Chapter 7: Burning the Bandit Camp
The night wind howled through the dense forest, carrying the chill of the moon's pale light down the hidden paths used by the mountain bandits.
Yao Ninghe and Yao Ningjian walked side by side, their eyes cold and sharp.Behind them, Li Feitian followed in silence, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword, his gaze thoughtful.
"From the tracks we've seen, this must be a much larger hideout—perhaps even a main camp,"
Yao Ningjian said, scanning the towering trees before glancing at her sister.
"We have to reach it before any of the survivors return to warn them."
Yao Ninghe nodded, her steps quick and purposeful.Her black hair swayed lightly with the wind.Her expression darkened when she spotted a faint glow deeper within the valley.
"I found it,"
she murmured.
At the base of the mountain, hidden within the forest, lay the bandits' camp.Crude bamboo huts sprawled chaotically, surrounded by a half-finished wooden palisade.The sound of drunken laughter and the clanging of wine jars echoed in the night, the air thick with the stench of crime.
Li Feitian scanned the area with a calm, penetrating gaze.
"If we let them be, they'll only bring more suffering to the people,"
he said quietly, glancing toward Yao Ninghe and Yao Ningjian, whose eyes glittered coldly.
"We must burn it to ashes. Wipe them out completely,"
Yao Ninghe whispered.
"But it seems there are women, children, and elderly among them,"
Yao Ningjian frowned slightly."Wouldn't destroying them all make us worse than these bandits?"
"They forced calamity upon us,"
Yao Ninghe replied with a low growl, her eyes burning with resolve."They raped and plundered innocents without mercy. Why should we show any?"
"But the children—surely they are innocent..."
"If you wish to spare them, Sister, I will not stop you. But as for me—this den of evil shall trouble no one ever again!"
Her voice was like iron.
Yao Ningjian hesitated, then reluctantly nodded.
"But we must strike swiftly—before they have a chance to resist."
Without another word, Yao Ninghe melted into the shadows, vanishing into the night.She slipped silently across the rooftops, unseen.Drawing her firestarter, she set the dry thatched roofs alight.
Meanwhile, Li Feitian circled to the other side.He lit a torch and pressed it against the bamboo and straw structures.The flames, eager for fuel, burst forth with terrifying speed, fanned by the night wind.
Firelight reflected in their eyes.
The crackling of burning wood echoed across the valley.Panic erupted within the camp as bandits stumbled out of their huts, shouting and cursing.
"Fire! Fire!"
The flames spread like a dragon unleashed, devouring the camp in minutes.
Hidden in the shadows, Yao Ninghe, Yao Ningjian, and Li Feitian watched in silence, hearts filled not with cruelty but with grim satisfaction.One more nest of evil was being purged from the world.
The inferno raged on, lighting the night sky with smoke and flames.
But then—
"They're there!"
A shout broke the moment.A bandit, escaping through a hidden path, had spotted them.
"They're the ones who set the fire! Surround them!"
Within moments, the surviving bandits, faces twisted with fury, rushed forward, weapons drawn.
"Tch. So many, huh?"
Yao Ninghe sneered, her hand tightening around her sword.
"Ninghe, fall back!"
Li Feitian's calm voice cut through her tension.
She hesitated, but obeyed.
Stepping forward to shield the sisters, Li Feitian's expression remained composed.He raised no weapon, merely clenching his fists.
"You're going to fight them bare-handed?"
Yao Ningjian asked in a low voice.
"Heh. They're just thugs. Watch closely,"
he said with a slight smirk.
Without waiting, he surged forward with astonishing speed.There was no flowery swordplay or intricate qi techniques—only pure, ruthless hand-to-hand combat.
"Thud!"
The first bandit was sent flying by a brutal kick to the ribs, crashing into a tree.
Another raised his sword—but Li Feitian twisted aside, kicked the weapon from his grasp, and smashed his fist into the man's face, dropping him instantly.
Yao Ninghe and Yao Ningjian watched, stunned.
"These moves... they're not from any martial sect I've seen,"
Yao Ningjian murmured.
Three more bandits charged.Li Feitian weaved through them like a storm—a vicious heel kick to one's chest,a brutal wrist lock and throw on another,a knee strike to the third that cracked bone with an audible snap.
Bandits fell, groaning and motionless on the ground.
Li Feitian dusted off his hands and turned back toward the sisters, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"What are you staring at?"
he asked casually.
"Your techniques... they are unfamiliar to us. What sect do you belong to?"
Yao Ninghe asked, still wide-eyed.
"They aren't lightness techniques... nor orthodox martial arts. And yet, they're so swift and devastating... How strange,"
Yao Ningjian added.
Li Feitian chuckled softly.
"Just the way I've always fought,"
he said simply.
The two sisters exchanged glances, sensing once again that the young man before them harbored far more mysteries than he revealed.
Finished with the battle, Li Feitian began searching the fallen bandits without hesitation, ignoring their groans of pain.
"What are you doing?"
Yao Ninghe asked as she watched him crouch and rummage through the corpses.
Without answering immediately, he pulled a money pouch from one bandit's tunic—heavy with silver and gold coins—along with jade rings, golden talismans, and other valuables.
"More than I expected,"
he muttered.
Yao Ningjian frowned slightly.
"My lord... rummaging through their belongings like this—are we not behaving like bandits ourselves?"
Li Feitian paused, then chuckled lowly.
"Most of this was stolen from villagers or travelers. Look—this jade ring bears a noble crest. I doubt its original owner still lives."
He tossed a gold coin into the air, catching it deftly.
"Would you have me leave it behind? Let these treasures rot? Or worse—allow another gang to rise from them?"
He bundled the valuables into a cloth and handed it to Yao Ningjian.
"Take it. It belongs to us now."
She hesitated, glancing at her sister, then sighed and accepted it without a word.
"We still have a long journey ahead. These will be useful,"
Li Feitian said as he slung his sword across his back.
"Don't trouble yourselves with needless guilt."
Yao Ninghe smiled faintly, pleased, while Yao Ningjian remained silent, conflicted but unwilling to argue further.
With everything settled, the three turned their backs on the burning ruins.They walked away into the darkness, leaving behind only smoke, ashes—and the dying cries of the evil they had vanquished.
To be continued...