Chương 91: Siege of the Leopard Stronghold

We marched out of Kailume on the official gravel road in perfect formation, ready for the worst, as everyone rested their minds with their hands on each weapon, ready to attack or defend if needed. Four hundred elites from the four agencies moved as one long line, and each agency guarded its own supply carriage filled with food, water, and strong healing herbs that could close wounds faster. After eleven kilometers, the gravel ended.

The new road ahead was dilapidated and broken, full of deep cracks, overgrown weeds, and scattered bones. Trees on both sides looked hacked and burned, the clear mark of a heavy bandit presence. The deeper we walked, the worse it became. Abandoned carts lay overturned, old bloodstains had turned black on the dirt, and the air smelled of smoke and rot. We were slowly but surely walking into their territory. The huge bamboo forest finally appeared before us.

The stalks towered over two hundred meters tall and were nearly two meters thick, glowing in an unnatural, vibrant parakeet green even in daylight. On one hand, it was mesmerizing in its shaped beauty, but it also gave the forest an oppressive feeling, as if it were alive, and as if thousands of eyes watched us from between the dense stalks, ready for a sudden shift. The four leaders gathered quickly. Mo spoke first, his voice heavy.

"This forest is a known death trap. Sharp bamboo traps are everywhere. Please watch your step from now on and take small steps. That way we can spot the traps and fight back better. Tell that to each of our units." He then air-walked up high, spotted something, and came back down holding a thin silk thread connected to a sharpened bamboo spear.

"One trip and this thing shoots at over a thousand kilometers per hour. It will skewer weaker fighters. Even for us it is annoying to deal with. Cut the threads before advancing." Woushal frowned.

"We cannot cut the entire forest. It would take days, also i saw it quickly regrowing the cut parts." Shiqifan nodded.

"Agreed. We move in zigzag formation. Each agency takes a section. Leaders stay in the middle line. Strongest fighters at front and back." Zhuofing the Dirty Finger looked at all of us.

"We do not know how many outposts there are. The merchant says only the main stronghold matters, but we have no living guide. We move carefully." After a short but tense discussion, we entered the deeper section of the bamboo sea in a wide zigzag formation. Not even twenty minutes had passed since we entered the glowing bamboo sea before we had destroyed or triggered forty-three traps. Some were old and rusted, triggered by nothing but the wind.

Others were freshly made, where the bamboo spears were still green and the silk threads were barely weathered. Every few steps we had to stop. Mo's men cut threads in the air while our soldiers smashed hidden pressure plates on the ground. One underground trap suddenly burst open beneath one of Woushal's men, shooting a razor-sharp bamboo stake upward so fast that it punched straight through his thigh before we could react. He screamed as blood sprayed across the glowing green stalks.

We patched him quickly with strong healing herbs, but the message was clear. The bandits were playing a deadly time game with us. They wanted to bleed us slowly, wear us down, and exhaust our Animo before we even reached the stronghold of theirs. The forest grew even denser, the parakeet-green stalks pressing in on us like living walls. The air became thicker, heavier, filled with the scent of damp earth and distant blood.

Then came a huge rustling sound, like a thousand snakes slithering through dry leaves, but far louder. The entire bamboo sea seemed to shake. Three terrifying figures dropped from the canopy and landed directly in front of our walking formation, each one radiating killing intent that pressed down on us like a mountain. The Three Great Hounds of Zhenhai had arrived. Leading them was Shufan the Maddog — only 1.

56 meters tall, completely bald, his entire face a nightmare of ugly scars that twisted his features into a permanent snarl. He walked on all fours like a feral ape, knuckles dragging on the ground. In his right hand he carried a massive Tiger Fork made of red iron-coal, the weapon bigger than his entire body. Beside him stood Haifa the Male Reaper — 1. 80 meters tall with a wild, strange brown hairstyle. He carried a huge custom-made peasant scythe, its blade covered with 121 carved X marks.

He licked the edge of the blade slowly, grinning like a devil who had already tasted sin. The last one, standing slightly ahead, was Bushan the Crazed Heart Eater — 1. 77 meters tall, short black hair, wearing elegant black glasses with blue accents. He looked the most reasonable and calm of the three, yet something deeply insane lurked behind those lenses. Zhuofing the Dirty Finger stepped forward with rage, his Animo flaring.

"So you vile perverted monsters now work for Master Bao?" Shufan threw his head back and laughed like a rabid dog, the sound echoing through the bamboo.

