(Cough. I think we can all agree the title is quite a spoiler.)
Startled, Ke YongAn looked for the source of the sound, pinpointing a group mounted on what seemed to be large rats descending the sand dunes surrounding the entourage.
Is this what you call bandits?!
However, before anyone had enough time to react, more poured out of the wagons that stored the cargo! The place was now being attacked inside out!
"How cocky! Just a trifle bunch of nine passages stage practitioners!" Came a cold snort and an invisible force kept everyone from the entourage safe.
"Yeah? Well how come you hadn't noticed us up until now? Your words are worth even less than a fart!"
A strong voice erupted, contending with Greedy elder Cai. With these words, the initially slowing bandits speed up again with renewed vigor, shouting,
"We have honorable sir Li Sun by our side! ATTACK!"
On the other hand, you could faintly see a red tone develop on elder Cai's face, signalling that he was embarrassed.
Elder Cai harrumphed and declined to comment. He did not notice because first, he had let his guard down after he handled all problems they encountered so far with ease, followed by the revere and praises from everyone, and thirdly since he had gotten too drunk last night(don't ask me how.).
As Elder Cai and Li Sun erupted in spectacular fashion and begin trading blows, the scenery below became was chaotic.
It seemed they both did not have in mind the safety of others, opting to show off their might instead, and thus implicated both their respected sides.
Darn, they really don't care about us...! Ke YongAn thought with growing anger. But what could she do? She was too weak to wedge herself between the behemoths. This only renewed her vigor to become stronger.
"Elder Sis, what's going on? How can I help?" Urgently, Ke YongAn arrived by Yan RuSu's side.
"Just stay back." Yan RuSu's voice held no ounce of playfulness this time. Is the attack so serious?
"I want to help." Ke YongAn stubbornly continued.
However, before Yan RuSu could reply, more Nine Passages Stage practitioners poured forth. Whip in hand, Yan RuSu lashed out, knocking the first wave back.
Elder Sis Yan RuSu is so powerful, Ke YongAn thought.
"What are you doing standing there? Did you not hear her?" An unpleasant voice resounded through the chaos.
Ke YongAn turned around with determination,
"I want to help!"
"Well, we don't need yours." Yu Mo snorted.
He proceeded with a grappling technique and tried to maneuver Ke YongAn back towards safety. But Ke YongAn would not have it.
She planted her feet deep into the sand and refused to budge.
"Yu Mo, stop playing around and just help!!" Yan RuSu roared, starting to find trouble with the unlimited ranks of the enemy.
"Tch."
You clicked your tongue didn't you...What the hell? Ke YongAn irritably thought and free from Yu Mo's control helped provide support whenever some of them broke through.
This isn't good...we'll tire out before them.
This was no time to hide her cultivation level!
I need to intimidate them! Although Ke YongAn didn't know if this would help or not, she had to try something.
"Hey! Who wants to come and die?!" Ke YongAn shouted these flashy and embarrassing words(in her opinion), drawing the attention of the people around her.
Leaping high in the air, Ke YongAn discharged lightning from her body, blinding the eyes of the approaching enemies. Because this was divine lightning, it evoked a special kind of intimidation. One that caused them to feel like they could not defeat this lightning...!
The momentary pause was all that was needed for the others to subdue the attacking forces.
Seeing the situation was not good, one of them shouted with all their cultivation base,
"RETREAT!"
I won't let you!
Ke YongAn thought coldly.
One of the things Ke YongAn found out was that there were actually different properties of lightning that she could influence.
Creating a sphere of lightning, Ke YongAn threw it far forwards at the head of the retreating figures and let it explode outwards. A spiderweb of Lightning was creating, linking each toward the figures. It was not highly destructive, but it would still cause numbness.
Just as Ke YongAn was about to throw another sphere of lightning, she suddenly began to become stiff as pain assaulted her senses. Though her body was strengthened immensely, she still could not bear the lightning flowing through her body for long.
Retracting the lightning, the pain slowly disappeared.
Dang it, I'm still too weak. It seemed today kept highlighting that her strength was only worth a fart.
Yan RuSu, after her surprise, hurried to Ke YongAn's side and fed her a medicinal pill.
"It's not really that serious for that." Ke YongAn frowned. Although this low-level medicinal pill meant nothing to her at the time she was acting as Princess Huang Xing, it was still quite a fortune to those who lived a common life.
"You are one to talk." Yan RuSu rudely spoke and tightened the bandage on the more serious cuts on her arm she channeled the lightning through.
"Ow ow ow ow" Ke YongAn continuously spoke at the pain. It was understandable that Yan RuSu would be furious though. What will happen now? Ke YongAn smiled bitterly.
So instead, Ke YongAn swapped her attention with something else.
"Speak and we will spare your lives." At the spearhead of the investigation was Elder Cai with a darkened face. He was in an especially bad mood.
"Never! You can kill us now!" One of the captives bravely spoke up, snapping at the people who dared to draw near.
"Oh?" Face becoming more dark, Elder Cai released a pressure belonging to the Spirit Awakening Stage.
"I-I'll talk!" Succumbing to the pressure, one of them spoke.
The others sent displeased and raged expressions toward that teammate.
"We have nothing to say for scum like you." Another one took over, spitting onto the ground in insult.
Enraged, Elder Cai sent a palm towards that person, instantly knocking him unconscious with serious injuries.
"Now then..."
Terrified, the Nine Passages Stage practitioner quickly began to speak.
"We-we attacked you because you are in alliance with the City mayor...."
He went on about their cause about fighting back against the suspicious and terrible mayor and how they attacked every caravan with the cargo for that mayor.
In the end, none of the captives managed to live.
Ke YongAn felt indignant. It felt that they themselves were cruel after hearing that story. She suddenly felt torn...who was it that she should and could trust?