C77 A Strong Bandit Head

On a secluded path just outside Renkang City, a carriage trundled along. Inside, a man and a woman sat in silent meditation. The woman was strikingly beautiful, with skin as white as snow, but she radiated a frosty aura that warned others to keep their distance. The man was youthful, his features not yet fully shed of childhood innocence—he was but thirteen or fourteen years old. These two were none other than Han Feng and Lin Qingshan.

Outside, an elderly groom in his forties or fifties rode alongside them on horseback. With a lift of its legs, the horse pressed on.

After traveling for a day and a night, the old man spoke up, "Miss, Young Master, we're approaching Mount Mabo. Rumor has it the mountain is rife with bandits who frequently prey on travelers. Perhaps we should consider a detour?"

"If we're to take a longer route, the cost..."

Han Feng's eyes snapped open, his expression tinged with annoyance.

The old groom had been exceedingly helpful when they first hired his carriage. Given the long journey ahead, and the reluctance of other coachmen to undertake it, only this Old Groom had agreed. Despite his carriage's dilapidated state, Han Feng and Lin Qingshan had consented to his terms.

But soon after departing the city, the old man demanded a higher fee, citing the great distance and the time he would lose.

Considering his age and willingness to travel the extra miles, Han Feng and Lin Qingshan had acquiesced and agreed to a higher payment.

However, they had not anticipated the old man's boundless audacity. Throughout the journey, he concocted endless excuses to hike up his price—the rough roads damaging his carriage, the horses' excessive fatigue, and so on. By now, the fare had nearly decupled.

The money was of little concern to Han Feng and Lin Qingshan. Han Feng possessed hundreds of Lower-grade Medium-grade Spirit Stones, each worth a small fortune in silver, vastly exceeding the old man's compensation.

Yet the groom's brazen price gouging was grating on Han Feng's patience.

With a dismissive snort, Han Feng declared, "No detours. We'll continue straight through."

With Sister Lin by his side, Han Feng wasn't concerned about encountering any formidable foes among the bandits.

Could any of them really be Mystic Rank experts?

If there were truly Mystic Rank experts, or even Human Rank 7 or 8, Renkang City was so close that it would have suffered their wrath long ago.

Han Feng was confident that the most formidable bandits on Mount Mabo were merely at Human Rank 4 or 5.

This time, the coachman was taken aback.

Initially, he hiked up his prices to test his employers, but they didn't object, which only inflated his ego.

He could see that the two employers weren't locals from Renkang City. They were young and, he assumed, easily duped. So, he took advantage of them throughout the journey.

In his eyes, Han Feng and his companion were nothing but simpletons.

In truth, he could have taken a detour earlier, but the coachman, eager to jack up his fee, intentionally headed towards Mount Mabo, using the threat of bandits as leverage.

What the coachman hadn't anticipated was that his employers wouldn't play into his hands as he'd hoped.

The coachman's face turned ashen. "These bandits are ruthless, having robbed many merchants of their silver and violated numerous women. They're devoid of any humanity."

Han Feng ignored his alarmist talk. The bandits posed no real threat to them, and it served well to spook the greedy old coachman.

Realizing his miscalculation, the coachman regretted his actions and had no choice but to keep the horse moving.

All the while, he was on high alert, dreading an encounter with the bandits.

Sadly, as just an ordinary man, he was no match for even the weakest of bandits, who were at least Mortal-rank Martial Cultivators and far superior to any commoner. If these bandits chose to hide, an average coachman stood no chance of spotting them.

As the carriage made its way halfway up Mount Mabo, several figures suddenly leaped out from the shadows.

The coachman's expression instantly froze.

The head bandit, upon seeing the coachman, expressed his displeasure. "Li Si, this is the 'fat sheep' you promised? An old man, a rickety carriage, all utterly worthless!"

The bandit known as Li Si ingratiated himself, "There's someone in the carriage. They're bound to have some money."

Han Feng's suspicions were confirmed. The bandits' cultivation was weak, with scarcely any Human Rank experts among them. Moreover, they were cowards at heart, only daring to prey on the weak.

They preyed solely on ordinary merchants.

Once the bandits of Mount Mabo gained notoriety, ordinary travelers avoided the area. Only formidable Martial Cultivators dared to pass through, whom the Mount Mabo bandits dared not confront.

Consequently, the bandits' lives grew increasingly difficult, subsisting on vegetables.

Recently, Li Si spotted the carriage and its driver, excitedly reporting to the Second Village Chief.

Before the Second Village Chief could respond, the driver tumbled from the carriage, bowing frantically, "Sir, I'm merely a driver with nothing of value. It's not worth your trouble. There's a beautiful woman inside. They're quite wealthy. Rob them instead."

The word "beauty" caused the Second Village Chief and his bandits' eyes to gleam.

Inside the carriage, a glint of murderous intent flashed in Han Feng's eyes. He had intended to frighten the driver, to curb his future greed, but he hadn't anticipated the driver's betrayal before the bandits even made a move.

Lin Qingshan's eyes snapped open, her face contorted with fury.

Having spent time with Lin Qingshan, he knew Sister Lin despised rapists above all. Should these bandits dare to harm her, their fate was sealed – a grim death awaited them.

Stepping out of the carriage, the bandits gawked, their eyes glued to the pair.

They leered at Lin Qingshan, their arousal evident, faces twisted in grotesque desire.

The revulsion in Lin Qingshan's gaze intensified, matched only by the lethal intent simmering in her eyes.

Regrettably, the Second Village Chief and his men were too captivated by Lin Qingshan's allure and fair skin to notice the deadly warning in her stare.

"Look at this beauty! Brothers, fortune smiles upon us. Li Si, tie her up. We'll have our fun before taking her back to the chief," they said, oblivious to the danger they courted.

"Such a beauty. Even our Eldest Brother, with his unique tastes, would likely take an interest in her."

"Agreed."

Li Si responded, his face alight with excitement as he and his bandits moved to seize Lin Qingshan.

"Looking for trouble, are you?" Han Feng scoffed, conjuring a fireball in his palm.

"Wild Flame Hit!"

At his current level of Two-star Human Rank, Han Feng could easily dispatch a group of mid to late Mortal-rank Martial Cultivators, even though his mastery of the Wild Flame Hit hadn't yet reached the Small Completion Stage.

Their screams were short-lived as Li Si and his cohorts were swiftly reduced to ashes.

"A Human Rank powerhouse!"

The Second Village Chief recoiled in surprise.

Initially, he hadn't given Han Feng a second thought, dismissing him as a nonentity. But Han Feng had defied his expectations, revealing himself to be not just a Human Rank expert, but a Two-star at that.

"Just a Two-star Human Rank? You're the one who's going to die!" The Second Village Chief bellowed, his sneer twisted with malice.