"Oh, brothers, our reputation precedes us, does it not? You actually know about our past? Seven years ago, we massacred Banker Hifi and his entire entourage outside Qilai City. We enjoyed every woman we caught, young or old, it did not matter. We cut the dicks off the men while they were still alive and fed them to their own wives, or ate them ourselves. We burned everything to the ground. All for coin and true freedom. Because coin and freedom are the only true paths in this fucking life that a man can enjoy!"

Haifa licked his scythe again, his eyes gleaming with perverted pleasure.

"We lost our precious Vagabond licenses after that, but we gained true freedom. No more pretending to be honorable Agents of the State. Now we take what we want, when we want. For example, that well-built man's tail has to be a tasty one." He pointed a fierce motion at the area between Mo's legs, mocking his pissed face. Bushan adjusted his glasses with a calm smile that somehow felt more terrifying than the other two.

"Enough nostalgia. Our Overlord Number 21, Master Bao, has ordered your deaths. Prepare yourselves, little agencies. Today the Bamboo Sea will drink deeply on your blood." The battle exploded without warning. Four hundred of us against twelve thousand intermediate-level bandits who had been hiding themselves until the keyword "drink deeply" was uttered, and the Three Great Hounds. It was pure, unrelenting carnage.

All three Hounds activated their Vestutos at once and charged straight toward our leaders like demons released from hell. Shufan the Maddog transformed first. His Soul Attribute Vestuto erupted in a thick layer of swirling grey mist that solidified into jagged, bone-like armor plates across his small, ape-like body. His scarred face became completely hidden behind a terrifying dog-skull mask, empty eye sockets glowing with malicious silver light. His Tiger Fork grew even larger, wrapped in soul chains.

He dropped to all fours and howled, "Come here, big panda Mo! I'll blind you and rip your throat out!" Haifa the Male Reaper activated his Fire Spirit Vestuto. Crimson flames exploded from his back in the form of long, whipping fire lashes that cracked like living whips at two to three thousand degrees. His peasant scythe ignited with hellish flames, the 121 X marks glowing bright red. His eyes burned with sadistic lust as he laughed, "I'm going to cut every dick here and cook them fresh!"

Bushan the Crazed Heart Eater underwent the most disturbing change. His Inner Dark World Vestuto swallowed him in writhing black and violet energy. He grew taller, fangs sprouting from his mouth as dark spirit armor formed around him, creating sleek, monstrous plates that looked like living shadows with pulsing red veins. Two double swords appeared in his hands, dripping with dark energy. His glasses remained, but his eyes behind them turned completely black. He spoke calmly, yet his voice carried pure insanity.

"I only need one heart today, and I already smell something delicious not far from me. Hmmm, sniff, sniff. I will find youuuuu—" Mo met Shufan head-on. His earth attribute Vestuto swelled violently, growing to a full three meters tall in his mystical giant panda form. Thick earthen armor covered his body like ancient stone plating, massive claws extending from both hands and feet. The ground trembled with every step he took.

"You talk too much, little dog!" Mo roared as their clash sent powerful shockwaves that snapped dozens of thick bamboo stalks around them. Woushal and Shiqifan fought Haifa together. Woushal played a sharp note on his iron-coal flute and summoned his Water Gate. A shimmering blue portal appeared around them as he transformed into a towering humanoid kraken. Eight powerful tentacles with pinching nobs sprouted from his back, his large water-ring chakrams spinning on his shoulders like deadly buzzsaws.

Ink cannons on his shoulders charged with dark liquid. Shiqifan activated her Have Light Presence Vestuto beside him. Her armor turned pure radiant white, glowing with angelic aura. Her shield grew heavier with "Presence," and her halberd gained a second razor edge at the bottom.

"You will not touch anyone here, you filthy animal!" she shouted, charging forward like a moving fortress. Zhuofing the Dirty Finger collided violently with Bushan. His Nian/Taotie Earth Vestuto flared to life into a weathered jade, cold iron, and oxidized bronze armor forming around him as his special gauntlets began accumulating damage percentage.

"You heart-eating scum! I'll crush that twisted head of yours!" Zhuofing roared, throwing a punch that made the gauntlet glow at 15% power. Around us the rest of the bandits swarmed like a locust plague. I activated my Cor Flamma Vestuto. Red and orange flames roared across my body as I cut through wave after wave of enemies, Elsa di Fuoco aura blade slashes burning men in half.

