Unbeatable Martial Emperor

C29 – Fell into a Trap

“Ugh, don’t even bring it up. I nearly didn’t make it back.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“You know I had a run-in with Little Six a few days back, right?”

“Yeah, I’m aware. What’s Little Six got to do with it?”

“Well, he seemed like a straight shooter, but turned out to be a double-crosser. Little Six had been in the pocket of the Steelgrave soldiers for a while. He baited me out this time so they could nab me.”

“Luckily, I caught on before they could catch me and I took care of Little Six right then and there.”

“Cough, cough, cough! But on my way back, I ran into that bunch we’d ambushed before, the ones who got rescued by someone else. I was no match for them and they captured me.”

“They were after the location of our hideout, so they kept me alive. I managed to play them and eventually made a narrow escape. But I feared they let me go on purpose to track down our hideout.”

“So I holed up somewhere to heal and watch for any tails.”

“After several days, once I was sure I wasn’t being followed and my wounds had started to heal, I made a beeline back here.”

Min Zhenkang laid it all out for the bandit leader, coughing deliberately as he spoke to drive home the point of his injuries.

“Huh, I never would’ve pegged Little Six for that kind of guy. How are you holding up, though?”

“Big Brother, I’m on the mend, but this place isn’t safe anymore. I’m suggesting we find a new location for our hideout pronto.”

“And we should vet the recent recruits thoroughly. We can’t afford another Little Six situation—that would spell disaster for us.”

While urging the bandit leader to relocate, Min Zhenkang was also slyly inciting him to turn on his own men, aiming to spark some infighting.

“I’ve been meaning to discuss relocating with you. Steelgrave’s crackdown has been brutal lately; several hideouts have been wiped out. That’s why I scouted a more secluded spot a few days ago, planning to move our hideout there. Once the heat dies down, we can get back to our ‘business’.”

Regarding the vetting of newcomers, it’s certainly necessary. Second Brother, I’m entrusting this task to you. Make sure you root out all the suspicious individuals.”

“Big Brother, rest assured, the screening will meet your expectations. But I’m not sure where you’ve planned for our new hideout. Also, if we’re relocating, what about the treasures in our vault…?”

“Don’t worry about that. I have a way to move all the treasures.”

“Alright, I’ll get to work then.”

“Good.”

It was clear that the bandit leader didn’t fully trust his second-in-command, so to avoid blowing his cover, Min Zhenkang refrained from probing further.

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After exiting the Hall of Loyalty, Min Zhenkang set in motion his next plan. By day’s end, he had eliminated nearly ten lesser bandits, significantly thinning their already sparse numbers. Among them were two sub-leaders, whom Min Zhenkang had craftily accused of fabricated crimes before executing them.

“Big Brother, everything has been taken care of outside.”

“Good, I appreciate your efforts, Second Brother.”

“It’s my duty. How are things on your end?”

“All set here. The stronghold is now empty, and we’re just waiting to move to the new location tomorrow.”

“Oh? You’ve managed to pack up all the treasures?”

“Yes, they’re all right here!” The bandit leader said, shaking his finger.

Yet, on the bandit leader’s finger was only a ring, devoid of anything else.

“Is that the Storage Ring?” Min Zhenkang feigned astonishment.

“Yes, it took quite an effort to acquire.”

Both the Storage Ring and the Bag of Heaven and Earth served the same purpose: storage. However, the Storage Ring was far superior. Even the smallest Storage Ring had a space at least dozens of times larger than the Bag of Heaven and Earth. Rumor had it that the most advanced Storage Rings could contain an entire mountain range, with space amounting to several million cubic meters. The Bag of Heaven and Earth, on the other hand, had a fixed capacity with no variations in size.

“Then I’ll head back to rest.” With this information, Min Zhenkang intended to return to his room and find an opportunity to notify Min Qi.

“Alright.”

As Min Zhenkang walked away, a glint of malice flashed in the bandit leader’s eyes.

“Whoever you are, daring to impersonate my second-in-command and doing such a convincing job… If I weren’t so familiar with his face, you might have actually fooled me.”

“Well, let’s see what kind of game you’re playing. You’d better not disappoint me!” he said, his tongue flicking across his lips in anticipation.

Unaware that his cover was blown, Min Zhenkang returned to his room and started to devise a plan to contact Min Qi.

His initial strategy was to draw the bandit leader out of the stronghold and eliminate him, then join forces with Min Qi and Min Qigang to storm the place. Without the leader and his second, the rest of the gang would pose no threat to them.

But things hadn’t gone as planned.

With no other option, Min Zhenkang knew he had to adapt and find another way.

But first things first!

He needed to get word to Min Qi, not only to prepare for tomorrow’s confrontation with the bandit leader but also to assure him that he was safe after a day inside the stronghold.

Sitting in contemplation, Min Zhenkang’s hand absentmindedly stroked the chair’s armrest.

