Chapter 127: What Do You Think? [Seeking Monthly Votes!]

A troop of one hundred riders stood on a small hill, observing the settlement of eight thousand people bustling below as they deliberated.

"Big Brother, there are quite a lot of people here. It seems that guy Wu Yongchang is planning to station heavy troops to guard this area."

Qin Zhao’s sharp eyes scanned the front continuously. After observing for a while, he spoke: "It doesn't look like people sent by Wu Yongchang to me. There are many old, weak, women, and children among them; it looks more like they have come here to settle down."

Qin Tong was somewhat skeptical: "No way, right? The Wild Boar Forest is right next door. How could any faction station themselves here without a way to deal with those boar-men?"

Qin Zhao said calmly, "We will know once we go down and take a look. Observing from here is not thorough enough."

Qin Tong nodded: "Alright, let's go down and check. If it is what you think, we can make a fortune."

"Brothers, let's move!"

Following the command, the hundred-man troop stirred and charged toward the crowd below.

...

The hastily assembled guards suddenly became alert. They felt the ground trembling continuously, as if something was rushing toward their direction. Several guards exchanged glances.

"Do you feel the vibration too?"

"Yes, it seems like something is heading toward our position."

"Look!"

One person saw the hundred-man cavalry troop charging toward them and immediately shouted. The others saw the scene as well. Seeing this troop of a hundred men all wielding large blades and approaching with such a menacing aura, they knew the situation was dire and immediately shouted, "Quick! Go notify the leader!"

The messenger did not hesitate, turning and sprinting toward the camp. The other four sounded the alarm, and the security patrol and guard troops quickly assembled. This five-man squad was merely responsible for guarding one direction; the camp was so large that they were naturally not the only ones on watch.

As the alarm bell rang, a large force arrived at the gate, and within moments, over a thousand people had gathered. At this time, Qin Zhao and his men had already reached the camp entrance. Watching the people who had taken up defensive positions, Qin Tong laughed and said:

"Big Brother, these people are quite vigilant, but it’s a pity they are just crooked melons and cracked dates; their strength is nothing special."

The guards were mostly Tier 3, with Tier 4s as squad leaders and only a handful of Tier 5s—fewer than ten in total. Compared to their well-equipped troop of a hundred, they were indeed just "crooked melons and cracked dates." Every man in their unit was at least Tier 5, with three Tier 6s, and his brother Qin Zhao was a formidable Tier 7 powerhouse.

Liu Dayuan was instantly enraged. Did a mere hundred-man troop dare to be so arrogant?

"Where did these wild dogs come from to bark? You truly don't know what death looks like."

Qin Tong’s eyes gleamed with malice. With a wave of his hand, a gust of sharp wind, controlled by his power, lashed across Liu Dayuan’s face.

"Bang!"

Liu Dayuan was no match for Qin Tong; he was sent flying by a single strike, crashing into the crowd and knocking down a line of people. Those nearby rushed to help him up. Qin Tong’s sudden act of violence infuriated everyone. They grabbed their weapons, the sound of blades being drawn ringing out in unison.

Just as a fight was about to break out, Xiong Dabiao arrived with his men.

"Stop!"

He had rushed over at full speed the moment he received the news, but he still arrived just in time to see Liu Dayuan being struck away. This man had been with him for many years, which was why he was trusted as a captain of the guard. Seeing him beaten like this made Xiong Dabiao furious, but reason told him not to lash out recklessly. He had sensed the enemy's Tier 6 strength.

He pushed through the crowd to help Liu Dayuan up. Liu Dayuan looked wretched; his left cheek was swollen, and blood was still spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Go heal yourself first," Xiong Dabiao instructed before stepping to the front.

"What is the meaning of this? You come here and injure my men—are you looking to start a war?"