"Stay together!" I shouted to the Golden Tooth soldiers beside me.

"Don't let them surround us into smaller clusters!" Xihua's Phantasmal Incense Vestuto filled the battlefield with thick smoke as her thorn whips lashed out viciously from every direction.

"These dogs are even worse than I imagined," she growled around her pipe. Xhife bounced through the chaos in his Wind Demon Monkey Vestuto, black-green fur glowing with emerald patterns, staff spinning like a hurricane.

"These bastards are fast, but I'm faster!" he yelled, smashing skulls left and right. The entire battlefield turned into a storm of blood, fire, smoke, screams, and clashing steel. We were winning… but slowly. Every minute cost us some lives. After twenty-one brutal minutes of nonstop fighting, the Three Great Hounds suddenly disengaged and retreated with their remaining forces, vanishing back into the dense bamboo like ghosts that were never there in the first place.

Before leaving, they mocked our leader, each delivering a final sentence. Shufan, the Mad Dog, sneered, "I will soon tear and wear your skin as new clothes for my collection." Haifa, the Male Reaper, cackled, "Your dick is going into my salivating mouth once I cut and cook it thorougly, hehe." Finally, Bushan, the Heart Eater, whispered, "Hmmm, my soon-to-be-eaten special heart, we will connect, I have a good feeling." Then, they all disappeared, all because of a sudden noise from the back.

But as they withdrew, Bushan the Crazed Heart Eater turned his head and stared directly at me with a disgusting, perverted hunger that made my skin crawl. I had a feeling that what he said was directed at me, not at his current opponent. His black eyes behind the glasses were wide with obsessive greed, drool slowly dripping from the corner of his fanged mouth as he licked his lips.

"That heart flame…" he whispered hoarsely, his voice thick with desire.

"That beautiful, burning power… this is what I have been searching for across all of Zhenhai. Ultimate food boosted by one's own Animo. I will rip your heart out and savor it slowly while it is still beating…" He spoke those words to his boys in a whispering, murmuring way as they retreated, totally captivated by me like a tick. Beside him, Haifa the Male Reaper was breathing heavily, his face flushed deep red and his cheeks burning with clear sexual lust.

His eyes locked onto Xhife with unrestrained hunger, as he found his tail to be the juiciest in potency. His tongue slid across his lips as he stared at the young master like a starving beast on the retreat.

"That pretty monkey boy…" Haifa muttered, his voice dripping with perverted excitement.

"I want him so badly… I'll take him apart piece by piece while he is still screaming… and let him have a taste of his own and share it with me. So delicate it will be, hehe." Shufan the Mad Dog growled in annoyance and grabbed both of them by the shoulders, forcing them further back because they were about to turn back for their own personal desires.

"Not now, you sick fucks!" he snarled.

"We keep our deal with the aide commander. We finish this at the stronghold where we can take what we want without interference." Reluctantly, the three monsters retreated deeper into the glowing bamboo sea. Their twisted laughter echoed behind them like hyenas, leaving a foul taste in the air. We had roughly one hour and twenty minutes left before Master Bao would return to the battlefield. Mo landed heavily beside me, his three-meter earth form shaking the ground.

"No more time to waste! We break the main line... near their wall now or we die when Bao shows himself!" Zhuofing the Dirty Finger raised his voice like thunder.

"All units we are now going into full assault! Charge the metal wall before us! Break through or die trying!" With a unified roar that shook the entire bamboo sea, all four hundred of us surged forward like a tidal wave of steel and fury. Battle Report – Before the Siege of the Leopard Stronghold / 4 Agencies + Allied Forces Total elites who entered the Bamboo Sea: 400 Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

After the skirmish with the Three Great Hounds: 379 remaining (12 dead, 9 too injured to continue fighting) Enemy Forces Bandits currently at the stronghold: 36, 000 (various levels, many freshly bloodied from recent battles) Time remaining until Master Bao finishes recovery: one hour and twenty minutes The brutal grudge match had truly begun. I activated Cor Flamma Vestuto at full power.

Red and orange flames roared across my body as I leaped high and smashed into the metal-like fence wall with a powerful Elsa di Fuoco slash. The impact sent molten sparks flying everywhere. Three bandits were cut in half mid-air, their burning bodies crashing into their comrades below.

"Push forward!" I roared.

