“Mother, are you alright?! Are you still feeling any pain or discomfort?”
A concerned young boy inquired after his mother, who had just received treatment from the healing mage. He couldn’t shake off the worry from the kick she had taken earlier from the bandit.
“I’m fine, my dear. Mother is perfectly alright, and I don’t feel any pain anymore thanks to Miss Jennie’s healing magic.” The mother reassured her son, gently rubbing his head and offering a warm smile.
“That’s good. As long as you’re okay… but father… those bastards killed father!” Tears welled up in the young boy’s eyes as he recalled the brutal scene of the bandits showing no mercy in taking his father’s life.
“I know, my love, I know what they did to your father…” The mother held her son tightly, mourning the loss of her husband.
It wasn’t just her husband; many villagers had lost their lives at the hands of the bandits. They had inflicted torture before administering death for their perverse satisfaction, and even subjected women to forced violation in front of their family members.
A short while later, once everyone had received treatment from the healing mage Jennie, they hastily made their way back to the village, hoping against hope to find their friends and family members still alive.
Meanwhile, an translucent screen materialized in front of Yuan accompanied by a sharp mechanical voice.
<Ding! Mission completed! You’ve successfully eliminated the notorious bandits and saved the survivors, as well as rescued the captives.>
<145 SP has been added>
<Mission status: completed>
«Mission: Eliminate the group of notorious bandits and save the survivors ahead, as well as rescue the captives.»
«Number of bandits: 29 bandits.»
«Difficulty: High»
«Reward: 145 SP, and a Spirit-grade body Armor»
«Time Limit: 1 hour»
«Mission: The lives of the survivors would be lost and the captured will be sold as slaves, -200 SP»
‘145 SP, not bad. Though, considering how easily I dispatched the bandits, this reward seems a bit disproportionate…’ Yuan mused to himself.
“Sigh, I feel pity for these people. Even though they’ve returned to the village hoping to find their family members unharmed, most of them will be disappointed, as we could only save a few from the bandits’ cruelty.” Anna couldn’t help but sigh as she watched the villagers rush towards the devastated village.
Yuan approached Anna, gently hugging her waist, knowing his mother was feeling the weight of the village’s sorrow. “You don’t need to carry this sadness, Mother. We’ve done what was within our power. We can’t change the fate of their lost loved ones or friends.”
“You’re right, my son. We’re powerless to alter the outcome.” Anna sighed in her son’s comforting embrace.
Yuan nodded. “Since we’ve accomplished what we set out to do, let’s return to our carriage and continue the rest of our journey, shall we?”
“Very well,” Anna nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “We’ve already expended too much time dealing with those bandits. If we keep delaying, our journey to Monbrook city will take longer than anticipated.”
Lily nodded in agreement, taking a step forward. “We also need to gather the bandits’ severed heads as proof. There’s likely a bounty on them in Monbrook city. If we present the evidence of their demise, we stand to earn a substantial sum of gold coins.”
“Lily’s absolutely right. Major cities like Monbrook often have bounty boards with lucrative rewards.” Rose chimed in, recalling her own experiences with bounties. “Submitting proof of the bandits’ demise could earn us a considerable sum.”
“In that case, we’d be remiss to pass up the opportunity for some extra coin,” Yuan responded with a sly grin. How could he turn down the chance for a windfall of gold coins? Despite already having a considerable wealth, the prospect of more was enticing.
“Um, hello benefactors. I’m the village’s sole healer, Jennie. Once again, thank you for rescuing me from those bandits.” Suddenly, a woman approached Yuan and his wives, introducing herself.
Turning to face her, Yuan and his wives took in Jennie’s appearance. Among the captive women, she was the eldest, her figure more mature and alluring. This likely explained why the bandits had singled her out.
Yet, Yuan found her looks to be rather average, even when compared to Julie and Ava, who had yet to embark on the path of cultivation.
Of course, the bandits might have had a different perspective, evident in her untouched state.
Jennie continued, her voice grateful but tinged with lingering distress. “Before, I didn’t have the chance to properly introduce myself due to the emergency. Many needed my assistance. If not for you all, I dread to think of the fate that awaited us at the hands of those wretched bandits, a blight on humanity.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jennie,” Anna greeted her warmly. “As my son mentioned, there’s truly no need for further thanks.”
“But—”
“As I said, there’s no need for further thanks.” Anna gently but firmly halted Jennie’s words, her eyes holding understanding. “I realize you’re grateful for our intervention, but time is of the essence. We have quite a distance to cover before nightfall.”
Yuan nodded in agreement. “Indeed, we’ve already spent a considerable amount of time dealing with the bandits and ensuring your safety, Miss Jennie. We hope you understand our urgency.”
Jennie grasped the situation after hearing their explanation. Recognizing them as her benefactors, she opted not to impede their departure. “I understand. I won’t detain you any further. Thank you once again for saving us.”
