Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ren Pingsheng spent two days consolidating his cultivation and mastering the excess power he had gained before finally leaving the room at the Inn.
This nearly month-long retreat had allowed him to make significant progress in both strength and temperament. The results were naturally gratifying, but whether he could complete the upcoming mission depended not only on his strength but also on his luck.
He was uncertain whether the displayed strength of the Bandits at Dapan Mountain was accurate or if there were hidden aspects. If it was just as it appeared now—two at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement and two at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement—he might take some risks with a chance of success. However, if there were hidden dangers, it could be truly perilous.
As for what the Town Mayor had said about someone sneaking in and overhearing the Bandits' strength, he was quite skeptical. Setting aside the intruder's strength, even if someone did manage to infiltrate, it would be too coincidental to encounter all four Bandit leaders and learn their cultivation levels.
If he truly encountered these four Bandit leaders, whether he could escape was another matter! Was there really someone so selfless as to risk getting trapped or even severely injured just to ascertain the Bandits' strength? Ren Pingsheng doubted it.
Therefore, in the coming days, he needed to clarify the exact strength of the Bandits at Dapan Mountain. Otherwise, he might have to abandon this mission. Gaining experience is beneficial, but losing one's life would be entirely not worth it.
"My lord, the person you asked me to keep an eye on has left town. Judging by his direction, he seems to be heading towards Dapan Mountain," said a plain-looking Middle-aged Man to a figure in black.
"Very good. Inform me of any new developments. Here is your reward," the figure in black said expressionlessly as he tossed a piece of silver. He thought to himself, "The target must be going to scout Dapan Mountain. I heard this mission is to eliminate the Bandits there; what an overconfident fellow. But that’s even better; the more foolish the target, the easier it will be to accomplish."
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you!" The Middle-aged Man gratefully accepted the silver, expressing his joy with a couple of thanks before carefully leaving.
"Hmph, I didn't expect this guy to travel day and night without stopping for a moment. It caused me to lose track of him. Luckily I know the destination; otherwise, it would have been troublesome," muttered the figure in black.
"This mission target seems like quite an interesting person; it's just a shame that someone wants your life. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind getting to know you."
"Just observing from the outside won't reveal much; it looks like I'll need to move around a bit tonight." After circling around Dapan Mountain for some time, Ren Pingsheng reached this conclusion.
The stronghold should be built at the highest point of Dapan Mountain! Hopefully, their defenses won't be too strict. After glancing at those vaguely visible structures at the peak, he resolved to sneak into the stronghold at night and began paying attention to nearby mountain shapes, routes through the mountains, and potential hiding spots he could utilize.
"Very well, just waiting for tonight. I hope this time things go smoothly, and we can complete the mission and return early." Ren Pingsheng clapped his hands and turned to leave.
At midnight that night, Ren Pingsheng, who had been sitting quietly in the Inn, suddenly became a blur and disappeared from the room. When he reappeared, he was already three miles outside of Panshan Town. At the same time, another figure in black also vanished from a nearby location.
Returning to the spot he had occupied during the day, Ren Pingsheng gazed at Dapan Mountain in the darkness. From halfway up the mountain, lights began to flicker intermittently, and there were also lights at the peak. It seemed that these bandits were quite capable; their nighttime defenses showed no signs of slackening.
At this moment, Ren Pingsheng was dressed entirely in black with his face covered. As someone relatively new to the area, he believed no one would recognize him. This also facilitated his actions.
After staying at the foot of the mountain for about an hour, he made a slight movement and headed towards the summit. He continuously observed his surroundings, making every effort to conceal himself in the darkness. At the slightest rustle or movement, he immediately concealed himself and halted his advance.
"I didn't expect these bandits to be so tightly patrolled; this situation is unusual! How can a mere group of bandits be as organized as an army?" Ren Pingsheng thought to himself when he encountered the twentieth bandit patrol.
There was definitely something wrong; it wasn't just that the patrols were strict. It felt as if these bandits had undergone specialized training; they did not resemble typical bandits at all. Instead, they seemed more like soldiers.
"Bandits? Soldiers? There’s something wrong with Dapan Mountain; something major!" Ren Pingsheng took a deep breath and decided to continue exploring. Since he had accepted the mission, he needed to strive to complete it.
If he encountered difficulties and simply gave up without doing anything, that would be irresponsible. In the future on the path of a warrior, would he also give up when faced with challenges? If so, his Warrior's Path would surely not go far.
"This is only halfway up; it seems that patrols at the peak will be even stricter. I must be cautious!" He made his decision and slowly vanished into the night.
