Chapter 33

（Thanks to 'Low Eyebrow Tender Hero' for the support.）

Ding Qi turned to Wu Zhaizhu, chuckled awkwardly, and said, "Hehe, Zhaizhu, this really is an unfortunate coincidence... What do you think...?"

At this point, Ding Qi had a look of wanting to say more but holding back.

However, before Ding Qi could continue, Wu Zhaizhu seemed to have already understood what he was going to say. He then put on a forced smile and said, "This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple. I didn't expect to encounter Brother Ding this time. Since it's Brother Ding, I won't delay your journey. Let's call it a day for today."

Wu Zhaizhu clearly showed that he did not want to provoke Ding Qi.

"Then, thank you, Zhaizhu." Seeing Wu Zhaizhu's attitude, Ding Qi chuckled awkwardly again, then cautiously took a few steps back and got back into the carriage.

"Driver, we can continue our journey now." After getting into the carriage, Ding Qi said to the driver.

Since the encounter with the bandits, the driver had been in a state of fear and had not yet recovered from the panic.

The driver only saw that these terrifying bandits, who were quite wary of the young man on his carriage, but he couldn't understand why.

Now, after Ding Qi's reminder, he realized that the bandits were actually going to let them go.

"Alright."

Although the driver still didn't understand what had happened, he realized that he could escape from the bandits' encirclement this time. He nervously responded and got back into the carriage, pulling the reins and lashing the horse heavily, driving away as if fleeing.

Only when they had driven a considerable distance from the bandits did Ding Qi slightly lift the curtain and see that Wu Zhaizhu and the others were getting farther and farther away, until they were no longer visible. Only then did Ding Qi truly relax.

Just as Ding Qi was relieved, Wu Zhaizhu, seeing the carriage in which Ding Qi was sitting disappear, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That guy is finally gone," Wu Zhaizhu muttered.

Then, Wu Zhaizhu turned to his subordinates and said, "Alright, brothers, return to your original positions and hide. We need to prepare for the next job."

For most of the bandits, what had just happened seemed to be something they were already used to and didn't find surprising. Only a few of the bandits who had recently joined the gang looked puzzled.

"Old Lu, who was that person just now...?" One of the young bandits, who had joined the gang a few days ago, asked someone next to him, puzzled.

The burly man next to him laughed helplessly and said, "Although you've only been in the gang for a few days, you should know about the few people around Qixia Mountain who are not to be provoked, right?"

The young bandit nodded in confusion, not understanding why the burly man was saying this, but soon he seemed to realize something and looked surprised.

"Could it be... that person just now...?" The young bandit looked in the direction where the carriage had already disappeared, in disbelief.

Regardless of the young bandit's surprise, Ding Qi was already on his way back to Qixia Town.

Sitting in the carriage, reflecting on what had just happened, Ding Qi felt somewhat helpless.

Over the past two months, due to frequent trips to Liangcheng to buy things like Beast-Avoiding Powder, he had encountered bandits several times.

The first time was about a month ago.

Back then, he had a conflict with Wu Zhaizhu's gang of bandits.

Don't be fooled by how polite Wu Zhaizhu was this time. Those who knew Wu Zhaizhu's character knew that he was not an easy person to deal with, or he wouldn't have become the leader of the gang. His martial skills, while not comparable to those of major sect disciples, were far beyond what ordinary people could handle.

If it weren't for the fact that Ding Qi's body techniques and sword techniques had already made some progress at that time, it would have been impossible for him to stand up to Wu Zhaizhu and his gang.

Given the danger at the time, a slight mistake could have cost him his life.

Later, Wu Zhaizhu realized that Ding Qi was a tough nut to crack. With both sides wary of each other, he could only let Ding Qi leave unharmed.

Although these bandits were ruthless, they were still a long way from the true martial artists of the Qingyun Sect, who lived a life of sword and shadow, coming and going as they pleased.

They were just after money. Most of these bandits had become outlaws due to the enmity between the Xia and Lu states, unable to bear the taxes and military service. They wouldn't risk losing half their men to go against Ding Qi.

In the end, they could only let things end in a peaceful manner.

After that, Ding Qi, who might have been particularly unlucky, encountered several other gangs of bandits on his trips to Liangcheng.

However, by then, Ding Qi's boxing and sword techniques had improved greatly. These bandits soon realized that they couldn't gain any advantage from provoking Ding Qi, and it would only bring them harm.

Especially as Ding Qi's skills improved over time, these bandits began to fear him.

Ding Qi's name had also spread among the various gangs of bandits around Qixia Mountain.

Most bandits would give him some face, as they did today.

On the rest of the journey, the carriage encountered no other incidents and proceeded smoothly.

The only thing that slightly caught Ding Qi's attention was that, after they left the bandits, the driver would occasionally sneak a peek at him through the narrow gap in the front of the carriage, then quickly turn back, as if afraid of being caught by Ding Qi.

The driver might have thought his actions were very discreet and wouldn't be noticed by Ding Qi, but for Ding Qi, whose senses far exceeded those of ordinary people, it was all too obvious.

At first, Ding Qi thought the driver was curious about what had happened with Wu Zhaizhu and wanted to ask him about it.

However, he soon realized that wasn't the case.

When the driver turned back, his face showed no curiosity, but rather a look of fear, as if he was very afraid of Ding Qi, just like when they encountered the bandits.

"Ah, I see." When the driver turned back again, Ding Qi's face showed a look of realization, finally understanding why the driver was so afraid of him.

The driver probably thought he was some kind of person not to be provoked.

Although the driver was extremely panicked at the time, he couldn't have missed the bandits' wariness of Ding Qi.

A person who could make those terrifying bandits wary was certainly not a good person, the driver must have thought. With such a person sitting in his carriage, how could he not be afraid?

The driver was now afraid that he had just escaped the bandits' den only to fall into a tiger's mouth.

After understanding the driver's thoughts, Ding Qi couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

In the driver's anxiety, the carriage continued to head towards Qixia Town. An hour later, just before reaching Qixia Town, Ding Qi stopped the carriage.

Although this place was still some distance from Qixia Town, there was a mountain path leading up the mountain, which was perfect for Ding Qi to head to Qixia Mountain for training.

As he got out of the carriage, Ding Qi turned to the driver and said, "Don't worry, boss. I'm not a bad person. I just learned some medical skills and happened to save one of Wu Zhaizhu's men, which is why they gave me some face earlier."

Hearing this, the driver realized that Ding Qi was not the kind of person he had feared. He had no need to be so anxious and fearful during the journey. The driver was momentarily stunned.

Ding Qi could have explained this earlier to put the driver at ease, but he felt a bit annoyed that he had saved the driver and received no thanks, only suspicion. So he decided to play a little prank on the driver during the journey.

Now, seeing the driver's stunned expression, Ding Qi felt quite satisfied.

Then, he ignored the still stunned driver and walked towards the nearby mountain path.

No matter how mature Ding Qi's character was, he was still a young man at heart, and this little prank was a reflection of that.