Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest-Chapter 788 - : Sweeping the Rogues (Part 1)

Chapter 788: Chapter 788: Sweeping the Rogues (Part 1)

Holy Ancestor’s Way.

A convoy of several hundred people threaded its way through a long tunnel, armed with swords and bows, their carriages and horses glimmering.

“Time to climb the ladder!”

Lu Qi, at the forefront of the troop, was the first to step out of the tunnel, looking at the spiraling pathway ahead and issuing a deep roar. The dark-skinned and rugged middle-aged man was a seasoned guide.

He had led caravans back and forth on this route dozens of times.

But with each pass of this celestial ladder, he treaded with his heart in his mouth, with utmost caution.

For thousands of years, Holy Ancestor’s Way had been expanding, branching off into countless side passages.

And the world beneath was not just soil and stone; it abounded with concealed rivers, underground caverns, limestone caves, and even subterranean canyons!

During the development of Holy Ancestor’s Way, one would inevitably encounter these rivers and caverns. Some could be circumvented, while others had to be forcefully cut through.

The ladder ahead was one such obstacle.

This spiraling ladder twisted and turned, stretching over a dozen miles with a narrow, rugged, and uneven road, making it incredibly difficult to navigate.

Most crucially, if the caravan were to be attacked on the ladder, it would likely be caught between a rock and a hard place, with the potential for total annihilation.

Lu Qi’s charge, this time, was to convey the caravan to Red Cliff City, where recently the area had seen frequent rogue activity. It was said that a caravan was met with an attack, suffering tremendous losses.

In Lu Qi’s opinion, they should not venture into the dangerous zone until it was confirmed the rogues were wiped out.

But his employer was obstinate, determined to deliver this batch of goods.

Lu Qi knew all too well that without the promise of huge profits, his employer would never take such risks.

And he had no choice; bound by the contract, he had to follow orders and take this risk.

For the sake of safety, before reaching the ladder, he had asked the caravan’s leader to send two hunters ahead as scouts to explore the path.

Should there be any danger, they could give a timely warning.

Given the challenging terrain, the convoy had stretched out considerably. Worried that the rear carriages couldn’t keep up, Lu Qi slowed the pace.

At that moment, he was suddenly overcome by a strong premonition of danger.

Lu Qi instinctively widened his eyes and noticed that, at some point, a menacing shadow had appeared up ahead.

Danger!

The guide opened his mouth to shout a warning, but a feathered arrow suddenly tore through the air and pierced his head instantly.

Thwack!

Lu Qi fell backward to the ground.

As consciousness plunged into darkness, he was deeply puzzled—what had happened to the hunter scouts?

More arrows followed in quick succession.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

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“Rogues, the rogues are here!”

Chaos erupted on the ladder. Some screamed as arrows struck them, others shrank back in terror to dodge, while a few roared as they rushed forward to counter the attackers.

One martial artist, particularly agile, deftly dodged the oncoming arrows, gripping his sword tightly as he quickly closed in on the assailants.

However, among the rogue bandits, a brawny fiend emerged, brandishing a war saber to block the martial artist’s advance.

In a flash of lightning, the two clashed fiercely several times, blades dancing violently against one another.

But the disparity in strength between them was clear. The brawny fiend broke the martial artist’s sword within a few strokes, then brought down his blade upon the opponent’s head.

He reached out to grab the bloody head, shouting at the still-resisting caravan, “We want your treasure, not your lives. Those who surrender will be spared. Those who resist will be shown no mercy!”

His voice boomed powerfully, dislodging dust and small rocks from the surrounding cliffs.

Meanwhile, figures in black attire brandishing crossbows appeared behind him, significantly bolstering his intimidation.

The caravan members looked at each other, many of them lowering their weapons, their will to resist significantly weakened.

It wasn’t that they were weak or incompetent; it was simply that the ringleader of the rogues was too fierce. The head he held was that of the caravan leader, who was also the strongest martial artist in their ranks.

Dispatched within moments by the rogue leader, they stood no chance!

And even though the rogues numbered few, each was an elite, fully armed and prepared—a battle would surely result in the caravan’s defeat.

Once the rogues suffered casualties and flew into a rage, who could survive?

Realizing the gruesome consequences, the leaderless caravan guards threw down their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground.

“Smart move!”

The brawny man dropped the head he held and laughed heartily, “Lads, the feast begins!”

“Aye!”

The bandits responded thunderously.

They stepped forward to kick the weapons dropped by the guards off the cliff ladder, ordered the caravan’s wagoneers to regroup, and then began plundering the travelers following behind.

These travelers had joined the caravan for safety, but now that the caravan was done for, they couldn’t possibly escape unscathed as the vicious and fiercely violent rogues forcibly stripped them of their possessions.

There were those who could not bear the humiliation and resisted, only to be hacked to death on the spot.

With such a bloody example before them, the remaining people were even less inclined to resist.

“Hahaha!”

Suddenly, a rogue burst into maniacal laughter, “Boss, look what I found—a delicate beauty!”

This rogue had just smashed open the compartment of a carriage and, as if grabbing a chick, dragged out a frail woman.

“Help!”

The woman cried, struggling desperately with tears streaming down her face.

The next moment, a young man emerged from the carriage, shouting in grief and anger, “Let go of her…”

Crack!

The rogue swung his blade and decapitated him.

The woman’s eyes bulged in shock, and she fainted on the spot.

The rogue chuckled wickedly, carrying her to the brawny man’s side, “Boss, you enjoy her first.”

The brawny man said with a laugh, “You’re quite the clever one.”

He unceremoniously grabbed the unconscious woman, threw her onto a nearby rock, and then began unbuckling his pants.

He was about to commit the act in front of everyone!

The travelers and the merchant caravan turned their heads away, unable to bear witness, pretending not to see.

Swoosh!

Just as the shameless scene was about to unfold, suddenly, an arrow shot swiftly like lightning.

Its target was the brawny man!

This bandit leader was remarkable; even consumed by lust, he maintained a measure of vigilance, intuitively sensing danger and instantly attempting to dodge.

Thud!

The arrow struck the brawny man’s right shoulder, piercing straight through it and creating a fist-sized wound.

Bright red blood sprayed wildly.

“Ah!”

The bandit leader couldn’t help but let out a painful howl, only for a second arrow to swiftly follow, piercing through his throat!

The screaming stopped abruptly, leaving the surrounding rogues wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

“Ambush!”

A rogue came to his senses, shouting as if his heart was being ripped apart, “Quick…”

Thwack!

An arrow pierced through his skull, entering through the left eye and exiting the back of his head with a spray of blood mist!

The rogues immediately descended into chaos.

They scattered in panic, seeking cover and hiding behind the carriages, just like the traveling merchants had done moments before!

——–

The first update is here.