Aki immediately slipped a hand into his pocket, gripping the [Mega Death Beam] talisman inside tightly. He stood silently for a moment, processing what he had just heard.

“Right. The ambush. That ambush. Ahem, disciple, what is your opinion on this ambush. Just as an educational exercise of course.”

She returned to whispering to him.

“Since you’re suppressing your cultivation base so much and I’m doing the same, they probably think they can take us – seemingly just two lower second realm cultivators.”

But I’m not actually suppressing anything! Can she handle them alone? Is she so nonchalant because she’s expecting me to handle them? How do ambushes even work in this world! Are we going to be just robbed or killed?

Aki was panicking a bit and sent out his spiritual sense to search for presences around him. Immediately, he felt it touch something and the presence touched him back. Just as he realized he may have made a mistake a voice called out from the forest.

“Well boys, it seems like we have been discovered! Let us give our guests a warm welcome!”

The trees on both sides of the road shifted, revealing 6 masked men clad in brown robes. It seemed they had been hidden using some sort of technique.

Aki kept his hand hidden in his pocket and gripped the [Mega Death Beam] talisman tighter as one of the men, perhaps the leader, strode forwards and gave a mocking bow. His mask was distinctly different from the ones the others were wearing – Aki found it hard to pick out his facial features at all. Some kind of concealing artifact?

“Greetings wayward travelers! A rather unfortunate circumstance for sect younglings like yourselves, but such is the will of the world! As you can see, you have no chance against us. However, in our graciousness we, the noble Midnight Marauders, are willing to offer you a deal!”

Aki watched the man with suspicion, he had a distinct feeling that this “deal” would not be one to his advantage. It feels like that leader is not too high in the second realm, and most of these underlings are still in the first realm – only one other second realm among them. How fast can they dodge?

Aki decided to try and gather a bit more information and play for time, so he bit on the hook the man was offering.

“What would this deal be like?”

Despite the concealing mask, Aki got the distinct feeling that a mocking smile was aimed at him. The man took a rigid pose, as if he was about to make a grand declaration.

“Cripple your cultivation bases and cut of all your limbs, and we will leave your corpses intact!”

Wait a minute, that does not sound like a good deal at all!

“Always the same one, does it ever work?” Winter Shade muttered to Aki’s side, seeming to be at ease with the situation. I hope she is so confident for a good reason; this seems like it’s going to come to blows.

The men were arrayed on two sides of the road, three men and the leader on the right side and the other two on the left. They’ve put one second realm on both sides of the road – I guess I have only one card to play. Aki knew he did not have much time before the leader got tired of the play he was hosting, so he chose to act.

Aki had no illusions on his combat proficiency in a situation like this, nor was he the type to conserve resources until they were absolutely necessary. He was the type of man who believed in always starting with your strongest attack, so he did not hesitate as he turned so his pocket was facing the grouping of four men. Without further ado, he activated the talisman in it.

Sensing the intense gathering of energy, the bandits instantly abandoned their play, and began to back up.

“Wait, what the f-”

The leader could not finish his speech before Aki’s pocket tore open and a huge blast of energy enveloped the four men. Aki did not wait to see the effects, right after activating the talisman he had begun backing off just in case one of the men managed to try something. He turned to Winter Gale while monitoring the situation.

“Disciple! Take care of the-”

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He however saw that he was already late, she was long gone. The first-realm cultivator on the left was already collapsed on the ground, head separated from body. Winter Gale had activated her bloodline powers and was busy pummelling the remaining man into pulp. She seems to be doing fine.

Aki turned back into the direction his [Mega Death Beam] had obliterated – he saw no signs of the men. A huge hole had been torn into the forest, cutting a clean passage through all the trees that had been in the way.

Damn, did I just kill someone? It really didn’t feel like it. One second, they were there, and the next they were just... gone. It feels more like I just made them disappear.

He could not however deny the fact as he again felt a distinct resonance from his Karmic Reincarnation Qi string – reacting again to souls passing on. This feels very similar to the time with the snake, but more intense. Is it just because there were three this time?

Aki was not sure how he should feel about taking a life. Sure, they had been demonic cultivators intent on taking his own, but it was still a first for him. He was feeling a shaken but managed to mostly contain it inside.

