CHAPTER 45: 45. DEEP BOND OF BROTHERS (SEEKING MORE READERS)

"Blood feud!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Dang’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and unconsciously gripped the armrest of his Seated chair tightly. The Seated chair was made of Rosewood, valuable and sturdy. However, as his anger flared, the armrest crumbled between his fingers into tiny wood shavings, fluttering down like Snowflakes onto the floor of the Righteousness Hall.

"Big Brother!" The King of Might, seated to Yao Dang’s right, hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"No need." Yao Dang sighed, waving his hand at the King of Might to signal he was fine. "I know my limits." He turned his gaze to the Heavenly Kun King and praised, "It’s my Third Brother who sees clearly. Your foolish elder brother almost made a mistake. Bringing Xu Xing and Chang Ji, two criminals, into Mount Siming would indeed mean a powerful dragon suppressing the local powers. But without them, how can we achieve great things or seek our blood feud with the Imperial Court? Now is not the time to be petty."

No one is born an ambitious schemer. If it weren’t for the Imperial Court’s tyranny, which drove the people of Big Snow Mountain to their deaths, why would he have taken up arms against them and become one of the Eighteen Rebel Kings? Compared to the unrealistic dream of claiming sole dominance, he would much rather make the Imperial Court pay in blood.

"Moreover..." Yao Dang paused for a moment. "I heard that this Xu Xing is a very loyal person?"

Of course, he knew about Xu Xing and Chang Ji in the Sky Prison; Xu Xing had been willing to remain there for his friend Chang Ji. He was now asking the Heavenly Kun King for his opinion on Xu Xing’s character. Compared to rumors, Yao Dang trusted the Heavenly Kun King’s words more.

"This..." The Heavenly Kun King was at a loss for words. Although he believed Xu Xing to be a loyal person, he couldn’t be absolutely certain. Facing his respected Big Brother, he couldn’t bring himself to lie outright.

"A man who could write such rebellious poetry..." The Heavenly Kun King shook his head and said earnestly, "Big Brother, I don’t believe he is a duplicitous man."

"Good!"

"Third Brother!"

"Big Brother... trusts you!" Yao Dang smiled and patted the Heavenly Kun King’s shoulder. "Since he wants this position as the Fourth Chief, Big Brother will give it to him. Mount Siming is not Big Brother’s private property; the capable should hold the positions."

「That night.」

The sky was clear, the stars sparse. It was around the second watch.

Under the guidance of Lu Xiaohou and others, Xu Xing and Chang Ji arrived at the Siming Mountain Stronghold’s Righteousness Hall. When they were just halfway there, they saw a bustling crowd near the hall. The stronghold members each held a torch, collectively illuminating half of Mount Siming. As the two approached, the crowd parted to form a wide path for them.

Following this path, Xu Xing finally laid eyes on the legendary King of Sorrow and King of Might. Of Mount Siming’s Three Great Kings, only the King of Sorrow resembled a wealthy merchant; the other two had a distinctly rugged, uncultivated air about them.

As they drew near the Three Great Kings, Xu Xing got a clearer view. About thirty paces from the entrance of the Righteousness Hall, an Incense Table was set up. On the table were three sacrificial offerings, an incense burner, a live Rooster, a jar of Wine, and a thin booklet. The cover of the booklet bore the three characters ’Jin Lanpu’.

Seeing this, Xu Xing felt a sense of relief.

"Mr. Xu..." Yao Dang began, "or should I say, Fourth Brother." He held a lit stick of Long Fragrance, bowed three times before the incense burner, and inserted the stick into the ashes. Then he half-turned, carefully examining Xu Xing’s appearance and every move.

After a Shaoqing, he spoke, "Third Brother recognizes you as a brother and has sworn an oath with you. By rights, you are also our Fourth Brother. The Mountain Stronghold is a humble place; it took our men a long time to gather everything needed for this ceremony. As tradition dictates, rituals cannot be discarded. Today, you will swear brotherhood with the three of us again. From now on, we are all brothers!"

