'...my best move here? Lay low and hide. These bandits probably have their eyes on this caravan for a while now. So, logically, once they're done, they'll pack up and head back to their hideout. If I wait it out till nightfall, I can make a break for it under the cover of darkness.'
'But what if they spot me? If there's a scout somewhere in these woods keeping tabs on me and the caravan...' I shivered as a chill crept down my spine, 'Okay, let's think this through. If they have already seen me, then the fact I haven't been jumped yet means one of two things: either I look like such a small fry they can't be bothered, or they're waiting until they're finished with the caravan to come back for me.'
'Damn, if only I had Janice's power—then I wouldn't have to be scared of anything', After all that overthinking, I'm left with two options: hide or move farther away and wait patiently till nightfall to sneak through Bluewind Mountain.
'Alternatively, I can just leave the mountain range, head back to Tongcheng, or take a different route to Yuecheng. In short, one option risks staying till night to get to Yuecheng, and the other risks leaving the mountains now and finding a roundabout route home.'
'No option without risk? Seriously?' I sat in the tree, muttering curses for a few silent minutes before making a decision, 'Going back would be too dangerous—if I leave, it'll have to be under the cover of night.'
I glanced back at the caravan's location one last time. The carts were left behind, a few horse carcasses scattered around, but most of the bodies were human, 'Seems like the fight's over; the ones who survived must be fleeing. Hmm?'
'Wait a second. The carts were left behind?' I rubbed my eyes and took another look, 'Yep, not a single person in sight, just those lonely carts standing there. Normally, anything valuable would be in those carts. So why did the bandits leave them and just chase the people?'
'What does this mean? No one staying to guard the loot, no one to haul it off... Oh shit, it's not just the goods they're after', My blood ran cold.
'Could it be they're after the people? If that's the case, then heading back is a no-go. In this forest, if I stay still, I blend in like any other bush or shrub, but if I move, I'll be spotted.'
'This tree I'm hiding in is tall and leafy, perfect for concealing me. If I haven't been spotted yet, then staying hidden here until dusk might be my safest bet. If I've already been seen, wandering around in bandit territory is practically suicide. I have to bet everything on hiding out here till nightfall.'
'Please let there be a bright moon tonight, and let those bandits be sound asleep in their lair', As the hours dragged by, my heartbeat slowly steadied. I squinted at the sky, 'sunset is close.'
A faint golden hue tinged the sunlight.
I yawned, feeling the hunger gnaw at my stomach, though I didn't have much of an appetite. At least I've been careful with my water supply, rationing it since I didn't know where to find more.
Suddenly, there it was: "Rustle... rustle."
I froze, tensing up as I tried to listen. The footsteps grew louder.
They were slow and steady, not hurried, 'there are more than one? Two people?' The footsteps stopped not far from my tree, my heart in my throat.
"Strange, he's not here." A scratchy voice croaked. A second voice, low and gruff, replied, "He can't have gone far. Hit with Third Boss's Spirit Dart, it's a wonder he's lasted this long."
"This guy isn't ordinary, taking down some of the brothers before he even wounded Third Boss. But look at this—turning circles like a rabbit and not even making it out of a mile's radius. That incense should have kicked in by now."
"Yeah, if we bring him in, that's one big favor we'll be owed back home."
'Ugh, just my luck to bump into these two', I cursed inwardly, but all I could do was pray they didn't notice me.
"Huh? Hey, look, footprints." The gruff voice sounded surprised.
"Yeah, they're here, all right. Seems we're headed the right way."
'They must've spotted my tracks.'
'Damn it, what now? Do I fight or surrender?'
The footsteps grew closer, nearly at my tree, then suddenly stopped.
"Over there! After him!" Their footsteps thundered off into the distance, followed by faint metallic clangs.
I exhaled shakily, 'safe for now. But I am pretty sure they had already found my trail. No one else passed by in the last hour, so those tracks had to be mine.'
'
If those two hadn't gotten distracted by the caravan, I'd have been caught by now. I need to move fast, leave while they're distracted with someone else.'
