Chapter 208: The Threat Posed by the Robbers

“The canyon ahead?” Rod frowned slightly as he looked at the valley. Needless to say, he knew this place was absolutely the best spot to launch an attack—surrounded by mountains on both sides, with a narrow and steep gorge in between, it was the ideal location for an ambush.

Following the others slowly forward, Rod secretly adjusted his combat energy to its optimal state, ready to strike at any moment.

Mozanchi’s expression turned serious instantly. All the members had already drawn their weapons and held them tightly, raising their alertness to the highest level to deal with any sudden incidents.

As they entered the canyon, a cool breeze blew. The north-south oriented gorge served as an excellent wind channel, carrying a damp breeze that brought a chill to everyone.

The canyon was very long; its end was invisible at a glance. As the group continued forward, the silence of the canyon felt almost suffocating. Occasional bird calls and the sound of the wind made the environment even more solemn.

“Boom…” A dull sound suddenly came, causing everyone’s faces to change.

“Alert!” At the same time, Mozanchi also shouted loudly, raising his weapon in front of his chest. Narrowing his eyes, he watched carefully around, and a silver-white burst of combat energy erupted around him, making him appear extremely formidable.

In an instant, the grayish combat energy and Mozanchi’s silver-white energy illuminated the valley, adding a sense of vitality to the otherwise dark canyon.

“Leave your stuff behind, and we’ll spare you!” A shout came from the mountains on one side of the canyon. Soon, dozens of masked men appeared on what had been an empty slope—some carrying large knives, some long swords, and others spiked clubs. Their eyes gleamed as they viciously surrounded Rod and his group below.

“What good luck!” Rod sighed inwardly. Just as they were discussing this, they actually encountered them already. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

With a quick glance, he assessed the strength of this group. The leader was a Silver Warrior, with over a dozen Bronze Warriors and lower-ranked fighters. Compared to ordinary robbers, this lineup was quite strong and could easily handle a small mercenary team like Mozanchi’s.

“Vidoc!!” Suddenly, Rod’s expression turned cold as he muttered to himself. He had seen an old acquaintance—Vidoc, yes, the same Vidoc from Blaze City. He never expected that after being defeated by him, Vidoc would still end up in the capital and become a bandit.

Seeing this, a playful smile appeared on Rod’s lips. Though the world was vast, fate could be unpredictable. He never thought he would meet an old acquaintance here.

This guy was truly unlearned; even after being defeated by him, he still refused to give up on evil and started killing innocents.

“Brothers, our Windward Mercenaries Group has no grudges against you. We’re all just trying to make a living. I’m here to do work for others too. Please let us pass. Here’s some money as a token to quench your thirst. Could you be lenient?” Mo Sangqi said politely with a smile, hoping to avoid a bloody fight.

He was aware of their strength and knew that fighting them would leave him with no chance of winning, possibly even costing him everything. They were just lowly mercenaries trying to make a living, each with their own families and valuing their lives. They couldn’t afford such chaos. It would be best to resolve this peacefully; if that failed, then something else would have to be done!

He knew that on the battlefield, nothing was certain—life and death could hinge in an instant. If any member was lost, their mercenary group would face great difficulties. This was something he didn’t want to see.

“Heh, this little amount? Do you think we’re beggars? Drop what you have and you can go. Otherwise—!” The leader of the bandits shook the money bag in Mo Sangqi’s hand and sneered disdainfully. His words made Mo Sangqi furious, his face turning red and blue.

“Show mercy if you can. Giving them a chance won’t cost you anything! There’s no need to be so ruthless!”

Even Rod, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped forward, speaking softly.

He hadn’t planned to intervene, as this was a critical moment, and any mistake could have serious consequences. Moreover, among them was an old acquaintance of his. Others might not recognize him, but he had dealt with Vidoc for years. Vidoc must hate him deeply. If they interacted too much, might Vidoc not even recognize him?