He gestured for Gui Yishou to hand him a dagger.

Yao Dang then used the dagger to sever the Rooster’s neck, its blood splashing into a Wine bowl. Immediately after, he made a shallow cut on his palm with the dagger, and scarlet Fresh blood dripped into the Wine bowl. The King of Might and the Heavenly Kun King took the dagger in turn and repeated King of Sorrow Yao Dang’s actions.

Xu Xing, without any hesitation, followed suit. He cut his palm and began to drink the blood-mixed Wine with Yao Dang and the other two, swearing a blood oath. It was too late for hesitation now.

The four of them then began to recite the oath together.

"Today, the four of us form a sworn brotherhood here, with the Heaven above and the Earth below as our witnesses..."

"...swearing brotherhood, entrusting each other with our lives, helping each other through good and bad times, sharing fortune and misfortune, and relying on each other in times of adversity..."

The vows were chanted, one after another.

"This is the fourth Seated chair at the Siming Mountain Stronghold."

"From now on..."

"It’s yours, Fourth Brother."

Yao Dang ordered the removal of the Incense Table and other items. He then took Xu Xing by the right arm, led him into the Righteousness Hall, pointed to the fourth Seated chair at the main table, and said solemnly.

"Thank you, Big Brother," Xu Xing quickly expressed his gratitude.

「Next.」

It was the ceremony for the various leaders of the Siming Mountain Stronghold to meet Xu Xing.

The Siming Mountain Stronghold had Twelve Banners, with five hundred stronghold soldiers under each. In addition to the Twelve Banners, there was also the Deaf and Mute Army, directly under King of Sorrow Yao Dang. This army numbered one thousand, all of them Elite Soldiers and fierce generals.

Of course, the Siming Mountain Stronghold also had the characteristics of a greenwood fortress. Besides the army, the Five Tiger Hall was established. Within the Five Tiger Hall were five Five Tiger Envoys, who commanded the outlaw heroes of Jiangnan West Road. Gui Yishou was one of these Five Tiger Envoys.

"I will assign two Banners to you, Fourth Brother," Yao Dang began, showing no stinginess in assigning subordinates to Xu Xing. "And I’ll also have Gui Yishou accompany you."

"Big Brother," Xu Xing directly refused Yao Dang’s proposal. "I am new here and unfamiliar with military affairs."

He was not a shortsighted man. Even if Yao Dang’s offer was genuinely well-intentioned, and even if he accepted these troops, would they truly obey his commands? He would likely be a general in name only. Moreover, taking command of an army immediately upon arrival was not advisable and would surely incite jealousy. In such a scenario, while he might appear to be the Fourth King, he would, in reality, become isolated and powerless on Mount Siming. Rebellion and power struggles, ultimately, were about reducing enemies and increasing allies. Anything flashier than that was merely a trap.

"This..." Yao Dang frowned, clearly displeased.

"Fourth Brother..." the King of Might said, his expression serious as he pressured Xu Xing, "Listen to Big Brother!"

"That’s right, Fourth Brother. Big Brother is doing this for your own good," the Heavenly Kun King chimed in. He hadn’t fully grasped the implications of King of Sorrow Yao Dang’s words but felt his Big Brother was being magnanimous and thought Xu Xing should accept the "gift."

"Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother..." Xu Xing took a deep breath. "I understand that Big Brother is looking out for me, his younger brother. However, I have never commanded soldiers and horses before. If I were to lead them, it would only endanger the lives of our Brothers. This is out of the question. My strengths lie in managing internal affairs, transportation of grain, and supplies..."

He took a step back, yielding his ground.

The Three Great Kings remained silent.

Xu Xing scanned the expressions of the leaders in the hall and continued, "Chang Ji is a Fifth-Rank Dingyuan General. Big Brother, you could let General Chang lead the soldiers and horses..."

He thus pushed the authority to command troops onto Chang Ji.