Xiong Dabiao exuded a powerful aura, revealing his late-stage Tier 6 strength to probe the enemy’s depth. If they were cowards, he would teach them a lesson. If they weren't, he would assess the situation. He was a stranger in this land and didn't know their true strength, so he dared not act rashly. Had he been on his home turf, he would have captured and tortured these people already.

Qin Tong sneered at Xiong Dabiao: "Start a war? You must have a death wish."

Xiong Dabiao frowned. This wasn't going as he had expected. Fortunately, Zhang Tiandao was by his side, so he wasn't overly worried. If he couldn't gauge their strength through words, he would test them with combat.

"Then let me see if you are even qualified to kill me!"

With such arrogant words and having injured his men, Xiong Dabiao, who was a leader of a faction, could not let this slide. How would his subordinates view him if he did? Could he still be a leader?

Xiong Dabiao moved, a nine-ringed broadsword appearing in his hand as he slashed at Qin Tong. Qin Tong was unfazed, pulling out his own nine-ringed broadsword to engage.

"Bang!"

Upon the first collision, both men assessed each other's strength. With a baseline established, Xiong Dabiao became even more fearless, launching a series of more ferocious attacks.

"Get down here and talk to me!"

He swung several times, each strike ruthless and aimed at critical points or the opponent's mount. Qin Tong and Xiong Dabiao were evenly matched as late-stage Tier 6s, but Qin Tong’s raw power was clearly weaker. After a few exchanges, he was forced to retreat, struggling to defend himself while trying to protect his steed. Fighting from horseback was not his strength, so he leaped off to continue the battle.

Seeing his goal achieved, Xiong Dabiao felt a surge of pride.

However, that pride did not last long. Qin Tong’s attack speed was extremely fast, his movements agile. In contrast, Xiong Dabiao’s attacks were much slower. When strength levels were similar, faster speed held a distinct advantage. On the surface, Xiong Dabiao had fallen into a disadvantageous position. Though his power was great, missing Qin Tong meant it was all for naught; every swing only wasted his stamina. He was forced into passive defense, waiting for an opportunity.

Xiong Dabiao was no novice; he had ways to deal with such situations. The moment he found a flaw, it would be the end of his opponent—provided he wasn't killed first.

As the battle continued, both men sustained injuries. Once blood was drawn, the intensity escalated beyond a simple probe. On the surface, Xiong Dabiao looked more miserable, his clothes slashed and stained with red blood. Qin Tong, conversely, only had blood leaking from his mouth—internal injuries caused by Xiong Dabiao’s immense power. It was hard to say who was more severely hurt; it was a draw.

The onlookers had backed away to give them space. Everyone’s eyes were locked on the duel. The guard team was worried for Xiong Dabiao because of his visible injuries, but in reality, they were mostly superficial.

Just as Qin Tong prepared to slash at Xiong Dabiao again, the aura surrounding Xiong Dabiao suddenly surged. He had tapped into his Law of Power. Qin Tong’s expression changed; even though he was prepared for a counterattack, he was caught off guard.

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, Qin Tong was sent flying, blood spraying the ground. Seeing this, Xiong Dabiao was ecstatic.

"Die!"

He raised his nine-ringed broadsword, preparing to charge and finish Qin Tong. Qin Zhao, however, was forced to intervene. Energy surged within him, and a massive water pillar manifested behind him, firing toward Xiong Dabiao.

The pressure of a Tier 7 powerhouse made Xiong Dabiao’s heart tighten. If that hit him, he would be finished. Fortunately, Zhang Tiandao unleashed a bolt of lightning that collided with the water pillar. The two forces exploded in mid-air with a deafening roar, dissipating into nothingness. Neither had gained the upper hand.

But Xiong Dabiao had lost the best chance to kill Qin Tong, who had already scrambled up and retreated into his troop. Qin Zhao glanced at Zhang Tiandao, said nothing, and led his men away. Qin Tong glared at Xiong Dabiao with venomous eyes before following the troop.

