The bandits were led by a man who was clearly their leader. He had a scarred face, and there was a dangerous look in his eyes.
Long Ju knew that she had to be careful and try to stay close to Madam Zhang. If she tried to do anything reckless, the bandits could harm the elderly woman.
The four bandits looked around the tavern, and their leader gestured for them to be ready and stay alert.
"Hey, what do we have here, Madam Zhang? I see that you have a lot of customers today. That means you can finally pay your protection fee. " The bandit leader demanded gruffly, his voice rough and deep.
The bandits all tightened their grip on their weapons as their leader marched towards the group in the corner. In the corner of her eye, Long Ju caught the movement of one of the merchants, who was subtly unsheathing a blade from his sleeve. The leader took a few more strides towards the table, his eyes narrowing. "What's going on here?" He barked at the merchants.
"Just some strangers passing through," one of the merchants answered quickly, his voice still steady despite the danger. The bandits still looked sceptical, and their leader took one step closer. The tension in the room was so thick it was almost palpable. Long Ju knew that if she didn't act, violence was sure to break out. She thought quickly and took a deep breath. She stood up, knocking over her chair without a care.
"There's no need for violence," she said, trying to sound as calm and non-threatening as possible. "We're not causing any trouble."
The bandit leader frowned at her and stepped closer, staring at Long Ju. "It's not up to you to decide whether you're causing trouble, girl," he said, a sneer on his face.
Long Ju felt the three merchants beside her tense up. She could see them clenching their weapons and positioning themselves to intercept the bandits if the need arose. Long Ju didn't want to see that happen. The bandits were small fries, even in her injured and exhausted state, she could make minced meat out of them in a few seconds. It was only natural, the difference between a trained Aura warrior and a common thief was abysmal. But she wanted to avoid any scenario that would put Madam Zhang unnecessarily at risk. Also, even if she killed them here, that wasn't the end of the story for the villagers. She was leaving, but the other bandits in the area surely would seek revenge for their comrades and vent their anger on the innocent.
One of the bandits locked his eyes on her and approached her, his tone menacing and amused. "What do you think you're doing here, girl? Do you want to play the hero?" the bandit asked, his eyes studying her sword. "Give me your money and your sword now, and you won't get hurt."
Long Ju could see the anger and hunger in the bandits' eyes as they watched her, sizing her up. She felt them closing in on her and their boss slowly circling around her.
With a slight frown of condescension, she turned her head towards the one approaching her.
"Sorry, but I think you got that the wrong way around."
Before he could protest, Long Ju moved as if she were about to unsheathe her sword. But she stopped with it halfway through the movement, the metal tip of her weapon almost touching the bandit's throat. The bandit froze, his expression going blank with sudden fear. In this position, he had only two choices: to comply with Long Ju's demands or to risk death.
"I'm not afraid to fight you. I'm simply granting you mercy." Long Ju's expression and tone were cold and ruthless. Her Aura was in full motion, reinforcing her weakened legs and coursing through her veins, giving her newfound energy.
"There's no need for violence, as I said," Long Ju tried again. "I'm willing to negotiate with you, but please don't make me use force."
The bandit leader was clearly not happy with her response; he gripped his sword and stepped forward, a smile on his face.
Long Ju analysed the situation calmly. The bandits were about to surround her. For a normal swordsman, this would have been a dangerous situation. But she was an Aura user, albeit just a novice. She knew that she was stronger and faster than anyone in the room, but she hoped there would have been no need to shed any blood. She briefly took notice of the merchants and Madam Zhang's positions, making sure they were out of range in case any of the criminals intended to take hostages.
It was baffling to her. Could they not sense the stark difference between their pathetic Aura and the raging storm she was about to unleash on them? Were they fearless or stupid? Regardless, if they didn't give up soon, the only thing they were going to be was corpses.
"This is the last warning. If you don't lower your weapons and leave, I will start attacking. And I'm too tired and hurt to subdue you. I'll kill you."
