"Lump, how far are we from the next village?"
The bandit leader kicked the worn-out horse beneath him with his stirrup as he spoke, turning his head to ask the men behind him.
"Boss, about eighty li more."
"That village's called Niujia Village, I think."
Lump quickly lowered his head to glance at the map in his hands before answering.
"Eighty li, huh?"
The bandit leader swept his gaze across his men and barked,
"Brothers, stay sharp! Wipe your blades clean and ready your hunting guns. Once we reach Niujia Village—leave no one alive! Kill them all!"
"Boss, before we start killing… can I blow off some steam first? It's been three days already!"
"You wanna blow off steam? You'll wait until the boss is done first!"
"Exactly! Boss, these days haven't been livable—we're all pent up!"
The other bandits chimed in, voicing their desires.
"Hmph! If you idiots weren't so obsessed with women, would we have been driven off by those soldiers?"
"Forget it. Once we reach Niujia Village—after everyone's had their fill, leave no one alive!"
Just as the leader finished speaking and kicked his horse forward again—
A cold voice suddenly rang out beside them.
"Leave no one alive?"
"This humble Daoist is curious—what grave sin have the people of Niujia Village committed for you to slaughter them all?"
"Would you care to enlighten me?"
Startled, the bandit leader instinctively tightened his grip on the reins and looked ahead.
At some point, a young man in a gray Daoist robe had appeared before them, standing calmly in the road.
It was Gojo.
"So it's just a Daoist priest!"
The bandit leader looked Gojo up and down. Seeing that he carried no weapons, he burst into laughter.
"And you think you're qualified to question me?"
"I kill whoever I want—what's it to you?"
He shot a glance at the bandit with lumps covering his face and said coldly,
"Lump, kill him!"
"Your luck's run out, running into us here."
"Next life, stay up in the mountains like a good little monk!"
With a savage grin, Lump urged his horse forward, raising his blade as he charged toward Gojo.
Clearly, in his eyes, Gojo wasn't even worth a bullet.
In this era of warlord chaos, where human life was as cheap as grass—
A single bullet cost far more than a man's life.
As the bandit closed in, Gojo immediately circulated his qi, pushed off the ground, and leapt forward. His hand shot out, grabbing the man by the head.
His movement was like lightning.
In an instant, he dragged Lump off his horse and slammed him into the ground.
Then, with a squeeze—
The man's head burst like a watermelon.
"Lump's dead!"
"Demon Daoist!"
"He's a demon Daoist!"
Seeing Gojo's clean, ruthless action, the bandits were terrified. Instinctively, they pulled their reins, trying to flee.
But before they could even turn around—
Gojo had already picked up the hunting gun from the fallen bandit and aimed it at them.
The next moment, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out as bullets tore through the air, striking each bandit squarely in the head, ending their lives instantly.
In the blink of an eye—
The bandits who had just been shouting arrogantly on horseback were all dead.
Only the leader remained.
Witnessing such a horrifying scene, the leader was completely shaken. His mouth hung open, his legs trembled, and he clutched the reins tightly just to avoid falling off his horse.
"Dao… Daoist Master…"
"This lowly one failed to recognize your greatness—please spare my life!"
Seeing the gun now aimed at him, he hurriedly begged,
"I was just joking earlier—!"
Before he could finish—
Gojo had already pulled the trigger.
The bullet pierced straight through his forehead, ending his life instantly.
"..."
Looking at the corpses scattered around, Gojo took a deep breath. He silently recited a calming incantation before slowly exhaling.
Although this was his first time killing—
With the memories of his Naruto-world counterpart, he didn't tremble or hesitate.
After all, that version of him had crawled out from piles of corpses and had killed more than a few ninja just to survive.
He wasn't some sheltered child who had never seen blood.
"You lot… try to be better people in your next lives."
Shaking his head at the bodies, Gojo turned and left.
Bury them?
He had no such intention.
If he hadn't appeared here, would these bandits have buried the villagers of Niujia Village after slaughtering them?
Besides, from their conversation, it was clear this wasn't their first massacre.
Ending them so quickly was already too merciful.
Soon, Gojo returned to where he had been before.
Zhang Jingqing and Zhang Zhiwei were already awake, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Gojo bowed.
"Master, I've returned."
"Well done."
Zhang Jingqing nodded in acknowledgment.
Beside him, Zhang Zhiwei looked at Gojo with a grin.
"Junior Brother Su, why did you use a gun instead of the techniques you learned on Longhu Mountain?"
"Uh…"
Gojo paused for a moment before replying,
"If there's a gun, why wouldn't I use it?"
"They're not cultivators. Using a gun is faster and more convenient. And no one can tell who killed them."
"Heh, not bad. For your first time leaving the mountain, that's quite the insight."
Zhang Zhiwei praised him with a smile.
"Rare, truly rare."
Zhang Jingqing glanced at Gojo and said,
"When you're out in the world, you must remain cautious."
"Some cultivators can conceal themselves, appearing no different from ordinary people. Have you considered—what if the first person you killed was one of them in disguise?"
"So when you act, you should always be circulating the Golden Light Incantation."
"And once you move, strike like thunder—kill them instantly."
"Don't give them even the slightest chance to react or speak."
"Understood?"
Listening to his master's guidance, Gojo nodded firmly.
"Understood!"
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