Night fell, and the clear sky was washed clean.
Half-asleep, Jiang Wen seemed to hear a cacophony of sounds—cries, wails, and the roar of flames reaching for the sky, punctuated by the cruel laughter of villains.
He was instantly jolted awake and rose to look out the window.
Raging flames illuminated the window of the room, and the villagers' screams rose and fell.
Jiang Wen was stunned. He pushed open the window, and what he saw exceeded his expectations.
Flames engulfed the entire village, and countless figures on horseback or wielding weapons surged through the streets. Cruel laughter echoed in the night, mingled with the screams and cries of women and children. People were constantly being cut down in the firelight, their dying cries piercingly shrill.
"What on earth is happening...?" Jiang Wen wondered.
Before he could react, raucous shouts erupted outside the tavern door.
"There's this one too!"
"Burn it all down. Capture any young and strong ones; the noble needs them."
"Why aren't you leaving?" Jiang Wen retorted.
But even though he disliked it, he still had to follow the bandits. He saw several familiar faces from Wangjia Village among the numb crowd.
The robbers were very specific about who they captured: not the old, not the crippled, but only the strong and young, and even infants a few months old were not spared.
Such a distinct characteristic suggested that the force behind the robbers also needed these young people. As for what they wanted them for, he could only wait until they reached their destination to find out.
"I've found their location. Now we can go and see what's really going on," Yan Gongli whispered in Jiang Wen's ear.
Many of the villagers captured like him were walking forward with the main group, their faces numb.
Finally, they reached the end of the road, where a mountain stronghold appeared. The bandits cheered enthusiastically as they led the captured people inside.
Capture him? Not so easily. Jiang Wen took a stance, ready to show these bandits what he was made of.
These bandits called themselves rebels and were preparing to plunder resources from nearby mountain villages to fuel their rebellion. The bandits swept through the surrounding villages, robbing what they could and killing who they could. Then, they dragged the strong men and women into their rebel ranks, using them as livestock. Perhaps fearing that these villagers would unite, the bandits also placed supervisors among the crowd. Anyone who gathered in groups would be severely beaten by the supervisors. If the supervisor was in a bad mood, losing one's life was also normal.
The bandits didn't kill indiscriminately. Instead, they even provided them with food and drink.
Listening to Yan Gongli's words, Jiang Wen was also a little curious. Why were there several cultivators hidden in a small mountain stronghold, and what exactly were they trying to do?
They rob you of your possessions, kill your wife and children, and then force you to work for them. Truly, they are killing and torturing the heart! Jiang Wen felt a slight disgust in his heart.
Thinking this, Jiang Wen looked around. They were all ragged people, men and women, but few elderly. Some held farm tools, others carried things on their backs. Jiang Wen was a slight exception in the crowd; he carried nothing.
He never expected that someone as powerful as him would fall into the hands of bandits, and the villagers must feel despair. Jiang Wen didn't explain this, and he didn't think he needed to.
"Do you smell the demonic energy?" Yan Gongli asked in a low voice.
Jiang Wen, covered in dust, followed the crowd forward, with the little girl Yan Gongli by his side.
"Really? Then arrest them quickly."
After all, Jiang Wen had been the center of attention at Wang Laohan's banquet, and everyone thought he was very powerful.
"The demon is in this stronghold; it's probably the mastermind behind it," Yan Gongli said, closing her eyes to sense it. Then, as if she had noticed something, she showed a surprised expression. "There are also traces of cultivators, but they are hidden very deeply and difficult to detect."
"This demon is hiding cautiously, so naturally you can't sense it. Although I've lost my cultivation, I can still sense it," Yan Gongli said rather proudly. "This demon's aura is very strange, but it can be considered a millennium-old demon. It's not as strong as the Locust Tree Spirit, but it deserves the title of a great demon."
Jiang Wen stood calmly in the room, watching the distraught waiter. He did nothing, just sat quietly on the bed waiting for the villains to come in.
He simply picked up Yan Gongli to prevent his powerless ancestral grandmother from being captured.
They were given some coarse grain when they were hungry and sent to fetch water nearby when they were thirsty. Every night, someone would come to appease them or conduct propaganda education. This set of PUA tactics left the suffering villagers mentally dazed. Jiang Wen watched all this indifferently, still amazed by what this rebel group was doing.
"Demonic energy?" Jiang Wen tried to sniff, but he didn't smell anything strange.
"Yes, there are also three auras from different sects. Among them is a disciple of the Immeasurable Pavilion, which surprises me. It seems that my master couldn't stay put after all and is probably preparing to reincarnate and start a new life."
To have such a complete brainwashing process, there must be an expert among these rebels directing them.
"Why aren't you moving!" the waiter urged. "Run quickly, or it'll be too late."
Jiang Wen nodded and used an invisibility talisman. He took Yan Gongli and left the group, flying straight to the hidden place in the house.
As for why Jiang Wen was captured, it was because Yan Gongli whispered a few words in his ear when he was about to kill these bandits. That's why he pretended to be captured and mingled with the crowd.
The mountain road that day made his legs a little numb. If it weren't for finding out who was behind this, he doubted whether he could have persevered. He probably would have pulled out Frostmourne and slaughtered this group of bandits.
"Boss! There are two pretty boys here!"
The door was kicked open, and thugs with torches rushed into the house. The sound of looting and smashing came from the front hall, and it seemed that many people were ransacking the house recklessly.
A day had passed since he was captured by the thugs, and Jiang Wen had learned from the surrounding people what had happened.
A command sounded, and the rebels drove the villagers forward with their farm tools. Anyone who refused to go was killed by the supervising rebels with a single blow.
"Hurry!"
"Are you saying that besides the millennium-old demon, there are also the auras of some cultivators in this stronghold?" Jiang Wen asked.
"No, it's not good! The bandits are here! The village has been burned! You should escape through the window and not let them catch you."
The other party showed a surprised delight when he saw him, but then he seemed to think of something and looked dejected.
The waiter staggered into the room, looking at Jiang Wen with horror.
"Understood, boss, brothers, let's go."
"This is my ancestral home, and I won't leave even if I die here," the waiter replied in a low voice.
But when he saw the familiar face of Su Mu from the Supreme Mystery Palace, he was stunned.
After looking at him again and again to confirm that it was Su Mu himself.
Jiang Wen was full of doubts: "How could he be in this mountain stronghold?"
