Chapter 103: Target Water Bandits

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Target Water Bandits

The first daytime mission.

Early in the morning, Lu Yuan arrived at the Demon Suppression Bureau’s stables, picked a good horse, and met up with Jii Lin’s squad. Aside from Jii Lin, the squad consisted of five other members: Xuu Xiao, Liuu Fang, Ye Yan, Chen Ye, and Chuu Fang.

Among them, Xuu Xiao and Chen Ye were Middle Tier Eighth Grade; Liuu Fang and Ye Yan were High Tier Eighth Grade; and Chuu Fang was at the Eighth Grade Peak. Each of them looked remarkably sharp and capable—battle-hardened warriors to the core.

Jii Lin appeared to be in his early twenties, of average build, with striking and dignified features. Hailing from a Fourth-Grade Noble Family, he naturally carried a certain commanding presence. It was said that his Cultivation was at the Peak of Seventh Grade. In terms of combat prowess, he ranked in the top ten—perhaps even the top five—among the many Banner Commanders of the East Office.

"You’re here." Jii Lin smiled and greeted Lu Yuan. His friendliness stemmed not only from the fact that Lu Yuan was now the Squadron’s First Archer, but also because Lu Yuan had handed over half of his arena gambling winnings to the Squadron Commander.

"My apologies for being a bit late," Lu Yuan said, cupping his fists in a conciliatory gesture.

"Your timing is fine. We’re just used to arriving early," Jii Lin waved it off. "Let’s move out. I’ll explain the mission on the way."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Mhm."

"Hyah!"

"Hyah!"

The group rode out of the Demon Suppression Bureau and followed the main avenue out through the East City Gate. Mu Lingche was already waiting there, mounted on a tall white steed. A saber hung from his waist, and a Bright Silver Long Spear was secured beneath his saddle.

"Young Master Su," Jii Lin greeted, cupping his hands.

"Mhm." Mu Lingche nodded and merged into the squad.

The group galloped forth at a rapid pace.

"Today, our target is to eradicate a gang of Water Bandits," Jii Lin began detailing the mission.

In this world, martial arts flourished alongside the highly advanced development of various tools and artifacts. There were Profound Weapons, Spiritual Weapons, and even massive airships. Major powers—such as great noble families, large sects, massive merchant guilds, and the Court—primarily used airships to transport their essential resources. However, smaller factions and commoners lacked the wealth, resources, or authority for such luxuries. They could only rely on land or water transport. Consequently, they easily became targets for bandits.

One hundred and thirty miles southeast of the Jade Capital lay the Qi River, which featured a massive river bend spanning several miles at its widest point. Surrounded by mountains, dense forests, and a complex network of waterways, it was a treacherous area. Water Bandits frequently prowled the region, plundering passing ships before swiftly melting away into hiding, disappearing without a trace. The Demon Suppression Bureau had launched multiple sweeps, but every few years, a new batch would crop up. They were like weeds that could never be fully uprooted.

Just a few days ago, this particular gang had slaughtered dozens of people aboard a ship. Furious, a certain Thousand-Man Commander in the Demon Suppression Bureau had ordered Qin Gang to send personnel to wipe them out. Qin Gang, in turn, assigned the mission to Jii Lin’s squad.

"This gang of Water Bandits has about a hundred members. Among them are two Seventh-Grade Martial Artists—the First-in-Command and the Second-in-Command. There are around twenty Eighth-Grade Martial Artists, and the rest are all at the Ninth Grade, or just ordinary thugs," Jii Lin explained. "They’ve also formed two squads of archers totaling roughly forty men..."

The bandits were far from weak. Normally, two or even three banner squads would be dispatched to deal with them. Yet, only Jii Lin’s team was sent this time, which spoke volumes about how highly Qin Gang thought of them. However, to ensure evil was entirely eradicated without a single survivor slipping through the net, Qin Gang had added two master combatants—Mu Lingche and Lu Yuan—to guarantee absolute success.

"I’ll take out the First-in-Command and Second-in-Command. I’ll leave the rest to you," Jii Lin delegated the tasks.

"Understood!" the squad nodded in agreement.

Seven against twenty—and against a hundred in total—was somewhat pressuring. But not overly so. Those at the Ninth Grade were merely a disorganized mob, and as for the Eighth-Grade Martial Artists, outsiders of that level couldn’t hold a candle to the elite Eighth Grades of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"Don’t you worry, Captain Jii! Old Chu here can hammer down five of them all by myself!" Chuu Fang confidently patted his chest. Among the regular squad members, his Cultivation was the highest, and his combat prowess was the strongest. The "five" he referred to meant five Eighth-Grade Martial Artists. Anything at or below the Ninth Grade didn’t even count.

