He was a nobody, someone even below trash in his eyes. Someone he thought cheated his way to strength to bury his shame, just like Zhao Ren.
And yet...
Meanwhile, some of the remaining bandits, who had been lurking at the edges of the chaos, froze mid-step, their weapons slipping slightly in their grips and their eyes widening with disbelief as they stared at the scene before them. Fear gripped their hearts as they took in the sight.
"How?" A bandit whispered, trembling.
Their leader, the feared Bandit King, a cultivator at the Peak of the Blood Tempering Realm, lay dead by the hands of a mere child they had dismissed as nothing more than an arrogant upstart.
Fear, he felt true fear.
Even some of the caravan members, overwhelmed by the horrifying sight before them, vomited.
Long Huang, on the other hand, merely glanced at the now-dead Bandit King and only felt disgust.
Surprise mixed uneasily with discomfort; having killed a human for the first time, Long Huang expected guilt or relief, but found only cold emptiness.
There should have been something, he thought. Horror, regret, maybe even vindication. Instead, a cold emptiness pooled in his chest, as if all the emotions had been wrung out of him long before this moment.
Compared to the Bandit King's crimes and the nightmares carved into his mind by the Archdevil scripture, this scene felt almost mundane, another shadow added to the darkness dwelling inside him.
Still, a faint worry tugged at him: Would he ever feel anything again, or had this numbness become permanent?
Thinking this, he gazed upward and around, letting out a weary sigh. The sunlight gleamed on the scattered weapons, and silence settled over the pass, except for the faint rustle of leaves.
"Huff... huff... huff...," Long Huang suddenly bent over, gasping for air, as tiny tears appeared on his body, causing blood to drip from his neck down.
In that moment, just standing was a feat in itself.
Zhao Gun, who had been watching from a distance with tense shoulders, straightened his back and approached Long Huang, his lips parted as if to speak, but before he could question him, a bandit in the distance shouted.
"RUN now while he's weak before he kills the rest of us!"
The bandits who had been frozen exchanged panicked glances before bolting into the forest. Long Huang made no move to stop them.
"Trash, aren't you going after them?" Zhao Gun asked.
"Why bother? Not like I can do much anyway." Long Huang shrugged.
The caravan leader, with sweat still beading on his brow, stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Young hero, we are forever in your debt! If there's anythi..."
Long Huang cut in, waving a hand. "Just pay me. Save the speech."
"If you want to repay me, just pay me what you promised. And throw in some extra for damage. That guy's breath stinks."
"Hehe"
A nervous chuckle rippled through the caravan members, their initial terror giving way to hesitant relief.
"What a waste of my time," said Zhao Gun, as he was only here to put Long Huang in his place and seize glory as the one who saved the caravan that the former greatest prodigy failed to protect.
"Yet here you are." Long Huang's eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Admit it, Zhao Gun. You're intrigued by me."
"I am not..." just as Zhao Gun was about to retort, Long Huang interrupted him.
"Admit it." Long Huang continued to press, leaning closer and lowering his voice dramatically.
"You're dying to know my secrets, aren't you?"
"Maybe I'll share them... if you call me elder brother."
"I'd rather fight the Bandit King with both my hands tied behind my back." Zhao Gun turned away.
'Psshh, as if he did anything. Spoiled bastard probably pissed himself,' Long Huang thought.
"Suit yourself."
"But just so you know, the offer expires today. After that, the price doubles. Don't say I didn't warn you." Long Huang said as he used the Bandit King's axe to stand.
'I'm turning out like Huang Min. Such a bad influence,' Long Huang mused, remembering that senior of his with a smile.
Before Zhao Gun could reply, a piercing scream rang out at the pass's edge.
"Ahhh!"
A scream echoed through the stronghold from the edge of the pass.
Long Huang tensed and said to the group. "Prepare for an attack," as he rose from the ground, ready for the attack.
As the rustling of leaves and rising murmurs grew louder, a group of figures began to emerge from the bushes. Long Huang and the others braced themselves, ready to attack, but Long Huang paused, recognizing a familiar voice.
"When I find that idiot, I'm going to kill him myself."
Long Huang, recognizing the voice, quickly stretched out his arm in front of the others, signaling for them to hold back and not attack the newcomers.
'Speak of the devil, and they shall appear,' he thought as the group fully emerged.
That's when everyone realized it was a group of disciples from the Azure Lotus Sect, led by none other than Huang Min. Her expression was a strange mixture of fury and irritation, her robes rumpled from a hasty journey.
