Swish.
Lin Zheyu darted forward, closing in rapidly.
In the dense forest, the leaves and branches rustled.
A gentle breeze drifted past. The bandit named Changfeng twitched his nose, catching an unfamiliar scent, and his expression suddenly changed.
"Not good, someone's approa—" Changfeng urgently cried.
Before the words had completely left his mouth, several throwing knives shot out from the thick woods, their blades glinting with a chilling edge and traveling at terrifying speed.
"Aaaagh!"
Screams tore through the forest. With dull squelches, the knives slammed into the foreheads of five bandits, instantly shattering their skulls and embedding deep within the bone.
Their eyes went wide, and in their dimming pupils lingered nothing but shock and bitter indignation.
The bandits reacted with blistering speed. The instant their comrades fell, the men beside them aimed their crossbows toward where the knives had come from and fired.
Dozens of bolts loosed simultaneously, whistling toward the spot where Lin Zheyu had just stood, but struck only empty air. The moment the throwing knives had left his fingers, he had already shifted his position.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
From another direction in the thick trees, five more throwing knives flashed out, burying themselves with pinpoint accuracy into the skulls of another five bandits.
The head was a fatal weakness. Unlike a strike to the torso, where one could still struggle and might even survive if treated promptly, taking a throwing knife straight through the forehead meant virtually certain death.
"It's an expert!"
Seeing five more comrades drop dead, the bandit leader was terror-stricken.
Gripping his broadsword tightly, nerves taut, he swept his eyes across the surroundings, yet could not spot his foe's position anywhere.
The knives flew so swiftly that even if he wanted to block them, he couldn't.
Such terrifying force and speed—the attacker's strength was far beyond his own!
"Which senior might this b—"
Thwack!
The man got only halfway through his sentence when a flash of silver blade-light streaked past, driving straight into his temple.
His voice cut off abruptly, the light rapidly draining from his eyes.
"Big Brother!"
A man beside him yelled in horror, a mix of fury and panic flooding his face.
He glanced at his lifeless elder brother, then wheeled around violently and fled headlong into the dense woods.
The newcomer was exceedingly strong—killing his big brother with a single throwing knife! He feared it was the Qi and Blood Realm expert from the merchant caravan giving chase.
Earlier, relying on knockout powder and smoke, they had launched an ambush. Though they managed to snatch some silver and goods, that caravan expert had still slain over a dozen of their men.
That person was terrifyingly potent!
Out in the open, with cargo to protect, the caravan's powerhouse had fought with restraint, not daring to unleash his full might for fear of thieves lying in wait. But here in the mountain woods, freed from burdens and unscrupulously lurking in the dark to launch sneak attacks, he became nightmarish—far beyond anything the bandits could contend with.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Throwing knives flew incessantly from the shadows of the woods, yet the bandits could not even catch a glimpse of their assailant. Panic spread like wildfire among them.
Once the first man ran, the survivors abandoned all pretense of discipline and scattered in every direction.
Lin Zheyu watched the fleeing bandits without pursuing them indiscriminately. Instead, he gave chase to the few carrying bundles on their backs.
His supply of throwing knives was limited; he had only prepared thirty, as carrying more would have been cumbersome.
Squelch!
A cold glint flashed, and with a shrill whistle, a throwing knife pierced the back of one bundle-bearing bandit's head. The man pitched forward, twitched several times, and grew still.
Seeing this, the other two bandits carrying bundles were terrified out of their wits. They flung their bundles to the ground and dove headlong into the nearby brush.
In the blink of an eye, of the sixty-odd bandits, only a dozen or so corpses and three discarded bundles remained on the ground; everyone else had vanished without a trace.
Rustle, rustle.
From the dense woods, a figure walked out slowly—Lin Zheyu, who had tracked them here.
He walked over and picked up the three bundles from the ground. Weighing them in his hand, they felt rather heavy.
Suddenly, Lin Zheyu's expression shifted. Saber light flashed, bisecting a vividly patterned snake three to four meters long.
This place was not far from Lion Valley, lying in its outer periphery.
