Three years ago, three of the Thirty-Six Great Bandits—"Fire Scale" Tong Bao, "Mischievous Protector" Dong Tiangang, and "Nether Arrow" Xie Xiaoyi—infiltrated the imperial city to assassinate Zhou Heng, but were killed by Yang Cheng.
That battle was the most devastating loss the Thirty-Six Great Bandits had suffered since their inception, resulting in the loss of three brothers.
The remaining thirty-three men swore an oath to heaven to kill Yang Cheng to avenge their three brothers and to die with them.
For the past three years, the thirty-six bandits have mostly been in seclusion, cultivating themselves to familiarize themselves with the power of the secret treasures they possess.
But before they could seek revenge on Yang Cheng, Meng Tao died at Yang Cheng's hands.
Now only thirty-two of the thirty-six bandits remain. If we're talking about hatred, Zuo Yuan is the one who hates Yang Cheng the most.
So when Dugu Cheng wanted to put on a show, Zuo Yuan accompanied him.
Whether we can capture the capital is not important; what matters is killing Yang Cheng and avenging our brothers!
"'Heavenly King' Zuo Yuan is indeed a loyal friend!"
Dugu Cheng exclaimed in admiration, but it was unclear whether his words were praise or sarcasm.
He had the most dealings with the Thirty-Six Great Bandits, so he was quite clear about their origins and backgrounds.
The other side was just a group of bandits who were driven to the brink by the imperial court and fled into the mountains.
However, Zuo Yuan unearthed some powerful treasure in the mountains, which greatly increased his strength.
However, he gave the other thirty-five treasures to the thirty-five brothers who had followed him the longest, and they became the current Thirty-Six Great Bandits.
But in Dugu Cheng's view, only a few of the thirty-six bandits were truly capable; the majority were mediocre.
Giving them the treasure would be a waste; they really wouldn't be able to unleash much of its power.
Zuo Yuan values brotherhood too much, and he might die because of it in the future.
After they parted ways, they never contacted each other again.
One of them was a soldier, and the other was a bandit.
It was only because Dugu Cheng wanted to nurture bandits to enhance his own power that the two sides had the opportunity to join forces.
Therefore, Dugu Cheng never made any demands or plans for Zuo Yuan, but simply provided some conveniences for the Thirty-Six Great Bandits through his actions, trying his best not to give anyone cause for gossip.
After returning to Shanyang County, Zuo Yuan immediately summoned the remaining thirty-one people in the Juyi Hall and told them about Dugu Cheng's order for him to attack the capital.
The entire Juyi Hall instantly descended into chaos, roughly divided into two factions.
One faction was filled with righteous indignation and wanted to immediately march on the capital to avenge their fallen brothers.
The other side is much more rational.
Sikong Zhaixing, the strategist and advisor among the Thirty-Six Great Bandits, dressed in Taoist robes, pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, should we consider this matter more carefully?"
Dugu Cheng's actions are an attempt to use us to put pressure on the imperial court; he is clearly using us as pawns.
While we do need the opportunity that Dugu Cheng has given us, Yang Cheng is no pushover.
The enemy's Zhenwu Hall has now expanded to the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, and Yang Cheng's cultivation is unfathomable. Even the White Lotus Saintess died at his hands.
Despite their incredible speed, Meng Tao and his brother couldn't escape Yang Cheng's clutches.
If we brothers can go all out, we have a good chance of attacking the capital.
But there are only half the people here now, I'm afraid something might happen.
"Brother, could you please discuss with Dugu Cheng about taking 80% of our forces to the capital?"
Zuo Yuan shook his head and said, "That's impossible. Dugu Cheng is trying to put pressure on the court, not openly rebel."
If we were to attack the capital with 80% of our strength, even an idiot could see that Dugu Cheng was deliberately holding back.
Therefore, 50% of his power is the limit; he won't agree to any more.
Sikong Zhaixing wanted to say something more, but someone had already expressed their dissatisfaction: "Strategist, what do you mean by this?"
"We finally have a chance to avenge Brother Xiao Yi and the others, and you're standing in our way. Have you forgotten our oath from back then?"
Sikong Zhaixing angrily said, "Of course I haven't forgotten! If it weren't for Xiao Yi saving me back then, I might have died under the court's arrows long ago!"
But we can't risk our lives for revenge; that would mean even more brothers would die!
Zuo Yuan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "That's enough!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate deep within everyone's hearts, causing them all to tremble violently.
"Three years ago, we swore an oath to the heavens to avenge our brothers. Now the opportunity is right in front of us, and it would be a pity to give it up."
Xuanyuan, you should lead half of your brothers to bypass Huaibei County and attack the capital.
Whether we can capture the capital is not important; what's important is to kill Yang Cheng!
"Strategist, you are wise, resourceful, and mature. Go with Xuanyuan and help look after things."
A young man in his thirties, dressed in golden armor, with a heroic and masculine appearance and a hint of arrogance on his face, responded and said sternly, "Brother, rest assured, I will definitely bring back Yang Cheng's head to pay tribute to our four brothers!"
The 'Mad Dragon' Xuanyuan has a surname but no given name.
He ranked second among the Thirty-Six Great Bandits. He was said to be a descendant of an ancient martial arts family, but was expelled from the family for breaking the rules.
Before the Thirty-Six Great Bandits obtained the opportunity to acquire the secret treasure, his martial prowess was even stronger than Zuo Yuan's. It was only because he admired Zuo Yuan's character that he became sworn brothers with him and served him.
Although Sikong Zhaixing still felt that his move was somewhat hasty, seeing the attitude of his brothers present, he could only sigh and nod in agreement.
If we were to refuse again at a time like this, it would be disheartening for our brothers.
While the Thirty-Six Great Bandits were plotting their attack on the capital, Yang Cheng was discussing the refining of elixirs with the imperial physician Zhang Jinglin.
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