With that, Yuan and his wives returned to the devastated village, where many women and children were in mourning, their cries of grief and desperation echoing amidst the grim scene.
Anna, despite feeling the weight of the villagers’ loss, set aside her emotions and began the task of decapitating the bandits and storing the heads in her spatial ring as evidence for the bounty.
Collecting the heads was a somber process, but even Rose, Julie, and Ava joined in, their resolve strengthened by their shared duty as Yuan’s wives and their roles as cultivators. They overcame their initial discomfort, carrying out the grim task.
Grace placed the final bandit head in her spatial ring, then turned to Yuan. “We’ve gathered all the heads, all 29 of them. Our business here is concluded. Shall we return to our carriage?”
“Indeed, there’s no reason to linger.” Yuan affirmed. “Let’s make our way back to the carriage and continue our journey.”
They proceeded, purposefully ignoring the mournful sounds of the villagers, heading towards the opposite end of the village.
—
A few minutes later, Yuan and his wives arrived at the far side of the village, where they had initially parked their carriage.
“Let’s board the carriage swiftly and resume our journey. We have quite a distance to cover before we make camp.” Yuan climbed into the carriage, and his wives followed suit, taking their places within.
Yuan noticed that Rose, Julie, and Ava had blood on their hands, a natural result of their involvement in collecting the bandits’ heads for the bounty.
“Allow me to help you clean the blood off.” Yuan swiftly utilized his Qi to cleanse Rose, Julie, and Ava’s hands.
“Cultivation truly holds many wonders. You can even use it for something as simple as cleaning.” Julie’s eyes sparkled with fascination, intrigued by the multifaceted applications of cultivation.
Yuan smiled. “Indeed, to employ your Qi in this way, you’ll need to attain a specific level of cultivation and learn Qi manipulation.”
“Don’t dwell on it too much. When you reach that level, I’ll teach you the intricacies of Qi manipulation.” Yuan assured them, noting their curious expressions. He then turned to Lily. “Lily, let’s continue. Time is of the essence.”
“Understood, brother.” Lily nodded and deftly directed the horses, urging them forward to pull the carriage.
Some time later, the sun was on the verge of setting. Lily identified an ideal spot near a vast lake, surrounded by towering trees that provided natural cover from heavy rain.
Once the carriage came to a halt, Lily turned to Yuan. “Younger Brother, is this spot suitable for setting up camp? It’s a safe distance from the lake, and the tall trees offer shelter from rain.”
“It’s perfect,” Yuan confirmed, using his divine sense to ensure no dangerous creatures lurked nearby. “Let’s start a bonfire and spend the night here.”
With that, his wives disembarked from the carriage and began gathering dry firewood. Meanwhile, Yuan secured the horses to a sturdy tree trunk, providing them with grass and water.
As Anna, Rose, and Emma prepared the meal, Yuan invited Julie and Ava into the carriage.
“Why have you brought us here, Yuan?” Julie inquired, puzzled by the sudden move.
Ava echoed her sister’s curiosity. “Yes, Yuan, we’re quite intrigued.”
“It’s a little secret.” Yuan chuckled mischievously at the two, then swiftly retrieved the two cultivation techniques he had acquired from the system for Julie and Ava.
“Here, I wanted to give you these.” Yuan handed over the cultivation techniques to Ava and Julie, entrusting ‘Resonant Soul Symphony’ to Ava and ‘Heavenly Thunder Manual’ to Julie.
They exchanged wide-eyed glances, shocked by the unexpected gift from Yuan. They hadn’t anticipated that he would bring them here for this purpose.
Yuan observed their astonished expressions with a smug smile. “How did you like my surprise?”
“Husband!” They both exclaimed simultaneously, rushing towards him and enveloping him in a tight embrace, tears glistening in their eyes as they nestled against his chest. Yuan chuckled warmly, holding them close and pressing a tender kiss to their foreheads.
After a few moments, Yuan looked at the two, their eyes sparkling with excitement as they examined their new cultivation techniques. “Now you two can embark on the path of cultivation, just like us. But remember, you need to first comprehend and master the cultivation techniques before you can truly call yourselves cultivators.”
“We remember, you’ve already explained it all to us,” Julie reassured him, reminding Yuan that he had already provided them with an overview of cultivation, at least to the extent of his knowledge.
“I’m glad you retained the information from our talk,” Yuan nodded, continuing, “In that case, I’ll leave you two to focus on learning the cultivation techniques without any interruptions. And once dinner is ready, I’ll make sure to let you know, so you won’t miss out.”
“We understand,” Julie and Ava affirmed, assuming the lotus position as per Yuan’s guidance on cultivation. They began to study their respective cultivation techniques with utmost dedication.
‘They seem incredibly determined to grow stronger. This level of dedication and strong will is crucial for anyone aspiring to become powerful.’ Yuan mused to himself. After one last glance at the diligent duo, he departed, allowing Julie and Ava to immerse themselves in their newfound knowledge undisturbed.