Miasma and fog hung thick in these mountains year-round, teeming with venomous insects and snakes; along the way, Lin Zheyu had already encountered quite a few.
Having secured the bundles, he did not pursue the scattered bandits, choosing instead to swiftly withdraw from the thick forest. The stench here was foul, and the dense fog might well harbor toxic vapors.
Fastening the bundles securely to his back, Lin Zheyu moved swiftly through the mountains.
Once he departed the outskirts of Lion Valley, the surrounding fog dissipated, and the nauseating odor vanished as well.
He traveled another two li or so.
Swish—
Abruptly, an arrow shot out from the tall grass.
Lin Zheyu leaned aside and swung his long saber, cleaving the arrow in two.
At the same time, a throwing knife flicked from his cuff, gleaming with cold menace.
With a dull thud, the knife struck into the nearby brush, drawing a muffled scream.
A man rolled out, aiming his crossbow at Lin Zheyu once more. He pulled the trigger, releasing three bolts in rapid succession.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A flash of saber light severed all three bolts in a single stroke. Lin Zheyu thrust his left hand forward, loosing another throwing knife in the same breath.
With a sickening thud, it sank into the man's forehead.
The man's eyes bugged out, filled with venomous malice as he glared fixedly at Lin Zheyu before drawing his final breath.
Lin Zheyu walked up to the man and began searching the corpse.
The fellow was a pauper—carrying nothing on him except a few bottles of medicinal powder, a crossbow, and a dozen or so bolts.
***
By the time Lin Zheyu returned to Senior Brother Han's camp, dusk had begun to fall.
"Young Master, you're back! Thank heavens! Lord Han has been waiting for you for quite some time."
Catching sight of Lin Zheyu from afar, Zhao Gang jogged over excitedly. He had truly worried that something might happen to this young master, especially since Lord Han had reprimanded him upon returning. If anything were to happen to him, Zhao Gang would be in deep trouble.
"Senior Brother is back? Do I still need to be announced?" Lin Zheyu asked.
"No need, no need. Please follow me," Zhao Gang replied hurriedly.
He cast a stealthy glance at the three bundles strapped to Lin Zheyu's back, a strange look flickering in his eyes, but he dared not pry. He quietly led Lin Zheyu into the military encampment.
Following the soldier through the camp, they passed rows of crudely pitched tents before arriving at an open clearing.
Han Mo was wielding his saber, fully immersed in his practice.
His body had long since reached the threshold of the Qi and Blood Realm; blood vitality continuously steamed up from his blood, yet because his spirit was not strong enough, he could not condense it into true qi and blood.
Lin Zheyu did not disturb his senior brother, quietly standing aside to wait.
Sensing the movement, Han Mo stopped of his own accord and looked over at Lin Zheyu.
"Splendid saber technique, Senior Brother!" Lin Zheyu clapped in praise.
"Why did you run off out here? Did you run into any trouble?" Han Mo asked.
"None. The Golden Goose Skill excels at lightness skills. While my strength may be a bit lacking, my ability to flee is quite good," Lin Zheyu said. He then glanced at Han Mo's chest, where white bandages were wrapped. "Senior Brother, how did you get injured? Is it serious?"
"It's nothing, just a minor wound. I was ambushed a few days ago while pursuing a band of bandits," Han Mo said.
"You must be careful when eliminating bandits, Senior Brother. Sister-in-law is still waiting for you to come home.
"Those bandits are sinister and vicious, stopping at nothing. When you chase them, don't delve too deep into the mountain forests," Lin Zheyu urged.
"You little brat, as if I need you to tell me that! The bandits your senior brother has killed..."
"Don't tell me you've killed more bandits than the grains of salt I've eaten, because I won't believe it," Lin Zheyu teased with a cheeky smirk.
"Haha..."
Han Mo chuckled heartily, walking over to sit down on the side.
He looked at Lin Zheyu and asked, "It's dreadfully dangerous outside the city right now, with bandits running rampant. What did you come all the way out here for?"
