Cultivator Bandits

The next morning, the five of them set out along a new route.

Today's route veered a little farther west than yesterday's, and the terrain was even more desolate.

After walking for about half an hour, the land began to slope downward. A shallow ditch roughly two zhang wide appeared ahead, its bottom thick with withered yellow grass and low slopes rising on either side.

The five followed the edge of the ditch. He Shou suddenly stopped at the front and listened intently for several breaths.

Li Yuan stopped as well. It was not feedback from the Spirit Detection Disk—it was a sound.

In the distance, from the direction in which the shallow ditch stretched, came a faint commotion.

The clash of metal rang out, brief and rapid.

Several shouts were mixed in as well. The words could not be made out, but the voices were urgent.

He Shou placed a hand on his saber hilt and spoke in a low voice.

"They're fighting."

Chen Qi heard it too. He leaned forward slightly, his Short Saber already in hand.

Li Yuan poured spiritual power into the Spirit Detection Disk and pushed its sensing range to the limit, but detected nothing. Sound carried far farther than the disk's range.

"Nothing detected."

He Shou leaned half his body over the ditch's edge and glanced toward the sound.

A hundred or so zhang ahead, several figures were chasing and fighting across the wasteland.

Those behind pursued fiercely, while those ahead fled in disarray. Their formation was scattered, nothing like an organized clash—more like one group hunting another down.

He Shou narrowed his eyes.

His gaze was not on the people fleeing at the front, but locked onto one figure among those giving chase.

That man wore a dark brown short outfit, with a gray-black cloth band tied around his left arm. One end of the band snapped in the wind, revealing a crooked embroidered symbol—like an outstretched bird claw.

"Crow Claw Gang."

He Shou's voice was very low.

Li Yuan glanced at him.

He Shou had previously taught them how to identify Cultivator Bandits. The most basic method was to look for markings, though there were many other ways.

To recognize fellow members while traveling together, Cultivator Bandit groups usually wore matching identifiers in concealed places—armbands, belt clasps, hidden fasteners inside their boots. Each group differed.

Of course, those were only preliminary identifiers, meant to prevent fellow bandits from immediately turning on one another. They also had coded phrases to verify identities, though He Shou did not know those.

Some Cultivator Bandit groups wore no markings to avoid being recognized at a glance by the Guard Squad, but doing so could make them targets for other groups.

The Crow Claw Gang used gray-black armbands embroidered with Bird Claw Marks, tied around the left arm.

"Four chasing three." He Shou shifted his gaze from the pursuit and swiftly scanned the surrounding terrain. "The pursuers are Cultivator Bandits. The runners are Rogue Cultivators."

He Shou looked back at the four behind him.

"The Crow Claw Gang is an old-established Cultivator Bandit gang. Their usual territory was in the southern outskirts of the Yuanheng Mountains, but they've moved quite a bit north over the past few months. There's a warrant out for them."

He Shou drew his long saber halfway from its sheath.

"The leader is around Qi Refining, Fourth Layer, while the other three are Qi Refining Second Layer to Third Level. They aren't tough opponents. Five against four, and if those three Rogue Cultivators still have the strength to help, there won't be a problem."

"Besides, if we let Cultivator Bandits get away and it is discovered when we return, we won't be able to account for it."

He Shou looked at Li Yuan.

"Do we fight?"

"We fight. No need to leave anyone alive."

He Shou moved first.

He cut diagonally across the low slope beside the ditch, gradually suppressing his spiritual power fluctuations as he rushed straight for the Cultivator Bandit at the very rear.

Li Yuan followed close behind, but did not take the ditch bottom. Instead, he stepped across loose stones along the rim and circled around from the side, widening the distance between himself and He Shou.

Chen Qi and Liu Ping flanked from the other side, while Xu Mao stayed at the rear to provide support.

The chase a hundred or so zhang ahead continued.

Four Cultivator Bandits were chasing three Rogue Cultivators. One of the Rogue Cultivators could no longer run. His clothes were torn in several places, his right arm hung limp, blood streaming from his sleeve as his steps grew slower and slower.

The other two Rogue Cultivators supported him from either side, dragging and hauling him forward.

