Family Savior

The autumn sun was scorching, much like Li Wei's mood. He was on edge.

The three bandits had retreated all the way to the river valley, then started hauling stones and building a stone wall. They actually seemed to want to fight him from a fortified position. They didn't seem too bright, either.

But when Li Wei circled around with his bow and arrows, they immediately took off running, never giving him a chance to get within forty meters.

Clearly, they'd figured out by now that Li Wei could hit every shot only from within that distance.

When the three bandits retreated across the river valley again, Li Wei finally got a chance to fill his waterskin by the stream. He needed to be ready for a guerrilla fight in the mountains.

But in the short time it took him to do that, the three bandits had vanished by the time he looked up.

Had they gone into the woods?

Li Wei's heart sank. If those two bandits cut down some trees and made the simplest wooden shields, it would break the stalemate.

He immediately turned and ran back. While the bandits were likely off cutting wood, he had to rescue Penny. She had an iron spear, and Mixi even had a suit of chainmail.

But when he reached the pit, the three bandits suddenly emerged from the woods again, howling and cursing as they tried to charge this way. They looked ready to rush him the moment he dared to rescue anyone.

They kept playing this game of cat and mouse. It seemed the bandits just wanted to wait until nightfall.

"Penny, are you okay?"

Standing beside the pit, Li Wei asked in a low voice.

"Not really. I'm dizzy and nauseous, and my ankle hurts terribly. I can't climb out on my own. George, be careful."

"But I've assembled the crossbow, so don't worry about me. If I have to, I can shoot one of the bandits. Or you could use this as a way to ambush them."

Penny's voice was weak, but resolute.

Li Wei looked down into the pit. It was a good four or five meters deep. At least there were no wooden spikes.

Penny had her back against one corner of the pit, with the makeshift ladder blocking the space in front of her. She had also dragged Mixi's body over and laid it on top of herself. It could serve as a meat shield and conceal the crossbow in her hands.

That was probably the best she could manage.

Li Wei was relieved. Even if Penny could wound one bandit, the rest would be easier to deal with.

But it all had to be over before dark. Otherwise, night would become a nightmare for the two of them.

With that in mind, Li Wei glanced back at the three bandits with their sinister expressions, grabbed his bow and arrows, and headed straight for the cliff. This time, he was going into the cave to lure them over.

There was only one way in or out of the cliff. Unless the two bandits climbed over the mountain and scaled down, they would have to pass the pit. That was why they had set a trap there in the first place.

If they so much as glanced at the pit, that would be enough.

Of course, it wouldn't matter if the three bandits chose to play it safe and stayed away.

Li Wei would just loot their hideout.

The cave wasn't as dark anymore. The afternoon sunlight slanted inside, making it possible to see most of what was in there.

It wasn't a natural cave. It had been dug out, and several upright logs supported planks to keep the ceiling from collapsing.

The cave wasn't very deep, either. Seven or eight crude wooden beds were scattered haphazardly around. Trash littered the ground, and the stench of feces mingled with sweat, all fermenting in the scorching afternoon sun. It was downright surreal.

There were no chests or anything else that stood out, except for a few bags on a wooden rack in the corner. They seemed to contain supplies—perhaps wheat?

Li Wei was pleased, but didn't hurry to check. Instead, he sat down in the shadows by the cave entrance and waited for the bandits to take the bait.

But honestly, he couldn't understand why those three bandits were so stubborn.

Why not cut down some trees and make wooden shields? Or just wait until dark and launch a full assault?

Had his earlier performance scared them so badly that they worried he'd rescue the two people in the pit? Maybe they couldn't handle them if they were all that fierce.

After all, they had no idea whether Penny and Mixi were alive or dead, or how badly they were hurt.

Time passed. Dusk approached, and the sun in the west blazed so brightly that it took real effort to make out anything while looking in that direction.

At that moment, Li Wei's heart gave a little jolt. They didn't need to wait until dark. The three bandits might try to sneak over right now.

Just then, a scream rose from below the cliff. Penny's crossbow had done its job.

The three bandits really had lost patience and tried to kill the people in the pit first. Instead, they'd run into a brick wall.

Li Wei sprang up and rushed to the edge of the cliff. But all he saw were two figures fleeing in panic. In an instant, they were already more than thirty meters away. They must have been terrified.

Li Wei quickly drew his bow, but the bright evening sun made it hard to keep his eyes open. He could only squint and fire blindly into the distance. The instant the broadhead arrow flew, he knew he'd missed. He'd never practiced shooting down from such a height. It was more like a lobbed shot, and with the setting sun shining straight at him, the whole view was flooded with light. There was nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't even see where the arrow landed.

Li Wei hurried down the cliff, but the two bandits had already run sixty or seventy meters. He couldn't catch up.

Fortunately, the bandits seemed to have truly lost their nerve and fled for good. Even the wounded bandit was gone. As their figures disappeared into the woods across the river valley,

a series of messages finally arrived.

[You shot and killed a powerful, brutal bandit leader. You gained 160 Hunting Experience]

[You shot and killed three cunning bandits. You gained 150 Hunting Experience. Your current total Hunting Experience is 600]

[At a critical moment, you rescued the head of the family, Penny. You saved your family and prevented it from suffering a huge loss. You gained 50 Family Contribution Points]

[This is the third time you have rescued a family member in a moment of crisis. You will receive the title—Family Savior. Equipping this title automatically grants you 20 points of Family Contribution Point capacity. Any family member attempting to impeach you, initiate a Plot Kill, or vote on a Plot Kill must first pay the cost of 20 of their own Family Contribution Points.]

[Your current Family Contribution Points are 155. After equipping the title, your Family Contribution Points will reach 175.]

[You looted the bandits' corpses. You obtained one Gold Coin, three Silver Coins, and twelve Copper Coins. You obtained two sets of Leather Armor. You gained 9 Looting Experience]

[Because your fiancée Mixi died, you obtained all of her personal possessions.]

[Because you obtained one Gold Coin, you made progress on your Clearance Mission. You have accumulated one Standard Currency. Current progress: 1/5]

[Note: One unit of Standard World Resource costs one Standard Gold Coin. They are interchangeable]