Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 117: Direct Assault on the Bandit Stronghold

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Direct Assault on the Bandit Stronghold

Ah! Damn you, Leng Qi. Why didn’t you say something before? Just wanted to see her make a fool of herself, huh!

Playing with her for fun!

It’s infuriating!

Calming her about-to-explode temper, Cheng Xiaoxiao seriously verified, "So your captain forcefully used a method that damaged his heart meridian, leading to his martial arts level dropping. Is there any way to repair it? And what is this ’Position Retention Battle’?"

Everyone considered Cheng Xiaoxiao one of their own, and Qing Shi didn’t hold back, revealing everything in one go, selling out their chamber’s affairs completely.

One wonders how angry Zhou Yanlan would be if he knew, with such foolish subordinates.

"The ’Position Retention Battle’ is an assessment every six months for each captain. As long as your martial level improves, you can challenge the captain. It’s not that once you become a captain, the position is permanently yours. If someone successfully challenges you, they become the new captain."

Cheng Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, "I see!"

Hmm! It’s similar to modern ranking competitions, where strength speaks. If you aren’t strong enough, you’ll be knocked down. This ensures that every captain is the best and provides endless hope and motivation for those below. If they work hard enough, they could be the next captain.

This Yanlan, quite savvy! Very much in tune with the times!

It’s quite admirable, but then again, what if Leng Er can’t keep the captain position due to his martial level dropping while helping her?

Qing Shi continued in a despondent tone, "It’s tough to repair damaged meridians. Even if Elder Qi intervenes and uses treasures from heaven and earth, it can only barely restore him to his original level. Advancing to the next level is basically hopeless."

This way, doesn’t it cut off Leng Er’s path to progress? Her guilt is immense!

"77. Is there any way?"

Oh! Qing Yi’s issues aren’t resolved yet, and now with Leng Er like this, plus a life at stake, why did borrowing power this time cost so much? Better not borrow next time; she can’t afford it!

"Host, not for now. We’re still pretty weak!"

Cheng Xiaoxiao choked! True, she’s also a weak little thing, always hoping for outside help, but what can she do to help!

Seeing Qing Shi’s eyebrows furrowing enough to crush a fly, it seemed they had no other options either. After all, treasures from heaven and earth aren’t easy to find; they could only take one step at a time.

Just then, a sharp whistle sounded. Leng Er sent a signal that the situation was completely under control, and they could head over.

Qing Shi took Cheng Xiaoxiao over the mountain to the bandit’s cave camp.

A strong stench of blood assaulted their noses. Cheng Xiaoxiao pouted; smelling this scent again was still nauseating.

However, she could face such bloody scenes calmly now.

Inside the cave, torches lit up the four walls. In the middle, a group of bandits had their hands and feet tied with ropes. Each of them looked livid and defiant, trying to struggle to stand but was knocked back to their knees by a club, gritting their teeth in pain.

"Just this many people?" More than that!

Leng Er, knowing Cheng Xiaoxiao had her own methods of investigation, decided to report everything he knew.

"To report to Miss Cheng, there were a total of 912 bandits. The bandit leader, known as the chief among them, took 120 elite members out for robbery, leaving behind 481 adult men and 107 half-grown kids who joined them to do chores. There were also 204 women these people captured to make them mountain brides. The children and women did all kinds of chores just to barely survive. In addition, there were 422 captives held in another cave on a different mountain top."

Cheng Xiaoxiao nodded. This matched the situation reported by the system.

However, Leng Er omitted a fact, perhaps thinking she was too young to handle it. Seeing as the system informed her those captives were being raised as food, she almost vomited up the dried fruits she just ate.

These bandits were worse than animals, raising people to eat them. How could they swallow down morsels like that without their conscience berating them?

"Host, aren’t you humans all about survival of the fittest?"

True, but there must be a line! Otherwise, what’s the difference between humans and beasts?

"Humans are the bearers of civilization. Since ancient times, countless heroes have sacrificed themselves for others. How can one disregard human morals just for mere survival? Such acts are beneath even animals."

System: "..."

Limited knowledge, unable to argue with the host. Humans are really complicated!

The 481 left were mostly farmers co-opted by the bandits with no real combat power. Watching Leng Er and the others cut them down one by one, they trembled in fear, not daring to resist and directly knelt, begging for mercy.

Only the deputy leader of the camp resisted fiercely with over a hundred others, engaging Leng Er and the others in battle for quite a while. Taking advantage of their numbers, they managed to hold off for half an hour before being killed or surrendering.

The other bandits who came to support, seeing the situation going south, dared not oppose and surrendered en masse before the fight even began. They were all forced recruits, joining the bandits out of necessity, never seeing anyone fiercer than the mountain bandits before.

Now, this group of cowards knelt here, eyes darting around thinking of escape, uncertainly as they faced the highly skilled black-clad martial artists. However, seeing that their leader was a small maiden, their cowardly hearts grew bold, thinking their chief could soon be back to rescue them.

"Stupid girl, let us go quickly, or when our chief returns, he’ll butcher you into pieces." A bandit lieutenant said menacingly to Cheng Xiaoxiao.

A sharp-faced bandit ogled the young girl lecherously, "You’re a tender little lass, really pretty. Our chief loves this kind. If you don’t release us soon, he might just ravage you before killing you, hahaha!"

Because they didn’t know how Miss Cheng would handle these people, they had been lenient. Except for those who resisted fiercely, cut down instantly, the others were all captured alive. Yet, these people assumed they must be gentle?

The filthy words were unbearable to hear. Before Cheng Xiaoxiao could respond, Leng Er flicked his sword, slicing the laughing man’s tongue.

Instantly blood sprayed from his mouth, and he howled in pain, rolling and bellowing on the ground.

Trying to curse, yet unable to form a single word anymore.

"Whoever utters another word of nonsense will have their tongue pulled out."

Leng Er spoke coolly, scaring the bandits into cowering silently, not daring to make a sound again.

Cheng Xiaoxiao ordered the 204 women to be brought out. Just as she was thinking about how to arrange things after rescuing them, she heard several women crying, pleading, and hesitantly resisting going forward, fearing the black-clad men would sentence them to death.

Upon seeing their men tied up with hands and feet ahead, they forgot their fears and rushed over, crying and calling out, "Husband, what’s happened to you!"

"Da Qiang, you’re hurt, are you alright?"

"Brother Chao, boo hoo! Does it hurt? Why is there so much blood?"

Counting carefully, thirty women had run into the center of the camp, while over a dozen others, seeing the sword-wielding black-clad warriors with an ominous air, looked worried but too frightened to approach.

Watching the mass "Recognize Your Husband" scene unfold, Cheng Xiaoxiao was speechless and facepalmed.