Standing Before Everyone

Bandits were thieves who prowled the mountains.

Unlike pirates, these bottomless scum never went to sea. Instead, they built strongholds against the mountains and robbed passing merchants and travelers.

Gubo's gang was the largest bandit group near Crocker Town. With around thirty men, they were the greatest illegal armed force in the remote area around Crocker Town.

They usually gathered in the forests, controlling the surrounding roads and checkpoints, making their living through murder, robbery, and bloodshed.

As for why these notorious bandits had appeared in town, it naturally had everything to do with those street thugs.

Zik, the thug leader whom Long Yi had kicked unconscious earlier, woke up in a dim alley reeking of garbage. After coming to, he spent a full three minutes trying to recall what had happened.

Fragments of his memories before blacking out flashed before his eyes. Zik fell into deep confusion. Only when the scene finally froze on Long Yi's icy gaze did he remember what had happened to him. He instinctively shuddered, and then raging fury consumed him completely.

Having always thrown his weight around in Crocker Town, he had never suffered such humiliation.

Zik was furious, but he was also terrified of Long Yi's strength. Beneath that harmless-looking boy's appearance hid a demon he could never defeat.

But then Zik revealed a sinister smile. Just because he could not do something did not mean no one else could. After all, the force backing him was the largest bandit gang in the area.

Gubo was a ruthless bandit leader. Vicious and cunning, he even had a place on the Marines' wanted list.

To the thug Zik, Gubo was a genuine big shot. Though it felt like overkill to trouble Boss Gubo over a child, he had to vent this grievance!

Staring at the tavern sign in the distance, venom flashed through Zik's eyes. Limping forward, he ignored the few subordinates still unconscious behind him and slowly disappeared into the alley.

He left with hatred in his heart, swearing that he would return with disaster in tow.

"Men, grab every valuable thing you can find!"

Gubo rode a scrawny horse, shouting at the bandits galloping ahead. Unrestrained greed filled his inverted triangular eyes.

He wore a patterned leather cap crookedly on his head, a worn cloth robe, and a broad weapons belt, with a curved blade and flintlock pistol hanging at his waist. The scar on his left cheek added some ferocity to the bandit leader's appearance, but it could not conceal his lecherous air.

"Boss Gubo! Boss Gubo!"

The limping thug Zik shouted twice, weaving through the bandits around Gubo and approaching him with a fawning smile. Ignoring the amused looks from the surrounding bandits, he repeatedly clasped his hands and bowed to Gubo.

"Hahaha, my Zik, you've really brought me a great gift this time."

Gubo was in high spirits as he looked at Zik, who had become their guide. After all, Zik deserved some credit for this attack on Crocker Town.

The reason Gubo had previously kept the peace with Crocker Town was that he had considered the impoverished town too worthless to bother with.

But after hearing Zik's heavily embellished account today, Gubo felt that if he did not come and plunder the town, he would be letting down his great profession.

"Hehe, Boss Gubo, I'll be following you from now on."

Zik pressed himself close to Gubo with a sycophantic grin. It disgusted everyone watching, but Gubo rather enjoyed it.

"Haha, you'll get your share of the rewards!"

Hearing the thug's words, Gubo laughed and raised the whip in his hand. Driven by greed, he led the remaining bandits in a wild gallop through Crocker Town without any further hesitation.

This was their night of harvest.

The townspeople trembled in terror, only daring to peer through gaps in their windows at the commotion outside.

They prayed over and over that their homes would not become targets for the bandits' plunder. Some who knew the situation had even begun secretly cursing the cause of it all—Long Yi. In their extremism, they believed he had brought this disaster upon the town.

Dirty blood dripped from the silver-white blade.

Long Yi stood tall in the town's main street. At his feet lay four lifeless corpses—the bandits who had entered the town earlier to set fires and plunder at will.

"Careful. That kid's trouble!"

Swallowing nervously, the remaining bandits warily watched Long Yi from across the street, afraid that he might make another move.

They had not even seen how Long Yi drew his sword before four of their companions had fallen. None of the remaining bandits wanted to follow in their footsteps.

"You deserve to die."

Red light glowed in Long Yi's eyes, making them especially eerie in the darkness. Though he had not summoned the power of the Ghost Gods, wisps of ghostly energy coiled around his body and blade, radiating murderous intent.

"Hey, kid! We're Boss Gubo's men!"

"That's right! The great bandit chief Gubo! If you value your life, get out of the way!"

"If you kneel and beg for mercy now, we might even forgive you!"

Borrowing prestige to scare others was what these bandit underlings did best. They were truly wary of Long Yi's strength and had no choice but to try intimidation.

They did not realize that, to Long Yi, their words were unbearably grating, making the killing intent in his heart grow even stronger.

Silent and murderous, Long Yi said nothing, but his body moved.

His feet suddenly exerted force as he used Soru once more. Before the bandits could react, the sharp edge of his katana had already harvested their sinful lives.

Bandits fell one after another, blood splashing like fresh blossoms of death bursting into bloom.

Standing amid those flowers, Long Yi felt an indescribable savagery rising within him. His body craved even more slaughter.

Though he had experienced it once before, with the bandits attacking and his emotions churning, Long Yi once again stood at the edge of losing himself.

