The Great Bandit King
The chase took way longer than Tang Soso had ever anticipated. Even after continuously circling around the Tang Clan and torturing her legs way beyond their limit, the guards just kept on emerging over and over again. There were thirty... no, maybe it was around seventy guards that kept on flanking her from each route?!
It was as if she poked a giant hornet nest that just kept on giving. Well, it's a lesson well learned. She should really stop stirring up trouble in the future...
Nevertheless, around two hours passed of her hopping around roofs and trees even though the guards had given up on her some time ago. The only reason she kept on continuing to hop around was simply out of cautiousness, just in case some of them were still watching her tail. Only by the time Tang Soso could no longer feel any eyes tailing behind her did she realize that it was finally over. She heaved a sigh of relief and quickly took this chance to rush back to her residence.
'I have to hurry...'
She knows that despite her surroundings finally becoming quiet, the head guard's quarters are probably on fire right now. There's no way they would simply let her go easily. If she waited, they would definitely come back with even more reinforcement and it would truly rail her buttocks with deep troubles.
Speaking of which, where was her residence again?
Oh well, she'll just stroll around for a bit. Although she couldn't see much, she could probably use her Qi Sense to find the only residence without any inhabitants around it. Her residence was pretty secluded after all.
SWOOSH!
Setting aside her worries, she quickly turned north and made her way back to her residence where she could finally find some solace and rest.
Jumping from a tall rooftop, her delicate foot landed softly on the street pavement before continuing to dash to her residence. Not a single sound was made as this happened. Despite transmigrating into a weak body, her advanced mastery in footwork as the Divine Thief remained deep within her instinct which granted her soundless movements and an impossible speed that far surpassed others at her level.
She quickly made use of this advantage of hers to move through the dark, quiet night...
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'Here it is...'
After some time of going around the town, she finally found her residence and stood at the front door of her room. The worn-down wood that was used on the walls really puts a stark contrast compared to the houses she passed by in the main clan.
Even without using any Qi Sense, the subtle feeling of warmth emitted by the candles behind the door immediately told her that Old Jiang must be inside. There's no doubt he's waiting for her...
'Crap.'
Guess she owes him another explanation then...
Her hand slowly moved to the sliding door's handle. But as soon as it landed, her body suddenly froze as a realization came to mind.
What would he say if he found out that she not only wandered alone in the middle of the night but also killed two guards of her siblings? Even if she tried to hide it from him, there would no doubt be news spreading around of a short black-cloaked figure killing two guards... What would she do then? She definitely doesn't want to find out!
With shaky legs, Tang Soso quickly built up her courage and slid the door open with a screech...
'Please be asleep, please be asleep, please be asleep, ple-'
"Young Lady."
Her hopes were quickly crushed as she saw a familiar face standing right behind the door. She saw Old Jiang staring at her with a deep frown filled with anger, unlike his usual gentle demeanor. His hands were stiffly crossed, indicating that there was no room for her to talk back...
'Ah... I'm dead.'
Blood quickly drained from her face as another long and rough series of interrogations flashed before her eyes. There's only suffering ahead. There is no escape.
"Would you like to explain where you have been?"
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"Do you know how worried I have been!? Do you know just how much effort I put into running around in the middle of the night to look for you!? I've even contacted the guards to look for you, but even they couldn't do anything since most of their forces were out looking for a certain 'black-cloaked figure' that was out killing two veteran guards!"
Standing in the middle of the room, Old Jiang shouted at the top of his lungs as he shot an angry gaze toward Tang Soso, who was currently sitting on her bed. His eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night along with the stress that his Young Lady kept on bringing him every single moment. But this time, he was way angrier than usual...
In his hand, a bloodied blunt dagger could be seen that is all too familiar to her. It was the same weapon that she used to kill the two guards in the middle of the clan!
It was obvious from his unusual demeanor that what Tang Soso had done was very, very bad.
He continued, "What have I told you from time to time!? I have always reminded you to stay away from trouble! Especially when it came along with danger to your meager life! But now what did you do!? You killed TWO GUARDS that were under YOUR SIBLING over the fact that they provoked you!"
Tang Soso flinched slightly as his words stung her ears. It's not her fault... She could still remember how those two guards mocked her for simply stumbling on their shoulders by accident. She remembered how they even tried to harm her at some point along the way!
