Chapter 65 Bandits
The setting sun sank in the west, the wheat fields on both sides of the official road swaying in the evening breeze. Smoke curled from distant village chimneys, while several children chased each other with crisp laughter.
Ji Lingxiu sat inside the caravan's carriage, her fingertips lightly lifting the curtain as she gazed at this mortal world of fire and smoke. Yet in her eyes was only cold solitude.
—The Great Zhou is gone. How much longer can these mortals continue living in such stability and happiness?
She recalled the chaos recorded in the Chronicle of Great Zhou, when cultivators treated mortals like ants. With a single casual sword, they could wipe out an entire village, blood flowing like rivers, with no one daring to question it.
Now that Great Zhou had collapsed and Tianjing City had become a purgatory, these mortals still remained ignorant, living by sunrise and resting by sunset.
Ignorance, at times, was also a kind of happiness.
It had been ten days since she left Tianjing City.
Those searching for her should be catching up soon.
This was why she disguised herself as a mortal.
Ji Lingxiu lowered the curtain, her fingertip unconsciously rubbing the jade bracelet on her wrist. It was a spirit artifact given to her by Xuan Tianjun back then, capable of completely concealing a cultivator's presence. Without it, she would not have dared to mingle with a mortal caravan and travel south.
"Miss, up ahead is Black Pine Ridge. I hear it hasn't been peaceful lately, so best not to leave the carriage," the guard captain urged as he rode closer, speaking in a low voice.
Ji Lingxiu gave a faint nod.
As she pondered, a sudden clamor erupted from the forest ahead. Moments later, dozens of bandits with axes and blades charged out, ferocious and savage as they blocked the caravan's path.
"This road was opened by me! This tree was planted by me! If you want to live, leave your money for the road!" the scar-faced leader sneered.
The caravan guards wasted no words. They immediately formed ranks, drawing their weapons, stacking goods as barriers in front while protecting the carriages in the center.
Clearly, this was not the first time they had encountered such a situation.
The atmosphere grew tense at once.
Bandits…
Ji Lingxiu's gaze cooled, a thread of spiritual power already gathering silently at her fingertip. If it truly came to the worst, she would not hesitate to strike.
Yet in the instant of her hesitation—
"Swish!"
A teal figure swept past like a gust of wind, sword light flashing like snow, slicing through in a blink!
A spray of blood burst forth. The bandits collapsed to the ground before they even managed a scream, each with a hair-thin line across their throats.
One sword to the throat—so swift even the wind failed to react.
The caravan stood dumbfounded as the teal figure sheathed his sword and halted in the middle of the road.
It was a man in azure robes.
His figure stood tall like a pine, yet carried a trace of lazy ease.
Beneath his brows were deep, profound eyes, with faint lines at the corners that lent him a mature charm.
His nose was high, his jawline sharp, and at the corner of his lips lingered a faint, elusive smile—as though he had seen through the affairs of the world, or simply could not be bothered to care.
Most striking was his casually tied black hair, with a few strands slipping loose across his forehead. Far from appearing messy, they only added to his unrestrained air.
"Many thanks, young master, for your aid!" The guard captain hurried forward, at the same time offering a heavy pouch.
But Ji Lingxiu quickly shifted her attention away from the man's appearance.
What she noted was—what a swift sword!
Even she had not fully seen it in that instant.
She had only caught a glimpse of the final glint of cold light as he sheathed his blade.
At the very least, this was a cultivator of the Profound Connection Realm! His strength was no less than her own. Who was he? Could he perhaps be used?
Ji Lingxiu immediately made her judgment, calculations already forming in her mind.
But in the next moment, she saw the man wave his hand, directly refusing the guard captain's offer.
Instead, he scratched his head absentmindedly, muttering under his breath—
"…Strange, this is already the fifth wave along the way. Why hasn't the achievement triggered yet?"
Ji Lingxiu: "…?"
The man stood right beside the carriage, so close that she heard him clearly.
—Achievement? What achievement?
She calmly re-examined the man in azure once more…
Yes, he was indeed handsome, but weren't his eyes a little too clear?
Sensing her gaze, the man suddenly turned his head, his eyes lighting up as he strode toward her.
"This young lady—" his smile was bright, his tone enthusiastic, "is there anything you need help with?"
Ji Lingxiu: "…?"
She withdrew her earlier assessment.
This person, could he actually be a fool?
…
Chen Chang'an was certainly no fool.
Ever since leaving the valley and heading north, he deliberately chose routes notorious for bandit activity. When bandits rushed out to plunder caravans, he would immediately step forward to 'act as a hero.'
At first he had shown restraint, but after seeing the cruelty of bandits repeatedly, he soon began killing without mercy.
And of course, all of this was for the sake of completing the "Youth's Journey" achievement series.
Yet after slaughtering wave after wave of bandits, the achievement page in his system interface remained completely unchanged.
After saving Ji Lingxiu's caravan and sheathing his sword, Chen Chang'an felt utterly disappointed.
Rejecting the guard captain's reward, he sighed inwardly. It seemed he had thought too highly of this useless system.
Indeed, if this system weren't so trash, would he not already be the number one under heaven by now?
After a few words of complaint in his heart, Chen Chang'an was about to leave when a glance from the corner of his eye caught sight of a woman inside one of the carriages.
"Hm?" His eyes suddenly lit up.
That woman, clad in plain garments, seemed ordinary at first glance. But to Chen Chang'an, she was like a luminous pearl in the darkness.
In an instant, he pierced through her disguise at the peak of the Profound Connection Realm—revealing a peerlessly beautiful face beneath.
"Interesting…" Chen Chang'an stroked his chin, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
It was not that he harbored any intentions toward beauties. After all, with that neighbor back home, his aesthetic standards had been raised to absurd heights.
But for such a stunning woman to suddenly appear in this desolate wilderness…
It was no different from an NPC in an online game with a yellow exclamation mark floating above their head—clear and conspicuous!
Chen Chang'an's eyes gleamed. Straightening his robe, he deliberately adopted the bearing of a lofty recluse and walked toward the caravan.
"This young lady—" he began brightly, his smile radiant.
Ji Lingxiu watched this suddenly appearing man in azure with wary eyes, her heart ringing alarm bells.
Her disguise had never been exposed before. Yet the way this man looked at her made it obvious he had already seen through everything.
…
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 2 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 32 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise