At that moment, the sturdy, middle-aged female guard, Aunt Hu, paled instantly.
She grew tense and rushed over, pulling Young Master Wei behind her.
Her eyes were fixed on the Jade Pendant the bandit had snatched.
Brimming with the desperate urge to get it back.
'Make a move! Do something!'
Xu Lei did nothing, merely urging her on in his mind. 'Use your other Extraordinary abilities! Get the Jade Pendant back!'
Unfortunately, to Xu Lei's disappointment, Aunt Hu ultimately didn't fight back at all.
Instead, the bandit proceeded to search her and take all her other valuables.
Xu Lei couldn't help but frown.
He glanced over at Hui Ming, but two bandits now held blades to his neck, and he didn't dare resist either.
Ordinarily, a Martial Monk from Longyuan Temple could handle five or six men without issue, but they were badly outnumbered, and archers had them in their sights.
"What a beauty!"
Just then, another tall, burly bandit's eyes lit up as he stared at Zhang Xiaomai. He stepped forward, clearly intending to molest her.
"What do you want? Stay back!"
Zhang Xiaomai stumbled back two steps.
Ending up behind Xu Lei.
"My lord, I would rather die than be dishonored."
She then pressed a small fruit knife, the one she'd used earlier to peel fruit, against her own slender neck. Her eyes were moist, but her gaze was resolute as she spoke.
With so many bandits, she knew Xu Lei couldn't possibly protect her.
The burly bandit's actions made Young Master Wei, Aunt Hu, Hui Ming, and Xu Lei all turn pale.
After all, another of the bandits had just shouted that they wouldn't take lives or virtue.
Yet in the blink of an eye, they showed their true colors.
Then again, they were bandits, after all.
What kind of honor could you expect from them?
But Zhang Xiaomai's actions surprised and even moved Xu Lei.
To be honest, aside from a physical attraction, Xu Lei felt no particular emotional connection to Zhang Xiaomai.
After all, he had simply bought her with silver.
It was a simple transaction, a product of this sinful, feudal world.
It was like buying a piece of merchandise.
As such, Xu Lei wasn't exactly gentle with her.
He might have seemed to treat her well on the surface.
But in truth, he treated her like an object.
In their intimate moments, he was demanding and commanding, and in daily life, he ordered her around constantly.
But now, her decisiveness had taken him completely by surprise.
Their relationship was, after all, a mere transaction. Even if the bandits killed him,
with Zhang Xiaomai's looks, she could certainly survive among them.
She could even attach herself to a bandit leader and perhaps live quite well.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Just then, the taller, thinner masked bandit who had previously shouted about not taking lives or virtue, spoke up. "Didn't we agree? We only take their money, not their virtue.
That way, we leave them an out, and we keep a shred of our conscience!
And our victims won't fight us to the death!
What are you trying to do now?"
"Boss, this rule of yours is a real pain! 'Only taking money, not virtue'—what crap!"
the burly bandit grumbled in defiance. "We're bandits now! What are we doing talking about conscience?
What's the point of leaving them an out?
Anyone we can rob is obviously weaker than us!
And we can't rob anyone who's stronger than us anyway!
A looker like this, we just find her and let her go?
Let's take her back to the mountain, and tonight the brothers can all take a turn!
Go on, ask the boys if that's what they want too!"
At the burly bandit's words, a stir went through the rest of the group.
But when the tall, thin leader's sharp gaze swept over them, they didn't voice their agreement.
Still, while many remained silent, a few did chime in with their support.
'These bandits are fighting amongst themselves right here and now?'
Xu Lei stared, stunned. 'What a ridiculous way to be a bandit,' he thought.
Of course, Xu Lei's expression was grim as well.
Truth be told, Xu Lei had no idea that such a large band of fierce outlaws had gathered in these mountain forests.
So, right now, Xu Lei was out of options.
He had practiced Martial Arts Training for over a decade, but it was only ever for general fitness.
He certainly couldn't fight off so many burly men by himself.
Therefore, he had no way to protect Zhang Xiaomai.
And so, in that instant, Xu Lei didn't try to stop Zhang Xiaomai from taking her own life to protect her honor.
It was selfish, he knew.
But he truly didn't want to see his woman be defiled by another man.
Of course, back when he was engaging in "Charitable Giving" with the female Devotees at Longyuan Temple,
he had slept with one female Devotee after another.
But back then, those female Devotees,
they were all other men's wives.
They were never truly his women.
But Zhang Xiaomai, though bought, truly belonged to him.
He considered her his woman.
Her first time had belonged to him; her body and her very life belonged to him.
Even Zhao Xiaocha—he had taken her first time as well.
But in his heart, Xu Lei had never considered Zhao Xiaocha his woman.
She was just another special female Devotee.
Strictly speaking, Zhao Xiaocha belonged to another man.
She was a member of another family.
The male instinct was to protect one's own woman.
So, naturally, Xu Lei wanted to protect Zhang Xiaomai.
But at this moment, there seemed to be no good way to handle the situation.
"If you die, I will die with you. And I swear, in the next life, I will avenge you." These were the only words Xu Lei could think to say to Zhang Xiaomai.
Death? Xu Lei himself wasn't particularly afraid of it.
After all, he had the Ten Thousand Lives Book and still had 9,999 lives left.
