The raider casually waved his hand, and the men behind him on horseback immediately surrounded the small inn.
What made it worse was that there were no other residents nearby. Even if there were, they had likely already shut their doors to watch the show—or fled outright.
"Sir, this isn’t right. We pay protection fees every year. And now, you—"
"Pay? Did *I* get any of that money?" The man pointed to the gleaming beast fangs on his chest, his face full of pride. "Look closely. I’m a **Twenty-Fang**. You dare claim you paid *me*?"
The innkeeper was dumbfounded. "We *did* pay! Aren’t you all part of the same group? When the money gets divided, it all comes from us!"
"Shut the hell up! I’ve gone independent now, got it? Call those people out. I don’t have time to waste on a broke-ass like you."
The raider dismounted, towering over the innkeeper by nearly two heads. He pressed his scimitar against the man’s throat while his other hand caressed the innkeeper’s wife’s face.
Just then, **Weiwei**—who had been hiding—rushed out!
Weiwei was the innkeeper’s 18-year-old daughter, originally set to return to school that afternoon. But now, she was caught in this mess.
"You bandits! Have you no law? Let my parents go!"
Weiwei had the delicate beauty of an inland girl, her looks far from plain. Now dressed in her school uniform, she radiated youthful vitality.
"Well, well. Never thought your ugly-ass dad could have such a pretty daughter. Hey, boss—your wife must’ve cuckolded you, huh?"
The raiders burst into laughter, their horses snorting along as if in amusement.
"You bastards! Insult me all you want, but my family—**that’s crossing the line!**"
The innkeeper’s eyes suddenly sharpened. Despite his short stature, he moved like a phantom, leaping onto the raider’s torso and wrapping around him like a constrictor snake. In an instant, he had the much larger man completely immobilized!
"Boss!"
The sudden shift stunned the other raiders. None had expected this unremarkable-looking man to possess such agility. As they moved to intervene, the innkeeper drew a **willow-leaf dagger** from his waist and pressed it against the raider’s throat.
"Back the hell off! One more step, and I slit this bastard’s throat!"
The raider was a **Twenty-Fang warrior**. Having a blade at his neck wasn’t new—but being threatened by someone who looked like a **spineless weakling**? That was a first.
"Tch. Heard a rumor once—about a **short-ass man** in the desert, called the **Raider Slayer**. Master of grappling and locks. But twenty years ago, he vanished without a trace. Tell me… that wouldn’t happen to be *you*, would it?"
The moment the raider finished speaking, his bulging muscles erupted with enough force to **break the hold**!
"Raider Slayer? Heh. Twenty years, and your bounty’s still low. But chopping off your head? That’s still **80,000 easy**. Plus, this little girl’s looks—"
Under the gloomy clouds, the raider’s skin rippled like boiling water, his veins glowing an eerie **azure blue**. Thin, thread-like filaments flickered in his eyes. The innkeeper paled—this power was **anything but ordinary**. Before he could react, the raider lunged like a cheetah, snatching Weiwei away!
"Dad!"
"Weiwei!"
"**You animal! Let her go!**"
The innkeeper dashed forward, trying to use his speed to regain the upper hand. But the moment he moved, the raider’s scimitar was already at his throat.
"Truly… **awe-inspiring strength**." The raider inhaled Weiwei’s intoxicating maiden scent, his expression growing intoxicated—like a wolf in heat.
His leer deepened as the innkeeper’s face darkened. But the blade was pressed so tightly against his skin that the slightest shift would **slice his carotid**.
"Don’t move. Your head’s worth *something*. But in our line of work, we have standards. A clean decapitation fetches better prices. **Damaged goods?** Not so much."
The raider sneered, barking orders. His men began seizing horses and kicking down doors. Within moments, **seven or eight more people** were dragged out.
"Tsk tsk. Boss, lying’s a bad habit. But if I were you? I wouldn’t give a damn about these people."
The raider’s tongue flicked against Weiwei’s earlobe, his face twisted with lust. Whether it was her scent or his own deprivation, his eyes burned with **unrestrained desire**.
"You coward! If you’ve got guts, come at *me*! Bullying a girl—what kind of man does that?"
"Who said I was a *man*? I’m a **bandit**, dumbass. Gave you the terms upfront. You ignored ’em. **Your fault.**"
As they argued, **Ren Yuanhao** was shoved out the door.
"Whoa! This guy’s pack has **tens of thousands in cash**! Boss, we hit the jackpot!"
A lackey gleefully pulled out wads of bills from Ren Yuanhao’s bag, grinning like an overripe apple.
But Ren Yuanhao just sighed. "A few grand gets you this excited? **Pathetic ambitions.**"
He pointed to a card in the bag, cutting off any retorts. "Look harder. That card’s got at least **8 million** on it. *That’s* the real prize. Do better, minions. Don’t embarrass your boss."
The lackeys rummaged through and indeed found a **black credit card**. Hearing "8 million," their eyes lit up.
"Hey, hey! You know the PIN?"
"Nope."
"Then why the hell are you happy?" Ren Yuanhao shrugged off the men holding him and jerked his chin toward the room. "**Morons.** Check by my bed. There’s a **sword** there. That thing’s worth way more than a few million."
The two lackeys eagerly rushed inside. Moments later, they returned, struggling to carry a **long blade**.
But as they stumbled out, the weapon slipped from its sheath—revealing a **gleaming, ancient blade** that shone even in the dim light.
A **true peerless weapon!**
Yet the moment their eyes landed on it, **every raider’s face turned ashen.**