Early morning.
The thick fog had not yet dispersed.
Forty to fifty riders appeared silently at the base of a Nameless Mountain Peak.
These riders were fully armed with sabers, spears, and armor. Though few in number, they were all elites.
The muzzles of their horses were covered, and their hooves were wrapped in thick cloth to prevent any sound from alerting the enemy.
"Young Master."
Nursing Director Zhang, his hair already white, spurred his horse closer.
"Ahead is the mountain stronghold of Mingying Fang Hui, the fourth leader of the Celestial Eagle Thieves. Even with the fog for cover, if we go any higher, we’ll be spotted by patrolling bandits."
"Then we’ll make it quick," Zhu Ju said, turning his head.
"Ru Xuan, when will the Sanhe Gang make their move on Yue Xihong?"
"It should be soon." Zhou Ruxuan looked up at the hazy sky and calculated the time. "They’ll definitely be engaged within a quarter of an hour."
"Good!"
Zhu Ju nodded.
"The Fifth-Grade Experts from the Sea Defense have a way to conceal themselves from the Eagle Demon. With the major powers of Taiyuan Prefecture joining forces, killing Yue Xihong should be easy, unless..."
"...someone leaks the news."
"This operation was planned so abruptly. Even if someone wanted to leak the news, I’m afraid they wouldn’t have had the time," Zhou Ruxuan said with a light laugh.
"No matter!"
"Our target is only Mingying Fang Hui here. We won’t get a share of the spoils from Yue Xihong’s side anyway."
"Right." Zhu Ju waved his hand.
"Up the mountain!"
"Once we’re on the mountain, kill all bandits on sight, regardless of gender. Ten taels of silver for every head!"
"Any supplies on the bandits you kill belong to you."
A wave of whispers went through the ranks.
Even though they had been repeatedly warned not to make a sound before the operation, the men couldn’t help but let out hushed exclamations and whispers.
For this operation.
Each person received twenty taels for travel expenses. If they could kill a few bandits, they would have already earned a year’s income.
If they were lucky...
They could earn several years’ income!
"HYAH!"
With a gentle pull on the reins from Zhu Ju, the dozens of riders shot off toward the mountaintop like arrows loosed from a bow.
"Watch out for traps!"
The accompanying Mage, Ming Nianwei, waved her long sleeves. Dozens of palm-sized Jade Tokens flew out, continuously tapping and probing the ground ahead.
Hidden traps in the ground and poisoned arrows from the sides were triggered before the riders passed.
Rendering them useless.
"Although Mages have a low ceiling and can’t reach the Third Grade, their methods are truly impressive."
Zhou Ruxuan’s beautiful eyes twinkled.
"No wonder all the major powers train a few Mages."
Zhu Ju smiled but said nothing.
’Mages can become Third Grade. I’m one myself—perhaps the only Third-Grade Mage in this world.’
’Unfortunately...’
’...Third Grade is the limit for a Mage.’
’This time, starting over, I must walk a path that reaches the heavens.’
"WHOOO..."
A sharp whistle sounded. Figures could be faintly seen flashing through the dense forest—clearly the patrolling bandits.
"They’ve spotted us."
Zhu Ju snapped back to reality. His expression grew slightly grim as he looked at the heavy fortress gate ahead.
"Ru Xuan?"
"Don’t worry." Zhou Ruxuan laughed heartily, her horse galloping past the others. She raised one hand slightly.
"WHOOSH!"
A palm-sized stone appeared in her hand.
The stone flew from her hand, expanding in the wind. In the blink of an eye, it grew to the size of a millstone, and it kept getting bigger.
Until...
It was like a house.
By then, the stone was like a small mountain.
The Mixed Element Stone!
This was a Seventh-Grade Qi Blood Divine Weapon that she had spent over a hundred Primordial Crystals on, buying it from the Pai Sect’s Black Market through her connections with the Sanhe Gang.
When fully activated, it possessed immense power.
"Go!"
Zhou Ruxuan’s pretty face was taut. With a strenuous swing of her arm, she sent the small mountain whistling through the air.
"BOOM!"
The heavy fortress gate, struck by this blow, immediately began to teeter and was blasted to smithereens.
"Nice!"
"The young miss is amazing!"
"Let’s go!"
Faces flushed with excitement, the crowd’s morale soared. They all roared and charged through the breach into the stronghold.
"KILL!"
One horseman is worth ten foot soldiers.
On a battlefield, dozens of cavalry are comparable to hundreds of infantry.
What’s more, those who came this time were all elites from the Zhu Mansion, along with crack troops sent from Zhou Ruxuan’s family.
The several dozen men were all Grade-Entering Martial Artists.
Moreover, two of them were on par with Nursing Director Zhang, being experts at the peak of the Eighth Grade.
