Lou Shuwans second encounter with Ning Yi occurred in a mountain hollow this afternoon. Search: \(¨Complete¨ Book¨ God¨ Station¨) to read quality literature for free. However, the subsequent development was not what she had clearly anticipated. Or rather, after seeing that figure again in the mountain hollow this afternoon, she was thrown into complete disarray and did not contribute to the events unfolding. However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was the cause of it all.

Lou Shuwan, Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, and others entered the Lüliang Mountains approximately one day ahead of Ning Yi's party. After entering the mountains, their first step was to contact Qiu Mengtang, the small bandit.

This was a force that Jin Prince Tian Hu had contacted two years prior. As a major rebel capable of holding territory, although later generations described Tian Hu as a hunter, he was already a notorious local tyrant before he even started his rebellion. In the northern regions, especially near Yanmen Pass, the security was poor, the government's power was weak, and the army, although strong, was low in status. Controlled by civil officials, they found it difficult to make money and were therefore reluctant to manage the local chaos.

Of course, there were deeper reasons for this, such as the court's policy of recruiting defectors from the Liao Kingdom, like Dong Pang'er, and settling them all in the north… In short, in such chaos, Tian Hu easily extended his reach everywhere. The Lüliang Mountains were a place he had long intended to acquire, but it wouldn't be accurate to say he was particularly eager.

Frankly, the situation in the Lüliang Mountains was far too chaotic. The land was barren, the people were fierce, and waves of desperadoes emerged endlessly. If one could control this place, there would certainly be benefits, but in reality, it was almost impossible to control. Ning Yi understood this very well after investigating the matter.

It's not that the people in the Lüliang Mountains were truly powerful. These desperate men, constantly in a frenzy, shouting about cannibalism and murder, were certainly intimidating to ordinary people, but they had little ability to resist even a slightly more organized army. The Khitans occasionally raided the area, and the resistance in the mountains was hardly heroic. If Tian Hu sent troops to stand here, they could definitely defeat a large number of them and put on a great display. But then what? They would hide in the mountains, in any place they could hide, but… they were unwilling to cooperate.

There were many reasons for their unwillingness to cooperate. Xenophobia was only one of them. The most troublesome thing was that there wasn't enough to eat. If Tian Hu really wanted to occupy this area—not to mention the difficulty—he would first have to consider how to feed so many people. But this place was a chicken rib that couldn't support so many people. Smuggling could certainly earn a little, but the problems that followed would be much larger.

If a force unified the Lüliang Mountains and supported so many people, then it would become a piece of cake. Although the Lüliang Mountains were rugged and far less flat than Yanmen Pass, unification would be tantamount to challenging the military controlling Yanmen Pass. Any force seeking profit would not let this place go, and then the Lüliang Mountains would once again face contention and destruction. In such a cycle, the Lüliang Mountains had no foundation for unification and peace.

Therefore, when Ning Yi was advising Hong Ti, he emphasized that they must not unify the area around the Lüliang Mountains. The surrounding areas had to remain chaotic, even if it was tragic, they could only watch. Only in such a situation, coupled with bribes to the Yanmen Pass military, would the other side turn a blind eye to the Lüliang Mountains road. And under the premise of maintaining the surrounding chaos, Qingmu Fortress could demonstrate their benevolence—whether it was rescuing people or giving alms—and gather the strongest group of people in the Lüliang Mountains, becoming the de facto ruler of this area.

This strategy was actually quite dark, but there was no other way. Even if Ning Yi were personally present, he could only act in this way. Light was certainly pleasing, but the Lüliang Mountains could only live in such darkness for the time being, at most with a few fewer deaths.

If Ning Yi could only do this, how much insight could Tian Hu have? Because of the disunity of the Lüliang Mountains, it was easy for Tian Hu to extend his reach in, but once he extended in, he had to provide supplies and assistance without getting any output. And often when he showed goodwill and supported a force in the Lüliang Mountains, within half a year, the leader would be killed by his subordinates or enemies for all sorts of bizarre and inexplicable reasons. For someone who wanted to do great things, that feeling was truly mixed and indescribable. Over time, he could only watch this place and couldn't put too much thought into it.

The small bandit Qiu Mengtang was casually supported in this situation. Because he was skilled in martial arts and had stood firm for more than two years, Tian Hu was naturally happy to give him some assistance and form a good relationship. This time, when Lou Shuwan and others entered the mountains to do business with the Blood Bodhisattva, it was an opportunity to use him.

