Chapter 11: Bricks Slap Mountain Bandits

The carriage jolted for three days, and the journey was peaceful and uneventful.

Taking advantage of the early dawn, Chen Yi He and Xu Jia bathed in the morning sunlight, accompanying the carriage as it went along the mountain road.

Chen Yi He continued listening to Xu Jia talk about some bizarre things in this book's world.

Xu Jia could indeed talk, speaking from morning till night without pause, to the point that even he himself didn't know whether he was recounting true events or just spouting nonsense.

"These days, the top sects in the martial world are God Sword Mountain Villa, Five Absolutes Palace, and Southern Heaven Gate—even Shaolin Temple and Wudang Mountain can't compare!" Xu Jia spoke with great confidence.

Chen Yi He listened, entranced, lost in his fantasy: if one day he could dominate the martial world and unite the jianghu, how wonderful that would be! Satisfying his overbearing wuxia dream.

"You brat, at best you're only at the second heaven level—you can't even beat a bald thug from the Evil People Gang, you're a hundred thousand miles from those experts; they could casually send out a disciple who could crush you with one hand!" Xu Jia's cold splash was merciless, yet reasonable.

"Moreover, those sect leaders are at least fourth heaven experts—you can't even get close; before you blink, you're dead… The Southern Heaven Gate's sect master, Nan Zhongyi, wields a spear hailed as invincible under heaven; back in the frontier, he single-handedly charged the enemy army, earning a title from the emperor, and his fame spread far and wide! Also, the Palace Master of Five Absolutes Palace is an absolute beauty… with one move, Heaven-Flying Immortal, she kills invisibly; with another, Pear Blossom Needles in a Violent Rain, she kills silently…"

"Have you seen them?" Chen Yi He asked.

"No, I haven't, but I have seen the master of God Sword Mountain Villa, Huang Zong."

"What level is he?"

"He's a third heaven grandmaster, already a top-notch expert; his one-handed Flying Flower Sword Dance is truly astonishing! Just thinking that I was fortunate enough to watch him sword-dance, I truly have no regrets!" Xu Jia showed an enamored expression, as if still savoring each move and stance...

"If you've gotten involved with those powerful clans, why are you still being hunted by the measly Evil People Gang?" Chen Yi He wondered.

"This… isn't it just because I don't know martial arts? … Being able to get by in the jianghu doesn't mean you're an expert; my three-legged cat kung fu can't even break into the Primordial Chaos Dao… I've tried practicing for four or five years, but I have no talent at all—sigh! Wanting to enter the jianghu, it's nowhere near that simple!" Xu Jia shook his head and sighed.

Chen Yi He knew that learning martial arts wasn't something you could just pick up; it depended on comprehension, talent, physique, etc. He felt fortunate to possess a golden finger that could replicate martial arts and grant a superstrong physique. Still, he also admired someone as resourceful as Xu Jia, who could get by and maneuver freely in the tangled jianghu.

As for when he would become an expert like Huang Zong or Nan Zhongyi, he still had a long road ahead……

"Being able to get by is useless; without martial arts, who would look up to you? Sigh……"

"Shh!" Chen Yi He suddenly became alert, he pulled open the curtain and saw crowds of people lining both sides of the mountain road, blocking the path ahead and cutting off the retreat behind.

Xu Jia had already reined in the horse and shouted loudly, "Gentlemen, may I ask why you block my way?"

"This mountain is mine to develop, this tree is mine to plant; if you wish to pass, leave a toll!"

Chen Yi He never expected they'd run into mountain bandits!

"Easy come, easy go—it's just money, right? I'll give it!" Xu Jia was generous, "Is fifty taels of gold enough?"

Upon hearing fifty taels of gold, the bandits' hearts were moved; they shouted and yelled, treating him as a big spender handing out fifty taels—something they hadn't encountered in all their years!

The bandit chief stepped forward and said, "If you can really produce fifty taels of gold, this king will let you pass!"

"Good!" Xu Jia actually handed over fifty taels of gold; compared to this carriage full of treasures, those fifty taels were incomparable.

The bandit chief's eyes lit up; he told Xu Jia, "You may go on your way!"

Xu Jia mounted his horse, ready to leave, but was stopped again.

"What now? I already gave the gold!"

