Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Saving the Bandit Chief

Lou Yun’s unusual expression naturally caught Wan Huier’s attention. She followed his gaze and discovered spots of blood on the grass.

“Huh? Lou brother, so much blood. Was someone hurt?”

Although Lou Yun had no desire to meddle, seeing the bloodstains, he still couldn’t help but use his spiritual sense to investigate. He detected a faint energy fluctuation; clearly, someone was injured.

Affairs of others might be ignored, but he couldn’t stand by and watch someone die. So he slowly reined in his mount, his eyes fixed on that patch of woods as he said, “Huier, that grove looks suspicious. Come with me first. I’ll go into the woods to look. You wait outside!”

Wan Huier adored excitement the most and naturally agreed immediately, replying eagerly, “Alright!”

The two dismounted and walked over, leading their horses. Reaching the top of the earthen slope, Lou Yun handed his horse’s reins to Wan Huier. Then, with a swift movement, he vaulted into the woods.

Although his spiritual sense had already located the origin of that faint energy fluctuation, behind a large tree, he called out cautiously first for good measure, “Is anyone there?”

He repeated it twice, but there was no response whatsoever from within the grove.

Hesitating slightly, Lou Yun then strode towards the back of the large tree.

Unexpectedly, he had only taken a few steps when he abruptly sensed a fierce gale charging at his back, its speed as swift as lightning.

Though facing sudden danger, Lou Yun remained utterly calm. He tapped the ground with his toes, spun halfway in the air, and his right fist punched out shimmering with electric light.

Weapon spirit power surged outwards. With a resounding boom, Lou Yun’s body shook slightly from the impact, while the object that attacked him was flung several meters into the air by the powerful palm wind contained in the Sky Thunder Explosion.

Lou Yun had originally intended to help someone in good faith, never expecting to be ambushed. Fury welled up within him. He glared, on the verge of retaliating, when he saw the object he had repelled emit a sharp “whizzing” sound and shoot towards his chest once more with incredible speed.

The object’s trajectory was mysteriously erratic, flashing swiftly through the air, making it impossible to predict where exactly it would strike—a truly disconcerting and hard-to-dodge attack.

Lou Yun’s genuine anger was now stirred. He roared fiercely, his figure leaping lightly into the air like a swallow. Simultaneously, he drew his Stone Sword, thrusting it straight forward with the move Sword Piercing Cloud Shadows.

A hoarse cry of alarm came from beyond two zhang. The attacking object was shattered and flung back by this low-tier moon-grade technique, letting out a high-pitched whistling noise as it embedded itself deeply into a tree trunk.

Only then did Lou Yun clearly see that the attacking object was actually a magical weapon—a large iron hammer, an airborne bludgeon pointed at the front and broad at the back, with a long, shimmering silver chain trailing from its base.

Lou Yun spun around and reached the back of the tree. He finally saw a sallow-faced, unkempt man laid out flat on the ground.

The large man was currently staring at Lou Yun in astonishment, his eyes wide and gleaming fiercely. Both his palms were bleeding heavily at the tiger’s mouth areas, clearly injured by Lou Yun’s earlier counterattack.

Lou Yun stood before him, looking down coldly, and asked, “Who are you? Why attack ferociously without asking what happened? Had it been someone else earlier, wouldn’t they have lost their life to your magical weapon?”

The scruffy man suddenly bellowed, cursing angrily, “Shut up! How the hell should I know who you are, huh, kiddo? Sneaking into the woods so furtively, damn right I needed to be extra cautious! Strike first to gain the upper hand!”

Seeing how utterly unreasonable this man, whose true age was obscured by the grime and blood on his face, was being, Lou Yun was both furious and amused. However, both now and earlier, he had never truly resorted to a lethal blow.

Firstly, because this big man, though a five-star magical weapons master, was currently extremely low on energy. Additionally, the skin and flesh of his right leg were horrifically ripped open, blood dripping continuously. The wound was so deep the bone beneath was faintly visible.

Lou Yun snorted heavily. “I can’t be bothered to argue with you any longer. I originally came in because I saw the bloodstains outside and wanted to see if anyone needed help. Yet you struck first, nearly killing me. But today, seeing your injuries, I won’t press the matter. Survive or perish here by yourself!”