However, although they had formed a good relationship, Qiu Mengtang was quite enthusiastic towards Lou Shuwan and the others. But Qiu Mengtang, who had long been a bandit in the mountains, didn't think his status was lower than Tian Hu's subordinates. After meeting, this small bandit was quite arrogant. After hearing about their purpose in entering the mountains, he was somewhat dismissive.

"...Qingmu Fortress has been doing quite well recently, but I'm afraid the Tiger King has misunderstood some things. Qiu is a native of the Lüliang Mountains. For so many years, I've been licking blood from my knife, risking my head to fight, and I know best what the Lüliang Mountains are like... I'm telling you, in the ways of the world, you can only gain a temporary advantage... Blood Bodhisattva? Just you wait and see, a woman, on the Lüliang Mountains, what does it matter if she's skilled in martial arts? Am I, Qiu Mengtang, afraid of her? In less than two or three years, you will definitely never see this person again. Either she will be killed, or... hehe, she will be crippled and kept as a plaything... Maybe someone will do it, maybe... it will be me, the small bandit Qiu Mengtang."

As he spoke, he revealed a dismissive and sinister smile, and then said, "Of course, recently there has been a lot of buzz about her holding a martial arts contest to recruit a husband, which is a good move. Women, after all, always have to find a man. With a man, they have another backer. Since everyone is interested, I will also go and take a look. I haven't had the opportunity to fight in the past, but this time... I would like to personally test her depth, haha..."

In all fairness, the small bandit's ideas were not without reason, but the main point was to compete with Tian Shi and others, indirectly expressing his dissatisfaction with Tian Hu wanting to cooperate with Qingmu Fortress. As the leader of a mountain stronghold in the Lüliang Mountains, he respected the Tiger King, who occupied a territory, but Tian Hu's alliance with Qingmu Fortress clearly meant that he didn't think much of him. His stronghold was currently inferior to Qingmu, but the Lüliang Mountains were so chaotic, and fortunes changed. A woman could rise to power, so could he. With such a mindset, he no longer paid much attention to politeness and became quite aggressive.

The alliance with Qingmu Fortress was now Lou Shuwan's responsibility, and Tian Shi had also prepared himself to become the son-in-law of Qingmu Fortress. In such a situation, everyone laughed and accepted Qiu Mengtang's hospitality, but at the same time, they felt that this guy was really not very stable and needed to be dealt with. During the chat, Qiu Mengtang was also quite curious about Lou Shuwan. After all, this woman came from a respectable family and was mixed in with a group of strongmen, and she also had her own strength. Especially after experiencing so many things, the change in her mentality naturally gave her a cold and alluring charm. Qiu Mengtang, a mountain man, rarely managed to rob any respectable ladies in the Lüliang Mountains, let alone someone of Lou Shuwan's level from a wealthy family in Jiangnan. In short, he quite wanted to sleep with her.

The two sides seemed to get along harmoniously until the next day, and Lou Shuwan and others learned a lot about the inside story of the Lüliang Mountains from Qiu Mengtang. Not long after noon, a minion reported that people from Qingmu Fortress were about to pass through, and she naturally wanted to see it with her own eyes.

She saw Ning Yi.

At that time, everyone was staying at the mouth of the mountain hollow, and the Bamboo Record's caravan passed by on the side. Due to the direction of the light, people in the mountain hollow could not be seen clearly. Lou Shuwan did not expect to see that figure at all. For a time, she wondered if she had seen it wrong. She stared at that side for a long time, and even swayed down from her horse and walked along for a while. After confirming that the nightmarish impression had become a real person, her expression was dazed. Qiu Mengtang, Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, and others naturally saw it and asked about it in confusion. Lou Shuwan couldn't suppress her emotions at all. After returning to the stronghold, Qiu Mengtang and others guessed and asked, "Are you old acquaintances with those people?"

Lou Shuwan shook her head in a trance and gritted her teeth to answer, "We are enemies."

At that time, she was sitting in a chair in the main hall of the mountain stronghold, tilting her head slightly. When the sunlight shone in, her profile had a suffocating cold allure. However, her eyes were surging with complexity. How could Qiu Mengtang bear this? He spread his hands with a calm expression: "Then I'll kill him."

The playboy Tian Shi actually had some thoughts about Lou Shuwan, and replied, "Can you?"

"It's just a caravan, and I've given Qingmu Fortress enough face. But sometimes a small accident is inevitable. After I do it, I'll personally go to explain to the Blood Bodhisattva. What else can she do?" Qiu Mengtang said, "Besides, Jianghu matters are handled within the Jianghu. It's a Jianghu rule to repay grievances and avenge enemies. Everyone has come from afar as guests, so we can't let Miss Lou be unhappy, right."

