Chapter 56: Prey and Hunter

After dealing with several bandits, Lin Zheyu did not bother disposing of their bodies.

This type of banditry was common throughout the Beast Roar Mountains; homicides occurred here almost every day, so a few corpses were of little consequence. Moreover, with fierce beasts roaming the mountains, the bodies would soon become fodder for predators.

After looting the men, his pack grew heavy. He continued forward.

He encountered two more groups of ill-intentioned individuals and dealt with them easily, until his pack could hold no more.

"The harvest is decent. With all this miscellaneous junk, I reckon I can sell it for at least two or three taels of silver," Lin Zheyu mused.

He had replaced his original pack with a larger, blue one scavenged from a bandit. Carried on his back, the pack was bulging with good loot. Inside were countless bottles, jars, and various powders; unfortunately, he didn't recognize any of them, so he would have to find a way to sell them once he returned.

"About three more miles and I'll reach the official highway."

"Following the highway for about a mile will lead me to where Senior Brother Han has his troops stationed. I'll drop by to see him while I'm at it."

Lin Zheyu leaned against a tree trunk, studying his map.

After more than an hour of traveling, he finally approached Lion Valley. Lion Valley was a massive valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. The interior and the periphery were covered in lush forests, filled with miasma, poisonous insects, and thick fog.

Lin Zheyu had set out in the morning and arrived at Lion Valley around the hour of Shen—roughly 3:00 PM. Had he been familiar with the mountain paths, he could have arrived in less than two hours; most of his time had been wasted studying the map and searching for the trail. With this experience, he wouldn't waste so much time the next time he came.

***

By the side of the official highway near Lion Valley.

Han Mo was leading his elite troops stationed here.

"Heh-ha!"

From within the camp came a synchronized, terrifyingly murderous roar. Under Han Mo's leadership, the soldiers were undergoing drills.

In previous years, as the New Year approached, the number of merchant caravans on the highway would increase. However, due to the influence of the rebel armies this year, many caravans either stayed away or transported their goods to Songyi City in advance, resulting in far fewer caravans on the road.

"Two more days and I can head back. After returning, I'll spend a month in intensive study; perhaps I'll have a chance to break through to the Blood Qi Realm," Han Mo thought to himself.

Holding a long saber, he practiced the Six Harmonies Saber technique. Behind him, the soldiers were arranged in a disciplined military formation. The spirit of the soldiers was linked to Han Mo, and a powerful, dense killing intent brewed within the formation.

This was their daily training method. Simply forming a formation without a general actively drawing out the soldiers' spirit would not cause much exhaustion. Only by remaining in a formation state year after year could the soldiers adapt better, allowing the general to more perfectly manipulate this unique energy.

"Kill!"

The soldiers let out a synchronized, earth-shaking roar. As the sound erupted, the blood qi within Han Mo's body was stirred, causing his blood to boil. As a general within a military formation, one advantage was the ability to temper the spirit amidst the killing intent and use the unique energy condensed by the formation to gain early insights into the Blood Qi Realm. Over time, this increased the chances of a breakthrough.

"Report!"

"Three miles ahead, a merchant caravan has been attacked by bandits!"

"Report—"

"Five miles to the left, a caravan has encountered an attack!"

"Report!"

"..."

Just as Han Mo was immersed in sensing his blood qi, scouts patrolling the highway came galloping in on horseback.

"Ready the troops! Move out!"

"Huang Zihang, take thirty elite soldiers to the left to hunt down and clear the bandits!"

"Ma Fan, take fifty elite soldiers to guard the camp. If any enemy attacks, show no mercy!"

"Huang Jun, take twenty elite soldiers and accompany me to suppress the bandits three miles ahead."

Han Mo issued his orders methodically. Their manpower was only sufficient to support two locations at once. However, since those caravans dared to travel this way, they must possess some level of strength; Han Mo wasn't overly worried about their safety. They were stationed here primarily to prevent the bandits from becoming increasingly brazen.

With the military strength of Songyi City, they couldn't enter the mountains to clear out the bandits entirely; they could only hunt down those who dared to intercept caravans on the road. By hunting one whenever they were spotted, they provided a deterrent, ensuring the bandits wouldn't dare to linger on the highway or engage in prolonged warfare. Fearing retribution, the bandits would simply rob and run, preventing excessive loss of manpower and goods for the caravans.

***

"Halt! This is a restricted military zone. Unauthorized personnel stay back!"

Upon arriving at Senior Brother Han's camp, Lin Zheyu was stopped by a soldier.