"You can’t just exclusively pick off the Eighth Grades. You have to handle the Ninth Grades, too!" Chen Ye immediately reminded him. This bastard loved fighting the strong ones and wouldn’t even spare a glance at anyone below the Eighth Grade. Every time, he hogged a massive amount of battle merits, making the rest of them look incompetent.

"If you’ve got the skill, why don’t you pick off the Eighth Grades? One hammer swing, one kill," Chuu Fang taunted. Might made right; the weak had no right to spout nonsense.

"Don’t forget, we have two extra experts with us this time," Xuu Xiao chuckled. Whether it was the Archer Lu Yuan or Su the Ninth from the Grand General’s Mansion, both were absolute masters. Their combat strength and lethality had to be calculated at the standard of the Eighth Grade Peak.

"That’s right, so don’t get too arrogant this time!" Chen Ye nodded.

"Two extra..." Chuu Fang glanced at Lu Yuan and Mu Lingche.

Lu Yuan was a top-tier Archer with the battle record to prove it. No matter how fast Chuu Fang swung his hammer, he couldn’t outpace an arrow. And Su the Ninth, who hailed from the Grand General’s Mansion, was rumored to have a Cultivation at the Eighth Grade Peak. Without even having to spar, Chuu Fang knew that in a one-on-one duel, he definitely wouldn’t be a match.

However, killing on a battlefield was entirely different from a formalized duel.

"On the battlefield, whoever gets the kill claims it!" Chuu Fang declared.

"Just don’t block my arrows," Lu Yuan reminded him with a smile.

"My spear has no eyes," Mu Lingche warned. If someone tried to compete with him, he wouldn’t show any mercy.

"Heh heh." Chuu Fang bared his teeth. Trash talk was useless; they’d have to let their battle records do the talking.

The Demon Suppression Bureau’s horses all possessed the bloodlines of Exotic Beasts and were occasionally fed Pills, giving them immense speed and remarkable stamina. The journey of over a hundred miles took merely half an hour.

The eight men quickly dismounted. Ye Yan took the lead, guiding the team forward. He was the one who had conducted the initial reconnaissance. Ye Yan was somewhat similar to Lu Ming in that he was a bird trainer, utilizing carefully raised Spirit Birds to assist in scouting. Liuu Fang, wielding his saber, was responsible for clearing the path. The two of them were old partners.

The group moved swiftly through the wilderness, gradually closing in on the Water Bandits’ lair. Water Bandits needed to transport their looted goods, and transporting goods required water, which meant their lairs were almost always located along a tributary. The numerous tributaries upstream of this large river bend provided excellent convenience for the bandits.

From a distance, the squad could spot several men keeping watch by the water or stationed in the trees.

"Split up, take out the sentries, and push inward!" Jii Lin ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

SWISH, SWISH.

The group rapidly dispersed to carry out their individual assignments. Only Lu Yuan and Jii Lin remained in place. As an Archer, Lu Yuan’s arrows could easily reach targets hundreds of yards away. Jii Lin, meanwhile, was waiting for the Seventh-Grade Martial Artists to show themselves.

"How far can you shoot?" Jii Lin asked.

"With a ten-picul bow, I can hit anything within my line of sight in this forest," Lu Yuan replied.

"Good. I look forward to your performance." Jii Lin’s figure flashed as he vaulted up a massive tree, and with another blur, he swiftly vanished.

Lu Yuan was left standing alone.

SWISH.

Lu Yuan quickly scaled a tree as well, picking a high branch with an expansive view. He stood in silent stillness, ready to begin his hunt.

In the Demon Suppression Bureau, the powerful Seventh Grade cultivation methods all cost over a hundred Contribution Points. He had to accumulate enough resources so that he could start his Seventh Grade cultivation at the absolute pinnacle.

Today, he was going to revel in the slaughter!

However, Lu Yuan didn’t just fire off arrows blindly. As usual, he had only brought thirty arrows with him today, meaning his opportunities were limited. Therefore, he couldn’t waste them on Ninth Grade scrubs or anyone weaker. He would only aim for the Eighth Grades!

[Initiating a new task. Having reached Martial Arts Minor Achievement, you must put on a breathtaking performance to pave the way for making your name resound throughout the Jade Capital.]

[Task Issued: Slay ten Eighth-Grade Martial Artists or one Seventh-Grade Martial Artist. Reward upon completion: 2,000 Experience Points.]

Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised. This was the first time the system had issued a task like this. But a reward was always a good thing; he was in desperate need of Experience Points right now. That being said, whether it was killing ten Eighth-Grade Martial Artists or a single Seventh-Grade one, the difficulty was far from trivial.

SCHLICK, SCHLICK!

THWACK, THWACK!

Before long, Xuu Xiao, Liuu Fang, Ye Yan, Chen Ye, Chuu Fang, and Mu Lingche sprang into action, steadily pushing their way inward...