The Robbery

"Hehe, young master, are you sure you don't want our Mercenary Group to accompany you into the mountains to gather herbs? As long as you can afford the price, we guarantee your safety!"

At a shop run by a Mercenary Group, a man who looked like a shop assistant was thumping his chest as he promoted his group's services to Xiao Han. It was obvious he was an old hand at selling.

"No, thanks for the map. Here are 3 Gold Coins."

He tossed down a few coins, smiled, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Xiao Han had been in Green Mountain Town for two days, but the journey here alone had taken him four days.

After all, he was merely a Dou Zhe who traveled on two legs, nothing like those "terrifyingly powerful Dou Ancestor Experts" who could fly through the sky. They were practically different species.

There hadn't been any major trouble along the way, but the closer he got to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the more Magical Beasts he encountered. Fortunately, they were only around Tier 1, about as strong as Dou Zhe. Against Xiao Han, a Dou Zhe who could easily crush a low-level Dou Master or a Tier 2 Magical Beast, they were no more than easy pickings.

However, Xiao Han had come here not only to claim the treasure, but also to gain experience.

So along the way, he had put aside all his other Dou Techniques and focused solely on swordsmanship. Thanks to Kai Dad's powerful Sword Dao talent bonus, Xiao Han quickly brought this Yellow Rank Dou Technique to Great Accomplishment.

And since killing enemies earned him Energy Value, Xiao Han had soon amassed 30 Energy Value.

Although he could use Energy Value to upgrade his Dou Techniques, he felt it was better to study the low-level ones on his own first. He could save his Energy Value for when he needed it.

After four fights with Magical Beasts, Xiao Han's swordsmanship had improved rapidly. It was clear that reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles had its merits; blindly studying behind closed doors would never make anyone great.

Of course, those four fights hadn't all gone smoothly. During a standoff with a Demon Wolf, Xiao Han had underestimated it and taken a claw wound to his sword-wielding right arm. Gritting his teeth through the tearing pain, he struck with Eight Extremes Collapse using his left hand and killed the beast in one blow. Its entire head exploded!

Fortunately, the injury wasn't serious. Xiao Han hadn't even had time to take any medicine before Kai Dad's passive ability—recovering 1% of his mana and health per second while out of combat—kicked in. In less than ten seconds, Xiao Han had fully recovered.

While out of combat, Xiao Han was practically impossible to kill. That was why he had been so shocked when he first saw Kai Dad's template.

After a few battles, Xiao Han had also smoothly advanced to 7-Star Dou Zhe. There was nothing for it: the Heaven Rank, Middle Grade Swallowing Spirit Technique was just that domineering.

Now that he had the map, it was time to head into the mountains.

As soon as he entered the trail leading uphill, Xiao Han frowned. Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued along the path that everyone had to take to reach the mountains.

Fire Attribute Dou Qi slowly coursed through his body. As he kept walking, the Dou Qi within him gradually gathered.

Suddenly, he accelerated. Dou Qi erupted throughout his body as he unleashed the movement Dou Technique he had long since perfected, racing toward the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

"Extreme Shadow Steps!"

With a low shout, Xiao Han's body seemed to split into multiple shadows as he darted and leaped through the forest. In no time, he had vanished without a trace.

"Damn it! How did that lamb get away so fast?!"

As soon as Xiao Han had hurried away, four burly men dressed in black and wearing masks sprang out of the dense forest.

One of them, a slightly shorter man, angrily yanked off his mask and spat on the ground. "Ptooey! That brat's sharp. He figured out we were following him so quickly!"

The man who had removed his mask was none other than the shop assistant who had sold Xiao Han the map. Who would have guessed that after Xiao Han left, he would gather a group of his fellow mercenaries to ambush this wealthy young man, who had been so generous with his money?

He hadn't expected Xiao Han to be so skilled despite his young age. The boy had shaken off all four of them with ease.

"Heh, Tian Suo, you bastard. You said you'd made all the necessary preparations before bringing us along. So how'd that lamb vanish right under your nose?"

One of the burly men folded his arms and sneered at Tian Suo, mocking him for their failed robbery.

After hearing him, Tian Suo gave the mocking man an equally sour look and waved a hand. "Watch your tone, Li Haoer. I don't owe you anything!

"Haven't I always shared the spoils with you three whenever there was a good chance to 'slaughter a lamb'? And haven't you made a fortune every time?

"I only didn't call you last time because things came up suddenly. So what's with the snide remarks today? If this is how you're going to act, we might as well split up!"

Tian Suo's blunt words instantly chilled the atmosphere.

Seeing the mood turn sour, the other two burly men hurriedly tried to smooth things over between Tian Suo and Li Haoer. If they really split up, they'd never find another such lucrative opportunity.

It was only through years of robbery and murder, trading their stolen goods for resources, that they had managed to reach 7-Star Dou Zhe despite their mediocre talent. Just imagine how many rich young heirs had fallen victim to them!

"Come on, Brother Tian. You know Li's just like that."

"Exactly. We're all brothers. There's no need to fight over something this small. It's too bad there've only been 'rams' lately, no 'ewes.' That lamb we caught last time was a real beauty. The few of us had our way with her for days, and she still had the strength to struggle.

"We planned to cripple her by severing the tendons in her hands and feet so we could play with her a few more days, but she killed herself as soon as she woke up. What a waste."

"Hmph! That was because you got drunk and left the broken chopsticks where she could use them to kill herself." At the mention of women, Tian Suo's expression finally improved. Although he had threatened to disband the group, even if they did split up, it would take time to find new partners. There was no point in falling out over a moment's anger.

