When the group finally crested the last ridge, the twilight had deepened into an inky blackness.
Mist billowed through the mountains, like spilled ink blotting out the path. It was hard to make out anyone more than a few steps away.
They had no choice but to slow down, groping their way forward on the slippery mountain trail. By the time they finally caught sight of Tiger Head Stockade, it was pitch - black, with only a few flickering torches at the stockade gate piercing the night.
— There were sentries on patrol.
Tiger Head Stockade was much larger than Black Wind Stockade.
The towering stockade gate loomed at the col between two peaks. The pointed wooden stakes on top were like the fangs of a wild beast in the darkness.
On either side of the gate stood a watchtower, much taller than the dilapidated wooden platforms in Black Wind Stockade. The light of the torches swayed in the ink - black sky.
Inside the stockade wall, wisps of cooking smoke were rising, mingling with the aroma of food, indicating that they were cooking dinner.
Wan Mo sneered, reaching back to grip the long spear on her back. "After five years, these stray dogs have gotten cocky again. How dare they swagger around here? Hmph, we were too lenient on them back then!"
"Second Sister, don't act rashly." Li Wanming grabbed her wrist and pointed to the west side of the stockade wall, where a short stretch of the wall was shrouded in tree shadows.
"See that gnarled pine tree? We can climb over the wall there and avoid the line of sight from the watchtowers. Let's sneak into the stockade first and size up the situation."
The group quietly slipped into the stockade. In the center, a large pine - wood hall was brightly lit. Two big red lanterns hung under the eaves, and a glaring "Xi" (happiness) character was pasted right in the middle of the door frame.
There was a wedding in this stockade?
The group exchanged glances and all looked at Old Chen the Pockmarked.
Old Chen the Pockmarked was taken aback for a moment, then slapped his forehead. "Oh, I almost forgot!"
"Last month, I heard them say they'd captured a beauty. They were waiting for her to recover from her injuries before making her the bandit leader's wife. I didn't expect the wedding to be today..."
Before he could finish, Wan Mo grabbed him by the collar.
Wan Mo's eyes flashed with cold light, and her back teeth gritted. "Another forced marriage! Another bandit leader's wife! I'm asking you, do you bandits have an addiction to forced marriages? Why do you always want to kidnap someone from the foot of the mountain to be the bandit leader's wife?"
"Sec - Second Miss, please understand..." Old Chen the Pockmarked trembled in fear and could only shrink his neck and smile apologetically. "There are few people on the mountain..."
The group hid under the window and peeked through the gaps in the wooden bars. Inside the hall, two long red wedding ribbons were hanging, and a pair of dragon - and - phoenix wedding candles were burning in the middle. Several bandits with wedding ribbons around their waists were busy setting the tables and arranging the wedding hall.
"There are four square tables in total. Even if they're all full, there are only thirty - two people." Li Wanming mused. "It seems I was right. Tiger Head Stockade hasn't been re - established for long, and there aren't many people."
"With Second Sister and General Gao's skills, it's no problem to subdue a few of them. But the problem is, they have hostages. We have to change our plan and rescue the girl first."
The group avoided the bandits walking back and forth in the hall and quietly made their way to a row of pine - wood wing rooms at the back.
"I was locked up back here when I was forced to be a bandit leader's wife. I'm sure of it." Li Wanming crouched low and led the way.
Gao Yong was confused. "Mi... Miss, weren't you captured by Black Wind Stockade to be a bandit leader's wife?"
Chuntao nodded. "Yes, our miss has been a bandit leader's wife in seven stockades!"
...
Outside the wing room, two bandits were standing guard at the door with their swords in their hands.
Wan Mo and Gao Yong exchanged a look and then flashed out like ghosts.
With two soft clicks, the two bandits didn't even have time to react before their jaws were dislocated and they were knocked to the ground.
Li Wanming pushed open the door. In the flickering candlelight, a bride in a bright red wedding dress was sitting upright on the edge of the bed. Her veil was hanging down, covering her face. Her wrists were tied with several loops of hemp rope, indicating that she had been kidnapped.
"Don't be afraid, girl. We're here to rescue you!"
She rushed forward. The cold light of her dagger flashed, and the rope was cut. "How many people did these bandits capture? Are you the only one here? Where are the others?"
However, at the sound of her voice, the bride trembled. After a long while, she hesitated and said, "... Wanming?"
The voice was like a thunderclap in her ear. Li Wanming stopped abruptly. Slowly, she reached out and lifted the red veil embroidered with mandarin ducks.
The candle "crackled" and a wick popped, revealing a peerlessly handsome face.
Sword - like eyebrows and starry eyes, a face as fair as jade.
A pair of peach - blossom eyes were like surging spring water, and even the dimples at the corners of his lips were tinged with a rosy glow like rose candy.
Xiao Jingnan looked at her for a while and smiled before he spoke. "Come to think of it, this is the second time my wife has lifted my veil."
With a "clang", the dagger in Li Wanming's hand fell to the ground.
Her heart was pounding. She threw herself at him, laughing and crying. "You... Why are you here? They... They said you were dead... I never believed it... How are you? Are you injured?"
Xiao Jingnan helped her sit down on the edge of the bed. His fingertips gently brushed across the corners of her red - rimmed eyes as he comforted her softly. "I was a bit injured, but it's okay. I've almost recovered."
He looked up at the group and raised his eyebrows slightly. "But what about you all?"
Chuntao quickly said, "After our miss received the military report, she said she didn't believe you were dead and insisted on coming to rescue you. So she brought me and General Gao to Dayi Mountain. Later, we met Second Miss, Second Master - in - law, and this Old Chen the Pockmarked, who sells snake gall and thunder god vine to Tiger Head Stockade in Black Wind Stockade. Second Miss said she was going to the southern border battlefield to defend the country, and Second Master - in - law chased after her... Master, I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Oh, I see." Xiao Jingnan nodded understandingly and smiled. "Chuntao, you're getting more and more eloquent."
"Thank you for your praise, Master!" Chuntao curtsied happily.
On the other side, Wan Mo kicked Old Chen the Pockmarked in the calf, almost knocking him down. "Didn't you say they'd captured a beauty to be the bandit leader's wife? Is this the beauty you were talking about?!"
"Isn't he beautiful?!" Old Chen the Pockmarked rubbed his calf, his eyes wide as copper bells. "I've never seen such a good - looking man in my life!"
"You know he's a man..."
"So what if he's a man? A man can be a bandit leader's wife too!" Old Chen the Pockmarked said defiantly.
Li Wanming rubbed the marks on Xiao Jingnan's wrists and frowned. "What happened to you? With your skills, how could you end up being forced to worship at the wedding?"
Xiao Jingnan looked at her intently and said meaningfully, "Well, with my skills, ending up being forced to worship at the wedding doesn't seem so incredible..."
Li Wanming blushed at the memory of the past and immediately gave him a hard slap on the wrist. She said angrily, "You don't really want to be a bandit leader's wife, do you?!"
Xiao Jingnan let out an "ouch" and rubbed his hand. "This matter... It's a long story..."