Chapter 83: I Am an Unknown Hero of Justice
“General Wang, there seems to be some commotion behind us.”
The Prince of Water City, hearing the noise from the rear, couldn’t help but glance back.
No sooner had he turned his head than something was hurled from the distant horse bandits, landing squarely in front of him—a fresh corpse.
Gulp.
The prince’s gaze lingered on the blood-stained figure wreaking havoc amidst the sand bandits, and he couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
“I am a righteous martial artist from the distant Chen Kingdom. As I passed by today and saw these bandits about to commit evil against you, I intervened to help.”
Li Ju, clutching the remains of a sand bandit, called out amiably to the two figures in the distance.
“Young friends, don’t be afraid. Stay where you are and don’t move. I’ll deal with these horse bandits right away...”
But as Li Ju’s voice carried, he watched the two riders glance back at him, then spur their mounts to double their speed. His voice faded.
“Why are they running?”
Li Ju frowned, sidestepping a saber that slashed toward him.
“Is my way of communicating somehow wrong?” he muttered, grabbing a bandit by the head.
“But I was clearly being friendly and upright.”
With a single squeeze, he crushed the sand bandit’s skull, red and white splattering across his clothes.
“Sigh. Perhaps those two have been pursued for so long they’ve grown overly sensitive.”
He picked up a long saber, and with two clean strokes, cleaved four horse bandits in half.
“To think even someone so obviously a righteous hero as myself is met with distrust!”
Stamping his foot, a blast of energy erupted from the ground, sending more than a dozen surrounding sand bandits flying into the air.
“To be so cold toward their own savior...”
“Truly, the world is growing more callous, and hearts are not what they once were.”
After these lamentations, Li Ju drew a circle around himself with his saber.
The dozen bandits, still airborne, all lost their heads and fell silent.
“There’s still one left.”
In a flash, Li Ju’s figure vanished.
“Huff... huff...”
The bandit chief panted heavily, having abandoned his horse and taken to running on his own two legs.
As one of the rare inner strength masters of this desert, he could outrun a horse on foot. Previously, pride had kept him mounted, but now, with his life at stake, he cared little for appearances.
Suddenly, a shadow streaked before the chief’s eyes.
Thunk!
A long saber pierced his chest.
Blood welled from his mouth as he forced his internal energy to seal the wound, never slowing his pace.
“Indeed, inner strength masters do have far more vitality than ordinary men...”
This thought was the last he ever had; before it finished, a fist struck him hard in the chest.
His energy shattered, his heart burst, his pupils dilated, and the bandit chief’s body slumped to the ground.
“Now, those I saved should come and greet their savior.”
...
Hooves thundered, dust swirled, and the Prince of Water City lost all sense of how far he and General Wang had fled.
He only knew they had ridden from high noon to sunset.
“General Wang, we must be safe now, right?”
Halting his horse, the prince panted, glancing at the general.
The enormous stress and the relentless jolting had left him utterly exhausted.
“Your Highness, we must not let our guard down.”
General Wang’s shoulder wound was hastily wrapped in strips of cloth, and he too was visibly drained.
“Though it seems the bandits have been dealt with, there’s no telling when that demon who defeated them might catch up to us.”
“So, Your Highness, we cannot afford to relax. Though I know you are weary, we must at least reach Yellow Sands County in Chen before we rest.”
He spoke gravely.
“There’s nothing else for it, I suppose.”
The prince sighed deeply.
“I must say, it’s rather inappropriate for you to slander your own savior as a demon in his absence.”
A voice suddenly sounded out of nowhere.
“Who’s there?!”
Both General Wang and the prince drew their weapons, scanning their surroundings warily.
With a thud, Li Ju leapt down from a nearby dune, gently setting his camel on the sand beside him.
There was simply no helping it—his camel was too slow, so he’d carried it himself to catch up.
“Allow me to introduce myself again. I am a righteous hero from Chen, and upon seeing you pursued by sand bandits, I intervened to help.”
“I don’t know why you mistake me for someone of the demonic path, but I am a bona fide righteous man, recognized personally by Grandmaster Hai Yuanyi, the leader of the Righteous Martial Alliance of Chen.”
“So I believe there may be some misunderstanding between us.”
Li Ju flashed a kindly smile.
General Wang and the prince exchanged glances, taking in Li Ju’s mouthful of fangs glinting coldly, his towering frame of dense muscle nearly two meters tall, and the long robe—stained black and red with dried blood—draped over him.
“Your Highness, run! I’ll lay down my life to stop this demon!”
General Wang, saber in hand, leapt from his horse, roaring with tragic resolve.
“Take care, General!” the prince replied solemnly, then decisively spurred his horse and fled.
“Demon, your life ends here!”
Seeing the prince escape, General Wang turned and charged at Li Ju, blade raised high.
“Sovereign, my duty... is fulfilled!” With bloodshot eyes, he radiated the air of one facing death unflinchingly.
Li Ju twitched at the sight, then with a casual slap knocked the charging general unconscious.
“What’s with these people...?”
He felt no admiration for the general’s loyalty—only that the man was a bit odd.
Li Ju tossed the general beside his camel, then with a burst of speed shot off after the fleeing prince.
Ten seconds later.
Li Ju returned, dragging an unconscious figure.
He glanced at his camel, who had opened a sack and was now chewing food with gusto.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Ju tossed the prince beside the general.
“Tell me, do I really look that unapproachable?”
Seated before the camel, Li Ju asked in all seriousness.
The camel, chewing its dry grass, rolled its eyes at him with a snort of disdain.