Zhang Tiandao watched them leave with no intention of pursuing. The bandit leader was strong, and there were two other Tier 6s in the group; a full-scale fight would put them at a disadvantage. If Lu Sheng were here, they might have been able to finish them off.

The incident came to a temporary end. Looking at the departing bandits, Xiong Dabiao was fuming.

"Damn it! I’m usually the one bullying others, and now I’m the one being bullied. It makes me so angry!"

Zhang Tiandao said in a deep voice: "The strength of District 13 is much higher than I imagined. We just arrived and already ran into so much trouble. Just a random group has a Tier 7. I don't know if they have more men; if they do, we are in for a lot of trouble."

Xiong Dabiao felt a wave of worry: "Crazy Daoist, you’re making me nervous."

Zhang Tiandao replied, "Let’s wait for Lu Sheng to come back and ask for his opinion. I’m just speculating. It’s unlikely they have two Tier 7s; I’ve studied the factions in District 13, and those with two Tier 7s are well-known. They clearly don't belong to that category."

Hearing this, Xiong Dabiao’s heart settled. After this commotion, the people in the camp grew more vigilant. Back in their original wilderness, they were considered strong, but here, they realized any random enemy could be Tier 6. The sentries became more alert, and the patrols more diligent. It was a silver lining.

Lei Yan, Li Kuang, and the others also heard about the incident at the gate. They felt distressed. As the enemies grew stronger, their own strength failed to keep up. If they couldn't help Lu Sheng, they felt insecure following him. Without value, they feared being discarded. They were eager to improve, but they lacked resources and had nowhere to start. A sense of helplessness shrouded them, but they held onto a spark of resolve—if given the chance, they would be more fanatical than anyone.

...

Riding his White-Flame Blue-Scaled Bird, Lu Sheng returned to the camp. He had only been gone for an hour, but he could sense that the atmosphere had changed. It felt more disciplined, as if a high-ranking inspector were about to arrive.

Lu Sheng found it strange, but Xiong Dabiao quickly explained what had happened. Upon hearing the description, Lu Sheng understood.

"They certainly know how to pick their timing. If I had been here, our pockets would be much heavier."

Lu Sheng was currently lacking resources, and he found it unacceptable to let such "deliveries" get away. He believed that killing this bandit troop would yield faster results than hunting monsters. Xiong Dabiao had grown somewhat immune to Lu Sheng’s way of speaking. He wanted to retort and tell him not to brag, but every time he tried, he recalled that strike from the night before and swallowed his words. He didn't want to be slapped in the face again.

Zhang Tiandao asked curiously: "What did you go to Tianyu City for?"

"Hmm... to gather intelligence on the surroundings." Lu Sheng thought the information could be shared. He brought out the map he had bought: "These dots mark the locations of Tier 6 monsters. This is a detailed map of District 13."

Lu Sheng pointed to a spot: "This is where we are. In front of us is the Wild Boar Forest, and ten kilometers away is the Giant Python Forest. Based on your prophetic vision, I suspect we will eventually be attacked by the bandits, the boars, and the pythons."

"So, I plan to take the initiative and wipe them all out. What do you think?"

Xiong Dabiao: ...

He was speechless. He wanted to tell Lu Sheng not to be so boastful, but he didn't know how. Lu Sheng’s strength from the previous night stuck in his throat like a fishbone. Fortunately, Zhang Tiandao had no such reservations: "Lu Sheng, if you think it can be done, we have no problems. I will support you fully."

Zhang Tiandao believed in his prophecy more firmly than the skeptical Xiong Dabiao.

Lu Sheng clapped his hands: "Good. Tomorrow at noon, we’ll start by wiping out the Wild Boar Forest."

Watching the eagerness in Lu Sheng's eyes, Xiong Dabiao wanted to say that the prophecy probably meant Lu Sheng would crush three Tier 7s, not that the Tier 7s would come to trouble them. After all, Zhang Tiandao’s vision was of a giant leg crushing three Tier 7s—Xiong Dabiao’s interpretation seemed quite plausible.