Qian Jin’s body shivered slightly. Though he couldn't truly see the appearance of Hua Yan Buzhian behind the metal mask, judging by her eyes and the way she spoke and acted, she possessed a charm no less graceful than Lucifer’s flow, yet subtly hinting at the maturity of Gu Yue Jiaying. "You're afraid?" A hint of childish triumph, the pride of feeling superior, blossomed in Hua Yan Buzhian's pupils: "You're afraid I'll cling to you?"

"Indeed, that is the case..."

Qian Jin nodded with complete honesty. Men generally enjoyed having more than one woman, but when it came to having several, beyond pride there was a corresponding headache. He already had quite a few at home; if she actually lifted her mask and he became entangled with her...

Most importantly! The Qian Family!

Despite having defeated several younger members of the Qian Family who had activated their bloodline powers right outside the Qian manor gates, the Qian Family remained an immensely vast, behemoth-like existence.

The pressure from the Qian Family was a nearly constant weight upon Qian Jin.

On many nights within the Torrent Battle Fortress of Yongliu City, looking at the beautiful, sensuously built women there, Qian Jin often thought, why not just pick one girl and go for it!

It wasn't that he didn't want to; it was that he couldn't!

As a man, he needed to understand what responsibility meant, and he should be able to bear every responsibility that belonged to him. Taking a girl’s body was easy, but taking it didn't mark the end; it signified just the beginning.

For his entire life, he would be responsible for that girl, because once she became his woman, she had given herself completely to him. As a man, he should be responsible for her life, rather than satisfying his own desires and thinking it was over.

Facing the Qian Family, Qian Jin possessed ample spirit, boldness, and confidence, but he also knew that in facing the Qian Family, things could go wrong for him at any moment. Under such circumstances, he could not take a woman's body just to satisfy a man's desire.

"What are you afraid of?" Hua Yan Buzhian lifted her slender finger to tease Qian Jin's chin in a provocative gesture: "I won't eat you. If you don't want to take responsibility, I don't mind either..."

"It is precisely because of responsibility," Qian Jin dodged Hua Yan Buzhian's slender finger and smiled faintly. "A man, upon arriving in this world, is meant to take responsibility. If he can't even shoulder responsibility, what kind of man is he?" "Foolish man..." Hua Yan Buzhian propped her chin in her hand, smiling warmly at Qian Jin: "Do you believe it? In another few thousand or tens of thousands of years, men who know responsibility will become even rarer, and women who demand responsibility from men will also become fewer."

Qian Jin shrugged: "At least, it's not thousands or tens of thousands of years from now."

Hua Yan Buzhian moved closer again, as if trying to corner Qian Jin, looking at him meaningfully: "But, you aren't just with one woman, are you?" Qian Jin could only offer a wry smile. He had thought his life would only involve Hai Qing’er, never imagining it would become like this. The reality was just as Hua Yan Buzhian said—he was not with only one woman.

"I haven't touched them, because..." "So what? Are you going to say you're afraid of touching them, only to die prematurely in battle? Letting them down?" Hua Yan Buzhian rolled her eyes: "You have the power to give them happiness now, yet you don't. If you truly die, then not only will you fail to give them happiness, you will give them endless sorrow. If they remain unwed for your sake for the rest of their lives, will you have done right by them?"

Qian Jin stared blankly at Hua Yan Buzhian; he had never considered this question.

"Perhaps you don't know, or perhaps you actually do know," Hua Yan Buzhian leaned so close her proud bosom almost touched Qian Jin's chest. Qian Jin's back was already pressed against the wall behind him. A voice, fragrant like orchid blossoms, drifted out from beneath the iron mask: "The moment you chose to save me, if I could survive, I would cling to you.

It would be best if I could be your wife! If I couldn't be your wife, I would be your lover! I want to bear your children..."

"Ferdinand..."

"He is fine, but I have no feelings for him." Hua Yan Buzhian pressed her body against him: "The first time I saw you, I thought your style of action was very handsome. The second time I saw you, learning you did something monumental by entering the Demon Territory, I admired you greatly. When I saw you come to save me, when I knew how you dealt with the Bandit King, I knew I had fallen in love with you." "Don't speak, listen to me," Hua Yan Buzhian raised her slender finger to press against Qian Jin's lips: "No woman would fail to be moved upon seeing a man risking his life to save her. Every woman harbors a hero complex in her heart. When I saw you come to save me, when I knew you didn't retreat a single step against the Bandit King, you became my hero."

"Hero." Hua Yan Buzhian raised her pale arms, forming a circle around the back of Qian Jin's neck, her entire body seeming to hang on him as she softly said: "Take off my mask."

"Qian Jin, Qian Jin..." The door was unexpectedly hammered upon with brute force.

