Family Savior

The late autumn sun beat down fiercely, much like Li Wei's anxious mood.

The three bandits retreated all the way to the river valley and immediately began moving stones to build a stone wall, intending to engage him in a positional battle. They didn't seem to have all their marbles.

By the time Li Wei circled around with his Bow and Arrow, they immediately bolted, not giving him a chance to get within forty meters.

Clearly, they had figured out by now that only within this range could Li Wei achieve a hundred percent hit rate.

Watching the three bandits retreat to the other side of the river valley, Li Wei finally found an opportunity to fill his waterskin by the small river. He had to prepare for guerrilla warfare in the mountains.

However, in just this short while, when he looked up, the three bandits had vanished without a trace.

Did they go into the woods?

Li Wei's heart sank. If those two bandits cut down some trees and made the simplest wooden shields, the current standoff would be broken.

At this moment, he turned and ran back in a hurry. While the bandits might be cutting down trees, he had to rescue Penny. Moreover, Penny was carrying an Iron Spear, and Mixi even had a Chainmail on her.

However, just as he reached the pit, the three bandits emerged from the woods again, howling and cursing, and attempting to charge over. They seemed ready to rush in if Li Wei dared to rescue them.

Stuck in this stalemate, it seemed the other side was just waiting for nightfall.

"Sister, are you okay?"

Standing by the pit, Li Wei asked in a deep voice.

"Not very well. I'm dizzy, feel like vomiting, and my ankle hurts terribly. I can't climb out on my own. George, be careful yourself."

"But I've assembled the Crossbow, so you don't have to worry about me. If necessary, I can shoot one of the bandits dead, or you could use this to set an ambush."

Penny's voice was weak but firm.

Li Wei glanced into the pit. Good heavens, it was a good four to five meters deep. Fortunately, there were no wooden spikes.

Penny leaned against a corner of the pit, blocking the simple ladder with her body. She had also dragged Mixi's corpse over and was using it as a shield, while also concealing the Crossbow in her hands.

This was likely the extent of what she could do.

Li Wei's heart leaped with joy. If Penny could even injure one bandit, the rest would be easy to deal with.

However, everything had to be finished before dark, otherwise, the night would become their nightmare.

With this thought, Li Wei glanced back at the three grim-faced bandits, picked up his Bow and Arrow, and headed straight for the stone cliff. This time, he would enter the cave and lure them over.

Since this stone cliff only had one entrance, those two bandits would have to cross the great mountain and climb down, otherwise, they would inevitably pass the pit. This was also why they had set up a trap here in the first place.

As long as they glanced at the pit, it would be enough.

Of course, if the three bandits chose to be cautious and didn't come, that would be fine too.

Li Wei intended to loot their lair.

Entering the cave, it was no longer so dim. Afternoon sunlight slanted in, allowing him to basically see the situation inside.

This was not a naturally formed cave but was excavated. He could see several upright Logs supporting wooden planks to prevent collapse.

The cave was not very deep. Seven or eight simple, crude wooden beds were scattered about messily. The ground was a mix of the stench of various garbage and feces, combined with the smell of sweat, all fermented by the scorching afternoon sun. It was quite surreal.

There were no treasure chests, nor anything particularly eye-catching, except for a wooden rack in the corner where several bags were placed. They seemed to contain some kind of supplies, perhaps wheat?

Li Wei's heart rejoiced, but he didn't rush to check. He turned and sat down in the shadow of the cave entrance, waiting for the bandits to take the bait.

But honestly, he didn't know what those three bandits were so persistent about.

Why didn't they cut some trees to make wooden shields, or just wait obediently until nightfall to launch a full assault?

Could it be that Li Wei's previous performance had scared them, making them worried that Li Wei would rescue the two companions in the pit? If they were all this fierce, they wouldn't be able to handle it?

After all, they weren't sure if Penny and Mixi in the pit were alive or dead, or if their injuries were light or severe.

Thus, time slowly passed. It was nearing dusk, and the sun in the west was incredibly bright. Looking west, it was hard to distinguish anything without great effort.

At this moment, Li Wei's heart skipped a beat. They wouldn't need to wait until dark; the three bandits might sneak over during this time.

And just then, a scream came from below the stone cliff. Penny's Crossbow had done its job.

The three bandits indeed couldn't hold back and wanted to kill the people in the pit first. As a result, they ran headfirst into an iron plate.

Li Wei leaped up and rushed to the edge of the cliff, only to see two figures fleeing in panic, already over thirty meters away in the blink of an eye, likely terrified.

At this moment, Li Wei quickly drew his bow, but the bright setting sun made it difficult to open his eyes. He could only squint and shoot into the air. But the moment the Broadhead Arrow flew out, he knew he had missed. He had never practiced shooting from a high vantage point like this; it involved some trajectory. Moreover, the setting sun shone directly into his eyes, filling his entire vision with light. There was nothing he could do.

He couldn't even see where the arrow landed.

Immediately, Li Wei scrambled down the cliff, but those two bandits had already run sixty to seventy meters and were impossible to catch.

Fortunately, these bandits were probably genuinely cowardly and had truly fled. Even the injured bandit was gone. The moment their figures disappeared into the woods on the other side of the river valley, lines of information finally arrived, albeit belatedly.

[You shot and killed a burly, 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 points.]

[You saved the Head of the Family, Penny, at a critical moment. You saved the family and prevented the family from suffering significant losses. You gained 50 Family Contribution Points.]

[This is the third time you have saved a family member in a time of crisis. You will receive the title -- Family Savior. After equipping this title, you will automatically gain a +20 Family Contribution Points cap. Any family member attempting to impeach you, initiate a Plot Kill, or vote for a Plot Kill must first bear the cost of consuming 20 Family Contribution Points themselves.]

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

[You searched 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.]

[Due to the unfortunate death of your fiancée, Mixi, you have obtained all of her personal property.]

[Because you obtained one Gold Coin, your Clearance Mission has progressed. You have accumulated one Standard Currency, currently 1/5.]

[Note: The price of one unit of Standard World Resource is one Standard Gold Coin. The two are indistinguishable.]