"Yes, firstly, we need to conceal our abilities to avoid attracting other ability users for plunder and conflict. Secondly, we must prevent word from spreading, which might lead Lionheart Tower to track us by scent and send people to intercept us."
Rain Woman also stepped in front of Liu Yu. At this moment, the leader of the group of fierce bandits and ruffians outside the vehicle, as if holding a megaphone, roared, "Hey, travelers on the other side, this mountain is mine, this tree is mine. If you want to pass through here, leave your valuables!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a subordinate beside him tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Boss, that sounds a bit cliché and doesn't fit the current popular lingo at all. Moreover, with your aggressive tone, those travelers might just turn back. You should say it like this."
He snatched the megaphone from the boss's hand, cleared his throat, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Hey, little sisters and little brothers from next door, we only want money, we don't kill, we don't abduct women. Drive your vehicle over with confidence. There will be no falling rocks, no trees blocking the way, no arrows waiting for you..."
*Slap!*
Before this guy could finish speaking, he received a rap on the head from the boss, making him jump in pain. The megaphone was also snatched away by the boss, followed by another rap on this person's head.
"Damn it, are you an idiot? As a fierce bandit, you're going to spill the beans? With you talking like that, those guys won't dare to come! How are we supposed to play?"
At this moment, everyone in the vehicle was dumbfounded. Qi Da Xian was also stunned. "With subordinates like that, the boss must also be mentally challenged. To be a bandit to this extent is quite something. I'll go meet him."
Qi Da Xian pressed Liu Yu, who was carrying a rocket launcher, back into his seat. He walked out alone, head held high, onto the bridge that spanned the river and was only wide enough for one vehicle.
The group of bandits, seeing only one person approaching from the opposite side, felt their bodies tremble with nervousness.
"All of you, stand firm! Don't let your legs shake. Remember this clearly: you are now upright bandits. Bandits must have the demeanor of bandits!"
Just as the boss finished speaking, the man who had received two raps on the head pulled his sleeve again. "Boss, only one person has come. Doesn't he look down on us?"
"Nonsense! Let me tell you, it's precisely because he fears us that he sent one person to gauge our reaction." The man scratched his greasy hair, hands on his hips in a 'dominant' pose, appearing all-knowing. He continued, "Everyone, shut up later and watch my performance."
The bandits responded meekly and fearfully, retreating behind the boss. They also imitated him, standing with hands on their hips, at least not losing in terms of imposing presence.
Qi Da Xian walked along the bridge, not seriously, kicking stones and watching them splash into the river, creating ripples. He watched butterflies leave the wildflowers by the bridge and birds fly across the sky. This bridge, less than a hundred meters long, was deliberately walked as if it were the 'Great Wall'.
"Boss, is this guy really here to negotiate with us?" The man standing beside the boss couldn't help but doubt.
"Tch, think about it. Those city dwellers who haven't seen this rural wonder – how could they not stop to admire the scenery here? Let him be, let him be, don't keep chattering endlessly."
Although the boss said this, his heart was a mess, jumping up and down like fifteen buckets of water. His fingers tapped rhythmically on his arm tattoo, already feeling impatient.
Fortunately, after Qi Da Xian looked up at the towering mountains and overlapping peaks stretching across the sky, he quickened his pace and walked with a smile to the front of the group of bandits.
"Greetings, esteemed heroes. We are merely travelers, and we have used your path. This money, naturally, should be paid." Qi Da Xian extended a finger and stroked his slightly pale goatee.
—Holy cow, this guy is sensible. A wise man knows when to yield. It seems we can take him down without a fight this time.
The boss nodded slightly, feeling delighted, but still maintained an air as if everyone owed him a fortune.
"However~" Qi Da Xian made a U-turn, suddenly making the man in front of him wary. "Don't panic, good sirs. I see your brows are furrowed, your eyelids are heavy, your tongues are coated white, and there's a dark aura shrouding your foreheads. I fear a bloody disaster awaits you."
"Pah! If you don't pay, all of you in this vehicle will have a bloody disaster!"
"Yes, a bloody disaster." The others chimed in.
The bandit leader clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, and glared angrily. To his surprise, Qi Da Xian didn't even look at him, instead, he began counting on his fingers rapidly. Soon, he slapped his forehead and his tone changed drastically.
"Oh no, oh no, it's not a bloody disaster, it's imprisonment."
"You dare to threaten me? In these ten miles and eight villages, I am the king!" The bandit leader raised his fist, his eyes fierce, about to beat the incessantly talking fellow in front of him.
"Not so, not so. You farmers, not working the fields properly, but coming here to impersonate bandits, it's quite baffling."
Qi Da Xian extended two fingers and nudged away the bandit leader's clenched fist. He seemed to exert no effort, but internal force surged. The bandit leader's face turned red as he lost the silent struggle against the other party. What's more, the other person seemed to have seen through their true identities, and a storm of shock erupted in his heart.
—This guy has some skill.
"Your tattoos haven't been on for long, have they? Look, they're already smudged. And the marks on your shoulders haven't faded. I presume you're loggers from nearby?"
As soon as Qi Da Xian said this, everyone, including the bandit leader, panicked.
"Great Immortal, your calculations are divine. We submit."
Everyone bowed in unison, their heads lowered to the ground.
Meanwhile, on the bus a hundred meters away, Liu Yu and the others stared in bewilderment.
"Wow, did the Great Immortal cast a spell for them, making them realize that offending him would bring great misfortune?"
"Given his personality, I think it's possible."
Liu Yu and Tu Xing Sun nodded frequently. Seeing Qi Da Xian wave back at them, Liu Yu then started the engine and drove the bus across the bridge spanning the river, stopping in front of the bandits.
Tu Xing Sun was the first to get out, patting Qi Da Xian on the shoulder. He leaned into his ear and chuckled, "Great Immortal, you made these ferocious-looking people lay down their butcher knives and embrace Buddhism with just a few words? Impressive, impressive."
"These guys must have encountered some difficulties, forcing them to become bandits."
Qi Da Xian thought of his own experiences, a look of sympathy on his face.
Tu Xing Sun pulled Qi Da Xian to the side, then looked back at the kneeling crowd and whispered, "Could it be that the Great Immortal wants to offer assistance? We are still fugitives ourselves."