"Hey! That black-clad kid from just now wasn't bad either. Soft skin, delicate features—he was every bit as pretty as a woman. I've had my way with plenty of women, but I've never tried a little boy like that. I wonder how tight his ass is." Seeing the others chatting, Li Haoer casually chimed in.

"Pah! You're disgusting."

Tian Suo was revolted by the remark and cursed him with a laugh.

After a few rounds of idle chatter, the four of them were back to their usual brotherly camaraderie. The earlier hostility had faded.

"Fine, Brother Tian. I was in the wrong today."

Once he had cooled off, Li Haoer clasped his hands and apologized to Tian Suo. "To make it up to you, drinks are on me today!"

"That's more like it. We'll let today's matter go. We're all brothers."

Since Li Haoer was willing to back down, Tian Suo didn't want to hold a grudge. "Let's go back..."

Suddenly, the ring of a sword rang out—

HUM!!!!!!!

Just as Tian Suo was about to turn and head down the mountain, a streak of scarlet sword light shot out of the dense forest behind him. With a single stroke, it sliced through his neck. His head rolled to the ground.

With a thud, Tian Suo's headless body fell. Blood gushed from the wound.

The sudden turn of events changed the faces of the three remaining men. They looked toward the direction the sword light had come from, where a slender young man stood wrapped in scorching Fire Attribute Dou Qi.

"Damn it! When did he circle back?!"

The three men were instantly on high alert and entered a fighting stance.

The prey they had planned to hunt had suddenly become the hunter!

The black-haired youth wore black and carried a Crimson Longsword. He emerged from the shadows beneath the trees and slowly approached them.

His pair of deep-blue eyes seemed devoid of all emotion, yet looked strangely beautiful and alluring.

The black-haired youth was young and handsome, but to the three men, he looked like the Death God coming to claim their lives. Their hearts pounded in terror!

One step, two steps, three steps. The youth steadily advanced, and the three men steadily retreated.

That strike that had killed Tian Suo had indeed been a sneak attack. But as a 7-Star Dou Zhe, Tian Suo shouldn't have been killed instantly, even if the attacker had been a cultivator of the same level!

That could only mean the black-haired youth before them was far stronger than they had imagined!

We're going to die! We're going to die! We're going to die! We're going to die! We're going to die!

If they didn't run, they'd die!

But the three men were so terrified that they didn't dare move. It wasn't that they didn't want to flee; the killing intent radiating from the youth had locked onto them, pinning them in place. The moment they made a reckless move, the sword light would tear them apart.

Faced with this unprecedented pressure, golden Dou Qi erupted from Li Haoer's entire body. He leaped high into the air, drew the curved blade at his waist, and slashed at the black-haired youth who had doubled back. He shouted to the other two, "If we run in separate directions, we're dead! If we attack together, we might have a chance!"

Li Haoer didn't even need to remind them. Years of working together to "hunt" their prey had made them so in sync that the two men beside him lunged like wild beasts, attacking the black-haired youth from both sides.

One man erupted with ochre Dou Qi, while the other unleashed green Dou Qi.

"Earth Xuan Palm!"

"Green Wood Fist!"

The veins stood out on their faces as Dou Qi churned throughout their bodies. They were clearly suffering the backlash from unleashing all their Dou Qi at once.

Any one of the three attacks, launched with all their strength, would have left an ordinary 7-Star Dou Zhe dead or severely injured and crippled.

Yet, facing a fist, a palm, and a blade rushing at him from three directions, the black-haired youth erupted with Dou Qi beneath his feet and deftly evaded their coordinated attack with his consummate movement technique.

CLANG!!!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out as the youth raised his sword and deflected their attacks.

With a shift of his feet, the youth's sword danced like a butterfly. The blade carried Fire Attribute Dou Qi as he thrust it three times in rapid succession, instantly breaking through the three burly men's full-force attacks.

"What?!"

"This is bad!"

"Fall back!"

The three men went pale when they saw their killing blows so easily deflected, and hurriedly retreated!

The black-haired youth sneered at their desperate hopes of escaping and lunged after them!

He pushed off with his toes and shot forward more than ten meters, closing the distance between himself and the three men. He swung his sword twice, and scarlet flashes of light cut down the two burly men on either side as they tried to flee.

Pfft!

Pfft, pfft!

Two heads flew through the air, and two corpses fell to the ground.

Li Haoer was the only one left. Seeing what had happened to the others, he didn't dare move a muscle.

"Please, spare me! No! My lord, please spare me! If you let me live, I'll serve you for the rest of my life! I'll be your ox or horse, your slave or servant!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His face filled with terror, he dropped his blade and fell to his knees, repeatedly bowing to the black-haired youth. After slamming his head against the ground again and again, Li Haoer's forehead quickly split open and bled freely.

"Sure—"

"Thank you for sparing—"

Hearing the youth's amused voice beside him, Li Haoer was overjoyed. He hurriedly looked up to thank him, but before he could finish speaking, he saw his own body kneeling on the ground, and his consciousness blurred in an instant.

CLANG!!!

The ring of a sword rang out—

PFFT!!!

Li Haoer's head was severed and flew through the air, rolling to a stop at the youth's feet.

The black-haired youth kicked the revolting head away in disgust. His scarlet sword was coated in liquid, making it impossible to tell whether it was the color of blood or the blade itself.

The blood's crimson and the sword's scarlet blended together, as though the blade were steadily drinking its fill...

The black-haired youth tore a piece of cloth from the dead man's clothes and gently wiped down the sword that had just claimed four lives. He murmured something under his breath.

"The Blood-Drinking Blade grows ever emptier..."

Once he had cleaned the blade, the youth sheathed it and strode toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range, like a solitary Swordsman.

But after a few steps, he slapped his forehead. "Damn, I was so busy looking cool that I forgot to check whether those guys had anything good in their Storage Rings!"