In the forest, the commotion caused by the Naiyuan Trio brought together two groups that should never have met, through a twist of fate.
"An unexpected catch, huh? Guess you're just unlucky."
A group of men dressed in black, their faces covered by masks and blades in their hands, grinned viciously. There were roughly a dozen of them. Judging by their attire, there was no need to guess—they were clearly bandits.
One man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward, looking disdainfully at the people they had surrounded. In his eyes, they were already lambs awaiting slaughter.
Within the encirclement of more than a dozen bandits, four people stood ready in confrontation. Their outward appearance made it clear that they were an adventuring party.
The four adventurers were in terrible condition, their bodies covered in wounds of varying severity. It was obvious that the bandits had launched a surprise attack and caught them off guard.
One of the four, a somewhat heavyset man, had already suffered a grievous injury. A massive wound on his abdomen was bleeding continuously, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. Yet he did not fall. He forced himself to remain standing, weapon in hand, watching the bandits before him with a grim expression.
There was also a golden-haired man who looked somewhat frivolous, glaring angrily at the enemy. Behind him, he sheltered a young figure.
"Gentlemen, the four of us are merely ordinary adventurers. There is no grudge between us. We are willing to hand over all our money. Please spare us."
The man standing at the front, apparently the captain, spoke in a low voice. Given the condition of the four of them, they had no chance of winning. If they had been at full strength, they might have tried to break through,