Cao Lie and his men had ridden dozens of miles when they encountered a band of robbers blocking the narrow valley path. "This tree was planted by me, this road was paved by me. If you want to pass, leave a toll!"
A standard bandit's demand. Cao Lie sneered, quickly drawing his crossbow and firing at the leader. However, he was met with a chilling gaze from the other side, and a sudden sense of dread gripped him. He saw cold gleams of steel coming their way and immediately understood that these men were after them from the start.
"Take cover!" Cao Lie shouted, leaping off his horse just in time. The next moment, three massive siege bolts pierced through their mounts, killing two of his men instantly.
"Take them down!" The leader of the ambush ordered with a cold laugh, and his men charged forward. Their well-drilled formation and gleaming blades revealed them to be seasoned soldiers, not mere bandits.
"Split up and break through! We must get word to Lord Cao!" Cao Lie shouted without hesitation and charged directly at the enemy.
Back at the dilapidated earth temple, Zhang Kai chewed absentmindedly on a piece of dry food. The bitter cold of the snow made him shiver. He glanced at the firelight inside the temple, a fierce resolve gradually forming in his eyes.
Gathering his men, Zhang Kai whispered, "Cao Song's group is nearly defenseless, and the treasure they're carrying—money, jewels, and rare treasures—are beyond count! Think about it, brothers, why do we continue to live on the edge, licking blood off our blades? This is a golden opportunity! We could become wealthy men, disappear to Yangzhou, gamble, visit brothels, and marry several concubines. We could live in comfort for the rest of our lives. All we have to do is kill Cao Song and take his riches! Are we in or not?"
Zhang Kai's followers were not elite troops but former Yellow Turbans who had been co-opted into service. Even those from Danyang, who had once been elite soldiers, had been reduced to barely scraping by under the harsh conditions imposed by commanders like Cao Bao. Their discontent was immense.
Stirred by Zhang Kai's words, the soldiers began to lust after Cao Song's wealth. Yet, among them, one cautious voice spoke up, "Boss, even if we seize the treasure, how do we get it to Yangzhou? If Governor Tao becomes enraged, we won't escape from Xuzhou alive. How can we reach Yangzhou to enjoy our spoils?"
These words were like a cold bucket of water, dousing the excitement of the group. Wealth was tempting, but only if they lived to enjoy it. Without their lives, everything else was meaningless.
"Don't worry about that," Zhang Kai reassured them confidently. "There are plenty of people in Xuzhou who want Cao Song dead. If we kill him, someone will help us deal with Governor Tao. Besides, once Cao Cao hears that his father has been killed, Tao Qianzhu will have his hands full dealing with Cao's revenge."
Zhang Kai was merely repeating what had been told to him by someone who had persuaded him to kill Cao Song. Zhang Kai himself didn't understand the full implications, but the person had guaranteed his safe passage out of Xuzhou. Without that assurance, Zhang Kai would never have dared to target Cao Song.
After exchanging glances, the soldiers all nodded. They were already living dangerously, so why not gamble for a fortune?
Having reached a consensus, Zhang Kai quietly adjusted his men's positions and surrounded Cao Song's group.
Inside the temple, Cao Song felt a growing sense of unease after sending off the letter. Unable to shake off the ominous feeling, he stepped outside for some air.
As soon as he exited the temple, he saw Zhang Kai's soldiers switching their guard shifts. A sudden surge of fear gripped him, and he turned back toward the temple in a panic.
"He's onto us!" Zhang Kai shouted as he saw Cao Song's alarmed reaction. Drawing his weapon, he bellowed, "Kill Cao Song and his men!"
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhang Kai led his 500 men in a charge. Most of Cao Song's elite guards had long since been whittled down; only a few hundred servants remained, and they were no match for Zhang Kai's hardened troops. It didn't take long before they were all slaughtered.
"Father, run!" Cao De shouted as he drew his sword and rushed out. But as soon as he stepped through the temple gate, he was impaled by a massive siege bolt, the force of which pinned him to the wall.
"My son..." Cao Song's anguished cry echoed as he watched in horror.
"Old Master, flee!" The captain of Cao's guards shouted, ordering two men to escort Cao Song to the back of the temple while he rushed out to hold off the attackers.
"Run!" In the back courtyard, Cao Song saw his favorite concubine frantically clutching jewelry and treasures. Furious, he shouted at her to move.
"Old Master, quickly escape through the back! We'll hold off the Xuzhou bandits!" Several of Cao's remaining guards rushed to the back courtyard, blocking Zhang Kai's men from advancing further.
"Why aren't you moving?" Cao Song roared at his concubine.
"But what about our wealth?" The slightly plump concubine, feeling reassured by Cao Song's presence, asked anxiously.
"This is not the time to worry about wealth! As long as we're alive, we can always make more!" Cao Song scolded her, but he still grabbed her hand to drag her along.
The courtyard wall wasn't very high, but the guards had forgotten one thing: what they could easily leap over was like a towering obstacle for an old man in his sixties and a plump concubine.
However, fortune smiled on them when they discovered a hole in the wall. Both were overjoyed.
"Quick, crawl through!" Cao Song pushed his concubine forward. She managed to get halfway through but then got stuck, unable to move in either direction despite Cao Song's efforts.
The cruelest fate is to show you a glimmer of hope only to snatch it away. That was exactly what happened to Cao Song.
With the sounds of battle growing closer, Cao Song had no choice but to abandon his efforts to free the concubine. He turned and fled in the opposite direction, hoping to find another way out. Unfortunately, as he reached the latrine, he was caught by one of Zhang Kai's officers and slain with a single stroke.
"It's done," Zhang Kai reported after the massacre, his men loading all the wealth onto carts. He then approached the gray-robed steward who had been advising him.
"Zhang Kai, you've kept your word. Rest assured, my master will keep his end of the bargain as well," the steward said, handing Zhang Kai a token. "Take this, and no one will stop you as you head south."