Chapter Two: Revelation

The two warriors stepped down from the carriage right after Xiu Yi, their movements perhaps spurred on by his own, as if unwilling to appear more cowardly than a child.

The bandits—dozens in number—were a motley crew, each clutching a weapon. Most wielded heavy axes, a cumbersome choice ill-suited for the battlefield but perfect for intimidation during a roadside ambush—the psychological impact of such brutal arms was far greater than that of ordinary swords or knives.

The outlaws had already surrounded the carriage.

“Forty-six in total,” Xiu Yi noted instantly, assessing their numbers. All were burly men, yet only a handful had any experience with battle aura cultivation.

One of the warriors’ faces darkened. “Most of them can be handled, but their leader wields battle aura.”

“Damn it!” the other cursed under his breath.

They were both merely second-rank warriors, and even facing the enemy’s leader alone would be a trial.

“Lay down your weapons; this is a simple robbery. There’s no need to throw your lives away for a bit of wealth. Money is replaceable—your lives are not.” The leader, a burly man with a massive greatsword slung over his shoulder, spoke to Xiu Yi and the warriors with arrogant composure.

Xiu Yi mused that this was surely a well-paid line for would-be robbers—so much more civilized than “This road is mine!”

Despite the chill in the air, the bandit leader wore only a short, snug jacket, his hairy chest bare, muscles bulging for all to see.

His gaze was fixed on the two warriors. Should they go berserk, there might be casualties—something he wished to avoid. Peacefully stripping his victims of their valuables was the ideal outcome.

Xiu Yi concealed a small dagger within his sleeve and whispered to the warriors, “Will they kill us?”

One licked his lips. “Hard to say. If we surrender our weapons and goods, perhaps they’ll spare our lives—but I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Then I’d rather fight to the death,” declared the other.

The two exchanged a look, and the pride and honor of warriors welled up in them. With a unified shout, they raised their swords and charged at the bandits.

“Damn fools,” the leader spat, cursing.

He knew only he could handle the two warriors, so he roared, brandishing his greatsword as he surged forward. “I’ll keep these two busy—go rob the carriage!”

“Leave it to us, boss,” a scar-faced bandit grinned, lumbering toward Xiu Yi. “Not every day you see a kid with guts,” he sneered.

The two warriors clashed with the leader, the battle fierce and chaotic. The leader was strong and ferocious, flanked by several of his men. One held a crude crossbow, loosing bolts at the warriors, making their struggle all the more desperate.

Xiu Yi watched with calm detachment, as if oblivious to the impending danger.

The scar-faced bandit lunged for him, laughing. “Cat got your tongue, boy?”

“No, I simply can’t get excited about a skirmish of this level,” Xiu Yi replied blandly.

A flash of steel—his dagger struck, and the bandit howled, snatching his hand back. Blood poured from a gaping wound in his palm.

“Get him!” the bandit roared.

A crowd of outlaws surged toward Xiu Yi.

“All-powerful spirits of the wind, let me feel your presence, let me bask in your radiance… heed my call… Wind Soar, Elemental Convergence!”

Xiu Yi’s voice was a low incantation.

The wounded bandit blanched at the chant. A mage? The boy was a mage?

All were momentarily stunned.

His duel with Aburite had been transformative for Xiu Yi. Not only had he shattered his own spatial talent barriers and improved as a warrior, but he’d also unlocked the secret of dual spellcasting.

Dual spellcasting was the further expression of a mage’s innate talents—akin to the difference between increasing one’s battle aura and mastering its use. Simple in theory, fiendishly difficult in practice, for it demanded exquisite control over magical elements.

Since leaving Laurel City, Xiu Yi had been experimenting with dual spells, finding his first breakthrough in wind magic. Perhaps it was his natural affinity for wind, though ironically, his wind elemental talent was highest while his wind spells were weakest—until just yesterday, he’d only barely reached the edge of the second rank. Fortunately, combining lower-rank spells was far easier, and so, after only a few days, he had mastered the essentials of wind dual casting.

As he chanted, the wind elements swiftly gathered at his side.

They swirled around him, forming a vortex with Xiu Yi at its eye—a miniature tornado that cocooned him entirely.

The bandit leader gaped, as did the warriors and their adversary, all momentarily forgetting their own fight.

Now, the rising currents enveloped Xiu Yi in a towering wall of wind, over ten meters high.

“A tornado! It’s a tornado!” one bandit shrieked in terror.

Tornadoes—formidable high-level wind spells. A mage could conjure one to sweep away anything, even tear enemies to shreds.

But this was a fifth-level spell. The bandits couldn’t fathom how a mere boy could wield such power.

They all retreated in panic, the boy’s silhouette a blur amid the raging wind.

A cold, cruel smile flickered on Xiu Yi’s face as the wind carried his voice to their ears. “No, this is not a tornado.”

He sprang forward, the wind propelling him at the bandits.

A burly outlaw swung his heavy axe at the whirlwind, but the gale spun past him in a flash, suddenly appearing at his back. Xiu Yi’s form flickered in the storm, his bright dagger plunging into the inside of the outlaw’s thigh.

“Gale Strike!” His voice was cold, implacable.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out. Xiu Yi was already upon his next target.

The whirlwind swept across the plain, as though it had eyes, hunting down the bandits. Xiu Yi moved at dizzying speed, his form a tornado darting unpredictably across the field.

The forty-plus bandits saw only whirling gusts weaving through their ranks, until one after another dropped to the ground.

