My Brother's the Protagonist? Good Thing I Awakened My System!
Chapter 53: The Classic Act Of Damsel In Distress

Chapter 53: The Classic Act Of Damsel In Distress

"Captain, why did you share such valuable information with the new guy?"

One of the younger mercenaries asked, a hint of confusion in his voice as he watched Feng Chen's figure disappear into the distance.

Kong Wei leaned back in his chair, swirling his drink before taking another sip.

"It's not every day that you see someone alone. I feel that he is incredibly more powerful than I am."

(He approached me, who is the strongest in this tavern. This can't be a coincidence!)

Kong Wei thought.

And just as he thought, Feng Chen indeed approached Kong Wei because he was indeed the strongest in the tavern, Peak Core Formation Stage Cultivator to be specific.

Feng Chen knew that the strongest person or team would be the one who would have more information than others which is why he chose Kong Wei to get information.

This gesture didn't go unnoticed by Kong Wei and he felt that Feng Chen must be a lot stronger than he is for him to sense his cultivation.

The younger mercenary scratched his head. He still didn't understand why they should help a man like him even if he was a bit stronger than his captain.

"Besides, the way he carried himself and his refined attire clearly indicated that he hails from a powerful noble family. It wouldn't be bad for him to owe me a favor."

Kong Wei continued.

"Even if that wasn't the case, we still got a hundred gold coins and had our drinks covered for merely sharing some information. So, let's not overthink it—just enjoy!"

*******

Outside, Feng Chen moved swiftly through Thundercrest Outpost.

His conversation with Kong Wei provided him with valuable information and confirmed the details about the area of treasure.

As Feng Chen approached the gate leading into Stormhowl Valley, one of the guards raised a hand, signaling for him to stop.

"Halt! Beyond this point, only those with permission or sufficient strength can pass." Feng Chen smiled and calmly showed his cultivation of the Three Elements Divine Realm. The guard's eyes widened in recognition and immediately bowed.

"A-Apologies, Senior! P-Please, forgive the intrusion!"

The guard stammered, quickly stepping aside.

"You are free to pass!"

With a nod, Feng Chen walked past, the gate creaking open as he made his way into the foreboding Stormhowl Valley.

The air instantly grew colder, and the distant sound of thunder echoed through the jagged cliffs ahead.

"So this is the infamous Stormhowl Valley!"

Feng Chen murmured to himself, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Let's see what this place has in store."

He stepped into the valley, the winds immediately pressing against him.

For anyone weaker, the sheer force of the gales might have been overwhelming, but Feng Chen, with his Nascent Soul Realm strength, moved forward with ease, his steps steady on the rugged path.

As he ventured deeper, the only monster he saw was of Rank-1 and he didn't need to do anything since they would run away the moment they felt his presence.

One might think that monsters are an aggressive bunch who would attack anyone they come across but they do have a basic instinct of survival.

As long as they know that the being is someone that they can't beat, they will run away just like any other human.

"HELP!"

As Feng Chen ventured deeper into Stormhowl Valley, a distant cry for help pierced through the howling wind.

"Help! Please, someone help me!"

A woman's voice, desperate and filled with terror, echoed from somewhere ahead.

Feng Chen narrowed his eyes, sensing the presence of multiple life forms in that direction. His spiritual sense detected the aura of low-ranked monsters surrounding a woman.

Despite knowing that this could easily be a trap, he decided to investigate, if only to see what kind of scheme was being laid out.

(It has been many years since I have come across something like this!)

Feng Chen thought with a smirk.

Within moments, he arrived at the scene-a young woman, seemingly in her early twenties,

was backed against a cliff, surrounded by three Rank-2 monsters.

Her clothes were torn, and her eyes were wide with fear as the beasts growled, inching closer

to her.

"Help! I-I can't hold them off!"

She screamed again, flailing helplessly as if she had no chance of survival.

Without saying a word, Feng Chen raised his hand, and with a single wave of his spiritual energy, a gust of powerful wind surged forward.

The three Rank-2 monsters were instantly blasted away, their bodies flung into the air before crashing lifelessly to the ground.

The woman collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily as if the fear had completely overwhelmed her.

She looked up at Feng Chen, her eyes filled with what seemed to be gratitude.

"Th-Thank you! You saved my life!"

She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

Feng Chen nodded slightly with a grin on his face.

"Are you injured?"

He asked calmly.

The woman shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

"N-No, I'm fine... Thank you again, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown

up."

