Chapter 68: Massacring the Bandits
For several days, Orion had raided several bandit groups, completely killing them all. It was now about midnight. Orion stood on a tree branch, its camera zooming into the distance. Not far away, there was a hill with lights coming from it. It was like a small stronghold on top of the hill, with many torches lighting up tall wooden walls. Behind the wooden walls were many wooden houses, and at the center was the biggest wooden building.
Orion observed from a distance. Several guards were seen patrolling the wooden wall, and there were several wooden towers manned by guards. Orion controlled an SO-1 drone to fly nearby, using its camera to check inside from above. It was a bandit nest. Orion had already eliminated the bandit groups nearby, and this one was the last. Orion had left it for last because it was the biggest. It didn't plan to attack immediately but to gather information first.
As the sun rose, the bandit stronghold began to show lively activity. Not long after, several groups of bandits were seen leaving the stronghold on horses. Orion retrieved more SO-1 drones from the storage ring and controlled them to follow the bandit groups.
Orion continued observing the bandit stronghold while controlling the drones that followed the bandit groups. During the day, these bandit groups attacked some merchant groups and caravans. Orion also tried to sneak close to the stronghold to gather more information.
When the sun set, all the bandit groups finally returned to the stronghold.
After extensive information gathering, Orion managed to collect a wealth of details using drones and getting close to eavesdrop on conversations. It began formulating a plan to raid the bandit stronghold. Orion had already counted more than 50 bandits in total, with 4 of them identified as cultivators: the boss at the 1st stage of Foundation Establishment realm, the vice boss at the 7th stage of Qi Condensation realm, and the other two at the 4th and 5th stages of Qi Condensation realm.
Apparently, there were quite a lot of hostages held captive in the stronghold, intended to be sold in the black market as slaves. The captives were held in a cave within the stronghold. The situation in the stronghold was lively. Orion observed from a distance and waited, planning to attack during the night.
Currently, it was about 3 am. The bandit on sentry duty was rather sleepy, yawning on the cold, dark night. They scanned the surrounding area, trying to keep their eyes open and waiting for their shift to end.
High above, three SO-1 drones flew around the hill. Orion approached the stronghold slowly, first planning to neutralize some sentries hidden outside the stronghold. The drones' infrared cameras easily detected the body heat of a bandit sentry concealed in a high tree. Orion retrieved a bow and arrow from the storage ring and aimed at the bandit, using its laser range finder to accurately determine the range and improve aim. It aimed and shot the arrow.
Swoosh.
The arrow flew and hit the bandit in the head, penetrating and nailing the bandit to the tree trunk behind him. There were still two more bandits hidden in the treetops. Orion moved slowly and silently through the woods, approaching the remaining two. It positioned itself, retrieved an arrow from the storage ring, aimed, and shot. Another bandit was nailed to the tree trunk through the head. Orion then moved and killed the last one.
Orion didn't want to alert the bandits in the stronghold, so it intentionally killed the sentries by aiming at their heads to kill them instantly. Then, to prevent their bodies from falling and making noise, Orion nailed them to the tree trunks. Orion then approached the wooden wall and jumped over it, using inscriptions on its body to strengthen the jump and lighten its weight. It easily cleared the 3-meter wall.
Once inside, Orion kept moving stealthily, easily avoiding the bandits. With the help of the drones above, Orion had good situational awareness and knew the situation around it. It secretly moved to the cave where the hostages were held. Orion lacked information about the captives, so it planned to check and determine a further plan.
Orion easily sneaked to the cave undetected, even without needing to use a concealing-type energy barrier. After moving several meters inside the cave, Orion saw two bandits sitting at a table, drinking. They seemed to be in charge of guarding the hostages. Orion easily killed them, throwing knives into their heads.
It kept moving deeper into the cave and then encountered many cells. Orion activated the inscriptions on its body, causing an energy barrier to cover it and making its figure disappear from view. Not wanting to be seen by the hostages, Orion checked the cells one by one.
There are quite a lot of hostages, Orion thought internally, estimating there to be more than 30 hostages.
From the information obtained from Liu Jin, this bandit group is quite powerful and has many smaller subordinate groups affiliated with them. These smaller groups sold their stolen goods and hostages and also provided tributes. Some of these subordinate groups had been destroyed by Orion.
