Inside the room.
On the bed, Zong Ling was sitting halfway, leaning against the headboard. Tong San sat on a nearby stool. Both turned their eyes toward Dongbo Xueying, who had just rushed in from outside.
“Uncle Zong, are you alright?” Dongbo Xueying asked carefully. Uncle Zong had already changed into a clean white robe and seemed unharmed, though his face was pale.
Zong Ling smiled faintly. “The leader of the Sickle Gang is truly formidable. This time, if I hadn’t been wearing the alchemical inner armor, I might have lost my life… cough, cough, cough…” He suddenly coughed, hurriedly covering his mouth with a handkerchief from the side. The white cloth quickly turned red as blood spread across it.
Dongbo Xueying’s heart clenched. Blood? Internal injuries?
“Uncle Zong,” Dongbo Xueying hurriedly sat beside the bed.
“It’s nothing, I won’t die,” Zong Ling said, tossing the bloodied cloth into a basin beside him. “What’s a wound like this? Back when I traveled with your parents and Uncle Tong, I’ve had far worse.”
“It’s alright, Snow Hawk,” Tong San said calmly, “with the Six-Armed Serpent Demon’s physique, this kind of injury will heal in a month or two.”
“Snow Hawk, you can rest easy,” Tong San added, “but tell me, Uncle Zong, how did you get so severely injured? You had an entire company of soldiers with you. Could the leader of the Sickle Gang really be that powerful?”
“He is indeed powerful, even more than I expected. No wonder he’s the strongest bandit in Yishui,” Zong Ling replied.
“Who exactly is the leader of the Sickle Gang? What’s his background?” Dongbo Xueying asked, puzzled.
“It’s time I told you about these things,” Zong Ling said. “After all, the management of Xueying Domain will eventually be handed over to you.”
Zong Ling looked at Dongbo Xueying. “As a lord, you have the authority over your domain, but you also bear the responsibility to protect it and all its people. When bandits invade your land, committing slaughter and plunder, you must eliminate them!”
Dongbo Xueying nodded solemnly.
“When your parents were still here, your mother was a Celestial-ranked mage. With a powerful mage assisting, the army could perform far more effectively. Plus, our Xueying Domain was equipped with a large number of Starbreaker Crossbows. No bandits dared to challenge us in all of Yishui County,” Zong Ling explained. “But after your parents were captured, those bandits must have been watching their chance. They feared the Starbreaker Crossbows.”
Dongbo Xueying was well aware of how powerful the Starbreaker Crossbows were. His father had equipped the domain with five hundred of them!
Just those crossbows alone had cost fifty thousand gold coins—enough to buy the entire Xueying Domain. Therefore, the Dongbo family of Xueying Domain was quite renowned throughout Yishui County.
“The taxes in Xueying Domain are low, and the people love their lord. Over the years, life in the domain has been good, which has made many bandits envious,” Zong Ling continued. “With your parents captured, they began to stir. Finally, the most powerful bandit group in Yishui County—the Sickle Gang—entered our domain to plunder.”
“When I heard the news, I led a company of three hundred soldiers, all mounted and equipped with Starbreaker Crossbows. But by the time we arrived, over five hundred civilians had already been slaughtered and everything looted.”
Dongbo Xueying’s eyes turned red with fury.
More than five hundred people dead?
This… this…
Those cursed bandits! What had those innocent civilians done to deserve this?
“When I arrived and began tracking the bandits, I never expected that the leader of the Sickle Gang—the evil ‘Gai Bin’—was hiding alone in the ravaged village. He suddenly ambushed me,” Zong Ling sighed. “We were completely taken by surprise, and the three hundred soldiers were thrown into confusion. I could only confront him first.”
“Gai Bin, the leader of the Sickle Gang, is a Meteor-ranked knight! I’ve fought Meteor-ranked knights before, and usually I can hold my ground for a while,” Zong Ling continued. “But Gai Bin’s blade techniques were far too fast—much faster than a typical Meteor-ranked knight. I suspect he has some unique martial techniques.”
Dongbo Xueying understood.
