Niu Xiong swung his giant axe with both hands, bringing it down on Fang Han’s head with terrifying, Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering force!

The wind from the axe howled, as if the very air was being torn apart.

SWOOSH!

Fang Han’s expression remained unchanged. With a slight movement of his feet, he subtly executed the exquisite Wind Shadow Step. His body drifted to the side like a willow catkin in the wind, easily dodging the powerful and heavy blow.

At the same time, with a flick of his wrist, his Cyan Blade Sword transformed into a streak of cyan lightning, stabbing straight toward the opening under Niu Xiong’s ribs, exposed by the force of his attack.

Niu Xiong’s axe missed, smashing into the ground and leaving a deep crater.

Seeing the swift sword light stabbing toward him, he was startled and hastily brought his axe back to block.

CLANG!

The sword and axe met with a deafening crash.

A tremendous force washed over him. Fang Han used the momentum to drift backward, neutralizing the impact.

Niu Xiong, however, was forced back several steps by the sharp Power coming from the sword, a look of shock on his face.

This kid was actually just like him—a Late Stage of Eighth Grade Martial Artist.

He no longer doubted that the other was a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect. Only a major Sect like the Qingxuan Sect could produce such a young Late Stage Eighth Grade Martial Artist.

"Not bad, kid! Take this!"

Niu Xiong roared and charged again, his axe techniques grand and sweeping, powerful and heavy, stirring up vicious gusts of wind.

Fang Han responded calmly, pushing his Wind Shadow Step and Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship to their limits.

He didn’t clash with Niu Xiong’s brute strength head-on. Instead, he relied on his exquisite Body Technique and Swordsmanship to attack the openings and vital points between his opponent’s moves.

Niu Xiong had brute strength and the Inner Qi of a Late Stage of Eighth Grade martial artist, but he was completely suppressed by Fang Han. He was forced onto the defensive, roaring in frustration.

Within just a few moves, several bloody cuts appeared on his body. Though not fatal, they made him increasingly agitated.

Sky Splitting Gold-Breaking!

Spotting an opening, Fang Han’s Sword Technique suddenly changed. The sword light eerily bypassed the axe’s blade and stabbed precisely at Niu Xiong’s heart.

Niu Xiong’s face went pale with terror as he desperately twisted his body to dodge.

PFFT!

Although the sword tip missed his heart, it carved a gash so deep his bone was visible on the left side of his chest. Blood instantly stained his clothes crimson.

"AHH!"

Niu Xiong let out a wretched scream as pain and fear overwhelmed him. Realizing he was outmatched, he turned to flee.

"Trying to run?"

Fang Han snorted coldly. He pushed his Wind Shadow Step to its maximum, his figure flashing like lightning as he instantly caught up.

A flash of sword light!

A bloody line appeared on Niu Xiong’s throat. Blood sprayed wildly as the giant axe fell from his hands and his body collapsed limply.

"The Chieftain is dead!"

"Run!"

Seeing their strongest leader, the Chieftain, slain by Fang Han, the remaining bandits were scared out of their wits. They dropped their Weapons and scattered in all directions like startled birds and beasts.

The trading team’s guards seized the opportunity to give chase. A dozen or so bandits who weren’t fast enough were killed, but most managed to escape.

The bandits were routed, leaving behind nothing but chaos and dozens of corpses on the main road.

The stench of blood filled the cold air. The guards began to clean up the battlefield and collect the bodies of their fallen comrades, their faces showing a mix of relief at having survived and deep gratitude toward Fang Han.

Steward Qian wiped the cold sweat from his brow and hurried over to Fang Han. He bowed deeply, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Thank you for your timely rescue, Young Hero Fang! If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid the Longchang Trading Team would have been doomed today! I will never forget this kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, Young Hero, the Longchang Trading Team will do everything in its power to repay you!"

His words were sincere, not empty pleasantries.

"Steward Qian, there’s no need for such formalities. Since we are traveling together, it’s only natural that we look out for one another."

Fang Han sheathed his sword, his expression calm.

His gaze swept across the battlefield and landed on a scrawny bandit who had been captured by the guards and was trying his best to look inconspicuous.

This man’s Cultivation was around the Early Stage of Ninth Grade. He had been caught trying to escape during the chaos. Judging by how he had been shouting orders earlier, he was likely a minor leader.

Fang Han walked up to the man and looked at him with an indifferent gaze.

"Where is your den?"

The scrawny bandit felt the lingering killing intent on Fang Han and went limp with fear, collapsing to the ground and kowtowing repeatedly.

"Spare me, great hero, spare me! I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything! The stronghold is in Wutong Mountain, a little over ten li to the north. It’s well hidden, but I can lead the way!"

Completely spineless, he spilled everything to save his own skin, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube. He revealed the den’s location, the number of men left behind, and even a few secret paths.

Fang Han listened quietly, a plan already forming in his mind.

’These bandits have been entrenched here for years, robbing passing caravans. They must have accumulated a considerable amount of wealth.’

’Since I’ve run into them, there’s no reason to let them off.’

He looked at Steward Qian.

"Steward Qian, you all go on ahead. I have some personal business to attend to. I’ll catch up later."

Steward Qian was a sharp man and immediately understood what Fang Han was planning to do. He quickly said,

"Please, go ahead, Young Hero. We’ll travel slowly and wait for you in Qingshui Town, twenty li ahead."

Fang Han nodded and said no more. He had the ashen-faced minor leader guide him, and they disappeared into the dense woods beside the main road, heading for the bandits’ den.

「Deep within Wutong Mountain.」

In a hidden part of the forest, a crude stronghold of huts was built against the mountain.

