Encountering Bandits Again

The next morning.

Jiang Dalong gathered everyone from the young to the old, a dense crowd of over a hundred people assembled in the front courtyard, all looking at Jiang Dao with reluctance.

Especially his several younger sisters.

Almost every one of them had red eyes, tearful, looking at Jiang Dao.

This made Jiang Dao a little embarrassed.

It was a pity that he had been in this world for less than a month, and he had spent every day in tension. He truly lacked emotional connection with so many sisters, he couldn't even name them.

The only one he felt an emotional connection with was his youngest sister, Jiang Ruyan.

"Father, nothing will happen," Jiang Dao said after putting away the introduction letter.

"Dao'er, Qianyuan City is not like our home. The situation there is complicated. As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. When you get there, absolutely do not cause trouble," Jiang Dalong couldn't help but say.

"Mhm, I will," Jiang Dao nodded.

"Dao'er, your mother has been gone since you were little. Second Consort watched you grow up. After so many years, I haven't taken good care of you. Second Consort bought you a new outfit, I don't know if it suits you," Second Consort Liu Hongyan said, wiping away tears, and draped a white mink coat over Jiang Dao's body. "I heard the climate in Qianyuan City is different, and the temperature is lower than here. Wearing this should keep you from being too cold."

"Thank you, Second Consort," Jiang Dao said.

After Liu Hongyan tied the sash for Jiang Dao, she slowly stepped back.

Next, Third Consort, Fourth Consort, Fifth Consort... all the way to Ninth Consort came forward one by one to bid him farewell.

Jiang Dao was speechless for a moment.

His father's ability was truly powerful...

"Father, all the consorts, there's no need for this. I will return," Jiang Dao said. Then he looked at Pang Lin, Fang Biao, Wang Xing, and others, cupped his hands, and said, "Masters, the family is in your care. If anything happens, send me a pigeon immediately!"

"Young Master, rest assured, we will!" The men's eyes were red, and they solemnly cupped their fists.

Jiang Dao nodded lightly, picked up his long saber, and directly stepped into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the maids had carefully prepared all sorts of necessities. The carriage was lined with blankets, and on one side were piles of dry food, water, and various snacks. There was also a jar of sandalwood, emitting a faint fragrance. The carriage was traveling with a caravan heading north from the city, so it wasn't too lonely along the way.

"Giddy up!" The coachman shouted, flicking the whip, and the carriage moved towards the distance.

Jiang Dalong sighed heavily, his old eyes moist, and he unconsciously rubbed them. "I'm getting old, my eyes are always getting sand in them..."

Outside Fengzhou City, stretching endlessly, a winding official road. All along it were traveling merchants and porters from various places, occasionally a few martial artists with swords at their waists, moving swiftly, stirring up clouds of dust. A caravan of several dozen people traveled on the official road. The sound of horse bells jingled.

All the way, Jiang Dao had nothing to do. He sat peacefully in the carriage, circulating the Life Nurturing Art over and over. After a few days, the wound on his abdomen had almost healed. It looked as if it had healed for months, with only a few deep scars and no discomfort.

"I wonder if the Blazing Flame Sect has other internal martial arts. I hope they don't disappoint me..." Jiang Dao murmured to himself.

Three days passed. The caravan passed through continuous fertile plains and finally slowly entered a terrain of rolling hills. White mist shrouded the surroundings. Although it was only early autumn, much of the vegetation had already turned yellow. As the caravan was traveling, suddenly, a scream erupted without warning.

Ah!

The sound was piercing.

The guards accompanying the caravan all changed their expressions, drawing their long sabers immediately.

"Bandits!"

"Defend quickly!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of drawing sabers sounded continuously, and the crowd descended into chaos.

All the accompanying merchants and travelers trembled, quickly finding places to hide.

Jiang Dao frowned, reaching out casually.

Swoosh!

A poisoned arrow pierced the carriage curtain, and he caught it in his hand.

With a crack, he casually crushed the arrow.

"Bandits again..."

He casually lifted the carriage curtain, and his strong, robust body emerged from the carriage.

He saw figures flashing from all directions, a large number of them rapidly converging, each holding steel sabers and spears, their edges gleaming cold, exuding a murderous aura.

