Chapter 63: Old and New Grudges

"You want to challenge me one-on-one?" Rayan raised an eyebrow coldly.

"It's not us challenging you one-on-one; it's you against us!"

Rayan frowned and pondered for a moment before he understood. "What kind of one-on-one is that?"

"That's right, the three of us brothers do everything together—eat together, sleep together, fight one person together, and run from a group together."

The leader of the robbers, robust in arms and with legs bent like crooks, had large, ear-catching ears that flapped when he spoke. His chin trembled slightly with excitement. "Come on, kid, challenge us one-on-one!"

Rayan couldn't help but laugh silently, "Gentlemen, as you've just said, I'm not some noble young master or a 'Crow Lord.' I'm just a young worker, how could I possibly challenge the three of you? Go ahead then, I've still got work to do."

"Hmph, scared, huh?"

The lead robber stepped forward, saw that his companions hadn't followed, and sheepishly stepped back, his tone stiff, "You're only at the Fourth Tier of Battle Qi, and we three together are at the Sixth Tier. I knew you wouldn't dare fight us!"

Despite being provoked, Rayan still couldn't muster any interest in these three foolish mercenaries. After all, Battle Qi ranks aren't simply additive; three Second Tier Fighters are just three Second Tier Fighters, not equivalent to one Sixth Tier Fighter. He swept his gaze over them listlessly and shook his head, "Intellectually suppressed, you win."

The three bandit mercenaries exchanged glances, their tense faces breaking into arrogant smiles.

"Haha, so Rayan is just this after all!"

The big-eared bandit laughed loudly, "I knew Dusk Village was just boasting when they said that under your command, they killed a Third Rank Magical Beast and over twenty Second Rank Feral Beasts. With your timid appearance, how could that be possible!"

The other two bandits also burst out laughing.

A wave of anger swept through Rayan's heart. He clenched his fists, a murderous look flashed in his eyes but disappeared in an instant, and his fists slowly relaxed. This was the Ravenstorm Inn, and Duke was the real master here. He was no longer a wanderer but an apprentice here, training hard for a higher goal. If he got angry over a little provocation, how would he face greater pressures in the future?

Thinking this, Rayan's face stiffened into a faint, cold smirk again, "You're right, if you find two more people with the same intelligence level and form a novice hero, you could join a guild. So, don't bother me, a mere apprentice."

The three bandit mercenaries first laughed uncontrollably, then paused as they sensed something amiss.

The shorter bandit nudged his companion with his round arm, whispering, "Second brother, is this kid insinuating that we're stupid?"

"Can't be, right?"

The bandit with the beard habitually twirled the tip of his mustache, "He's smiling, doesn't seem like he's scolding us."

"I think this kid is pretty sly!"

The big-eared bandit huffed, "I've thought about joining a big guild before, but we definitely can't go. The guild members each ride their own high horses, but if we went, wouldn't we have to share one horse between three or five of us? And share one bowl of food among three or five?"

The two bandits beside him suddenly understood and waved their hands, "Can't go, we can't join those big guilds!"

Rayan, bemused, shook his head, "Gentlemen, continue your chat, I still have a hundred more glasses to wipe."

Saying this, he headed towards the bar.

The three bandit mercenaries immediately rushed forward, surrounding Rayan.

"Kid, you think you can get away so easily?"

The big-eared bandit brandished his broad-bladed knife menacingly, "Today, we settle both old and new scores."

Rayan furrowed his brow in impatience, about to speak, when he saw Duke coming out of the kitchen with a dark expression.

"What's all this noise outside? Lad, aren't you treating the guests properly?"

"Sorry, boss."

Rayan calmly addressed Duke, "These three guests have some special requests."

Duke glanced at the weapon in the bandit's hand and asked indifferently, "What special requests?"

"They want me to challenge all three of them," Rayan shrugged helplessly.

"That's right!"

The big-eared robber fiercely told Duke, "Old man, better stay out of this, or we'll tear down your rotten shop too!"

Duke grinned slickly, "Ah, my guests, please calm down. Please wait outside, I'll send the lad out to satisfy your request."

"Still, the old man knows his place! We'll give you face then."

After all, destroying the only tavern in Shadowcrest Ridge would be a big trouble for them. The big-eared bandit signaled his companions to put away their weapons and swaggered out of the Ravenstorm Inn.

Duke, with a smiling face, watched the bandits leave the tavern, then his expression immediately turned stern. He turned to Rayan and said seriously, "Go and challenge them—the three of you have been sleeping for three days; it's time for you to get moving."

"Yes, boss."

Rayan obediently nodded, not emphasizing how weak his opponents were and disinterested in fighting, simply calmly discarding the wiping cloth and picking up the Crow Sword.

