The trees in the Fallen Desolate Forest rose toward the sky like skyscrapers, their thick, overgrown branches forming a living wall. A cold wind howled through the greenish canopy, pushing leafy greenery against Yuan Tianzhu's robes as he moved silently through the shadows cast by those giants.
He wore red and black robes, intricate and full of exquisite detail. The garment was curious, seeming to have both long and short sleeves at the same time. The red matched perfectly with the coal black of his long hair, which cascaded like a waterfall over his shoulders. His eyes, ocean blue, shone with a sharp gleam.
Ahead of him were the two bandits he had encountered minutes earlier. One was as tall as a small tree, the other, short like a gnome, creating a curious contrast.
"Big Brother, why do we have to find that bitch? Why don't we just let her rot here? Maybe she's already been eaten by some beast!" grumbled the Second Brother.
"Idiot!" Big Brother snapped, sharply. "It was the Big Boss who ordered us. Do you remember?"
"Oh, right! Hehehe, I forgot… you know how bad my memory is."
Big Brother slapped his own forehead and shook his head in frustration.
'This isn't about bad memory. You're just dumb, period. Don't try to justify it. No one here is as stupid as you!'
Big Brother felt a deep urge to end his life.
Having to listen to so much stupidity day after day was more brutal than any punishment he had ever suffered in his life. Why, of the "thousand demons," did he have to be paired with someone so idiotic?
"Eh, Big Brother, why are you so quiet?" asked the Second Brother, curious, as they walked across the mineral-rich ground of the Fallen Desolate Forest.
Big Brother just waved his hand.
"Nothing much… I'm just wondering where that whore is hiding. How haven't we found her yet after so much searching?"
Second Brother looked at him strangely.
"Eh… Big Brother, you're so dumb. The forest is huge! How would we find her after searching for just a few minutes? And even if she ran, she couldn't have gone far… she doesn't know this forest like we do."
'Me? Dumb?'
The corners of Big Brother's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at being called dumb by that idiot.
After a moment, he calmed down, taking a deep breath — but, of course, not before giving that dwarf a solid slap.
Second Brother gave him a murderous glare, but was ignored.
Yuan Tianzhu, hidden in the shadows, watched everything with a cold gaze.
From the beginning, the two hadn't revealed anything useful, which made him impatient. However, he decided to keep listening, as he knew that they might carelessly spill some valuable information.
And soon they did.
"Tell me, Big Brother, why are we collecting so many women from small villages? Wouldn't it be better to kidnap young mistresses from big families?"
Big Brother rolled his eyes, exasperated.
'This idiot never learns. You explain it, and it goes in one ear and out the other…'
But he replied:
"Of course not, you idiot! Women from small villages may be poor in quality, but they're rich in quantity. Besides, who would dare attack women from big families? Don't you know they have powerful martial artists among them? Not even the Big Boss can face them. After all, he's only at the first and lowest level…"
"Huh? The Big Boss is that weak?" murmured Second Brother, scratching his head.
Big Brother almost tripped and slammed his face into the ground upon hearing such blasphemy.
"Idiot! Do you have any idea how strong martial artists are? Even though the Big Boss is at the lowest level of the hierarchy, he's still a powerhouse compared to common humans like me and you!"
"Hmm… I didn't quite get what you said, Big Brother, but I understand…"
Replied Second Brother, nodding, though he still looked confused.
"Y-you…"
Big Brother was so dumbfounded he stuttered like never before. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it in silence.
'Not worth it… Not worth it.'
Yuan Tianzhu, hidden in the shadows, almost wanted to hug the Second Brother for his "cooperation."
His contribution had been immense, because now Yuan Tianzhu had a clearer idea of the gang's strength. And he concluded they weren't stronger than him.
According to the records from the Primordial Origin Library, every living being could become a martial artist, but not everyone could become a cultivator.
There was a great difference between the two: the former was still mortal. No matter how much he trained in martial arts, his life expectancy would not exceed 100 years. Cultivators, on the other hand, could live as long as the stars and possessed inconceivable powers.
A martial artist could never defeat a cultivator.
