Give Me a Reason Not to Kill You

The sudden noise startled him. As the commotion drew closer, his brows involuntarily furrowed.

It was probably the bandits from Horse Mountain Stronghold, and they seemed to be chasing someone.

Xu Yan had no interest in these vicious bandits. As long as they left him alone, he had no desire to invite trouble.

With that thought, he sat down cross-legged again, intending to wait until the bandits left before going out. He had already spent almost a month here; a little longer would make no difference.

A few breaths later, his expression darkened.

Beside a pool halfway up the mountain, a young woman dressed in bridal red was running frantically. Several dozen yards behind her, a group of bandits pursued her at full speed.

Her name was Lin Mengxi, and the bandits of Horse Mountain Stronghold had abducted her seven days ago. Her beauty had caught the eye of their chief, Wang Jinbiao, who had chosen today to take her as his concubine.

She had slipped out of Horse Mountain Stronghold while the two maids guarding her were distracted. Who could have guessed that the bandits would catch up with her when she reached the mountainside?

As the bandits drew closer, the anxiety in Lin Mengxi's eyes deepened. If she kept running downhill, those burly men would surely catch her.

She would be better off finding somewhere to hide. At least that would give her a sliver of a chance to escape.

With that thought, Lin Mengxi looked around as she ran.

Soon, her eyes lit up. She spotted a cave behind a stretch of rock wall and, after comparing it with the surrounding terrain, decided it would make a good hiding place.

But what she had not expected was that, when she reached the entrance, an icy gaze would shoot out from within, like that of a savage mountain beast. It frightened her so badly that she almost screamed.

Then she heard a cold voice.

"Hmph! Idiot!"

Xu Yan looked at the young woman who had suddenly barged into his cave as though she were a fool. A few glances were enough for him to guess roughly what had happened! She thought hiding in a cave would let her evade the bandits' eyes and ears. What a flight of fancy.

Sure enough, a few breaths later, an outrageously arrogant, domineering voice rang out near the entrance.

"Little beauty, I know you're hiding in that cave! Hurry back to the stronghold with me and become my eighteenth bandit bride!"

At the sound of that voice, the young woman in bridal red immediately began trembling, as though she had encountered something utterly terrifying.

The domineering voice had barely fallen silent when footsteps sounded at the cave entrance.

A burly, dark-faced man with a brutish face appeared at the entrance, leading four bandits.

He was Wang Jinbiao, chief of Horse Mountain Stronghold. His eyes bulged like bronze bells as he peered into the cave. When he saw that a young man was inside as well, he flew into a rage and roared, "You little bitch! I wondered why you'd run away from the stronghold. So you came here to meet your lover in secret! Clearly, you haven't had a taste of what I, Wang Jinbiao, can do."

A cruel smile spread across Wang Jinbiao's face, and he gestured to the men behind him.

"Sever that little bastard's tendons in his hands and feet, then drag him out!"

At his order, the bandits behind him immediately drew the ring-pommeled broadswords at their waists and prepared to enter the cave.

Just as they began to move, an icy voice came from within.

"I have nothing to do with this woman. Take her and get lost! I'm in a good mood today. Don't provoke me!"

Xu Yan meant every word. He had no desire to meddle in this sordid business. He had no connection to the young woman, and however many evils the bandits of Horse Mountain Stronghold committed, they had nothing to do with him.

But as soon as Xu Yan finished speaking, a savage grin appeared on Wang Jinbiao's brutish face. "Fuck! You think I scare that easily? I've been licking blood off my blade for years. A wet-behind-the-ears brat like you can't frighten me. If you'd readily admitted to having an affair with my little beauty, I might have called you a man and given you a quick death! But now... urgh... aaah!"

Before Wang Jinbiao could finish his arrogant speech, he began screaming. Flames engulfed his entire body, and he rolled on the ground in agony, becoming a human torch in the blink of an eye.

Only then did an icy voice slowly ring out.

"You talk too much!"

His eyes frosty, Xu Yan watched the bandit rolling and howling before him without the slightest expression.

Excruciating pain flooded Wang Jinbiao's mind, and he was overwhelmed with regret. Who could have imagined that this young man was an immortal cultivator?

"Aaah... aaah... spare me, exalted immortal! I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! Please spare my life, exalted immortal!"

Even engulfed in flames, Wang Jinbiao somehow forced himself to keep kowtowing to Xu Yan.

Xu Yan narrowed his eyes at the sight. Although this was only a low-grade, first-tier fire spell, it should still have been beyond a mortal's endurance. It seemed this man's body-hardening martial arts had reached the pinnacle of mastery!

Xu Yan's impression was correct. The reason Horse Mountain Stronghold had not been wiped out despite its many years of wrongdoing was Wang Jinbiao. His body-hardening martial arts had reached the point where blades and spears could not harm him, allowing him to run rampant for decades while the authorities remained helpless.

But Wang Jinbiao was only a mortal. No matter how accomplished his martial arts were, he could not withstand this low-grade, first-tier fire spell.

After only a few breaths, he was burned into a heap of charred remains, his vicious life ending amid piercing screams.

Thud! Thud! ...

The four bandits outside the cave looked as though they had seen a ghost. Their legs shook with terror, and they dropped to their knees before Xu Yan with a thud. Trembling all over, their faces ashen, they kowtowed like pestles pounding garlic.

"Spare me, exalted immortal!"

"Spare me, exalted immortal! Wang Jinbiao ordered everything! It had nothing to do with me!"

"Exalted immortal, I was wrong!"

The young woman beside him clamped both hands tightly over her mouth, afraid that even the slightest sound might disturb the cold young man before her.

Xu Yan's gaze was icy as he looked at the row of kneeling bandits. He had not intended to meddle, but now that they had come knocking at his door, they could not blame him for being ruthless.

"Give me a reason not to kill you."

He stared coldly at the leftmost bandit kneeling before him.

Meeting Xu Yan's icy gaze, the bandit trembled all over as he replied, "Spare me, exalted immortal! I have an eighty-year-old mother to support and a young child crying to be fed. Please have mercy, exalted immortal..."

"Die!"

Before the bandit could finish, flames engulfed him, reducing him to a pile of ashes amid his howls.

Xu Yan felt not the slightest guilt over killing these bandits. He fixed his icy gaze on the next man.

"Your turn!"

"Ex... exalted immortal! I'm willing to serve as your ox and horse and attend you for the rest of my life!"

The moment he finished speaking, flames engulfed him as well, sending him down the same path as the bandit before him.

At the sight, one of the remaining bandits sprang to his feet before Xu Yan could question him and fled at full speed.

But it was all futile. Before he had taken two steps, a wisp of flame flicked from Xu Yan's finger caught up with him, reducing him to ashes amid boundless agony.

After killing that bandit, Xu Yan gently blew on his finger and looked expressionlessly at the last trembling man.

"Your turn. Give me a reason not to kill you."

The last bandit was already limp with terror, sweat pouring off him like rain. The young man before him was like a Great Devil King, leaving him unable even to summon the thought of escape.

Knowing he could not escape, he racked his brains and finally came up with a reason.

"Ex... exalted immortal, I... I know a secret about the chief. It might be useful to you."