[ But Old Jiang! They clearly tried to harm me! Am I just supposed to let them hit me and- ]
"Young Lady. Although they meant harm, it doesn't mean that you have to harm them back! From what I've seen of you chasing me the other day, you clearly have the ability to run away and avoid them completely. But nevertheless, you decided to engage in a fight with them. It was clear that you are doing this not out of necessity, but rather pure anger. Isn't that so?"
'I-I...'
Hmph!
Facing Old Jiang's argument, Tang Soso could only pout in annoyance. Her soft cheeks were puffed as she angrily turned her head away from Old Jiang.
Not a single word could be written on her signboard, she was completely speechless. No matter how much she wanted to berate his words, she couldn't help but realize that he was right. She did make a rash decision this time around...
After a brief silence, Old Jiang continued... "Young Lady, you need to understand that I am telling you this for your own good. I'm not mad at you because you killed them. I wouldn't be mad at you even if you kill tens or hundreds of people later on when you are stronger. I know killing can be a necessity sometimes, it's just the nature of the world we live in..."
"However, what I am mad about is the fact that you are attracting attention and danger to yourself when you are still standing on a thin line between life and death. Killing these men would not only make the clan soldiers your enemy but you are also asking for your sibling to hunt you down!"
[ I know that... ]
"Then I hope you will think upon your actions in the future. Let's end tonight's conversation. You should get some rest..." he sighed quietly.
With those last words, Old Jiang swiftly turned around and slowly left toward the door. However, just as he was about to turn the candles off, a slight tap coming from Tang Soso immediately turned his attention back.
His eyes were greeted with Tang Soso's smug face as she started to write on her sign. All of a sudden, a bad feeling started to creep up his spine.
[ Speaking of which, Old Jiang, do you know of any mines that have been abandoned? Or maybe a cave that hasn't been visited for a long time? ]
As he read her signboard, he immediately gave a side-eye toward her as his face was riddled with suspicion.
"Young Lady, just what are you up to this time?"
Old Jiang started to fidget in his place as those words left his mouth. He had briefly caught a glimpse of Tang Soso's eyes formed into a slit while her pupils widened with excitement. Oh no, she's planning something sinister, isn't she?
He really couldn't catch a break. Just a moment ago, the Young Lady just caused them both deep trouble by recklessly killing two men. And now she's suddenly asking for a cave? Just what kind of trouble is she seeking this time?
Facing Old Jiang's replies, she simply grinned to herself before replying excitedly, as if she hadn't been scolded for two hours.
[ Old Jiang, have you ever heard of the tale of a bandit who managed to become a king? ]
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Around four hundred years ago, a long time before the start of the Orthodox-Demonic Great War, there lived an old bandit within the vicinity of the Southern Great Forest.
He was a part of a large group of bandits that had taken over the area for a very long time. Every moment, they have always sat in hiding within every road around the area, waiting for a carriage to pass over before mercilessly ambushing them with sheer force and dirty tactics before rummaging the loot for themselves. As they grew larger and larger, they eventually started to assemble a massive group to raid nearby villages and plunder their goods.
For years, they have stolen countless riches and kidnapped dozens of women. Some of those women are even of good standing, originating from a decent merchant family. And with those women, they had blackmailed rich families into giving them wealth beyond what other commoners could even imagine. They enjoyed every moment of it, marveled at these worldly pleasures, and indulged in it to the fullest.
However... that was about it. They are just bandits after all. In the end, no matter how large they grew, they still couldn't pose a threat to other forces, especially martial sects and clans.
Eventually, the Murim Alliance took notice of these occurring and sent a batch of martial artists to their base, utterly annihilating them and putting them back in their rightful place. The few surviving bandits decided to retreat deeper into the forests and started over as a small bandit group.
It was a crushing defeat that they would never forget...
The old bandit was once part of them and also took part in their actions. He helped them recover their losses with his best efforts. However, as time went on, his age inevitably caught up to him and he slowly lost his youthful vigor. Others began to doubt his competence and started to think of him as a burden to their group. Then one day, these thoughts started to culminate until they finally decided to kick him out of the group.
The old man was forced to walk out alone in the middle of the forest, filled with hatred toward the world, and more so his former comrades who abandoned him like this.
He had given so much of his efforts to them, he had gone through life and death battles alongside them, and he had cheered them up when times were tough. How can they treat him like this?
With an old, frail body, he pushed himself through the mountains and jungles. He pulled through rain and harsh weather to gather food for himself with the little strength his old body could spare. However, even if this kind of life was harsh for such an old man, he couldn't complain.
