The Mountain Wolf Bandits

The Yunling Mountain Range connected Yunzhou and Dingzhou. If someone could cross the range, they could travel from Yunzhou to Dingzhou in a single day.

But strange beasts and Demonic Beasts roamed the depths of the mountains. Even Martial Artists in the Origin Embracing Realm wouldn't dare cross the range.

Demonic Beasts had appeared in this world a thousand years ago; strange beasts were native creatures.

Demonic Beasts were peculiar. Once they reached a certain level of cultivation, they could actually transform into humans.

Strange beasts, on the other hand, grew more intelligent as they grew stronger, but their bodies only grew larger. They could never transform into humans.

In the mountains, fifty li outside Shanlin County.

"Boss, is it really okay for us to do this? Aren't we being too brazen?" Shi Xiaohu asked uneasily as he followed behind Scar Wolf.

"These past few times we've gone down the mountain to rob people, we haven't spared either their lives or their money. We even tied them all up and brought them back to the stronghold. What if someone comes after us?"

"What's there to be afraid of? We've already fallen this far. Our heads have been hanging from our belts for ages. We might as well enjoy ourselves while we can."

"Besides, that man who came to our stronghold some time ago even killed the boss. Would you dare disobey him?" Just thinking of that vicious man made even Scar Wolf, a ruthless sort himself, tremble.

He knew that if they wanted to survive as bandits, they couldn't go too far.

But what choice did he have? That man held his life in his hands.

He'd poisoned every one of them to keep them from talking out of turn.

They hadn't caught anyone during today's raid. Scar Wolf wondered why their new boss had ordered them to capture people but not ask for ransom.

But he didn't dare dig into it. What scared him more was how he'd explain himself when he returned.

"Keep a close eye on the road. Don't let anyone get away!"

"Yes, boss."

Meanwhile, Chen Qinglin had asked around in the commandery city for directions to Shanmen County. He'd heard about the bandits robbing travelers while staying at an inn, but hadn't paid it any mind.

His current task was to find Shen Dingyuan as quickly as possible.

According to the information from Qingfeng Mountain, this man had likely cultivated an evil technique. Not only had he slaughtered all his own relatives, he'd also brutally massacred three villages.

Their deaths had been horrific. Every last drop of blood had been drained from their bodies.

The Shen Clan had been hacked into pieces, so thoroughly that no one could tell which body parts belonged to whom. The local authorities had no choice but to burn them all together and bury their ashes in a single grave.

He was an extremely dangerous man. Chen Qinglin would go to Shanmen County first and look for clues.

An hour and a half later.

Chen Qinglin was already more than three hundred kilometers from Linbei Commandery. He'd reach Shanmen County in another hour.

Just then, he spotted people standing in the road ahead. One of them gestured for him to stop.

He tightened his grip on the reins and slowed his horse.

As he rode closer, he saw several people dressed in black brocade robes, embroidered with the emblem of a Crimson Feather Swallow.

When Chen Qinglin approached, the woman at the head of the group gestured to him, then asked, "Who are you, and what are you doing here? Don't you know this road is dangerous right now?"

She scrutinized Chen Qinglin. He looked to be a boy of fourteen or fifteen, traveling alone.

He didn't look like a bad person, but she remained wary.

Since he was out on a mission, Chen Qinglin naturally wasn't wearing his Qingfeng Mountain disciple robes. Otherwise, wouldn't his targets flee as soon as they caught sight of him?

The woman's question went unanswered. Instead, he asked, "Who are you, and why are you stopping me?"

"We're Patrol Envoys from the Patrol Division. Get off your horse and submit to an inspection right away..." Before the woman could speak, a young man beside her cut in.

"Brother Yi, he's so young. He doesn't look like a bad person!" someone else whispered.

"You're still inexperienced. You don't know that some people can't be judged by appearances."

Hearing their conversation, Chen Qinglin realized they were Patrol Envoys from Linbei Commandery.

He dismounted, unwilling to waste time, and took out his Qingyun Peak disciple's Jade Talisman to show the woman.

After looking it over, she said, "So you're an Inner Disciple of Qingfeng Mountain. Forgive our discourtesy."

"My name is Ling Xueyan. Junior Brother, have you come here on a mission?"

