When the dust settled, no figure remained standing—only a jade cup spinning on the ground.
All eyes turned to the wagon, stationed at the rear of the battlefield.
Zheng stepped down first.
His boots touched the blood-stained gravel with quiet finality. His long white robe fluttered slightly, though the air had stilled.
Behind him, Master Ping emerged slowly, leaning on his cane as if merely stretching his legs after a long ride. Mei Chen followed gracefully, her pale robes flowing like drifting mist.
One of the bandits scoffed. "So, these are the nobles you have been protecting with your life?"
Zheng swiftly scanned the battlefield.
The escorts were exhausted. Some already laid motionless. Lead escort struggled to rise, blood dripping down his body and desperation burning in his eyes.
Zheng steeped into the battlefield.
A bandit lunged at him without any hesitation.
The sword stopped inches from Zheng's chest.
Caught between his two fingers.
The steel trembled violently before splintering with a sharp crack. Fragments scattered across the ground.
The man in black chad staggered back, shock flashing in his eyes.
"W-Who are—"
He never finished.
Zheng moved toward the bandits' leader.
In a single breath, he knocked out few of the remaining bandits. No excessive motion, just pure strength of his qi.
Three figures ambushed from behind.
With a just a flick of his hand, an aggressive qi burst backward.
The three bandits were blown few feet away.
Silence rippled through the battlefield.
Master Ping tapped his cane once against the ground, releasing a domineering qi.
A faint golden qi spread along the battlefield. The Qi were welled controlled that their friend didn't feel the pressure but their foes shimmered to their bones.
"Mas-master Ping…" someone whispered in horror.
Mei Chen stepped lightly into the fray. Her sword slid from her sleeve like a thread of moonlight. Although her cultivation wasn't strong like other two, her movements were precise and fluid—each step measured, each strike clean.
Where her blade passed, black-clad figures fell.
The escorts stared in disbelief. Moments ago, they barely hanged by the thread. But now they fight have been completely turned into their favour.
They knew Master Ping and Mei Chen can defend themselves but they never thought they were strong. However, the most shocking one came from Zheng- someone who they thought was just a healer were the most formidable one among all those present in the battlefield.
The leader of the bandit, stood back up, snarled and unleashed his full cultivation. Crimson qi erupted around him, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
"You…how dare you?!"
"How dare you sneak attack me?"
He charged toward Zheng, his sword blazing with destructive force.
The air trembled.
Zheng did not have a weapon, yet he didn't take a single step back.
He simply stood firm in the middle of the battlefield, his gaze purely fixated at the bandits' leader.
The bandits' leader swung his blazing sword.
The crimson qi flickered violently, as though its unseen pressure might crush a boulder.
Zheng raised his hand and stopped the sword inches away from his head.
The attacker froze.
"I don't have time to play your game." Zheng said quietly. "We are in hurry!"
With a slight withdrawal of his fist from the attackers' chest—
The bandits' leader slowly fell onto the ground.
The clashes of the sword and the cries of the men disappeared instantly.
"WH-What just happened?" the bandit erupted into chaos.
When the dust cleared, the bandits' leader lay embedded in a sandy ground, unconscious.
The remaining bandits faltered. Fear spread through them like wildfire.
"Retreat—!"
They turned—
Only to stumble in front of Master Ping.
The old man smiled faintly. "Don't make a rush decision?"
Mei Chen raised her blade, she didn't attack blindly, rather demanded their surrender, her gaze was cold. "I want to know something from you?"
What followed was complete obedience.
Within moments, the mountain pass fell silent once more.
Th bandits gathered around and dropped their weapons.
The escorts regroup again, weapons still raised.
Zheng exhaled softly and tended to their injuries.
Lead escort struggled forward before dropping to one knee. "Miss Chen… forgive our incompetence."
Mei Chen shook her head slightly. "You fought bravely… if not for Master Zheng, we wouldn't have won this fight."
Master surveyed the fallen bandits. "This was no random ambush. Their coordination was precise."
Lead escorts' eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Someone with resources and motive hired them?"
Three of them walked toward the injured leader. Mei Chen drew her sword and placed its sharp blade at his neck.
"You are no ordinary bandits," She asked coldly. "Who hired you?"
The bandits were completely dumbfounded. "No one hired us… please believe me."
"You were well organized and well prepared for an ordinary bandit."
"I have spies in the city and they informed me that a wealthy noble was travelling today."
"How are we suppose to believe a word of a bandits?"
Although defeated, the bandits' leader was still arrogant. "if you can't believe our word, do what you want with us."
Mei Chen withdraw her sword.
"Your attacks were well trained like the southern soldiers." The lead escorts asked seriously.
"Our pasts are none of your concern." The bandit scoffed, just growing their suspicion.
Three of them walked to Zheng.
Master Ping looked toward the distant end of the pass where the road disappeared into shadow.
"What should we do?" he asked calmly. "Most of our men are injured."
Lead Escort swallowed his pride. "We should head back." he said softly, his concern growing for his subordinates.
Zheng stepped forward.
"No," he replied. "only two are severe… we put them in the wagon and other will continue to ride forward... as for their injury, I'll treat them."
His tone was steady and certain.
"We continue?"
"Yes, we continue… we don't have time to spare."
"What about these bandits?" the lead escort asked.
"Let them go…"
"Let them go? What if they attack again? Much stronger than this?"
"We'll deal with it, when the time comes."