Chapter 105: Quelling the Rebellion

That night, in the dead of night, two figures, accompanied by more than twenty shadows behind them, stealthily approached Zang Ba’s tent. These two were naturally the brothers Sun Guan and Sun Kang, along with several of their trusted men.

As insiders, they were well aware of the camp’s daily patrol routes and rules, allowing them to easily avoid all patrols and arrive at Zang Ba’s tent. Inside, darkness reigned, pitch black and impenetrable.

“Big brother, it looks like that guy Zang Ba is already asleep. We can strike now!” Sun Kang whispered.

Sun Guan nodded and signaled silently to the men behind him, whispering, “Go!”

In the next instant, the group of over twenty charged into Zang Ba’s tent with wild shouts, hacking wildly at where they remembered Zang Ba’s bed to be.

But amid the clang of metal, Sun Guan suddenly felt something was wrong. There was no sound of metal cutting flesh—only the dull thud of blades striking something hard. A foreboding chill crept into his heart.

“Big brother, I feel like something’s off,” Sun Kang said, confused.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The once pitch-black tent was suddenly illuminated by countless flames. In the glow, numerous figures surrounded Sun Guan and his men.

Next, the tent collapsed into a heap of debris with sharp tearing sounds. It was then that Sun Guan and the others clearly saw the faces of those outside.

“It’s you, Zang Ba! How are you outside?!” Sun Guan’s face twisted in terror as he stared at the figure, none other than Zang Ba himself. Behind him stood Wu Dun, along with Guo Jia and Zhao Yun, and over a thousand loyal soldiers under Zang Ba’s command.

“Sun Guan, Sun Kang, you two bastards! I treated you so well, yet you dared betray me and even try to kill me!” Before Zang Ba could speak, Wu Dun leapt forward, cursing them fiercely.

Zang Ba’s expression was one of sorrow as he looked at Sun Guan and Sun Kang. He truly believed he had been sincere with every brother under him, yet these two had betrayed him. How could he not be heartbroken?

“Sun Guan, Sun Kang, when Master Guo told me you two harbored ill intentions, I simply wouldn’t believe it,” Zang Ba bellowed. “Tell me why you betrayed me! I have done nothing to wrong you!”

It was Guo Jia who had returned to confirm his suspicions to Zang Ba. At first, Zang Ba refused to believe his brothers would betray him, but Guo Jia’s arguments persuaded him to prepare for the worst. If there was no betrayal, that would be best—but now, the truth was undeniable.

Sun Guan glanced venomously at Guo Jia upon hearing Zang Ba’s words, then glared wildly at Zang Ba and shouted, “You treated us well? Ha! Where exactly did you treat us well? We are thieves—mountain bandits! You forbade us from pillaging and raiding, leaving you to play the noble man alone. Meanwhile, we lived worse than pigs and dogs every day! Tell me, why shouldn’t I betray you?”

“Exactly! If we kill you, we’ll become the true overlords of these mountains. Then everything here will be under our command. Only through raiding and looting can we live well, not under your miserable leadership,” Sun Kang also stepped forward angrily. Both knew they could not win favor today, so they unleashed years of pent-up resentment.

Zang Ba’s eyes burned with rage at these two failures. Unlike the others, who were once commoners and understood the people’s suffering, Sun Guan and Sun Kang were born bandits. Their three thousand loyal men had followed them into a life of lawlessness. Forced into desperation by the government army and enticed by Zang Ba’s growing power, they had joined his ranks, but their outlaw nature remained, only suppressed by Zang Ba’s strong leadership.

Zang Ba had allied with these two because they were loyal and skilled, bringing their bandit crew under his command. Yet now, Sun Guan had turned from a brother in arms into a treacherous scoundrel.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Surrender now, and I will petition the lord to spare your lives,” Zang Ba said with some reluctance. After all these years, he could not bear to kill them.

Hearing the mention of “the lord,” Guo Jia smiled knowingly. “Zang Ba truly is a man of his word. The lord has indeed gained a capable general.”

Before this, Guo Jia had made a wager with Zang Ba: if Sun Guan and Sun Kang were truly disloyal, Zang Ba would join Liu Yao’s forces; if not, Guo Jia would descend the mountain immediately. This wager was grounded in Guo Jia’s unparalleled ability to read people.

Zang Ba had been torn, uncertain of his choice, but Guo Jia’s wager resolved his dilemma. Now, with the truth revealed, Zang Ba naturally joined Liu Yao’s side without hesitation, a decision he had long considered but could not make.

“Hahaha, Zang Ba, don’t be so cocky! I still have three thousand brothers. Who wins or loses remains to be seen,” Sun Guan laughed madly, clinging to the faint hope that his men could still turn the tide.

“Are you talking about these people?” a cold voice cut through the air.

Sun Guan looked toward the voice. Several figures emerged from the crowd, leading a man bound hand and foot. At the forefront was Yin Li, who had never appeared before. Zang Ba knew well that Sun Guan’s three thousand men were fiercely loyal, so he had sent Yin Li early to seize them all.

“You!” Sun Guan stared in disbelief at the bound man. Was this not the leader of his three thousand bandits?

“Boss!” The captive knelt, ashamed as he looked at Sun Guan. He had never imagined that before they could act, Zang Ba’s forces had already crushed them all.

“Sun Guan, Sun Kang, you two scoundrels dared betray your brother. Now your three thousand men have been either killed or captured. Let’s see what you can do now!” Yin Li sneered.

In that moment, all hope vanished for Sun Guan and Sun Kang. They threw down their weapons, fell to their knees before Zang Ba, and begged for mercy.

“Brother, brother, I was just momentarily blinded. Please spare me this once.”