The Price of Gullibility

The caravan continued its journey, arriving near Black Stone City by noon on the third day. The road became level, and signs of human activity gradually increased. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, believing this mission was about to conclude smoothly.

Just then, a weak groan drifted from the grass by the side of the road ahead. A thin man wearing tattered hemp clothes and stained with blood struggled to crawl out, waving his hand at them for help.

"Help... kind souls... please help me..." His voice was hoarse, and his face was deathly pale.

The caravan came to a halt. Old John hesitated. Hake frowned as he sized the man up.

Lin Qin looked at the wounds on the man and his frail appearance. He sensed the man's aura and found no energy fluctuations; he was just an ordinary person.

"What happened?" Lin Qin asked.

"I... my companions and I ran into bandits... they were all killed... our cargo was stolen too... I only survived by playing dead..." the man said intermittently, his eyes filled with terror, "Please, give me a ride, just to Black Stone City..."

Old John looked at Hake and Lin Qin, signaling for them to make the call. Hake was more experienced; he stared at the man for a few seconds, finding no obvious flaws, but still said, "Be careful, this area is indeed not very peaceful."

Lin Qin thought for a moment, took a water bag from his horse, and walked forward to hand it to the man: "Drink some water."

The man gratefully took the water bag and drank with trembling hands. The moment he lowered his head to drink, Lin Qin leaned in, wanting to check if a deep-looking wound on the man's arm needed emergency treatment.

At the very instant Lin Qin leaned over!

A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the man who had been so weak. His right hand, which had been hidden beneath him, lashed out violently, and a poisoned dagger struck toward Lin Qin's lower abdomen like a viper! The speed was astonishing, not at all like that of an injured person!

The distance was too close, and the event happened too suddenly!

Lin Qin had remained vigilant, but the man's disguise and timing were impeccable. Relying on the instinctual reflexes honed by countless sword swings, he twisted his body and shifted to the side.

"Rip!"

The dagger failed to pierce his abdomen, but it slashed through the leather armor and clothing at his waist, drawing a trail of blood. A numbing sensation immediately spread from the wound.

"It's a trap!" Hake roared, drawing his scimitar and lunging forward.

The "refugee" failed his strike and immediately flipped to his feet, moving with agility—there was no trace of weakness left. At the same time, five or six burly men wielding weapons burst from the grass on both sides of the road, each with a fierce look in their eyes, and the leader possessed the aura of a Level 4 Warrior.

"Kill them! Seize the cargo!" the bandit leader grinned hideously as he charged at the caravan.

Lin Qin felt a jolt in his heart, not because of the injury, but because of his own gullibility. He had been too careless, misled by the man's appearance and ignoring his most basic survival instincts. Schools and books, after all, could not teach him all the malice in the world.

The numbness was spreading, but his powerful battle qi and constitution were resisting the poison. His eyes turned cold, and with his broadsword already in hand, he ignored the wound at his waist and met the bandit who had ambushed him.

Seeing that Lin Qin was still swift despite being stabbed, the bandit was startled and raised his blade to parry.

"Clang!"

The immense force transmitted from the broadsword sent his single-edged blade flying. Lin Qin flicked his wrist, and the flat of the blade slammed heavily into the man's chest.

"Crack!" The sound of breaking bones was clearly audible. The bandit spat blood and flew backward, clearly beyond saving.

Lin Qin did not stop, charging into the other bandits like a tiger into a flock of sheep. He was suppressing a fire in his heart, making his strikes even more ruthless. As the sword light flashed, a bandit fell with every strike. The Level 4 Warrior leader tried to intercept him, but was forced back repeatedly by a strike from Lin Qin that carried his fury, causing the skin between the leader's thumb and forefinger to split.

Hake and the caravan guards also fought back with all their might. The battle ended quickly; all the bandits were wiped out, except for the leader, whom Lin Qin intentionally kept alive for interrogation.

Lin Qin stood in place, the wound at his waist still oozing blood, the numbness not yet fully faded. He looked at the corpses on the ground and the captured, ashen-faced bandit leader. His expression was calm, but a cold sharpness had grown deep within his eyes.

He would remember this lesson.

Old John and the others gathered around, looking at his wound with concern.

"A minor injury, it's fine." Lin Qin shook his head, taking out clean water and an antidote to treat the wound himself. His constitution was far superior to that of an ordinary person, and since the poison was not potent, it was not a major issue.

Hake walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. In the wilderness, staying vigilant against strangers is the first rule. You are still young; you will be better after more experience."

Lin Qin nodded without speaking. He carved the injury caused by his gullibility deep into his heart. This was more profound than any warning from a mentor.

The caravan set off again. This time, there were no more twists, and they arrived at Black Stone City smoothly. Lin Qin received his reward of twenty gold coins, which, combined with the previous Wind Wolf materials and the scraps scavenged from the bandits, made for a decent haul.

But he knew that the greatest gain from this mission was not the gold coins, but the wound at his waist that would soon heal, and the lesson that came with it.

Returning to Fenlai City, he turned in the mission. As he looked at the various people in the Mercenary Guild, his gaze became more steady and reserved.