Thud, thud, thud…

His palm brushed against something, triggering a series of thuds from behind. He turned to find a hidden passage.

“This old fox is full of surprises,” he muttered, discovering the secret path. “No telling where it leads, but there’s only one way to find out.”

Venturing into the passage, Min Zhenkang noticed it was lined with luminescent beads, providing light along the way.

After several hundred meters, he reached a fork. The walls bore distinct markings. It took him a moment, but he discerned that the left passage led to the treasure vault, while the right led outside the stronghold.

“Just as I suspected, that sly old fox aimed to dodge the deadly trap and stealthily infiltrate the treasure vault to pilfer the goods, then escape the camp from this point.”

Min Zhenkang was aware the treasure had already been plundered, so he simply exited the camp through the right-hand passage.

A couple of hours later, Min Zhenkang finally located Min Qi and Min Qigang’s hiding spot.

“Zhenkang, what took you so long? And this morning, I thought I heard some commotion. You didn’t blow your cover, did you?” Min Qi inquired, his concern evident upon laying eyes on Min Zhenkang.

“No worries, that was my doing. There are only a handful of bandits left in the camp now, and their leader plans to establish a new stronghold with the treasure tomorrow, though I’m not sure where exactly.”

“So, what’s our move? Do we just sit around and wait?” asked Min Qigang.

“There’s no need. I’ve come up with a plan, but I’m not certain it’ll work.”

“What’s the plan? Regardless, let’s give it a shot.”

“Qigang, create a bit of a stir around here, nothing too loud. Just enough to signal to those inside that the stronghold is under siege. But remember, leave a gap. Dad, you’ll stand watch at this opening. When I guide them through, seize the moment to strike the bandit leader.”

“Our adversaries no longer pose a threat to us.”

“Zhenkang, why all this complexity? If they’re no threat, why not just storm in?” Min Qigang asked, puzzled.

“Qigang, absolutely not. We’re unsure if the bandit leader is as crafty as the second-in-command, possibly with a secret passage in his room. If we spook him and he gets away, tracking him down again would be near impossible, and failing to eliminate the bandit leader means our mission fails,” Min Zhenkang explained.

“Alright, I’ll get ready now.”

Min Zhenkang made his way back to the second-in-command’s room.

Before he could reach his room, Min Zhenkang’s Spiritual Consciousness sensed someone approaching it.

Min Zhenkang hastened his steps, hurrying back to his room. Once he had taken care of everything, a knocking echoed from the door.

Thud, thud, thud!

“Who’s there? Who knocks at this late hour?” Min Zhenkang feigned irritation from being roused from sleep and bellowed at the door.

“Second in command, we’ve got trouble. Strangers have approached the outskirts of our stronghold—we appear to be encircled,” the messenger reported with urgency.

Min Zhenkang swung the door open.

“What’s the situation? How did we get surrounded?”

“I’m not sure. The boss sent me to fetch you.”

“Understood.”

With that, he made his way to the Hall of Loyalty.

“Brother, what’s happened?”

“Second brother, it looks like our hideout’s been compromised. There’s a sizable group outside. They were cautious, but our lookouts spotted them.”

“What’s our move?” Min Zhenkang inquired, feigning concern.

Internally, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. “Qigang always comes through.”

“Don’t worry. They’ve cast a wide net, but there are bound to be gaps. I’ve already scouted out a safe path. We’re evacuating immediately.”

“Good. You, quickly round up our men. We’re leaving the stronghold,” Min Zhenkang commanded the one who had come to summon him.

“Yes, Second in command.”

Before long, the stronghold’s inhabitants had assembled—about fifteen remained.

Aside from the bandit leader, who was a second-tier Martial Spirit Stage warrior, the rest were either warriors or at the Martial Spirit Stage, with the strongest among them only at the third tier.

“Brothers, this place is no longer safe. We’ve been surrounded, but we’ve found a sliver of opportunity. I’m going to lead you to our new sanctuary to establish camp,” declared the bandit leader.

“Boss is mighty!”

“Boss is mighty!”

“Boss is mighty!”

Min Zhenkang initiated the chant, and his subordinates joined in.

The bandit leader gestured for silence, and the voices ceased.

“Move out.”

Leading the way, the bandit leader headed out of the stronghold.

Min Zhenkang and the others hastened to keep up.

Min Qi, meanwhile, positioned himself in a gap, lying in wait for the bandit leader and his crew to approach. By this time, Min Qigang, having completed his task, had rejoined Min Qi.

“Uncle, are you sure this plan will work?”

“I’m not certain. All we can do now is hope it’s effective.”

Despite their progress, Min Qigang couldn’t shake off his concern.

“Hush, we’ve got company.”

Min Qi’s Spiritual Consciousness alerted him to a large group advancing towards them. He quickly gestured to Min Qigang at his side to be on alert.