Twin

The following morning, the three of them immediately ate breakfast and proceeded to set off to Jiang City.

There were actually two possible routes they could take from thereon going to the city.

The first one, which was considered as the much safer way was to travel first to a small town in the north called Han Valley. But it would mean an additional day would have to be spent for the trip.

The other one, which was obviously the much faster route was to go straight Jiang City via a thickly forested area but which was said to be a bandits' territory.

Shu Wei originally planned to passed by Han Valley. But seeing how his son and the contracted black tiger quickly progressed in their fights, he could not simply miss the opportunity. So he decided that the three them should pass through the forest.

***************

While on their way, Shandian mentally conversed with Qai about an imminent danger. And Qai, believing in the instinctive traits of demonic beasts, quickly conveyed his father what the tiger sensed.

Shu Wei instantly stretched his sage sense upon learning of the situation and felt that a group of Expert cultivators were indeed near the area. So they decided to look around to see whatever there was.

Few meters away from their original track, they found traveling bandits with a caged carriage. There were several children, around 7 years of age and below, chained inside the cage that was hauled by a 'tamed' Earth stage Battle Ox.

They actually did not want to meddle with the affairs of the bandit but the father and son could not simply closed their eyes and walk off.

Seeing those children, they knew those bandits were selling them off as slaves.

But just before the father and son prepared their attacks, they were surprised to see Shandian charged forth without hesitation and immediately activated its rare skill.

Qai then instinctively followed suit by releasing arrows after arrows to support his vanguard. The lightning stun effect visibly slowed down the bandits movements.

'Swooosh,' 'Swooosh.'

'Roaaar.'

Then Shu Wei took it as an opportunity to make a quick fatal attack with his Sage-strengthened 'Earthquake Kick.'

'Vagrooooom.'

A frightening crack, all of a sudden, hastily crawled on the ground forming a straight line towards the direction of the bandits.

'Bang.'

"A sage!" shouted one of the bandits.

All of the bandits unexpectedly started to panic. But the bandit captain looked resolved to hold down his fort.

"Attack!"

The Heaven stage Expert captain of the bandits yelled his battlecry.

The bandits knew they were no match against a sage but they couldn't just leave their prized slaves behind.

***************

It only took Shu Wei and Qai with his black tiger less than an hour to finish off all the bandits even if there were about a dozen of them.

And after Shu Wei released the abducted children, they immediately checked their conditions. Most of the children were about 5 years of age with two of them at 8. The two 8-year old children were a pair of a boy and a girl—and they said they were actually fraternal twins.

The little girl whose name was Bing had actually awaken her Fire affinity while the boy whose name was Jing had awaken a rare element of Poison. But both of them have yet to start any cultivation method so they were yet to breakthrough to initial Earth stage.

The twin said they were orphans and were supposed to go to Jiang City to try their luck and see if any clan would be willing to invest in their cultivation. And it was during their travel that the bandits found them.

As for the rest of the children, their stories differ. Only one thing was certain—they were caught and were doomed to be forever slaves had it not for the timely arrival of Shu Wei and Qai.

"Father, why not take Bing and Jing with us back home," Qai suddenly suggested. "With Bing as Sister-in-law's apprentice, I'm sure Sister-in-law would appreciate an extra hand."

The twin brightened their eyes in response to what they actually were hearing.

"As for Jing, we can develop some assassin skills for his cultivation path," Qai went on with his suggestion. "He can be like a personal guard of the 'Patriarch'!"

Shu Wei obviously knew what Qai was trying to imply. It was part of his little dream.

Qai then walked near the captain's dead body and stooped down—to the surprise if most of the children and his father.

He then grabbed the captain's right hand with a grin and shamelessly took of the spatial ring—it was a low grade one.

"Eh."

"There might be some valuables in it..," Qai said as he threw the ring to his father, "..at least some coins.. so let's buy some skills for them."

Shu Wei simply nodded and sighed. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if his son was shamelessly genius or stupidly smart.

And after settling the conditions of the rest of the children, they decided to bring them to the city and endorse them to authorities.