Chapter 836

Chapter 836: Chang’an, Chang’an! (Part 1)

In the dim underground, a long line of people struggled to move forward on the Sacred Ancestor Path.

The composition of this group was very complex, with common traveling merchants, hunters, martial artists, common folk, scholars, and many ragged poor refugees mixed among them.

Zhong Lei took a deep breath and lifted his daughter from his wife’s arms.

On his back, he carried not only a heavy backpack but also his five-year-old son, making his burden quite substantial.

However, Zhong Lei could not bear to see his wife’s exhaustion and weariness; he was willing to shoulder more weight himself while comforting her, saying, “Xiu Yun, just hold on for two more days, and we will reach Taiwu City!”

His wife was too tired to speak but managed to force a faint smile.

Zhong Lei freed his left hand to hold hers: “Trust me, once we get to Taiwu City, we can lead a good life.”

Zhong Lei’s family originally lived outside White Wood City. He was a hunter, and with his wife farming and weaving, they could support their two children, and their lives were relatively harmonious.

However, misfortune struck unexpectedly; just for a fourth-level fierce beast as prey, Zhong Lei offended a scion of a prominent family in White Wood City and was forced to flee with his wife and children.

When they left, an elder from his village advised Zhong Lei to seek a livelihood in Taiwu City.

Taiwu City was the largest city in the Misty Mountains Realm, with a population of millions. Even if they couldn’t settle within the city, they could rent some land and build a thatched hut outside, which would be enough for a stable life.

Zhong Lei had heard many tales about Taiwu City since he was very young and had always yearned for it.

However, in the past, he couldn’t leave his homeland behind due to the difficulties involved in abandoning his family estate.

Now, he was determined to take the plunge. Zhong Lei, along with his wife and children, had faced countless hardships on their journey and used up most of their savings, but at last, a hopeful future lay ahead.

“Mm!”

Zhong Lei’s wife nodded vigorously.

For her, as long as she could be with her husband and children, no matter how difficult life became, it would be a blessing.

Moreover, she was filled with anticipation for their new life ahead.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

At that moment, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from the front of the line.

Enemy attack!

Zhong Lei’s expression changed abruptly, and he shouted in a deep voice, “Xiu Yun, take the kids to the middle!”

They had switched between several groups during their journey and had encountered bandits and marauders four or five times.

According to the travel group’s rules, when facing an attack from bandits, the men had to stand outside and resist, leaving the elderly, women, and children to huddle in the middle.

Zhong Lei had a third-level Bone Refinement cultivation level, making him relatively strong in this group.

Thus, he immediately set down his backpack and children, quickly taking out his longbow and arrows to charge forward.

Zhong Lei’s wife opened her arms and tightly hugged their two children while dragging their luggage backward.

Having dealt with similar situations many times before, she had become quite experienced.

Yet her face still revealed signs of worry.

Meanwhile, Zhong Lei pushed through the crowd in front and quickly spotted dark figures appearing in the distance.

The hunter’s heart sank abruptly.

The number of bandits that appeared this time was overwhelming, and they appeared to be highly skilled, far from the disorganized rabble that could be easily dealt with.

In Zhong Lei’s group, there were few powerful martial artists; although the group was large, it was essentially a disorganized mob.

Zhong Lei knew all too well that this battle would be a difficult one!

But difficult as it was, with his wife and children behind him, retreat was not an option.

The hunter immediately grasped his longbow, nocked an arrow, and prepared to fight to the death!

To his dismay, the front of the group suddenly erupted into chaos.

"Bandits are coming!"

"Run!"

"Everyone, flee for your lives!"

"Run!"

People cried out in panic, desperately fleeing backward.

Though it began with just a few, they easily stirred the fear in everyone’s hearts, causing many of the weak-willed to lose their resolve and run blindly.

Zhong Lei was nearly knocked down by the fleeing crowd, his heart sinking into despair.

It was over!

Experience told him that bandit spies must have infiltrated the group, aiming to create chaos at these critical moments.

But as a mere third-grade martial artist, how could Zhong Lei possibly turn the tide?

He leaned against the rock wall in a daze, watching helplessly as the bandits surged toward him in droves, his limbs growing weak.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just as Zhong Lei fell into complete despair, arrows gleaming with a cold light rained down into the midst of the bandits, creating a scene of Blood Rain.

"Ah!"

Wailing cries echoed, and the once-menacing bandits fell in large numbers.

Many were pinned to the ground, while those who miraculously survived let out terrified screams, like pigs being slaughtered!

"Chang’an, Chang’an Ironclad!"

"It’s the Ironblood Young Warriors!"

"Run, run!"

Now it was the bandits’ turn to cry out for their mothers, each wishing they had an extra leg to escape desperately to nearby paths.

However, waves of arrows continued to chase them mercilessly, cutting down their lives.

A few strong bandits, unafraid of death, charged through the rain of arrows, trying to carve out a bloody path.

But what awaited them was the gleam of sharp blades!

Zhong Lei stared in shock.

He saw, hundreds of steps ahead, teams of ironclad warriors sweeping through, crushing the bandits blocking the Sacred Ancestor Path like withered grass.

He witnessed a bandit leader roar and leap high, only to be pierced by dozens of long spears, turning him into a pincushion.

Screams, wails, and pleas for mercy filled the air…

In just a short while, there were no bandits left standing on the Sacred Ancestor Path.

Like divine weapons descending from the sky, the ironclad warriors swept through the scene, treading over corpses and blood, quickly reaching Zhong Lei’s group.

Those around Zhong Lei were frightened and began to retreat, their heads shrinking like quails in fear.

These ironclad warriors killed bandits as easily as slaughtering chickens, and taking down the poor souls like them would be even simpler.

Zhong Lei’s courage swelled, and he didn’t believe these well-equipped, trained warriors would harm struggling poor people like himself.

Thus, he steeled his courage, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, “Noble sirs, your lifesaving grace will never be forgotten!”

The ironclad warriors halted their steps, and one of them lifted his silver-gray mask, asking in a deep voice, “Where are you coming from, and where are you headed?”

The other warriors followed suit and lifted their masks.

Zhong Lei was astonished to realize that these strong, ruthless warriors were all mere teenagers, their faces still bearing a hint of youth.

After a moment of surprise, Zhong Lei hurriedly replied, “Reporting to you, sir, I…I have fled here to find refuge and am heading to Taiwu City.”

Hearing this, the warrior smiled and said, “Taiwu City? You might as well come to our Chang’an City!”