Chapter 9: Ambushed

The next morning, Song Qingming packed his belongings early and set off on the road back to Lingyuan Mountain.

Before leaving, Song Qingming had intended to bid farewell to his eldest brother and fourth brother. Unexpectedly, the clan’s spirit rice had just ripened over these past few days, and all the members of the "Qing" generation—except for those away on business—had been rounded up by the Third Elder to harvest the fields. After finding no one, Song Qingming had no choice but to head down Funiu Mountain alone.

Traveling at a brisk pace, Song Qingming was soon within ten miles of Lingyuan Mountain. Just then, the sound of magical artifacts clashing erupted from a patch of woods not far ahead on the path.

Song Qingming’s expression shifted. He hurriedly activated his "Breath Concealment Technique" and hid in a large tree nearby. As he listened carefully to the commotion ahead, he realized the sounds of fighting were drawing closer to his position, causing him to stomp his foot in frustration.

If he were to encounter local cultivators settling a dispute, he could rely on the Song family name to protect himself. However, he feared running into vicious rogue cultivators or bandits; such people rarely let anyone who had witnessed their crimes walk away.

The sounds of battle grew louder. Hiding in the tree, Song Qingming found himself in a dilemma. If he revealed himself now, he would almost certainly be spotted by the combatants. He had no choice but to stay hidden and hope he could slip past unnoticed.

Before long, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from the distance, and an old man in yellow robes ran directly beneath the tree where Song Qingming was hiding. Not far behind him, three faster, black-clad figures were in hot pursuit. Within a few moments, two of them had blocked the old man’s path.

Seeing this, Song Qingming was speechless. They were indeed bandits.

His luck today was truly abysmal.

What made it even worse was that this old man had a knack for choosing directions, specifically fleeing toward his hiding spot.

The old man in yellow was a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator wearing the cheap robes common in the markets, appearing to be a rogue cultivator. The three men blocking him had fierce expressions; they were clearly a gang of bandits who specialized in robbing passing cultivators, all possessing mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation.

"Old man, I suggest you stop wasting time. Hand over your storage bag, and my brothers might give you a quick death."

The leader of the black-clad bandits, holding a black dagger about a foot long, slowly closed in on the old man from the front, while the other two bandits quickly flanked him from the sides.

At this moment, the old man in yellow suddenly spoke up, unhurriedly calling out to the tree to his upper right, which nearly made Song Qingming cough up blood on the spot.

"Fellow Daoist in the tree, I, Chen, have accidentally run into trouble today. I ask that you help me out of this predicament; I will surely reward you handsomely afterward."

Even the three black-clad bandits, who had just surrounded him and were preparing to attack, were startled by the old man’s shout and looked up at the tree.

Song Qingming, hiding in the branches, nearly cursed the old man’s ancestors. He was in disbelief; he had hidden himself perfectly. Even if the old man’s cultivation was higher than his, it shouldn't have been so easy to pinpoint his exact location.

Seeing the bandits approaching the tree to search for him, Song Qingming sighed, gritted his teeth, and jumped down.

"Fourth level of Qi Refining."

The three bandits were stunned to see someone actually jump down, but their expressions quickly turned to contempt.

As for the old man in yellow, his relief at seeing Song Qingming appear quickly turned to panic. He cursed inwardly; he had finally found a helper, only to realize it was just a greenhorn who had barely broken into the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

"Fellow Daoists, I am a cultivator from the Song family of Funiu Mountain nearby. I am only here because I was out on a mission with my clan elders and am waiting for them to return. I have no intention of interfering in your grievances, so please, let there be no misunderstandings."

Song Qingming calculated internally that even if he joined forces with the old man, the two of them would struggle to hold off these three bandits. He could only try to use his clan elders to intimidate them and secure his escape. As for the old man who had dragged him into this mess, his cultivation was too low, and Song Qingming truly couldn't help him.