With his Qi Blood Divine Weapon in hand, even if Nursing Director Zhang encountered a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist, victory would not be impossible.
The cavalrymen charged into the stronghold. Flashes of sabers and swords flickered as they carved paths of destruction through the fortress.
One bandit after another fell dead on the spot.
"You dare act as if my stronghold is undefended?"
"Die!"
"SCREEE!"
Following the shrill cry, a figure holding a jade xiao shot out from a roof ridge, rushing toward the riders on horseback.
"Mingying Fang Hui?"
Zhou Ruxuan’s beautiful eyes lit up. With a leap, she sprang from her horse’s back, shaking her long spear to block the opponent.
"Your opponent is me!"
"CLANG..."
The long spear and the jade xiao collided. Powerful Qi flared out, and the two landed on the ground one after another.
"Profound Ice Force!" Mingying Fang Hui’s expression froze.
"You’re from the Zhou Family?"
"That’s right." Zhou Ruxuan held her head high.
"Zhou Ruxuan. I await your instruction!"
"Excellent!" Fang Hui’s eyes flickered.
"Your Zhou Family actually dares to move against the Celestial Eagle Thieves? Aren’t you afraid of our retaliation?"
"Retaliation?" Zhou Ruxuan gave a carefree smile.
"Did you think it’s only the Zhou Family?"
"The Nie Family, the City Lord’s Mansion, and the Sanhe Gang have all mobilized. What’s more, two Fifth-Grade Experts are accompanying them. This time, we will definitely exterminate the Celestial Eagle Thieves and remove the poisonous sore that has clung to Taiyuan Prefecture for decades."
"Now die!"
Without waiting for a reply, she flicked her wrist, and her long spear transformed into a sky full of phantom images that rained down.
Both were in the Seventh Grade.
But the Cultivation Technique she practiced was the Profound Ice Force, which had the potential to reach the Third Grade. Furthermore, her foundation was deep and her spear technique was outstanding.
The moment they clashed,
she firmly gained the upper hand.
"Master Ming."
Zhu Ju’s gaze swept the battlefield. He turned to Ming Nianwei, who stood to the side.
"Please watch over Ru Xuan and make sure nothing happens to her. Whether she kills her enemy or not is of no consequence."
"Yes."
As a Mage, Ming Nianwei hadn’t joined the fight. Hearing his words, she replied:
"Rest assured, Young Master Zhu."
*
*
*
"Tiger."
Yang Yi grabbed the blood-crazed Qian Hu and shot him a meaningful look.
"This way!"
"Huh?"
Qian Hu stumbled out of the crowd as he was pulled along, heading straight for a small path. He asked in surprise:
"Where are we going?"
"To the treasury!" Yang Yi gave a mysterious smile.
"I’ve been here before. This way leads to the stronghold’s warehouse. We can take this chance to grab some goodies."
"Didn’t you want to get a gift for Miss Zhenzhen?"
Qian Hu, who had been about to refuse, was moved by this. He pressed his lips together and quickened his pace to follow.
At the same time, he asked doubtfully:
"When have you been here before?"
"When I was a kid." Yang Yi waved his hand, unwilling to elaborate.
This place was once the territory of the Qingyi Gang. He had come here once with his father when he was very young.
Although many years had passed and the path was now unfamiliar, he still remembered the general location.
"What are you doing?"
"Stop!"
This was a critical storage area; how could it be unguarded?
Immediately, several people rushed out.
"ROAR!"
Qian Hu let out a low roar and lunged forward.
His Cultivation was already at the mid-Ninth Grade. With his bloodline power activated, he was comparable to a peak Ninth-Grade Martial Artist.
Not only that.
He also raised five Chong Ghosts.
The Chong Ghosts’ strength wasn’t great, not even equal to a Grade-Entering Martial Artist. But they were rich in Yin Qi. If all five pounced on someone, even an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist would find their body stiffening, their movements restricted.
In other words...
The current Qian Hu was comparable to an Eighth Grade.
’This is exactly why I had to bring Qian Hu along,’ Yang Yi smiled to himself.
"PFFT!"
"PFFT! PFFT..."
The ordinary Fierce Tiger Saber Technique was astonishingly powerful in Qian Hu’s hands. One by one, the bandits fell.
"So young, yet so vicious."
A tent in front of them collapsed, and a burly figure appeared before the two, frowning as he looked at them.
"When you grow up, who knows how many people you’ll kill."
"THUD!"
The ground trembled as the figure abruptly closed the distance.
Seventh Grade!
Yang Yi’s eyes narrowed. He roared suddenly:
"Watch out!"
There was no time to think.
The Qi Blood Divine Weapon hidden in his Dantian Qi Sea had already appeared in his hand, and he slashed fiercely at the newcomer.
"CLANG..."