Acquaintances

Ideas are easy to come up with, but execution is difficult. Without fully understanding the principles, how can one even talk about fusion?

For now, all Duan Mu can do is strengthen his existing abilities and build up sufficient knowledge. The rest is up to fate. Perhaps he'll achieve a breakthrough one day.

And that's exactly what he's been doing. For instance, the new "House Call Medical Service" allows him to study the composition of Resident Spirit Bodies in Rukongai and compare it with the Kido knowledge in his mind. This has led to a rapid improvement in his Kido abilities over the past month.

Of course...

Research is secondary; the primary goal is to treat patients. He can't exactly dissect customers for the sake of studying spirit bodies.

"Hmm?"

Duan Mu, who had been immersed in the system, suddenly looked up and focused on the road ahead.

Directly in front of the convoy was a mountain path, flanked by two densely wooded hills, resembling a beautiful painting. However... beneath this picturesque scene, a killing intent permeated the air.

"It seems we're lucky today. We'll reach District 42 after passing through this ravine."

President Shinno, standing beside him, let out a soft breath. As his words fell, the convoy's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

"There's an ambush."

However, with that single sentence, the recently eased nerves snapped taut once more.

Everyone couldn't help but look towards the source of the voice. Upon seeing it was Duan Mu and not the guards flanking the convoy, their faces immediately showed annoyance.

"Kid Duan Mu, you can't joke like that."

"You scared me to death."

"You're being too jumpy, kid. If you're this timid, you shouldn't take on dangerous jobs."

"..."

It wasn't that they didn't believe Duan Mu. It was precisely for Duan Mu's safety that President Shinno had placed him by his side, in the very center of the convoy.

His view was completely blocked by the people around him, so Duan Mu couldn't see their surroundings at all. Therefore, no one could believe what he said.

"I'm not joking."

Since he had accepted this job, Duan Mu wouldn't just get huffy and say "believe it or not" after a few words from them, only to step in and turn the tide after casualties occurred.

When doing business as a Yorozuya, the shop's reputation and customer satisfaction are always the most important things.

Seeing Duan Mu's firm expression, those who hadn't believed him before couldn't help but show hesitation.

"Stop!"

President Shinno, standing next to Duan Mu, raised his hand and halted the convoy. The guards on both sides drew their swords and carefully scanned their surroundings, the atmosphere instantly becoming heavy.

"Where's the ambush?"

President Shinno quietly asked Duan Mu. In fact, he had already become vigilant the moment Duan Mu mentioned an ambush, as he knew Duan Mu's serious attitude towards his work wouldn't allow for such a trivial joke.

"Get them, don't let them escape!!"

Before Duan Mu could speak, an annoyed shout echoed from a distance. As the voice rang out, dozens of people suddenly rushed down from the woods on both hillsides, swarming along the slopes.

This sight caused President Shinno's expression to darken. If the convoy hadn't stopped, they would have been surrounded from both sides by now.

So many people gathered?

Normally, these Thugs and Hoodlums operated in small groups of a few, or at most a dozen. This situation, with dozens of them, was the first he had encountered.

He glanced at the surrounding guards. Although they had all gathered at the front of the convoy after spotting the enemies, every one of them showed signs of panic, clearly intimidated by the sheer number of attackers.

This is bad!

President Shinno's heart sank. Then, as if struck by a thought, he looked at Duan Mu beside him with a hopeful gaze.

Since Duan Mu could detect the ambush before the guards, perhaps he could... help them overcome this predicament?

But the result...

was somewhat disappointing for President Shinno. Duan Mu was currently staring at the Bandits with a darkened expression, as if he were frozen in fear.

We're finished this time.

President Shinno sighed inwardly. Without even engaging in battle, the guards had already lost their will to fight due to fear. There was no way they could protect the convoy from being plundered. Now, all he could do was hope that these Bandits were only after the goods and not the lives.

After the Bandits rushed down, they didn't directly attack the convoy but stopped a short distance away.

Then, a man emerged from among the Bandits. He appeared to be around 30 years old, small and thin. Judging solely by his physique and appearance, one wouldn't associate him with vicious Bandits, yet the surrounding Bandits looked at him with reverence.