The leading Cultivator Bandit raised a hand and flung out a spiritual projectile. The gravel beneath the Rogue Cultivators' feet exploded, and the three staggered, nearly falling.

Just as the Cultivator Bandit prepared to follow up with another strike, He Shou arrived and unleashed a Wind Blade Art.

The Cultivator Bandit reacted quickly. Sensing the spiritual power fluctuation, he twisted aside, but a large patch of flesh was still sliced from his face, exposing his teeth.

"Someone's here!"

The Cultivator Bandit's shout made his three companions ahead turn around at once.

The leading Cultivator Bandit was short and sharp-featured, with that gray-black armband tied around his left arm. One sweep of his eyes spotted He Shou's Guard Squad uniform.

"People from the market! Retreat!"

The leader made his judgment quickly. He had already spent much spiritual power and could not fight head-on. He shouted once and moved to withdraw.

But it was already too late.

Li Yuan had circled into position from the side. Spiritual power gathered in his palm, and as he lightly activated the Origin Condensation Art, the Fireball in his hand compressed another layer.

The dark crimson sphere shot from his hand, flying straight toward the leader's side.

The Cultivator Bandit sensed the spiritual energy fluctuation and sharply twisted his body, drawing a narrow-bladed Short Saber and raising it before himself to block.

The Fireball struck the blade, its impact far beyond the Cultivator Bandit's expectations.

The narrow-bladed Short Saber was knocked backward. His tiger's mouth split open, while the fire's residual blast swept over his chest and left arm. More than half the gray-black armband burned away, and the front of his robe was scorched black.

The Cultivator Bandit staggered back three steps, a flicker of shock crossing his face.

He was at Qi Refining, Fourth Layer. The Patrol Inspector opposite him seemed only slightly stronger in aura, yet the power of that Fireball was not something someone of the same level should have been able to produce.

Li Yuan gave him no time to catch his breath. A second Fireball had already formed in his palm.

At the same time, Chen Qi and Liu Ping charged in from the left flank, working together to entangle a Qi Refining Third Level Cultivator Bandit.

At the rear, He Shou had already forced the first Cultivator Bandit he intercepted against the ditch wall. Qi Refining, Fourth Layer against Qi Refining Third Level was a complete crushing advantage.

In an extremely short time, the battle tipped completely to one side.

Of the four Cultivator Bandits, one was firmly suppressed by He Shou, one was tied down by Chen Qi and Liu Ping, and one was driven back again and again by Li Yuan's Fireballs.

The remaining one—at Qi Refining Second Layer and the weakest of the four—took one look at the situation, turned, and ran. He chewed something in his mouth, his speed far exceeding that of others at his level.

Xu Mao intercepted from behind, firing an Ice Spike that struck the fleeing Cultivator Bandit in the back, only to seem blocked by something.

The man staggered but did not fall. Within a few breaths, he plunged into distant brush. Xu Mao considered it, then did not pursue.

The remaining three Cultivator Bandits no longer had any chance to escape.

He Shou's side ended first. A Wind Blade struck the Cultivator Bandit's shoulder hollow and severed an arm. The Cultivator Bandit screamed and dropped to his knees, only to be kicked over by He Shou and finished with another blow, losing all breath.

Chen Qi and Liu Ping's side was much the same. Under the two men's combined assault, that Cultivator Bandit died on the spot.

The leading Cultivator Bandit was also dealt with by Li Yuan.

The second Fireball smashed into the hastily raised spiritual power shield. The shield shattered, and the fire's residual blast hurled him to the ground.

The Cultivator Bandit rolled twice and tried to get up, but Li Yuan had already walked close. The crimson glow of a third Fireball in his palm reflected upon the Cultivator Bandit's face.

The Cultivator Bandit's narrow-bladed Short Saber lay two steps away. His arm was burned, and his spiritual power was nearly exhausted.

He looked up at Li Yuan, his lips moving, but no words came out.

He Shou walked over from behind, blood still on his saber. He glanced at the leader on the ground, then looked at Li Yuan with slight surprise.

"Crow Claw Gang. He's on the wanted list."

"Deal with him. No need to leave him alive; we won't get anything out of him."

He Shou then drew his blade and finished him off. The Fireball in Li Yuan's palm slowly dissipated.