"Don't give them a single second to regroup!" The battlefield exploded into absolute carnage. On the left flank, Mo the Giant Fierce Panda Agency fought like a living mountain. In his three-meter mystical earth form, his massive claws tore through dozens of bandits with every swing. His earth-shaking roars caused the ground to crack as he led his elites in a brutal head-on charge. On the right flank, Woushal and Shiqifan fought together.

Woushal played sharp notes on his iron-coal flute, summoning his Water Gate and transforming into a towering humanoid kraken with eight powerful thrashing arms and spinning water-ring chakrams. Shiqifan's white Presence Vestuto glowed like an angel of war, her shield acting like a moving fortress as she pulled enemies in and carved them apart with her double-edged halberd. Their combined forces smashed through the enemy lines with disciplined fury.

At the center, Zhuofing the Dirty Finger led the Golden Tooth charge. His Taotie Earth Vestuto flared as his gauntlets accumulated damage. Every punch released greater explosive force, blasting holes through the bandit ranks. Xihua's smoke whips lashed viciously from the thick incense mist while Xhife bounced through the chaos in his demon monkey form, staff spinning like a green-black hurricane. I fought at the very front, flames roaring. Wave after wave of bandits came at me.

I cut them down with burning aura slashes, my Elsa di Fuoco turning men into screaming torches.

"Stay together!" I shouted.

"Protect the carriages of our supply line!" The fighting was merciless. Blood turned the ground into slippery red mud. Screams, clashing steel, roaring Vestutos, and the constant crack of bamboo filled the air. We were winning… but every minute cost us lives like a ticking doom clock without us knowing. Then the main gates burst open and thousands more bandits poured out. From the towers above, the Three Great Hounds watched with sick smiles as they reemerged. The aide commander Shipal raised his hand.

And the entire bandit army began to chant. The Bandit Glory Song Pinyin English Wǒmen túshā, wǒmen qiángjiān, wǒmen duóqǔ yīqiè! Wèile Bǎo yé! Wèile róngyào hé jīnqián! Rè ròu hóng xiě, wǒmen bǎ dàdì rǎn hóng! Zài zhú hǎi zhī zhōng, wǒmen chēngbà dào tiānmíng! (Verse 1) Ruòzhě zhǎn shǒu, dāo shàng xiānxuè lín lí, Tuō chū nǚrén, cāo dào duànqì! Jiānjiào qiúráo zhǐ huì ràng wǒmen gèng yìng, Wèile Bǎo yé, wǒmen sī suì tāmen de xiàtǐ! (Final Chorus) Wǒmen túshā! Wǒmen qiángjiān! Wǒmen duóqǔ yīqiè! Wèile Bǎo yé!!!

Wèile róngyào hé jīnqián!!! Bǎ dàdì rǎn chéng xiě hóng de héliú! We slaughter, we defile, we take what we crave, For Master Bao! For glory and coin! Hot flesh and red blood, we paint the ground bright, In the Bamboo Sea, we rule through the night! (Verse 1) We cut down the weak with our blades dripping red, We drag out their women and fuck them till dead! Screaming and begging only makes us harder, For Master Bao we tear their cunts apart! (Chorus) We slaughter, we rape, we take what we crave, For Master Bao!

For glory and coin! Hot flesh and red blood, we paint the ground bright, In the Bamboo Sea, we rule through the night! (Verse 2) Burn their villages, steal all their gold, Young or old, we leave none untouched and cold! Their daughters we break, their wives we defile, For Master Bao we laugh as they cry! (Bridge) Paint the ground RED! Paint it RED! With their blood and our seed, till the forest is dead! Glory to Bao! Number Twenty-One! The strongest Overlord under the sun! (Final Chorus - roared) We slaughter!

We defile! We take what we crave! For Master Bao!!! For glory and coin!!! We paint the ground RED in rivers of BLOOD! All hail Master Bao! The King of the Bamboo Flood! The evil, vile, perverted song filled the air and made my blood boil with rage. Every man in our formation felt the same burning fury, as they were enchanted by it, and so did we. Mo suddenly leaped high onto a giant bamboo stalk in his full three-meter Vestuto form.

His overwhelming presence crushed their chant as he sang his own deep, prayer-like war chant. His voice alone silenced their perverted song and reignited our burning fighting spirit even higher. He jumped back down. We had forty minutes left before Master Bao would emerge.

"FINAL PUSH!" Zhuofing roared, his gauntlets glowing at nearly 80% power.

"KILL THEM ALL! THEY DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" We charged the inner defenses with everything we had left. The siege of the Leopard Stronghold had become a true bloodbath.