The one-armed bandit's gaze swept across Qi Yuan and the others, his eyes glinting with ferocity.
Several bandits leapt forward, encircling Qi Yuan, Liu Chudong, and their companions.
Qi Yuan showed no panic; instead, he looked completely at ease.
"If my brain were wired abnormally, I'd definitely ask why you only kill the men and spare the women."
"Absurd drivel!" the one-armed bandit barked furiously.
The surrounding bandits gripped their broadswords and swung ferociously toward Qi Yuan and the others' horses.
These bandits were all Mystic-rank weapon wielders, local elites who functioned as squad leaders among the Blood Cloud Bandits.
Handling ordinary passing merchants was child's play to them.
Disgust flickered across Liu Chudong's face.
She had always despised bandits whose crimes knew no bounds.
At her subtle gesture, the two black-robed Adjudicators behind her moved in unison.
A flash of sword light blazed through the air, and the four charging bandits were instantly decapitated.
Between an Earth-rank weapon wielder and a Mystic-rank weapon wielder lay an unbridgeable chasm.
Seeing this, a flicker of regret crossed Qi Yuan's eyes.
He had not made the kill himself—what a waste.
Though these fellows were weak, mosquito experience was still experience, wasn't it?
Liu Chudong had been watching Qi Yuan the entire time. Her eyes softened. "Brother Qi, your heart is simply too kind. These men deserved to die a thousand times over; there is no need to grieve for their deaths."
She took his regret for sorrow.
On the other side, the one-armed bandit's expression drastically shifted. "Two Earth-rank weapon wielders?"
His mind raced, thoughts turning over rapidly.
"Gentlemen, how about we let the matter drop here?" the one-armed bandit proposed, speaking as if he still had strong backing.
Their identity as Blood Cloud Bandits was obvious without saying.
Out in the wild, wandering weapon wielders always held some wariness toward them and granted them a measure of face.
Now that their men could hardly strike down two Earth-rank weapon wielders, calling a truce was the wiser choice.
Such occurrences were common.
When roaming the world, though one sought the thrill of settling scores, avoiding needless injury was always preferable.
Hearing this, Miss Zhao's eyes filled with terror. Tears poured down her face like rain, giving her a helpless, forlorn air that stirred instant pity. "Save us! They are Blood Cloud Bandits, men under Director Liu!"
A trace of pity appeared in Liu Chudong's eyes. In a worldly, lecturing tone, she said to Qi Yuan, "See that? Only helpless victims like them deserve our compassion. These bandits don't deserve the slightest pity."
After "educating" Qi Yuan, Liu Chudong felt quite accomplished.
She looked toward the one-armed bandit, her tone chilling. "Every last Blood Cloud Bandit deserves to die!"
The two Adjudicators beside her immediately dismounted. Holding longswords, they plunged straight into the bandit ranks.
Sword light crisscrossed amid splashing blood.
The two Adjudicators moved as though wading into an empty plain, giving the outlaws no chance of survival.
A single slash cleaved through a bandit's blade and his torso alike; another swing cleanly severed a bandit's head.
In merely dozens of breaths, the bandits were culled like common weeds.
Seeing that the tide had turned, the one-armed bandit slashed fiercely with his blade and wheeled around to flee.
Tangled with the remaining bandits, and given that the one-armed outlaw was also an Earth-rank weapon wielder, the two Adjudicators found it difficult to catch him.
In the end, all the other bandits were exterminated, with only the one-armed outlaw escaping.
Relief washed over Old Man Zhao and Miss Zhao as they realized they had survived.
Miss Zhao in particular, with her pear-fair face streaked by two fresh tear-tracks and her eyes brimming with water, seemed utterly fragile—the sort of look that aroused a fierce desire to protect in most men, or, in the eyes of a vile creep, an urge to ravage.
"Many thanks to the heroic warriors for saving our lives! This old man has prepared a modest gift; please do accept it!" Old Man Zhao bowed deeply, assuming an exceedingly humble posture.
He offered three thousand taels of silver at once.
Not vast, but by no means small.
"Upholding justice without seeking reward is our creed," Liu Chudong spoke up, declining outright.
She lacked no money.
Nor was the Trial organization short on funds.
Thus, she refused without hesitation.
The person she revered most was the God of Judgment from a century ago.
Hearing her refusal, Old Man Zhao was momentarily taken aback.
Yet swiftly, the smile on his face widened even further. "The young lady is a paragon of virtue, unbound by worldly trinkets. This Zhao is full of admiration!"
Since she disliked silver and gold, she would surely enjoy hearing pretty words.
Liu Chudong nodded and looked in the direction the one-armed bandit had fled. "A pity... one got away. Brother Qi, our task here is complete. We should be on our way."
Old Man Zhao and Miss Zhao both let out a sigh of relief.
Just then, Qi Yuan spoke up. "Things aren't over yet."
"Hmm?" Liu Chudong paused.
"There are still evildoers left unkilled," Qi Yuan said calmly.
"That man is an Earth-rank weapon wielder. He ran fast, and we couldn't catch him." Liu Chudong felt a touch of disappointment at the thought.
