With Qiu Heixiong dead, Black Wind Stronghold crumbled to dust.
The remaining bandits no longer dared to fight. They scattered in every direction and fled into the forest.
Lu Chen stood among the trees, listening to their frantic footsteps fade into the distance, his gaze calm.
The monk might escape, but his temple could not.
Lu Chen pushed off the ground and unleashed Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg.
A dark silhouette swept soundlessly over treetops, jagged rocks, and streams.
The bandits ran for their lives. When they looked back and saw no one, they thought they had escaped death.
Little did they know that Lu Chen had been following them all along.
Black Wind Stronghold lay hidden in a treacherous valley deep within Scarlet Cloud Mountain. Its gates were built from thick logs and rough stones, with watchtowers on either side. The narrow mountain path made it easy to defend and hard to attack.
The fleeing bandits had no intention of rebuilding the stronghold and ruling the mountain. The moment they returned, they rushed toward a cave at the rear.
That was Black Wind Stronghold's treasury.
Standing in the shadow of the stronghold wall, Lu Chen narrowed his eyes as he watched.
People died for wealth.
Even before fleeing for their lives, these bandits could not bear to abandon the spoils they had plundered over the years.
He did not hurry inside.
A narrow stone passage led into the treasury. Chaotic voices and repeated collisions echoed within.
Before long, the first bandit rushed out clutching a bundle of silver.
He had barely stepped out of the passage when a figure appeared before him.
"You—"
Thud!
Lu Chen's fist struck.
The bandit's chest caved in. His bundle fell open, scattering silver ingots across the ground.
Lu Chen did not even look at