Chapter 15 - First Blood

Long Ren, using his [Space Step] traveled through the mountains surrounding Star Clan at a speed faster than when he first came here. His casual speed can match a top-speed horse right now, at around 90 km/h.

After a few hours of constant traveling, Long Ren's fully depleted his qi. His qi recovery speed is very fast, but it can't perpetually sustain his use of [Space Step].

He camped out on the first night, utilizing his camping tent to provide shelter for his futon and him for the night. The night went uneventfully, and Long Ren quickly resumed his journey.

After more traveling and practicing his qi capacity as well as proficiency in [Space Step], Long Ren reached his checkpoint, the nearest town before his destination,

Yan Town.

Yan town is a small-sized town with a population of around 700 residents. It is a normal town that can be found anywhere, it has no redeeming features such as trade paths, beautiful scenery, or anything, it, in its entirety is just a normal town.

(A/N: I genuinely do not know if 700 residents are too little/perfect/much, lemme know, my geography slurps ass)

Though lately, this town is experiencing a decline, why? Well, it's quite obvious, isn't it? Bandits.

As Long Ren approached the town's entrance, subsequently the town's guard, he realized something.

He had never properly interacted with anyone in this world alone. His original village only has Burly he "talked" with, and his only other interaction is when his Master was with him.

His social skills are mediocre at best, pathetic weeb at worst. Though he would not st-st-stutter at normal conversations or greetings, these past few years (including the body's memories) and his bad experiences had only made him ball up even more.

Long Ren arrived beside the town's guard and saw respect in the town's guard's eyes.

Long Ren felt confused for a bit, but immediately realized. He realized that he is now above them in status, power, and just about everything. A cultivator from the Clan Overlords of the area as compared to a mortal, as his teacher calls them.

The town's guard immediately bowed after seeing Long Ren's clothing attire. Though he does not know what rank or how strong Long Ren is, a cultivator is somewhat akin to a demi-god to mortals or non-cultivators.

Unhinged, powerful, and most importantly, easily irritable, at least from their point of view. After all, would you care about the feelings of a creature below you?

An ant coming towards your food? Smush them.

Is a mosquito bothering you? Smack em' to death.

The same concept, really, for the residents of this world. Though, not for Long Ren.

Long Ren silently nodded, not knowing how to respond. He had never been in a situation where someone both fears and respects him on the first contact.

Long Ren quickly left the scene and just shrugged it off, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. He just wants to complete his mission as soon as possible.

The only reason he took this mission is to gain his first blood. Long Ren knew he most definitely won't enjoy it…probably.

Anyway, all he wants to do is to get this over with, the bandits itself isn't the problem of the quest, it's his own personal feelings and morality.

He had thought of what to do when he reached here the night before. He followed his plans and asks around for any bandit sightings, occurrences, and basically everything about them.

The fear and respect mortals had for cultivators really helped him a lot. His lack of social skills would surely make this job harder if they don't.

Though he felt uncomfortable at first, He coped with it as he does not want to, or rather, incapable of changing their perspective towards him.

Sky is blue, blood is thicker than water, and mortals are beneath cultivators.

Anyway, after a few sessions of information digging, he got what he wanted. The bandit's location, and funnily enough, from a bandit himself.

The bandit, who Long Ren originally thought of as a normal villager, immediately cowered in fear and guilt, thinking Long Ren was there to execute him. Although he was not wrong, Long Ren could only smile wryly at this bandit's weak-ass mental.

'Am I really that scary? Jeez, my face is better looking than my previous face you know!' Long Ren thought to himself, while slowly following the still-shaking bandit into his hideout deep into Yan Mountains.

The journey to the Bandit's base was awkward, at least for Long Ren, since the bandit just felt fear all the way.

Dozens of minutes later, Long Ren and the Bandit reached the cave the bandits use as a base. Its entrance is quite large, around 4 meters tall and 3 meters wide, making it quite easy to recognize from afar.

Long Ren and the bandit were standing around 10 meters away from the entrance.

It is time.

Long Ren grabbed the bandit's shoulder as he shivered greatly.

Long Ren saw the bandit in his grasp, shaking in fear and in the end, resoluteness.

As an act of desperation, the bandit grabbed a dagger from his side which is blocked from Long Ren's view by his shoulder, readying it quite skillfully, and quickly stabbed at the arm grabbing his shoulders.

*Swoosh*

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