## [Village Perimeter - 2:45 AM]
The first bandit stepped into the moonlight at the edge of the village, and Chen Wei's Advanced Qi Sense immediately tracked his spiritual signature. Qi Gathering 3rd Level - dangerous to normal villagers, but manageable for the hidden cultivators.
"There," Chen Wei whispered to his father, pointing toward the shadowy figure. "Eastern approach, just like I said."
Chen Daoling squinted into the darkness. "I can barely make out a shape. Your eyes really have changed."
Through his spiritual senses, Chen Wei could feel the tension radiating from defenders throughout the village. Wang Tie's group was ready at the northern barricades. Old Man Feng had positioned himself near the grain storehouse where the children were hidden. Zhang Min was at the medical station, but her spiritual signature showed she was prepared to fight if needed.
And somewhere in the darkness, Granny Liu's presence was completely undetectable - which meant she was using advanced stealth techniques.
**[Battle Phase 1: Initial Contact]**
**[Bandit Positions: 6 east, 5 north, 4 west]**
**[Village Response: Coordinated and ready]**
**[Psychological Advantage: Village defenders have early warning]**
The eastern group of bandits moved cautiously through the vegetable gardens, clearly spooked by the earlier supernatural displays. Their leader, a scarred man with a curved sword, kept looking over his shoulder.
**[Eastern Bandit Leader: Scar-Face Dong]**
**[Cultivation: Qi Gathering 4th Level]**
**[Status: Nervous, jumping at shadows]**
**[Weakness: Distracted by supernatural fears]**
"Father," Chen Wei whispered, "I can see them better now. Six bandits coming from the east. Their leader looks really nervous."
"Can you tell what weapons they have?"
Chen Wei focused his Qi Sense on the approaching enemies. "Swords, a few spears. One has a bow. They're moving like they expect ghosts to jump out at them."
Chen Daoling almost smiled despite the danger. "Your distraction worked better than we hoped. They're more afraid of spirits than villagers."
The eastern bandits reached the first house - old widow Chen's cottage. One of them kicked open the door and disappeared inside, clearly looking for valuables and hostages.
He came out thirty seconds later, shaking his head. The cottage was empty - the evacuation had worked perfectly.
"Boss," the bandit called to Scar-Face Dong, "nobody here. Place is cleaned out."
"Damn," Dong muttered. "Either they fled or they knew we were coming."
Chen Wei felt a surge of satisfaction. The bandits were already realizing this wouldn't be the easy raid they'd planned.
But then something went wrong.
**[Alert: Unexpected Development]**
**[Western Bandit Group: Deviating from expected route]**
**[New Target: Approaching the blacksmith shop where civilians are sheltering]**
Chen Wei's Qi Sense detected the western group of four bandits moving toward Wang Tie's forge - one of the designated safe houses where children and elderly villagers were hidden.
"Shit," he whispered.
"Wei'er! Language!"
"Sorry, father, but we have a problem. The western group is heading for Uncle Wang's shop. That's where the Zhao family's baby is hiding."
Chen Daoling's expression darkened. The Zhao family were neighbors and friends. Their six-month-old son was too young to understand the need for silence.
"Can you get a message to Wang Tie?"
"Too far, and I'd have to cross open ground."
Chen Wei made a decision that would change everything.
"Father, I need you to trust me. Stay here and watch the eastern group. If they get too close, start shooting arrows - you don't have to hit them, just make noise to alert everyone else."
"Where are you going?"
"To stop the western group from reaching the safe house."
"Wei'er, no! You're just a boy, you can't fight four armed bandits!"
"I'm not going to fight them directly. I have a better idea."
Before his father could stop him, Chen Wei was moving through the shadows toward Wang Tie's blacksmith shop. His cultivation-enhanced speed and agility let him cover ground much faster than a normal person.
As he ran, he activated his Spiritual Shield technique - a thin layer of Qi that would protect him from light attacks and muffle sound.
**[Chen Wei - Combat Status]**
**[Technique Active: Spiritual Shield]**
**[Stealth: Enhanced by cultivation]**
**[Plan: Misdirection rather than direct confrontation]**
---
## [Wang Tie's Blacksmith Shop - 2:50 AM]
The western bandit group was only fifty meters from the blacksmith shop when Chen Wei intercepted them. He could hear faint sounds from inside the building - hushed whispers, a baby making soft noises, the shuffle of people trying to stay quiet.
The bandits had heard it too.
"There's people in there," one of them said with obvious satisfaction. "Sounds like women and children."