The bandits were taken aback by her confident tone, and for a moment there was a brief pause in their menacing advances. But then, the bandits laughed, their voices harsh and mocking.
"You're just a little girl," the bandit leader sneered. "What can you possibly do against us?"
The bandits exchanged glances and laughed again. Long Ju could feel their boldness returning. The leader moved his weapon threateningly and stepped closer, closing the distance between himself and Long Ju.
She sighed. The sword that was just a hair width away from the henchman's throat moved at an absurd speed. In just a blink, the man's head was on the floor and the leader was missing both arms.
The bandit stared at his arms lying on the floor, his expression changing from shock to fear when he realized how close he had been to dying. The other crooks were stunned by the sharpness of Long Ju's attack, but before they could try anything, she had cut off the leader's head.
Long Ju moved with practised efficiency, her sword dancing through the air with blinding swiftness. In less than a second, she had cut through the scumbags before their brains had even realized what was happening.
Long Ju turned to the group of merchants, her expression sombre. "Are you alright?" she asked, scanning the room for any stray bandits. "I'm afraid I was left with no choice."
The merchants' faces were ashen, their eyes wide with shock. "We're… we're fine, milady," one of them croaked, his voice trembling.
"I just don't understand. They could have just left. Why fight a losing battle?" Long Ju frowned.
Everyone was still in shock, their eyes fixated on the scene that had just played out in front of them. Two of them were even shaking. Long Ju, however, was not as affected by the violence. She had been trained since birth to remain calm in stressful situations and to think rationally and strategically. Her calmness was almost unsettling to the merchants.
One of the merchants approached her slowly, his eyes filled with both fear and respect.
"You...you were incredible," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "How are you so fast and so strong? It was like...like a hurricane of blades. Are you an Aura master?"
Long Ju almost burst out laughing. If it weren't for Madam Zhang's grave look and the blood splattered on the floor, she'd have let out a chuckle. Aura masters were entities way beyond her current level. While every living being had Aura, the feats that an Aura master and a normal human being could accomplish with it were vastly different. The massacre that just happened was proof enough of that, and she was but a novice, barely above a trained Aura user.
"No," Long Ju replied, still trying not to grin. "I merely applied the basics of Aura combat. It was nothing special."
The merchant seemed disappointed with Long Ju's comment. He had been hoping that he had witnessed the start of a legend.
"If that's just a beginner's trick," another merchant spoke up, his voice quivering a bit, "what kind of monsters are Aura masters? And who are you?"
Long Ju weighed her words carefully.
"I am but a wandering swordsman."
Madam Zhang took a step forward, the expression on her face serious. She cleared her throat to get their attention.
"What do you plan on doing now?" she asked calmly, looking at Long Ju.
Long Ju looked down at her bloodstained sword and then back up at Madam Zhang.
"I planned to stay in this town for the night," Long Ju replied after a moment of thought. "After the last few days, I think I could certainly use a rest. Hopefully I can stay until tomorrow."
Long Ju looked around the tavern, her eyes settling on the merchant who had complimented her. While she knew that there was still much to learn about Aura and many challenges ahead of her, it felt good to know that her efforts had been appreciated by someone. Her expression softened a little.
Madam Zhang let out a small sigh and nodded. "You can stay for the night," she agreed, "but you have to promise me you will leave tomorrow."
Long Ju nodded again. She had no objections to Madam Zhang's request. There wasn't enough time to do anything else that day anyway.
As the sun started setting, the merchants and Long Ju gradually began retiring to their rooms. The tavern became much quieter and calmer, the atmosphere much different than the chaotic one just an hour ago.
Long Ju sat on her bed. It was a surreal change from the scene earlier in the day. It was hard to believe that she had just killed several thugs and saved the lives of people she had never even met before.
Long Ju stared at her sword and wondered how many more lives would be saved by it in the future. She knew that she wasn't strong enough to stop alone the hundreds of bandits in this area. She knew there were going to be consequences for her choices. But she felt that maybe there was something more to be learned from all this. Something about the path she wanted to follow, about the kind of person she wanted to be.