Chapter 337 - 325: Battling the Bandit Cultivators (Part 1)
Chapter 337: Chapter 325: Battling the Bandit Cultivators (Part 1)
Zhao Lin’s heart sank. He had been so careful, taking a long detour, yet he had still run into these two bandit cultivators.
The terrain here was relatively flat and overgrown with shrubs, not an ideal spot for an ambush.
Clearly, the two of them knew he would be passing through here. One blocked the path ahead, and the other hid in a bamboo grove to cut him off.
’How did they find me? Are they fortune tellers or something?’
Zhao Lin was puzzled, but then he noticed a small, black-and-yellow bird perched on the bulge-eyed man’s shoulder, and he instantly understood.
Using a Spiritual Bird for tracking was a common tactic. ’I was focused on movement on the ground and didn’t pay any attention to the sky. I’ll have to be more careful about that in the future.’
Zhao Lin didn’t make a rash move. Using his Qi Observation Skill, he saw that the handsome cultivator was at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, while the bulge-eyed man was even stronger, at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer.
The halberd tip and folding fan they held were both magic treasures. No matter how fast his own movements were, he could never outpace a magic treasure.
The bulge-eyed man wore a smug expression and barked, "Hey kid, why aren’t you running anymore?"
The handsome cultivator flicked open his fan and called out in a lighthearted tone, "Now, now, Brother Song, he runs quite fast. If I hadn’t laid this ambush in advance, he might have actually gotten away."
The bulge-eyed man’s face twitched as he shot back, "Impossible! My Heaven-piercing Halberd is no joke!"
The two conversed from a distance, paying Zhao Lin no mind whatsoever.
’They must think I’m some early-stage Qi Refining rookie.’
A Martial Cultivator’s Spiritual Power signature looks very similar to that of a Magic Cultivator, with only minor differences. Coupled with the fact that Zhao Lin was deliberately concealing his Qi and Blood, the two bandits saw his cultivation as merely Qi Refining Third Layer. They paid him no mind, acting as if victory was already guaranteed.
"Fellow cultivators, I’ve only been on this path for a few years and don’t have many valuables on me. Please, be magnanimous and let me pass. If you won’t let me go, then I’ll have no choice but to release this talisman!"
With a slight bow of his hands, Zhao Lin retrieved the Hongyan Talisman from his storage pouch, holding it up for the two to see.
He wasn’t the type to back down from a fight, but when faced with two Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, it was best to avoid conflict if possible.
The Hongyan Talisman was dark gray and shaped like a wild goose feather, making it extremely easy to identify.
The Chenghua Sect had a signal tower in every county dedicated to receiving all kinds of Communication Talismans. Once activated, a Hongyan Talisman would automatically seek out the nearest one.
"A Hongyan Talisman?"
The bulge-eyed man stared blankly for a second, then burst into laughter as if he’d just witnessed the most hilarious thing in the world.
"Go ahead, use it if you’ve got the nerve! We’re both wanted men anyway. Let’s see what’s faster: the people coming to save you, or my magic treasure!"
A greedy glint appeared in the bulge-eyed man’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Zhao Lin to casually produce a Hongyan Talisman worth one thousand Spirit Coins. It was obvious the kid must be carrying plenty of other treasures.
The handsome cultivator had the same thought. He deliberately adopted a gentle tone and advised, "We’re only after riches, we have no desire to take a life. Just hand over your storage pouch, and we’ll let you go on your way."
The two of them were playing good cop, bad cop, trying to trick Zhao Lin into not activating the Hongyan Talisman.
Zhao Lin scoffed inwardly, seeing their intentions as clear as day.
He had defeated a cultivator at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer during last year’s Dharma Assembly. Now, his own realm had risen a level, and with two expert-level offensive Magic techniques at his command, he was not without a fighting chance.
A cultivator’s combat prowess depended on three things: first, their cultivation level; second, their Magic; and third, their auxiliary equipment, such as magic treasures, armor, and talismans.
