Chapter 174: Fight!

Ayaan looked at the girl nonchalantly and turned towards the bandit leader, who stood at the side like a wooden log. He was having a heart time believing that Ayaan dared to kill the Mayor without even blinking and just for such a minor mistake—the mistake that wasn't even a mistake.

All the people froze at the same place, no matter who it was, bandit or ordinary people. Their heart thumped and blood pumped and sweat drowned their bodies. No one made a single mistake except a single person—the girl—she screamed to her heart's content in remorse of her father. She choked and coughed, gasping and trembling, she grabbed the stem of the tree as if threatening it to release her father.

Looking at the screaming girl, Ayaan frowned and gestured at Learfwhisk once more. And what happened next scared people out of their wits. A green long tentacle extended out of the tree and coiled around the girl's slender waist like a snake and dragged her into itself.

When the girl realised what had happened, she screamed horrifyingly; however, it was already too late to do anything, and she disappeared from everyone's sight. Devoured by the tree.

The bandit leader saw such a scene and became rather intimidated. He had never thought that a boy around the age of eighteen or nineteen had such a ruthless heart. He did not even blink as he killed two innocent lives. His face looked as expressionless as ever. Ruthless. Heartless. Merciless. 

Ayaan turned towards the bandit leader. "At first I just wanted to plunder these people, and gave you a chance to escape, but you didn't take my good intentions. Now I want you to pay me ten thousand gold coins if you have any wish to live any further."

As the bandits heard his words, their faces turned red from anger. It was always them who robbed others, but today, a boy was talking about robbing them. They felt humiliated. Shameful. Embarrassed. Furious.

"Boy, you are going too far," shouted one of the bandits. "You are still alive because our Boss doesn't want to kill you, yet."

"Yes, I will advise you to surrender, or you won't even realise how your soul left that body of yours,'' another man said, his voice filled with arrogance.

The bandit leader looked at these two people and became speechless. He didn't know whether to praise them or kill them. He knew that Leafwhisk's strength wasn't any weaker than his, and she still had many trump cards up in her sleeves. He didn't know if he could win or not, and there were Ayaan and two more girls.

However, he didn't show any expression of discomfort on his face and turned to look at Ayaan. "Boy, it isn't good to be so arrogant." He said, looking at Ayaan.

Hearing his words, Ayaan burst into a peal of laughter. "Shouldn't be arrogant? Then what were you doing just a few minutes before." He sneered. "Weren't you saying that you would take their women just because they couldn't provide your money? Wasn't that arrogance? It wasn't, then what was that?"

The bandit leader looked furious. His eyes daggered Ayaan. Then, however, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He looked at Ayaan and said, "I won't argue with you, boy. But I have to tell, you won't get any benefit by opposing me. Someone wants these people as his slaves, and no one in this Empire has the power to oppose him. If you want to live, don't interfere."

Ayaan narrowed his eyes when he heard the threat. Then he chuckled. "What if I still want to oppose you?"

The Bandit Boss looked at Ayaan deeply and shook his head. "I think I will take my leave. But prepare to face the wrath of that person." Afterwards he glanced at the people of the city mockingly. "As for these people? No one can save them. Their fate is to be slaves, and no one can save them."

After that the bandit leader gestured to his gob-smacked companions and walked towards the exit of the city. Nor the people, neither the bandits could believe that they were going without taking their prey. Most of all they were retreating because of a boy not over nineteen-years-old. They felt humiliated, but they bear with it. They felt furious, but they controlled it.

Ayaan looked at the retreating bandits and said in a commanding tone. "Who said you can leave?"

The bandit leader looked at Ayaan in anger and shouted. "Don't go too far, boy!"

"Heh? You don't know how far I can go, that's why you are asking me for going too far." Ayaan replied in disdain. He looked at the bandit and said, "ten-thousand-gold coins."

"You fucking bastard!" shouted the Boss. "Do you think I am afraid of you!?"

"Exactly!" Ayaan said. "You are afraid of me." 

"Humph! If it wasn't for that lady." He pointed at Leafwhisk. "I would have slaughtered hundreds of times by now."

Ayaan glanced at Leafwhisk and chuckled. "So that's how it is. How about this, I will fight you with my own strength. Let's see if you are as strong as you say."

Bandit Leader's eyes lit up when he heard Ayaan's words. 'What an idiot.' he thought. And he wasn't completely wrong because Ayaan was only at the Peak of the Embryonic Realm while the bandit leader was at the Early Stage of the Larva Realm. This gap wasn't small; it was almost impossible to cross realms in this world and fight with a stronger cultivator. It was unheard of. No one had ever heard that people could also fight across the realms.

However, he didn't agree immediately. He looked at Ayaan and an idea popped in his head. "I don't fight for fun; I fight to kill."

Ayaan looked at Mr Boss and his lips folded into a cunning grin. He understood what this bandit was implying. "Sure, if you want to fight to death, I will fight to death."

It thrilled the bandit leader in his heart; however, he didn't show it on his face. He looked at Leafwhisk and said cautiously. "Won't your people attack me if I were to hurt you?"

Ayaan didn't waste any time and snorted. "Don't worry, no one will hold you accountable for anything."

"Haha, good good. Let's start our fight." The bandit leader laughed out loud when he heard Ayaan's answer. The only person he feared was Leafwehisk, and now she could not interfere in the fight. He would have hundreds of methods to kill Ayaan, he was only an Embryonic Realm Cultivator, after all.

The bandits looked thrilled when they saw such an event taking place in front of them. The Odoport's citizens still looked as lifeless as ever. No matter who wins, they will still suffer. They wanted nothing but the destruction of those two parties; however, they were powerless. Helpless. Scared. Pitiful.

Everyone formed a circle around Ayaan and the bandit leader while both of them looked at each other deeply, trying to find an opening to attack each other. 

Ayaan held his large-long-sharp-heavy-sabre with both of his hands and looked at his enemy, who also had a sabre. Ayaan couldn't help but smile when he saw a sabre in other parties hands. It looked like the sabre would collide with sabre today. 

There wasn't any rule or regulation in this fight. So there wasn't any need for a referee or anyone else as such. This was a death match, fighting to last breath. Only one could live, and only one will live. That was the one and only rule.

The bandit leader looked at Ayaan and chuckled. "You have made a most stupid decision today. And it will be your last mistake in this life."

"Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

Ayaan didn't reply and attacked the man. He wasn't in a mood to waste much time on blubbering. The bandit leader also stopped talking any further and used his own sabre to parry the incoming attack. The booming sound echoed in the entire city, and the force pushed the people who surrounded Ayaan and the Leader back due to the force produced by the collision.

Not caring about anything, Ayaan and the bandit leader once more dashed towards each other with their weapon held in their tight grips. Though when the weapons collided, Ayaan felt as if his hand would shatter at any moment.

However, Ayaan wasn't the only one who felt as such. The bandit leader also struggled to hold his weapon. He became more and more shocked as he fought with Ayaan. Who would have thought that Ayaan had the strength to fight with Larva Realm Cultivator while being only at the Embryonic Realm. 

The bandit leader wanted to kill Ayaan more and more. First due to jealousy, because he had so many fairy like women, and second due to fear. He was so talented. Some people can't see anyone more talented than them, and the bandit leader was such a person.