“The bandits…bandits are coming!” one of the refugees stammered.
In the past, they would have hidden themselves whenever they heard such hoofbeats.
This time, whether it was because there wasn't enough time, or because they knew Xuan Yuanzhan was very powerful and believed he would protect them, not a single one of them immediately went to hide. Only some of the younger children were so frightened that they hid in their parents' arms.
The sound of horses' hooves continued, and in just a few moments, a large group of bandits came galloping over.
Some came on horseback, some on foot. Xuan Yuanzhan looked up and saw a vast expanse of people, probably numbering in the thousands.
It seems there are quite a few bandits in the north.
This shouldn't be all the bandits, just a part of this bandit den; there might be other bandit dens as well.
So, by that calculation, 100,000 troops might not actually be that many.
The bandit leader immediately spotted the bandit lying dead on the ground, twisted and crooked, as well as his recently adopted third brother.
The bandit who brought the news immediately pointed at Xuan Yuanzhan as soon as he got close and said, "Boss, it was him. He killed the Third Boss and these brothers."
The bandit leader looked at Xuan Yuanzhan in the direction the other bandit was pointing.
The bandit leader was truly amazed when he saw Xuan Yuanzhan.
What a handsome young man!
This must be the young master of some family elsewhere. He is indeed exceptionally handsome. There are no men like him in the North!
When the bandit leader looked at Xuan Yuanzhan, Xuan Yuanzhan was also sizing him up.
Compared to the third leader, this leader was clearly older and more robust. Judging from the double axes he was wielding, he probably had some martial arts skills.
Otherwise, even thousands of bandits wouldn't submit to him.
The bandit leader sized up Xuan Yuanzhan for a moment, then raised his chin at him: "You killed the third leader of my Silver Tiger Stronghold!"
"How is it?" Xuan Yuanzhan did not deny it at all, and only replied with two words.
The bandit leader didn't expect Xuan Yuanzhan to be so straightforward. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Young man, you're fair-skinned and clean-cut. Why aren't you enjoying your life at home? What are you doing running around in our northern lands?"
Xuanyuan Zhan remained expressionless, showing no intention of answering his question: "What business is it of yours whether I come to the North or not?"
...The bandit leader originally intended to speak politely to Xuan Yuanzhan because of his handsome face, but he did not expect Xuan Yuanzhan to be so arrogant, and immediately decided to kill him.
"What an arrogant young man! Take this from me!"
The bandit leader lifted his horse by the belly, leaped into the air, and swung his axe down at Xuan Yuanzhan's head.
The surrounding refugees were instantly terrified by the bandit leader, and all looked at Xuan Yuanzhan with fear and worry.
Some of the more timid ones even closed their eyes in panic.
Xuanyuan Zhan didn't even close his eyes for a moment. Just as the axe was about to strike his head, he suddenly raised the long sword in his hand.
With a loud "clang!", the bandit leader was instantly sent flying backward by Xuan Yuanzhan's shock.
The bandit leader hadn't expected Xuan Yuanzhan to be so powerful; with just a simple block, he had completely neutralized the force of the attack.
Startled, the bandit leader steadied himself and once again raised his axe to attack Xuan Yuanzhan.
This time, they used two powerful axe-like attacks at once.
But Xuanyuan Zhan still didn't take him seriously. When Xuanyuan Zhan slashed at him, Xuanyuan Zhan also raised his sword and slashed back.
With two sharp clangs, Xuan Yuanzhan's two swords struck the bandit leader's two axes, causing him to stagger backward. It was as if Xuan Yuanzhan's swords had also cleaved the bandit leader's axes in two.
The bandit leader's hands were so shaken by Xuan Yuanzhan's sword that he almost lost his grip on his double-axe, but Xuan Yuanzhan's offensive did not stop, and he continued to slash at the bandit leader with his sword.
The bandit leader could not withstand such an attack. After retreating several steps, he was almost knocked to his knees by Xuan Yuanzhan.
Kneeling down is a minor matter; what if he fails to block the sword and it strikes him directly on the head? His head would be split open.
In just a few moves, the bandit leader realized that Xuan Yuanzhan's martial arts skills were not something he could afford to provoke. If he continued to entangle with him, he feared that not only would his third brother die here today, but he himself would also perish here.
With cold sweat dripping down his back, the bandit leader used all his strength to deflect Xuan Yuanzhan's longsword, and then he flew back several steps.
Before he could even stand up straight, he looked up and saw Xuan Yuanzhan about to pounce on him again.
The bandit leader was instantly terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly said, "Wait a minute."
The bandit leader, panting, raised his hand to stop Xuan Yuanzhan's attack: "I see you are a handsome young man, so I will not pursue this matter with you today."
The bandit leader's words were so offensive that not only Xuan Yuanzhan, but even the refugees around him couldn't bear to listen.
What kind of talk is that?
He clearly couldn't beat this young master, yet he made it sound so high-sounding.
They were initially worried about this young master, since Zhang Debiao of Silver Tiger Stronghold was notoriously fierce and powerful, and they were afraid that this young master would not be able to defeat Zhang Debiao.
But after this experience, they realized they had worried for nothing.
Judging from this young master's strength, let alone Zhang Debiao, even Zhang Debiao plus so many bandits would probably not be a match for him.
Seeing that their leader was clearly no match for this young master, the bandits also became somewhat worried.
The chief's martial arts skills are among the best in the surrounding area; only Li Yuanbao of Black Panther Stronghold can rival him.
Their leader is so powerful, yet he couldn't last ten moves against this young master. That shows just how powerful this young master is.
No wonder Zhang Jiang ran back earlier saying that this man killed the Third Leader with a single sword strike, and killing the other brothers was as easy as cutting melons and vegetables.
They had just heard about the young master's prowess and had now witnessed it firsthand, so even though their leader was no match for him, they didn't rush to help.
It's no longer about helping out; it's about being ready to run away at any moment!
When the bandit leader said this, Xuan Yuanzhan didn't even raise his eyes: "You're about to surrender? I haven't even started yet, I haven't even used a tenth of my strength!"
...The cold sweat that hadn't even had time to drip from the bandit leader's forehead finally started to trickle down.
It hasn't started yet?
You haven't even used one-tenth of your strength yet?
Is this real or fake?
He almost lost his life!
Can he really keep fighting someone this powerful? Isn't that just courting death like the third brother?
The bandit leader, no longer arrogant, hurriedly smiled dryly at Xuan Yuanzhan and said, "Young brother, we've met by chance and have no grudges against each other. There's no need for us to fight."
Xuanyuan Zhan didn't speak, he just stared at him coldly.
Are you sure he has no grudge against me?
The bandit leader felt uneasy under Xuan Yuanzhan's gaze and quickly added, "It's fate that we met. I see you're quite skilled, young man. I wonder if you'd be interested in becoming the third leader of our Silver Tiger Stronghold!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
