Chapter 156: There Really Are Bandits! (Double-Length Chapter)
A muffled squelch echoed through the night!
Like an overripe fruit bursting apart, blood splattered in all directions. The elderly woman with white hair tumbled from the cliffside like a kite with a broken string, crashing onto the rocky streambank below.
Crimson lifeblood seeped into the waters, swirling in eerie patterns as her brittle white hair, disheveled and tangled, clung to her withered face.
Struggling to rise, her eyes lifted towards the heavens. The moon hung high, casting its cold silver glow upon the cliffside, bathing it in an eerie pallor.
Tai Zhen, Qi Yun, and Chang Qing were locked in a desperate battle. Six suspended Spirit Swords circled them while two ghostly figures darted through the air, pressing them into a deadly struggle.
Blades gleamed, spectral light flickering across the battlefield. Each clash sent ripples of spiritual energy undulating outward, casting eerie reflections under the moon’s watchful gaze.
Before the old woman, a single Dao Sword descended from the sky.
It was the instructor from the Heavenly Script Academy, his face cold and dark, his sword carrying boundless spiritual energy, roaring with murderous intent.
Old Woman Floating Smoke paled in terror, slamming her palm against the ground to launch herself upright, throwing up a desperate defense.
With a deafening clang, iron met steel. Her Iron Sword, unable to withstand the force, shattered into countless fragments. The impact hurled her into the river, her labored breaths rasping like a bellows on the verge of collapse.
In her youth, she had left her family upon encountering a bottleneck in her cultivation and ventured alone to Feng Prefecture.
Back then, Feng Prefecture had few Immortal Manors, far from the thriving domain it was now.
Seizing the opportunity, she established Floating Smoke Mountain Estate, siphoning resources to offer as tribute to her ancestral home in Liang Prefecture, steadily climbing in status within her clan.
However, as the years passed, the noble clans of each region grew too numerous, their offspring spread across the land, and soon, they turned their covetous gaze upon Feng Prefecture.
For years, Immortal Manors within Feng Prefecture had waxed and waned, some flourishing, others fading into obscurity. Despite these power struggles, an unspoken balance was maintained.
Resources, whether commodities or spiritual minerals and Immortal Saplings, were distributed equitably among the factions.
But in those days, no one paid any heed to Yuyang County.
It was a place of barren fields, producing nothing but crops. Even Immortal Saplings refused to take root there. Spanning thousands of miles, it remained sparsely populated, unworthy of consideration even by those selecting sites for new Immortal Manors.
Then came the second year of Tai Chang Era.
A scandal erupted—Immortal Worship Mountain Manor had been abducting young girls for alchemical refinement. This incident brought to light a young cultivator, barely of age, who had already reached the pinnacle of the Lower Three Stages. He was swiftly admitted to the Heavenly Script Academy under exceptional circumstances.
From that moment, she had sensed impending disaster.
For years, Feng Prefecture had upheld the harshest crackdowns on “rogue cultivators.” The reason was simple—Immortal Manors did not wish for powerful noble clans to establish a foothold here.
Yet, the warning came too late.
Though their influence in Feng Prefecture was vast, they dared not provoke the Heavenly Script Academy with an outright assassination. They consoled themselves—this was merely a backwater rogue cultivator, of no real consequence.
Then came the news that this same cultivator had crossed paths with the second son of the Chu Family, only to be sent to Qiling Ridge as cannon fodder. They sighed in relief, certain he would perish.
But against all odds, he survived.
He went on to train in Sword Dao at Spirit Sword Mountain, later defeating the Chu Family, earning a place in the Inner Court.
From that moment, their fate had been sealed.
Yet, even as realization dawned, it was already too late.
A shrill sword cry split the air, as though Death itself whispered in the wind.
Old Woman Floating Smoke’s head flew from her shoulders, blood splashing her lifeless face. Her wide eyes, filled with lingering disbelief, refused to close even as her spirit dissipated.
In her final moments, she saw a towering surge of Sword Qi erupt from the cliffside, slicing through the night. Manor Lord Tai Zhen’s Steel Whip was severed mid-air, and his body plunged toward the abyss below.
