Chapter : 20 Kayden Intervenes

The confrontation between Li Wei and the bandit leader intensified, with a blood red colour aura emanating from the bandit leader's body. In a flash, he materialized behind Li Wei, attempting a punch aimed at his waist. Li Wei's quick reflexes allowed him to narrowly evade, but he received a minor scratch on his waist, causing it to bleed. Li Wei remained vigilant, eyeing his opponent warily.

"You're not half bad. How about joining us? I'll let you off the hook," the bandit leader proposed with a sly grin.

Li Wei responded resolutely, "I have no intention of joining someone who preys on the weak."

The bandit leader taunted, "You don't seem to know your place. Until now, I've been holding back, and it looks like that's made you overconfident."

To Li Wei's surprise, the bandit leader began to approach him slowly, an unorthodox move. Meanwhile, hidden among the foliage of trees, Kayden observed the skirmish with amusement. "Well, it seems it's time for me to intervene," Kayden remarked, recognizing that Li Wei stood no chance against the bandit leader, who was clearly toying with him.

Returning to Li Wei, he was baffled by the bandit leader's slow approach, only for the bandit leader to suddenly appear right in front of him. "You should learn your place, pest," the bandit leader sneered, preparing to strike at Li Wei's abdomen. However, his attack was abruptly halted.

"What?!" the bandit leader exclaimed as his hand was frozen mid-air by a young man with black hair, lean yet muscular. With swift precision, Kayden had blocked the bandit leader's attack, leaving him stunned.

"Who the hell are you, and how dare you meddle in my business?" the bandit leader shouted, attempting to free his hand, but Kayden's resolve remained unyielding. In a single decisive move, Kayden unleashed a powerful kick, sending the bandit leader crashing into one of his own horses, creating a chaotic spectacle.

The bandit leader's reckless crash had thrown the horse's formation into chaos, causing a domino effect that sent all the horses and their unruly riders into a frenzied stampede. Amidst the chaos, the bandit leader and his crew clung desperately to their mounts.

"Leader!" one of the bandits cried out, but their words were lost in the thunderous hooves as horses and riders disappeared into the distance. "Damn those idiot, they can't even control a horse and wants to become a bandit," the exasperated leader muttered.

"Seems like your idiot members ran off," Kayden remarked casually.

"Well, who needs them? They're of no use except for doing chores," the bandit leader retorted As the bandit leader regained his balance, a sudden, searing pain shot through his stomach. "Dammit, why is there sudden pain?" he muttered, his mind flashing back to the boy who had delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen.

"This kid is different from that moron, even my body is more sturdy, and he still injured me with just a kick," the bandit leader thought, begrudgingly acknowledging Kayden's strength.

"What are you thinking for so long? Just come and fight, don't waste my time," Kayden yawned, clearly unimpressed.

"Bastard!" the bandit leader cursed, launching himself at Kayden with his qi blazing.

"Li Wei, move to the side," Kayden commanded, but before Li Wei could respond, Kayden swiftly picked him up and hurled him into the nearby bushes.

The bandit leader's reckless charge met a swift and calculated response from Kayden. With a mere shift of his weight, Kayden expertly dodged the incoming onslaught, leaving the bandit leader swinging at thin air, his frustration mounting with each missed strike.

Kayden's demeanor remained calm and unfazed, his eyes locked onto the bandit leader's every move. It was as if he was studying his opponent's qi, dissecting his fighting style, and anticipating his every move. The bandit leader, on the other hand, was growing increasingly desperate as the realization set in that his punches couldn't land on this formidable foe as he halted.

"Ahh, why did you stop?" Kayden said, abruptly halting his movements.

The bandit leader wasted no time. He took a calculated stance, his gaze fixated on Kayden as if the boy were prey, and his hand contorted into a claw-like shape. "Tiger Claw, second form!" he exclaimed, creating the illusion of a fierce tiger's gaze.

With an explosive release of his qi, the bandit leader lunged toward Kayden at an astonishing speed, surpassing his previous display of agility while battling Li Wei.

However, Kayden's unmatched agility allowed him to react swiftly. He gracefully hopped onto one leg, channeling his energy into a powerful kick aimed at the bandit's head. This action combined the force of both their momentums. As a result, the bandit was sent hurtling through the air, crashing violently into a nearby tree. He lay sprawled amidst the shattered tree bark, defeated and motionless.

Kayden swiftly regained his balance after the kick, while onlookers gazed in disbelief. "Hey, you over there, hiding behind the trees, come out!" he shouted, piercing the silence of the forest. "Are you coming out, or do you want to end up like him?" Kayden's gaze pierced the foliage.

A lean man emerged, immediately dropping to his knees and bowing. "Please, no! I didn't do anything," he pleaded.

"Go and take that bastard with you," Kayden ordered, his eyes flickering toward the fallen bandit leader. The man hesitated, exchanging glances between the leader and Kayden.

"What are you waiting for? Did you think I didn't know you were hiding when the fight began?" Kayden inquired, his tone unwavering. "Are you going or not?"

The man nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir, I'm going," he said, rushing to his fallen leader and dragging him out of sight.

"That was a good warm-up," Kayden exclaimed, stretching his hand as the adrenaline continued to course through his veins. Villagers approached him, expressing their gratitude.

"Thank you so much for helping us," the old village chief said, his voice filled with appreciation.

"Helping who? I didn't help anyone; if you want to thank someone, thank him," Kayden replied, pointing towards Li Wei. With that, he walked away, making his way back to his temporary shelter.

As Kayden left the scene, villagers gathered around Li Wei, expressing their gratitude. Li Wei assured them it was no problem and then dashed off to follow Kayden.

While Kayden continued walking, his pace suddenly halted as he heard Li Wei calling out, "Sir Kayden!" Li Wei panted heavily as he caught up.

"You idiot, why do you always get into fights for no reason?" Kayden couldn't help but comment as he resumed walking.

Li Wei chuckled nervously. "I didn't think it would turn into a fight. I just wanted to help the villagers since they helped us when you were unconscious. I thought if I told them I would report this incident to the territory officials, they would back off," Li Wei explained.

"So you attacked him when his guard was down," Kayden noted, shaking his head.

Li Wei chuckled again. "Hehe, why are you laughing, you idiot? You could've died," Kayden scolded, concern hidden beneath his gruff exterior.

As the sun descended, painting the sky with stars, Kayden lay in his makeshift shed, his gaze fixed on the celestial display through a hole in the roof. The tranquil night sky captivated him as he gradually drifted into slumber.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence, interrupting his dreams. "Mr. Kayden, wake up."