"No, I mean these two." Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon Old Man Zhao and Miss Zhao.
Liu Chudong stared blankly.
Miss Zhao's face drained of color, and she was on the verge of tears once more.
At that moment, one of the Adjudicators who had remained silent spoke up.
"Before we even arrived, they shouted loudly for help... and specifically pointed out the bandits' ties to Blood Hand. They were terrified the bandits might let us go."
The other Adjudicator also said, "When we engaged the outlaws, they prepared to run. Only after seeing that we held the absolute advantage did they choose to stay."
"No, my lords, you misunderstand... This humble maiden didn't think of all that; I only cried out because I was afraid." Miss Zhao seemed on the verge of weeping.
Old Man Zhao hurriedly chimed in, "Xingyue misspoke in panic and brought trouble upon everyone. It was entirely our fault..."
They repeatedly apologized and admitted fault, keeping their demeanor as humble as possible.
Liu Chudong narrowed her eyes and pondered carefully. "Losing one's head in absolute terror is only natural."
"Chudong, if we were just ordinary people, the ones dead right now would be us," Qi Yuan said flatly.
One of the Adjudicators added softly, "When we arrived, we concealed our aura, appearing no different from common folk. Yet they pleaded for help in that manner... Does one really need to ponder their intentions?"
Miss Zhao and Old Man Zhao turned pale, crying out that they were wronged.
Liu Chudong hesitated.
"If only Divine Descent were still around, we would know what they truly thought," Liu Chudong sighed.
Right now, all these words were purely subjective deductions.
Even if reasonable, they were still conjecture.
She already believed Qi Yuan and the Adjudicators, but without concrete proof, she could not cross that hurdle in her heart.
Yet the moment her words fell, a flash of light swept through the air.
The heads of Old Man Zhao and Miss Zhao tumbled to the ground.
Both pairs of eyes remained frozen in utter terror and disbelief.
Liu Chudong's gaze snapped to Qi Yuan, filled with shock. "You killed them?"
She was stunned. Hadn't Qi Yuan been reluctant to kill even an ant?
And now he simply struck down two living people?
"Toward kind ants, I am gentle.
Toward wicked people, I never stay my hand," Qi Yuan declared with righteous solemnity.
His self-righteous demeanor had quite the air of someone treating stray animals as family while harboring no warmth for humanity.
Liu Chudong studied Qi Yuan intently, a subtle discomfort prickling in her heart. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Brother Qi, you acted too rashly. You should have made things clear before killing them."
However, the people were already dead, so she did not pursue the matter further.
Yet another thought crept into her mind: was something wrong with her method of education? Had she tutored a kind Qi Yuan into an extremist?
...
Inside the Trial stronghold.
Anger burned in Chi Changle's eyes. "At present, easily a third of all suffering in Dingbo Province is caused by these Blood Cloud Bandits."
Wang Kong nodded. "In this Dingbo Province, who doesn't know that behind the Blood Cloud Bandits lies Blood Hand, and behind them, Prince Dingyuan?"
Originally, Dingbo Province had not been a paradise where doors were left unlocked at night and everyone ate meat daily.
Yet thieves and bandits had never dared to run rampant as they did now.
Prince Dingyuan had supposedly come to suppress bandits, but the target of his suppression was hardly the Blood Cloud Bandits—it was clearly the Liu family.
"If I were the Liu family head, I would send troops right now to wipe out the Blood Cloud Bandits!" Liu Chudong said in indignation.
Chi Changle shook his head at her words. "The imperial court dispatched Prince Dingyuan to quell the bandits. Who dares suppress these bandits... other than Prince Dingyuan?
Suppressing them would mean opposing the imperial court!"
Wang Kong's face darkened. "Officials and bandits colluding in secret... yet every so often, bandit heads are presented as military merits."
Liu Chudong gritted her teeth even harder at the mention of this.
She had already heard of it.
The Blood Cloud Bandits burned, killed, and plundered, slaughtering villagers and merchants to collect their heads, which were then delivered to the generals under Prince Dingyuan.
"Enough, let's speak no more of this; it might frighten Brother Qi," Chi Changle said.
Rather than frightening Brother Qi, continuing to speak of it offered no benefit beyond leaving everyone trapped in suffocating frustration.
After all, with Trial's current strength, could they alter the situation?
They could not.
"If only Divine Descent were still around! Given the crimes of the Blood Cloud Bandits and Prince Dingyuan, a century ago they would have faced the judgment of the God of Judgment!" Liu Chudong fumed resentfully.
Qi Yuan remarked casually, "Without Divine Descent, there is still Trial. As long as everyone works hard, life will only grow more hopeful."
Meanwhile, within a stronghold of the Blood Cloud Bandits.
The one-armed bandit knelt on the floor, terror written across his face, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
"You failed to capture them?"
A young man with long hair spoke. He stood quietly, turning a delicate bone knife in his hands.
Carved from the bones of a beauty, this bone knife was his proudest creation.
