Rain knew that his string of silent killings came to an end when a somber look appeared on the man's face. The element of surprise was one of the reasons he could kill seven bandits in succession. Now that one of the bandits became suspicious, Rain lost that surprise factor.
It was only a matter of time before they discovered the disappearance of their companions. Once the cat came out of the bag, Rain's plan to exterminate the bandits stealthily would hit a rough patch.
"Those guys are missing. No matter how reckless and unruly they are, they wouldn't dare ignore my call. Could it be that something happened to them?" The man with a scar muttered deep in thought.
Although Rain couldn't hear clearly, he could guess that wherever this was going wasn't good for him. His eyes dimmed, making him look colder. He slowly crawled toward the secondary exit door on the back. Stepping into an alley, he circled back until he was behind the man.
Hidden near the exit of a lane, Rain tried to find the perfect moment to attack. Subconsciously, his heart slowed down as he waited. No matter what, he needed to end it in a single strike. While Rain was following silently, waiting for the perfect moment, the bandit was following Rain's previous footsteps.
As he advanced on the bridge connecting the east section and the west section of the village, he noticed a corpse hidden by the grass growing near the river. His expression shifted as he recognized the owner of that corpse; it was his Seventh brother.
The man slid down the gentle slope toward the riverbank to study the cause of his companion's demise. He didn't believe his brother would be killed by a weak villager. This was a production village. They lived from the land and sold its products. Although there were a few hunters, they were only a select few. Most importantly, they were all slaughtered. It was actually the first thing the bandits did before attacking the village.
Could our intel be wrong? -- The Bandit was puzzled.
These bandits could be called professionals. They weren't rash; the village was scouted long ago amongst a few others and judged to carry the lowest risk-reward ratio. Because of all of this, the man was skeptical until he saw the gaping wound and the exposed inwards of his brother.
From his experience, this was a wound caused by an ax or a heavy saber.
This is the Seventh brother's corpse. He was a martial expert at the 'lifting light like it's heavy' Martial stage. Anywhere in the martial world, he would be considered a somewhat proficient figure. How could he die so miserably, his insides for the world to see? -- The scarred bandit's expression was solemn.
Rain was hidden in the bushes near the river. He was naturally responsible for that corpse. It was a close call; that bandit had been more powerful than any other bandits he had killed until then. His ambush hadn't worked at all. That man had terrifying instincts. He avoided the ax blow to his neck and punished the assault with his brass knuckles.
Rain winced when he remembered the pain. He was born with a strong constitution but the blows had felt like a landslide. He only managed to kill that beast of a man thanks to an elaborate chase and various tricks. After all, he had a better mastery of the land as an inhabitant.
"I know you are here, come out!" A powerful roar exploded out of the scarred bandit. He had stood up after examining the body of his companion and suddenly roared.
The roar startled Rain, and he moved slightly. Unknowingly, he broke a dry branch.
Crack.
Like an animal, the scarred bandit's ears twitched. His head snapped toward Rain's position in the grass, and his pupils narrowed.
"Got you! Little rat," He exclaimed before shooting toward Rain.
Having been made, Rain explosively got up and ran as fast as he could. The wind screamed in his ears, and his heartbeat picked up. Rain felt cold, but intuitively, he knew. He wouldn't be able to escape. That scarred bandit was even more frightening than the other one.
Unfortunately, Rain was correct. Before he could reach 20 meters, he was blown off his feet by a palm. He soared for a brief moment before meeting the muddy and rocky ground. He landed like a sack of heavy potatoes.
BANG!
A moment.
Then pain exploded in his body. Rain felt like numerous bones had been broken. His trusted ax had left his hands, flying god knows where. The pain was so intense that he bit his lips to stop the scream bubbling up in his throat. At the same time, he could taste iron in his mouth.
His organs had been damaged too.
Is this even the strength of a human being? -- Rain wondered between waves of pain.
Reality reasserted itself to him as he heard footsteps. He was facedown and couldn't see, so he tried, despite the monstrous pain, to turn and look at the man responsible for it. The scarred bandit stopped before him and crouched down.
He looked at Rain like he wasn't even human, eyes so cold, they could freeze water.
"So, it's you? A kid killed so many of us? Ridiculous." The man shook his head in disbelief. All his brothers were great martial artists. Every single one was able to handle 10 armed normal men.
Rain wanted to answer something sarcastic, but he couldn't even open his mouth without vomiting blood. His situation was not optimistic. The man looked at him, seemingly deep in thought. Killing intent flashed past in his eyes occasionally as his expression shifted.
Rain knew that the man was debating whether to kill him or not. After what felt like an eternity, the man's expression settled. He had come to a decision.
"I'll bring you to the Boss. He will make the decision." The scarred man finally said. Rain was powerless as the man dragged him through the village. He couldn't move or talk. Only a few groans would escape him when the pain became overpowering.
After a few minutes, they reached the village center. Rain was really going through it. His back was raw from the dragging.
The village center was a plaza with a large fountain in the middle. This place was often used to hold the village market as well as to make announcements. The water source of the fountain was the mouth of a stone statue. It was a man dressed in scholarly robes. With one hand, he was holding a sword, with the other a book. The lord of this county. Lord Saal Blacksnow of the Blacksnow Clan.
Having reached their destination, the man unceremoniously threw Rain forward. The momentum sent him into the other villagers. They cushioned his fall before leaving him on the ground. Apparently, the villagers had all been rounded up and brought to the plaza. They were bound tightly and on their knees.
With a single look, Rain noticed. There were no adult males or older folks here. It seemed they had all been slaughtered, leaving only women, youths, and children. As he was deep in thought, an abrasive voice made itself known to him.
"Look what we have here...So, 2nd Brother, you mean to tell me that half of our brothers were done in by this lad." An imposing man riding a powerful-looking horse approached. On his side was the man who captured Rain.