"I'm Chen Qinglin, a disciple of Qingfeng Mountain. Greetings, Senior Sister. I can't reveal the details of my mission just yet. Please let me pass."

"In that case, go ahead, Junior Brother. We've delayed you." Ling Xueyan gestured for him to proceed.

Chen Qinglin mounted his horse again, cupped his fists to the group, and quickly disappeared from their sight.

"Sister Xueyan, why didn't you ask him to help? We're investigating the bandits who've been robbing travelers. Having an Inner Disciple of Qingfeng Mountain with us would improve our chances."

"Those are just petty thieves. Our coming after them is already giving them plenty of respect."

"We've only just met him. How do you know he can be trusted?"

"I... I just wanted us to finish the mission sooner."

"Enough. That junior brother has his own business to attend to. Xiao Wu, have you confirmed where those bandits are operating?"

"I have, Sister Xueyan. They're fifty li from here, near Shanmen County. They're probably the Mountain Wolf Bandits."

"If I remember right, the Mountain Wolf Bandits are a small group. Their leader is only at the Body Tempering Ninth Level. How dare they act this way?" Ling Xueyan said with a frown.

"I don't know. Maybe their leader, Blood Wolf, broke through to the Inner Qi Realm and got carried away?"

"Hmph. Since the Mountain Wolf Bandits don't know what's good for them, we'll go up the mountain and wipe them out."

"Sister Xueyan and Brother Yi are both Martial Artists in the Inner Qi Realm. Sister Xueyan even broke through to the Mid Inner Qi Realm half a month ago. With the rest of us backing you up, the Mountain Wolf Bandits will be no match for us."

"Let's go to Shanmen County first. We'll gather some people there."

Ling Xueyan found it strange that a mere band of Mountain Wolf Bandits would dare act so brazenly. There had to be some reason behind it.

She decided to investigate in Shanmen County first.

Meanwhile.

"Boss, someone's coming!"

"Listen. Hooves!"

"Tell the brothers to get ready."

"Yes!"

The galloping horse shot past like a gust of wind. The bandits lying in wait barely had time to stop him before he vanished from sight.

"..."

"Damn it, is he in such a hurry to get reincarnated?"

"Damn it, we missed another one." Scar Wolf slammed the rock in his hand to the ground, furious.

Were there people in the woods over there just now?

Chen Qinglin wondered as he rode. He'd glimpsed what looked like a figure hiding in the mountain forest.

What kind of people hid in the woods? An idea surfaced in his mind.

Bandits?

He soon confirmed his suspicion.

"Boss, what do we do this time? Are we going to die when we get back?"

"I don't want to die, boss!" Shi Xiaohu was terrified. He hadn't had his fill of women yet.

"Then what do you suggest? There's hardly anyone on this road these days. Who the hell are we supposed to rob?"

"Boss, why don't we run?" Shi Xiaohu moved closer to Scar Wolf and whispered.

"Run? Where to? What about the poison in your body?"

"But if we don't run, we'll die anyway. If we run, maybe we'll live a few more days."

"Maybe there's a way to cure this poison down in town. Then we won't have to die."

Scar Wolf was tempted. If they slipped into the city, they could find a doctor. Maybe the poison really could be cured.

A truly potent poison wouldn't be wasted on a bunch of underlings like them.

Every brother in the stronghold had been poisoned. Maybe it wasn't even a difficult poison to cure.

The more Scar Wolf thought about it, the more sense it made. But he couldn't tell everyone. More people meant a bigger target.

He glanced at Shi Xiaohu behind him and decided the kid was sharp.

He'd take him along. If anything went wrong, he'd have someone to take the fall for him.

Once they'd made up their minds, the two told the others to keep watch, then seized their chance to escape.

Chen Qinglin had come back to investigate. Hearing their exchange, he pondered. These two bandits might know something.

He waited until they'd run some distance, then quietly followed them.

"Boss, why do I feel like someone's watching us?" Shi Xiaohu felt a chill crawl down his back.

"You're imagining things. Keep moving!" Scar Wolf secretly glanced around, but didn't see anyone.

The kid was just a coward!

They'd only taken a few steps when a figure drifted down from a tree ahead...