Bandits Must Be Wiped Out Whenever They Appear

Qing He Miao pondered for a moment, then rolled up the animal hide and put it away.

"After all, these things are still useful to you. It would be a shame to burn them. I'll kill as many leaders as I can and cause enough chaos. When the time comes, wait for my signal. How does that sound?"

Heaven knew whether people killed by a fire he set would count as his kills.

Huang Wulang was somewhat surprised.

He thought Qing He Miao's decision was a little too greedy.

A night raid on the stronghold would be much harder without a fire to sow chaos.

But on second thought, they weren't the ones doing the work anyway. They only had to wait for the signal, and the risk hadn't changed, so he nodded in agreement.

"Since you're confident, Daoist, we'll do as you say. Just remember, if things can't be done, don't hold back."

"Sorry for making you worry, Wulang."

Qing He Miao drew a deep breath of the icy air. The Qi within him quietly circulated, dispelling the chill, and a sharp gleam gathered in his eyes.

"I'll go now. Everyone, wait for the good news."

With that, he said no more. His figure stirred, and he slid silently down the hill.

Dressed in a specially chosen black cotton coat, he blended into the night and made his way toward the dark mountain stronghold, dotted with campfires.

Huang Wulang watched his retreating figure swiftly disappear, then gestured for the people behind him to keep quiet and stay low. He turned his gaze back to the distant stronghold, his hand unconsciously tightening around the hilt of the saber at his waist.

Beneath the cold moon, killing intent grew.

Only after making sure he was completely out of sight of Huang Wulang and the others did Qing He Miao stop and brush the dead grass and crumbled leaves from his cotton coat, feeling a little pained.

These ancient mountain paths really were hard to travel.

Especially on a winter night like this, when every step landed at a different depth.

The coat he was wearing was one Qing Mu had bought him before the New Year.

And now look at it. He'd only worn it for a few days.

"When I get back, I'm bound to get another earful."

Qing He Miao shook his head helplessly. What a headache.

But this was no time to fuss over his clothes. First, he had business to take care of.

He gathered his thoughts and directed his stand to make a circuit around him.

After confirming that there really was no one else nearby, he activated Metallica's invisibility ability.

His body seemed to acquire a thin coating, then rapidly turned transparent, finally blending completely into the background.

The stands in JOJO might not have top-tier base stats in worlds like these, with internal power and supernatural arts.

Qing He Miao walked toward the distant stronghold, thinking as he went.

But some of their mechanics are so useful they're practically cheating.

Take this invisibility, for example.

Without supernatural arts or advanced technology, it was practically an immortal art, unless he ran into an expert.

He swaggered up to the wooden palisade surrounding the stronghold.

During the day, he might have needed to be more careful.

But on a pitch-black night like this, even footprints weren't easy to spot.

The wall wasn't high, but sharpened wooden spikes jutted from its top. With Qing He Miao's current abilities, he couldn't get directly over it.

Behind the earthen wall, two bandit guards clutched spears, hunching their necks and stamping their feet to keep warm.

They grumbled intermittently under their breath, their eyes half closed. Clearly, they weren't very alert.

It wasn't that they didn't want to slack off and catch some sleep.

It was simply too cold to sleep outside.

Right under their noses, Qing He Miao walked lightly through the stronghold gate.

When the stand Metallica used its ability, it inevitably produced electromagnetic force.

The two guards felt their spears tilt slightly, and a cold wind blew down their collars. They both shivered and cursed, "This damned weather."

Following Huang Wulang's information, Qing He Miao slipped into the stronghold and headed straight for the area where the chief leaders lived.

The stronghold's layout was haphazard, and most of the houses were made of earth and wood. Some were merely crude shacks.

Several campfires burned in the open spaces, with ragged bandits gathered around them for warmth. The smells of liquor, sweat, and food mingled in the air.

Qing He Miao gave them a leisurely glance and left them alone for now. He passed through those areas and came to a row of somewhat tidier wooden houses.

These should be the chief leaders' quarters.

Even here, he couldn't tell which house Mount Luba lived in.