"I am Lin Zheyu. Lord Han Mo is my senior brother. Please inform him of my arrival," Lin Zheyu said.

"Lord Han's junior brother?"

"Please wait outside for a moment. Lord Han has gone out to suppress bandits and will return soon. No one is permitted to enter the camp until his return."

The soldier softened his tone but still refused to let Lin Zheyu in. The camp was where they stored vital supplies and weapons; it wasn't a place for just anyone to wander into. Without proof that the man before him was indeed Lord Han's junior brother, they didn't dare let him pass.

"Senior Brother Han went to suppress bandits? Which direction did he head?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

He was quite interested in bandits now. Although he hadn't found any silver on them, the various life-saving medicines and poisonous powders they carried were valuable goods that could fetch a good price.

"That is a military secret. I cannot say. My apologies," the soldier replied.

"A pity. I wanted to witness my senior brother's bravery in battle."

"Little brother, what is your name?" Lin Zheyu asked.

The armored soldier remained expressionless. Even after hearing he was Han Mo's junior brother, the man maintained a cold attitude.

"Sorry, I cannot say."

The soldier spoke flatly, his hand resting on his weapon, his face full of vigilance. The surrounding soldiers were the same, wary of this strange young man and not relaxing even after his claim. It was evident how strictly Han Mo trained his men.

"Brother, if you can't say your name or the location of my senior brother, can you at least tell me where bandits frequently appear around here? I am a man who hates evil and loathes these bloodthirsty bandits; I wish to do my part to eradicate them as much as possible."

Lin Zheyu pulled out his map and asked the soldier.

The soldier thought for a moment. This didn't involve military secrets, though he didn't want to say too much. Remembering that a bandit attack had just been reported elsewhere and they lacked the manpower to assist, he said

"Travel about eight miles along the highway in this direction. A group of bandits is currently attacking a caravan. If you go now, you might be able to help."

"What a coincidence! Thanks, brother. I'll go take a look."

Lin Zheyu grinned and tossed his pack toward the soldier. "Keep this pack safe. There are good things inside; don't lose it."

With that, he moved, rushing toward the direction the soldier had indicated with incredible speed.

"Gangzi, that young man might actually be Lord Han's junior brother. You directed him toward the battlefield where the bandits and the caravan are fighting. If anything happens, be careful—the Lord won't forgive you if he finds out," the soldier whispered to his comrade.

Zhao Gang, clutching the pack Lin Zheyu had thrown at him, felt a surge of panic. "No... surely not?"

"That guy was so fast, and if he is Lord Han's junior brother, his strength shouldn't be weak. Could something really happen to him?" Zhao Gang swallowed hard, speaking nervously.

The way the stranger had trusted them enough to hand over his pack suggested he very likely was indeed Lord Han's junior brother.

"Who knows? The kid is young and his strength is decent, but how much can one person do on a battlefield? You know how those bandits act—smoke bombs, poison powders, poisoned hidden weapons... if a reckless youth like that charges in, he'll be dead in a few rounds," the other soldier said.

The more Zhao Gang listened, the more panicked he became. "Should... should we take a few brothers to support him?"

"Do you want to die?!"

"If Lord Han's junior brother actually gets hurt, the worst we'll face is a few days of being flogged. But if we violate military orders by leading troops out without authorization, we lose our lives," the soldier said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah!"

"Then, then..." Zhao Gang's youthful face turned red, and he looked as if he were on the verge of tears from the tension.

***

Eight miles, roughly four thousand meters.

If Lin Zheyu ran at full speed, he would arrive in less than five minutes. As he approached, he caught a thick scent of blood mixed with a faint, acrid smell—likely smoke or poisonous mist.

After walking another hundred meters, he finally saw the caravan. It was a group of nearly three hundred people. The guards were all sturdy and well-built, with a few showing signs of having been wounded. Dead horses and over a dozen corpses lay on the ground, along with many unconscious people, severed limbs, and scattered weapons.

A dozen able-bodied guards were cleaning up the aftermath, while others stood alert with weapons drawn.

"Brother Bin, the loss of goods isn't too great. They only made off with two hundred and thirty taels of silver," a manager said after tallying the supplies.

"Mhm. Give the order to maintain vigilance. There are many bandits in this area; there might be another wave of attacks," Zhao Bin replied.

"Yes, sir!"

The manager went off to handle the cleanup in an orderly fashion. They had encountered many bandit attacks on their journey, but they had managed to endure them all. At this time, those who dared to trade must be quite powerful; those without skill would have long since become piles of bleached bones. As long as they reached Songyi City safely, the profit from this trip would equal several normal trips.