"Those fifty taels of gold let you pass, but they didn't say the carriage could go—this king likes it a lot and wants to keep it!" The bandit chief wasn't a fool; seeing Xu Jia's generous hand, he knew the carriage's cargo was definitely not cheap!

"Don't bully people too much!"

"If you don't leave, your life may not be spared!"

"The goods in this carriage are meant for the Tiger Mountain Dragon King; if you take them, aren't you afraid he'll come and raze your mountain stronghold?" Xu Jia retorted firmly.

"Tiger Mountain Dragon King?" Chen Yi He, hiding in the carriage, had never heard Xu Jia mention this person before, but he recalled vaguely hearing about it from Xiao Feng when he was at the Xiao family castle……

Obviously the bandit chief was also shaken by those four words "Tiger Mountain Dragon King," but he was a desperate outlaw: "Then I'll just kill you too, destroy the corpse and erase traces—no matter how mighty the Dragon King is, he won't find me here! Hahaha! Brothers, get him and take down this carriage!"

These backstabbing bandits are too realistic!

The carriage's sideboard was lifted, and Chen Yi He leapt out!

Chen Yi He's feet landed steadily on a bandit's shoulders, then he clamped the bandit's head between his feet, a light twist of his toes snapped the neck; Chen Yi He then bent, seized the bandit's long sword, and leapt out to attack!

"Attack the king!" the bandit lord commanded, and a gang of desperate bandits surged toward Chen Yi He……

Xu Jia secretly hid beneath the carriage's sideboard, watching Chen Yi He fight bloodily, wondering in his heart, "How is he so strong? Just three months ago he was still being hunted by the Evil People Gang."

Chen Yi He had reached the second heaven of the Primordial Chaos Dao; facing these petty bandits was no problem, and it was a good chance to test this "Mountain River Sword Technique"!

The first move, "Deep Mountain Seven Out," turns one strike into seven; at the moment the sword leaves the hand it reaches extreme speed—though the opponent sees only one blade, actually seven have been unleashed! The aim is to catch the enemy off guard!

As soon as Chen Yi He's sword flashed, the bandits' eyes dazzled!

Chen Yi He's single strike killed seven people!

The bandit chief hadn't expected to encounter such a ruthless opponent today! He drew the wolf-tooth club hanging from his waist, brandishing it as he charged; dust flew up from the road beneath his feet, shouting "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Clang!"

The wolf-tooth club came down hard! Chen Yi He swung his sword to block.

The bandits surged forward again, hoping to overwhelm with numbers and stab Chen Yi He to death!

Chen Yi He lifted one leg, activated the Wither-Prosper Heart Sutra, a white light flashed, and the bandits were flung backward!

The bandit chief raised his wolf-tooth club again and brought it down once more!

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!" After three successive chops, all were blocked by Chen Yi He, but his long sword was shattered.

"Hahaha! What are you going to do? Die!" the bandit chief laughed loudly; he still had some skill, his wolf-tooth club twirling in his hand, pressing in on Chen Yi He from all sides!

Chen Yi He was forced back to the base of the cliff, his back to the rock face, facing the bandit chief.

This was Chen Yi He's first real combat; inevitably his movements were a bit unskilled…… Having just lost his sword, he couldn't flexibly employ the Mountain River Sword Technique, and he saw the wolf-tooth club about to come down again!

Chen Yi He pressed his hands against the cliff, chipping out stones from the rock face, one in each hand, and quickly ducked his head to avoid the wolf-tooth club!

The bandit chief smashed his wolf-tooth club into the cliff, and Chen Yi He hurled the stones in his hands toward the bandit's head!

The two stones were like two bricks, smashing the bandit chief until his head was split open and bleeding profusely!!!

Chen Yi He then followed up with a kick, sending him flying four or five meters away—almost off the mountain road and over the cliff……

"Chief, chief!"

"Boss, you alright?!"

"Phew!" Chen Yi He took a deep breath… Just now it was so perilous—if that spiked club had struck his head just now, his game would have been over… Just facing a small mountain bandit already let him taste the thrill; if he truly had to face a martial arts master, how could he possibly cope?

Seeing that the situation outside was already lost, Xu Jia only then timidly crawled out from under the carriage board, and then gave Chen Yi He a thumbs‑up…