Leave No Survivors

Lingyan Pavilion's mercenary division was divided into four squads: A, B, C, and D.

Qiuyun had hired Squad C, which consisted of one Da Dou Shi and nine Dou Shi.

Although Squad C had not been established for long, they had received the appropriate training.

Therefore, when they were surrounded by bandits, Tieshi and the others did not panic. Instead, they moved to protect Qiuyun and her four companions.

After all, their mission was to escort them safely to the Imperial Capital. If anything happened to them, it would be Lingyan Pavilion's reputation that suffered.

Who would dare hire Lingyan Pavilion for an escort job afterward?

Having traveled far and wide, Qiuyun had seen her share of great scenes and was not overly flustered. She swung down from her horse and said calmly, "Gentlemen, let's talk this over. If you want money, I understand the rules. This is a small token of my regard. I hope you'll do us the honor of letting us and the caravan pass."

Qiuyun took out a pre-prepared bundle from her Storage Ring. It had some weight to it, and she tossed it over.

The bandit leader was a burly man wielding a Nine Rings saber, his face twisted into a ferocious expression.

He caught the bundle and weighed it in his hand. It was not light, but he said nothing, merely sweeping his gaze over Qiuyun's group.

Then his greedy gaze lingered on the Storage Rings in everyone's hands. "So many of you want to pass, and this is all you offer? Even if I agree, my brothers here won't."

"We won't!" the bandits behind him echoed.

"Besides, how much is your face worth?" the leader said greedily.

Qiuyun's expression darkened, and her right hand reached for the long whip at her waist.

"Boss, this escort is under Lingyan Pavilion's protection. I hope you'll show Lingyan Pavilion some respect and let us pass," Tieshi said as he stepped forward. Unlike Qiuyun, there was a trace of toughness in his tone.

The leader's expression changed upon hearing this. Clearly, he had heard of Lingyan Pavilion. At the very least, several cities around the northeastern border lay within Lingyan Pavilion's sphere of influence.

But Lingyan Pavilion's name did not frighten him. He had survived in this line of work for years by being bold.

He had even robbed government transport convoys, much less a mere Lingyan Pavilion.

It was just a little more troublesome, nothing more.

A vicious glint flashed through the leader's eyes. Without wasting another word, he swung his Nine Rings saber at Tieshi.

The leader could tell that Tieshi was the head of this guard squad, and the aura emanating from him was also the strongest.

His cultivation should have been on the same level as his own: a Da Dou Shi.

When they saw their boss make the first move, the hundred-odd burly men surrounding the caravan charged at the dozen or so people within the encirclement in unison.

Qiuyun and the others hurriedly fought back.

Qiuyun's side, including Tieshi, all possessed strength above the Dou Shi level, giving them a considerable overall advantage.

Although the bandits had greater numbers, most of them were mere fodder. There were even weaklings below the Dou Zhe level among them.

After a brief clash, nearly half the bandits had been killed or wounded.

Seeing that only fodder had died while his trusted men were still alive, the leader was completely unfazed. It simply meant fewer people to split the loot with.

As long as he had money, he could recruit as much fodder as he wanted.

During his battle with Tieshi, the leader held the upper hand at every turn.

His Nine Rings saber slashed viciously across Tieshi's back. Amid the clang of metal against metal, sparks flew. The blade was stopped by the chains and failed to cut deep into his flesh.

"With my cultivation as a four-star Da Dou Shi, how can you, a mere two-star, possibly contend with me?" the leader sneered.

Tieshi touched his back and felt the blood from his wound. His expression turned grave. Glancing at the situation around him, he saw that as the battle dragged on, their side was gradually falling into a disadvantage.

"Cover the clients! Retreat!"

At Tieshi's command, the surviving members of Squad C abandoned the carriages and closed in around Qiuyun's group, shielding them as they dashed toward the dense forest beside the official road.

He stomped off the ground himself, his body turning into a shadow as he followed after them.

"Trying to run? You think too little of me."

The leader put two fingers to his lips and whistled.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Just as Tieshi's group retreated toward the forest, a barrage of piercing sounds suddenly erupted from within the woods. Countless arrows flashing with cold light shot out like a storm, carrying fierce force as they rained down from all directions.

Under this indiscriminate arrow barrage, two of Qiuyun's group and three members of Squad C fell into pools of blood.

In the middle of the official road, the people who had tried to retreat were forced back together once more.

At that moment, more than a hundred bandits surged out from the depths of the forests on both sides of the road. They held repeating crossbows, and the two men leading them were both Da Dou Shi.

This crossbow unit was the leader's true elite.

It was also the source of his confidence.

"Third Brother, didn't you complain that your wife can't bear children?" The leader pointed his saber at Qiuyun. "This girl looks fertile enough. As your eldest brother, I'll give her to you."

"Thank you, Boss." The man called Third Brother was one of the two Da Dou Shi who had emerged later, a thin young man. He glanced at Qiuyun and seemed quite satisfied.

The leader nodded. "As for the rest, follow the old rules. Leave no survivors."

At the leader's command, the two Da Dou Shi who had emerged later took the lead and charged forward.

However, just moments after they rushed ahead...

With a thunderous boom, a silver pillar of lightning descended from the heavens and struck the gaunt young man charging at the front.

In the blink of an eye, a living man who had been perfectly fine moments ago was reduced to a charred corpse.

"You dared lay hands on someone from Lingyan Pavilion? You've got some nerve."

Dozens of black shadows suddenly appeared in the sky.

Gathered together, the black shadows blocked out a swath of sunlight.

As they arrived above everyone's heads, the dozens of black shadows swooped down.

Only then did they see clearly that they were dozens of flying magical beasts. Aside from the man and woman standing atop the leading beast, every other beast carried men dressed uniformly in black robes.

"It's the Overall Pavilion Master!" Tieshi cried out. Once, when he had gone to discuss matters with Shaluo, he had been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Chen Mo.

"The Overall Pavilion Master?" Qiuyun, who had already taken a short dagger from her Storage Ring and intended to slit her throat the moment she was captured, froze. Then, as though she had seen a savior, she hurriedly put away the dagger and cheered along with the members of Team C.

The sudden turn of events made the leader's eyes redden. The man who had just died was not only his subordinate, but also his younger brother.

He had not been blinded by hatred; otherwise, he could not have roamed Black Flag Mountain for so many years. Seeing the situation reverse, and with the fabled Overall Pavilion Master appearing on the other side—

"Retreat!" he shouted.

Before his words had even faded, he pushed off the ground, leaped onto his horse, and took the lead in racing toward a dense forest.

"Leave no survivors."

After giving the order, Chen Mo spread the Wings of the Demon behind his back and pursued the fleeing leader.

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