Chapter 45: Chief Zhao Crouching On The Balcony

Chapter 45: The Tiger Crouches on the Balcony, Chief Zhao

“Greetings, Sister-in-Law!”

“Greetings, Sister-in-Law.”

The bandits’ New Year was even more miserable than that of wage slaves—they only had half a day off on New Year’s Eve plus the whole of New Year’s Day, a mere day and a half in total.

On the second day of the new year, the stronghold was back in operation. Zhao Changhe went to the training ground to muster the troops, personally acting as an instructor, leading people in their drills. Those not training had other assignments; the previously stalled trap-setting operations also resumed.

Zhao Changhe felt that if he hadn’t time-traveled, he might have become a capitalist deserving of being strung up on a lamppost.

But the stronghold’s safety was everyone’s concern, after all...

While Zhao Changhe managed affairs, Yue Hongling wandered around the stronghold, mainly to familiarize herself with where the traps were, so she wouldn’t fall into one again... Though her injuries were no longer serious, and she could leap out of a pit if she fell in, it would still be annoying.

She actually wanted to dismantle the traps... but forget it.

“Taking a stroll, Sister-in-Law?”

“Sister-in-Law, where did you and the boss meet? They say it was in a city kiln—I don’t buy it.”

“If you can’t speak properly, you can cut out your own tongue.” Yue Hongling’s face was expressionless.

There were plenty of bandits who couldn’t speak properly—not all of them were sharp. There was even a fool who asked why the boss was so exhausted yesterday and whether they could elaborate, saying such a tough guy had cramped up—how much could this sister-in-law drain him...

That fool was still hanging upside down at the edge of the training ground as a public example. The boss didn’t dare say a word, highlighting who really held the reins in this stronghold.

“Don’t bury spikes in these pits,” Yue Hongling stopped a bandit who was trying to add spikes to a pit. “The stronghold is large, and not everyone knows exactly where all the traps are. If we accidentally hurt our own people, that would be bad.”

The bandit scratched his head: “Without spikes below, they’re useless. Are they meant to trap people or let them hide to take a dump?”

“Bang!” The bandit was kicked flying.

Zhao Changhe thought he was rough, but only by truly dealing with these bandits did one realize what it meant to be utterly unrestrained and taboo-free. Zhao Changhe at most cursed with some coarse words in anger, but his daily speech was still civilized...

Yue Hongling massaged her temples in frustration, pointing at the others who were shrinking back: “You, you, you... go remove the spikes from all the other pits. These deadly traps can be set outside the stronghold—on the back mountain, near the mountain paths—where they can be more lethal. Inside the stronghold, it’s enough to trap enemies, to avoid accidental injuries.”

“Got it, we’ll do as Sister-in-Law says!”

“Not burying spikes doesn’t mean there aren’t other tricks. For example, stepping on it triggers ice-cold water to pour down—in this season, that’s enough to make anyone suffer. Or stepping on it causes vines above to entangle and close in. There are countless mechanisms in the world—use your imagination. Whoever comes up with a good trick gets a reward!”

“Also, spring is coming. The mountain is vast; some places can be planted with things. That can supplement our supplies and prevent us from eating through our reserves.”

“Isn’t this banditry? Say that again?”

“No objections, right? Then go do it.”

“The boss’s opinion? Boss! I’m asking you!”

From afar came Zhao Changhe’s voice: “Listen to her...”

Who was really in charge here?

The people in the stronghold truly felt they had gained a housekeeper, but this housekeeper was also a half-baked one—she knew nothing about internal affairs and only acted on impulse. Like when she mentioned planting things, if someone actually asked her what to plant, she would just stare blankly at them, either annoyed by the question or with an empty mind.

She also didn’t look at the warehouse accounts or finances—she couldn’t understand them at all. That dazed look of recognizing every word but not grasping their combined meaning was especially endearing.

In the end, the boss had to handle it himself, and then she would fiercely run off to lead the training.

No one knew who was the chief and who was the wife anymore; it seemed everything was upside down.

Lunch.

The chief and the captive wife hid in their room for a private meal. They ate in silence for a long time, as if speaking would be awkward.

“Um...” Just as they were about to finish, Zhao Changhe hesitated and spoke.

Yue Hongling chewed on some meat, her cheeks moving, and looked up at him.

Zhao Changhe was unexpectedly charmed by the sight, turned his head away, and coughed dryly: “I had them fix up the room next door. Starting today, you can stay there. There’s a tub in the room, and I’ll have them bring hot water every night for you.”

Yue Hongling blinked. This internal arrangement was quite thoughtful—maybe you should be the wife from now on.

Actually, Yue Hongling was different from Luo Qi; she truly didn’t need to sleep—she could just sit in a chair and meditate. The kind of awkwardness that had happened before wouldn’t occur. Yue Hongling herself hadn’t planned to sleep separately, since a “captive wife” not living together would arouse suspicion, or at least make people think the chief had no authority over his wife.

