Liu Yuan could easily have slaughtered every bandit before him.
In fact, killing them would have been as easy for him as crushing a nest of ants.
The problem was that he could kill this particular gang, but he couldn't wipe out every bandit in the area.
Because of the surrounding terrain, there were many villages around Soul Village, and countless hills and bandit gangs scattered throughout the region.
The bandits before him were merely one of countless gangs around Soul Village.
So, although Liu Yuan could have struck them down to vent his anger, he would rather bring them all under his control.
After all, this was far from the only gang that would raid Soul Village. Liu Yuan could deal with this one now, but he wasn't always there. Next time, he might not be around to help the villagers.
That being the case, he thought it was better to bring the bandits under his control. That way, even when he wasn't there, their help would keep the villagers much safer than they were now.
So Liu Yuan didn't attack the bandits.
After hearing them beg for mercy, he said, "Since you've put it that way, I'll give you a chance."
Liu Yuan spoke to the bandits calmly.
"Didn't you just rob the villagers of Soul Village yesterday?"
"If you want to live, return twice the goods you stole from Soul Village."
"You'll also have to take responsibility for protecting the villagers from now on. I'm not asking you to guard them personally—just keep an eye on them, and lend a hand if they need help. If you do that, we'll call this matter settled, and I'll owe you a favor."
The bandits exchanged uncertain glances, muttering among themselves. Clearly, they hadn't made up their minds.
But Liu Yuan soon made his next move.
While the bandits were still hesitating, Liu Yuan revealed the four Soul Rings behind him.
A powerful aura of Soul Power surged from him.
"Four rings! A Soul Ancestor!"
The bandits gaped in shock.
Forget a Soul Ancestor—not one of them was even a Soul Master. They were just a bunch of grunts with a few levels of Soul Power at most.
Seeing Liu Yuan's Soul Rings, they felt as though they were looking at a god. Their fear only deepened as they faced him.
They didn't dare hesitate any longer. They immediately agreed and addressed Liu Yuan respectfully.
"Of course, Your Excellency, esteemed Soul Ancestor!"
Only then did Liu Yuan nod in satisfaction.
Still, he knew that threats and rewards alone wouldn't make the bandits wholeheartedly help him. So he tossed them a few Gold Soul Coins, which he'd taken from the robbers who had tried to rob him on his way here.
"Do a good job, and there'll be plenty in it for you if you meet my expectations."
"Take these Gold Soul Coins as a deposit. If you prove yourselves, I can help you hunt Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Forest and obtain Soul Rings."
Liu Yuan spoke to the bandits.
"Absolutely! Don't worry, sir! Leave it to us!"
Now the bandits were completely convinced.
Liu Yuan had first dealt them a blow, then offered them a sweet reward. He'd brought them entirely to heel.
Now that they knew how powerful he was and understood the benefits of doing as he asked, how could they possibly defy him?
So they quickly set about doing as Liu Yuan had instructed.
They soon returned the goods they'd stolen from Soul Village—twice as much, just as Liu Yuan had demanded.
But their return to Soul Village caused quite a scene. The villagers had no idea what Liu Yuan had done, so when they saw the bandits coming back, they thought the gang had come to rob them again. One by one, they prepared to fight to the death.
"Misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding! We're here to return your things!"
"A young master helped you and told us to give your things back. We won't rob your village again, and we'll keep an eye on it and protect you!"
The bandits were startled, but they wouldn't dare lay a hand on the villagers now.
After all, Liu Yuan hadn't said so outright, but the way he'd gone out of his way to help them made it clear he was close to the villagers.
So the bandits didn't dare offend them. Instead, they explained everything that had happened.
The bandits left after returning the goods as promised.
The villagers stood frozen in place like statues.
After all, what had just happened felt like something out of a dream.
The villagers remained silent for a long time, unable to figure out who had helped them.
"Young master? Who do we know that could be called a young master? We're just a bunch of poor folk."
The villagers murmured to themselves.
Wang Ergou, a five-year-old boy, happened to be among them.
He was very young and didn't know much, but he'd always been close to Liu Yuan.
He'd never believed Liu Yuan was dead. So Wang Ergou spoke up at once. "It must've been Brother Liu Yuan!"
"The only young master in our village is Brother Liu Yuan."
The villagers exchanged glances, and sadness suddenly welled up inside them.
They, too, thought of Liu Yuan. They remembered how he'd chosen to help them and left with Yu Xiaogang and the others.
So much time had passed, and he still hadn't returned. He must have met with disaster.
The villagers' joy at recovering their goods faded, and their expressions grew despondent.
Wang Ergou's parents rapped him on the head. "Don't say such things. Little Liu is dead."
Wang Ergou shouted angrily, "You're the one talking nonsense, Father! Brother Liu Yuan can't be dead!"
Then he ran out of the village in a fury.
The villagers' spirits all sank.
Watching from the shadows, Liu Yuan let out a regretful sigh and murmured to himself.
"Ah, I'll wait a little longer. Once I truly become a god and avenge myself..."
"Then I'll reunite with everyone."
"Now isn't the time yet."
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