"Oh, if that’s the case, then this doesn't concern you. We have a personal grudge with this old man, so please, feel free to leave." The leader of the three bandits nodded to his companions and gestured for Song Qingming to leave.

The old man in yellow seemed not to have heard the exchange. Seeing that Song Qingming had no intention of helping him, he wasn't surprised; he simply kept his eyes locked on the three bandits, searching for an opening to break through the encirclement.

Hearing the leader tell him to leave, Song Qingming felt a slight sense of relief. It seemed too easy to escape this unprovoked disaster, but just as he carefully walked past the bandits, a sinister black light suddenly shot from behind one of the other bandits toward his chest.

Having remained on guard, Song Qingming did not panic. He rolled backward quickly, barely dodging the black light. Although he was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, he was cautious by nature. Over the past half-year at Lingyuan Mountain, Song Changxin had taught him much about combat, and he had been prepared for a sudden sneak attack.

The black light circled behind Song Qingming, curved, and returned to the bandit’s hand, revealing itself to be a black short blade—a mid-grade artifact suited for sneak attacks.

The bandit was surprised that Song Qingming had dodged his strike. Since the three brothers had started their life of robbery, few cultivators within ten paces had managed to evade his sneak attack, and he couldn't help but look at Song Qingming with newfound respect.

"Fellow Daoist Song, these three are bandits from Eagle Nest Ridge. They specialize in murder and robbery. They are vicious, cruel men who will never leave a witness alive. Don't be too naive, young friend."

The old man in yellow was also surprised that Song Qingming had dodged the attack. He quickly moved toward Song Qingming and shouted.

"Haha, well said! Meat that’s already in our mouths—how could we let it go? Kid, I didn't want to target you, but since you saw what you shouldn't have, you can only blame your bad luck."

The bandit who had launched the sneak attack let out a malicious laugh and began to close in on Song and the old man.

Song Qingming was covered in cold sweat. If he had been even a little closer, he would be lying on the ground, unable to move. Facing these unscrupulous villains, he had no idea how to escape.

The bandit who had attacked him was clearly at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, and the other two were at the fifth level. If he and the old man fought them head-on, they wouldn't last long.

As the bandits closed in, Song Qingming, at a loss for what to do, heard the old man’s voice via sound transmission.

"Fellow Daoist Song, I have one high-grade spirit talisman. When they get close, I will activate it to hold them for a moment. Look for an opportunity to break through to the north. The talisman won't hold them for long; our survival depends on how fast we can run."

Song Qingming was panicked, but hearing that the old man had a high-grade talisman, he nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Sure enough, the moment the three bandits moved to attack, the old man threw out several low-grade red talismans. Fireballs flew toward the three bandits, but these low-grade talismans caused little damage. The three men calmly used their defensive artifacts to block them, and after a few explosions, they remained unscathed.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the old man gripped a golden spirit talisman and injected his spiritual energy into it, activating the trump card that would decide their fate. The three bandits were startled by the surge of spiritual energy, not expecting the old man to possess a high-grade talisman.

Once activated, the golden talisman instantly transformed into several iron chains that bound the leader. It was a defensive talisman. No wonder the old man hadn't used it earlier; if it had been an offensive high-grade talisman, it could have severely wounded one of them, greatly increasing their chances of escape.

Song Qingming didn't have time to think. The talisman wouldn't hold the leader for long. The old man had already fled toward the south. Seeing that the bandits' attention was focused on the old man, Song Qingming quickly cast a Lightness Technique and fled toward the west.

"Third brother, go chase that kid! He’s a clan cultivator from around here. Make sure you finish him off so there are no future troubles."

"Don't worry, Big Brother. He’s just a fourth-level Qi Refining greenhorn. You think I can't catch him?"

The bandit leader, seeing them flee, didn't hesitate. He ordered one of his men to chase Song Qingming, while he and the other bandit headed in the opposite direction to pursue the old man.

(End of chapter)