No more place within this world would accept him. His old bandit camp? They have kicked him out. Nearby villages? They have been enduring countless raids from his bandit group and would strangle him if he were to stop by. The unorthodox faction or the demonic cult? They would kill him the moment he stepped foot in their territory.
Only the harsh jungle would accept him. And thus, he decided to live there...
But alas, the harsh way of living did no good to his old and frail body. As days went by, he started to catch many illnesses and even moving his body became extremely hard. Without a choice, he chose to reside in a nearby cave.
The cave was extremely old, filled with dust and moss. It showed him that this was a place that no one had ever visited, and no one would ever visit after him. Obscure and easily forgotten. It was a close resemblance to his own self, like a cruel joke that the world had played on him.
But he refused to be disheartened. Though his body was parched and starved for a few days. He looked around to find anything that could be edible, but there was not a single edible item in his sight.
Except...
The old bandit stared at the cave moss with eyes filled with the desire to survive. The moss was of an unusual grey color and had been sitting there for god-knows how long. It can't be good to eat them. However, there was no more option for him to satisfy his ever-growing hunger. In the end, he scooped up the moss and shoved them down his throat.
But what he didn't realize was that this thing would be the one to change his life.
The next day when the old bandit woke up, he discovered that his old body felt more energetic than usual. Standing up doesn't feel like a problem whereas previously, he would struggle to simply sit up. It was as if he slept for ten days straight and ate like a cow, a feeling that someone in his situation could only dream of.
Feeling happy, the old bandit ate more moss before continuing to sleep...
The next day when the old bandit woke up, he discovered that he could stand up and walk around with ease. He could easily jump and move around wildly without killing his knees. It was as if he had become decades younger and gained the energy of a monkey, a feeling that someone in his situation could only dream of.
Feeling happy, the old bandit ate even more moss before continuing his sleep...
The next day when the old bandit woke up, he discovered that his body had become muscular and could channel a humongous strength that he could never do before. He could break trees with a punch and crush rocks with his bare hands. It was as if he had trained for countless years and gained the strength of an ox, a feeling that someone in his situation could only dream of.
Feeling happier, the old bandit ate even more moss before continuing his restful sleep...
The next day when the old bandit woke up, he discovered that he had become a monster.
As he discovered a newfound strength within himself, his eyes were ignited by a fire of will and hate as the memories of his unfair treatment flashed in his mind. With a steel-like resolution, he marched back toward his old bandit group that abandoned him.
His old frail body had transformed into a hulking mass that shook all of heaven and earth with each step he took. The winds raged across the land as his fist sent trees and boulders flying, paving the path of the huge jungle to himself.
In a matter of minutes, he arrived at the bandit group who were still building up their strength to prepare for another carriage ambush. But upon setting their eyes on the monster whom they had kicked out before, their eyes shift into one of complete terror.
Out of fear, the bandit group started attacking the old bandit. However, to their terror, their sharp arrows and axes did nothing to the old bandit's tough skin and hulking muscles. Each attack bounced out of his skin before laying pitifully on the ground.
With a hateful smile on his face, he crushed the settlement to the ground with a swipe of his palm and easily decapitated the leader. After that, he took the surviving bandits under him and established a new rule under his own name.
But that was not all. With his newfound power, he easily raided countless villages and nearby martial sects while growing his army into a massive force that no bandits had ever done before. Countless people hailing from those who were abandoned by the Justice Faction, Evil Faction, or even the demonic cult began seeking the old bandit to join his army. It eventually formed into a force that rivaled even the mighty Murim Alliance!
Feeling threatened by this sudden event, the Murim Alliance took action...
They sent twenty great masters hailing from many different clans and sects along with a huge army to take down the old bandit's massive force. They marched down with great tenacity toward the Southern Great Forest to end this evil once and for all!
However, they have underestimated him!
The old bandit commanded the army under him to destroy the Murim Alliance's huge army, while he dealt with all twenty great martial masters all by himself!
After a long and tough battle that lasted two days and two nights, the old bandit came out victorious along with the rest of his army...
The moment news got out of the battle's results, all of Central Plains was shaken to the core by the old bandit's display of martial prowess. Ever since then, people from all around the world started to tell the story of the old bandit and his army. Some stories told of how evil the old bandit was, while some stories told of how heroic he was to be a symbol of freedom to the common people...
But, the only thing that these stories had in common was his name. The people hailed him as...
The Grandmaster Of External Arts, The Bandit King!