Before he could fall completely, a Spirit Sword, gleaming with spiritual radiance, flashed forward. His decapitated head spun through the air, aligning perfectly with the cold, indifferent moon.
Beneath that moon, a blood-soaked youth raised his sword to the heavens.
The scene froze in time.
Throughout the long night, battle raged across the mountain, countless streaks of Sword Qi slashing through the valleys until the first light of dawn.
As the eastern sky began to brighten, the golden rooster heralded the morning.
Those who had hidden within Night City or fled to its outskirts now emerged, their gazes fixed upon Night City Mountain.
Rumors swiftly spread—Immortal Lords had battled within the mountain, shaking the very earth. No one had slept through the turmoil.
Whispers filled the streets: bandits had been spotted in the mountains, and the Immortal Lords had banded together to purge them.
But as their eyes fell upon the stream flowing from the valley—its waters tainted an unnatural pink—fear gripped their hearts.
Near the base of the mountain, villagers peered through window slits, watching the dawn.
At last, silhouettes emerged from the depths of the mountains.
A man in a crimson robe.
A woman in a crimson robe.
And a crimson-robed fat man with an enormous chest.
With Manor Lord Sunrise slain and Old Woman Floating Smoke beheaded by Cao Jin Song, the tides of battle had turned irreversibly.
What followed was a one-sided slaughter, just as they had anticipated.
At the inn, Ji You had made it clear—if the balance of power was unequal, they must first eliminate one enemy at all costs.
Thus, they had planned accordingly.
From the outset, Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi had drawn attention while Ji You launched a stealth attack. Their goal had always been singular—to kill at least one Dao Fusion cultivator.
Though these Immortal Manor cultivators had relied on Spirit Pills to force their breakthroughs, they were still Dao Fusion cultivators.
Initially, both Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi had doubted their chances.
Yet, Ji You had merely said: “I’ll try to kill one.”
And in the end, he had done just that.
Even now, the memory of that moment left them speechless.
“Ahead lies Feng Prefecture’s capital…” murmured Cao Jin Song, his bloodstained longsword in hand, exhaustion evident in his voice.
Pei Ru Yi, still catching her breath, frowned. “Do you think there’ll be more waiting for us ahead? Feng Prefecture has more than just five Immortal Manors.”
“They won’t dare.”
“Are you sure?”
“Those who hesitated last night will not act today. Cultivators and mortals alike fear the strong and prey on the weak. Now, if we enter the city, we might even have time for breakfast.”
With that, they turned toward Ji You.
By the stream, he crouched, washing his sword in the cool waters before rinsing his hands clean of blood.
After a night spent butchering old men and women, exhaustion was inevitable.
Sighing, he retrieved several Storage Gourds from his robes, glancing at them briefly before tucking them away.
He no longer had the energy to check for valuables.
First, they needed to register their victory at Feng Prefecture’s capital, take a proper bath, and get some sleep.
Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi exchanged glances.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
“Some of the words spoken by these immortal manors were not entirely false, or perhaps they possess remarkable foresight.”
“Indeed, there are bandits in the mountains.”
Cao Jin Song cast a glance at her. “Not mere bandits, but fierce bandits.”
The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed. Ji You finished washing his sword and hands, then rose to his feet. With the morning light upon him, he set off towards the southwest.
Meanwhile, within the city of Feng Prefecture, the halls were filled with cultivators.
These individuals were all disciples of the immortal manors who had not participated in last night’s encirclement and extermination. Now, their eyes burned with anticipation as they gazed towards the distant horizon.
Such immortal manors had never wished to involve themselves in matters of life and death, yet they harbored hopes of reaping benefits. They expected that, upon rising this morning, they would hear of the five great immortal manors of Feng Prefecture successfully eradicating the bandits, with the bandit leader slain on the spot.
After all, eighteen Mystic Enlightenment cultivators alongside five Dao Fusion cultivators had besieged one Mystic Enlightenment and two Dao Fusion cultivators. No matter how one looked at it, this was a battle that could not be lost.