The stronghold was in chaos. The bandits who had escaped earlier were still shaken, having brought back news that their Chieftain, Niu Xiong, was dead and their forces had been routed.

The dozens of bandits left behind were thrown into a panic.

"Not only is the Chieftain dead, but so are the other leaders! Anyone who wants to be a bandit can have the job, I’m done!"

"He might already be on his way here! Quick, let’s divide up the valuables and run for our lives!"

"Right! Split the loot and go our separate ways!"

Fear spread, and no one wanted to stay and wait for death.

The bandits scrambled to rush into the cave where the treasure was hidden. They haphazardly divided the gold, silver, jewels, and other valuables plundered over the years, stuffing them into their bags, ready to scatter.

"Trying to run? You’re all staying."

Just as the men had divided the loot and were about to flee the stronghold, a figure appeared outside, blocking their path. It was Fang Han.

He casually snapped the scrawny leader’s neck and tossed the body aside.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly throughout the stronghold, laced with a bone-chilling killing intent.

"He... he really followed us?!"

Seeing Fang Han, the bandits shrieked in terror as if they had seen a ghost and scattered in all directions.

SWOOSH!

Fang Han’s figure blurred as he plunged into the crowd.

Sword light flashed, and blood splattered.

Among the remaining bandits, the strongest was merely at the Early Stage of Ninth Grade. How could they possibly stop Fang Han?

He was like a tiger among sheep. Every time his sword flashed, a man fell.

However, there were simply too many bandits, and they were all fleeing in different directions. Even though he pushed his Wind Shadow Step to its limit, his figure flashing continuously across the area, he couldn’t possibly stop them all.

Many of the bandits used their familiarity with the terrain to escape with their bundles, disappearing deep into the mountain forest.

After the time it takes to eat a meal, a dead silence returned to the stronghold, leaving only dozens of corpses and scattered, miscellaneous valuables.

Fang Han stood in the center of the stronghold, panting slightly.

He frowned as he looked in the direction the bandits had fled into the forest.

’A man can only do so much. In the end, quite a few of them still got away with the loot.’

He gathered all the remaining valuables, including the Weapons of the dead bandits, and piled them up.

With a thought, he called out his system panel.

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 32x (Level 6 Amplification requires 1,000,000 silver)]

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 16x (Level 5 Amplification requires 100,000 silver)]

[Stepping Talent Amplification: 16x (Level 5 Amplification requires 100,000 silver)]

[Current Wealth: 0 silver]

"Recharge."

He focused his mind, and the gold, silver, jewels, and Weapons on the ground vanished instantly.

The wealth value on the panel began to jump wildly.

[Current Wealth: 10,025 silver]

[Current Wealth: 20,050 silver]

...

Finally, the number settled.

[Current Wealth: 27,512 silver]

’Almost thirty thousand!’

Fang Han couldn’t suppress the grin on his face.

Gaining nearly thirty thousand silver at once was a huge windfall.

He never expected to stumble upon such a windfall on his way home.

’A pity so many got away.’

A trace of regret flickered in Fang Han’s eyes.

If he could have wiped out the entire gang, the haul would have been even greater. But he was alone, and stopping all of them was simply beyond his ability.

As for asking the trading team’s guards for help, that was impossible. They had to protect the caravan’s goods.

’Dog-eat-dog is certainly a fast way to make money, but opportunities like this are rare and can’t be forced.’

The thought of hunting down bandits for profit crossed Fang Han’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

Bandits usually hid deep in the mountains and forests, making them difficult to track. If he hadn’t happened to run into this group and capture a minor leader to guide him, finding them would have been nearly impossible.

The last time he exterminated the Fierce Tiger Stronghold, it had taken him five days to find their lair, and that was with intelligence from the Sect.

If he really wanted to hunt down bandit gangs, he would have to spend a vast amount of time searching, with no guarantee of success, and it would delay his Cultivation.

SWOOSH!

Collecting himself, Fang Han didn’t linger. He turned and left, his figure disappearing into the vast mountain forest after just a few leaps.

Catching up with the trading team went smoothly.

When Steward Qian and the others saw Fang Han return, they were curious as to why he came back empty-handed, but they were tactful enough not to ask. Their attitude simply became even more respectful.

「One day later.」

The caravan reached a fork in the road. Fang Han parted ways with them there, turning toward Liangshui City.

He traveled alone for half a day before the familiar silhouette of the city finally appeared on the horizon.

The gray-black city walls looked somewhat solemn under the winter sun. The large characters for "Liangshui City" on the gatehouse were faintly visible.

A ripple went through Fang Han’s heart, and he quickened his pace.

He hadn’t been back in nearly a year, but the city seemed largely unchanged. With the new year approaching, however, the streets were much livelier than usual, filled with vendors selling festive goods. A holiday atmosphere filled the air.

Dressed in his Qingxuan Sect Disciple’s Robe, Fang Han’s calm demeanor drew quite a bit of attention as he walked down the street. Many passersby cast curious glances his way.

He paid them no mind and walked straight toward the Fang Mansion in the eastern part of the city.

However, he hadn’t gone far when snippets of a conversation between passersby reached his ears, causing him to pause.

"Sigh, it’s almost the new year, why are the Fang and Lin families fighting again? I heard they had another clash at the quarry outside the city a couple of days ago. Several Martial Artists died!"

"The two families haven’t had a moment’s peace all year, just constant friction. It’s got all us business folk in the city on edge."

"Yeah, both sides have lost a lot of good men this year. What a shame..."

"I wonder what the reason is. They’re at each other’s throats like fire and water."

...