With this information, Yuan Tianzhu deduced that the gang had no cultivators — only one martial artist, the so-called Big Boss — who, even so, would be considered just a minor lord in regions scarce in martial artists.
"Big Brother, look here! Footprints!"
Suddenly, the Second Brother stopped in front of a tree and pointed to the ground. Intrigued, Big Brother approached, crouched, and examined the footprints.
Then he placed the palm of his hand on the ground, feeling the edges of the tracks — sharp and well-defined. The soil was still moist and shimmered with water not yet evaporated.
He quickly reached a conclusion:
"These footprints are fresh… that whore must've passed through here. Let's go! Hurry! She can't be far. If we run, we can still catch her!"
"But Big Brother… how do you know it's that bitch? What if it's a monster?"
Second Brother shivered slightly at the last part.
Big Brother suddenly stopped, giving him a deeply exasperated look. He inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly to calm his nerves before replying:
"Didn't you see the size of these footprints? They're clearly human — not a monster's. Besides, humanoid monsters don't live this close to the outer area of the Fallen Desolate Forest. So stop worrying about nothing!"
Without saying another word, he ran after the tracks. He didn't know exactly why the Big Boss was collecting women, but something in his gut told him it was important — especially seeing how enthusiastic the boss was about it. And if he let someone slip away who might know what they were doing… he could kiss his little life goodbye.
Second Brother stood still for a few seconds, hesitant, before immediately following him.
The fear of encountering some horrendous monster alone spoke for itself.
Yuan Tianzhu stepped out from behind thick trees, his expression unreadable.
He had gathered valuable information listening to those two idiots. As for the girl they were about to capture… it had nothing to do with him.
From the details he heard, he immediately understood that someone powerful had ordered the Big Boss to do this. Otherwise, how could the leader of a gang of bandits dare to commit such acts?
It was a bit cliché, yes — but that didn't matter.
What mattered was knowing where he was… which country? Region? and above all, getting money. Without it, one couldn't do anything — not even in a cultivation world.
Right after that, Yuan Tianzhu resumed silently following the two bandits. And after walking a few more meters, he saw the two standing near a shattered tree trunk.
There, he saw a woman.
She was curled up behind it, just a few steps from the trail. If one wasn't observant, they'd never notice her in that endless sea of colossal trees. She wore a thin, tattered dress full of holes that exposed her pale skin. Her face was white with fear, breath cut by silent sobs, and her hands pressed tightly over her mouth.
It was then that the dwarf saw her.
"There! That whore!"
He barked.
In an instant, they were on her.
The woman screamed, but the sound was muffled by a blow. Big Brother grabbed her by her long dusk-colored hair, while Second Brother tied her wrists with a rough rope he had pulled out from who knows where.
"You've no idea how much trouble you caused us, you bitch!"
Growled Second Brother, slapping her across the face in anger.
He glanced at the woman's slender body, whose torn clothes barely covered her skin, and swallowed hard.
His eyes began to redden.
Before he could do anything, Big Brother slapped him hard on the head.
"You donkey in heat idiot! Control yourself or I'll cut that thing off with my machete!"
He lost his patience, irritated and a little embarrassed.
"Can't you control your fucking rabbit libido?"
Second Brother coughed in shame.
From the shadows, Yuan Tianzhu watched them.
His gaze briefly passed over the woman — young, bruised, terrified — but he remained still. He had no intention of interfering.
The forest swallowed them again as the bandits dragged the woman back the way they had come. They walked in circles, making sure no one followed them, until finally entering a narrow path hidden behind a thick curtain of moss.
There, the trees grew denser, the canopy hiding what little sunlight remained.
After a long walk through winding trails, they arrived at the bandits' hideout — a crude structure made of wood and stone.
A large wooden door stood at the entrance, with guards holding weapons patrolling around. Their eyes were devoid of emotion; they simply opened the way and let them pass unquestioned.
Yuan Tianzhu stood at the edge of the clearing, still cloaked in darkness. His eyes glowed with a cold, deadly light.
"Time to hunt."
And then, like a ghost, he vanished into the suffocating silence of the forest.