Through their spiritual senses, they could not perceive too far, yet they confirmed that the battle in the mountains had ceased. Their expressions were tranquil.
In stark contrast, seated within a tea pavilion on the western side of the city gate, were officials from various counties.
Their expressions varied, their gazes complex.
Among them, Inspector Liu and Magistrate Xiang of Cinnabar Water Prefecture sat together, accompanied by their families. Sixteen people in total, they had rushed here overnight, not even taking the time to send their carriages to the relay station before hastening to the city gate.
Yet the fear on their faces surpassed even that of the commoners who had endured a night of distant battle sounds.
“Fu Sheng, have you learned anything?”
Fu Sheng bowed beneath the tea pavilion and spoke in a hushed tone. “I just scouted around the city. The lords of the immortal manors all claim that the mountain has fallen silent. The battle should be over.”
Magistrate Xiang furrowed his brows. “Could they have retreated from the mountain?”
“Some were left behind in the city. They claim no one has exited from the mountain.”
Hearing this, both Magistrate Xiang and Inspector Liu grew solemn.
Beyond them, the Magistrate of Returning Clouds Prefecture was also present. His son had recently been admitted to the Heavenly Script Academy, and now he, too, was filled with dread.
For they believed that Ji You would inevitably become the master of Feng Prefecture. By placing their children within the Heavenly Script Academy now, they laid the foundation for their families to prosper for centuries to come.
Once Ji You established his own clan within Feng Prefecture, they would be well-positioned to attach themselves to his rising star—far preferable to aligning with the foreign immortal manors.
Yet they had not foreseen this: Ji You had wasted no time in making his move.
He had no patience for the distant future. He sought control now. Even a mere hour’s delay was intolerable to him.
Had they known that Ji You was so impatient and unwilling to bide his time, how could they have agreed to send their children to the Heavenly Script Academy?
“Eighteen Mystic Enlightenment, five Dao Fusion. I am no cultivator, but I can do arithmetic. If Ji You perishes in the mountains, then everything becomes meaningless. Feng Prefecture will forever belong to the immortal manors, and having our children in the Heavenly Script Academy will serve no purpose.”
Inspector Liu rolled up his sleeves, his hands trembling. “Brother Xiang, he was too rash, and we were too rash as well…”
Magistrate Xiang turned to Inspector Liu, his thoughts cold. [I was too rash?]
That day in my residence, I did not even know who Ji You was. It was you, anxious beyond measure, who rushed over with your son to have him accepted as a disciple. You lingered in my halls, seeking an opportunity.
Clearly, it was you who wished to secure ties first, so that when Ji You built his clan, your son’s connection could immediately elevate your status.
And now? Now it all seems like an illusion!
Xiang Fu, who had been listening, was puzzled. “Weren’t they supposed to be eradicating bandits? What does this have to do with Ji You?”
“They were eradicating bandits—because Ji You is the bandit.”
“How could Ji You be a bandit?”
“He is a lone rogue cultivator with no noble lineage or sect backing him. Yet he seeks to claim the tax tribute of Feng Prefecture. To the foreign immortal manors, of course he is a bandit. The dead cannot speak, nor can they argue. When all the immortal manors declare him a bandit, then a bandit he is.”
At this moment, Fu Sheng could not help but interject. “Master, I also heard something else in the city.”
Magistrate Xiang turned to look at him. “What is it?”
“At first, the immortal manors did not insist on killing him outright. They sought negotiation and even offered him twenty percent of Feng Prefecture’s tax tribute as a sign of goodwill. But he refused. Then they asked him how much he wanted.”
“How much did he demand?”
Fu Sheng repeated four sentences he had overheard, and at once, both Inspector Liu and Magistrate Xiang exchanged looks, their faces darkening with grim realization.
This rogue cultivator, Ji You, was utterly blind to the established power structures that had ruled Azure Cloud Continent for millennia. Yet he had dared to say such words to the manor lords who had already harbored murderous intent against him.
The passion of youth was admirable, but at times, it was also fatal.
Such actions might make him a hero in folktales, but in reality, they were nothing short of reckless and naive.
Law?
