Chapter 774: The Dao King with Overwhelming Praise

Lin Fan did not stay long in Tianshan City, only spending one evening having a good chat with Wang Xiaoliu.

The next day.

Lin Fan picked up Wang Xiaoming, stepped into the void, and then threw Wang Xiaoming to a place far from Tianshan City.

"Uncle Lin, you have to look out for me," Wang Xiaoming shouted loudly.

"Don't worry."

The moment Lin Fan left, he revealed a mysterious smile.

With that troublemaker leaving town, who knows how many chosen ones would start to explode with potential under Wang Xiaoming's arrogant personality.

For Lin Fan, everything was worth looking forward to.

However, to prevent Wang Xiaoming from doing anything excessive, Lin Fan specifically had Heaven's Will keep an eye on him.

If he tried to forcibly take the girl, then he would surely be struck by lightning.

There are gods three feet above your head, and Lin Fan was the god above Wang Xiaoming's head.

Since Wang Xiaoming called him uncle, Lin Fan naturally would not let him go astray. Being arrogant when young was nothing—after all, he himself had been quite arrogant.

After an unknown amount of time.

For Lin Fan, it might have been no more than the blink of an eye.

A massive city came into Lin Fan's view.

"I didn't expect that the Xuanhuang Realm had developed such a grand city. It seems that after solving the beast problem, the city no longer suffers from beast attacks and can develop steadily."

Lin Fan descended from the void and entered this city.

Countless vendors hawked their wares along the streets, and numerous martial artists walked on the roads.

Lin Fan extended his divine sense and discovered that among these martial artists, there were all types, and their cultivation levels were quite decent.

Clearly, in recent years, without external invasions, they had developed steadily.

A tavern!

Lin Fan sat there like an ordinary person, ordered some dishes and wine, and quietly listened to the stories told by the people around him.

Such a relaxed moment had been rare for a long time.

Five years ago, the Xuanhuang Realm was far from peaceful, with ferocious beasts running rampant. A city might be safe today, but it was hard to say whether it would be destroyed by beasts the next day.

"What I am going to tell today is the story of the Fourteen Desert Kings."

At that moment, an old man, supported by a young girl, slowly walked in from outside. He then came to a fixed seat, set down his tools, shook himself, and with high spirits, shouted loudly.

"Good, the story of the Fourteen Desert Kings is good."

"Old Xu, hurry up and tell it. If it's good, there will be rewards."

The Fourteen Desert Kings?

Lin Fan was startled upon hearing this. Why did this sound so familiar?

Lin Fan was quite certain that these Fourteen Desert Kings were his former underlings.

Thinking of the Fourteen Desert Bandits, Lin Fan felt a bit nostalgic. Once a group of evil-doers, after being subdued by him, they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the way of robbery.

Now, five years had passed, and he wondered how they were doing.

But judging by the change in their title, they had clearly made some progress.

"These fourteen kings of the desert, fourteen men, each with cultivation reaching the heavens, are the foremost kings of the Xuanhuang Realm. And this 'king' is not that 'bandit.' Though they are outlaws, they have a code of honor, and can be considered heroes." Old Man Xu spoke with great eloquence, as if reciting his own possessions.

"Old man, what you say is wrong. They are clearly bandits, how can they be heroes?" a young man from a neighboring table asked in confusion.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed to have just begun his travels in the martial world.

"Young man, don't be impatient. Let me explain slowly." Old Man Xu raised his withered hand, then continued.

"If they were mere bandits, they wouldn't deserve to be called heroes. I, Old Man Xu, once had the fortune to meet Sha, the chief of the fourteen desert kings, and we talked all night. After drinking, Sha spoke the truth: though they rob, they are not ordinary. They pursue the Way of Robbery."

"Old Man Xu, keep on boasting! You, meeting Sha the chief and talking all night? Hah!"

Someone said in disbelief.

Old Man Xu coughed dryly, completely unfazed. "The fourteen desert kings act strangely. When they rob, they always kill. But each time they rob, not only do they not kill, they only take a fixed amount, and they even escort the victims to their destination. Tell me, isn't that strange?"

"Strange, indeed strange."

For the tavern's patrons, their daily leisure was spent enjoying stories here.

Old Xu, seeing the atmosphere was good, continued, "In my view, what the Fourteen Kings of the Desert did, though hard to speak of, upon careful thought, weren't they actually doing good deeds?"

"Now the world is peaceful, free from beast attacks, but bandits run rampant. Merchants transporting goods over long distances are often stopped by bandits. Losing money is a small matter, but losing one's life is a grave one."

"And these Fourteen Kings of the Desert, though they rob money, take a fixed amount. Though they are bandits, they do not kill. After robbing, they escort the merchants to their destination. From my observations, in this city, many merchants do not hire guards and deliberately enter the territory of the Fourteen Kings of the Desert."

"And when the Fourteen Kings of the Desert are absent, these merchants set up camp there, waiting for them to come. Tell me, when bandits reach this level, can they be called heroes?"

Old Xu said.

Lin Fan nearly spat out his wine upon hearing these words.

Sha Dulong and his men really knew how to do things—even robbery they could pull off with such flair.

Making people willingly wait in place to be robbed—that's truly a skill.

Before, Lin Fan had only been fooling them with the art of robbery, which was completely misleading.

But judging by the current situation, Sha Dulong and his men seemed to have actually touched upon the true art of robbery.

Talents, truly talents.

After finishing a cup of wine, Lin Fan couldn't help but sigh—it seemed that anyone he trained would become a talent.

Hmph, aren't they just a bunch of bandits? You make them sound like heroes. After today, the Fourteen Desert Bandits will cease to exist.” At that moment, a group of disciples dressed in sect uniforms filed in.

Boy, bring wine.

…

What do you mean by that?” Old Man Xu asked in confusion.

The leading disciple, with a haughty expression, said, “I'm in a good mood today, so I'll tell you.

We are disciples of the Nine Spirits Sect. Today, the Desolate City will become a vassal of the Nine Spirits Sect, so all bandits in the vicinity will be eradicated. These so-called Fourteen Desert Bandit Kings will become history.”

The haughty disciple, when mentioning the Nine Spirits Sect, became even more proud. He raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

They are disciples of the Nine Spirits Sect?

The Nine Spirits Sect is a newly risen sect in recent years. I heard that when it was founded, all the major sects came to congratulate it—a grand occasion.

The sect master of the Nine Spirits Sect is said to be a young woman, known as the Nine Spirits Female Emperor. Her strength is immense, her martial arts domineering, and countless people have died by her hand.

The Desolate City becoming a vassal of the Nine Spirits Sect is indeed a big event. If the Nine Spirits Sect makes a move, then the Fourteen Desert Bandit Kings are in danger.

Yes… yes.

Lin Fan frowned, then without lingering, turned and left.