He had already sired a great many descendants.
It was just that Xu Lei had wanted to use this life, while he was still young,
to travel the world and see its sights.
He wanted to continue siring more children to strengthen his reincarnation insurance.
And at the same time, he wanted to search for traces of the Extraordinary.
But unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaomai wasn't even pregnant yet,
and now he might have to bite the dust.
And although the Jade Pendant around Young Master Wei's neck was strange, she didn't seem to possess any special abilities herself.
Hui Ming was strange, too, but with a long blade pressed against his neck, what could he possibly do?
And so, at that moment, Xu Lei...
...prepared for the worst.
If Zhang Xiaomai died for his sake,
he would die with her.
That would be his answer to her devotion.
But before Xu Lei could say these words to Zhang Xiaomai,
something unexpected happened.
It wasn't Young Master Wei or Aunt Hu unleashing some strange, Extraordinary power.
Nor was it Hui Ming suddenly revealing some incredible, Extraordinary ability.
Instead, a young, masked bandit suddenly cried out in excitement.
"Divine Monk, is that you?"
"Are you Divine Monk Wu Tan from Longyuan Temple?"
"It has to be, right?"
"Divine Monk, hello! It is an honor!"
"I am— I mean, I was once fortunate enough to visit Longyuan Temple with my elders to pray. I saw you once then, Divine Monk!"
"My elders told me that a fortune-teller said I would only live to be fourteen!"
"But now, I'm twenty years old!"
"And it was you who gave me your blessing back then!"
The young bandit's words left all the other bandits stunned.
Young Master Wei, Aunt Hu, and Zhang Xiaomai were stunned as well.
After all, they had no idea that Xu Lei was Wu Tan.
Hui Ming knew, of course.
But even he was stunned at this moment.
He never expected that Xu Lei's reputation as a Divine Monk would be useful even here!
They were a considerable distance from Longyuan Temple!
Yet here was a believer!
Even Xu Lei was stunned.
Outwardly, of course, he remained perfectly calm.
He was, after all, pretending to be a Divine Monk!
He had been playing the part for seventeen or eighteen years!
He was a seasoned professional by now.
Originally, Xu Lei had set out on this journey not wanting to travel the world in the guise of a Monk.
He wanted to travel as a wealthy gentleman.
But it seemed now that his face was deeply etched in the memories of many who had visited Longyuan Temple.
It seemed he couldn't just put on the mask of a "wealthy gentleman," use a fake identity named Xu Lei, and live a life of unrestrained indulgence.
After all, if word of such behavior got out, it could damage the image of the Buddhist Sect.
Besides, in the current situation, it seemed these bandits respected the name 'Divine Monk Wu Tan'.
Previously, Xu Lei had wanted to stir up some trouble to test Hui Ming.
But Hui Ming hadn't shown any particular abilities.
He was still just an ordinary Martial Monk.
And with Zhang Xiaomai still being lusted after,
Xu Lei certainly didn't want to see her come to harm.
"Amitabha Buddha."
And so, Xu Lei raised a hand, removed his hat to reveal his shaved head, and placed his palms together. "Well said, well said," he intoned. "This humble monk, Wu Tan, greets you, benefactor.
I did not expect that this humble monk, traveling in plain clothes, would still be recognized by you.
Your devotion to the Buddha is truly heartfelt."
"Greetings, Divine Monk Wu Tan!"
Seeing Xu Lei's shaved head and hearing his familiar recitation of "Amitabha Buddha,"
the twenty-year-old bandit became excited all over again, as if he were instantly transported back to his time of worship at Longyuan Temple.
He bowed respectfully again. "Uh, Divine Monk, I didn't realize it was you. I have been rash and offensive. Please forgive me!"
Xu Lei merely gave a slight nod in response.
After all, as a "Divine Monk," one had to maintain a certain air.
If Xu Lei were a true Divine Monk with actual Magical Power and Divine Power, he wouldn't need to put on the airs of a lofty, eminent monk.
He could act as he pleased.
But since he was a fake, he had to carefully maintain his posture to be convincing.
"What? A Divine Monk?"
At this, the refined-looking Young Master Wei was also stunned. Her beautiful eyes shifted to Aunt Hu. "Ah, Aunt Hu, he's a Monk?"
"Divine Monk Wu Tan?"
Aunt Hu was equally astonished, whispering, "He's Divine Monk Wu Tan? How is that possible?"
After all, they had just spent the entire journey sharing a carriage with Xu Lei.
And they had witnessed all sorts of intimate, sensual scenes of him holding his beautiful, graceful maid, Zhang Xiaomai.
Such behavior was perfectly normal for any wealthy man.
But for a Monk, it was more than a little strange.
Especially a "Divine Monk"!
"What? My lord is a Monk?"
Zhang Xiaomai was completely floored. Her hand, still holding the small knife, trembled. Her cherry-red lips parted, and she swallowed hard, her pupils quivering in her beautiful eyes. "Divine Monk Wu Tan?
How is that possible? Isn't Divine Monk Wu Tan an Enlightened Monk, peerlessly holy and pure?
The man who bought me, who taught me all sorts of shameful things these past days...
The man who 'bullied' me day and night... is Divine Monk Wu Tan?
That's impossible!"