The morning they left Greenstone Village was bright and clear, the kind of day that made the mountains look like they had been painted with fresh ink and soft watercolors. Zhang Wei, Uncle Li, and Mei walked side by side along the narrow dirt road that wound northward through the forested hills. Their packs were heavy but manageable—dried food, spare clothes, the precious pill furnace carefully wrapped in cloth, and the three Spirit Stones tucked safely away. The air smelled of pine resin and wildflowers, and the early sun warmed their backs as they took their first real steps into the wider world.
They walked in comfortable silence for most of the morning. Mei occasionally skipped ahead to pick a flower or point at a colorful bird, while Uncle Li hummed an old village tune under his breath. Zhang Wei kept his senses open, the new Foundation Establishment qi flowing steadily through his meridians like a quiet river.
The trouble came in the late afternoon, when the road narrowed between two steep, wooded slopes.
Five rough-looking men suddenly stepped out from the trees, blocking the path. They carried crude weapons—rusty swords, wooden clubs, and one even had a chipped iron axe. Their leader, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, grinned with yellow teeth and spread his arms wide.
"Stop right there, travelers!" he bellowed. "This road was built by my mother, and these trees were planted by my father. If you want to pass, you'd better pay the toll!"
Before the bandit could finish his practiced speech, Zhang Wei moved.
There was no fancy technique, no graceful qi-enhanced leap. He simply pushed off the ground and shot forward like an arrow. His fist, powered by pure Foundation Establishment strength, slammed into the two closest bandits with raw, unrefined power. The impact sounded like two sacks of rice being dropped from a height. Both men flew backward several meters, crashing into the underbrush with pained yelps and the crunch of breaking branches.
The remaining three bandits froze, mouths hanging open in shock.
"Immortal… Immortal cultivator!" one of them stammered, dropping his club. "Spare us! Spare our lives! My mother is sick… we only rob because we need money for her medicine!"
Zhang Wei lowered his fist slowly, breathing evenly. He studied the man's face for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"Is that so? Then take me to see your mother."
The bandits looked at each other in confusion. The scarred leader hesitated, then nodded quickly. "Y-yes, of course, Great Immortal! Please follow us."
Uncle Li leaned close to Zhang Wei as they began walking behind the bandits and whispered urgently, "Are we really trusting these thieves? They look like they'd sell their own grandmothers."
Zhang Wei kept his voice low. "Don't worry, Uncle. I can handle them."
As they walked deeper into the forest, the bandits began whispering among themselves, thinking they were far enough ahead to not be heard.
"If we bring these three to the boss, especially that little girl, we'll get a huge reward…"
"Yeah, the boss loves fresh meat for his… special training…"
Zhang Wei's ears, sharpened by his new realm, caught every word. His expression didn't change, but his hand moved like lightning. In three swift motions, he grabbed the arms and legs of the whispering bandits and twisted with controlled force. Sharp cracks echoed through the trees as bones broke. The men screamed and collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.
"Where is your boss's camp?" Zhang Wei asked coldly, standing over them.
The scarred leader, now pale with terror, pointed a shaking finger deeper into the forest. "T-two hours that way… hidden in a valley…"
Zhang Wei quickly bound the five bandits with strong vines, leaving them tied to a tree. He turned to Uncle Li and Mei. "It's getting dark. Find a safe cave nearby and rest. I have something to take care of."
He handed Uncle Li a small bundle of dried herbs. "Burn this slowly throughout the night. The smoke will keep wild beasts away. Stay inside the cave and don't come out until morning."
Uncle Li looked worried but nodded. "Be careful, lad."
Mei hugged Zhang Wei tightly for a moment. "Come back safe, okay?"
"I will."
Zhang Wei disappeared into the darkening forest like a shadow.
He moved silently, using the terrain and his enhanced senses to approach the bandit camp undetected. The camp was larger than he expected—roughly twenty men lounging around several fires, drinking and laughing. Guards were posted in all directions, but their attention was lazy.
Zhang Wei waited patiently. When one guard turned to relieve himself, he threw a small stone far to the opposite side of the camp. The loud clatter drew every guard's attention. In that moment of distraction, Zhang Wei slipped past them like smoke and entered the largest tent at the center of the camp.
The bandit boss was sleeping soundly on a pile of stolen blankets, surrounded by sacks of gold and silver coins. Zhang Wei's eyes scanned the tent quickly. His gaze landed on two old-looking books placed on a small wooden table beside the bed.
The first was titled Demonic Manual. The second was Blood Scripture.
Without hesitation, Zhang Wei snatched both books, tucked them into his robe, and slipped back out of the tent as quietly as he had entered. He melted into the forest and made his way back to the cave where Uncle Li and Mei were waiting. Both were already asleep, breathing peacefully beside the smoldering herb bundle. Zhang Wei sat down at the entrance, keeping watch for the rest of the night.
The next morning, the three of them continued their journey without looking back. The five tied-up bandits were left in the cave with enough water and a warning—they would be found eventually, but Zhang Wei had no intention of killing anyone. Not yet.
Deep in the bandit valley, the boss woke up with a furious roar.
"WHO TOOK MY MANUALS?!" he bellowed, flipping the table and scattering coins everywhere. "My Demonic Manual! My Blood Scripture! Find the thief! I'll skin him alive!"
His men scrambled in panic, searching the entire camp, but no one had seen or heard anything. The boss raged for hours, destroying tents and beating his subordinates, yet he never learned who had taken his most precious treasures in the dead of night.
Meanwhile, far down the mountain road, Zhang Wei walked calmly between Uncle Li and Mei, the two stolen manuals safely hidden in his pack. The sun rose higher, warming their faces as they continued northward toward the distant peaks where the Azure Cloud Sect waited.
The road ahead was long.
But for the first time, Zhang Wei felt truly ready for whatever lay beyond the next bend.