Chapter 186 - 183: Brutal Slaughter
"Argh!" "SQUELCH!"
"SQUELCH!" "SQUELCH!"
The Triangular Mountain bandits were thrown into chaos by the charge of the Great River Gang members. Incessant screams echoed as the bandits were cut down, falling one by one into pools of their own blood. Many more fled, scattering in terror.
’Damn brat, to think he’d lay an ambush with so many men!’ The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief was filled with shock and fury. He was shocked because the men led by the youth in cyan were incredibly strong, slaughtering his bandits and leaving them utterly routed. He was furious because his bandits were suffering disastrous casualties. Dozens of men were dying every moment, and the number of casualties continued to climb. He knew the bandits he brought tonight were the elites of his village—the very foundation of his power to pillage the lands and plunder his victims. The death of even one pained him greatly, so how could he not be enraged as they were slaughtered in droves?
Despite his anger and fear, the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief was a significant figure in his own right and quickly assessed the situation. ’As long as there’s life, there’s hope,’ he thought. ’I’ll set aside today’s grudge for now and repay it in the future.’ With that, he immediately blended into the fleeing crowd, attempting to escape.
Suddenly—
SWISH!
A cyan figure flashed, and a young man in cyan robes wielding a Sharp Sword appeared, blocking his path.
"Brat, are you the Great River Gang Leader?" the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief demanded, his eyes filled with shock and anger.
"That’s right!" Ye Xing smiled faintly, his gaze peaceful, but the Treasure Sword in his hand dripped with blood. One crimson drop after another fell from its tip, staining the grass below. This was the blood of bandits, of course. These men had murdered, committed arson, and massacred entire villages in the surrounding area. They had committed every evil imaginable, their hands long since stained with the blood of countless innocents. In killing them, Ye Xing would naturally show no mercy.
Whether for moral reasons or for his own benefit, Ye Xing had to eradicate these bandits. The presence of bandits and highwaymen disrupted the commercial development of the entire region. After all, if hordes of bandits blocked the roads to rob travelers, trade routes would inevitably be obstructed. Most merchants would become extremely hesitant to do business. Aside from a few powerful merchant associations, smaller merchants would face even greater risks. Some might hire an Escort Agency for protection, but that was not a foolproof solution and came with its own dangers. After paying a hefty fee, if a merchant was lucky, the Escort Agency could successfully protect their cargo. But if their luck ran out and they encountered a large gang of bandits, they wouldn’t just lose their goods—they would likely lose their lives as well.
Thus, the existence of these bandits was a definite obstacle to economic development. Of course, this didn’t have much of a direct impact on Ye Xing for the time being. The trade caravans under his command were all escorted by members of the Great River Gang. If any bandits didn’t know what was good for them and tried their luck, the Great River Gang had the strength to annihilate them outright.
However, many of these bandits were utterly vicious, every one of them a desperate outlaw. For them, massacring villages and plundering were as common as eating a meal.
"My Triangular Mountain and your Great River Gang have always minded our own business. Why are you coming after us!" the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief said hurriedly. "Your Excellency’s Great River Gang is the top gang in Green River Town; your base and profits are there. My Triangular Mountain only operates on the roads between a few villages. We have no conflict of interest!"
"Sigh, you’re right, there’s no conflict of interest. But you *are* bandits. As the saying goes, ’When busy, perfect yourself; when idle, aid the world.’ And as it happens, I’ve been so bored lately I could die, so just think of this as me doing a little good deed for the villagers!" Ye Xing laughed.
The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s face paled. He continued, "Could Your Excellency spare me this one time? What happened just now was indeed the fault of my Triangular Mountain. I will be sure to offer a generous gift to apologize!"
The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief knew he was no match for Ye Xing, so his only option was to sue for peace. Before his breakthrough, Ye Xing’s strength might have been slightly inferior to the Great Village Chief’s. However, now that Ye Xing had achieved a breakthrough in his Sword Skill Realm, his power far surpassed the man’s. On top of that, the Great Village Chief had taken a blow to his right arm from Ye Xing’s sword, making him even less of a threat. He was clearly aware that he stood no chance; if he continued to fight, he would likely be cut down on the spot. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t defeat Ye Xing personally; his bandits were also no match for Ye Xing’s men. The Great River Gang’s members surpassed the Triangular Mountain bandits in both numbers and skill. The battle was completely one-sided.
Forget the fact that he could no longer beat Ye Xing—even if he were Ye Xing’s equal, he would still be doomed to die. Once his own men were defeated, he would inevitably be surrounded and swarmed by the members of the Great River Gang. This was why he was so desperate to sue for peace.
"Very good, very good!" Ye Xing said with a faint smile.
"Does that mean Your Excellency agrees?" A joyful expression appeared on the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s face; he was ecstatic.
"Mhm!" Ye Xing nodded. "I agree to accept your generous gift!"
Hearing this, the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s expression froze. His face turned pale, then a livid, furious shade. "What does Your Excellency mean by that?" he snarled.
"The meaning is perfectly clear, isn’t it? You said you’d offer me a generous gift, and I agreed to accept your generous gift! It’s that simple. Do you not understand?" Ye Xing said with a shrug.
"What I meant was, you accept the generous gift, and then...?" the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief asked anxiously.
"And then? And then I kill you, of course! Sigh, how embarrassing. You just had to make me say it out loud," Ye Xing lamented.
"You—" the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief roared. "Is Your Excellency repaying kindness with treachery?"
"Repaying kindness with treachery? I wouldn’t call it that. You haven’t shown me any kindness, so how could there be any treachery to repay it with!"
"If Your Excellency lets me go, I will present two thousand Gold Coins as a gift of gratitude," the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief said. "Otherwise, you won’t get a single coin!"
"Heh, if you don’t give them to me, I can just take them myself! I’ll just grab one of your subordinates, find out where your village is, and conquer it directly." Ye Xing’s eyes glinted as he smiled faintly. "Oh, that’s right. I heard you have a Treasure Map in your Triangular Mountain fortress! I’m really looking forward to seeing it!"
The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s expression changed dramatically.
"Brat, I’ll fight you to the death!" the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief roared, his eyes wild with fury. Then, he turned and fled, sprinting toward the densest part of the crowd.
"Huh?" Ye Xing was stunned for a moment.
One moment, the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief was putting on a furious display, acting as if he was going to fight Ye Xing to the death, and in the blink of an eye, he was fleeing for his life.
’Pretty cunning! But you won’t get away!’ Ye Xing’s figure blurred as he executed his Wind Shadow Step, rapidly closing the distance.
SWISH! SQUELCH!
SQUELCH!
As he pursued the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief, the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword in Ye Xing’s hand was not idle. With every decisive stroke, the heads of nearby bandits flew into the air, and blossoms of blood bloomed one after another. He left a storm of gore in his wake.