The bandits swept downriver and surrounded the mining tunnel where all the miners were sleeping. They lined up in rows and formed a semicircle around the entrance. If anybody wanted to escape from that, it would be almost impossible.

Gray thought of Krish and the three sons still inside. He hoped they would be okay. There were simply too many bandits, almost three or four hundred of them. There was nothing he could do to help them.

The sea of black robes parted and a tall individual walked forward. From his demeanor and stride, it was obvious he was strong and filled with confidence.

The bandit leader surveyed the entire mine before gesturing to some men beside him. They saluted and dashed forward, carrying large bundles of some sort in their arms. They placed the bundles next to the tunnel entrance and then stood back up, awaiting instructions.

But before they could act, a blur shot out of the tunnel. It was Foreman Kang, half-naked and wielding his pickaxe like a weapon.

“Give me your dog life!” He yelled and swiped at the nearest bandit.

Against both Foreman Kang’s and Gray’s expectations, the bandit leader moved like the wind. In a moment, he was between his subordinate and the enraged foreman.

A thin flash of metal met the heavy pickaxe in mid-swing.

Shiiinng!

The force of the impact blew Foreman Kang back and sent him tumbling. Despite his cultivation at the 6th Level of Spiritual Strengthening Realm, the exchange caused him to spit out blood.

Satisfied with the result, the bandit leader stepped back and sheathed his sword arrogantly.

“Foreman!”

“Are you alright!”

Several yells emerged from inside the mine. The miners had woken up and were aware of the bandit attack.

“I’m fine!” Foreman Kang yelled. “Barricade the entrance! Don’t let them come in!”

“Yes sir!”

The bandit leader wasn’t going to allow this to happen and he gestured to his men.

“Do it!” His clear voice echoed through the night.

Bandits around the cave lit their torches, bringing a wave of light to the night. Several ran forward and used their torches to ignite the bundles that were placed at the entrance. These bundles began to burn vigorously and let off a great deal of black smoke.

More bandits came forward, holding more burning bundles. Once the bundles were almost engulfed in flames, they started throwing them into the mine, several at a time.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Fire!”

“Put it out!”

Panicked screams came from inside. The tunnel entrance soon filled with thick, choking smoke that billowed out in huge black clouds. Even so, the bandits kept up their never-ending deluge of smoke bombs.

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“Demon bastard!” Foreman Kang yelled and charged at the bandit leader.

He went all out, holding nothing back. He was their only hope.

The bandit leader obliged and extended a palm to meet the attack. He took the full force of the charge which forced him back several steps. Without skipping a beat, the foreman launched into a series of swipes and smashes with his pickaxe.

In response, the bandit leader’s footsteps quickened and so did his fists. He blocked most of the incoming attacks and dodged the rest.

The two expert fighters traded blows one after another. It was an impressive show of force from both sides but it was soon clear what the result would be. None of Foreman Kang’s attacks with his pickaxe landed while the bandit leader hadn’t even drawn his sword.

After about twenty exchanges, there was once again a flash of silver.

“Ahhhhh!” Kang let out a wretched scream and tumbled to the ground.

A long bloody gash lay across his chest and his pickaxe was nowhere to be seen. Before he could get back up, the sharp end of the sword was pointed dangerously close to his throat. The bandit leader held the sword there and didn’t say anything, waiting for the foreman to catch his breath.

“You… this is no ordinary bandit attack… not with your numbers and your strength.” Kang said between gasps, “So tell me. What do you want?”

The bandit leader put away his sword and looked around, allowing Gray to clearly see his face...

It was Tang Duanmu!

Gray instantly recognized him. After that long journey together and that humiliating defeat, it was impossible for Gray to forget that face.

He didn’t expect to see that asshole here once again. He was also not happy to see that the bandit had gotten a lot stronger. Tang was most likely already at the 7th Level of the Spiritual Strengthening Realm. He had to be to beat up Foreman Kang so easily.

“Foreman is wise and guessed correctly.” Tang spoke in a casual voice, “We are here tonight, not for your gems and spiritual stones but for your people. Surrender now and we will not hurt them. If you resist any longer… then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Foreman Kang’s eyes became downcast as he realized the situation. He made the decision quickly and it was what Gray expected. This wasn’t a winnable battle. Although there were still more miners than bandits, they were all trapped within the mining tunnel. They had no way to fight back as the bandits continuously threw smoke bombs. If they barricaded the tunnel, they would suffocate. If they all charged out, they were simply commoners with almost no fighting experience. They stood no chance.

“We… we surrender…” Kang said. He then turned to mine and raised his voice, “We surrender! Everybody come out!”

The miners heard and reluctantly obeyed. They marched out dejectedly, most covered in black soot. They were rounded up by the bandits and did not resist. One by one, they had their hands tied behind their backs and then to each other.

Gray stopped watching and retreated into his mine. Given the situation, he had no intentions of staying and being captured. He gathered up his spiritual stones in a heavy-duty bag and wrapped the bag around his shoulder. He made sure his precious treasure was secure and prepared to make a run for it.

With pickaxe in hand, he peered outside once again, waiting for an opportunity.

“Quiet!”

“Line up properly!”

“Don’t struggle!”

The harsh yells of the bandits filled the night. They came prepared and had an endless supply of rope. Their targets were the miners from the very beginning. The foreman stood separate from the others with his hands and feet bound. He was the strongest miner and thus guarded closely by Tang and another bandit leader.

After every miner was tied up, the bandit beside Tang drew his sword once more. Foreman Kang immediately sensed that something was wrong.

“What… what are you doing!” He yelled angrily. “Hey, hey!”

"Wait..."

Tang barely managed to say before there was a flash of the blade and the foreman crumpled to the ground.

“Ahhhh!”

“Foreman!”

"No!"

The miners screamed in horror.

“Bastard!” Gray unwittingly muttered under his breath.

He was shocked by the bandits' despicable act. The foreman had surrendered in good faith but he was killed in cold blood!

Gray was so furious he wanted to slap that second bandit down and teach him a lesson. If there weren’t all these bandits around, he would have charged out and given both Tang and that other bastard a piece of his mind.

And yet, in a great twist of fate, his wish was instantly granted because a moment later, Tang turned around and stared straight at Gray’s hiding spot!