The many subordinate groups explained why there were so many hostages. These hostages would be sold in the black market as slaves, but an even worse fate awaited them: being purchased by evil cultivators and used to advance their cultivation through sinister techniques.
Orion then turned back, dispelled the energy barrier, stored the two dead bandits' bodies into the storage ring, and left the cave. It planned to rescue the hostages after eliminating the bandits.
In the biggest building in the bandit nest, four bandits, all cultivators, sat around a table, discussing.
"Boss, regarding some of our subordinate groups that got attacked recently, what do you think about it? Do you think the attackers are from the City Lord's Manor or the Mercenary Guild?" one of the bandits asked.
"Or could it be just some random cultivator?" another said, gulping his drink.
When they sent their subordinates to check on their affiliate groups, they discovered that the camps of some bandit groups were abandoned, with traces of fighting. They concluded that some of their subordinate groups were annihilated.
"Hmm, it's unlikely the attackers are from the City Lord's Manor or the Mercenary Guild," the boss said.
"That's right. Didn't we just pay our tribute to the City Lord's Manor recently? Why would they suddenly attack us now?" one bandit responded.
Their bandit group had connections with the City Lord's Manor of Fengxian and secretly paid tribute. Because of this, the City Lord's Manor and the stationed army turned a blind eye to their activities. As long as the bandits paid tribute and didn't attack caravans related to the City Lord's Manor and the big factions in the city, they could operate freely.
Having just paid their tribute recently, it was unlikely that the City Lord's Manor was responsible. As for the Mercenary Guild, while the bandits had bounties on their heads and there were quests for their extermination, they also had informants within the guild. There were no reports of cultivators taking on those quests, making it unlikely that the Mercenary Guild was involved.
"So, just some random cultivator?" one bandit asked.
"Could be," the boss replied.
"But they specifically targeted bandits. What's their purpose?" another bandit wondered.
"More importantly, will we be the next target?" a bandit asked.
A series of laughs echoed around the room.
"Good, if they dare to come, we can just kill them," one bandit boasted.
"That's right. With the boss here, anyone who dares to attack will just offer their lives," another bandit said confidently, knowing their boss was in the Foundation Establishment realm.
"Hmm, it's better to be cautious. From now on, I want the security to be increased," the boss ordered, feeling uneasy. He had always been careful, which allowed him to reach the Foundation Establishment realm and lead a large group of bandits. He was uneasy about the unknown people who attacked their subordinate groups.
"Understood, boss," the bandits replied.
"Don't worry, boss. You won't even need to make a move yourself. I'll personally deal with them if they dare show up in front of us," one bandit promised.
Suddenly, the bandits' eyes widened in shock as the tip of a sword emerged through the face of the bandit boss. Blood dripped, and the boss also had a look of shock on his face. His eyes twitched, his mouth opened as if trying to say something, but he couldn't. His eyes slowly closed.
"Interesting. Okay, now I'm here. Let's see how you want to deal with me," an armored figure suddenly appeared behind the bandit boss, as if materializing out of thin air.
"Enemy!" one bandit shouted, swiftly drawing his sword and preparing to fight. The other bandits immediately stood from the table, drawing their weapons.
Orion quickly pulled the sword embedded in the bandit boss's head, and the bandit boss's body slumped onto the table. The sword in Orion's hand glowed with cyan light. Despite the distance, Orion delivered a horizontal slash, sending a crescent-shaped cyan light toward the three bandits, too fast for them to react.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The three bandits' heads fell to the floor and rolled, their bodies collapsing as blood gushed onto the floor.
Orion had used a concealing-type energy barrier to sneak in and secretly listen to the bandit boss and his subordinates. Orion had initially planned to fight the bandit boss, who was at the 1st stage of Foundation Establishment realm, to test its own combat capability. However, upon discovering the bandit's connection with the Fengxian City Lord Mansion, Orion decided to quickly deal with the bandit boss and cleanly eliminate the group to prevent future problems.
The chainsaw-Qi sword easily killed the bandit boss and his underlings. With the cultivators dead, the remaining bandits were just mortals.
Orion then sneaked into one of the wooden houses where many bandits were asleep. Inside the dimly lit room illuminated by oil lamps, Orion retrieved a spear with a long, thin spearhead from the storage ring. Taking careful aim at their heads, Orion stabbed each bandit, effortlessly killing the defenseless and vulnerable sleeping men one by one.
