"Brother Tai's impressive skills enable him to hunt wild wolves deep within the Cangmang Mountains," the middle-aged man at the head said with a smile.
Wei Tao remained silent, his hands tucked inside his sleeves, each gripping an inverted stone.
After an indescribable silence, the middle-aged man seemed to have finally made a decision.
He raised the wooden spear in his hand. "Several of our brothers have come from Mo Province, and we are now so impoverished that all we have left are knives and guns. You should understand the implications of my words."
Wei Tao narrowed his eyes slightly. "You might as well be clearer."
Frowning, the middle-aged man said, "I believe you understand what I mean. Leave these two wolves behind, and you can go."
"The prey is within range now." Wei Tao paused for a moment and stepped back a few paces.
"Wait a minute." The middle-aged man's gaze fell on Wei Tao's waist, and his voice turned solemn. "Keep that Mountain Splitting Saber too."
Pa!
The two-foot-long Mountain Splitting Saber also fell to the ground.
"Can I leave now?" Wei Tao took a few more steps back and halted near a pit filled with dead leaves.
Behind him, he was less than five meters away from reaching the bend in the mountain road.
"I haven't given you permission to leave yet." The middle-aged man placed his left hand behind his back and made a veiled gesture. "Hand over all your valuable possessions."
"I have less than two taels of silver on me, and I'll give it to you." Wei Tao casually threw a few items forward.
Then, taking advantage of the moment when the others were distracted, he forcefully kicked away the pile of fallen leaves beneath his feet.
Crash-bang!
The dead leaves mixed with sand and dust flew violently, obstructing everyone's view.
Swoosh!
A feathered arrow shot swiftly, grazing Wei Tao's clothing and narrowly missing his chest by a foot.
Fallen leaves and dust settled, and Wei Tao's silhouette had disappeared from the open field.
The middle-aged man waved his hand, and several younger brothers gathered around him.
One of them picked up the bundle tied to the corpse of the red-capped gray wolf, while the others moved forward, ready to retrieve the Mountain Splitting Saber and the scattered pieces of silver on the ground.
"This kid is quite cunning. He used the pile of dead leaves to evade the second eldest's arrow. Be careful, don't let him attack from behind the corner."
The middle-aged man commanded his men, "Don't bother searching for those loose silver pieces. Get rid of that guy first."
Pa!
The mountain bandit at the front suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his eyes and wailing in pain.
Immediately after, the second person was also struck by a hidden weapon in the face, breaking his nose bridge. The intense dizziness caused him to collapse and vomit everything he had eaten in his last meal.
Swoosh!
An arrow flew from behind the bandit, but due to the blind spot created by the bend, it didn't pose a real threat like the previous two arrows.
This was followed by a second arrow, which narrowly missed the rocks around the corner and sailed over, causing Wei Tao, who was hiding behind, to break out in a cold sweat.
The archer on the other side was extremely accurate.
A great danger loomed over him.
If he could neutralize this threat, he would have the confidence to charge forward and eliminate all the remaining bandits, who numbered around a dozen.
Apart from the two bandits injured by the stones he had thrown earlier, Wei Tao hid behind the rock wall at the corner, never exposing his head again.
He could vaguely sense that the opposing archer was hiding in a high position, waiting for him to reappear.
The moment he left the protection of the protruding rock, a barrage of arrows would rain down on him.
Wei Tao had a rough idea of where the archer was concealed, but the distance of several dozen paces and the wide, unobstructed expanse before him created an impassable barrier, preventing him from taking any risks.
Both sides engaged in a battle of patience.
They were waiting for the other to make a mistake.
One wrong move could cost them their lives in this place.
The sky began to darken.
The wind picked up, carrying more moisture and coolness.
The leader of the bandits cast a glance at the tallest tree behind him, his face growing somewhat gloomy.
God, it will be dark soon.
At that time, the few individuals' greatest reliance would be significantly reduced, as their battle strength would be more than fifty percent diminished due to poor visibility.
It would be better to gather what they could while they still had a chance. The two wolf carcasses would provide them with enough food for a few days, and the skins could be sold for a good price.
However, the third and fourth bandits were injured by that guy, and they couldn't shake off the feeling of frustration if they didn't get their revenge.
The leader of the bandits hesitated when suddenly a whistle sounded from the tree behind him, prompting him to finally make up his mind.
He raised his hand and pointed forward, signaling his accomplices to slowly approach the protruding rock.
Before it was too late, if they could force that guy out from behind the boulder, it might create an opportunity for the second man to kill him with an arrow to the heart.
Several bandits provided cover and cautiously reached the corner.
After exchanging glances, they exerted their strength simultaneously, one after the other, attacking from both sides.
Huh!?
Behind the rocks, there was nothing but emptiness.
Several individuals couldn't help but be stunned.
At that moment, a sudden burst of dirt exploded from above, plastering their faces and heads.
The bandits were startled, and before they could react, a figure fell into their midst and struck one person's neck with a powerful punch.
Crack!
The bandit's head twisted at a horrifying angle, and he collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.
"Wind from all sides!"
Wei Tao bellowed, unleashing the group combat techniques of the Red Line Fist style, striking with lightning speed from left to right.
The bandits suddenly saw a blur before them as they were sent flying, hitting the ground with great force.
The leader of the bandits, who had just reached the rock, saw the dust from the fallen leaves and his accomplices being thrown out along with the leaves.
His scalp tingled, and even the Mountain Splitting Saber he had just acquired couldn't provide him with a sense of security.
Seeing a shadow moving toward him, the bandit leader instinctively turned and fled.
The sky wasn't completely dark yet, so as long as that person dared to chase him, the Second brother's arrow could send him to his grave!
The leader of the bandits ran frantically, feeling someone flying over him from behind. He summoned all his courage and shouted hoarsely, "Second brother!"
Swoosh!
Swoosh swoosh!
Three arrows in succession grazed his body, all finding their mark in the person chasing from behind.
"I'll see just how crazy you are!"
Upon hearing the sound of arrows piercing flesh, the leader of the mountain bandits couldn't help but burst into wild laughter. He stood up abruptly, turned around, and swung his slashing knife.
Crack!
The hunting knife sliced through the body that lunged at him, causing blood to splatter and cover his face.
The knife hit its mark, but the bandit leader's expression changed drastically. It was his little brother who had flown over.
More accurately, it was the corpse of his little brother.
In the next moment, a fierce gust of wind roared, and a massive fist, resembling a red-hot iron hammer, crashed heavily into his face.
Bang!
The leader of the mountain bandits let out a wretched scream as his face turned into a mosaic of red, white, and yellow.
He was sent flying backward by the force of the punch, crashing to the ground and lying motionless.
Wei Tao dispatched the bandit leader with a single punch, not pausing for a moment. He used the corpse of the bandit as a shield and continued to accelerate forward.
Swoosh!
Another feather arrow was fired.
But Wei Tao deftly blocked it with the bandit's corpse.
Not far from the large tree...
"This guy is insane," muttered a slender young man with unusually strong arms, his brows furrowing tightly.
He abandoned the idea of continuing to bend his bow and notch an arrow. Instead, he retrieved the longbow from his back and quickly climbed down and running away from the tree.