Mang Mountain
Mang Mountain, located over a hundred li from Tanczhou Prefecture's capital, boasts a changeable terrain with towering peaks, deep gorges, rolling hills, and dense stone forests. What's peculiar is the abundance of caves on one of its cliff faces; some penetrate several li deep, and a few even pierce through the sheer cliff to emerge on the other side. Moreover, Mang Mountain isn't far from the dreaded Cliff of Despair, a place that strikes fear into the hearts of cultivators.
This unique geography has always made it an ideal hideout for the lawless and a haven for those seeking refuge from the world. A few days ago, the mountain bandits Qin An Yu encountered were hiding in Mang Mountain. In that skirmish, the bandits suffered over a dozen casualties but successfully killed all the passing travelers. Afterwards, the injured tended to their wounds, and the dead were simply buried in shallow graves.
After several days of recovery, the fatigue from the battle had dissipated, minor injuries were almost healed, and serious wounds showed signs of improvement. They were ready to hunt again. Even though their scouts hadn't returned, the feast was already laid out in their lair.
Inside a huge cave, more than 30 people were already seated, a cacophony of voices filling the air. The bandit leader, Wu Fei, a Ninth-Level Qi Nurturing cultivator, sat in the main seat, with a grizzled old man beside him.
Wu Fei cleared his throat, and the table instantly fell silent. He declared, "This feast has two meanings. First, we didn't have a victory celebration last time due to the heavy casualties, so this makes up for it. Second, I hear two major merchant caravans are passing through these next two days, so this serves as a send-off feast!"
He then raised his large bowl and proclaimed, "The sky is vast, the sea is wide, allowing us to roam freely; all things under heaven, allowing us to seek what we desire. May we, the heroes of Mang Mountain, have smooth sailing! May this expedition bring no casualties and great spoils!"
Everyone raised their bowls, roaring in agreement: "No casualties, great spoils!"
With that, they all brought their bowls to their lips. Just then, a scream echoed from outside, followed by a figure flying in... horizontally.
The bandits, bowls in hand, turned their heads to look at the cave entrance, watching the figure fall to the ground.
"It's Zhang Xiao! Someone got in!"
"Who dares come to our territory looking for death?"
"Who?!"
"Grab your weapons! Quickly!" Wu Fei bellowed, slamming his bowl down. He grabbed a large hammer, his eyes fixed on the cave entrance. Others, seeing their leader's fierce demeanor, also dropped their bowls and seized their weapons.
Chaos erupted as they jostled and fought to get to their weapons. Wu Fei watched, his hands trembling. He had never seen such a person in his life. A young man, barely in his teens, stood at the cave entrance with a sword embryo in hand.
"Who are you? How dare you barge in here and seek death?!" Wu Fei roared.
"Qin An Yu."
"Qin An Yu?" The old man, who had been sitting beside Wu Fei, whispered, "That idiot from Tanczhou Prefecture?"
Indeed, it was Qin An Yu. He had come here because he knew that after finishing his meal, Qin You would surely go to Mang Mountain. He didn't want to worry Qin You, so he came to scout out the situation for himself. He knew that the mountain bandits here, with their large numbers, would be troublesome for Qin You to handle alone.
Besides, Qin An Yu was still feeling the lingering fatigue from the journey and wanted to take a short break. He hadn't expected to arrive at a party! This was great. If Qin You had known about it, she wouldn't have been so worried.
However, Qin An Yu knew that this was no ordinary situation. The mountain bandits had killed and blocked off the path. He had seen it for himself when he came here. This was not a normal party. The atmosphere was too serious for that.
"What a grand feast! You're having such a good time! Let's get this party started!" Qin An Yu said, raising his hand and grabbing a jar of wine. Wu Fei immediately bellowed, "Little punk, let go! Everyone, seize him! Two of you, grab his hands! The other two, grab his feet! Don't let him escape! I'll break his limbs and send him back!"
The grizzled old man next to him, seeing Wu Fei's rage, tugged at his sleeve. "Leader, this person dares to come in here alone. He must have something to rely on. Don't underestimate him!"
Wu Fei swung his hand, "Don't bother me! What can an idiot from Tanczhou Prefecture do? Even if he has some tricks up his sleeve, what can he do against us, the Mang Mountain heroes? There are over twenty of us here! Plus, Brother Eight and I are both in the Ninth Level of Qi Nurturing! What's there to be afraid of?!"
The old man shook his head. "Leader, it's not like that. This person is too calm. He's been standing there, watching us and laughing."
Wu Fei heard this and paused, then raised his hand. "Brother Eight, go and deal with him!"
Brother Eight, a robust man, answered, "Understood!" He brought a huge hammer down on the table, picked up a jar of wine, and charged towards Qin An Yu. The sound of the hammer hitting the table echoed throughout the cave.
The other bandits started shouting, their voices a continuous buzz. Qin An Yu continued to stand calmly, then swiftly moved forward, the Clumsy Sword still in his hand.
"Take this!" Brother Eight roared, bringing his hammer down. Qin An Yu spun and slashed, the Clumsy Sword shattering Brother Eight's hammer. Brother Eight flew backward, crashing into the stone wall, then falling to the ground. He landed awkwardly, scattering bowls and wine. Some bandits were hit by flying debris and fell, while others were simply knocked over by Brother Eight's collapse. A wail of pain filled the air, mixed with the sharp clang of metal.
Qin An Yu stood there, sword still in hand, his expression calm and unwavering. In an instant, the entire banquet hall was silent. Wu Fei stood dumbfounded. He hadn't expected this. The grizzled old man quickly pulled at his sleeve. "Leader, don't act rashly. We can't fight him."
Wu Fei, rubbing his face in a daze, finally snapped out of it. He quickly clasped his hands and bowed to Qin An Yu. "Young Master, forgive us! We did not know your strength! This old man has always been a humble servant. This is a misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding! Please, Young Master, have a seat and join our feast!"
Qin An Yu smirked. "Today, I came here not for a feast, but to kill. Therefore, you won't be enjoying any wine tonight." As he spoke, he flashed towards the old man.
"Young Master Qin, you are truly amazing! This old man will surrender..." Wu Fei started.
Before he could finish, Qin An Yu had already reached the old man. The old man, who had been hiding behind Wu Fei, suddenly lunged forward. Qin An Yu calmly grabbed the old man's arm and threw him. The old man flew through the air, crashing into the stone wall. He slid down, leaving a trail of blood.
"Is there anyone else who objects?" Qin An Yu asked, his voice flat.
The other bandits remained silent. "No," they murmured.
"Good. You, old man, give me a brush and paper. Write down all the wrongdoings of these bandits!"
The old man, who was probably a scholar, hurried to get a brush and paper. Qin An Yu knew that he had read a lot of books and was well-educated. He would be able to write down a lot of information, which would be very useful for Qin You. He also knew that even if he was a mouse, he would still be a mouse that lived in the dark. A mouse in the dark doesn't need to say anything, but it will still have its own voice.
Qin An Yu said, "I have something to say." His figure flickered, then he quickly retreated. He had already broken off contact with that body. Now, he had to make a choice. He wanted to make sure that he wouldn't regret it. The old man, with the sword embryo in hand, was still doing his bidding.