"Perfect," their leader replied. He was a thin man with a cruel face and twin daggers. "Hostages make everything easier."
**[Western Bandit Leader: Twin-Blade Wu]**
**[Cultivation: Qi Gathering 5th Level]**
**[Personality: Cruel, enjoys terrorizing innocents]**
**[Weakness: Overconfident against "harmless" opponents]**
Chen Wei couldn't let them reach the safe house. But four Qi Gathering opponents were far beyond his ability to fight directly.
Time for more psychological warfare.
Chen Wei circled around behind the bandits and activated his Qi Enhancement technique. He picked up a handful of stones and threw them in a wide arc, using spiritual energy to make them whistle through the air in an unnatural pattern.
The stones landed around the bandits in a perfect circle, each one glowing with faint blue light for several seconds.
"What the hell?" Twin-Blade Wu spun around, daggers ready.
"Boss, that's the same blue light the others reported," one of his men said nervously.
"Ghosts don't throw rocks," Wu snarled, but his voice was uncertain.
Chen Wei threw his voice using Qi manipulation, making it seem to come from multiple directions at once: "Leeeaaave... this... plaaaace..."
The ghostly whisper echoed off the buildings, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere.
Two of the four bandits actually took a step backward.
"It's just tricks!" Wu shouted, but he was gripping his daggers tighter. "Someone's playing games!"
Chen Wei decided to escalate. He gathered as much spiritual energy as he could manage and projected it outward in a pulse of intimidating aura - not enough to hurt anyone, but enough to feel distinctly unnatural.
**[Technique: Spiritual Intimidation]**
**[Effect: Projects cultivation aura to mimic supernatural presence]**
**[Target Response: Three bandits now genuinely frightened]**
"Boss, I don't like this," one bandit said. "Maybe we should go back to the main group."
"The spirit doesn't want us near that building," another added. "What if there's something cursed inside?"
Twin-Blade Wu looked torn between greed and supernatural fear. The sounds from the blacksmith shop indicated valuable hostages, but the ghostly phenomena were getting stronger.
Chen Wei made the decision for him.
He enhanced his voice with spiritual energy and projected it from directly inside the blacksmith shop: "WHOOO DISTURBS MY REEEEST?"
The voice boomed out, clearly supernatural and clearly angry.
That was enough. Three of the four bandits broke and ran back toward the main group.
But Twin-Blade Wu stood his ground, daggers ready. "I don't care if you're man, ghost, or demon - I'm getting into that building!"
He charged toward the shop entrance.
Chen Wei realized with horror that his psychological warfare had failed on the most dangerous opponent. Wu was too greedy and too cruel to be deterred by fear.
The bandit leader reached the shop door and raised his dagger to strike it down.
That's when Wang Tie stepped out of the shadows behind the building.
**[Wang Tie - Combat Mode Activated]**
**[Former Imperial Army Captain - Full Battle Experience]**
**[Weapon: Military spear with Qi enhancement]**
**[Cultivation: Qi Gathering 4th Level (No longer suppressed)]**
"You picked the wrong building, bandit," Wang Tie said calmly.
Twin-Blade Wu spun around, shocked to find an armed opponent where he expected helpless civilians.
"Who are you? Just a village blacksmith!"
Wang Tie's spear moved in a perfect military thrust - fast, precise, and backed by years of professional training. "Former Captain Wang Tie, Third Imperial Army. And you're trespassing."
**[Combat: Wang Tie vs Twin-Blade Wu]**
**[Experience Advantage: Wang Tie (Professional soldier vs common bandit)]**
**[Cultivation Advantage: Wu (5th Level vs 4th Level)]**
**[Terrain Advantage: Wang Tie (Familiar ground)]**
The fight was brutal and fast. Wu's daggers were quicker, but Wang Tie's spear had reach and his technique was flawless. Every movement was economical and deadly - the difference between a trained soldier and a self-taught criminal.
Wu managed to slip past the spear point and get inside Wang Tie's guard, but the blacksmith reversed his grip and used the spear shaft to block both daggers while driving his knee into Wu's stomach.
The bandit doubled over, gasping, and Wang Tie's spear point found his throat.
"Yield," Wang Tie said quietly.
Wu's eyes showed he was considering a desperate attack, but then he saw something in Wang Tie's face - the cold professionalism of someone who had killed many times in battle.
"I yield," Wu whispered.