In terms of strength, among his father, Uncle Tong, and Uncle Zong, Uncle Zong was the strongest. Although he was only a Celestial-ranked knight, he was of the royal bloodline of the Serpent Clan—the Six-Armed Serpent Demon. His strength was immense, and in battle, he could attack with all six arms simultaneously. His serpent tail made him even more agile and nimble. Therefore, even when fighting against a Meteor-ranked knight, he could hold his ground for a while.
“My blade techniques are fast, but his were faster. I couldn’t block him and was struck three times. Fortunately, I was wearing the alchemical inner armor, so I only suffered internal injuries. Then the three hundred soldiers began attacking with the Starbreaker Crossbows, forcing the leader of the Sickle Gang to retreat. He even sustained minor injuries,” Zong Ling said. “His blade techniques are fast, and his footwork is even faster. No wonder he has such a fearsome reputation.”
Dongbo Xueying felt a chill. Uncle Zong had been struck three times. If his luck had been worse or the battle longer, he might have lost his life!
“Don’t worry, Snow Hawk,”
Tong San’s deep voice sounded beside him. “In all of Yishui County, there are only four Meteor-ranked knights and one Meteor-ranked mage. Among the bandits, only the leader of the Sickle Gang is a Meteor-ranked knight. Now that he’s injured and has experienced the might of the Starbreaker Crossbows, he probably won’t dare to attack again. Because next time, we’ll be even more prepared. If the Sickle Gang dares not attack, the other bandits certainly won’t either.”
“Yeah,” Dongbo Xueying exhaled in relief.
“This Gai Bin, being a Meteor-ranked knight, why would he become a bandit instead of doing something worthwhile?” Dongbo Xueying asked.
“Hmph,” Tong San snorted. “Snow Hawk, even among powerful experts in this world, there are those who prefer to gain without effort, who enjoy plundering. It’s said that Gai Bin killed a noble to steal his treasures out of greed, and was eventually exposed and hunted down, so he became a bandit.”
Zong Ling added, “He had a bad reputation even before. No one could catch him in the act until he committed too many crimes and was finally exposed and hunted. But with his strength, he fled into the Ruin Mountains and gathered a group of desperate outlaws… which is why he’s been so brazen all this time. But that’s not our problem to worry about—we can’t do anything about it anyway.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
Indeed, they couldn’t do anything about it.
Hidden deep in the Ruin Mountains, even the city guards of the Empire’s cities were unwilling to go there. The Ruin Mountains stretched for over ten thousand miles, connecting four provinces. It was the largest mountain range in the entire Empire, home to countless terrifying magical beasts. Many desperate outlaws hid in the outermost regions of the Ruin Mountains.
The deeper parts of the Ruin Mountains were far too dangerous.
“One day, when I grow strong enough, I will definitely eliminate this malignant tumor,” Dongbo Xueying silently vowed.
“By the way, Snow Hawk, have you decided about the Changfeng Academy?” Zong Ling suddenly asked.
“Snow Hawk!” Tong San also urged anxiously. “The Changfeng Academy is the most prestigious and powerful academy in the entire Anyang Province. It’s far stronger than your mother’s Mo Yang family. The academy headmaster, ‘Changfeng Knight’ Chi Qiu Bai, is the strongest figure in the entire province. Your qualifications are more than enough to enter this academy. Now that winter has come, if you don’t register soon, it’ll be too late.”
“Ten is the upper age limit. Anyone older than ten won’t be accepted,” Zong Ling added, looking at Dongbo Xueying.
Dongbo Xueying fell silent.
He had thought about it for a long time.
The Changfeng Academy only accepted students under the age of ten. Because at that age, they were still malleable, especially during their physical development phase—the most critical time for a knight’s cultivation. Some developed early, growing rapidly in height at ten years old. Therefore, the academy’s age limit of ten wasn’t without reason.
The Changfeng Academy was the most powerful force in Anyang Province! The headmaster was the strongest existence in the entire province!
Students who entered as ordinary youths would graduate as at least Celestial-ranked knights. Many even reached the Meteor rank. However, the entrance examination was strict. But with Dongbo Xueying’s physical condition and spear techniques, it would be effortless for him.
“I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I’ve already made my decision,” Dongbo Xueying said.
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