There were at least a hundred people.

Some bandits directly drew their longbows, quickly aiming poisoned arrows at the people in the caravan.

The leader of the caravan, looking terrified, cowered inside his carriage and shouted, "Good sirs, let's talk! Please don't kill anyone!"

"Hahahaha..."

A loud burst of laughter rang out. The man at the forefront, clad in black robes, with a rough appearance and a full, bushy beard, held a nine-ringed broadsword and shouted, "Since that's the case, let's cut the crap. We brothers have been starving and suffering for years, with no fixed abode. Now that autumn and winter are approaching, we're here to borrow a hundred thousand taels of silver. Hand over the cash, and we'll leave immediately. Otherwise, we'll kill you all!"

"Roar roar roar!"

The bandits from all directions waved their steel sabers and shouted.

What arrogant words!

Demanding a hundred thousand taels right off the bat!

Jiang Dao narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing.

A hundred thousand taels could arm an army of two thousand men and sustain them for three months without lacking food.

"A hundred thousand taels?"

The caravan leader's face contorted, and he wailed, "Good sirs, esteemed lords, please show mercy! This humble one... this humble one cannot produce a hundred thousand taels!"

"If you can't produce it, we'll kill all the men and take the women back for our pleasure!"

The bearded man roared.

"No, don't kill us! We have the hundred thousand taels! We'll pool our money together, everyone chip in."

Suddenly, a young scholar in the caravan cried out in terror.

He was merely traveling to Qianyuan City to study and absolutely dared not trifle with his own life.

As for the money, his family had given him several thousand taels for his studies. If he gritted his teeth and used most of it, pooling with others, he should be able to gather the amount.

"We'll give you half an hour. If you don't have the money, we'll attack immediately!"

The bearded man commanded.

The caravan leader, extremely frightened, quickly scrambled backward within his carriage, shouting, "Gentlemen, sirs, if any of you have money on you, don't hide it now! Your lives are the priority."

The others were in utter panic, trembling.

The money they carried was basically their entire fortune. How could they be willing to take it out? If they did, even if the bandits didn't kill them, they wouldn't be able to sustain themselves.

Jiang Dao lightly shook his head.

Forget it.

Let's finish this quickly and get on the road!

What nonsense is this!

He suddenly leaped from the carriage and walked towards the bearded man.

"Boss, look!"

A pale-faced scholar next to the bearded man suddenly noticed Jiang Dao and said, "Someone's coming over, and he looks like he's trained in martial arts!"

The burly man narrowed his eyes, murderous intent appearing, "Ignorant fool, fire the arrows!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

A group of bandits beside him immediately drew their bows and shot at Jiang Dao.

Jiang Dao's expression was indifferent as he strolled along, his palm reaching out casually.

Poof, poof, poof, poof!

Every single arrow shot at him was precisely caught in his hand.

Not a single arrow managed to strike him.

Everyone behind him in the caravan also noticed this scene, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"Hero, save us!"

The leader of the caravan immediately shouted.

Jiang Dao crushed each incoming arrow he caught, seemingly without any effort, as he strode towards the bearded man and his group.

When the bearded man and his companions saw Jiang Dao catching poisoned arrows barehanded, their expressions instantly changed.

"Kid, who are you?"

He quickly exclaimed in alarm.

This strength was simply unprecedented!

He had never seen anyone catch flying arrows with their bare hands before.

"This is bad, he's coming."

The pale-faced scholar next to him shouted in alarm.

Jiang Dao suddenly left behind an afterimage, tearing through the wind as he charged ferociously towards the bearded man.

The bearded man's scalp tingled, and he immediately roared, "Everyone, attack! Chop him to pieces!"

The other bandits beside him quickly drew their long sabers and spears, charging rapidly towards Jiang Dao.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Jiang Dao's Eagle Claw Art struck out rapidly, his movements merciless.

Every steel saber and spear was shattered by his grasp on the spot.

His five fingers were like iron hooks, passing through the necks of the bandits with speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. Gale-force winds whistled, and each strike was fatal.

Screams erupted, and blood splattered.

Finally, Jiang Dao's body surged through, heading rapidly towards the bearded man.