Chapter 15: The Bandits Arrive

The heroes who killed the bandits—one dressed in white, one in black, one male, one female—were called the Twin Knights of Black and White by the villagers, who believed the two acted together. The villagers could accept that it was they who slew the bandits; after all, the bandits were brutal, and Wang Yuanwu was a warrior, not someone ordinary folk could contend with.

But what about Gu Feng? To live, there must be a person; to die, there must be a body. Coupled with Gu Yan's evasive answers, suspicion was inevitable.

Wang Dalong, grateful for Gu Feng's saving grace and worried that the villagers might hand Gu Feng over to the bandits of Qianfeng Ridge, stepped forward to defuse the situation. “That Gu Feng, everyone knows he’s famous for being a coward. If bandits came to bully his little sister, he’d probably hide somewhere and not dare to show his face.”

A villager, recalling last night’s pack of wolves, interjected, “Maybe the wolves dragged him away.”

At the mention of wolves, everyone remembered the terrifying howls from last night. The villagers believed the Twin Knights of Black and White had driven the wolves away.

Despite the bandits’ deaths being attributed to the Twin Knights, some cunning elders held their own opinions.

Below the village chief, the foremost elder, Zhou Fengsan, said, “The bandits of Qianfeng Ridge died in our forest village. Even if it really was the Twin Knights, they’re gone now. Qianfeng Ridge will not find anyone to exact vengeance on, and they’ll surely vent their anger on our village. Chief, what do you think we should do to quell the wrath of the bandits?”

At these words, the villagers grew silent, all eyes turning to Wang Dalong and his wife, Widow Li, and Gu Yan.

If Qianfeng Ridge truly came seeking retribution, to appease their fury, they could only hand these people over. After all, the bandits died in their homes or were connected to them.

Village Chief Zhou Yuan fell silent, sighed, and said, “If the bandits come demanding justice, we’ll hand them over.”

Wang Dalong was shocked. “Chief, you mustn’t! I’m one of the Zhou family too!”

Forest Village was dominated by the Zhou clan, with other surnames in the minority.

So, hearing Zhou Yuan’s words, even though Widow Li trembled, she did not beg for mercy, knowing it would be futile.

To sacrifice oneself for the sake of the village, every villager would agree.

Zhou Yuan frowned, pondered briefly, then said, “Hand over your wife.”

“No, don’t!” Wang Dalong’s wife, Wang Lan, cried out in terror. Handing her over would surely mean death.

“Chief...” Wang Dalong tried to plead further.

Zhou Yuan, displeased, cut him off. “Enough, it’s settled.”

Gu Yan stared at Zhou Yuan and Zhou Fengsan, her expression calm, showing no hint of fear.

For Gu Yan, as long as her brother was present, what did bandits matter? She believed he would never abandon her.

The villagers looked at Gu Yan, expecting the fourteen-year-old girl, upon hearing she would be handed over to the bandits, to panic and beg for mercy. Instead, they were disappointed and puzzled. How could Gu Yan remain so composed?

The desperate Wang Dalong and his wife and Widow Li also turned to Gu Yan, thinking of Gu Feng, and almost simultaneously asked, “Gu Yan, will your brother come back?”

Gu Yan nodded firmly. “My brother will return.”

With her assurance, the three breathed easier. As long as Gu Feng came back, even if the bandits of Qianfeng Ridge arrived, Gu Feng would shoulder the burden, and the three of them would have little to fear.

Moreover, they all believed that with Gu Feng around, the bandits were nothing to worry about.

This brief exchange left the villagers baffled, and seeing the calm of Wang Dalong, his wife, and Widow Li only deepened their confusion. Why did mentioning Gu Feng give them such confidence? Could he really save them?

Everyone knew Gu Feng was the forest village’s renowned coward. Even if he wasn’t, he was merely a sixteen-year-old boy. Could he really save them?

Chief Zhou Yuan looked at Gu Yan and, seeing her composure, began to suspect Gu Feng hid some secret, or perhaps had been taken away by the Twin Knights.

In the end, Gu Yan, Wang Dalong and his wife, and Widow Li were imprisoned in Gu Feng’s house, guarded by the village’s ten strongest warriors, awaiting the arrival of the bandits from Qianfeng Ridge to hand them over. Wang Yuanwu’s corpse was also moved to Gu Feng’s home, placed alongside the other three bodies.

The other villagers dispersed, each returning to their tasks, though their hearts were full of unease.

When some villagers went hunting in the mountains, they discovered the mangled remains of the wolf pack beneath the ancient tree, and were terrified. Remembering the wolf pack’s howls last night, they had no doubt these dead wolves were the very same.

Shocked, the villagers hurried back to report to the chief what they had seen in the forest.

The chief led a group to investigate, and upon viewing the scene, they all drew sharp breaths.

To slaughter a pack of wolves, each equivalent to a first-rank warrior, to such an extent required immense power—at least a warrior of level five or higher.

Though the village had no warriors, the villagers understood their strength. For warriors above level five, the difference between each rank was vast, and their combat ability far surpassed those below level five.

Returning to the village with shock still in their hearts, the villagers barely had time to process the event when they learned that the bandits’ bodies had vanished.

On the mountain path leading from the forest village to Qianfeng Ridge, at a bend, a villager found Guo Nan’s corpse.

For Guo Nan, once a villager himself, only children under three would not recognize him.

Years ago, Guo Nan was notoriously brazen, raping none other than Chief Zhou Yuan’s daughter. Zhou Yuan’s daughter, Zhou Yun, unable to bear the shame, hanged herself.

Guo Nan could be considered Zhou Yuan’s greatest enemy.

Unfortunately, Guo Nan had sought refuge with Qianfeng Ridge and became a bandit. Though Zhou Yuan was furious, he could do nothing, for Guo Nan was not alone, and Zhou Yuan had to consider the whole village.

Now, upon seeing Guo Nan’s corpse, Zhou Yuan was deeply moved, tears streaming as he muttered, “Daughter, your vengeance has finally been served.”

At this moment, Zhou Yuan was profoundly grateful to the hero who had slain Guo Nan.

While the villagers were at a loss, in the back hills of the forest village, behind Gu Feng’s courtyard, Old Fourth led seven or eight bandits over the wooden fence, entering the village.

The warriors guarding outside Gu Feng’s courtyard saw the bandits and were horrified, their bodies trembling.

The bandits’ strength and brutality were indelibly etched in the villagers’ minds. Even as the village’s mightiest warriors, they feared the bandits, knowing they were backed by true martial artists.

The village warriors swallowed hard, their voices trembling as they shouted, “Bandits are here!”