“Who are you? Not one of them? Better get back there right now, or else, hehe…” Rod’s sudden appearance stunned the leader of the robbers for a moment, but once he saw Rod’s face clearly, he laughed loudly. Dressed in coarse linen clothes with a full beard, he looked tough, but it was obvious he was just a country bumpkin. How dare he come here to teach him a lesson? He really had no idea his place in the world.

“Go back? I don’t know how to write that word. Hehe, how about you teach me?” With a cold gaze, Rod retorted with a smile.

“Bastard, die!” Rod’s provocation finally made the robber lose control. Shouting loudly, he swung his club toward Rod’s head with a whooshing sound. Yet, even in such a situation, Rod showed no sign of dodging, leaving everyone’s hearts in their throats.

Mozanchi behind him let out a cry of alarm and slashed at the club heading for Rod’s head, hoping to stop its attack.

“Ding…” A shrill sound came, and sparks flew. Mozanchi quickly pulled Rod behind him and faced the robber, eyes wide with murderous intent, saying, “Brother, this is my friend. He’s new here and inexperienced. If I’ve offended you in any way, please forgive me!”

“Forgive you? Hmph, take care of yourself first!” The burly man sneered disdainfully.

“This guy seems familiar…” At that moment, Ron noticed that Victor behind the burly man was staring at him intently, his eyes flickering as if puzzled by something.

Seeing this, Rod thought to himself, “Oh no. My appearance may have changed, but my behavior, tone, and voice remain the same. Could he have recognized me?” The thought sent a jolt through him, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

“Rod—no, it’s Rod! Boss, kill him quickly! He’s that Knight Rod!” Suddenly, Victor shouted loudly at everyone, as if he’d seen a demon.

Indeed, Rod’s appearance earlier had caught his attention, especially his voice, tone, and eyes. Even if Rod turned to ashes, he would still recognize him.

It was because of this man that he had fallen from his once-high position as a boss to becoming a bandit in the countryside, forced to follow this boss and live a life of oppression. It was because of him that he lost his status as the “emperor” of Fire City and became disabled. This grudge could never be forgotten. Even if he forgot everyone else, he would never forget every word and action of Knight Rod.

Although we haven’t seen each other for over a year, I still dream about this infuriating bastard every night. Just now, as soon as I heard the voice of this bearded, strong man, I felt a sense of familiarity, so I kept staring at him. At first, I couldn’t notice anything, but then his cold smirk and gaze—such a familiar sight—made me inevitably compare the two of them in my mind. Though his appearance had changed, his build remained largely the same, and his every word and action was extremely similar. Thinking of the demon race incidents that have been sweeping the continent these past few days and his identity as a demon, Vidoc wasn’t stupid—he immediately thought of this possibility. His expression changed drastically as he shouted loudly. He understood better than anyone the principle of “better to kill a thousand than let one escape.” Besides, even if he mistook someone, it didn’t matter. If he was right, he would have a chance to take revenge. Killing this guy would even bring him endless wealth and status. Reporting his identity to the empire and various organizations across the continent would also be a huge fortune. At Vidoc’s cry, the robbers were initially stunned, then seemed to remember something, their expressions changing instantly. Naitrod—a very familiar name. Wasn’t he the guy who had been causing trouble across the continent these days? Demons… At that thought, everyone paled slightly and quickly retreated, staring warily at the young man before them. Meanwhile, Mosanchi and the others also retreated in shock. Demons weren’t something to joke about. They inwardly cursed their bad luck—encountering robbers was one thing, but running into a legendary demon? Their faces turned pale, devoid of any color. “Naitrod, you don’t need to hide anymore. Hmph! If others can’t recognize you, how can I? Even if you turn to ashes, I’ll still recognize you. Heh! Everything I have today is thanks to you. Today, I’m going to get back everything, with interest!” With a ferocious expression and a cruel smile, Vidoc shouted at Rod. His gaze never left Rod as he drew his long sword and yelled at those around him, “Kill him! He’s a demon! Once we kill him, we won’t have to be robbers anymore. We won’t have to live this life. Endless wealth awaits us.”