Hao stopped walking. So did Kurome and Little Sneak. None of them appeared surprised.
Hao turned around.
Two figures stood at the mouth of the alley.
One of them was a man wearing a patched-up, sleeveless beast hide jacket that was clearly a few sizes too small.
Big Bro Bai.
His arms were thin but covered in old scars. A rusty short saber rested lazily on his shoulder.
He had a wide grin full of missing teeth.
His hairline was receding to the heavens, but he’d still pulled what little he had into a sad, greasy topknot.
A thin goatee clung to his chin.
On his feet were makeshift sandals – folded talisman paper tied together with string.
The man beside him wore loose linen pants and a giant robe that dragged along the ground.
Skinny Liu.
He held a jagged dagger in reverse grip, trying hard to look cool. But his hands were trembling.
His hair stuck out in every direction like he’d lost a fight with a lightning beast.
A crooked belt hung around his waist, weighed down by small pouches. Each one was decorated with talismans scribbled in what suspiciously resembled colored wax.
He kept squinting, blinking every few seconds the way someone might when the world was one big blur.
Neither of them said a word.
But they both stepped forward.
Big Bro Bai scratched his belly and gave Skinny Liu’s a nudge with his elbow.
“See? Told ya. Knew he looked like a baby chicken the moment I saw him stroll outta that fancy pavilion.”
His voice was hoarse, full of phlegm and misplaced confidence.
“Mm.” Skinny Liu mumbled, still blinking like the air was too bright.
“You said he looked soft. Not rich. That robe’s the expensive kind, yeah?”
“Does it matter? If it shines, we take it.”
“New rule, brother. Anyone with clean boots and a jade pin gets robbed.”
Big Bro Bai’s eyes briefly swept across Kurome and Little Sneak.
“Tch. Guy’s even got pets.”
“Stylish ones.”
“You know these upper district types. They like showing off.”
Big Bro Bai snorted. “Hope that cat doesn’t scratch.”
Skinny Liu laughed.
Kurome’s ears twitched.
Little Sneak looked personally offended. ’Pets? I’ll have you know – !’
Hao held up a hand.
“Let me.” he whispered, eyes still fixed on the two.
He took one step forward.
Hao let his spiritual sense drift briefly across Big Bro Bai and Skinny Liu.
Second Stage. Third Stage. Spirit Awakening Realm.
Hao raised an eyebrow.
These two really walked in here thinking they were the final boss?
They are just one sneeze away from passing out!
“You.” Big Bro Bai said, ignoring Kurome and Little Sneak completely.
“Fancy robe. Clean face. Just walked outta Jadeweaven Pavilion with that smug look. You’re clearly loaded.”
“And dumb enough to wander down an alley without guards.” Skinny Liu sneered.
“Hand over everything, kid. The robe too. Looks my size.”
“Don’t wanna give it up?” Liu leaned forward.
“That’s fine too. We’ll just cut off a slice and take it ourselves. You pick where.”
They both chuckled. It sounded like two geese choking on mud.
Hao didn’t laugh.
He also didn’t look the slightest bit threatened.
Was it because he was many stages higher in cultivation?
Or was it because these two just screamed cannon fodder destined for the dirt?
Honestly, it was hard to say.
They looked like the kind of guys who’d appear in one scene and get slapped into the background of the next.
Still, Hao’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Finally.
These two… were his lucky charm for the day.
He had been itching to test out his new martial techniques in real combat.
Until now, the only person he’d fought with was Tian Lu.
And sparring with Tian Lu felt similar to trying to box a ghost that knew five hundred ways to break your bones.
But these two?
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
A can of Cola appeared in Hao’s hand, and without hesitation, he cracked it open and drank it all in one go.
The can vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.
It wasn’t from a storage ring – Hao didn’t have one of those.
Instead, it came from the inventory space provided by the system, which allowed him to store up to 10 items. He had brought along a few store products, in case a situation such as this occurred.
Both Big Bro Bai and Skinny Liu blinked at the sight, their eyes widening in disbelief. A storage ring?
“Rich kid.” Skinny Liu muttered under his breath, his eyes glinting with greed.
“Must be some high-class brat if he can pull things like that out of thin air.” Big Bro Bai added.
But Hao wasn’t paying attention. The cola had kicked in, sending a sharp burst of energy coursing through his body.
’Alright, no more playing around.’ Hao thought, stretching his fingers. ’This is the real deal.’
He glanced at the two bandits, a teasing grin spreading across his face.
“So, you want to steal my valuables, huh? Come and get them.”
With a slight motion of his hand, he gestured them forward, taunting them.
Big Bro Bai and Skinny Liu snarled and lunged. Both were clearly enraged by the mocking gesture, charging at Hao with reckless abandon.
The first to reach him was Skinny Liu. He swung his dagger down toward Hao’s neck, hoping to catch him off guard.
Hao dodged easily, stepping aside. He could feel the air ripple past him as he sidestepped the attack.
Big Bro Bai wasn’t far behind, swinging his saber in a wide arc toward Hao’s side.
It was a simple, brutal strike, but Hao was ready for it. He ducked low and spun around, narrowly avoiding the saber’s sharp edge.
Hao wasn’t even trying to counterattack yet. Instead, he stayed just out of reach, weaving around their attacks.
It wasn’t that these two lacked strength. They could easily massacre a small town if no cultivator stood in their way. But to Hao, every move they made was painfully obvious.
Frustration was beginning to build in their expressions.
“Why can’t we hit him?!” Skinny Liu hissed as he swung his dagger again, but Hao once more danced out of the way.
Hao shook his head internally. Didn’t think I’d be doing this either, but this is fun.
He had downed the cola earlier just to be cautious.
Not because he was scared of them, but because taking things lightly in a world of cultivators was a good way to die early.
But now? It couldn’t be more apparent.