The slender man glanced at the convoy's guards, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Leave the cargo, and you may go."

Upon hearing this, the guards blocking the front of the convoy breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at President Shinno in the center of the convoy.

"Agreed."

President Shinno was also straightforward. Encountering so many Bandits was simply their bad luck.

"Leave the cargo to them. We will retreat."

The convoy guards immediately spread out to the sides, preparing to cover the retreat of the convoy personnel.

"Hm?"

As the guards moved aside, the slender man suddenly froze, his gaze falling on someone in the center of the convoy. He instinctively uttered, "Duan..."

Hummm~~

A strong wind howled, and everyone felt their vision blur as a figure appeared out of nowhere behind the scrawny man.

Before they could even process what had happened, there was a thump, and the figure pressed the scrawny man's head with his hand, driving it into the ground. No matter how the scrawny man struggled, that hand remained as unmoving as a vise.

"..."

The scene instantly became deathly silent. Both the bandits and the convoy members stared blankly at the figure in the middle.

Meeting President Shinno's gaze, Duan Mu forced a slightly stiff smile onto his face:

"Since I accepted the escort job, I will absolutely not stand by and watch the goods be plundered. I will stake the Yorozuya's reputation on it, I will protect you and the cargo."

President Shinno was clearly a little confused by Duan Mu's impassioned words, but his expression immediately changed.

Even though he didn't know how Duan Mu had suddenly appeared behind the bandit leader, doing so would surely anger all the bandits. If they charged forward, Duan Mu would be in danger.

With this thought, President Shinno subconsciously looked towards the bandits, only to find those fierce-looking bandits now staring blankly...

At the bandit leader, who was held down by Duan Mu and had stopped struggling at some point. Not a single one dared to step forward.

What was going on now?

The scene before them was too bizarre. Dozens of fierce-looking men surrounded a young man, yet not one dared to move.

Were these bandits really that cowardly?

President Shinno didn't know that the bandits before him were all gathered by the scrawny man under Duan Mu's palm, who possessed absolute strength. In their eyes, the scrawny man was a monster like a Soul Reaper.

But now, the monster in their eyes had been instantly defeated.

"If you don't want to die, stay put."

Duan Mu, in the center, said to the man on the ground in a voice only they could hear.

Although Duan Mu had a vague premonition after hearing the sensitive phrase 'a month ago', encountering it still made his face darken.

Duan Mu not only recognized the subordinate but was also very familiar with him.

His surname was Takahashi. As for his given name, Duan Mu hadn't paid attention. He only knew that he was the well-liked Takahashi and a regular at the Uzuki Bar. Duan Mu saw him almost every day.

Compared to others, Takahashi was good at handling things and, like Duan Mu, enjoyed drinking. Therefore, he often brought the 'protection fees' collected from merchants in South Rukongai to the Yorozuya. They were all excellent wines that Duan Mu found quite enjoyable.

What a situation this was...

Duan Mu's mouth twitched slightly. If people found out that a regular at his bar had gathered a bunch of thugs and hoodlums to rob a caravan, and then used the money from the robbery to drink at his bar, his Yorozuya would be finished.

If it weren't for the good wine, Duan Mu would have loved to crush the scoundrel's head.

Turning his back to the convoy, Duan Mu looked at the surrounding bandits with a cold gaze.

The next second, his Spiritual Pressure erupted silently. The bandits felt the air around them become incredibly viscous, making it difficult to even move a finger. Duan Mu's chilling gaze magnified in their minds, and the entire world seemed to fall under his stare.

It felt as if they would be devoured by that gaze at any moment.

Fear instantly surged to its peak!

Fortunately...

The feeling came and went quickly.

"Scram!"

As the word fell, the nameless terrifying sensation immediately receded. It was brief, lasting less than a second, but it left all the bandits drenched in cold sweat.

Immediately, the bandits scattered, scrambling back up the low mountain faster than they had arrived, disappearing into the dense forest.

"President Shinno..."

Duan Mu stood up, then kicked Takahashi in the abdomen, sending him flying in a high arc before he landed in the forest on the low mountain.

"Let's continue our journey."