Hua Yan Buzhian gazed into Qian Jin's eyes and sighed deeply: "It took so much courage to confess, and someone comes to interrupt. Next time, this person might not have this much courage to confess. Next time, you need to be more proactive..."

Hua Yan Buzhian gracefully retreated back to the bed, lying down quietly, just as she looked when she hadn't woken up—appearing as if she were still asleep.

The wooden door planks groaned under the violent striking, and a little dust fell to the floor as the door shook.

Qian Jin pulled the door open and looked at the excited Te Jiao Fei standing before him, unsure whether to thank him or resent him.

"Found it, found it." Te Jiao Fei excitedly pushed his way into Qian Jin's room without asking, grabbed the teapot from the table, took a few large gulps, and slumped onto a chair, looking up at Qian Jin: "A few days ago, you asked me to help find the Luo Family's goods, and now I've found them."

"Found them?"

Qian Jin's spirits immediately lifted. This trip beyond the frontier had two purposes: helping Hua Yan Buzhian, and accomplishing a very, very important task—locating the bandit group that robbed the Luo Family caravan and figuring out a way to reclaim the loot!

This commercial route beyond the frontier was crucial to the Luo Family. In the future, a great deal of trade would pass through this area, and if the route couldn't be stabilized, it would become very troublesome.

Family Guardians existed largely because merchants required protection from being robbed by mountain bandits and thieves.

As the foremost guardian of the Luo Family, protecting the Luo Family's interests from external harm was inherently an extremely important duty.

Since they had been found, regardless of which bandit group it was, action had to be taken for the sake of the Luo Family's interests.

"Currently, the Ninth Great Bandit Group beyond the frontier is the Pek Bandit Group, the one that looted the Luo Family caravan twice."

"The Pek Bandit Group?" Qian Jin rested his chin in his hand, thinking seriously. He hadn't heard this name; at least, the Ninth Great Bandit Group beyond the frontier a few days ago wasn't called that.

"Yes, the Ninth Bandit Group." Te Jiao Fei explained thoughtfully: "They weren't even ranked in the top ten recently, but thanks to the help of certain individuals, the leader of the Fifth-ranked Thorn Frenzy Bandit Group was killed, and their headquarters was raided, causing them to drop out of the top ten. Black Wind was wiped out entirely, so..."

Qian Jin gave an embarrassed, wry smile and nodded. Black Wind was eliminated by the Eight Desolations Unborn, and the decline of the Thorn Frenzy Bandit Group was directly related to him; even the leader of the Thorn Frenzy Bandit Group was killed by his own hands.

"Do you know the location of the Pek Bandit Group?"

"Why?" Te Jiao Fei looked at Qian Jin doubtfully: "You really plan to go? If you do go, things will get complicated."

"Complicated? How so?" Qian Jin looked back, puzzled: "I am merely retrieving what originally belonged to me."

Te Jiao Fei sighed: "The complication I mentioned is one of identity. You are currently a member of a bandit group. If you go out to look for the Pek Bandit Group, it will easily be misunderstood as you acting under the banner of the bandit group. This doesn't align with the intentions of the Unborn King."

Qian Jin laughed: "I never intended to use the bandit group's identity."

Te Jiao Fei’s face, thick with fat, shook repeatedly: "That's the Ninth Bandit Group. You're not planning to go alone, are you? If the Unborn King won't lend you men..."

"I don't plan to borrow men from him." Qian Jin stood up and gently stretched his body: "I will go and demand it in my capacity as the Luo Family's Guardian."

"Alone?" Te Jiao Fei suspected he had misheard. No matter how powerful Qian Jin was, facing an entire bandit organization alone, it was impossible to achieve ultimate victory.

If the strength of one warrior could determine a war, why would so many warriors need to enlist?

"Of course, it won't be just me." Qian Jin walked toward the door with a smile: "I have my own small circle of associates. Even if many haven't arrived yet, the people around me are enough!"

Enough? Te Jiao Fei grew more curious. Was Qian Jin planning to bring Mu Gui Wuxin? If the leader of this Torrent Battle Fortress acted beyond the frontier, the Bandit King would also have to act. This was the territory of the Eight Desolations Unborn; the intervention of other faction leaders here would be tantamount to challenging his authority.

If it wasn't Mu Gui Wuxin, then who? That prince called Mu Ne Tiance? His strength was decent, but just the two of them? They could handle a small bandit faction.

The Pek Bandit Group had absorbed some strength while Black Wind was being eliminated and Thorn Frenzy was declining. Their current strength and influence were considerable, and taking them down would not be easy. It was rumored that Pek had once killed two top-tier Golden Soul Warriors, and there were rumors he had even reached the realm of Fighting Spirit.

Although they were currently ranked ninth among bandit groups, this was based on overall strength. If compared individually, Pek’s ranking was likely astonishingly high.