Lou Shuwan tilted her head. She tried her best to calm her thoughts, but the first sound she made was almost hoarse: "This...this is not very good, Fortress Master Qiu. We haven't investigated his strength, and...and you have a covenant with Qingmu Fortress. It's not good to mess things up like this for my sake..."

Among those present, Yu Yulin was the only one in the Tian Hu faction who could really make decisions. At this time, he smiled and said, "That's right, but Fortress Master Qiu is also right. Repay grievances and avenge enemies. Fortress Master Qiu, it might be better if we do this ourselves."

"...Strength?" Qiu Mengtang curled his lips. He simply waved his hand, too lazy to discuss Yu Yulin's words. "It's just a hundred or so people!"

He turned and went out: "Men, gather the troops and go out to make a score."

This was the beginning of the whole thing.

And as Qiu Mengtang set out, Lou Shuwan, who followed along, was also infected by the fanatical atmosphere and couldn't suppress her thoughts. She couldn't figure out what this sudden day meant to her. The rationality she usually used to handle things under Tian Hu's command was difficult to maintain. The scene of capturing the other party subconsciously appeared in her mind, and various ways of dealing with Ning Yi after capturing him uncontrollably appeared in her mind. That feeling had both joy and pain. She couldn't figure out what to say when she first saw him, but some scenes kept appearing: the way he looked when he was captured, the way she killed everyone around him, the way she humiliated him in various ways, his reaction when she scolded him, the way he begged for mercy.

Her body trembled under the cloak.

It was not until a cup of tea's time after the battle began, under the setting sun, that reason began to coldly return to her body due to the agitation of her side...

****************

Lou Shuwan couldn't understand complex battlefields, but Qiu Mengtang had already sent people to call for reinforcements, and Yu Yulin and Tian Shi had also seen that the situation was not good, and were gathering more than 300 elites. Looking at the mountains over there, corpses and blood were spreading all over the mountains. Qiu Mengtang's men—even in her layman's eyes—seemed to have lost half of their number. And the man named Ning Yi was methodically moving away.

For a long time, Lou Shuwan had heard rumors about Ning Yi while working under Tian Hu. He opened a cloth shop in the capital, and then broke Liangshan, creating the reputation of a "Heart Demon." The Jianghu seemed to take this matter very seriously. Lou Shuheng even completely abandoned the idea of revenge after hearing about it, mocking her for overestimating herself. But Lou Shuwan herself was still rational. What forty people broke Liangshan was just borrowing the power of the court, forming alliances, and using strength to fight strength. Although it was a bit magical to leverage the entire Liangshan, in the eyes of the wise, it was not something difficult to understand.

Human power will always be exhausted at times. The Tiger King certainly rose with the trend, but geniuses like Fang La and Fang Qifo would also perish at their peak. Perhaps this was the calmness of a woman. Lou Shuwan was not afraid of what Ning Yi had done. What was more complicated was that although she had heard some things about Ning Yi, some fragments circulating in the Jianghu, Lou Shuwan had a bit of an avoidance mentality regarding the truth of the events. What if she knew? She couldn't take revenge now anyway.

Therefore, even though she knew in her heart that Ning Yi was a powerful and ruthless character, she didn't react too much to Qiu Mengtang's attack because she was confused. "Not investigating the truth" was just her subconscious words, and Qiu Mengtang's "just a hundred or so people" was the right idea. No matter how powerful he was, it was just a hundred or so people.

But at this moment, she felt a slight chill in her heart, and then she looked at that scene and thought: He is really powerful.

He seems... to have always been so powerful.

Memories of Hangzhou came back to her mind, and a sliver of an impossible thought appeared: Could it be that I... kicked an iron plate? Dealing with this man, with just over a hundred people, can he still counterattack...

Of course, even she herself felt that this thought was a bit absurd. Because the fighting in the mountains continued to spread, and then Qiu Mengtang's men began to come in batches, gradually becoming five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred... As the sun set in the west, Ning Yi led his team past the mountain on the other side and began to retreat and flee. Yu Yulin's side also gathered more than 300 elites, and the lineup of thousands of people spread all the way to pursue and kill. Even if they realized that the other party had some ability, no one would think that the other party could still turn the tables. Yu Yulin, Tian Shi, and others who had a deep understanding of the battlefield thought so even more.

The sun was about to set, and Lou Shuwan rode her big horse, following the crowd and trudging forward to chase.

She wanted to catch him, really wanted... to catch him.

She clenched her teeth, chasing after the fading sunset, hoping for this.