Chapter 2: Snatching the Bandit's Lady_1

Chapter 2

The sun had moved in a westward direction, progressively dyeing the vegetation and the forest with a bloody hue.

Heading north, a squad of men and horses were slowly making their way along the mountain road. There were about a dozen of them, with most circling a delicately made horse-drawn carriage. Accompanied by armed guards, two towering horses were leading the way, side by side.

"Young Hero Lin, we are escorting the little city lord's fiancée this time. Brigands are frequently spotted near Mount Qingniu. We must be more cautious," cautioned Huang Sanyuan, who was riding his horse.

"Mountain bandits…" Lin Shaoyu laughed contemptuously, "If they dare to show up, let me demonstrate the power of the iron spear in my hand. With such a tranquil journey, I've been longing for some action."

"Thanks to Young Hero Lin, we've managed to travel safely so far. However, this mission of escorting Miss Su to Black Stone City for her wedding is of paramount importance, we should vividly take caution," replied Huang Sanyuan.

"Steward Huang, you worry too much. Who would dare to rob us? Do they wish for death? Ha ha," laughed a foot soldier, walking alongside them.

Hidden within the tall grass, Xu Shenji and Cheng Dalei were lying in wait. "Young Chief - ah, no, boss - it's going to get dark and I doubt anyone else will pass by. Let's retreat," proposed Xu Shenji.

"Wait," Cheng Dalei bit down on a blade of grass. According to the system's instructions, he was bound to complete his first robbery before sunset. Although the system was silent about the consequences of failing the mission, who knew what could happen?

Clop, clop, clop...

The sound of galloping hooves approached, causing Cheng Dalei's eyes to light up: "Here they come."

"Yes, they're coming. But their numbers…" Xu Shenji's bitter countenance belied his words. He started counting - including the coachman, there were thirteen guards, all clad in leather armors: "Boss, we should retreat. Don't be impulsive."

"I understand how you feel," Cheng Dalei assured him, jumping onto his horse. "But I am willing to live and die with you."

"But I don't feel the same," Xu Shenji retorted, peering at the increasingly closer convoy, with his heart pounding harder. Suddenly biting the bullet, he drew out a short dagger hidden on him and jabbed it into the rear of his thin horse.

The horse surged forward in pain, like a gust of wind, directly charging at the convoy.

"Hold! I am the Frog King of Frog Fort on Frog Ridge. If you value your lives, flee!", he bellowed.

Despite his age, Xu Shenji's voice was loud and clear, startling a flock of birds near them into flight. And he not only had a loud voice, but he could also run fast. He hadn't finished shouting when he spun on his heel and fled.

"Sorry, boss. I have a daughter to feed. I'll pay respects to you later," he yelled back.

While desperately trying to control the runaway horse, Cheng Dalei gave a mental middle finger to Xu Shenji. Betraying me is one thing, but "Frog King"? What kind of bandit nickname is that?

Finally, when he managed to rein in his horse, he found himself squarely in front of the convoy. Blades drawn, a group of men pointed their weapons at him, wearing expressions of utter disbelief.

"Just...just you alone?," Huang Sanyuan asked, incredulous.

Looking at the glistening, sharp blades all around him, Cheng Dalei figured that being killed by the system might not be such a bad idea.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. I am not the Frog king." Cheng Dalei took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, "I am the Gentleman Scholar, Xu Shenji. If you don't want to die, leave a ransom!"

Huang Sanyuan finally processed the unbelievable information - a single bandit challenging his whole convoy.

"Do you know who we are, young man? Life is hard, don't throw yours away," Huang Sanyuan advised with a deep sigh.

The surrounding guards burst out laughing, their blades clanging against the sheaths.

A girl suddenly poked her head out of the carriage. Her face, as fair and delicate as a goose's egg; her skin, so fine it could break with a gentle sigh, and her eyes, wide and curious. Upon seeing Cheng Dalei, she neither laughed nor feared but quietly observed him.