After clearing the house, Orion moved to another wooden building to eliminate the bandits inside, visiting each building one by one. Orion had gathered sufficient details about the stronghold using the drones, enabling precise targeting of the bandits' locations.
Leaving one of the wooden houses, Orion walked slowly, retrieving a bow and arrow. Orion aimed carefully at a bandit in a wooden tower, killing him with a precise shot. Swiftly reloading, Orion then targeted another bandit in a different tower. The second bandit fell from the high tower, crashing to the ground.
Alerted by the commotion, a bandit in another tower spotted the fallen bandit and moved to raise the alarm, but an arrow pierced his chest, causing him to tumble from the tower. The last remaining bandit in another tower noticed the unfolding events and managed to hit the bell, raising the alarm just before an arrow struck him down.
The remaining bandits on the wooden wall were alarmed, drawing their weapons and readying for battle. They scanned the surroundings for the attacker and noticed an armored man standing nearby holding a bow.
"Intruder! Intruder!" a bandit screamed.
The other bandits on the wooden wall quickly descended and attacked Orion. Orion stored the bow, retrieved a spear, and confronted the approaching bandits. The bandits on the wooden wall rang the bell, and some used bows to attack Orion. The remaining bandits in the stronghold who hadn't been neutralized emerged and engaged Orion in combat, but as mortals, they were completely obliterated by Orion. The bandits fell one by one.
The remaining bandits on the walls kept shooting arrows, feeling anxious about the strong enemy. They sensed something was wrong; with all the commotion, why hadn't the other bandits shown up to confront the intruder? They also wondered where their bandit leader and superiors were, why they hadn't shown up.
"Argh..."
"Uwah.."
"No... please spare me... guaghh.."
The remaining bandits were easily slaughtered by Orion. Some attempted to flee the stronghold, running through the trees in the darkness of night. However, the drones flying above easily detected them using infrared cameras. One of the drones moved to chase the fleeing bandits, dropping explosive wooden barrels that exploded and killed them. The remaining two drones continued to fly high, scanning the area. Orion controlled the drones, ensuring that none of the bandits escaped.
Chapter 69: Rescuing the Hostages
The bandit stronghold was now silent, the thick scent of blood wafting through the air. Many bandits lay dead on the ground. Orion began storing the bandit bodies one by one in the storage ring and started checking and exploring the stronghold. As the sun started to rise, brightening the surroundings, Orion checked all the buildings, stored the bandit bodies, and took any valuables. It inspected wooden boxes, shelves, carts, jars, and more.
In the biggest wooden building where the bandit boss resided, Orion discovered an underground tunnel. Curious, Orion entered to check and found a stone door with inscriptions on it. Orion had a good grasp of inscriptions and, after checking the inscriptions, concluded that it was used to control the opening and closing of the stone door.
Orion also determined that it could decipher the inscriptions, but rather than taking the time to do so, Orion retrieved the chainsaw-Qi sword and slashed at the door, cutting it into several pieces until it crumbled. The thick stone door, strengthened by inscriptions, couldn't withstand the chainsaw-Qi sword, which easily cut through it. The inscriptions on the stone door briefly lit up in an attempt to resist the sword's attack before dimming and failing.
Orion then entered the room and checked inside, finding many valuables: coins, spirit stones, various kinds of pills, Spirit Beast body parts, scrolls, and books. Orion cleaned up everything, storing it all away, and then left to check the other buildings.
In one of the wooden houses, Orion discovered a hole in the ground with a wooden stairway leading down. Orion went inside to check and found an underground secret tunnel. Using the LED spotlight on its face behind the glass, Orion ventured further, but the tunnel seemed long and continuous. Orion concluded that it was an escape tunnel and decided to deal with it later, then returned to the surface.
After cleaning up the stronghold, Orion returned to the cave to release the hostages. It controlled the drones to fly further and check for any escaped bandits, just in case some had fled through the secret tunnel. An energy barrier enveloped Orion, making it disappear from view as it entered the dimly lit cave. Orion threw the keys to one of the cells, startling the hostages who were woken from their sleep.