Even imperial authority now bowed beneath the rule of the immortal sects. What law was there to speak of?
Yet as the two men continued their silent critiques, a sudden commotion erupted atop the city walls. Cultivators stationed there peered into the distance, their expressions shifting drastically.
On the road leading to Feng Prefecture, a lone figure strode closer. His crimson robes shone under the morning light, forming a striking contrast against the earth-toned landscape.
The three disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy, clad in white, began to smile—until they sensed through their spiritual perception that those robes had been dyed red with blood.
“It’s Ji You?!”
“How is it him?”
“Where are the five manor lords? Where is everyone else? Why was he not stopped? Is he truly going to seize all of Feng Prefecture’s tax tribute?”
Ji You now stood beneath the city gates, a long sword in hand, and came to a halt.
With a flick of his sleeve, heads tumbled down in a cascade of mystical light, rolling across the ground like shattered gourds.
Some heads were aged, their hair pure white; others had black and white mixed. Some faced skyward in frozen horror, others lay sideways, twisted in expressions of unwillingness and fear.
At that moment, all at the city gates held their breath.
For they recognized these heads as once belonging to the lords, elders, and revered cultivators of the five great immortal manors.
Eighteen Mystic Enlightenment, five Dao Fusion, dead without peace.
Only Ji You, who was supposed to have perished, stood here now.
All eyes turned to him, only to find his own gaze chillingly cold.
“Last night, Night City Mountain saw the birth of an Innate Spiritual Treasure, attracting a horde of rogue cultivators who sought to claim it.”
“As a son of Feng Prefecture, I could not allow such bandits to bring harm to these lands, so I entered the mountain to eradicate them.”
“Now, the bandit leaders have been slain. Their heads are displayed here for all to see.”
For a moment, silence hung heavy.
Then, the entire city burst into uproar.
Especially the disciples of the immortal manors.
[This is bad. We have become the bandits!]
Beneath the tea pavilion, the gathered officials and their families all rose to their feet, their expressions frozen in shock as they watched the scene unfold before them. Their astonishment left them momentarily speechless.
So many cultivators from the Five Great Immortal Manors had entered the mountains, each at least equal to his level of cultivation. Yet now, all of them had been beheaded—and the only one to walk out of the mountains alive was him.
They had anticipated his death. They had foreseen his defeat. But not a single one of them had dared to imagine this outcome.
Xiang Fu could not restrain herself from rising to her feet, her gaze sharp as she fixed her eyes upon the man beneath the city walls.
His entire body was far from clean, yet his back remained straight, his presence exuding an unshakable Sword Intent. His head was held high, and the blood-stained garments upon him fluttered in the autumn wind.
“Did you not just say that Ji You was the real bandit?”
Xiang Fu’s eyes lingered upon him for a long time before she finally turned her gaze away. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she looked toward her father and asked.
Magistrate Xiang barely managed to gather his wits, his mouth opening in disbelief. “The dead ones are the true bandits…”
Inspector Liu gripped the edge of the table, his gaze locking onto one of the severed heads, his expression as if frozen in time.
That head belonged to Wei Dong Xu, a cultivator from Floating Smoke Mountain Estate—not the manor lord, but a distinguished offering master.
Since Inspector Liu’s residence was in close proximity to Floating Smoke Mountain Estate, he had frequently dealt with this man. At the manor, Liu had always shown him the utmost respect. He had honored him for years. And now, he saw nothing but his lifeless head lying on the dusty ground.
People are like this—when an event feels too distant, it remains abstract, indistinct.
But when someone familiar is involved, the reality becomes tangible.
Inspector Liu had always assumed that all cultivators were much the same. Yet now, as he stared at Wei Dong Xu’s severed head—and that of the manor lord, whose praises Wei had so often sung—it became painfully clear just how powerful that sword-wielding young man truly was.
“Everyone, the bandit leader has been slain, but the Innate Spiritual Treasure has yet to be found. It is said that they originated from the Five Great Bandit Strongholds, which have plagued these lands for many years. The treasure must be hidden within one of their strongholds—or perhaps within an allied sect or organization. A full search will be necessary.”