With that, Lou Yun turned around and strode decisively away.

Suddenly, the man let out a strange cry, “Wa wa wa! Come back, kid! Damn you, come back! Even riddled with holes today, I don’t need your pity!”

Lou Yun turned sharply to face him, his gaze icy.

The ragged man, likely due to his severe injuries and speaking too quickly, was already panting heavily, his face flushed crimson.

But seeing Lou Yun was looking at him again, he forcibly held back the roiling blood and energy in his body and shouted loudly, “Come on then! Come and fight another three hundred rounds with me if you have the guts!”

Lou Yun smiled lightly, his voice laced with sarcasm, “And what do you plan to fight with? Your magical weapon… or that leg?”

At this moment, Lou Yun felt both exasperated and amused. Yet, simultaneously, a thread of admiration for this crude, stubborn man stirred within him.

Zuo Mingyang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He had been so consumed by anger earlier that he only now recalled how his magical weapon had been violently knocked away by the young man before him using an exceptionally bizarre and ferocious sword technique. It was still deeply embedded in the tree trunk just now.

Moreover, his right leg was already in so much pain that he couldn’t move it at all. Standing was difficult enough, let alone engaging in combat!

The burly man was stunned for a long moment before he huffed again, "Fine! Fine! Kid, you sure talk the talk. Zuo Mingyang here is thoroughly beaten today. First ambushed by that little brat Wu Shaopin, now defeated by you. Fine, fine…"

His rage rendered him speechless as he continued, and he could only repeat "fine" over and over.

Lou Yun had never heard of Zuo Mingyang before, but he was just acquainted with the Wu Shaopin mentioned. He held Wu Shaopin’s character in utter contempt.

Since Wu Shaopin had set an ambush for this Zuo Mingyang, it meant Zuo Mingyang was surely Wu Shaopin’s enemy – which put him on the same side as Lou Yun. A faint smile touched Lou Yun’s lips. "Why did Wu Shaopin lay an ambush for you? How did you offend him?"

Zuo Mingyang spat a thick gob of phlegm. "Pah! That bastard Wu Shaopin! All he ever does is ride on his father’s coattails, committing bad deeds everywhere. Others fear him, but not me! I oppose him at every turn. Last time, I even beat him up – felt great!"

Zuo Mingyang laughed heartily by himself for a while before continuing, "But who knew that spineless coward wouldn’t dare fight me head-on? He had to scheme against me in secret! Just now, a little over an hour ago, he lured me here. Hell, I honoured the deal, came alone and unarmed! That bastard brought four or five men! I’m mighty, sure, but two fists can’t fight against four hands. So I got beaten up like this!"

Lou Yun calculated the timing in his head and felt Zuo Mingyang was telling the truth. After dealing with Zuo Mingyang, Wu Shaopin had returned to the city, coinciding with Lou Yun and Huier buying horses. Smitten by Huier’s beauty, Wu Shaopin had then meddled.

Lou Yun looked again at the loudly cursing burly man. His straightforward character was evident. They were meeting for the first time, yet Zuo Mingyang freely shared his story without concealment. Added to that, Zuo Mingyang dared to oppose Wu Shaopin despite knowing Wu Shaopin had influence. Lou Yun found himself feeling genuine admiration for the man’s candor and fearless spirit.

Smiling faintly, Lou Yun spoke, "Zuo Mingyang, right? I see you are forthright, punish the strong and aid the weak. I admire that greatly. Since your leg is injured and moving is difficult, why not tell me where you live? I’ll take you back. How about that?"

Hearing this, Zuo Mingyang was first startled, then burst into loud laughter. "What a kid! You look impressive, and your skill is not weak – must be from a renowned family. Surprisingly rare that you show such respect for a rough fellow like me! I ambushed you, yet not only aren’t you angry, you even want to send me back? Haha! Awesome! That’s awesome! We truly recognize and value heroism!"

"Heh, my name is Lou Yun."

"Good! Good! Good!" Zuo Mingyang was clearly very pleased, nodding vigorously. "Lou Yun. You look young. Let me call you ‘little brother’. This friendship, I swear it!"

