The bandit chief of Qingshan, a tall, burly man with a full beard, was fierce, his eyes savage. The other was hunched and scrawny, his face gaunt with no flesh, only his eyes holding treacherous calculations; he was clearly a villain of the lowest sort.
No wonder Qingshan was in such disarray; it was all due to the leadership of these two masters, Liu Liu thought, a somber smile gracing his tender lips as he fixed his gaze on the bandits above. After a moment of shock, the bandit roared.
“Who are you people, daring to trespass on Qingshan at night? Come, seize them!” the raspy voice rang out. The bandits, clearly jolted awake, scanned their opponents and cursed themselves for being overly cautious. After all, there were many of them; why should they fear these few?
Thus, emboldened by their numbers, the bandits grew arrogant and began to curse.
“Our boss is asking you a question! Speak up quickly, who are you people, daring to storm Qingshan at night? We’ll make sure you never leave.”
Hearing their words, Liu Liu couldn’t help but laugh, throwing his head back. The sound pierced the clouds, falling like sharp sword light into the bandits’ hearts. Many felt an discomfort in their chests, clutching them, and casting fearful glances. This youth possessed immense internal strength; he could shake people with his qi, causing their chests to ache intolerably.
Before Liu Liu could speak, Duanmu, standing beside him, stepped forward angrily, his face dark, and hurled curses back at the bandits.
“You son of a bitch! Your Lord Qi Ye has arrived, and you dare to be so ostentatious? Didn’t you rob our caravan? We’ve come to check you out and see how many heads you have to dare oppose our Seven Star Tower.”
As Duanmu finished speaking, the burly man at the front glanced at the thin man beside him and glared fiercely. Hadn’t he said the Seven Star Tower was nothing special? Did they look like nothing special?
Even Qingshan had been infiltrated; these were no ordinary individuals. It seemed a fierce battle was imminent tonight.
The moment the bandits heard the name Qi Ye, they became flustered. For Qi Ye was no easy opponent in the martial world. It was said he killed without blinking. Last time, he had slain the pirate chief of Chu River; many said they hadn’t seen him make a move, yet the pirate chief was dead, which spoke volumes about his speed.
The thought sent a chill down everyone’s spine, and they instinctively shifted away. The bandit leader, seeing their cowardly state, was furious. Though he too felt apprehensive and fearful, he relied on their numbers to maintain his bluster.
“Charge, everyone! Capture these people and mince them into meat paste, then throw them to the wild beasts in the back mountain.”
Hearing his words, Dai Mei let out a tinkling laugh, her voice alluringly charming. “Boss, you’re right. You’ve reminded us. We’ll definitely mince you into meat paste and throw you to the wild beasts in the back mountain later. Judging by the layers of fat on you, you should be much more useful than us.”
As Dai Mei’s voice rang out, the bandits’ eyes widened. They hadn’t expected the Seven Star Tower to have such a beautiful woman. Why were they all handsome men and beautiful women? As the bandits pondered, Liu Liu decided he didn’t want to waste any more words. He waved his hand and gave the order.
“Charge.”
At his command, the Seven Star Tower subordinates immediately became excited and leaped into the midst of the bandits. The bandits, seeing this, rushed to the platform, drew their sabers, and joined the fray. Amidst the clash of swords and the splash of blood, shouts and curses erupted, punctuated by groans of agony.
The bandit leader standing on the platform, witnessing his men’s ferocity, felt a tremor of fear.
Yet, he forced himself to remain calm, drawing his saber and lunging rapidly towards Liu Liu. Liu Liu didn’t move, merely tilting his head. The great saber whizzed past his ear.
He spun, his black hair flying, his coronet flashing, his long robes billowing. His hand grasped the soft sword at his waist, which he unfurled with lightning speed, thrusting it towards the lead bandit chief. The sword qi was overbearing, sharp, and swift, terrifying the bandit chief into defending with all his might, not daring a moment of carelessness.
The other, scrawny bandit also joined the fight. It was evident that these two individuals possessed considerable skill. The back-and-forth of sabers and swords demonstrated genuine martial prowess.
Unfortunately, their hearts were wicked. Such people had to be eliminated swiftly. Who knew how many people they had killed on this Qingshan? Today, they would avenge those wronged souls.
Blood mist filled the air, and cries of anguish echoed. The bandits, being a motley crew, could not withstand the killing intent of these martial arts masters. Soon, a small portion fell victim to the blades. The bandit chief, finally realizing the gravity of the situation, began to panic.
Seeing his distraction, Liu Liu’s long sword, like a rainbow breaking through the sky, flew swiftly and fiercely towards the bandit. In the instant he faltered, the sword pierced his chest and shot out, circling back into Liu Liu’s hand, dripping blood onto the ground.
At this moment, the bandit chief clearly found it unbelievable. With bloodshot eyes, he looked at his chest, then at the handsome youth before him, like a grim reaper from hell come to guide him across the Bridge of Helplessness. In his panic, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
With their leader dead, the bandits below immediately panicked, falling to their knees and pleading. Duanmu raised his sword to strike, but Liu Liu quickly called out softly, “Duanmu, that’s enough.”
Duanmu ceased his attack. The Seven Star Tower subordinates stepped back. On Qingshan, the ground was littered with corpses, blood flowed everywhere, and the air was thick with the stench of death.
The remaining bandits, terrified, wept on the ground. Though they were killers, they had never witnessed such a massacre. Each one was at a loss, feeling death’s proximity.
With just a word from the handsome youth, they would all fall by these swords.
Of the two bandit chiefs on Qingshan, one was dead. The scrawny, treacherous second-in-command, seeing that the situation was lost, quickly threw down his treasured sword and knelt with a thud, begging for mercy.
“Spare my life! We haven’t touched any of your lord’s goods; they are all returned. Furthermore, from now on, our Qingshan Village will submit to the Seven Star Tower. I am willing to serve as your loyal dog, only asking Lord Qi Ye to spare my life.”
The bandit pleaded on his knees, his rat-like eyes darting around, calculating how to deal with the situation once these people left.
For a moment, Qingshan was filled with pleas. Liu Liu surveyed the scene, his gaze falling upon the scrawny bandit chief. This villain, with his treacherous nature, was likely the mastermind behind many schemes.
A cold smile touched his lips. He raised his treasured sword, piercing the bandit chief’s chest. He looked up in disbelief at the sword in his chest and the youth before him. He had just been planning his future, and in the blink of an eye, he was dead.
He was unwilling! With wide, staring eyes, he joined his leader on the path to the Yellow Springs.
Liu Liu looked at the scene of desolation and turned to Duanmu behind him.
“From now on, Qingshan will be under your jurisdiction. Discipline these people and keep them ready for use. If anyone dares to cause trouble, throw them to the wild beasts in the back mountain immediately.”
As Liu Liu finished speaking, the remaining bandits, hearing that they could live, dared not utter another word and kowtowed in gratitude.