The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a dim glow over the group gathered at the edge of the village. It was a formidable force—eight 2nd-rate warriors stood silently, their faces hardened with determination, flanked by fifteen 3rd-rate warriors. There was no conversation, no casual chatter, only the sound of soft breathing and the occasional rustle of equipment as they prepared for the task ahead.
Li Wei, standing at the front, scanned the group. The plan was simple, but the stakes were high. These weren't ordinary bandits; these were criminals, ruthless and cunning. The warriors understood this, and the air was thick with the quiet tension of what was to come. Tonight, they would move with the utmost stealth, and at dawn, they would strike.
Li Wei nodded once, a signal to begin, and the group slipped into the jungle like shadows.
They moved swiftly through the dense jungle, the warriors following Li Wei's lead. The path was treacherous, filled with uneven ground, thick roots, and dense foliage, but they made no sound. Every step was carefully calculated. They marched in silence for nearly 15 kilometers, their senses attuned to any potential threat. The jungle, dark and foreboding, seemed to close in around them, but they pressed on.
Finally, after hours of navigating the wilderness, Li Wei raised a hand. The group halted. In the distance, through the thick trees, they could see the faint outline of the bandit hideout—a cluster of cave entrances hidden in the side of a steep cliff. They had arrived.
"We rest here," whispered Huang Tian, one of the 2nd-rate warriors. "We attack at dawn."
The warriors found places to settle, preparing for the coming battle. The tension was palpable, but there was no fear—only the resolve to finish the job.
As the first light of dawn broke through the trees, the group moved. Like a wave crashing on the shore, they descended upon the bandit hideout. The sound of steel clashing echoed through the jungle, but it soon became clear that the fight was going to be easier than expected.
Inside the hideout, there was only one 2nd-rate warrior among the bandits, and while he fought with fury, he was quickly overwhelmed. The fifteen 3rd-rate bandits offered more resistance, but they too were no match for the assembled forces. The rest—nearly 100 normal bandits—were disorganized and panicked. They tried to flee into the jungle, but those who attempted to escape were swiftly cut down, made examples of before the rest.
The battle was over almost as soon as it began. The remaining bandits, terrified and beaten, were quickly subdued and bound. The stolen treasure, hidden deep in the caves, was retrieved without much trouble. As the warriors secured the area, Li Wei's eyes were drawn to a pile of low-level techniques discarded in a corner.
One technique stood out to him—a scroll marked with unusual symbols. It mentioned something about training the upper dantian, an area Li Wei had not heard in his martial arts training. He tucked the scroll away, his curiosity piqued.
The prisoners were marched back to the town under heavy guard. The treasure, once secured, was handed over to the four provincial warriors, who wasted no time in departing. Their mission was complete, and they had no interest in lingering.
But as the bandits were herded into the town's small prison, a problem quickly became apparent. There were too many prisoners, and the town simply didn't have enough guards to manage them all. Keeping them locked up was not a sustainable solution.
Li Wei, ever the pragmatic thinker, approached the mayor and Ren Shiming, who had come to oversee the situation. "We don't have the manpower to keep this many prisoners under control," the mayor muttered, clearly concerned.
Li Wei crossed his arms, thinking. "We can't just execute them all—not yet, anyway. But we can use them. Put the lower-ranked bandits to work as laborers."
The mayor raised an eyebrow. "Laborers?"
Li Wei nodded. "We need infrastructure work done, and they're capable enough for that. The lower-ranked ones should work under close supervision. The higher-ranked, the 3rd-rate warriors, will be kept heavily shackled in prison. If any of them cause problems, we deal with them harshly. Execution, if necessary."
Ren Shiming, ever the optimist, chuckled. "Well, it sounds like a win-win. We get free labor, and they don't rot away in a cell. Of course, I'd be happy to help keep an eye on them."
The mayor stroked his beard, considering the idea. "Alright. We'll proceed with that plan. The 3rd-rate warriors will remain in shackles until we can decide what to do with them. As for the rest, they'll be put to work."
Li Wei nodded, his gaze shifting to the bandits, who had no idea what their fate would be. "We'll make sure they know this is their last chance. One mistake, and they're finished."