章 78: A Possible Coalition of Enemies

A light breeze whispered, and the leaves of the trees rustled in response.

Sitting behind a crimson horse, Jun was keeping his inner energy constantly circulating through every inch of his body, without releasing any of it unless necessary.

He recalled an occasion when Kyou Kai mentioned that he was a bloodthirsty monster when fighting, which was actually concerning for someone who only killed his enemies.

Jun's aura was similar to that of monsters, someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong at any moment.

Jun related this to his years of training, and although he tried to improve, he knew it wasn't his fault. The way he had been raised had made him who he was today.

However, in these days dedicated to eradicating criminals and enemy soldiers, Jun had managed to find an important balance to improve in that aspect.

Jun could now clearly feel the amount of energy that went out of control every time he killed, and he tried to maintain balance.

However, the unfortunate reality was that Jun needed to be as ruthless as necessary to win each battle and those yet to come.

"Enemies eliminated!"

Just as Jun was reclining under the tree, a loud voice suddenly rang out. He opened his eyes and saw a scene of ruins at the criminal camp in front of him. Shao approached him, wrapping chains around his arms.

"The battle is over. Shen has captured a bandit and is now looking for you. He says he has something to discuss with you," Shao reported respectfully while looking at Jun with absolute admiration.

"Hmm?" Jun raised his eyebrows, looking a bit surprised. Naturally, Shen wouldn't bother him unless things were serious.

They had been waiting for the enemies to attack, but for some reason, they had stopped about a kilometer away. That's why they had diverted to a camp where they eliminated all the criminals inside.

"Understood. I'll head over now."

Jun pulled a wool bag from his waist and opened it, revealing a bag of nuts in different colors. He placed it in front of his crimson horse and gave it a few pats on the neck.

Watching for a moment as his horse happily munched on the small snack, Jun turned around and followed the cavalry soldier.

After passing several posts, Jun finally found Shen in the depths of the camp.

Shen was a young warrior with a not-so-muscular appearance, but despite not standing out physically, he had an advantage in that he had shaved all the hair from his body.

His ever-alert gaze was slightly troubled. Standing around him were eight cavalry soldiers with swords hanging from their waists. None of them spoke, and a tense atmosphere filled the room.

"What's going on?" Jun asked with a smile, aiming to calm everyone down.

It was rare to see Shen acting so gravely, which is why Jun wanted to be the firm spear rooted in the earth.

"A problem has come up. This guy is the leader of this hideout; ask him yourself." Shen raised his snow-white hands and pointed to the man tied up in front of him.

"Oh?" Jun directed his attention to the man kneeling on the ground. The other man appeared to be in his thirties and stood close to two meters tall. Surprisingly, he had an air of dignity on his face, despite being covered in mud and blood.

'How strange! To think that a man like this could be among the criminals Zhao had released!' Jun thought, a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

A person's aura, inner energy, or Chi revealed what kind of person they were on the inside. Criminals who made a living robbing and killing innocent merchants were usually surrounded by an aura of reddish brutality.

A man like the one before him was rare among bandits. Jun couldn't help but feel a twinge of goodwill toward him, which confused him.

"Are you the leader of this hideout?" Jun took a step forward and asked.

"Yes…" The man straightened up and responded harshly, "We may be bandits, but we never attacked merchants or villages in Wei. You shouldn't have captured me or killed my men."

"Hahaha, it's really rare to see such an 'honorable' criminal like you. Criminals make a living by robbing others, whether rich or poor, so how are you any different from the rest? Besides, good or bad, you're threatening Wei's border, which is why we're here."

"Do you have any idea how many women have been abused by the criminals Zhao has released in this damned forest full of corpses? We're here to kill them all, good or bad." Jun laughed upon hearing the man's words.

The man was left speechless, his face unsure of how to deal with the leader standing before him.

"What value do you have now?" Jun asked before making a decision.

"I hope to exchange the lives of my brothers for information," the man replied after a moment of silence.

"Speak. Let me see what kind of information is worth your lives," Jun asked authoritatively, looking at the kneeling men nearby, wondering why they weren't dead yet.

"It's information that could save their lives," the man responded.

In response, Jun looked at Shen and saw that his brow was slightly furrowed. It seemed like Shen already knew what was coming.

Jun turned his gaze back to the bandit leader and said, "Go on."

"Have you noticed that the further you advance, the more empty hideouts you find? Doesn't that seem strange to you?"

"Are you saying the escaped criminals will be a threat to us?"

Jun knew much but understood that something was slipping by him.

"What if I told you the escaped criminals have sought refuge with a certain man?"

Suddenly, the room plunged into a deafening silence. Jun's lips moved, but not a single word came out. He looked at Shen, who nodded solemnly.

On the other hand, the man looked deeply at Jun, seemingly trying to gauge his reaction.

"All the escaped bandits have gone to seek refuge with the same man, one they call the White Crane!"

Only those present at this moment would understand the significance of those words!

On the journey here, especially during recent operations, Jun had come across too many empty hideouts. In those places, not a single man was seen.

Even so, Jun hadn't paid too much attention. After all, it was perfectly normal for men to flee upon learning of Wei's military arrival.

But if they had all gone to seek refuge with one person, the nature of the whole incident would have changed.

More than a dozen bandit guards together would amount to a force of several hundred men! It would be a force to reckon with!

"Continue!" Jun ordered gravely. This was vital information, and it would be foolish to ignore it.

"I'm not sure if you're familiar with the village of assassins called White Crane. Its leader, Elder Li, is a cruel man with incredible martial arts. More importantly, he's a man who's been amassing his strength with unknown intentions."

"Moreover, he has a fearless personality, making him an extremely dangerous man. Even we, the criminals freed by Zhao, who make a living by stealing, avoid conflict with the military."

"However, the assassins of White Crane are different. Even soldiers are mere targets for them. At least seven military platoons have died at their hands to date. As such, they hold a great reputation among nearby assassin villages and criminals."

"Furthermore, since they usually operate on horseback, the White Crane assassins possess great mobility. We were released here to prevent a Wei invasion; some hunters had noticed many movements, so that was Zhao's decision to stop the invasion."

"This time, you've gone too far with the cleaning of criminals. From top to bottom, not a single man escaped. Out of fear, many decided to join the faction that the assassin village has created, just to protect themselves."

"They're nearby. With no more than a hundred soldiers, you won't be able to stop them. Moreover, I heard they've joined forces with a certain larger group of former assassins. Your soldiers have angered that village, so they'll likely send their assassins as well."

Jun's gaze formed a broad smile. He looked at Shen and said, "Let her know that her target will probably appear in the upcoming battle."

"Understood."

"What are you doing?" The criminal leader here didn't understand.

"Your name?"

"They call me Kain."

Jun nodded slightly and said, "Alright, Kain, your information is useful. If you promise to wait, no one else in your group will die."

"Are you planning to face them? You'll die."

"There's something they don't know, Kain. I am a Black Moon." With those words, he left the wooden house and signaled for everyone to prepare seriously.