"Yan Zhen!"

In a fit of rage, Black Tiger slammed the armrest of the chair off, and it rolled down the steps to the ground with a thud, finally landing at the feet of the second-in-command.

Everyone was stunned, not realizing for a moment that the leader was actually calling out the second-in-command's real name! For so many years, they had been calling him "Second-in-command," and had almost forgotten his real name, which sounded very feminine.

Back then, Yan Zhen arrived at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain in a sorry state. It was the leader who took a liking to him at first sight, brought him up the mountain, and gave him the title of second leader. From then on, Yan Zhen settled down on Qingfeng Mountain and devoted himself to assisting Black Tiger.

When someone came to cause trouble, no one expected that the second-in-command would actually make the first-in-command surrender so easily. Not only was Black Tiger angry, but they were all somewhat indignant. Subduing the enemy without a fight was not the style of the Green Wind Mountain bandits.

"Brother, calm down. Let's hear the second-in-command's analysis before we make any plans."

The third leader was a rough and honest man with a decent martial arts skill, but he disliked fighting and killing. He would do whatever Black Tiger told him to do and often acted as a peacemaker, which allowed the leaders of the stronghold to live in peace.

Black Tiger's eyes widened as he glared at Yan Zhen. He then turned his head to the side while sitting in his chair, clearly having taken the Third Master's words to heart.

That stubborn nature!

Yan Zhen smiled bitterly to himself. He was only saying the opposite of what he meant, yet Black Tiger was so angry. He was also a member of Qingfeng Village; how could he really let him go with that monk?

"Brother, fellow brothers. Since Yan Zhen entered Qingfeng Mountain, he has been fortunate to receive your care and become the second-in-command. Over the years, he has done a lot for Qingfeng Mountain. How can we allow others to bully us? What I said just now was only to test the determination of you and the brothers. How can you take it seriously? As long as we all think in the same direction and work together, Qingfeng Village will always stand strong."

Everyone nodded, their resentment transforming into a determination to protect Qingfeng Village.

"As the saying goes, those who come with ill intentions don't come with good intentions. That monk, having managed to kidnap the leader of the Heavenly Gate Sect, must possess considerable intelligence and martial arts skills. Coming to our Green Wind Mountain alone this time, regardless of whether his story is true or false, his sheer audacity is enough to warrant our entire stronghold's attention. If we can properly send him away, our Green Wind Stronghold has no reason to provoke such a powerful figure. We have no prior dealings with monks, but monks are indeed known for their meddling. Therefore, brothers, you must cooperate with me as much as possible later. Avoid violence if possible, but if it truly comes to the point of no return, you must proceed according to plan, how about that?"

Yan Zhen bowed to everyone, and they all said, "Second Master, just give the orders."

Black Tiger was somewhat embarrassed. It seemed that he had misunderstood Yan Zhen, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. So when Yan Zhen looked over, he could only nod haphazardly and hurriedly look away.

Yan Zhen's lips curled slightly; perhaps this was an opportunity.

Everyone forgot about the girl they had snatched to be their wife.

Xiang Wan pulled Shui Yuntian, who was looking indignant, and headed towards the path the scout had taken.

Once halfway up the mountain, Xiang Wan thought for a moment and then released Shui Yuntian's speech acupoint.

"You stinking monk, throw this tattered rag away! It hasn't been washed in days, you know it stinks to death!"

“Amitabha Buddha, compared to being killed, how innocent is the strip of cloth?”

"What the hell is this? This leader is not a monk, and will never be a monk in this life. Forget about it."

"As the Buddha said, silence is golden. If you kill, you'll lose your gold."

"Stinky monk, bald head, bald donkey, pervert..."

"The word 'kill' is always the same, I'm tired of hearing it. Let's try something with a rhythm."

"You...if you're so capable, say one."

"The young monk went down the mountain to beg for alms. The old monk instructed him that the women down the mountain were tigers, and he must stay away if he saw them..."

Xiang Wan sang earnestly, while Shui Yuntian clenched her teeth so tightly that she almost bit her cheek raw.

Knowing he's a monk, he still sings about women. Have you ever seen such a shameless bald man?

He'd seen it all; there's no limit to shamelessness!

What sins did he commit in his past life to encounter such a bizarre monk, and to make matters worse, he ended up in the hands of this bald monk.

He realized that arguing with this monk was pointless; it only made him frustrated. No matter what he said, the monk was always right. What was wrong with him trying to gain an advantage verbally? Enough already!

After passing the halfway point of the mountain, they saw bandits on lookout duty ahead, brandishing large knives and glaring menacingly at them.

Xiang Wan clasped her hands together, looked at the weapon in the other person's hand, and felt as if something was missing.

"Amitabha, please lead the way, benefactor. Your second-in-command must be getting impatient."

The bandit on lookout was startled, and his grip on the hilt of his knife tightened involuntarily.

It seems the second-in-command was right; this is indeed a wicked monk. He knew the second-in-command was waiting for him even before he entered the gate.

"Just keep going along this road."

The second-in-command had already instructed him to put on a show of authority when meeting people. It's unclear whether saying that counts as putting on an act of authority.

"Amitabha! Brother, we'll soon be family. Family doesn't need formalities. If the welcome ceremony isn't done well, your boss will cry."

"Hey! You monk, who said we're family? Don't flatter yourself! Our leader is a peerless hero, how can he just cry like that?"

Two more bandits surrounded her, and judging from their posture, they seemed eager to fight Xiang Wan.

Xiang Wan said calmly, "Gentlemen, how about we make a bet? If your leader really cries, you will grant me one request, how about it?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!