So he decided to start clearing them out from the outside.

He directed his stand Cream to lightly bump against a crude wooden door.

There was no sound, no flash.

As if wiped away by the most precise eraser, it vanished without a trace in an instant, its severed edges smooth as mirrors.

Qing He Miao drifted into the room.

In the faint moonlight filtering through a gap in the window, he could see a burly man lying on a straw mat, covered with a filthy fur quilt and fast asleep.

A broad executioner's saber lay within reach on the edge of the kang.

This time, Qing He Miao didn't use Cream.

The wounds that ability inflicted were too unnaturally clean. He couldn't explain them to others, and they would easily arouse suspicion.

He directed his stand Red Hot Chili Pepper to float directly above the bandit leader, its yellow fist clenched tight. It aimed at his temple, gathered its strength, and then—

Smashed down hard!

Bang! A muffled thud rang out.

The man on the kang convulsed violently. His snoring stopped at once, his head lolled to one side, and he made no further sound.

The whole process was as swift as a flash of lightning. The man never even woke from his dream.

[You killed a level 6 bandit and gained a small amount of experience.]

The system notification flashed through his mind.

Qing He Miao quietly withdrew and continued to the next room, directing his stand to do the same.

The second room, the third... Most of the leaders were between level 5 and level 8, and the stand's heavy fists finished them off in their sleep.

It was highly efficient and utterly silent.

But when Qing He Miao entered another wooden house, he sensed something amiss as soon as he stepped inside.

He noticed that the room had more furnishings and was noticeably cleaner.

He still had Red Hot Chili Pepper prepare to deal with its occupant in the same way.

The invisible stand floated above the earthen kang.

A particularly massive figure lay on it, taking up almost more than half the surface and snoring like thunder.

The stand raised its fist and smashed it toward his temple, the blow whistling through the air!

Who would have expected a sudden turn of events?!

The instant before the fist touched his skin, the massive figure, who should have been asleep, suddenly rolled off the kang and kicked out with both legs.

With agility at odds with his size, he bounced up like a huge sandbag and landed with a crash!

Dust rose slightly.

By the time he landed, his large hand had somehow already grasped the thick-backed mountain-cleaving saber that had been lying at his side.

With a metallic clang, he drew the saber. Its gleaming blade traced a cold arc through the dim room and pointed straight at the spot above the kang where the stand's fist had fallen. He let out a low, savage roar.

"Who's there?! Get the hell out here!"

His voice rumbled like thunder, echoing through the cramped room.

Faced with this unexpected turn, Qing He Miao immediately held his breath and shifted his gaze away, avoiding looking directly at him.

He knew he had most likely run into the man himself, Mount Luba!

And Mount Luba seemed able to sense the stand's attack?!

Chapter 52: Bandits Must Be Wiped Out Whenever They Appear

Mount Luba's upper body was bare, revealing rocklike muscles standing out in distinct bulges and several hideous old scars.

His eyes were wide and gleaming as he stared fixedly at the space above the kang, shock and anger on his face.

Naturally, he was shocked and angry because he didn't know who could have slipped silently into the place where he lived.

But at the same time, there was a trace of... confusion?

He had clearly sensed the incoming attack.

Yet the space above the earthen kang where he slept was completely empty.

It made him freeze for the briefest moment.

"Get out, my ass!"

Mount Luba had landed right in front of the invisible Qing He Miao.

He was standing in such a perfect spot. How could Qing He Miao pass up the chance?

Qing He Miao gathered his strength and struck out with his own hand.

Bam!

A heavy, muffled impact!

The punch landed squarely on Mount Luba's head!

The tremendous force made Mount Luba's mountainlike body sway violently. He staggered back a step, nearly losing his grip on his mountain-cleaving saber.

He grunted, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot as he showed clear signs of dizziness.

[You dealt damage to Mount Luba, level 13 bandit. Abnormal conditions including a concussion have appeared.]

The system notification confirmed his identity and level.

Another expert?!

Mount Luba shook his head and dazedly tried to turn around and see where the attack had come from, only to be met with another blow.