"Young Master... they were rescued by a group of people. Among them were two Earth-rank weapon wielders; this lowly one was no match!"
The one-armed bandit remained prostrate on the ground.
The man before him was Director Liu's foster son.
Even the chief of the Blood Cloud Bandits had to accord him face.
For a mere petty squad leader like himself, the young master could take his life on a whim.
"Men under General Li, or someone else?" Liu Wen asked.
"This subordinate does not know," the one-armed bandit said, shaking his head.
A dangerous glint flashed in Liu Wen's eyes. "If you don't know, what use do I have for you?"
The bone knife flew through the air. The one-armed bandit clutched his neck, blood pouring out continuously, his breath fading until it ceased entirely.
The surrounding weapon wielders looked on, thoroughly accustomed to the sight.
Liu Wen stood up, pulled free the bone knife, and wiped the blood clean.
He glanced at a burly man beside him, his voice calm. "Seventh Chief, how was the harvest this time?"
A troubled look crossed Seventh Chief's face. "Young Master Liu, this time there are only three hundred... renyuan."
"Renyuan" was a peculiar term used among the Blood Cloud Bandits and Prince Dingyuan's army, referring to severed heads that could be exchanged for military merits as slain bandits.
"Three hundred? Too few." Liu Wen's eyes turned profound. "Half a month from now, take men and slaughter Xiaoliang Stockade."
Seventh Chief's expression changed slightly. "Xiaoliang Stockade isn't far from General Li Zhao's barracks. If we butcher it... General Li Zhao will lose considerable face."
"Causing him to lose face is precisely the point! How dare he snatch my woman!" A flare of fury surfaced in Liu Wen's eyes. Like someone afflicted with violent manic rage, he kicked the low table over.
Yet the fury vanished in an instant, replaced by a gentle smile. "I am not unreasonable. The heads from Xiaoliang Stockade can conveniently be handed to Li Zhao as military merits."
Hearing this, cold sweat broke out on Seventh Chief's forehead.
The hearts of these officials were truly pitch-black.
"If I don't knock him down a peg, does he truly believe this realm was conquered by those crude soldiers? It was conquered by my great-grandfather!" Liu Wen said agitatedly.
...
"Only two strongholds found. The efficiency is so slow."
Five days had passed, and Qi Yuan was taking it rather easy.
The drones he dispatched had flown deep into the mountains, discovering two Blood Cloud Bandit strongholds thus far.
The main stronghold had yet to be located.
Otherwise, Qi Yuan would have gone up to wipe out the bandits already.
"No matter, I can wait a bit longer." Qi Yuan was in no rush.
His gaze settled upon a string of copper coins on the table, a peculiar gleam passing through his eyes.
The coins carried a noticeable stench of sweat.
These coins had been given to him by Wang Kong.
Earlier today, Wang Kong had been unloading cargo at the docks and accidentally bumped into a steward from a wealthy household.
Accustomed to swaggering about arrogantly, that steward had threatened to drown Wang Kong in the sea.
At the time, Qi Yuan intervened secretly to aid Wang Kong, causing the steward to "accidentally" plunge into the sea himself.
Knowing Qi Yuan had helped him, Wang Kong brought out the silver and coins he had painstakingly saved to express his gratitude.
These were minor matters.
What surprised Qi Yuan most was that his Faint Mandate of Heaven had actually grown slightly as a result of this incident.
"Hey, do you know under what circumstances one's Mandate of Heaven increases?" Qi Yuan took out the Divine Wood Token and queried the Thorn Blood staff member once more.
He felt as though the Thorn Blood personnel functioned just like an AI, answering every inquiry.
"My name contains the character 'Wei,' but I am not called 'Hey.'"
Well, as Qi Yuan saw it, the Thorn Blood staff member occasionally pretended to be human by throwing in emotionally colored remarks.
Yet after saying so, she would always get straight to the point.
"As for this... there are generally three reasons.
"First, you devour the Mandate of Heaven of another Mandate bearer;
"Second, you obtain certain extraordinary treasures;
"And third, you alter the original trajectory of destiny for certain individuals.
"However, changing just anyone's destiny trajectory doesn't qualify you for a Mandate increase. Otherwise, wouldn't every Mandate bearer in this world spend all their effort altering others' fates?
"Only certain exceptional individuals and specific events will do."
Hearing this, Qi Yuan understood.
These exceptional people and events were the sort recorded in history textbooks, the kind that appeared on exams.
Could it be that saving Wang Kong had altered destiny?
"How exceptional?" Qi Yuan asked nonetheless.
"Anything capable of being recorded in the *Book of Qingshan* qualifies as an exceptional event."
"Wait, what do you mean?" At that moment, Ji Wuyun, who had been lurking silently, raised a question.
A hundred thousand questions swirled in her mind.
The *Book of Qingshan* recorded exceptional events, and altering them could raise one's Mandate of Heaven?
Then were these exceptional events... yet to happen?
Only events that had not yet occurred and were about to unfold could be altered, right?
Yet how could the *Book of Qingshan* possibly record matters of the future?
Chapter 526