Oh, looks like Winter Gale finished off her own targets. So she really is just that strong. The remaining man was now also naught but a corpse. His disciple turned to him, letting the ethereal bear ears dissipate.

“Master, you let the leader escape, do you want me to fetch him?”

Wait, that guy survived that? Well, I guess there are lots of different techniques in the world. Best not leave such folk free. Aki managed a cool nod.

“He is yours to deal with, apprentice.”

She disappeared in a flash, and before an incense stick had time to burn was back, holding a pummelled man in her grip. The man was still conscious and babbled in a panic.

“Wh-who are you people? I know things, if you let me live, I can tell you lots! Have mercy great ones!”

Winter Gale tore the mask off the man’s face and tossed it to Aki. The man’s face was too battered for Aki to make out any features, but he certainly was not bearing a mocking smile now. Winter Gale’s face however turned to one as she tossed the man against a tree on the side of the road.

“Hey master, I think I’ve really figured out your [Power Point] technique! Check this out!”

Aki did not have the energy to correct that it was all one word, but he already had a bad feeling about this. On the other hand, he was also somewhat morbidly curious about what was about to happen.

His apprentice pointed a finger at the man, now laying collapsed by the tree. Aki could feel the energy collecting in front of the woman’s finger, gradually forming the energy into the shape of a... bullet? Aki could feel the karmic energy vibrating in it.

“First [Bullet Point]!”

The energy solidified further, and the man began trying to crawl out of the way. Winter Gale however was just getting started, and soon her voice rang out.

* “You are defeated and your life belongs to you no more.”

As she said the words, they seemed to thrum with power. Once she finished the sentence, the [Bullet Point] thrummed one more time, then accelerated forward towards the man. He tried to dodge it, but the [Bullet Point] seemed to be locked on, correcting course unerringly. It did not cause physical harm, but rather seemed to meld into the man’s very being. He struggled fiercely for a moment, but soon spit out some blood and fell still.

Aki was rather horrified by what he was seeing. What has she done to my convenient presentation tool? I don’t think there even is any light Qi in this anymore! Is this some kinds of villainous technique for forcing people into karmic bonds of servitude?

Winter Gale however was not yet done and began gathering energy for another bullet.

“Second [Bullet Point]!”

* “You will surrender willingly and cease all struggle.”

The second [Bullet Point] had an easier time as the man was seemingly out of willpower to struggle. Aki thought he saw an especially malicious expression flash on his disciple’s face. Bullet points usually follow a rule of at least three. He thought, dreading the coming.

Energy began to gather into one last [Bullet Point], and Winter Gale seemed to savour the words for this one.

“Third [Bullet Point]!”

* “Cripple your cultivation base and cut of all your limbs, and we will leave your corpse intact.”

The last [Bullet Point] slammed into the man, and Aki winced as he saw the man glumly sit up, place his hands near his navel and rip apart his foundation cloth. Damn, guess it is really an eye for an eye out here.

Aki really did not want to watch the rest of the display, so he began to walk off. He was soon joined by a disciple who seemed especially cheerful.

“Your technique was so useful master! People always say those lines, but no one actually ever gets anyone to do that!”

What have I unleashed on the world? I am sorry my technique, you have received a villainous cousin.

The horror of the [Power Point] technique had managed to drive away all qualms Aki had been harbouring about having a hand in killing those me.

“Master, I really was not expecting you to start off with something like that. What was up with that talisman?” Winter Gale asked, turning to Aki.

“I have made some modifications to these talismans to enhance some aspects of them. Field testing like this is rare to come by, so naturally I took advantage of the situation,” Aki responded. He had thought up that excuse long before the trip had even begun.

Winter Gale’s expression brightened a bit. “Oh, so I was doing a good thing with testing out that technique just now too, right?”

“Oh- I suppose it must be so then...” Aki responded, not glad at all to be encouraging his disciple’s experiments.

Aki idly gazed at his disciple who was now hopping along much more cheerfully. She may have some worrying dispositions towards villainy. Combat assignments could serve to exacerbate that, so I may have to find a different calling for her. I wonder what wholesome duties I could assign her...

Aki idly flipped around the mask he had received as loot, and the journey continued on.