After a night of rest, Lin Yu was ready to set off.
The next day, he left the city where he had temporarily taken refuge. Following the information he had gathered, he began searching the mountains nearby for traces of the wolf bandits.
Though the wolf bandits were indeed a problem along the western frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire, that didn't mean they had the strength to establish a stronghold and directly challenge the empire.
That was impossible.
The wolf bandits were merely hybrids of the Gale Demon Wolf and humans, with the strongest among them only equivalent to a Spirit Ancestor at the forty-level or a Spirit King at fifty. Most wolf bandits were only between the twenty and thirty-level ranks.
If they ever dared to claim dominion over the mountains, the Heaven Dou Empire would only need to send a single Spirit Saint to wipe them out with ease.
The reason the wolf bandits had become such a menace in the western frontier was because of their elusive nature. Just like their name implied, they moved like thieves, vanishing without a trace.
The wolf bandits didn't have a permanent base. They lived deep in the mountains, occasionally descending to attack villages, slaughtering all the men and taking the women captive. Then, they would vanish back into the wilderness to hide once again.
Thanks to their Gale Demon Wolf bloodline, they were extraordinarily agile in the mountains, making it incredibly difficult for humans to successfully track or eliminate them.
After leaving the city, Lin Yu activated his External Soul Bone—Thunderstorm Wings and began his patrol along the mountain range.
He searched the entire morning.
By the afternoon, as Lin Yu flew along a mountain ridge, he noticed a column of thick smoke rising in the distance.
"What's this…"
His heart stirred at the sight of the smoke. Spreading his Thunderstorm Wings, he sped toward the source.
Before long, Lin Yu arrived at a small village engulfed in ruin.
The village looked as if it had just been ravaged by bandits. The houses were in shambles, debris scattered everywhere. Bloodstains and torn clothes covered the ground. All the valuable items were left behind, but the people and livestock were gone.
Lin Yu didn't need to think twice. He already knew what had happened—this was undoubtedly the work of wolf bandits!
Following the trail of blood, Lin Yu swiftly used his Swift Water Steps technique and pursued the bandits into the mountains.
After about ten minutes, Lin Yu finally spotted his targets in a forest.
It was a group of strange-looking individuals, each towering over two meters tall, with robust, muscular bodies. They wore ragged, ill-fitting clothing.
At first glance, they seemed merely odd, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that these individuals weren't entirely human. Their bodies were covered in thick gray fur, their faces resembling wolves, with protruding lips and sharp fangs. Their faces were smeared with a greenish substance, likely some kind of plant-based camouflage.
What enraged Lin Yu the most, however, was the horrifying sight these wolf bandits presented.
Several of them were carrying the mutilated corpses of human men as if they were hauling sacks of meat. Some of the bodies had even been gutted. Worse still, other wolf bandits carried bound young women, who screamed and cried for help, but the bandits ignored them, exchanging smug howls with one another.
"So these are the wolf bandits? Truly a bunch of beasts!"
Seeing the slaughtered men—ranging from children as young as five or six to elders over eighty—and the terrified women, Lin Yu's blood boiled with fury. His fists clenched tightly as an intense anger burned within him.
There was an unspoken connection when witnessing the suffering of one's kind, and Lin Yu couldn't stand by and do nothing.
Filled with rage, Lin Yu made his decision.
"Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Spirit, possess me!"
With a shout, Lin Yu summoned his Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Spirit, entering his martial spirit possession state. Without hesitation, he activated his Swift Water Steps technique and charged toward the wolf bandits.
A brilliant golden light streaked across the sky from the forest, crashing into the group of wolf bandits. With one swipe, Lin Yu crushed the skull of one of the bandits.
"Arrrooooo!"
The wolf bandits howled in panic, sensing the overwhelming dragon aura radiating from Lin Yu. Their leader barked orders, and the group scattered in fear.
"Trying to run?"
Seeing the wolf bandits flee, Lin Yu smirked coldly. He swiftly closed the distance with his Plum Blossom Step technique, following up with his Fierce Dragon Kick, smashing another bandit's chest, shattering its bones, and sending it flying.
"Dragon Bone Claw!"
"Golden Flow Finger!"
Lin Yu unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, cycling through his techniques. In a matter of seconds, over a dozen wolf bandits lay dead at his feet, their heads crushed, hearts ripped out, or bodies torn to pieces.
But the wolf bandits were many, at least four or five hundred in total.
Realizing they couldn't win, the remaining bandits attempted to buy time, leaving dozens behind to slow Lin Yu down while the rest encircled him.
With a furious howl from their leader, the wolf bandits unleashed a barrage of green wind blades, aiming to shred Lin Yu from every direction.
"Roar!"
"Do you think mere wind blades can kill me?!"
Lin Yu sneered as he faced the incoming storm of wind blades. Without a hint of fear, he summoned his Chaos Green Lotus Martial Spirit and activated his second soul skill, bringing forth the Pure World White Lotus Martial Spirit.
"Purify!"
With a shout, a radiant, pure white light erupted from the Pure World White Lotus, instantly dissolving the oncoming wind blades into nothing.
The wolf bandits were left dumbfounded.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yu dashed through the fading wind blades, closing in on their leader. With a single Dragon Bone Claw, he shattered the leader's skull.
With their leader dead, the wolf bandits fell into disarray, panicking as they scattered in every direction.
But there was no escape from Lin Yu's wrath.
Utilizing his Thunderstorm Wings and Swift Water Steps, Lin Yu quickly hunted down the fleeing bandits, killing every last one of them. He rescued the captive women and gave them some money for travel, advising them to seek refuge with their relatives.
From that day on, Lin Yu, now known as "Ye Liangchen," continued his campaign against the wolf bandits. Not only did he rid the land of these pests, but he also honed his martial skills.
His deeds earned him a new title among the people: The Noble Young Lord.
Note: If you are interested you can read up to chapter 140 at patreon.com/MythMosaic.