The crowd was baffled, but then the guide, a burly man, crouched and signaled them to halt.
"What's going on up ahead?" Ren Yuanhao, while walking, had used the clear mountain air to regulate his internal energy, feeling slightly better now.
The guide, named Zhou Yong, had a complexion so dark and tinged with green it looked like a death in the family.
"Most likely real mountain bandits. This group is a bunch of guys released straight from prison. They rely on their tough physiques and daring audacity to commit all sorts of dirty deeds in town. Worse still, their patron is a prominent merchant in town, and no one dares to offend them. They're practically untouchable, like untouchable gods."
As Zhou Yong finished speaking, screams of women could be heard amidst the sparse trees and grass. Fortunately, a bush about waist-high stood before them, preventing the others from discovering their presence.
At that moment, a panicked female voice came from within the thicket: "I, I'm just a poor traveler. I have no valuables on me, and the few herbs I was planning to sell cheaply were lost on the road. Why, why are you catching me?"
"Indeed, little sister. If you have no valuables and are not our enemy, then tell us, why are we pursuing you?"
Seven or eight dark-skinned men surrounded the woman, their wide eyes seeming as if they wanted to devour her alive.
Upon their retort, coupled with the lewd smiles on their faces, the woman suddenly understood. As the men closed in, she pulled a short knife from her waist!
"You, you stay back!"
"Oh, you should put that knife away. It's not something a delicate little thing like you should be playing with. If you want to play, let's play something more enjoyable!"
The speaker chuckled twice, moving with extreme speed. He lunged forward, his left hand flashing out like a viper, grabbing the woman's wrist. With a slight squeeze, the knife fell from her hand onto the ground.
"I already told you, this knife isn't for a woman like you! Now, why don't a few of us have some fun? Wouldn't that be delightful?"
As he spoke, the man pounced on the woman like a ravenous wolf, his stubbled mouth aiming directly for her face. The woman struggled with all her might, but the vast disparity in their strength meant she knew there was no escaping this fate. A desire to die surged within her. She closed her eyes, resigned to despair.
But at that moment, Ren Yuanhao picked up a palm-sized clod of earth and tossed it towards the man's head, saying coldly, "It seems the world is indeed going downhill. Such acts of bullying the weak are all too common."
The man touched his head, then motioned for his subordinates to keep the woman in check. He stood up abruptly and saw a man and a woman emerge from the bushes. The man looked sickly but was quite handsome, while the woman possessed unparalleled beauty, her fiery red hair like a blaze. She was truly breathtaking, especially her eyes, sharp as unsheathed blades, flashing with a cold glint.
He twisted his neck, his gaze fixed on Shen Lan Ni since he first saw her. He sneered twice, speaking in a nasally, sarcastic tone, "Heh, I was expecting a nice duck for dinner today, but instead, a swan has arrived!"
"Do you happen to have a mirror? If so, perhaps you could take a look and see what kind of toad you are."
Shen Lan Ni giggled foolishly beside him, becoming even more radiant. Ren Yuanhao then feigned realization, saying, "Oh, right. People like you are probably blind as well. Even if you had a mirror, it would be a waste of materials."
"What a sharp tongue! I suppose this beauty was also fooled by your silver tongue. Why not consider following me? Although my appearance isn't as handsome as his, my skills are excellent, far better than this sickly fellow. Beautiful lady, would you like to give it a try?"
The subordinates also joined in with hearty laughter, their voices echoing through the mountains.
"Hey, you shameless piece of trash, I'll give you three seconds. Either you release that innocent woman and leave with your bunch of idiotic followers, or you'll lose your limbs and be left for dead in the wilderness. Your choice, make it quick."
Ren Yuanhao's teasing tone abruptly ceased. Shen Lan Ni, holding his hand, felt a surge of icy internal energy erupt, chilling to the bone!
"Hey, hey, hey, I have a question for you, you arrogant brat."
"If you have something to say, spit it out."
"Who gave you the courage, as a sickly person like yourself, to speak to me so boldly?"
As the man spoke, his burly subordinates immediately gathered around him, their fierce expressions like demons crawling from hell.
"Are we counting numbers now?"
Ren Yuanhao clapped his hands, and over a dozen people slowly emerged from the bushes.
"Yo, are you guys escapees from a mental hospital? You all look so pale and thin. Well, well, after I deal with you sickly bunch, I'll have my fun with that swan."
The man deliberately flexed his bulging muscles, as if to say, 'I can take ten of you.'
"It seems you've prepared yourself to have your hands and feet broken."
Ren Yuanhao extended three fingers, "I'll count to three. This is your last chance."
The man mimicked Ren Yuanhao, holding up three fingers. "Posing like that. I'll give you three seconds too. Hand over the red-haired woman obediently and leave with your sickly companions."
"Negotiations have broken down."
Before Ren Yuanhao's words had finished, his three fingers clenched. He moved like a streak of white light, the dense forest wind suddenly swirling. The man didn't even have time to blink. He felt a chill in his abdomen, and his entire body was sent flying backward two to three meters. The lust that had ignited moments ago was instantly replaced by terror!
"You, you said three seconds, didn't you?" The man clutched his abdomen in agony, his words becoming slurred. His subordinates tried to help him, but he then said, "Don't move, don't move me! My back, my back is broken!"
"My apologies. For scumbags who like to imitate me, you don't deserve three seconds to escape."
Ren Yuanhao's face seemed to be covered in frost, emanating a chilling cold.
"Damn it, don't mind me! Attack! Beat them to death!" The man roared through gritted teeth. Five or six burly men immediately leaped towards Ren Yuanhao. However, before they could even get close, they felt over a dozen powerful gusts of wind. A torrential downpour of fists rained down on them mercilessly. In an instant, cries of pain and anguish echoed through the mountains. The one-sided dominance ended within seconds.
Ren Yuanhao looked at the mess on the ground, his tone as cold as ice, "Do you want to fight more? Toad?"