Chapter 11: Target Located

After encountering three more waves of sand bandits along the way, Wang Liang and his group finally caught sight of a caravan in the distance.

To call it a caravan was hardly accurate; there were only a little over twenty people, with more than forty camels and thirty horses. Strangely, they carried little cargo—most of the supplies strapped to the pack animals consisted of food and provisions.

Among those twenty-odd people, more than a dozen wore heavy plate armor no ordinary traveler would don, wielding long spears and square shields, with longswords and spiked maces at their belts. One could only wonder how, in this desert, they and their mounts could endure such burdensome armor.

The rest were clad head-to-toe in white robes, wrapped tightly against the elements. Their attire may have appeared ordinary, but their movements betrayed a discipline equal to that of the armored men. Swords and bows lay within easy reach, signaling that these, too, were warriors not to be underestimated.

Upon seeing this group, Wang Liang and his companions halted.

Niu Xuanguang’s face was grave. “That’s the target of our mission. We still have little intelligence and don’t know their situation. When we go down, Gui Tou, you’ll be our face—try to get close to them. Ku Nao, you protect Gui Tou. The rest of you, keep your distance, especially you, Wei Ban. Until we know more, keep your mouth shut. We don’t want to be forced into tasks we’d rather avoid.”

Wang Liang, noting Niu Xuanguang’s seriousness, sidled up to Zhao Gongming and whispered, “Why does this feel so serious?”

“Ah, you’re new, so you might not know. In addition to the usual attributes we can improve, everyone actually has four innate attributes: Constitution, Perception, Luck, and Charisma. These can’t be increased by training—they’re inborn. Some people are naturally charming and get along with everyone. Others... well, not so much. If you start with negative charm and a sharp tongue, you’re bound to offend people the moment you open your mouth, so...”

Here Zhao Gongming raised his brows pointedly at Wang Liang, hinting at the deeper meaning.

Though Wang Liang didn’t fully grasp these terms, he pieced together the general idea from their conversation. “So how can you find out your four innate attributes?”

“That’s not so easy," Zhao Gongming replied. "I’ve only heard that Constitution can be measured with the Celestial Appraisal Stone when entering an immortal sect. As for the others, I have no idea.”

“Charisma requires the Magic Mirror,” Ku Nao said offhandedly, having overheard their conversation.

Wang Liang wanted to press further, but before he could, the two women had already leapt from the sand skiff and were making their way toward the caravan. Gui Tou approached cautiously, while Ku Nao followed, her halberd at the ready, eyes watchful for any sign of danger.

Zhao Gongming nudged Wang Liang. “Watch closely now. Ku Nao’s path is one of martial formation. Her weapon may differ from yours, but you might follow in her footsteps one day.”

Wang Liang nodded seriously, turning his attention to the pair. He noticed that Ku Nao’s steps were measured and precise—no matter the terrain, each stride was exactly the same length. As she advanced, the muscles under her white robe seemed to tense, as if preparing to strike at a moment’s notice.

But could such a young woman truly maintain such readiness for long? After all, the weapon she bore was no simple tool, but the unwieldy halberd known as the Heaven-Piercer.

Meanwhile, the caravan had clearly spotted the two approaching women. They seemed puzzled, but it was obvious these two were nothing like the bandits who had harried them earlier. Two men in white robes emerged from the group and rode toward Gui Tou.

Suddenly, the nearby sand dunes began to tremble. Niu Xuanguang immediately shouted, “Heads up, we’ve got enemies incoming!”

With that, he yanked Wang Liang behind him, drew his longsword, and charged toward the source of the disturbance. But he was a step too late. Even as he rushed forward, a horde of sand bandits burst from beneath the earth.

Wang Liang immediately sensed these bandits were different from the ones they’d fought before. Their wrappings were laced with metal, and as they emerged, they wielded a new weapon—a hooked chain, nothing like the crude arms of the earlier bandits.

As the sand bandits leapt from the ground, they hurled their chains toward Ku Nao. She reacted instantly, planting her halberd into the earth and flicking it upward, sending a cloud of sand billowing around her.

At first, Wang Liang thought it a simple diversion, but to his astonishment, the sand she flung outward carried a faint aura of martial formation—a killing intent he recognized from past battles. In his eyes, the grains of sand seemed to move in slow motion, each transforming into a fully armored soldier wielding spear or blade, surging toward the direction the sand flew.

The apparition lasted but a moment; the next instant, the sand struck the bandits, and Wang Liang noticed fresh wounds—cuts and gashes as if from blades and spears—appearing on their bodies and faces.

He realized then that the phantoms conjured by the flying sand were not mere illusions, but something close to reality. He was left perplexed by this power.

Yet Wang Liang kept his expression blank, as if none of this was new to him. Seeing this, Wei Ban and the others on the sand skiff made no effort to explain.

They were not idle, however. As Niu Xuanguang charged ahead, Wei Ban and Zhao Gongming exchanged a glance. Wei Ban said decisively, “There are too many enemies. I’ll guard the boat, you go.”

Without hesitation, Zhao Gongming pulled a variety of tools from his pack and tossed them to the ground; bizarre little spirits and monsters erupted from the earth and threw themselves at the sand bandits.

Wei Ban, meanwhile, calmly set down a box. With the press of a switch, a bronze cauldron rose from within.