Once the general plan had been laid out, Li Chang'an and the others returned to their respective rooms. No one said it out loud, but there was still one insurmountable obstacle looming over this mission.
The leader of the Mount Qiuming bandits—was a Spirit King.
That's right. A five-ring Spirit King. Even if his spirit ring configuration was trash, even if his actual strength was subpar, he was still a Spirit King. That alone made him far beyond what Li Chang'an's group could handle at their current level.
Originally, the only person who might have stood a chance against him was Song Rentou, but now that he had chosen to stand on the opposite side, even the best-laid plan would be ultimately doomed to fail unless they could overcome this mountain of a man.
Lying on his bed with hands behind his head, Li Chang'an let out a long, helpless sigh. But he wasn't afraid—he was just thinking about how to squeeze the most benefit out of this mission.
And by "benefit," he didn't just mean the academy's contribution points. His Show-off Points were even more important. big or small, they were all prime opportunities to earn points.
With that mindset, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
---
The next morning, Li Chang'an was jolted awake by Xie Yue—who came bearing explosive news. Song Rentou and his team of six had already left the inn at the crack of dawn, and not long after, their homeroom teacher, Cui Yongqin, had quietly followed after them.
Li Chang'an sighed. But what caught his attention more was that Duolong hadn't chosen to follow the larger group. Instead, he'd stayed behind. That alone showed just how important he considered the group of four Li Chang'an led.
"Chang'an, when do we move out?" Xie Yue trailed behind, repeatedly asking.
He had thought of taking the lead himself, but after hearing Li Chang'an's analysis the previous night—and witnessing his grasp of the bigger picture—he'd had to admit he was outclassed. That's why he was now willingly waiting for Li Chang'an to give the word.
Li Chang'an wasn't in a hurry. He slowly made his way downstairs, sat in the tavern's dining area, and ordered two breakfasts. He gestured for Xie Yue to sit.
"Senior, before we act, let me ask you—do you want to completely outdo Song Rentou?"
"Of course I do!" Xie Yue nodded firmly.
"Then promise me this—if I help you beat him completely, and I ever do something to piss you off in the future… you've got to let me off the hook."
Li Chang'an spoke with foresight.
He was worried about something: what if this man found out in the future that someone was hitting on his little sister—and that guy happened to have several other women on the side? The guy being… well, Li Chang'an himself. He figured it was best to lay the groundwork early.
Xie Yue was a bit confused by the sudden request, but when it came to beating Song Rentou, how could he say no? So he nodded casually.
"Alright, then go round everyone up. We're heading out," said Li Chang'an, taking a bite of his meat bun.
"All of us? Are we going straight for the enemy's lair?" Xie Yue asked, eyes lighting up.
"What are you talking about?" Li Chang'an rolled his eyes. "We stick to the plan. First, we check for any passing merchant caravans. If there are, we'll blend in and strike the enemy from within."
The other team only had six people. If they had even a shred of intelligence, they wouldn't launch an attack during the day. Li Chang'an's plan was to slip into a caravan, take out a few bandits first, and rattle the hornet's nest.
Once that happened, the bandits would tighten their night watch—meaning Song Rentou's team wouldn't stand a chance of succeeding tonight.
Meanwhile, Li Chang'an's squad would've already eliminated some enemy Spirit Masters.
Finding a caravan was easy, especially with three Rank Two Spirit Masters on his team. When they offered to guard a caravan for free, it didn't take long to find one willing to accept the deal.
The caravan wasn't big, but the goods were valuable—mostly pearls, gemstones, and jade. And since the route passed beneath Mount Qiuming, the more protection, the better.
Although Li Chang'an looked like a child, and the others were clearly very young, the fact that they were Spirit Masters offering free protection was more than enough to win over the caravan leader.
And so, the four of them—dressed in oversized guard uniforms—silently followed behind the caravan as it departed the town…
About a quarter-hour later, Duolong also followed. He didn't get close, simply tracking them from a distance using his spiritual sense.
"junior brother, do you think the bandits will hit this caravan?" Hu Liena asked. Even in a rough guard's uniform, her charm was impossible to conceal—in fact, the outfit made her look even more alluring.
Li Chang'an glanced at the cargo on the carriage beside them and nodded without hesitation. They personally had no interest in this kind of stuff, but for ordinary Spirit Masters, it was the very definition of irresistible.
The caravan leader was clearly worried about Mount Qiuming's bandits. As they neared the winding mountain road, he ordered the drivers to step on it.
The road beneath Mount Qiuming was narrow and treacherous, with sections barely wide enough for a single carriage. It was a real test of the drivers' skill.
To Li Chang'an's surprise, the drivers were veterans. Even on such terrain, their whips cracked loudly, and the carriages charged forward at top speed.
"Hyah!"
"Giddy-up! Faster!"
One after another, the wagons raced into the mountain pass at breakneck speed…
---
Mount Qiuming – Bandit Camp, Master Bedroom
Bandit leader Zhang Mazi had just finished his "bedside exercise" and now lay there bored, staring at the ceiling. His hand, however, was still roaming the soft curves of the pale woman beside him.
The young woman lay sprawled across his chest. Biting her lip, she spoke in a delicate, teasing voice:
"My lord, I heard there's a shipment of pearls and jewelry passing through today… I really want some~"
"Sure," Zhang Mazi grinned. "This lord will snatch it for you personally. But how will you repay me?"
As he spoke, his hand squeezed her soft boobs.
"T-Then that move you've been talking about… I'll let you do it tonight~" she said coyly, playing the perfect mix of temptation and refusal.
"Hahaha! Good! Very good!" Zhang Mazi's eyes lit up with excitement. Bondage move, he'd been waiting to try it for a long time…
_____
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