**[Combat Result: Wang Tie victory]**
**[Casualties: None (Wu captured alive)]**
**[Western Approach: Secured]**
**[Safe House: Protected]**
Chen Wei watched from the shadows with amazement. His psychological warfare had eliminated three opponents and forced the fourth into single combat with a hidden expert. It was exactly how these scenarios were supposed to work.
But the fight had been loud enough to alert the other bandit groups.
**[Alert: Battle Status Change]**
**[Northern Group: Investigating noise, approaching Wang Tie's position]**
**[Eastern Group: Accelerating village penetration]**
**[Village Defenders: First combat successful but position compromised]**
Through his Advanced Qi Sense, Chen Wei could feel both Zhang Kuang and Li Shan moving toward the blacksmith shop. The two Foundation Building bandits were coming to investigate, and they would arrive in less than two minutes.
Wang Tie was strong, but he couldn't face two opponents who significantly outclassed him in cultivation level.
Chen Wei made another crucial decision.
He stepped out of the shadows into Wang Tie's view.
"Uncle Wang! The bandit leaders are coming - two of them, both much stronger than this one!"
Wang Tie looked surprised to see Chen Wei, but his military training kept him focused on tactics. "How do you know?"
"I can... I can sense their spiritual energy since my head injury. They feel much more powerful than normal people."
**[Partial Truth: Revealing cultivation senses without admitting full abilities]**
**[Wang Tie's Response: Acceptance (Crisis situation, no time to question)]**
Wang Tie's expression hardened. "Foundation Building opponents?"
"I think so. What do we do?"
Wang Tie looked at his captured opponent, then at the blacksmith shop full of civilians, then at Chen Wei.
"We run. I can't protect the safe house against Foundation Building cultivators. But first..." Wang Tie struck Wu on the back of the neck with the spear butt, knocking him unconscious. "We need to get everyone out of the shop and to the secondary safe house."
"Where's that?"
"The grain storehouse where Old Man Feng is stationed. The walls are thicker, and..." Wang Tie paused, then seemed to make a decision. "Feng has more experience with strong opponents than he admits."
Chen Wei nodded. Another hidden cultivator was about to be revealed.
Wang Tie quickly opened the shop door. "Everyone out, quietly and quickly! Head for the grain storehouse! Single file, no talking!"
Fifteen villagers emerged from the blacksmith shop - women, children, and elderly folk who couldn't fight. Among them was the Zhao family with their baby.
"Thank you for protecting us," Mrs. Zhao whispered to Wang Tie as she passed.
"Thank the boy," Wang Tie replied. "He stopped the others from reaching you."
As the civilians hurried toward the grain storehouse, Chen Wei felt the approaching Foundation Building auras getting closer.
"Uncle Wang, they're almost here."
"I know. Can you get back to your father safely?"
Chen Wei nodded, though he had no intention of leaving. His Qi Sense was too valuable for coordination, and there might be more opportunities to help without direct combat.
"Go. And Wei'er?" Wang Tie's expression was serious. "Whatever's happening with your abilities since the accident - don't let anyone else know unless you have to. Some secrets are dangerous."
**[Wang Tie: Suspects Chen Wei has hidden depths]**
**[Advice: Stay concealed until necessary]**
**[Relationship: Upgraded from neutral to protective ally]**
Chen Wei nodded and melted back into the shadows as Zhang Kuang and Li Shan rounded the corner near the blacksmith shop.
**[Bandit Leaders: Arriving at Wang Tie's position]**
**[Foundation Building vs Qi Gathering: Massive power difference]**
**[Wang Tie's Status: Preparing for tactical retreat]**
But as Chen Wei moved through the darkness, his Advanced Qi Sense detected something that changed everything.
Old Man Feng was moving from the grain storehouse toward the blacksmith shop. And his spiritual signature was no longer suppressed.
**[Old Man Feng - True Power Revealed]**
**[Cultivation: Foundation Building 3rd Level]**
**[Status: Former Iron Fist Sect Elder entering combat mode]**
**[Martial Technique: Mountain Crushing Palm preparing to activate]**
The hidden master was about to face the bandit leaders directly.
Chen Wei smiled grimly. The real battle was just beginning.
**[Battle Status: Phase 1 Complete]**
**[Western Approach: Secured, 1 bandit captured]**
**[Northern/Eastern Groups: Converging on blacksmith area]**
**[Hidden Cultivators: 2 revealed, preparing for major combat]**
**[Chen Wei's Role: Scout/Support successful so far]**
**[Success Rate: 56% → 64%]**
**[Chapter 7 Complete]**
**[Next: The Hidden Master Reveals Himself]**