"Long Huang!" She called, striding forward.
"There you are. You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried I was...."
Her words paused as she saw Long Huang's condition. She glanced at Zhao Gun, who looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He instinctively pointed at the Bandit King's headless corpse, shifting blame like a sibling.
"...Are you trying to say he injured Long Huang and you saved him?" she asked, looking at Zhao Gun.
Zhao Gun, on the other hand, merely shook his head and looked towards Long Huang.
"What!?... It was actually you?" she said, surprised as she looked at Long Huang.
Long Huang rolled his eyes. "Who else, a ghost?"
"Idiot, just answer the damn question!" said Huang Min, somewhat annoyed.
"Yes." Long Huang replied, avoiding provoking the tigress further.
"Hhhf!"
Huang Min exhaled sharply as she massaged her temple, seemingly fed up with the whole situation.
"Next time, could you at least tell someone before you run off?"
"But I did," Long Huang protested, feeling wronged. Huang Min rolled her eyes, strode over, and punched him.
Thud!
"Ow! What was that for? Can't you see I'm injured?" he protested, rubbing his arm.
"For being reckless," she replied, then, softer: "And for making me worry."
Long Huang blinked, then grinned. "Aw, Min'er, you do care."
"Shut up, it's 'senior' to you," she said, punching him playfully.
"Where's your leader?" asked Huang Min.
"I... I'm here, Young Miss Huang."
"Long Huang's mission ends here; just give him the stamp of completion. I'll leave you a Qi Converging Realm guard in his stead to finish the mission."
"Thank you, Young Miss Huang," said the caravan leader with a deep bow, joy flashing in his eyes as he had just gained a Qi Converging Realm guard for basically nothing.
"Min'er, I appreciate your help, but I have to finish my mission on my own."
" On your own? So why is Zhao Gun here, huh?"
"He decided to follow me, not my fault."
"Well, I don't care if you don't want to leave. Do you think that if something like this happens again, you can survive with those injuries?"
"I can take a few healing pills and..."
"I said you're leaving, got it!"
"Okay, fine," Long Huang said, lowering his head.
The caravan members who had seen him fight couldn't believe this was the same Long Huang who'd defeated the bandits and the Bandit King.
With the mission stamped, Long Huang, Zhao Gun, Huang Min, and the Azure Lotus Sect disciples departed together.
"Thank you for the gift," she softly said. Hearing this, Long Huang just smiled.
Their journey back to the sect was quiet, but news of Long Huang's victory quickly spread. By the time they reached the gates, a crowd was already waiting.
"I still don't believe it was that Long Huang who did it."
"Yeah, I bet he took Young Master Zhao's credit."
"But do you think Young Master Zhao would allow him to?"
"Now that I think about it, no."
In the midst of it all, Long Huang strolled through the bustling courtyard as if he hadn't just upended everyone's expectations. He hummed a carefree tune.
Zhao Gun, trailing behind him like a storm cloud, finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Immensely," Long Huang admitted, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"You...." He swallowed hard, forcing the words out.
"Tell me right now, how did you do it? Did you take a strengthening pill or some other pill?" he asked, his voice now firm as he returned to his usual arrogant self.
"Does it feel like my realm fell, huh?"
"No
"Exactly, let me tell you this, there is nothing impossible to he who tries."
"Hmm, don't get above yourself, bastard. He was likely injured from his battle before you."
"True, he was injured, but truth be told, things wouldn't have turned out differently even if he weren't."
"You were just lucky, admit it."
"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't, the world may never know,"
"I'm heading home," Long Huang said, grinning as he left.
Zhao Gun stared at his back, torn between awe and frustration. This wasn't how things were supposed to work. Cultivation was about hierarchy, about bloodlines and realms, and about unshakable rules. But this monster, Long Huang, broke them all.
What else had he been wrong about?
That night, as stars twinkled above, Long Huang returned home to the western mountains, replaying the day's events in his mind.
Gurrrrrr!!
"Note to self. Next time, bring snacks. Fighting on an empty stomach is exhausting work," he muttered to the ceiling, his voice tinged with frustration.
Gurr!
His stomach growled in agreement. The battle had left him drained, both physically and mentally.
"Hhhhhh..."
He sighed, the weight of fatigue from the fight finally pressing down on him.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
A series of three crisp knocks at the door shattered Long Huang's moment of solitude.