115 The Mountain Spirit

Li Xintian and his party were nearing the place where the bandits lay in ambush. As they approached, the bandits watched them with icy composure, crouching in the tall grass, their eyes never once leaving the group. When their gaze fell upon Hu Qiuyan, however, it became transfixed, unable to look away.

The bandit leader, his eyes widening in lecherous hunger, roared, "Move!"

Obeying the order, the ambushers surged frantically from the grass, surrounding Li Xintian’s group. The leader expected to see the usual reaction—the panicked, terrified expressions he was accustomed to seeing—but to his disappointment, Li Xintian and his companions showed no such fear. Instead, they wore faint, calm smiles, as if they were entirely unbothered, as if they were not the ones being robbed.

"Boss, they don't seem scared at all," the leader's second-in-command whispered into his ear. "Do you think there are government soldiers in ambush, giving them such confidence?"

"Test them first to see if it’s a trap," the leader replied in a low voice, nodding. "Even if it is, don't worry—we have the Mountain God protecting us."

The leader pointed at Hu Qiuyan and shouted, "Just hand over your money and leave her behind to be my mountain bride, and I’ll let you pass!" He wore an expression of smug triumph.

Hidden in the grass, the Flying Tiger King watched the scene, shaking his head. "I can't bear to look. Someone is actually stepping on the same landmine I once did. Even with a Mountain God’s protection, you’ll be lucky to escape without losing a layer of skin—not to mention that if you knew Hu Qiuyan’s true identity, you’d be terrified."

Li Xintian, having heard the bandits boast of the Mountain God and their demand for Hu Qiuyan, let out a laugh born of cold fury. "Fine," he said, drawing out the word.

"You think it's fine too? How refreshing! What a coward," the leader chuckled mockingly. "Hurry up and hand over the loot!"

"Good, boss!" the other bandits cheered.

"Good? I'll show you good," Li Xintian muttered. Without even needing to invoke his righteous qi, he moved with blurring speed. In the blink of an eye, he was before the leader, delivering a heavy punch to his stomach.

The leader’s face turned the color of liver from the agony; he couldn't utter a sound, doubling over like a cooked shrimp.

"Boss! Are you alright?" In the stunned silence of the bandits, only the second-in-command managed to recover, rushing forward to support him.

"Attack!" the leader wheezed, gritting his teeth.

"Brothers, attack! Show them what we're made of—but don't hurt the lady!" the second-in-command shouted.

The bandits, now energized, charged with their blades drawn. The second-in-command, not wanting to be outdone, lunged at Li Xintian with his sword. Li Xintian sidestepped effortlessly and delivered a kick that sent the man flying backward like a projectile. He slammed into a tree with such force that he pinned himself through it, his backside protruding from the other side—a sight so ridiculous that even the unconscious man looked comical.

The remaining bandits froze, slowly retreating. Seeing how easily their leaders were dispatched, they swallowed hard, none daring to step forward.

*Snap!*

Li Xintian clicked his fingers. The Flying Tiger King let out a thunderous roar from behind the bandits, blocking their escape route.

"How is there a tiger here? We scouted this place—there were no tracks!" the bandits near the beast trembled, their legs turning to jelly.

"Speak," Li Xintian said. "What is this 'Mountain God' business? Tell me, and I’ll let the tiger leave."

"I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!" one bandit cried, terrified for his life. "The Mountain God appeared recently. It claimed control over Qutian Mountain, and we just follow its orders."

"One more question," Li Xintian asked, looking up at the sky above Qutian Mountain, which was thick with swirling resentment. "Does this Mountain God demand human sacrifices?"

The bandit hesitated, trembling. "I..."

"Yes or no?" Li Xintian pressed.

"Yes," the man confessed, feeling a strange sense of relief.

"Very well. I can give you a chance to save yourselves. If you do as I say, you won't end up in the tiger's belly, and I will overlook today's events. Are you willing?" Li Xintian closed his eyes, having made a difficult decision.

"We are! We are!" The bandits, desperate to live, agreed instantly.

"Good. Lead the way. We go to kill this Mountain God. If you refuse, you’ll all be fed to the tiger."

As they set off, Li Xintian approached Chen Linqing’s carriage. "Grandfather, Grandmother, please continue on. I have some business to attend to, but I will catch up. I’ll have the Zouwu protect you."

"Be careful, Xintian," Chen Linqing said, having witnessed Li Xintian’s abilities the night before.

Li Xintian turned to Hu Qiuyan. "Qiuyan, go with them. I’m leaving the road to you while I go check this out with the Red Tiger."

"Who’s worried about you?" Hu Qiuyan retorted. "It’s that Mountain God you should be worrying about."

Li Xintian laughed. "True enough."

By nightfall, they reached a dark, gaping cave mouth. "Which deity resides here? Show yourself," Li Xintian called out. His voice echoed, followed by the sound of swarming bats rushing out of the dark.

"This man is dead for sure," the bandit leader thought with a cold smirk. "Disturbing the Mountain God like that—what a fool."

"Who dares disturb this deity?" A hoarse, ancient voice echoed from within. A figure emerged—an old man with the appearance of a sage, sitting upon a cloud bed.

Li Xintian focused his righteous qi into his eyes. *A lion,* he realized. *No wonder it craves human flesh. It hides behind this facade, but it cannot deceive me.*

"Who are you to cause trouble in my domain?" the old man demanded, his face darkening.

The bandit leader, still hoping to curry favor, chimed in, "Mountain God! I tried to capture the humans for you, but this man—he’s incredibly skilled, and he’s been disrespectful to you. Be careful, my Lord!"

"Useless trash!" The Mountain God unleashed a roar, a shockwave that blasted the bandit leader into a spray of blood. The remaining bandits shrieked in terror as the gore splattered onto them, their courage shattering completely.

"Is there any point in retreating now?" Li Xintian shouted at the cowering bandits. "Follow me and fight, and you might survive!" But it was too late—the bandits were in a blind panic, trampling each other in their desperate flight.

"Sigh," Li Xintian breathed. The Mountain God, annoyed by the noise and the failure of its servants, simply swept its hand, crushing the fleeing bandits into nothingness.

"Who are you?" the Mountain God roared, seeing Li Xintian’s calm demeanor.

"Li Xintian. I’m here to clean up your mess." He signaled the Flying Tiger King to prepare for battle.

The Mountain God raised a hand, and a massive mountain formed of spiritual energy materialized above them, pressing down with crushing force. The gravity was immense, ten times that of the earth. Li Xintian’s knees buckled, but he held firm, channeling his righteous qi into a single, devastating punch that shattered the spiritual mountain into dissipating specks of light.

"Righteous Qi!" The Mountain God’s eyes narrowed. It finally understood how Li Xintian had seen through its true form. "I hold a divine position. You cannot kill me yet. Why don't we let this pass? You go your way, I go mine. How about it?"