"What are you doing? Get lost!"
A guard roared, swinging his spear fiercely towards the group.
*Boom!* The guard was sent flying before he even got close, crashing to the ground and wailing in pain.
The young man's breathing grew shallow, his face as pale as paper. "Young Master Chu, save me..."
Chu Chen's gaze immediately turned cold. "How did you end up in such a state?"
He remembered this young man was a personal guard to Chu Nan. Chu Nan usually didn't let him accompany him to the military camp, so he hadn't noticed the young man's whereabouts.
"Cough cough..." The young man's face was ashen, cold sweat beading on his forehead from the intense pain. He gritted his teeth. "Someone ambushed me... I almost..."
*Pfft!* A long sword pierced his throat. He struggled to raise his hand, his fingers trembling as he pointed behind him. "Langya Mountain... Langya Mountain..."
"What about Langya Mountain?" Chu Chen frowned.
A bitter smile flickered across the young man's lips. He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with intense hatred.
"I... I originally wanted to go to Langya Mountain for reinforcements, but I didn't expect... to run into an ambush... My parents died protecting me..."
Chu Chen's expression finally changed. He reached out and touched the young man's nostrils, feeling no breath.
"Big Brother!" A guard glared angrily at the young man. "You've gone too far! How dare you assassinate him!"
"Is Langya Mountain a place these ants can tread?" The Wolf King sneered. "I gave him a chance, and he didn't cherish it. Then he has no one to blame but himself!"
In this world, no one could defy his command.
"Big Brother, what do we do now?"
The Wolf King stroked his chin. "Since this kid insists on coming to our doorstep, I don't mind eliminating Chu Chen while I'm at it!"
Chu Chen was unaware of the events at Langya Mountain. At this moment, he had arrived outside Langya Mountain. He surveyed the surroundings, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Are there many bandits on Langya Mountain?"
"Reporting to Young Master, it is said that there are many bandits on this mountain. They rob wealthy households every year, and some even force common girls into marriage."
Chu Chen pursed his lips, remaining silent. He leaped onto a treetop, looking down at Langya Mountain.
On the mountaintop, a stone tablet could be vaguely seen standing before the bandits. The tablet bore three characters written in a vigorous script – Langya Stockade!
"So that's how it is." Chu Chen smiled faintly. "The reason these bandits dare not provoke the court's people is because the court has laws stipulating that all bandits...
...must not enter the imperial court, and the court will send troops to suppress them. Only then do these people dare not commit evil deeds."
But Chu Chen was an anomaly. Who cared about such damn laws? What he wanted to do, let alone a mere imperial court, even immortals couldn't stop him!
On the peak of Langya Mountain, within the stockade, the lights were bright. All the bandits gathered in the main hall, a solemn atmosphere pervading the air.
"Boss, will that useless Chu family brat really come?"
"Don't worry, he'll definitely come. After all, the maid's body is still on Langya Mountain. He has to come and verify it, otherwise, he won't rest.
And I heard he's an idiot. In this situation, if we capture him, he definitely won't resist.
We can just hand him over to those soldiers and have them chop him, saving us trouble."
"Boss is wise! This way, we not only get the silver notes but also use this person to threaten the court, haha."
"Indeed, Boss is wise! The name of our Langya Mountain will resound throughout the entire Qingming Kingdom!"
Just then, *bang!* A powerful gust of air suddenly surged out, instantly slamming into the chattering bandits of Langya Stockade.
In an instant, a series of shrill screams echoed throughout Langya Mountain. The bandits standing at the forefront didn't even have a second to resist.
They were instantly turned into meat paste, their deaths gruesome.
"Who dares to trespass into Langya Mountain? You court death!"
A furious roar shook the heavens. Immediately, the chieftain of Langya Stockade, leading a group of fierce bandits, emerged from the hall.
Upon seeing the ground littered with dismembered bodies, his face turned ashen. "Who dares to trespass into my Langya Mountain!"
Chu Chen slowly landed on the ground, his handsome face covered in frost, a chilling aura enveloping him.
The bandits who had been sitting in their chairs panicked, quickly standing up and trying to escape.
However, the people of Langya Stockade had already surrounded them, making escape impossible.
"Today, no one leaves," Chu Chen said coldly. "Tie all of them up!"
The guards beside Chu Chen stepped forward in unison, swiftly binding the bandits.
"Wolf King?" The chieftain of Langya Stockade recognized the Wolf King standing opposite him and his expression changed drastically. "What are you doing on my Langya Mountain?"
The Wolf King narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the chieftain and his men, finally settling on Chu Chen.
He had always been puzzled why the imperial court would send someone from the Chu family to suppress the bandits of Langya Mountain, as the Chu family had no enmity with Langya Mountain.
If it weren't for the young master of the Chu family, perhaps the imperial court would never have known of the Chu family's existence.
However, since someone was willing to solve the problem with the imperial court for them, it was all the better.
Chu Chen's gaze fell upon the chieftain of Langya Stockade. "Wolf King, hand over all the treasures of Langya Mountain, or I will slaughter Langya Mountain!"
The Wolf King was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Do you think you can destroy my Langya Mountain with your strength? What a pipe dream!"
Chu Chen remained silent. Scenes from the past flashed through his mind, his eyes filled with deep sorrow and pain.
As soon as the Wolf King finished speaking, the chieftain of Langya Stockade launched the first attack.
Chu Chen took a step forward and struck out with his palm at the chieftain of Langya Stockade. With a muffled thud, the chieftain spat blood and was sent flying backward,
smashing through the wall behind him. The Wolf King looked at the young man in surprise. The chieftain of Langya Stockade, clutching his chest, got up, his face filled with shock.
Chu Chen glanced at him indifferently. "Scram."
The chieftain of Langya Stockade swallowed hard and quickly led the people of Langya Mountain away.
Chu Chen stood quietly at the foot of Langya Mountain, watching everyone leave. He turned and slowly walked towards Langya Stockade.
Inside Langya Mountain, all the bandits stared blankly at Chu Chen. Who was this guy? Why was their leader, the Wolf King, so wary of him?
Chu Chen walked to a wooden house within the stockade and pushed open the door. Inside lay several corpses, men and women, all lifeless.
They must have been killed by the people of Langya Mountain.
"Master." The guards followed respectfully beside Chu Chen. "Were you deliberately luring the bandits of Langya Mountain here last night?"