As she spoke, she discreetly reached into her sleeve, her fingers brushing against the hilt of a hidden dagger.

The gratitude on her face slowly twisted into a wicked smile as she prepared to make her

move.

Just as she was about to lunge forward to stab Feng Chen from behind, his voice rang out

coldly.

"Are you done pretending?"

Before she could react, Feng Chen vanished from where he stood, reappearing behind her in

an instant.

Her dagger, poised to strike, met only empty air.

"Wha-"

She gasped in shock, realizing that her plan had been seen through.

With a swift motion, Feng Chen's hand clasped her wrist, disarming her effortlessly.

The dagger fell to the ground, clattering against the rocks. He looked at the dagger which was

coated in poison.

He flicked his wrist, sending her tumbling to the ground, her body skidding across the dirt.

(Such an obvious scheme! Who wouldn't replace a young woman alone in such a dangerous place

suspicious?)

Feng Chen thought to himself.

Although he saw through the trap immediately and considered it rather foolish, there were

many young men who would fall for such tactics.

The woman's cries for help echoed through the valley, tugging at the instincts of any passing

hero.

It was a classic setup-distress, danger, and a helpless maiden in need. And for most men, the thought of swooping in to save a damsel from monsters was hard to resist.

After all, what man wouldn't want to play the hero?

Bandits like her knew this all too well, and they thrived on exploiting such noble desires.

The fantasy of rescuing a young maiden, of being the gallant savior, made many cultivators lower their guard. It was easy prey.

And that's exactly how they planned to trap this one though it didn't work on Feng Chen.

The woman winced in pain but quickly scrambled to her feet.

"You-You'll regret this! We're not done yet!"

At her signal, several figures emerged from the surrounding rocks-bandits, all of them

armed and grinning wickedly.

The woman smirked, wiping the dirt from her face.

"Do you think I am alone, nobleman? Now, hand over everything you have, and we might let

you walk away alive."

Feng Chen sighed, his eyes narrowing.

"You really should have thought this through."

Feng Chen could sense that the cultivation of the bandit was at most Core Formation Stage

with many in only Foundation Establishment Stage.

Before the bandits could react, a pulse of his spiritual energy rippled through the area.

"T-This is..."

"Grand Qi Condensation Realm? No, it is stronger than that."

The bandits gasped for breath, their faces contorting in fear and confusion.

"Y-You're a cultivator of the Three Elements Divine Realm... We didn't know!"

They were a group of bandits who also prided themselves on having killed the Grand Qi Condensation Realm cultivator before.

But even they know that against the Three Elements Divine Realm cultivator, no matter the

traps or method, they stood no chance.

"Please, we're just small-time bandits! We didn't mean to-"

But Feng Chen wasn't interested in hearing excuses.

With a wave of his hand, the ground beneath the bandits cracked, and in an instant, the overwhelming force sent them all sprawling, completely incapacitated.

The woman's smirk faltered, and her eyes widened in panic as she felt the overwhelming

pressure crushing down on her.

"W-wait-"

Feng Chen stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the woman, who now trembled in fear.

Looking at her cultivation, Feng Chen knew that she was their leader. And also looking at how decisively she attacked him, he was certain that they had a lot of blood on their hands. Feng Chen's gaze was cold and unyielding as he observed the chaos unfolding around him.

The bandits, now sprawled on the ground and struggling under the weight of his spiritual pressure, were rendered utterly helpless.

The woman's expression shifted from confidence to sheer terror as Feng Chen approached

her.

"W-wait-"

She stammered, trying to plead once more, but her voice was lost amidst the cries of her

fallen companions.

Feng Chen's expression remained impassive.

"Such a blatant scheme."

He said softly, though his voice carried a chilling edge.

"You believed you could deceive me with such a childish trap?"

He extended his hand, and a thin, shimmering line of energy flickered through the air.

Feng Chen slowly walked towards the bandit and on the way picked up the poisoned dagger

from the ground.

Using it, he swiftly dealt with the bandits, each cut from the blade ending their life instantly.

Each bandit fell swiftly, their bodies collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

The woman watched in horror, her pleas now turning to frantic screams.

"No! Please, stop! I—I'll do anything! Just don't—"

Feng Chen's eyes remained unrelenting.

"You must have killed countless cultivators with your schemes."

Feng Chen said, his voice cold and unwavering.

"Consider this your karma!"

As the last echoes of the woman's cries faded away, Feng Chen turned away from the scene.

"Well, that certainly soured my mood."