"The bandits have been killed. Use the keys to escape and also open the other cells," Orion's voice echoed, but the hostages couldn't see anyone. Orion used a disguised voice and remained hidden by an energy barrier. One of them held the keys but was unsure. They peeked to check the situation and saw that the usual bandit guards were not there.
After a moment of hesitation and worry, they slowly opened their cell and carefully checked for any bandits. They feared the ruthless bandits who wouldn't hesitate to kill. Quietly, they opened the other cells, and all the hostages, still rather afraid, began to leave the cave. The sun had already risen a little, making it brighter. They worriedly checked for bandits but found none and slowly exited the cave.
"No need to be scared. The bandits are all dead. Quickly leave this place. Follow the small road, and after reaching the main road, head east to the nearest village," Orion's voice instructed again, unseen. Some hostages immediately thanked their hidden savior, some knelt to express their gratitude, and others cried tears of joy.
"There are many horses and carriages. Use them to leave," Orion added from atop a wooden house, still hidden by the energy barrier.
Some of the hostages began preparing to leave, taking horses and carriages. Some even checked the wooden houses, taking anything they could before leaving the bandit stronghold. They started to leave, one by one or in groups, hurrying in fear that more bandits might come.
Amid the commotion, a group of four girls stood out. At the front was a beautiful girl with a somber expression, followed by three other girls. The girl in the lead saw a sword on the ground, picked it up, and was about to slash her own neck. The other three girls tried to stop her but failed as the sword neared her neck.
"Miss?! Don't!" the girls cried out.
Clank.
A knife flew through the air, knocking the sword from the girl's hand just before she could harm herself. The other three girls then approached her.
"Miss, please calm yourself."
"Miss, please don't do this. If you die, what will happen to us?"
"Miss, the late master wouldn't want you to end your life."
The girl fell to her knees, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. The other three girls knelt beside her, crying together.
"What are you doing? Why would you do that?" a voice could be heard. Orion remained hidden, watching the drama unfold. It was Orion who threw the knife to stop the girl from killing herself.
"I am already defiled by those animals, and my family was killed by them. Why must I live?" the girl cried. The other three girls also sobbed as they huddled together, a pitiful sight.
She came from a successful merchant family from a village. They decided to relocate to Fengxian City, bringing everything with them. Alas, they were attacked by bandits. Most in their caravan were killed, including her family. The bandits took turns defiling her and her three maids, then held them captive, intending to sell them as slaves. She lost hope and saw no reason to continue living in this harsh and cruel world.
"I already killed the bandits and avenged your family and you. There's no need to look back at the past. It's better to live. With death, everything ends, but as long as there is life, there is still hope. Who knows, maybe there is still opportunity and happiness waiting for you, and a better future."
"Senior, my name is Zhang Yueru. Thank you very much for saving us and killing the bandits. I owe you a debt of gratitude, but now I have nowhere to go and don't know what to do. I lost everything," Zhang Yueru said.
Orion was silent, unsure of what to say as the girls continued crying.
"Senior, are you willing to take us with you? We will do anything for you and dedicate our lives to repaying your help. We have no place to return to. Please take us, senior; otherwise, it's better for me to die," Zhang Yueru pleaded.
She thought that Orion was a high-level cultivator because he easily destroyed the bandits and remained hidden, only revealing his voice. To her, Orion's ability to conceal himself and the ethereal quality of his voice signified a high-level cultivator, so she addressed him as "senior".
"Are you sure you want to go with me?" Orion asked.
"Yes, senior, please," Zhang Yueru replied, kneeling. The other three girls followed suit, kneeling toward the wooden house where the voice originated.
"Following me is filled with danger and risk," Orion warned.
"It doesn't matter. If you ask me to die, then I am willing to die for you. Please take me with you, senior," Zhang Yueru begged, willing to do anything her benefactor asked, even if it cost her life. If not, she would end her life.
"Senior, please take us too. We will do anything for you. We are also willing to die for you," the other three girls begged.
"Hmm... very well," Orion agreed.
Two young men who had been watching from the side immediately kneeled down.
"Senior, please take me too."
"Senior, I am also willing to follow you. Please take me, senior," they pleaded.
Orion was surprised that more people wanted to follow.
"Why do you also want to follow me?" Orion asked.
"Senior, if you are taking our young miss, please also take us with you. We are willing to do anything for you. We also have no place to go," one of the young men said.