Lou Yun nodded. "Likewise. But let’s save the talk for later. Tell me now, where do you live? I’ll get you back first so you can treat that leg wound."

Just then, a figure flashed at the forest edge. Wan Huier rushed in. Catching sight of her, Zuo Mingyang roared, "Hey! Little girl! Stop right there!"

Zuo Mingyang’s voice was astonishingly loud. His bellow genuinely startled Wan Huier, freezing her momentarily. Lou Yun quickly said, "Brother Zuo, she’s my younger sister! Come here, Huier! Say hello to Brother Zuo!"

Zuo Mingyang slapped his own forehead hard. "Aiyo! I thought it was more enemies! Little sister, sorry! Didn’t scare you, did I?"

Wan Huier had waited outside for Lou Yun for so long without seeing him emerge. Worried something had happened, she came to check. Hearing Lou Yun’s words, she walked obediently to Zuo Mingyang, bowed deeply, and said, "Hello, Brother Zuo. I am Wan Huier, Lou Gege’s younger sister!"

Hearing this, Lou Yun felt quite pleased inwardly. If Huier hadn’t genuinely regarded him as a brother, how could someone of her status as a Princess possibly be so courteous to a man from the wilds?

Zuo Mingyang also seemed delighted. He tried to reach out to help her up, but his injured leg rendered him immobile. He could only boom enthusiastically, "Little sister! This old brother can’t handle such a big courtesy! Came out in a hurry today, didn’t bring anything… got nothing to gift you as a meeting present! But no worries! Just wait! When we get to your old brother’s place, you can pick anything you want!"

Having grown up surrounded by royalty, all meticulous in speech and action, and later meeting Lou Yun, who was gentle and refined, Wan Huier had never encountered a style or manner like Zuo Mingyang’s. She couldn’t help covering her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Well then, Huier shall thank Brother Zuo in advance!"

"Polite, polite! Ah! Lou little brother, why wait? Let’s go quickly! My brothers are probably worried sick by now!"

This statement caused Lou Yun’s face to register doubt. Zuo Mingyang grinned broadly. "Brother! I reckon you’re definitely not from Sanhe Nation, so you don’t know who your Brother Zuo is!"

"You got it, Brother Zuo. I am not from here."

"Heh! Then Old Brother won’t hide it. Brother here is a bandit! Got close to a hundred brothers under me, tagging along just to get by!"

Despite seeming rough in speech and action, Zuo Mingyang was actually shrewd beneath the surface. While speaking, he closely observed the expressions of Lou Yun and Wan Huier. Had Lou Yun shown even a hint of scorn or rejection, he would have immediately changed his attitude. Not that he would have blamed Lou Yun – not everyone wants to befriend a bandit.

For Lou Yun, making friends was about the person. He didn’t care about background or status. Upon hearing this, his expression didn’t change in the slightest.

As for Wan Huier, when she heard Zuo Mingyang was actually a bandit, her eyes nearly lit up with excitement. Being friends with a bandit! How thrilling! In the past, this was something she wouldn’t have dared to dream of!

Lou Yun walked straight up to Zuo Mingyang, bent down, and said, "Brother Zuo, let’s talk more once we get back. Come on, climb onto my back. I’ll carry you to the horse. We’ll send you home."

Zuo Mingyang glanced at Lou Yun’s immaculate robe, then down at his own blood-stained, filthy clothes. Shame washed over him; he didn’t want his grime to soil Lou Yun’s clothes. Lou Yun, however, hadn’t given it a second thought. Seeing Zuo Mingyang hesitate, he simply grabbed the man’s hands and placed them on his own back. With a slight effort, he hoisted Zuo Mingyang onto his back.

That single act solidified something in Zuo Mingyang’s heart: no matter what, he had to become true friends with Lou Yun.

Zuo Mingyang retrieved his magical weapon and clung onto Lou Yun’s back as he was carried up onto the dragon horse. Lou Yun and Wan Huier each took the reins of a dragon horse. The three stepped onto the main road, following the direction indicated by Zuo Mingyang.