"Old man, we have guests at home, why didn't you go to the mountains to tell me? Humph."
The bandit leader, with a burly face and a scar over his left eye, entered the courtyard and grabbed the old shepherd boy who had come forward to negotiate.
"Sir... sir, this... this has nothing to do with them. These are monks from the Great Tang. Please forgive them..."
"There's still some salt and grain at home. I'll pack it up for you right away, sir. Please forgive me..."
Although the old shepherd was terrified, his kind nature led him to try to plead for Xu Xiao and his group. He bowed and went into the house to fetch some grain in exchange for a chance to be spared.
The bandits in these mountains often come down to extort money, food, and vegetables. They are considered local tyrants, but fortunately, although they are fierce, they have never killed anyone.
The poor old shepherd boy had hoped to exchange his family's grain for something better, but to his surprise, the other party didn't care at all.
The remaining single eye sized up Xu Xiao and his companions, its greed blinding it at Xu Xiao's luxurious scholar's robes and Xuanzang's Brocade Kasaya.
He grabbed the old shepherd boy's gray hair and yanked him back, saying, "Did Laozi say you could leave?"
"Who cares about your old, trivial matters? Tell me properly, who are these people?"
The fierce-looking, one-eyed bandit leader scrutinized the three. Xu Xiao looked like a young master, the monkey looked like a follower, and as for Xuanzang, he was indeed a monk, but his Brocade Kasaya was too dazzling.
Because Xuanzang's Brocade Kasaya could ward off water and fire, as well as protect against wind and sand, Xu Xiao had never made him take it off along the way. But now it became the trigger for the bandits' greed.
"Sir, they are really just passing monks, monks from the Great Tang! You can't touch them, it will cause trouble!" the old shepherd boy shouted, trying to intimidate the group with the prestige of the Great Tang.
Although this area is not within the borders of the Great Tang, Great Tang soldiers and scouts still frequently come and go, making it a formidable force.
"Trying to intimidate Laozi with Great Tang soldiers? Laozi 'll pull off this heist and head straight west. What can they do to me?" The one-eyed bandit leader sneered, forcefully shoving the old shepherd boy to the ground.
The old man cried out in pain as his forehead slammed against the stone slab in the courtyard, causing blood to gush out immediately.
"Grandpa!" the little boy cried and rushed forward, but was slapped across the face by another bandit, his thin body flying several meters away.
Xuanzang's face turned deathly pale. He clasped his hands together and repeatedly said, " Amitabha Buddha, please speak calmly, benefactor, and do not harm anyone..."
The monkey moved as if to rush forward, but was deterred by a single look from Xu Xiao.
It's not time yet. These bandits need to bully him a bit more so that Xuanzang can see the evil in the world and then we can see his true reaction.
Xuanzang's appearance attracted the attention of the bandits. The one-eyed bandit leader walked over and grabbed Xuanzang's Brocade Kasaya: "Wow! Monks from the Great Tang are really rich. These clothes are made of fine materials and inlaid with jewels."
" Yamato, give me this robe, and I'll let you go, okay?"
"No! That was a gift from His Majesty..." Xuanzang hurriedly tried to pull it away, but was slapped hard by the one-eyed dragon, causing him to stagger backward with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
How could a monk possibly contend with these bandits who had entered the mountains? He was slapped in the face and his head was spinning.
The one-eyed bandit leader was quick and nimble, tearing off Xuanzang's cassock in two swift movements and throwing it directly to one of his underlings.
"Here you go, this is a real treasure. Two people go search those two lads too, and two more go inside and find some food for a meal. After we eat, we'll take this treasure to the west to exchange it for money."
"Yes, boss."
Several bandits, brandishing knives, approached Xu Xiao and his companion. Monkey bared his teeth, ready to attack, but Xu Xiao stopped him.
"Brother, why are you stopping me?"
"You're too lenient, let me do it."
Xu Xiao brooked no further questioning and strode towards the bandits.
"Kid, you've got some nerve! Which rich kid came to this mountain ditch? You're asking for it... ah!!!"
A series of shrill screams suddenly rang out. The thugs facing Xu Xiao twisted their limbs like pretzel ropes and fell to the ground screaming in agony.
Xu Xiao did not kill them immediately, but instead broke their limbs while keeping their minds clear, making them experience excruciating pain.
"This! You..." The one-eyed bandit leader was terrified, and the next second he was sent flying.
"Bang!"
He flew out like a tattered sack, crashing heavily into the fence. The bamboo fence, stuck in the mud, suddenly came to life, resurrecting itself and piercing into his body, constantly sucking his flesh and blood.
Xu Xiao walked slowly forward. Before the bandits in front of him could react, a mysterious force pressed them to the ground, followed by a series of tearing sounds of bones breaking and tendons snapping in the courtyard.
"Monster... monster!" The bandits wailed, all thinking of that terrible legend.
After leaving the territory of the Great Tang, the most terrifying thing in the wild mountains was not the bandits, but Yamanaka man-eating demons. At this moment, in addition to the physical pain, they were also filled with fear.
As Xu Xiao strolled through the courtyard, the wailing of dozens of bandits sounded like the most beautiful symphony to him. To deal with evil people, one must be even more evil than them.
These people may not be afraid of death, but they are certainly afraid of being tortured. Physical pain is the most effective punishment, and a quick and clean death is a reward for them.
He walked over to the old shepherd boy who had been pushed to the ground, helped him up, and then pulled the little boy into his arms.
"How is it? Does it hurt a lot?"
The child nodded tearfully, but was clearly afraid of Xu Xiao.
Children in this era are precocious. The screams around them and the bandits' strange behavior made the grandfather and grandson understand something.
The old shepherd boy held his grandson tightly, and said with lingering fear, "Sir, I was blind and didn't recognize you..."
Seeing this, Xu Xiao wasn't annoyed. He simply stopped the old shepherd boy from speaking and, with a smile, took out two pills from his pocket. "Eat these, you'll feel much better."
The two did as instructed, regardless of whether the person in front of them was a monster or something else; neither of them dared to disobey.
After taking the pills and listening to the wails in the courtyard, Xu Xiao didn't wait for further action and simply sat and watched the bandits suffer.
He was waiting, waiting for the great philanthropist Xuanzang to take the initiative to speak up. In this situation, the other party would definitely not sit idly by.
As expected, Xuanzang, who was lying on the ground dazed from the beating, regained his senses and, hearing the screams around him, his compassion rekindled.
"Immortal Master, what are you doing? Harming mortals like this will send you to Hell."
" Hell? I am an enlightened True Immortal. Ask Ten Yama Kings, which one dares to take me?" Xu Xiao retorted domineeringly, while simultaneously forming a hand seal.
A layer of orange-red flames appeared in the courtyard, and the temperature rose sharply in an instant.
"No! Why would the immortal master kill a mortal like this?" Xuanzang shouted to stop him.
Xu Xiao ignored him, and the flames drifted down lightly.
The fallen bandit was instantly set ablaze, turning into a screaming Pyro. Within three breaths, he was reduced to a pile of charred remains, even his bones burned to ashes.
The entire courtyard fell silent, save for the crackling of the flames. Dozens of corpses lay scattered about in various gruesome states, the stench of blood thick and unbearable.