Duke added, "After the fight, remember to invite the three guests back in to spend—anyone who enters Ravenstorm Inn, no matter for what purpose, must leave their money behind."

"What if I accidentally hurt them?" Rayan asked with difficulty. His physical condition was very good, and dealing with three Second Tier Fighters was too easy.

"I don't care, you must drag them in somehow."

Duke turned and walked back into the bar, adding one more thing, "Also, the tables and chairs you wiped are all substandard, remember to re-wipe them a hundred times later."

"Yes, boss."

Rayan, without a word of complaint, holding the Crow Sword, turned and walked out of the tavern.

It was nearly noon, the autumn and winter sunlight shone on his face, bringing a lazy comfort.

"Let's start."

Rayan, holding the Crow Sword in one hand, swung a wide arc in front of the three robbers. The Crow Sword, heavy and powerful, sliced through the air, making a whooshing sound.

This was his first time swinging the Crow Sword since waking up from a coma, the weight was still there, but it was unexpectedly smooth.

The three bandit mercenaries gave each other a look, then shouted and charged at Rayan without any tactics.

Their weapons were swung wildly, and the direction of their Battle Qi was unclear, making them seem formidable as a trio but actually without any coordination, clearly each acting independently.

Rayan ducked slightly, easily dodging a diagonal slash from the big-eared bandit, then not too much or too little, he stepped back just enough to block the long-bearded bandit's incoming spear with the Crow Sword, immediately stepped forward, and with his free left fist, struck the shield of the shorter bandit.

Red Battle Qi instantly condensed on his left fist. Rayan didn't intend to use full power, just enough to push back the shorter bandit. But when he punched out, the oak shield enhanced by Second Tier Battle Qi immediately turned to sawdust. The shorter bandit clutched his wrist and screamed, falling backward heavily, his round body tumbling several times on the hard ground before stopping against a large rock.

"Little brother!"

The big-eared and long-bearded bandits yelled in unison.

Rayan himself was startled by his power; he had intentionally used his weaker left fist, how could he break through Second Tier Battle Qi defense with one punch?

He puzzledly raised his left hand, only then noticing the unusual brightness of his red Battle Qi.

"Are you trying to kill my little brother, you bastard... hiss, Fifth Tier?!"

The big-eared bandit's demeanor changed dramatically, and he took two steps back when he saw the brightness of the Battle Qi on Rayan's left hand.

A breakthrough? When?

Rayan was stunned, as if the bandit mercenaries were completely nonexistent.

"Impossible?"

The long-bearded bandit muttered, "Isn't this kid only at Fourth Tier? It could be the sunlight reflecting, making it look like Fifth Tier Battle Qi."

"Second brother makes a lot of sense."

The big-eared bandit nodded seriously, "This time let's go together, attack him while he's distracted."

"Okay!"

The two simultaneously readied their weapons, their Second Tier Battle Qi enhancing them, and with a roar like a tsunami, pressed down towards Rayan's head.

Rayan heard the wind, snapped back to reality, quickly raised his sword to block. Two oppressive Second Tier Battle Qi forces hit the Crow Sword, emitting a heavy hum, Rayan instinctively transferred his Battle Qi to the edgeless blade, his wrist flexibly flipped, the sword body nimbly twisted, and with a sidestep, he pulled, causing the weapons of the big-eared and long-bearded bandits to fly out of their hands, clanging onto the frozen ground.

The big-eared bandit staggered back, and the long-bearded bandit lost his balance, falling hard on the ground, taking a long time to get up.

"Shit... Sixth Tier Battle Qi..."

The big-eared bandit's tone changed, sweat pouring from his forehead.

"How is this possible?"

The long-bearded bandit shivered, sucking in a breath, "Everything above Fifth Tier is a hard barrier to break, even Thorn, as tough as he is, couldn't break through for several years, and this kid just levels up casually? And jumps two levels?"

Rayan ignored the bandit mercenaries' words, only staring intently at the red Battle Qi on his body.

This brightness, this feeling—yes, it was indeed Sixth Tier Battle Qi! All the experience accumulated in past battles, after being unconscious for three days and nights, had burst forth!

This feeling... was fantastic!

Rayan's heart overflowed with joy, feeling there was still some Battle Qi in his body not yet exerted, he raised the Crow Sword towards the bandit mercenaries, commanding in a tone, "Come again!"

The two bandit mercenaries, terrified, shook their hands while shrinking back, "No more, no more! We'd rather die than fight again!"

"Say no more and that's it, do you really think I won't kill you?"

Rayan's face stiffened, his toes kicked their weapons back in front of them, his voice sharp as a knife slicing the air, "Come again!"