"To scout the roads. If things take a turn for the worse, it'll make it easier to flee, won't it?" Lin Zheyu replied.
"True enough.
"Still, be extraordinarily careful. Don't venture into the mountain forests. Bandits aren't the only danger there—those hunters and herb gatherers aren't necessarily good people either," Han Mo warned.
"Mm, I'll be mindful."
"Mindful my ass!"
Han Mo couldn't help scolding him. "I just heard from the soldier that you went chasing after bandits! Do you have a death wish, running off all on your own?"
"Didn't I come back in one piece?" Lin Zheyu replied.
He had ambushed them from the shadows just now and hadn't gotten a single drop of blood on himself.
Han Mo glared at him, inspecting him closely. He was indeed unscathed—even his clothes were spotless.
"Are all these bundles snatched from bandits?"
Han Mo looked at the four bulging bundles beside Lin Zheyu, his expression turning somewhat strange. "Don't tell me you robbed commoners and merchant caravans!"
"How could I?!
"You know what kind of person I am. Would your junior brother ever do such a thing?" Lin Zheyu said, exasperated.
"These three bundles were stolen from the caravan by that band of bandits. I tracked them stealthily, waited for the right moment, and snatched them back. And this one here, I picked it up on the way here."
"Really?"
Han Mo remained skeptical. After all, even for someone like him, chasing after bandits alone would be practically courting death.
"Really! Why would I lie to you? That merchant caravan must have had around three hundred people—do you think someone of my strength could rob them? I chased the bandits into the woods, but that band ran into an ambush from another group of bandits. The two sides clashed, and I reaped the spoils," Lin Zheyu fabricated an excuse.
"Do less of this sort of thing in the future. One misstep and you'll throw your life away," Han Mo warned.
"Right, right, I won't do it again," Lin Zheyu said.
Right beside Han Mo, he opened the bundles without reserve and began taking inventory.
The first bundle was filled with various medicinal herbs, rich with a dense herbal aroma. Several of them he recognized as ingredients from the Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction prescription.
The second bundle contained all manner of exquisite jewelry and jade pieces. They looked luxurious and likely fetched a high price.
The third bundle held two hundred and thirty taels of silver, along with a smaller package inside filled with medicinal powders, toxic powders, and various concealed weapons.
"Share and share alike. Senior Brother, here's thirty taels of silver for you."
Lin Zheyu took out thirty taels and offered them.
During his time in Songyi City, his senior brother had taken good care of him; after Master left Songyi City, Han Mo had often made time to spar and practice combat with him.
"Put it away. Save it for taking a wife later—what would your senior brother need your money for?"
Han Mo didn't take it, speaking in the tone of an elder. "You'll have to marry a wife and start a family in the future; there are plenty of places where you'll need coin. Spend it sparingly, and don't squander it all away."
"Since you won't take the silver, Senior Brother, pick a few pretty pieces of jewelry to give to Sister-in-law when I return. I've known you both for so long and haven't given her a single gift yet."
Lin Zheyu gestured toward the pile of jewelry.
At his persistent urging, Han Mo stopped declining. He picked out a lovely jade pendant and refused to take anything more.
Packing away the jade jewelry and silver, Lin Zheyu began sorting through the toxic powders and medicinal powders.
"Just how many bandits did you run into on your way here? Why do you have so many toxic powders and concealed weapons?" Han Mo could not resist asking as he looked at the sheer volume of poisons and hidden projectiles in the bundle.
"Oh, I just picked them up.
"The mountain forests are dreadfully dangerous, and bandits fight and hunt each other too. I happened upon a few bandit corpses and looted them from their bodies," Lin Zheyu fibbed casually.
Han Mo was speechless: "..."
He stared at his junior brother, not believing a single word, yet he didn't press further.
Such was his nature: if his junior brother didn't wish to say, he wouldn't pry. Everyone had secrets they preferred to keep to themselves.
"Senior Brother, do you know of any experts skilled in poisons?" Lin Zheyu asked after sorting out the poisons, medicinal powders, and concealed weapons.
Chapter 57