Cheng Dalei's heart fluttered, he never thought he'd encounter such a breathtakingly beautiful woman in this world.

Ding. Hidden mission activated: "Stealing the Bandit's Lady."

Ding. The difficulty of this mission exceeds your current power. You have the option to reject.

Cheng Dalei had an idea. He knew that hidden missions were typically hard to trigger and often high in difficulty. But once completed, the rewards were extraordinary.

Success would mean wedding night bliss, failure would mean losing his head. If he didn't have the guts, how could he be a bandit? So he accepted the mission.

"Stop laughing, stop laughing," Lin Shaoyu managed to suppress his laughter. "A thief has finally arrived. If you scare him away, it'll be on you. Remember, this thief is mine to handle. No one else meddle in."

"We have always heard about Young Hero Lin's exploits. This time we'll finally get to see it firsthand," a soldier remarked.

"Young Hero Lin, be careful. If you kill him in one go, there'll be nothing left for us to see," joked another.

Lin Shaoyu urged his horse forward, an iron spear clutched in his hand: "Thief, if you can survive three rounds under my spear, I'll let you escape with your life."

Cheng Dalei focused his attention on Lin Shaoyu, information about him appearing in his mind.

Name: Lin Shaoyu (Rookie Ranger)

Skill: Wave Breaking Spear

Hidden Attribute: Aspires to be a hero

As a seasoned gamer, Cheng Dalei comprehended the tiers - Ordinary, Excellent, Top Level, Peerless, Legend. Lin Shaoyu was at the lowest level: "Ordinary." A mere beginner like him and yet so arrogant. Cheng Dalei thought he was some super strong character.

"Under my axe, no nameless ghost will die. Who are you? State your name!" As Cheng Dalei observed his surroundings and formulated plans, he subtly edged his horse closer to Lin Shaoyu.

"I am Lin Shaoyu from Guangling," Lin Shaoyu responded earnestly, knowing respect for enemies was a requirement of a hero. Seeking to uphold the same decorum, he asked in return, "And you are? The Frog King or the Gentleman Scholar?"

"Well…" Cheng Dalei scratched his head, amused by Lin Shaoyu's seriousness, "How about... Ye Wen of Yongchun?"

"Huh?"

Lin Shaoyu's eyes widened in surprise. Despite his many travels through the Empire's thirteen domains and one hundred and eight cities, he had never heard of a place called Yongchun. The name too seemed a bit odd.

At this moment, their horses' heads were side by side, and Lin Shaoyu had entered the attack range of Cheng Dalei's axe. But Cheng Dalei wasn't one to lose an opportunity. Swinging his axe towards Lin Shaoyu's head, he shouted, "I'll take your head!"

His technique followed a precise trajectory, as if he had practiced this move countless times before. Lin Shaoyu was just pondering whether he should say something courteous like "I've long heard your name" to not embarrass himself in front of his enemy, when Cheng Dalei's axe was upon him. Shocked and taken off guard, Lin Shaoyu hastily tried to block it with his spear. But with the weight of the axe exceeding that of the spear, along with Cheng Dalei's upper hand in composition, Lin Shaoyu was knocked down from his horse with a single blow.

Commanding his horse to advance, Cheng Dalei leaped onto the carriage, kicking down the coachman. Slashing his axe onto the horse's rear, the terrified horse let out a deafening neigh and bolted forward like a runaway tank. Cheng Dalei swung his axe left and right, which created an opening for him to burst through the surrounding forces.

"Chase him! If you let the young lady escape, you're all dead," Huang Sanyuan shouted from atop his horse.

Dumbfounded, the surrounding guards were still trying to comprehend what just happened. How could the spoilt brat manage to abduct the young lady right under their nose?

Lin Shaoyu climbed up from the ground and remounted his horse, his grip on the spear tightened. He vowed to wash away this dishonor of being ambushed.

Ding. First successful robbery mission accomplished, reward: 1 lucky draw.

Ding. First stage of "Stealing the Bandit's Lady" completed, reward…