But Yue Hongling also knew that a man and a woman living together would inevitably cause some issues, no matter what. Zhao Changhe was trying to avoid putting her in an awkward position, even if it meant being mocked for lacking authority.

“Aren’t you afraid the men will laugh at you, Chief?” she deliberately asked.

“Compared to that, I’d rather you stay here longer without any psychological burden.” Zhao Changhe muttered, “Even if this housekeeper is actually useless at everything.”

Yue Hongling glared at him. Zhao Changhe raised his hands in surrender.

After staring at him for a while, Yue Hongling finally pouted: “Fine. But no matter how long I stay, I’ll still leave. After eating, rest a bit, and we’ll continue sparring today.”

...

“Second Brother, the atmosphere in the city has been strange lately.” In a city inn, a girl asked her brother with some confusion: “I’ve noticed some pretty distant underworld figures coming here, like Lin Feihu of the Black Tiger Gang—he’s a Xuan Guan fourth-level expert... Could it be that they heard about your and Yue Hongling’s street duel, with both sides injured, and want to pick the spoils?”

The siblings were no longer dressed as commoners as they had been when passing by Mang Mountain. The girl wore a hooded mink coat, her head wrapped in a furry hood, revealing a rosy little face, very cute and charming—nothing like the “passerby” look from before... Suffice it to say, dressing down and playing low-key was a necessary skill in the martial world.

Cui Yuanyong, in a brocade robe, sat leisurely by the window reading a book, truly a refined young gentleman, warm as jade.

Hearing his sister’s question, he smiled gently: “It shouldn’t come to that. Yue Hongling and I fought with restraint—it was a touch-and-go match. Our injuries would heal in at most three to five days. Onlookers could also see we weren’t badly hurt. By the time news spreads and others come, half a month will have passed... Everyone knows we’ve already recovered. What would they come for?”

Indeed, half a month had passed since their duel, and Yue Hongling had been the “captive wife” in the stronghold for that same period. Cui Yuanyong still found it hard to understand, no matter how he tried to imagine it, yet he had witnessed it with his own eyes—Yue Hongling had even taken the initiative to “tao zhe” (a playful term).

Half a month and she still lingered—presumably Zhao Changhe’s robust physique had satisfied Yue Hongling quite well, right?

Sure enough, a rustic country girl was just that—capable in combat, but still vulgar.

Fortunately, Cui Yuanyong was not a gossip. He hadn’t even told his sister about this—it wasn’t appropriate to discuss such matters with a maiden. He only told his sister that Yue Hongling was hiding in the Northern Mang stronghold to recover, so that his eager sister, who wanted to capture the wanted criminal, wouldn’t go and get herself killed.

Cui Yuanyong thought for a moment and then laughed: “So Lin Feihu’s visit should have nothing to do with us. It’s more likely he’s here to cause trouble for Zhao Changhe. Zhao Changhe’s blade has swept through Mang Mountain with no rivals—it’s time for outsiders to come knocking. But a Xuan Guan fourth-level still vying for the bottom of the Hidden Dragon list—how embarrassing.”

Hearing her brother’s words, the girl snorted: “A rustic bumpkin can’t have much brains. If this Xuan Guan fourth-level comes knocking, will Zhao Changhe get chopped? What about my mission?”

Cui Yuanyong was a bit speechless: “In the stronghold lives a fully recovered Yue Hongling. Even I can’t beat her. As for him? Unless it’s a master from the Heaven, Earth, or Human rankings, anyone who comes looking for trouble better pray for their own safety...”

The girl realized this too and laughed, but then frowned in confusion: “Speaking of which, it’s been half a month. Yue Hongling’s injuries should have healed long ago. Why is she still loafing around in the stronghold?”

Cui Yuanyong kept reading, not lifting his head: “She’s free to come and go as she pleases. She can stay wherever she likes. What business is it of yours?”

“Then what about my mission? Am I supposed to wait here doing nothing?”

“I told you to break through to the third level first. What have you been doing lately?”

“...Wasn’t I guarding you while you were injured?”

“Yes, yes, I really needed your guarding.” Cui Yuanyong sighed: “When Chief Tang assigned you this mission, I initially thought it was just to humor your childish desire to catch bandits...”

“Huh?”

“...I mean, your wish, so he casually gave you a wanted criminal to play with. But now, seeing Zhao Changhe’s momentum like a crouching tiger, not a simple bandit at all, I feel we underestimated this matter. Chief Tang might be testing some intentions of our Cui family... You should give up this mission—this is not a suggestion, it’s an order.”

The girl’s eyes rolled around, and she giggled: “Like a crouching tiger? You mean the stronghold’s rumor that he’s been led around like a cat by his captive wife—a tiger crouching on the balcony?”

“...Don’t change the subject. I told you to give it up.”

“How boring.” The girl stomped her foot and left in a huff, though it was unclear if she had taken his words to heart.