You lot of stray dogs have been quite bold while I was away.

“So you’re telling me that inside this ruin, there are two bandits dressed in sackcloth—one strutting around with a fake treasure to draw attention, while the other takes advantage of the moment you let your guard down to strip you all clean?”

Yan Lie looked at the disciples of the holy lands before him with a dubious expression.

“Exactly. That’s how it went.”

The disciples nodded eagerly.

“……”

The heirs of several hidden aristocratic families exchanged glances, their expressions odd. It wasn’t just members of their own families who had fallen victim—it seemed that anyone in the entire ruin who had entertained even a shred of greed had been paid a visit by the Bandit Duo.

Damn. They’d never seen people who ignored fate and fortune and instead went after people’s belongings.

But that also meant…

The Bandit Duo was now sitting on resources from the entire ruin. The treasures they’d plundered probably exceeded the wealth of the entire Nine Serenity Celestial Palace.

These weren’t just ordinary bandits.

This was a walking treasure trove—kill them and gold would pour out!

Just as the saying goes: “You can search high and low without finding something, only to stumble upon it when you least expect.”

Yan Lie made his decision on the spot and waved his hand grandly.

“In our harmonious world of cultivation, someone dares to commit such acts of banditry? It’s an insult to the righteous path! Let us form an alliance and uphold justice, and bring those two bandits to account!”

“Yes!!!”

Hearing this, everyone raised their right hands in unison and shouted, “Down with the Bandit Duo! Return peace and justice to the ruins!”

“Excellent.”

Looking at the fiery crowd, Yan Lie nodded with satisfaction.

He’d gain prestige and collect treasures at the same time.

Kill two birds with one stone. How could he not be pleased?

“Brother Liu, if you would point us in the right direction.”

He turned to a young man in a green robe beside him and spoke with courtesy. This was Liu Beifeng, the young master of the Liu family, one of the eight great hidden clans, renowned for his mastery of intelligence and tracking.

“Easily done.”

Liu Beifeng smiled calmly and pulled a compass from his robe. “Those two bandits dared to rob members of the Liu family—they’ve stained themselves with karmic threads. Finding them won’t be hard at all.”

He lightly brushed his finger across the compass.

The needle spun once, then pointed off into the distance.

“Found them. Over there.”

Liu Beifeng put away the compass and pointed in a certain direction with certainty.

“Let’s move!”

Yan Lie acted without hesitation and soared into the air. The others followed suit, forming a long line that swept across the sky toward the southeast like a mighty dragon.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the desert.

Several figures were hidden beneath the sand, watching that massive crowd fly overhead, stirring up a gust of wind and a swirling curtain of yellow sand.

“Young master, what do we do now?”

“Hmph!”

Mo Yu sneered, his eyes cold. “When the clam and the crane fight, it’s the fisherman who profits.”

“Don’t be fooled by their solidarity right now.”

“The moment they kill that so-called Bandit Duo, they’ll turn on each other over how to split the spoils.”

“And when that happens… the stage will be ours.”

“Heh heh heh heh……”

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

Yan Lie’s group flew like a dragon crossing the sky, following the direction Liu Beifeng had indicated. Along the way, more factions who had also been robbed by the Bandit Duo joined in, and the group grew ever larger.

“We’ve arrived.”

Liu Beifeng spoke up, pointing at a dense forest. “That’s where they’re hiding.”

“There?”

Yan Lie was startled.

In front of them lay a thick thicket, but everyone present knew this place all too well—it was the exact spot where they’d entered the ruin, and also the only path leading out.

“They rob people and then try to run?”

Yan Lie narrowed his eyes and let out a cold sneer. “Clever plan, I’ll give them that!”

“Let’s go. Don’t let them slip away.”

“Yes!”

At the command, figures shot into the air and surrounded the entire forest so tightly that not even water could pass through.

“What?!”

At that same moment, in a clearing within the forest.

Mu Xi suddenly looked up, only to see figures upon figures filling the treetops, the sky, and even the bushes all around them, boxing them in completely.