Each one was stabbed through the inside of the thigh by that ruthless youth—crippled, but not killed.

“Damn it, run!” the leader shrieked, seeing the carnage.

He turned and bolted.

A glint of ice flashed in Xiu Yi’s eyes. “Do you think you can escape?”

The gale chased after the fleeing leader.

His dagger, flickering with cold light, shot out like a comet at the man. The leader’s reflexes were sharper than his men’s; without looking back, he swung his greatsword behind him.

A crisp clang rang out as blade met blade, sparks flying.

Having deflected the blow, the leader spun, sweeping his sword in a wide arc—a feigned retreat, meant to catch his pursuer off guard and cleave the mage in two. It was a trick that had won him many a fight against stronger foes.

But his quarry’s form suddenly blurred, the storm lifting Xiu Yi’s body skyward like a nimble bird. With a graceful arc, he landed lightly behind the leader.

“A fine counter, indeed,” came the youth’s voice from behind him. “You almost had me. You’ve taught me something: never underestimate a defeated foe.”

The dagger pressed cold and sharp to the bandit’s throat.

The attack had come as swiftly as a storm and vanished just as quickly. Before anyone could react, Xiu Yi had subdued every bandit with ease.

The carriage’s passengers stared, dumbstruck. The youth’s elegant footwork, the whirling wind, and his lightning-quick, precise strikes had left every heart pounding.

There were many on this continent who could defeat a band of outlaws, but few could transform a battle into a dazzling performance—maintaining grace and composure even amid mortal danger.

From the moment the leader fell, the bandits’ morale shattered, yet Xiu Yi showed no intention of sparing any of them.

The wind carried him swiftly from one side to the other, intercepting every would-be escapee with ease.

Only when the last bandit fell did the gale disperse, and Xiu Yi reappeared, standing quietly among the groaning outlaws, his expression thoughtful.

He seemed lost in contemplation.

“He’s… he’s Xiu Yi Grelle! The boy who killed Aburite!” a passenger exclaimed at the window.

In that instant, everyone realized the truth.

Yes, for travelers from the Versar region, only Xiu Yi Grelle could have accomplished such a feat.

“My god, we’ve been sitting with an imperial fugitive this whole time,” Mr. Blair shrieked, looking more terrified than before.

After all, the bandits wanted only money, but Xiu Yi Grelle—by all accounts—was a cold-blooded killer.

“No! I don’t believe it,” Nancy protested. “He’s a good person!”

“That’s because he changed your child’s diaper?” her husband retorted angrily.

“At least he’s behaved like a gentleman all along—a far cry from you!” Nancy shot back, undaunted.

Blair’s anger flared, but before he could retort, he saw the youth’s gaze had settled on the carriage.

Xiu Yi approached.

The two warriors tensed, as if facing a mortal threat.

Having seen the boy dispatch all the bandits, they knew his strength eclipsed theirs by an unbridgeable gulf.

And from any angle, the boy had every reason to silence them.

They were on edge.

He stopped near the carriage and called out, “A pity, really. I had hoped to journey with you all in peace to the end, but trouble seems to follow me wherever I go. It appears I can’t travel with you any longer, and, clearly, you’ve guessed my identity. I doubt I’d be welcome among you now, would I?”

It was a question that required no answer.

Nancy stared at Xiu Yi in a daze, unable to reconcile the boy smiling and chatting with her only half an hour earlier with the reality before her. Just days ago, Blair had joked about the fearsome Xiu Yi Grelle changing their son’s diapers.

Yet now, it was all true.

It felt like a dream.

The child in her arms reached for Xiu Yi, delighted. In the past two days, he and the boy had become quite close.

This made Xiu Yi sigh. Of everyone here, only this little one was unafraid of him.

“May I hold him one last time?” he asked Nancy.

She nodded numbly, powerless to refuse—and she could see in his eyes he meant no harm.

He took the child, planting a gentle kiss on his chubby cheek. “Alright, Paddy, Brother Grelle can’t travel with you any longer. Sorry I never told you my true name, but now you know—it’s not too late, is it?”

He left a kiss on the boy’s cheek.

The child giggled happily.

After playing with him a moment, Xiu Yi returned the boy to Nancy, then looked to the two warriors.

They exchanged glances, then bowed deeply. “Whoever you are, you saved the lives and property of everyone on this carriage. We owe you our sincerest thanks. You have our word as warriors: we will not speak of this to anyone.”

“I promise as well,” Nancy said quickly.

The passengers all pledged the same, swearing not to betray his whereabouts.

“Thank you, but I prefer a different assurance,” Xiu Yi replied, startling them.

Leisurely, he produced several ordinary gemstones—lacking any magical properties—something he had prepared in advance, never expecting to use them so soon. He handed one to Nancy. “One for each of you. If you’re ever strapped for cash, sell it. But if anyone is foolish enough to betray my whereabouts, the gem will be confiscated. That puts my mind at ease.”

He smiled.

The passengers stared at him, amazed by his composure and generosity—far beyond anything they had imagined.

The carriage rolled on. Nancy, gazing back at Xiu Yi as he stood sending them off with his eyes, clutched the gem in her hand and murmured softly, “No matter what they say, I can’t believe he’s a ruthless villain.”

“Nor do I,” echoed every passenger with a sigh.

As the carriage faded into the distance, Xiu Yi’s gaze returned to the bandit leader.

“Now then, I believe it’s time to settle accounts, don’t you think? After all, you ruined my travel plans—I meant to head into the mountains, but you forced me to stop here.”