Chapter Nine: Desert Bandits

After passing through a dark and narrow passage, Li Ao reached the end where a heavy iron door loomed overhead. Cautiously, he opened the door, and sand poured down from above. Li Ao pushed against the flow of sand and emerged outside. The passageway behind him was quickly buried under the cascading yellow sand, disappearing without a trace.

Lying flat on the sand, Li Ao began to move slowly. He crawled to the top of a sand dune, where his small head popped up to survey the surroundings. The sky was clear, the desert winds and scorching sun unchanged. If not for the deep grooves in the sand and the blood and corpses yet to be buried, it would be hard to tell that a battle had taken place here.

Looking out, what met his eyes was no longer the once-vibrant city. The people and things of yesterday were gone. Half of the mighty city walls had been destroyed, and the unique oriental buildings had turned into heaps of rubble. Flames flickered within the ruins, sending thick black smoke spiraling into the sky.

The battle songs of the Jiuli Clan replayed in Li Ao's mind, over and over again, turning his dazed expression into one of resolve.

The Church's army had already retreated, and the few remaining black-armored soldiers had gathered in the ruins of the Jiuli City. Far from the city, Li Ao felt safe, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing the black-armored soldiers in the city, Li Ao longed to rush in and fight them to the death. But a shred of remaining rationality kept reminding him that it was not yet time.

He looked up at the morning sky, where red dawn clouds hung on the eastern horizon. What should have been a celebratory color appeared blood-soaked and harsh to Li Ao.

The young man opened his mouth wide, wanting to shout to the heavens, but no sound came out. Anger and sorrow were suppressed deep within, as the flames of hatred burned in his heart. The more he hated, the more he needed to survive.

Once again, he lowered himself to the ground and slid down to the base of the dune. Using the dunes as cover, Li Ao ran southward.

...

In the Banbu Desert, the sun was setting on the horizon. Sand and dust filled the air, and the wind howled around him. A small figure trudged through the desert, fighting against the wind and sand. It was Li Ao, who had escaped from Jiuli City.

His entire body was wrapped in a loose black robe, and he occasionally extended his left hand from the sleeve to check it. In his hand, he held the token of the Oasis Sanctuary, a smooth, luminous jade medallion, which emitted a faint beacon guiding his way forward.

Li Ao had been walking for an entire day. He knew that this seemingly endless, lifeless desert was actually full of hidden dangers. Especially now, as the sun was setting and night was approaching, the nocturnal creatures would soon become active.

Only by reaching the Oasis Sanctuary would he be truly safe.

As he continued walking, Li Ao suddenly stopped. Amidst the swirling sand, three figures were approaching him. They were dressed in short tunics, their heads wrapped in cloth, each with a long blade hanging from their waist. The exposed skin was rough from years of exposure to the desert winds.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of scars. Unfortunately, a blade had left a mark on his upper lip, giving him a cleft lip, which made his otherwise imposing presence seem somewhat out of place.

Behind him followed a thin man with a sharp nose and a rat-like face, and a fat man with pockmarks covering his face.

"Little brother, it must be fate that we meet here. How about you give us some silver and we make friends?" The leader, with the cleft lip, shouted before getting close, shamelessly using a warrior skill—War Cry.

Had Li Ao been an ordinary person, he might have been scared out of his wits, falling to his knees to offer money for his life.

Hearing the leader's shout, Li Ao was slightly taken aback. The term desert bandits flashed through his mind.

The Banbu Desert was located at the northernmost edge of the continent, with such harsh conditions that it was a rarely inhabited area. In this vast desert, there were only two notable settlements: Jiuli City and the Oasis Sanctuary.

Thinking of the legendary bandits he had never encountered in all his trials, Li Ao's lips curled into a smile.

He put the jade token back into his storage ring, then looked up at the three men and said, "I'm willing to offer ten silver coins to make friends with you. What do you think of that?"

Li Ao's voice was low and somewhat muffled. However, the three men in front of him didn't notice his tone. The pockmarked man, second in command, was excitedly eyeing Li Ao. If their leader hadn't said anything, he might have already agreed to the offer—ten silver coins could buy a lot.

"You're generous, little brother. But out here in the deserted Banbu Desert, running into us must be quite a joy for you. Ten silver coins might not be enough to express your gratitude," said the cleft-lipped leader, who was also taken aback by Li Ao's offer. Luckily, the skinny man behind him nudged him, bringing him back to his senses. He forced a false smile, which was repulsive.

"I only have seventeen silver coins left," Li Ao replied, feigning a look of difficulty. At the moment, he had no desire to kill anyone. These men weren't part of the Church, and if a few silver coins could resolve the situation, he didn't mind spending them.

"Then give us sixteen silver coins, little brother. You can keep the last one as a gift from us," the cleft-lipped leader said, grinning when he saw Li Ao's somewhat youthful face. He was confident that Li Ao was an easy mark. Despite his smile, the scar on his lip made the grin even more sinister.

Li Ao reached inside his robe, and when he withdrew his hand, he was holding sixteen silver coins, which he handed over to the leader. He showed a trace of reluctance—it was, after all, his last bit of spare change.

Seeing Li Ao's reluctance, the leader laughed heartily, feigning a generous demeanor. "Alright, little brother, you can go."

At that moment, the skinny man with the rat-like face leaned close to the leader's ear and whispered, "Boss, boss. Look at his fingers." He gestured toward Li Ao's left hand, which had just retreated back into his black robe.

"What about his fingers?" The leader recalled the sight and remarked, "Yeah, they're long and pretty nice."

Then, a sudden realization hit the leader, and he recoiled slightly from the skinny man, his suspicions aroused. His eyes betrayed a hint of unfamiliarity—this was just a boy of thirteen or fourteen. They had known each other for a long time, but it was only today that the leader discovered the third man's peculiar taste, which sent a chill down his spine.

Just as Li Ao was about to turn and leave, the skinny man, blinking rapidly, couldn't bother to clear up the misunderstanding. He kept signaling to the burly leader, whispering urgently, "Not the fingers, the ring! The ring!"

Hearing this, the leader suddenly understood. "Hey, kid, wait a minute!"

Li Ao turned back, puzzled. "Is there something else?"

The leader boldly stretched out his hand toward Li Ao. "Kid, let me see that ring on your finger."

The ring. Li Ao's finger brushed over the surface of his storage ring as he recalled the events of just a moment ago.

He'd let his guard down, he thought to himself.

Seeing Li Ao remain silent, the cleft-lipped leader drew his long knife from his waist, pointing it at Li Ao's face. The bronze aura radiating from him made him appear quite formidable. The muscles on his face twitched as he flashed the signature sinister smile of a bandit. "Kid, hand it over, and don't try any tricks, or I'll make sure to discipline you on behalf of your old mother."

Sigh—Li Ao let out a long sigh. He really didn't want to kill anyone.

Of all the things he could have said, why did he have to bring up my family?