“!?”
His words ignited an uproar, the crowd erupting in even greater disbelief as all eyes turned toward Ji You.
The so-called Innate Spiritual Treasure was nothing more than a pretext for bloodshed—it did not exist!
And yet, he was now using it as a justification for a large-scale confiscation!
With the Five Great Immortal Manors now leaderless, their manor lords and offering masters all slain, only a handful of disciples remained. Who among them could stop him?
For years, Feng Prefecture had been a lawless land, its ownership shifting like drifting clouds. Under normal circumstances, such devastation within the Five Great Immortal Manors would have led to their wealth and disciples being swiftly absorbed by rival sects.
But with Ji You’s declaration, no sect would dare make a move.
If they acted, he could simply claim they had taken the treasure—and use it as an excuse to destroy them as well.
Since the Primeval War, humanity had been focused on recuperation. On the surface, the great sects and noble clans maintained an uneasy peace. Even the Seven Great Immortal Sects required justifications before making a move, maintaining a delicate balance of power.
And now, this nonexistent treasure could serve as a weapon—one that Ji You could wield indefinitely.
He could accuse any sect of harboring it.
And then he could strike.
Last night, there had indeed been bandits in Night City Mountain…
Cao Jin Song and Pei Ru Yi stood at the city gates, watching the scene unfold.
They exchanged glances. “Feng Prefecture is about to thrive,” Cao mused.
“Yes,” Pei Ru Yi agreed, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Because it’s about to become home to the greatest legitimate bandit stronghold in history.”
Ji You paid no heed to the murmurs around him. He left the severed heads at the city gate, then strode forward, making his way into the city toward Feng Prefecture’s main government office.
Countless gazes followed his every step, watching as he walked farther and farther away. But not a single soul dared to stand in his way.
For below the city walls, the countless severed heads served as an unmistakable warning of the consequences.
Moving from the main avenue deeper into the city, Ji You soon found that people had already gathered, waiting for him. They led him forward without delay.
Moments later, he arrived before the grand gates of Feng Prefecture’s governor’s residence, where an elderly official in court attire stood in solemn expectation.
This was Governor He Zhang, the nominally highest authority in Feng Prefecture. Yet in truth, he held little power.
It was the Immortal Manors that ruled this land.
He had known about last night’s events, but lacking true authority, he had no choice but to feign ignorance.
Had Ji You perished, everything would have continued as before, unchanged. He would have remained a mere servant to the immortal sects, and last night’s massacre would have been forgotten.
After all, Feng Prefecture had long been incapable of producing a cultivator strong enough to enter the Inner Court of an Immortal Sect.
Now, however, as He Zhang beheld the bloodstained figure approaching, his heart trembled.
“Governor He.”
“Young Master Ji, the Heavenly Script Academy Roster has arrived. Please, follow me inside.”
Blood still clung to Ji You as he crossed the threshold of Feng Prefecture’s government halls, following He Zhang through the courtyard toward the study.
The halls were filled with the governor’s family—wives, daughters, sons—all manner of relatives. The sight of a man drenched in blood striding through their home left them pale with shock.
Yet amidst their fear, curiosity burned.
They knew their lord had spent the entire night sleepless, pacing anxiously in the courtyard.
Clearly, something monumental had occurred.
But none had expected the arrival of this blood-soaked youth.
Inside the study, Ji You found two documents placed atop the desk—the Heavenly Script Academy Roster and an Imperial Document of Great Xia.
The roster recorded his Immortal Register and confirmed approval for the establishment of a new cultivator clan.
The imperial document outlined matters of tax tribute.
Both lay open before him.
“The annual tax collection is about to begin,” He Zhang said. “Your timing is perfect, Young Master Ji. Sign these two documents, and your clan will be formally recognized. From this moment forth, Feng Prefecture shall have its first cultivator clan.”
Outside the study, the eavesdropping members of the governor’s household widened their eyes in astonishment.
Ji You picked up the brush, carefully reading each line before pressing his name onto the parchment.
“From now on,” he said, “Feng Prefecture will pay no more tribute to foreign Immortal Manors.”
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)