With that order, the bandits surged forward, surrounding Rudolph and his n completely.
Originally, they had only planned to rob three people. Now that another group had appeared, they might as well take everything.
Anyone who dared to steal business from Blackwind Gorge would have to pay the price.
Bang! Bang!
The sounds of fists and feet colliding echoed through the canyon. Before Rudolph could say another word, the bandits had already launched a full assault.
His thugs quickly ford a defensive circle around him. Their strength was slightly higher than the bandits’, so despite being outnumbered, they managed to hold on for the mont.
Zora’s lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.
She t Rudolph’s furious glare without fear, casually sweeping aside the bandits blocking her path as she advanced toward him step by step.
"O, Lord Rudolph," she said with a mocking soft laugh, "I didn’t expect us to et again so soon."
Rudolph stared at her, eyes burning with hatred. "Damn woman! You think hiding behind these bandits ans I can’t deal with you?"
Zora let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"From where I’m standing, those lackeys of yours can barely keep themselves alive. Do you really think you still have the leisure to deal with ?"
Rudolph’s expression stiffened. His gaze flicked toward his n, who were being pressed hard by the bandits. It was painfully obvious that they were struggling.
"If you insist on teaching a lesson," Zora continued lightly, "then I’ll give you that chance."
The curve of her red lips deepened.
In the next instant, her figure sprang upward. With a light flip, she leapt into the air, her movents swift and fluid.
Before anyone could react, Zora had already seized Rudolph.
With a clean, decisive motion, she yanked him out of the protective circle ford by his thugs and hurled him away.
Boom!
Rudolph slamd heavily into the ground, dust billowing into the air.
"Cough!" He clutched his chest, coughing violently as searing pain shot through his body.
In his blurred vision, Zora descended lightly, landing before him like a white shadow. Her eyes glead with icy light.
The surrounding bandits, seeing her decisive move, instantly realized that this woman was no easy target. Without hesitation, they intensified their attacks on Rudolph’s subordinates.
Panic surged through Rudolph’s heart. The mory of the humiliation he had suffered earlier that day flashed vividly through his mind. He knew all too well that he was no match for Zora.
"Protect !" he scread hoarsely.
The thugs nearby noticed his plight and desperately tried to break through the encirclent to reach him.
But the bandits were too many.
"Young Master, we can’t get through!" one of them shouted in despair.
Rudolph’s face drained of all color. He had brought n to teach Zora a lesson, only to fall straight into a trap of his own making.
Just as Raphael had said, these bandits were nothing but cannon fodder before real experts.
With Raphael and Alaric Von Seraph making their move, the bandits fell in droves. Wherever the two passed, a clear vacuum ford, bodies collapsing silently to the ground.
Cries of pain and groans filled the canyon.
Seeing this, the bandit leader finally realized the terrifying truth. They had provoked people they absolutely should not have.
With a pale face, he hurriedly stepped forward and dropped to his knees. "rcy, sirs! rcy! We were blind and offended the wrong people!"
Raphael glanced at him indifferently, then shifted his gaze toward Zora, a trace of interest flashing in his eyes.
So that was it.
This woman hadn’t sought trouble, nor had she been frightened into stumbling here. She had calmly used the bandits’ hands to resolve her own problem.
Raphael’s eyes lingered on her for a mont longer.
Her beauty was striking. Even among countless stunning faces, she stood out effortlessly. Delicate features like finely carved jade, flawless from every angle.
Yet what left the deepest impression was not her appearance, but her bearing. Calm, sharp, and unforgettable.
A woman like this, daring to travel alone at night, was never going to be simple.
Turning to the man beside him, Raphael smiled faintly. "Alaric Von Seraph, don’t you think this woman is rather interesting?"
Alaric Von Seraph remained expressionless, his icy deanor unchanged. He cast a lazy glance in Zora’s direction and replied flatly, "What does that have to do with ?"
Raphael shook his head with a sigh, half-amused. "You really are no fun at all."
Alaric Von Seraph replied coolly, his expression unchanged. "That way, there’s far less trouble. If you were like and focused on cultivation, your strength would be honed to an even purer level."
Raphael let out a soft snort. "Strength alone is just self-satisfaction. You spend all your ti cultivating, but that kind of life isn’t for ."
Thrill, conflict, the razor’s edge between life and death—That was the kind of life he wanted.
anwhile, Zora planted one foot squarely on Rudolph’s chest.
Her delicate, beautiful face curved into a dazzling smile, seductive yet dangerous as she looked down at him. "So... you wanted to teach a lesson?"
Her voice was light and gentle, like a whisper between lovers, yet Rudolph’s face had already turned deathly pale.
"I... I only—"
Rudolph tried to explain, but the words caught in his throat. Everything he had said and done earlier was crystal clear. No explanation could save him now.
"Since you wanted to send to the underworld," Zora continued softly, "tell —what do you think I should do to you?"
Her smile blood like a flower, enchanting on the surface, yet the chill in her phoenix eyes deepened with every breath.
"What... what do you want?" Rudolph asked shakily.
Zora’s gaze sharpened, a blade-like coldness flashing through her eyes. "I have a simple policy. If soone offends once, I will just inflict a small punishnt, but if they do it again, I cut the weeds and tear out the roots."
As she ntioned earlier, at first, her grudge with Rudolph had been shallow. A lesson would have been enough.
But he had refused to stop. He had even wanted her dead.
At that point, rcy was no longer an option.
Hearing those words, Rudolph’s pupils shrank in terror. "You— you can’t kill !"
Zora chuckled softly. "How old are you to still say sothing so naïve? If I want to kill, I kill."
The mont her words fell, the sword in her hand pierced into Rudolph’s flesh.
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream tore through the canyon.
"I beg you! Let go! I won’t dare again!" Rudolph wailed, his voice breaking.
At the sa ti, his subordinates had already been crushed under the siege of the bandits. Their money was stripped clean, every last coin taken.
The bandit leader stared at the scene, utterly speechless. His n had already been beaten senseless, yet they were still robbing others. He truly wondered how he had ended up leading such a group of fools.
Just as the bandit leader was about to shout for them to stop, Raphael’s voice drifted over lazily.
"Wait."
The bandit leader imdiately shut his mouth and bowed.
"Watch the show first," Raphael said with a smile. "No rush."
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