"Senior, I am the same," the other young man added.
"Senior, both of their families worked for my family. During the bandit attack, their families were also killed. Senior, can you also take them?" Zhang Yueru requested.
"Very well," Orion said.
"Thank you, senior," Zhang Yueru, her maids, and the young men replied in unison and bowed.
Several hostages approached. The leader cupped his hands and bowed towards Orion's direction, expressing thanks. The hostages behind him followed suit; they were the guards from various caravans left alive by the bandits to be sold as slaves. Unlike the other hostages who immediately ran away, prioritizing their own safety, these people showed gratitude and honor.
Now in the bandit stronghold, only about half of the hostages remain: the group of caravan guards, those that Orion decided to take, and the rest are children—about 18 of them. The kids are huddled together, appearing wary and scared, with some crying. The children had been captured by the bandits, who had killed their families.
The adults discussed how to deal with the kids. Some had distant family members, but they were in other places, and no one wanted to take responsibility for delivering them home. One of the caravan guards suggested bringing the kids to an orphanage in Fengxian City. They discussed this for a while but found no best solution.
Then Orion decided to intervene. Orion would employ the caravan guards to deliver some of the kids to their families or relatives. As for the rest, Zhang Yueru pleaded with Orion to also take the kids, arguing that while the orphanage would provide food and shelter, their future would be limited.
Following someone like Orion could offer them better opportunities. Orion then gave the kids a choice: go to the orphanage in Fengxian or follow it, Orion already taking Zhang Yueru and her followers, so no problem taking more.
Ultimately, it was up to the kids to choose, and they decided to follow Orion.
Well, they could be put to some use, Orion thought internally, as Orion indeed needed manpower to execute many of its plans. So, Orion decided to help the kids and took them, hoping they would help Orion in the future, but if not, then that would be fine as well.
Orion gave money to the caravan guards, who took eight kids and left with horse carriages, thanking Orion once again before they departed.
Orion then instructed Zhang Yueru to prepare a horse carriage and leave, also carry supplies, and follow the directions given. While they prepared, Orion returned to the secret tunnel. Lacking time and interest to explore the tunnel deeply, Orion couldn't risk any bandits hiding within.
Several bandits had already exited from underground holes around the hill, and Orion controlled the drones to drop explosives on them and killed them. Orion retrieved two large terracotta jars, one filled with venom from a scorpion Spirit Beast and the other with venom from a snake Spirit Beast. During research about venom and poison, Orion discovered that each venom was dangerous on its own, but when combined, they reacted violently and created a deadly, dark gas.
Orion planned to flood the tunnel with this poisonous gas. Orion placed the jars close together, with a large firecracker between them, then attached a long fuse to the firecracker. After lighting the fuse, Orion left the hole, dug around it, and collapsed it to prevent the gas from escaping. Shortly after, the firecracker exploded, breaking the jars and causing the venoms to mix. The reaction created a dark gas that immediately flooded the tunnel system.
Zhang Yueru had finished preparations and immediately left the bandit stronghold with ten kids on the carriage. The two young men steered the horse carriage, while Zhang Yueru and her three maids huddled with the kids. Orion watched the carriage leave but did not follow. Instead, it retrieved all the bandit bodies outside the stronghold, observing the situation via the drones camera above.
From the secret holes and exit tunnels, dark gas emerged, and several more bandits ran out before collapsing and convulsing on the ground, eventually stopping their movement. Orion then collected those bodies as well. After ensuring all bandit bodies were stored, Orion left to catch up with Zhang Yueru's carriage.
Meanwhile, Orion left one drone behind to monitor the bandit stronghold for a while, ensuring no more survivors were left. Once confident, Orion controlled the drone to leave the bandit stronghold.
As Orion followed Zhang Yueru's carriage secretly about 50 meters away, Orion simultaneously contacted Liu Jin in Fengxian City via radio to arrange for various items.
In Orion's workroom within the mansion in Fengxian City, Liu Jin knelt and respectfully said, "Understood, Mr. Orion. I will prepare right away."
Liu Jin could hear Orion's voice but couldn't see him, suspecting it was some kind of artifact used for communication. Deciding not to dwell on it, Liu Jin immediately left to gather the wide array of items requested by Orion.