Chapter 282: Chapter 157: The First Signs of Chaos
When Shen Qingyao saw Chen Cheng’s fluid movements, taking just a few breaths to pull a Money Bag from a bandit’s corpse and tuck it away, she frowned slightly and chided, "How can you have the presence of mind to be looting bodies?"
Chen Cheng had already confirmed there were no other bandits nearby. Knowing she was still shaken from the life-and-death struggle, he paid her words no mind and simply smiled, pointing toward the Three Forks River region.
Shen Qingyao turned and saw a group of riders holding torches, rapidly approaching along the main road in the distance.
She beamed. "That must be my Second Uncle and his men."
Chen Cheng went back to his old line of work. As he continued to loot the bodies, he didn’t forget to explain, "These bandits were lying in ambush. Someone must have tipped them off. They might have clues on them."
Shen Qingyao pursed her lips but said nothing more.
The night was pitch-black, and the mountain path grew quiet.
All eighteen bandits had been beheaded. Their corpses lay scattered across the ground, and blood was splattered everywhere. The air was filled with the overpowering stench of blood.
Shen Qingyao was, after all, a young lady from a prominent family. While she had been focused on fighting the bandits, she hadn’t noticed. But now that she had relaxed, she found the overwhelming smell of blood unbearable.
She frowned and moved to one side. As she watched Chen Cheng busily rummaging through the dead bandits’ belongings, a complex expression filled her eyes.
As she replayed the recent battle in her mind, her heart still pounded with fear. She couldn’t seem to calm down.
’If Chen Cheng hadn’t spotted the danger up ahead, I would have rushed onto that wide road by the hill and fallen right into their ambush, trapped by their Battle Array.’
’The Battle Array formed by the twelve bandits with broadswords already had the combat power of a Martial Artist at Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm. The power unleashed by the six Muscle Strengthening Realm Martial Artists in their own Battle Array was even greater, far surpassing Small Success in Bone Forging Realm.’
’If those bandits had used both Battle Arrays to encircle me, their combined power would have surpassed even a Martial Artist at Great Success in the Bone Forging Realm. At my level of Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, I would have been completely outmatched.’
’My only chance would have been to erupt with all my Qi Blood Power and forcibly manifest my Frost Snow Realm just to hold them off.’
’But even then, it’s unlikely I could have killed all of them in a single move.’
’In that scenario, it’s unlikely Chen Cheng and I would have survived.’
’Even though we spotted them early and avoided the ambush, the fight itself was still heart-stopping and incredibly perilous.’
’And yet, Chen Cheng was so nonchalant. With just a few casual moves, he not only closed the gap in raw power between me and their Battle Array, but he even gave me an overwhelming advantage in the fight.’
’It was all so unbelievable. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I never would have believed it was possible.’
’And throughout it all, the Martial Arts Power Chen Cheng displayed seemed to be merely at the Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm. I just don’t understand it.’
’Any other Martial Artist at Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm would have been terrified in that situation, thinking only of how to escape.’
’But not only was Chen Cheng unafraid, he was calm enough to pinpoint the weakness in the bandits’ Battle Array and orchestrate the perfect response.’
’It just doesn’t make any sense!’
A thought suddenly struck Shen Qingyao. ’Could it be that Chen Cheng’s Martial Arts Power is immense, far greater than my own?’
’He had been completely in control of the situation from start to finish, only stepping in briefly when I was at a disadvantage.’
’If that’s the case, then everything he did makes perfect sense, and I wouldn’t be so confused.’
’But... how could his Martial Arts Power possibly be greater than mine?’
’He’s only nineteen, after all, and from a Humble Family. In terms of both time spent Cultivating the Martial Dao and the resources required for it, he can’t possibly compare to me.’
’It should be impossible.’
Shen Qingyao mulled it over for a long time but couldn’t make any sense of it. Finally, she could only shake her head and push the thoughts to the back of her mind.
Before long, Chen Cheng had finished stripping all eighteen bandits’ corpses clean.
However, aside from a large collection of Money Bags, he found no clues.
Just then, a sword-wielding figure appeared on the path near the hill. With a few bounds, he was before them.
Shen Qingyao recognized the newcomer as her second uncle, Shen Zhiheng, and hurriedly called out, "Second Uncle."
"Qingyao, thank goodness you’re alright!" Shen Zhiheng let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw she was uninjured.
However, as he drew closer and saw the field of corpses, his expression changed dramatically.
"Qingyao, what just happened?"
Shen Qingyao gave him a brief account of the bandit ambush.
Shen Zhiheng was shaken by her story, but after carefully examining the bandits’ corpses, his shock turned to utter astonishment. His expression grew grim and serious.
"This group of bandits... they must be the Shadow Eighteen Bandits, the very same ones the Protectorate Army has repeatedly failed to exterminate.
They’re infamous. They once ambushed a merchant caravan and slaughtered every last person. Even the Great Success in Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist hired to protect them didn’t escape with his life.
Qingyao, how did you kill them?"
So, Shen Qingyao once again explained in detail how she had killed the Shadow Eighteen Bandits.
Shen Zhiheng drew a sharp breath. "This... This was far too dangerous! Qingyao, if you ever encounter a situation like this again, you must not try to be a hero. You need to retreat immediately."
The Shadow Eighteen Bandits were formidable, but their individual cultivation was only at the Muscle Strengthening Realm. Moreover, they were encumbered by Heavy Armor, which restricted their movement.
As long as she wasn’t trapped by their Battle Array, with her strength at Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, Shen Qingyao could have easily escaped.
Shen Qingyao nodded. "I understand, Second Uncle."