"Why do I feel so uneasy after coming here? Could there really be some secret at the peak? Is there a possibility of encountering someone at the Perfected Qi Refinement Stage? That can't be!" Shortly after Ren Pingsheng disappeared, a black-clad figure appeared at his previous location, though his expression was one of surprise and doubt.
At this time on the mountaintop, however, it was brightly lit. Inside the spacious Council Hall, five people were seated discussing something, laughing and chatting.
"Big Brother, what do you think is bringing our superior here tonight?" one of them asked.
"I am not too sure about this either. I suppose once the adult arrives, we will know. Let's wait patiently for a while!" The one referred to as the Big Brother, known as Brute, also looked somewhat puzzled.
"Big Brother, a while ago, Fifth Brother was idle and sent someone to extort two hundred thousand taels of silver from Panshan Town. In three or four days, it will be time; I wonder if we can make a big profit this time. Our expenses are not small," said a young man with a refined appearance, Scholar-like Young Man, with a light laugh.
"Third Brother, when did this happen? How come I haven't heard about it?"
"Big Brother has been in seclusion seeking a breakthrough, right? Besides, it was Fifth Brother's sudden idea; I only found out later."
"I have a rough guess as to why the adult is coming," the big man said with a somewhat grim expression.
"Big Brother, could it be... this matter?" Scholar-like Young Man asked in surprise.
"There is a high possibility, but it shouldn't be a big problem. Besides, maybe I'm wrong. We'll know once the adult arrives."
"Yes, but why is there a group of people heading up the mountain?" Ren Pingsheng exclaimed in shock as he approached the mountain top and saw a group of people dressed in black not far away. They were clearly not the Bandits of Dapan Mountain; they exuded an aura of killing intent that was far beyond what these Bandits could compare to, even if they had undergone training.
"Strange things are happening today. However, that great hall is brightly lit; all the leaders should be inside. If we could sneak in there... but that would be too dangerous. The top of the hall might offer an opportunity."
He set his sights on the area above the hall; as long as he could overhear their conversation, that would suffice. Although the surroundings were also brightly lit, the back was slightly dimmer, so there might still be a chance.
Ren Pingsheng hid behind some grass, his eyes fixed intently on the brightly lit main entrance of the hall where patrolling Bandits were present, leaving him no chance to get close.
After about a quarter of an hour, when a patrol team passed by, suddenly one Bandit muttered something to them and then ran towards the woods alone.
Ren Pingsheng's eyes brightened immediately; he knew an opportunity had come. He quietly followed after him.
At a glance, it was clear that this Bandit was either in urgent need or had eaten something bad. It was a perfect opportunity to use this identity to reach the back of the main hall and seek a chance to get to the top.
Watching the Bandit ahead, whistling as he walked deeper into the woods, Ren Pingsheng naturally did not hold back. Seeing that the surroundings were dark and no one was paying attention, he swiftly moved and knocked the Bandit unconscious in the midst of his shocked expression.
This time, he didn't hold back; it would be easy enough for him to sleep until tomorrow morning. For now, it seemed unlikely that anyone would notice.
He hid the unconscious Bandit in a patch of grass behind him. Ren Pingsheng immediately changed into the Bandit's clothes, altering his appearance to resemble that of the Bandit. He then slowly made his way back. However, he wouldn’t join that group of Bandits; doing so would definitely expose him. Instead, he headed alone toward the back of the main hall.
“Captain, why has Zhang San been gone for so long? What if something happened?” The group of Bandits had waited for a while without seeing him return and were starting to grow impatient.
“What could happen here? I bet that guy is just spending too much time with some girl; even a quick trip to relieve himself is taking too long,” the Captain said with an expression that suggested everyone understood. The others chuckled in agreement.
“Alright, let’s continue our patrol. That guy will catch up with us eventually.” The team resumed their patrol, temporarily forgetting about their missing member. Fortunately, they didn’t go looking for him; otherwise, Ren Pingsheng might have been exposed.
On his way, Ren Pingsheng brushed past two patrol teams. Although some looked at him with suspicion, no one questioned him further. He smoothly arrived at the back of the main hall, which was indeed darker. Many areas were shadowy, and there were fewer patrolling Bandits.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Ren Pingsheng slipped into a dark corner. After observing his surroundings for a while without anyone approaching, he lightly touched the ground and flickered several times until he reached the top of the main hall.
The black-clad figure who had been following Ren Pingsheng also reached the mountaintop. However, when he saw the main hall, his pupils contracted sharply.
“That heart-pounding feeling is so intense; there must be experts inside this hall. I didn’t expect that among this group of Bandits, there would be someone above the Refining Qi Tenth Layer.” The black-clad figure hesitated for a moment before finding a corner to hide in, refraining from making any rash moves.
Comment 0 Comment Count