'But wait, no. These two were clearly good at tracking. If they came back after capturing that poor soul and saw traces of my escape, they'd follow me in a heartbeat.'
Grinding my teeth, I knew I had no choice but to take a risk.
I quietly climbed down the tree, then cautiously followed the two men in the direction they'd gone. Luckily, their mad rush through the forest left plenty of broken branches and trampled grass in their wake, making it easy to track them.
After winding through the forest for about ten minutes, I heard voices again. I immediately crouched low.
"Damn it, had me chasing him all over... still has some fight left in him." The scratchy voice—must be the skinny one, let's call him Monkey—cursed as he spat on the ground.
"Calm down, Monkey. It's just a flesh wound. We'll put some balm on it back at the hideout. Without that incense, it wouldn't have been just a scratch; we're lucky it worked so well this time." The gruff guy sounded gleeful, barely containing his excitement.
I crept forward, parting the foliage to get a glimpse.
A skinny man clutched his stomach, pacing around, while beside him squatted a large man, both clad in shabby leather armor with broadswords in hand. They stared fixedly at someone lying on the ground. My eyes widened.
It was a young woman in a pale green, narrow-sleeved robe, embroidered with intricate patterns.
Though conservatively cut, the robe accentuated her curvaceous figure, 'She looks familiar—likely a member of the caravan I'd seen in the inn a few days back.' Her eyebrows knit in pain, and she seemed unconscious.
The two bandits eyed her greedily, and after a few seconds, Monkey swallowed, muttering, "Damn, never seen anyone this beautiful in my life. Big Guy, you think...?"
The large man, Big Guy, gave her an appraising look, hesitant. "We'd better not. Boss said these women are off-limits, need to be pristine for the master's inspection."
Monkey stepped forward, grinning slyly. "Big Guy, that master's had over thirty women by now. Out of all of them, only three were up to his standards. What's the chance she's the one he's looking for?"
"Even so... better play it safe. If Boss catches wind of this..." Monkey scoffed and grabbed the hem of her skirt. "Can't have her, but we can still have a bit of fun, right?" With a jerk, he lifted her skirt, exposing her slender legs and white undergarments.
Big Guy fell silent, his eyes fixated, and both bandits started salivating.
I watched from the bushes, about thirty feet away, my gut churning. Part of me wanted to rush in, but I knew I had to bide my time, waiting for the perfect moment.
Monkey's trembling hands reached out, his voice sleazy as he said, "Big Guy, these legs—so soft and smooth, like New Year's rice cakes."
Big Guy couldn't hold back any longer, yanking open her robe to reveal her fair skin and ample chest. His large hands groped her while his face buried itself in her neck.
She began to stir, weakly shaking her head. "Stop..."
Big Guy grinned. "Finally awake, huh? No need to worry. We're not gonna take you here, just... sampling a little." His lips trailed down her neck as she tried to push him away in vain.
My patience was hanging by a thread. The two bandits were utterly absorbed, oblivious to anything around them. As they threw aside their weapons, I knew my chance had come.
I clenched the fist-sized rock I'd picked up earlier and crept up behind Monkey as he knelt, fumbling with his belt. Raising the stone high, I brought it crashing down onto the back of his head.
He dropped instantly, skull caved in, splattering blood and brain matter over my hand. My strike wasn't just brute force; it was enhanced with a burst of supernatural power. Even if his skull had been stone, it would've shattered.
Big Guy sensed something was wrong and turned around, only to meet my empowered right hook slamming into his cheek.
He grunted but reacted quickly, rolling left and scrambling to his feet. But after waiting this long, I wasn't about to let him escape.
I lunged, grabbing his right arm and twisting downwards using the move I knew, Eighteen Crushing Falls. Clamping down hard on his right arm, I threw my full weight and strength into a vicious takedown.
A sickening crack sounded as Big Guy's arm snapped. His face contorted with terror, mouth open in a silent scream, but before he could make a sound, my left hand clamped down on his throat, locking his voice in his chest.
True to his reputation as a fierce bandit, even with his right arm broken, he fought back with his left, ramming his fist into my ribs with all he had.