Chapter 43

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Chapter 43: For the Sake of Secrecy

The group sat silently in the carriage, with Qiao Zi treating Mu Xiaofeng’s injuries—he had just been beaten up by Mo Huaichou. The rest of them said little, their eyes gazing blankly at the passing scenery.

After traveling for half a day, it was around noon when they entered a mountainous area. This mountain range was known as the King’s Ridge, a natural barrier protecting the capital of Jun Nation. Beyond it lay a large river that flowed north, reaching Luo Hai City and eventually the sea. If the armies of the demon and devil clans ever launched an invasion, they would have to pass through Huguan City and Luo Hai City.

The King’s Ridge was notorious for bandit activity, as anyone traveling from the northeastern regions to the capital had to go through it. Many of these travelers were wealthy or aristocratic, tempting the bandits to strike.

However, this particular group seemed to travel safely through Tiger Head Ridge, with not a single bandit in sight. Even Yun Jie, well-versed in the ways of the world, found it odd. Normally, when heading to the capital, she’d bring at least a dozen guards for protection. But this time, it was just their small group of about ten, and nine of them were merely children. Perhaps the six great families had already cleared the small-time bandits from this route.

In reality, the six great families had not gone to such lengths. There were always desperate bandits willing to risk their lives for a chance at plunder.

Soon enough, the Wu family envoy leading the group abruptly halted and raised his hand, signaling for the carriage to stop. As the carriage came to a standstill, Mu Xiaofeng and the others sensed something was amiss.

Suddenly, a boisterous laugh echoed from the woods. “Haha, as expected of the Platinum Brotherhood. You spotted our trap right away.”

As the voice rang out, a group of fifty to sixty men emerged from the trees, surrounding the carriage. Their leader stepped forward, a tall, muscular man with rock-like biceps, a red mustache, and a heavy sword in hand.

The bandit leader addressed them again, “Sure, the Platinum Brotherhood may be powerful, but even your treasures aren’t safe from being plundered. Hand over all your valuables, or my sword will taste blood.”

The Platinum Brotherhood was the world’s largest mercenary guild, accepting any and all tasks, and welcoming members of all races. Although they operated like an independent kingdom, their territory consisted of little more than a single building.

Their emblem—a pair of fists colliding—was displayed on the group’s equipment and the carriage, though Mu Xiaofeng and his companions had no idea what it symbolized.

At this moment, the Teo envoy standing at the front of the carriage spoke. This envoy was a young woman in her twenties, whose slender figure and striking features captivated the bandits. Her gentle voice even made the bandit leader momentarily mesmerized.

“Dear leader,” the envoy began, “My name is Bella. We are merely escorting a few children to the central region and carry no goods or wealth with us.” Bella only gave her first name, withholding her family name.

Hearing Bella’s voice, the leader was instantly smitten. He grinned and said, “Heh, no wealth? That’s fine. If Bella would come home with me and serve me well, we can call it even.” He leered at her, his gaze full of lust.

Bella’s expression darkened at his lewd words, and a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. She raised her staff and pointed it directly at the bandit leader. Her book flipped open in her hand, and suddenly, the leader found himself unable to move.

Bella had used a space-binding spell to freeze the bandit leader in place. Her voice was sharp as she snarled, “If you don’t leave now, I’ll make sure your head parts ways with your shoulders.” The killing intent in her tone made the leader’s legs tremble, and he nodded frantically in agreement.

Just then, a volley of arrows shot from the woods, aimed straight at Bella. She quickly summoned an energy shield to block the arrows in front of her, while the Chen family envoy, wielding a silver spear, skillfully deflected the arrows coming from behind.

Bella’s brief distraction allowed the bandit leader to break free from her spell. Roaring with fury, he bellowed, “Attack! I’ll make that woman pay for this!”

At his command, dozens of bandits rushed toward the carriage. However, they were no match for the representatives of the six great families and fell one after another.

Once again, arrows flew from the trees, and this time one managed to graze Mo Huaichou’s arm. Among the six families, the Mo family relied most heavily on their unique techniques, making them the most vulnerable to exposure. Up to this point, Mo Huaichou had been fending off the bandits with minimal effort.

But being wounded by these lowly bandits enraged him. Mo Huaichou poured energy into the iron box in his hand, and it immediately glowed, transforming into dozens of metal birds that darted into the forest to hunt down the hidden bandits.

Seeing this, Bella scolded him. “Mo Huaichou, are you out of your mind? Do you know you’re risking exposing our identities?”

Bella clearly disapproved of his actions. The rest of them could repel the bandits without resorting to their family techniques, but Mo Huaichou coldly retorted, “Hmph! What’s there to be afraid of? If we kill all of them, there’ll be no one left to tell the tale, right?”

His slaughter was partly a means of ensuring their secrecy, but mostly it was an outlet for his anger—anger fueled by his hatred for Mu Xiaofeng, whom he longed to kill with his own hands.

Bella frowned, letting out a sigh. She knew there was no stopping Mo Huaichou now that he was intent on killing. Though she had only wanted to teach the bandits a lesson, slaughtering them would surely haunt her dreams with the faces of the dead.

Mo Huaichou’s mechanical army mercilessly tore through the bandits, leaving their bodies mangled and bloody. Those who tried to flee were relentlessly pursued by the metal birds.

From the carriage, Mu Xiaofeng and the others looked on in shock. Mu Xiaofeng shouted toward Mo Huaichou, “Stop! They already know they can’t beat you. Let them go!”

But Mo Huaichou sneered and ignored him, continuing to command his birds to slaughter the bandits. The bandit leader, witnessing the carnage, was too terrified to speak. He had always managed to escape with his men when a fight went badly, but this time, there was no escape.

Mo Huaichou pointed toward the leader, and the metal birds flew at him, drilling several holes into his body. In a matter of moments, all the bandits were dead, with no survivors left.

None of the other representatives from the six families said a word, silently condoning Mo Huaichou’s actions. But to Mu Xiaofeng, it was incomprehensible.

With the bandits dealt with, the group resumed their journey. Behind them, the forest had been stained red, and the ground was littered with dismembered bodies. Qiao Zi, outraged by what she had witnessed, shouted at the six family envoys, “You’ve gone too far! Even if they were bandits, there was no need to be so ruthless. You could’ve just let them leave after teaching them a lesson!”

At that moment, a gaunt man with sunken eyes stepped into the carriage. His presence sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who looked at him. This was the envoy of the Mourning Whisper clan.

The envoy, Bu Ming, entered and tried to calm the group, who had just witnessed a massacre. “Listen,” he began, “I know what we just did was extreme, but once Mo Huaichou released his iron birds, the fate of those bandits was sealed. They were unlucky to have crossed paths with the Mo family.”

Gradually, Mu Xiaofeng and the others settled down and listened as Bu Ming continued his explanation.

The six great families had gone to great lengths to conceal their identities. In addition to infiltrating various nations, they also controlled the Platinum Brotherhood, the largest organization under their influence. In fact, only a select few high-ranking members knew the truth about the families’ existence.

Members of the six great families joined the Platinum Brotherhood under false identities, forming task squads to earn additional income and gain combat experience. The families ensured that these squads were neither too successful nor too incompetent. They even occasionally allowed missions to fail on purpose.

Although these measures made sense to the six great families, to Mu Xiaofeng, the methods of these shadowy figures seemed despicable and dishonorable.