Gubo, riding over on horseback, happened to witness his men's miserable deaths. He froze at first, then saw the killing intent on Long Yi's face and flew into a rage.

"Damn brat! Who the hell are you?!"

Hearing Gubo's question, Long Yi raised his head and spoke softly. His strange red pupils met Gubo's gaze, making Gubo's heart tighten.

"Me? My name is Long Yi."

Long Yi's eerie red eyes and tone made Gubo's scalp tingle. Coupled with the bandit corpses sprawled on the ground, the bandit leader treated him as a formidable enemy.

Naturally cunning, Gubo would not underestimate Long Yi because of his youthful appearance. Following the principle of striking first, he immediately drew the flintlock pistol from his waist and fired at Long Yi's head.

Bang!

A flash of fire erupted as the bullet shot forth. Long Yi's mind was clouded, but he instinctively used Soru. His figure vanished in an instant, evading Gubo's fatal strike.

"What?!"

Unable to believe that a human's reaction could be faster than a gunshot, Gubo's heart churned with shock. He instinctively wanted to turn and flee, but just before doing so, he suddenly noticed something wrong with Long Yi.

This is bad.

Long Yi's heart jolted, and he inwardly cried out in alarm.

The Six Powers were physical techniques that broke through human limits. At Long Yi's current level, he could not use them freely. After using Soru three times in succession, his body had finally reached its limit and entered an unavoidable state of rigidity.

Only after a period of recovery would his body return to normal.

Though Gubo did not know what had happened to Long Yi, he could tell from the other's expression that this was the perfect chance to strike.

Gubo shouted, and all the bandits under his command raised their flintlock pistols, aiming their barrels at the immobile Long Yi.

A crisis was about to erupt!

"Stop!"

At that critical moment, a shout came from nearby. Hearing it, Long Yi stiffly turned his head.

The bearded shopkeeper came running over, panting heavily, a kitchen knife in one hand and a stewpot on his head. Disregarding the danger, he stood in front of Long Yi, exposing his own body to the gun barrels.

"Shopkeeper, why are you here? Get out of here!"

Seeing the bearded shopkeeper step forward, Long Yi's clear consciousness once again took control of his body, suppressing the whispers of the Ghost Gods.

He spoke in broken phrases, hoping this somewhat timid good man would quickly leave this dangerous place. This was not a battlefield the bearded shopkeeper should set foot on.

"Long Yi, what foolish thing are you saying? How could I leave?"

Though the bearded shopkeeper's body shook violently and tears and snot ran down his face from fear, he remained in front of Long Yi like an impregnable fortress.

"Shopkeeper..."

Long Yi looked anxious and was about to say more, but the bearded shopkeeper cut him off firmly.

"Long Yi! Listen to me! No matter how weak I may be, I can't let a child face danger in our place! That's the job of us adults! Stay behind me and watch me protect you—protect our town!"

Overcome by fear, the bearded shopkeeper practically roared those words.

His cry spread through the streets and reached the townspeople watching the situation through their window cracks.

When his words fell, the entire town sank into brief silence.

"Good! Well said!"

"Drive out the bandits!"

"Crocker Town belongs to us!"

Like emotions brewing in a powder keg, the bearded shopkeeper's roar drew countless responses.

The timid townspeople finally made their choice. Inspired by the bearded shopkeeper, they chose to face the crisis head-on. With nowhere left to retreat, they had no choice but to rise up and defend their town.

"Kid, you did well! Leave the rest to us adults!"

"Bandits, get out of Crocker Town! Get the hell out, all of you!"

"Sorry, Long Yi. I secretly blamed you before. Thinking about it now, that was so foolish. We can't keep running away!"

The crowd gathered together, gradually shielding Long Yi's rigid body behind them. The bearded shopkeeper was right—this was the adults' responsibility. They could not let a child stand before them.

"Everyone..."

Looking at the wall formed by those not-so-tall backs, Long Yi felt something within his heart suddenly thaw.

These townspeople, who had been weak all their lives, had finally awakened at the last moment.

Rather than begging heaven and earth, it was better to rely on oneself!

One's own home had to be defended with one's own hands!

"What are you idiots waiting for?! Fire already!"

Gubo's voice had changed slightly as he desperately suppressed the fear in his heart.

There were dozens of times more townspeople than bandits. If they remained unresisting as before, that would be one thing. But once they awakened, Gubo's men would be devoured without even scraps left behind.

"Let's see who dares!"

The townspeople's final awakening finally shattered the demonic obstruction in Long Yi's heart. He completely suppressed the whispers of the Ghost Gods, and his rigid body recovered as well.

Flashing to the very front of the townspeople, Long Yi's expression darkened as he pointed his blade at the bandits.

"Thank you for showing me what it means to protect."

Smiling, Long Yi spoke softly to the townspeople, a trace of relief flashing through his eyes.

"But I'm sorry. I can't let you protect me, because I still bear the name of justice upon me—Blade Soul Kazan!"

With a hum, crimson ghostly energy surged forth, instantly intimidating the bandits who had been about to open fire.

A savage phantom of a Ghost God solidified behind Long Yi. He did not know if it was only an illusion, but he felt that Kazan's phantom seemed more vivid than ever this time.

"I swear I'll wipe you out completely. I, Long Yi, will protect the townspeople! Come at me, you scum!"

Those who bore justice upon their backs must stand before everyone.