Chapter 125: A Hero Saves the Beauty

"Well done, very well done." Inside a small courtyard in the capital, a middle-aged mercenary patted his subordinate on the shoulder and praised him. "I never expected you to capture such high-quality goods. Once we smuggle them out of the Yanhuang Empire, we won't have to live with our heads on the chopping block anymore. Rest assured, since you were the ones who brought them in, I, Blood Fiend, will not let you suffer a loss. Per our usual rules, once these two lasses are sold, thirty percent of the proceeds will belong to you lot."

"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!" Upon hearing their leader's words, the group of mercenaries who had participated in the capture expressed their gratitude to Blood Fiend in unison.

"Bang!" Just as the mercenaries were celebrating their success, a thunderous crash erupted at the gate. The heavy doors were instantly kicked off their hinges and sent flying.

Blood Fiend’s expression darkened. A surge of anxiety gripped his heart as he realized they were under attack. Although men like Blood Fiend held no regard for the laws of the Yanhuang Empire, their confidence stemmed from their intimate knowledge of the Beast Forest. Even if they committed crimes within the empire, they had an eighty-percent success rate of escaping the imperial pursuit by hiding in the forest.

However, they were currently still inside the capital. If they were surrounded by the capital’s army, Blood Fiend and his men had no confidence that they could escape. Furthermore, they had just captured two daughters of the imperial family and were on the verge of retiring on a fortune; naturally, he did not want his plans ruined at such a critical moment. Thus, Blood Fiend was extremely tense. Without waiting to see if the intruders were imperial soldiers, he reacted immediately.

"Kill them!" Regardless of who had arrived or how many there were, Blood Fiend issued the order to slaughter the intruders at once.

Blood Fiend clearly held a level of fierce authority among his mercenaries. Hearing his command, none of them hesitated. They raised their weapons and charged forward even before the enemies had fully entered the courtyard.

"Seeking death!" With a furious roar, the sky above the small courtyard suddenly darkened. Before the mercenaries could react, a massive seal descended from the heavens. Giving them no chance to resist, it crushed them all into a bloody pulp.

Blood Fiend was stunned. Although his strength was not insignificant—he was an "expert" who had cultivated battle aura—he usually dealt with mercenaries who hadn't even mastered such skills. This environment made him seem formidable while narrowing his vision; he had rarely, if ever, encountered a true master of battle aura. Seeing Zhou Tian display such terrifying power and unleash a weapon as formidable as the Fantian Seal, Blood Fiend was paralyzed with fear.

The power of the Fantian Seal was absolute; it would kill anyone it struck. Lacking the courage to resist, and seeing that the situation was hopeless, Blood Fiend abandoned even Li Xuexin and Lei Yuelin, turning and fleeing toward the exit.

However, since Zhou Tian had decided to capture him, how could he possibly escape? Without giving him a chance to flee, Zhou Tian flicked his wrist and unleashed the Immortal-Binding Rope.

A shadow flashed, and before the people present could react, Blood Fiend was already bound tightly in the middle of the courtyard. Though he struggled desperately, he was entirely powerless against the rope.

"Are you all alright?" After successfully subduing the human-trafficking ring, Zhou Tian stepped forward to untie Li Xuexin and the others.

"W-we are fine!" The act of a hero saving a damsel in distress, while clichéd, was devastatingly effective on young noblewomen with little life experience. After being rescued by Zhou Tian, both Li Xuexin and Lei Yuelin flushed with a rosy hue, completely unnoticed by their savior. While they hadn't quite reached the point of throwing themselves at him, a deep sense of admiration and attraction for Zhou Tian had inevitably taken root in their hearts.

Zhou Tian, however, remained oblivious to their expressions. While both Lei Yuelin and Li Xuexin were beauties, Zhou Tian had seen no shortage of them since arriving in this world. Not only were his own women just as stunning, but the women he interacted with regularly were also on par with them. To others, the appearance of the two noblewomen might have been enough to command attention, but to Zhou Tian, their looks held little attraction.

He did not linger by their side. After offering a brief, casual word of comfort, he immediately began rescuing the other captives held by the mercenaries.

He easily located the remaining captives in another room and set them free. Afterward, he summoned the capital’s security forces and entrusted the safety of the hostages to them. As for Zhou Tian, he left without looking back.

The capital was currently plagued by more than just Blood Fiend’s gang. After sending him to prison, Zhou Tian still needed to deal with other criminal syndicates. He had made up his mind to be ruthless; if he didn't make these people feel the pain, they would never respect his power. He was determined to make an example of them, ensuring that from now on, these thugs would not dare to commit any evil deeds at the mere mention of the capital.

Subsequently, Zhou Tian fought across several remote locations, killing nearly a thousand mercenaries and capturing dozens of criminal ringleaders. Finally, all those who had been abducted recently were rescued.

Zhou Tian knew that while this phase of the matter might have concluded, the subsequent complications would be significant. Since these incidents occurred within the capital, even though he had rescued the victims, the fact that such things happened on his watch meant he would undoubtedly face his fair share of questioning and bureaucratic trouble.

Knowing the headaches that awaited him, Zhou Tian had no patience for criminal masterminds like Blood Fiend. He ordered his men to make them suffer a little before he brought them out one by one for individual interrogation.