Mu Xi’s face turned pale.

She’d expected someone to come after them, but not this quickly—and not this many. She glanced behind her.

Ye Shu sat cross-legged, two wisps of spiritual flame floating before him, his eyes gently closed, seemingly oblivious to what was happening outside.

There was no escaping now.

Mu Xi gritted her teeth, stood up, and shielded Ye Shu behind her. Steeling herself, she said, “What do you want?”

“You two are the Bandit Duo?”

Yan Lie stepped forward from the crowd, coldly eyeing Mu Xi dressed in sackcloth within the forest. “In broad daylight, you dare to rob fellow members of the righteous path—there’s no law and order with you two!”

His words rang with righteous indignation.

The crowd behind him was even more riled up, hurling insults nonstop at Ye Shu and Mu Xi, as if they were the most heinous villains.

“Robbery?”

Mu Xi’s gaze swept over the people behind Yan Lie—those clad in leaves and animal skins—and her tone dripped with sarcasm. “Haven’t they told you? They were the ones who tried to steal my treasures first. I merely defended myself!”

Mu Xi straightened her back, her eyes refusing to waver.

“If you hadn’t harbored greed, hadn’t tried to bully the weak with your numbers, would you have ended up like this?”

“And what you’re doing now—is that righteous?”

“Is attacking in numbers righteousness?”

“Is exploiting someone’s vulnerability righteousness?”

“This is nothing but the strong devouring the weak. Don’t throw around words like ‘righteousness’ to dress up your deeds!” She finished in one breath, her chest heaving slightly.

“Sharp tongue.”

Yan Lie narrowed his eyes, a hint of appreciation flashing through them. He flicked his sleeve and stepped forward, his posture arrogant. “Very well then, I’ll spar with you.”

“If you can withstand three strikes from me.”

“I’ll spare the two of you, but every treasure you carry stays with me.”

Mu Xi stood still, her eyes shifting slightly.

Right now, Shi Bei was still refining pills and couldn’t be disturbed. If this group attacked all at once, she—let alone adding Shi Bei—would be reduced to nothing but powder.

But fighting this one man…

Just three strikes. That should be doable.

Mu Xi took a deep breath, her gaze resolute. “Deal.”

“Good!”

Yan Lie laughed aloud. His right hand turned over, and a blazing flame shot up, engulfing his entire body, making him seem to become a living inferno.

The next moment—whoosh!

Before Mu Xi could blink, Yan Lie was already in front of her, his right fist brimming with terrifying force, swinging with the weight of a thousand jun.

Too fast!

Mu Xi's pupils shrank. She raised her arms in a hasty block.

Fist met palm—

The instant they clashed, an searing force surged through her palm and straight into her body. Mu Xi let out a muffled groan and was sent flying backward, carving a long trench in the earth as she slid.

She only came to a stop right behind Ye Shu.

Ptoo!

Blood sprayed from Mu Xi's mouth, splattering across the ground with a sizzling hiss as it evaporated.

"Too… too strong…"

She gritted her teeth, her face twisted in agony.

Just that one punch alone made her internal organs feel as if they were on fire, the searing pain almost unbearable, leaving her with no strength to continue the fight.

But...

Mu Xi glanced at Ye Shu beside her, then forced herself to draw on the last of her resolve, slowly rising from the ground. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her legs trembling faintly.

"Come on... let's see your second move."

Slap!

The moment the words left her lips, a palm gently landed on her shoulder. A cool surge of spiritual energy instantly flowed into her body, swiftly suppressing the burning agony within.

Mu Xi was stunned. She whipped her head around.

There stood Ye Shu behind her, his expression colder than she had ever seen it.

"From here on out, all you need to do is rest."

He gently set Mu Xi down against the wooden stake behind her, then lifted his head to gaze at the countless silhouettes blanketing the sky. His voice was soft, yet it reached every ear in the crowd.

"While I was away, you stray dogs really got bold, didn't you?"