin Mufan’s remaining uninjured men crept closer, hoping to encircle Jiang Chen, but his fierce display of combat prowess kept them at bay; none dared rush forward for credit.

“Was it you who injured my friend?” Jiang Chen suddenly asked.

“You mean that one-armed middle-aged man? Indeed. I admire his courage, but he overestimated himself.”

Thinking of Gu Jun’s battered form, Jiang Chen’s voice turned cold. “Yin Mufan, for what you’ve done to him, I will repay you—twice over.”

With that, he abruptly leaned back and, with astonishing lightness, landed on a passing fishing boat. No one could fathom how, with his attention focused ahead, Jiang Chen had seized the perfect moment to escape.

Yin Mufan, vexed, realized it was too late to give chase. He moved to the bow, staring at Jiang Chen across the water and shouted, “If you want the Fierce Wind Spear back, come find me at Banner Mountain!”

It seemed their battle was only just beginning.

Leaving by water, Jiang Chen made his way ashore and hurried back to the Auspicious Ascend Inn. There, as expected, the attendant had moved Gu Jun to a superior room, where a physician was carefully tending his wounds.

“In all my years of practice, I’ve never seen a man with so many scars. I can’t imagine how he’s even alive,” the doctor remarked.

Only now did Jiang Chen notice the myriad old and new wounds covering Gu Jun’s body, each one a mark of battles between life and death. In Mountain Pass Town, people called Gu Jun a coward who had fled the front lines, but had they seen these scars, not one would have dared mock him.

Jiang Chen didn’t know what Gu Jun had suffered in the army, but he was certain this steely man would never turn his back on the enemy and flee; not a single scar marred his back.

When the doctor finished treating Gu Jun’s wounds, he gave Jiang Chen strict instructions: “It’s fortunate his constitution is so robust—otherwise, these injuries would have been fatal. He needs at least ten days of rest before he can walk. Make sure he’s well-nourished to help him recover.”

Jiang Chen saw the doctor out, repeating the instructions word for word to the inn attendant, who, seeing the silver in Jiang Chen’s hand, became far more attentive than before. Indeed, nothing opens doors on the road like money—out of respect for Jiang Chen’s wealth, the attendant would see to Gu Jun’s care diligently.

For now, Gu Jun slept soundly, his wounds properly cared for. This freed Jiang Chen to deal with the mounting troubles that beset him. Most worrisome was the disappearance of Old Wu and Yue’er, which left Jiang Chen deeply anxious.

“I… I’m back,” came a voice at the door.

Wu Qingshan stumbled in, bedraggled and dripping, a tangle of green river weeds on his head and panting heavily. He eyed Jiang Chen in bewilderment, asking, “Hey? Why aren’t you wet at all?”

“There’s more than one way to escape than by jumping into the river,” Jiang Chen replied coolly.