Although the two bandit cultivators were at the Late-stage of Qi Refining, they weren’t old—only around thirty. Having cultivated for just over a decade, they could have mastered one or two expert-level Magic techniques at most. Their strength was worlds apart from the veteran Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who had trained for decades.
More critically, neither of them knew he was a Martial Cultivator. He could use that to his advantage and win by surprise.
Zhao Lin had faced immense danger during his martial arts training. He had been hunted by bandits multiple times and even cornered by warriors from the Western Regions.
Since entering the Cultivation Realm, he had always kept a low profile, but that hadn’t dulled his fighting spirit.
’It’s come to this. My only option is to risk it all!’
’If I always try to play it safe and back down, then what’s the point of cultivation?’
Zhao Lin realized the Hongyan Talisman wasn’t a credible threat to them, but it did have an unexpected effect. The talisman was extremely valuable, which made them hesitant. They didn’t want to risk destroying the prize.
Since they weren’t willing to drop the pretense just yet, he could use the opportunity to lull them into a false sense of security and eliminate one of them.
With this in mind, Zhao Lin put on a hesitant and fearful expression. "If I put down my storage pouch, you’ll really let me go? You... you wouldn’t lie to me, would you?"
Hearing this, the bulge-eyed man immediately puffed out his chest. "Of course! Would two Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators like us really lie to a junior like you?"
The handsome cultivator chimed in, "Rest easy, young friend. Just place the item in your hand and your storage pouch on the ground, and you can leave right away."
"We are men of our word. We won’t go back on it."
The two of them didn’t want to pressure Zhao Lin too much. If he activated the Hongyan Talisman, a thousand Spirit Coins would go up in smoke.
"Let me think about it."
Zhao Lin said, pacing back and forth as if deep in thought, his hand still clutching the Hongyan Talisman tightly.
The two bandit cultivators didn’t rush him. In their eyes, Zhao Lin was a fish on the chopping block, unable to cause any trouble. It was only a matter of time before he caved.
What neither of them noticed, however, was that as Zhao Lin paced back and forth, he was deliberately and imperceptibly closing the distance to the handsome cultivator.
Thirty zhang, twenty-seven zhang, twenty-four zhang...
’The handsome cultivator’s cultivation is weaker. I’ll kill him first!’
"Alright, I’ll give you my things," Zhao Lin said, suddenly stopping. "But you have to throw your magic treasures on the ground first."
’Since I’ve decided to strike, I should weaken them as much as possible.’
The bulge-eyed man’s expression turned cold. "What’s the meaning of this?"
Zhao Lin feigned nervousness. "What if I put my things down and you still don’t let me go? You both have magic treasures... I... I don’t feel very safe."
"That’s understandable. We’ll do as you ask."
The handsome cultivator quickly agreed, tossing his folding fan aside with a casual flick of his wrist. He also discreetly gestured to the bulge-eyed man.
"Fine, we agree," the bulge-eyed man said. "But don’t try any funny business, or you’ll suffer the consequences."
As he spoke, the bulge-eyed man also tossed his halberd tip a dozen or so paces away.
In their minds, they didn’t need magic treasures to deal with Zhao Lin. This was just to put him at ease. Once he put down the Hongyan Talisman, a single cast of Magic would be enough to incapacitate him. Then he’d be completely at their mercy, right?
"Alright, I’m putting my things down now. Don’t come any closer," Zhao Lin said, feigning nervousness. He carefully placed the Hongyan Talisman back into his storage pouch and then tossed the whole bag.
As he spoke, he had stealthily moved to a position less than twenty zhang from the handsome cultivator. His hand slipped into his sleeve, where he secretly formed a Spell.
THUD. The storage pouch landed on the ground.
The eyes of both the bulge-eyed man and the handsome cultivator snapped toward it.
In that instant, Zhao Lin’s arm shot out, unleashing an ice blade straight at the handsome cultivator’s throat!