"Is it over?"

Lin Zheyu watched from a distance. The caravan was already tidying up, and there were no signs of bandits nearby. After a moment of thought, he walked over.

He intended to ask about the bandits' direction and gauge their strength. If they were mediocre, he planned to see if he could intercept them halfway. His newfound strength and the lack of restrictions outside the city had made him much bolder.

*Clang—*

As Lin Zheyu approached, a guard on alert drew his saber with a sharp ring, pointing the tip at him with eyes full of suspicion.

"Halt! Who goes there!" the guard shouted.

At the front of the convoy, Zhao Bin, who was mounted on a horse, looked over and sized Lin Zheyu up. He was a middle-aged man in his forties with a profound aura and great strength. Lin Zheyu could sense traces of blood qi from him; he was a Blood Qi Realm expert, though not exceptionally strong—slightly weaker than himself.

"Pardon my intrusion. I mean no harm; I am here to hunt the bandits. Did you all just encounter mountain bandits?" Lin Zheyu cupped his hands toward the guards.

"Your origins are unknown. Please withdraw, or do not blame our blades for being unyielding," the guard said bluntly.

"I only wish to ask which direction the bandits fled. I mean no harm," Lin Zheyu repeated.

"The bandits fled in that direction," the guard said, pointing toward the forest. "But they are quite capable. They killed about ten men and still have over sixty members left. I advise you not to overreach your strength, lest you lose your life."

"Thank you."

Lin Zheyu cupped his hands to the guard and to Zhao Bin, who was watching from afar, then turned and chased in the direction indicated.

"He actually went after them. Truly overreaching," a man in his thirties remarked with a smirk beside Zhao Bin.

He had seen many people like Lin Zheyu chasing bandits, shouting and fighting. Some were after the bandits' loot—while the bandits treated others as prey, those others treated the bandits as prey in return. Some had personal vendettas and fought simply for satisfaction. People had all sorts of motives, but he had never seen one so young.

"Decent lightwork," Zhao Bin commented.

"Brother, can you tell what his strength is?" the man asked.

"I'm not sure; I can't sense any blood qi fluctuations from him. He looks extremely young, and his speed has reached the Viscera Refining Realm. His overall strength is likely a bit lower, perhaps around the Bone Forging Realm. Zhao Qiang, do not underestimate the world. Strength isn't everything; since he dares to pursue them, he might have some trump card," Zhao Bin said, not paying it much mind. To him, the most important thing was the safety of this highly valuable cargo.

"Mhm," Zhao Qiang nodded, also not particularly concerned. Lin Zheyu's appearance was merely an interesting interlude in his journey.

***

Lin Zheyu sped toward the direction the guard had pointed. He found many traces along the way, proving the guard hadn't lied.

"They're just ahead."

Following the lingering signs in the forest, he pursued them at high speed. Inside the woods, over sixty sturdy men were moving rapidly, clutching cold weapons and cautiously scanning their surroundings. It wasn't just ordinary people who had to watch out for bandits; bandits had to watch out for other bandits. "Black-on-black" robbery was extremely common in these chaotic jungles, where the cruel and bloody law of the jungle prevailed.

"Damn it, another Blood Qi expert. Are Blood Qi experts so cheap these days?" a burly man cursed.

"It can't be helped. Those merchant caravans aren't stupid. Anyone daring to come here at this time must be powerful."

"With prices rising, the profit from one trip is enough to hire several Blood Qi experts," the leader said.

It wasn't just hard for ordinary people; it was hard for bandits too. While the term "bandit" sounded notorious and fearsome, their lives weren't much more comfortable than those of commoners. If they could live better lives, who would choose to live in the mountains with their heads constantly on the line?

"We lost several brothers. The loot from this trip won't even be enough for us to split."

"Brother, why don't we just agree to that guy's offer? If we join the City Guard, the brothers can finally eat their fill," a man suggested.

"Don't talk such nonsense."

"The Xing family is treacherous. If you join the City Guard, you must swear allegiance to the Great Wei. If you betray them after swearing, you die."

"When the rebel armies attack, those of us who joined later will be the first to be used as cannon fodder. If you don't want to die, stay away from the Xing family's people. Cooperation is fine, but never entertain the thought of joining them," the leader lectured.

"But if this keeps up, we might not live long enough to see the rebels arrive," the man countered.

The leader fell silent; he, too, felt a sense of hesitation.