"Whoa, it's got to be around here."
Xu Zishuai pulled on the horse's reins, looking around cautiously.
Beneath him, his fine horse was panting heavily, and even the horse he was leading seemed exhausted.
Both of them had ridden through the night to finally arrive near their destination.
"I'll go down and have a look."
In the southern winter, the cold wasn't harsh.
Inside the dense forest with its broad-leafed trees, the sunlight broke through in patches.
Seeing the thick forest ahead, Xiang Changsong was about to dismount when Xu Zishuai stopped him.
"No need, I'll do it. You head to the nearest village and see if you can hire some carriages. Leave the rest to me."
"Alright."
Xiang Changsong turned his horse, following the map's markings to find a nearby village.
Though their Fourth Brother seemed carefree in daily life, he was reliable when it came to serious matters.
His talent outshone many senior brothers, making him more than capable of handling a few mountain bandits with ease.
Xu Zishuai tied his horse to a tree and ventured into the forest alone.
Even with the heightened senses of a Martial Master, the complex mountain terrain took him a full hour to navigate.
A two-meter-high fortress gate stood among the trees.
Xu Zishuai didn't act rashly.
Instead, he masked his presence and scouted about.
The bandits were all greasy-faced ruffians, covered in tattoos, not oppressed victims but a gang of scoundrels clearly terrorizing the mountain.
In one room, he even found several women held captive, their hair disheveled, the youngest barely ten years old, chained by the neck, in front of filthy blackened bowls filling the air with a rank stench.
No wonder the officials had wanted heads delivered.
Confirming the bounty's details, Xu Zishuai returned to the gate.
He stood before a tree as thick as a human leg, waist sword flashing imperceptibly as he felled it with ease.
The crashing branches made a deafening noise, startling the bandits from their rooms to see what had happened.
A massive tree, sharpened into a spear, suddenly flew from the forest, shattering the gate and launching the two bandits behind it into the air.
The roar sent birds and beasts fleeing into the woods.
Dust rose.
The bandits stumbled to the floor, trembling uncontrollably, unable to speak from fear.
"Wasting two lives over this is such a shame."
Xu Zishuai dusted his hands, stepping calmly into the stronghold.
He looked down at the stunned Gap-Toothed Bandit and snapped off a tree branch, lightly tapping his face.
"Hey, where's your leader?"
The bandit gawked, mind blank from horror, instinctively pointed at the mess beneath the wood.
"Oh, dead already? Such trouble."
Xu Zishuai scratched his cheek, leaping onto a broken wooden platform and produced a rope, shouting, "No need to be scared, listen carefully. I'm here for three things: catch people, catch people, and catch people! Now, get in line and slip your necks into this."
In a shadowy corner, a bald bandit twitched his fingers, relieved no one noticed him.
He slowly shifted back, sneaking away until twenty feet out before bolting.
Swish.
The bald bandit looked down, seeing a bloody branch piercing the ground.
He touched his chest, finding a thumb-sized hole bleeding profusely.
Puff.
The bandit dropped to his knees, blood pooling beneath him.
"See? I told you to behave. Why don't you listen? Now, come up here and get on the rope!"
By the time Xiang Changsong returned with a convoy, over twenty bandits were tied to trees like dogs.
"There are some women in the fort; help them out."
"I'll take care of it."
With a few trembling drivers, Xiang Changsong ventured into the battered camp, saw the ruined gates and bloody remains underfoot, unfazed by the sight.
Senior Brother Xu was an orphan.
Yet, he was both more fortunate and less fortunate than Junior Brother Liang.
He once had foster parents who took him in, but bandits raided the village, and everything was lost to save one egg-laying hen.
Xu resented bandits deeply, ensuring no lairs remained within a hundred miles of Peaceful Sun Town.
Nightfall.
After a day of intense training, Liang Qu was exhausted to the point of collapsing on the Martial Training Grounds.
But thoughts of the Subduing Waves Spear under his bed kept him restless.
After soaking in a medicinal bath, finishing his stance training, and recovering his vigor, Liang Qu admired his spear before practicing in his courtyard.
Bathed in moonlight, his bare chest heaved with every breath.
He exerted all his strength, muscles bulging like a crouching leopard.
Blood flowed and muscles distinguished, as he wielded the spear with precision, every line seamless.
From his stance, he could rival top swimmers from his past life.
At times, standing before the mirror, he couldn't believe those perfect lines were his own.
Over a few months, his height shot up from a scrawny 1.6 meters to an impressive 1.75, with room to grow more.
Senior Brother Lu Gang had refitted the spear, estimating his physique to mature at over 1.85 meters.
Perfect.
Liang Qu took a deep breath, reveling under the moon’s glow.
The dark gold gun-light grew sharper, reflecting the fragmented stars.
When fists strike hard surfaces and form imperceptible cracks, the body begins repairing, reinforcing bone density over time, making future strikes harder.
Spirit weapons evolve similarly; each clash and swing refining them to better serve their master's needs and fighting style.
Spirit weapons transcend being mere tools—they're alive!
Barring total destruction, spirit weapons can always heal!
"Huff, huff, huff."
The heavy spear swept through the shrubs like a hurricane, scattering leaves.
After fifteen minutes, Liang Qu's muscles burned with fatigue, forcing him to stop, wipe down the spear, and wash off sweat for a deep sleep.
The next day brought more training, but Hu Qi allowed a half-day, urging Liang Qu to rest and nap.
Based on Xu Zishuai's departure, they'd return by evening, for the four brothers to ascend the mountain to see what was truly causing the disturbance at Dharma Lotus Temple.
At dusk, Hu Qi ended class early, donning bracers and slinging a massive dark red bow nearly 1.5 meters long over his shoulder, with a quiver on his waist.
Lu Gang also arrived at the hall, dressed as usual, leading a massive, oil-sleek black hound, radiating prowess.
"A Mountain-Tracking Dog, master's darling. It detects spirit beasts keenly. If the blood sacrifice fails, let it try," Lu Gang explained.
Apparel set, spear slung, Liang Qu pondered, ready.
Everything prepared, they departed with two senior brothers to the junction below Dharma Lotus Temple.
Nightfall approached, wheels rumbling across the yellow clay road drew nearer.