Be a lord in the world of Indian mythology

Chapter 41 Banditry

The once flat, endless plains have disappeared, replaced by rolling hills, and the ground has become uneven.

Upon entering the hilly area, the soldiers and guards, who had initially appeared somewhat relaxed, instantly abandoned their playful and carefree attitudes. Their expressions turned serious, and they straightened their backs, gripped their weapons tightly, and scanned their surroundings warily. Their long-trained military discipline was on full display at this moment.

They all understood that the real wilderness journey began here.

That night, the group camped in a relatively flat and open area beside the road.

The group had a clear division of labor: some set up simple tents, some gathered firewood to light a campfire, some took care of drinking water and food, and some were responsible for guarding the livestock.

The campfire crackled and burned, dispelling the chill of the night and keeping wild animals from easily approaching. The team members, exhausted from a day's work, sat around the campfire, eating simple dry rations and talking in hushed tones. The atmosphere was relatively peaceful.

He leaned against a large tree, closed his eyes, and seemed to be resting.

Suddenly, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the dark mountaintop not far away.

Without any unnecessary movements, he floated lightly, like a falling leaf, to Vijay and Vilandra's side, and warned them with undeniable authority: "By Brahma, I have received a warning. Tonight, a hidden danger is approaching."

No one dared to disregard the warnings given by the Brahmins.

After hearing this, Vilandra did not appear too alarmed; instead, he showed a calm and unfazed demeanor.

He nodded and explained calmly, "Master, Lord Mu, we have already left the territory directly under Harappa City. This area is the border region of several forces and has never been peaceful. Wilderness bandits are the most numerous. They are familiar with the terrain and often rob caravans and then hide in the deep mountains. They are flexible in their movements and have never been completely eradicated."

After a pause, the warrior patted the heavy hammer at his waist, a confident look on his face: "I have participated in several operations to suppress bandits before, and I know their methods very well. You can rest assured and wait here. I will take my men to deal with them and return in a moment."

After speaking, Vilandra immediately selected five elite soldiers, all of whom were fully armed with knives and bows and arrows.

He also specifically instructed Sada to lead men to set up a perimeter around the camp to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.

With the arrangements made, Vilandra waved his hand and led the five of them into the dark forest ahead.

He was tall and strong, but his steps were unusually light, and he landed almost silently, quickly disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.

Vijay stood by the campfire, not saying a word from beginning to end, just quietly watching everything.

He knew very well that encountering small groups of bandits at the beginning of the journey was perfectly normal; it was just the first small challenge on the long trade route, not even a test.

Now we just need to wait and see what happens, and see what kind of quality this guard team sent by Lord Roshman really is.

The night grew deeper.

The camp was quiet; most people were asleep, with only the soldiers on night watch remaining vigilant.

In the mountains and forests, the occasional mournful howl of wild beasts mingled with the chirping of nightingales, making the night seem even more eerie.

The wind rustled through the treetops, and from the darkness in the distance, a few faint and short screams drifted by, only to be swallowed up by the night.

No one dared to ask any questions, and no one dared to make any rash moves.

By the next morning, when it was broad daylight and the campfire had long since died down, the team members got up to prepare for the day's journey, but Vilandra and the five soldiers he had brought with him still had not returned.

Bim panicked and rushed to Vijay, his voice trembling with anxiety: "Master, we should be on our way! But... Lord Vilandra and the others haven't returned all night. Could something have happened to them?"

Vijay remained calm, but slowly turned his gaze to the person beside him, wanting to see if this person had sensed anything.

At that moment, a thought even flashed through Vijay's mind: if Vilandra and his group really met with misfortune here, then he would have an excellent excuse.

The bandits ahead were too strong, and the group was unable to advance, so they had to turn back. This would allow him to delay for a while longer and gather information about the trade routes...

But this thought had barely formed in his mind when it was abruptly interrupted by a hurried figure.

A soldier staggered back from the direction of the forest, covered in blood, his clothes torn, and he looked extremely exhausted, but his face was filled with undisguised pride and excitement.

He rushed to Vijay and his eyes, knelt on one knee, and loudly reported:

"May Indra protect us! Lord Mu! Master! We have wiped out the bandits! Lord Vilandra has ordered me to return and relay the message! Please continue the current road forward; he will be waiting for you at the crossroads ahead!"

Bim reacted quickly, immediately offering hot water and barley bread so the soldiers could rest for a while.

Vijay stared intently at the soldier, his gaze falling on the still-wet bloodstains on his body. The bloodstains were bright in color, clearly fresh from the previous night.

The amount of blood on his body was enough to show how fierce the battle last night had been. Vijay didn't ask any more questions, and immediately nodded, giving the order in a deep voice: "Form ranks, move out."

The group set off again, proceeding in the direction indicated by the soldiers.

They had only walked a few miles when a strong, pungent smell of blood wafted through the gaps in the forest and was carried by the wind.

"Master, please go ahead!"

Vijay squinted at the soldier who brought the news. Why was that?

He nodded calmly and casually, not believing that the other party would harm him.

"Halt," Vijay stood up and waved his hand. "You all stay here and wait. Come and join us later."

Then he took the lead and walked out of the grove of trees. After turning two corners, the sight before him made him gasp.

Vilandra was sitting casually on a large rock, looking relaxed, as if he had just taken a short nap.

Behind him lay dozens of bandit corpses, their limbs mangled and many unrecognizable, a bloody and shocking scene.

Upon seeing Vijay's arrival, Vilandra slowly stood up, brushed the dust and blood off his clothes, raised the huge warhammer in his hand, and spoke casually, as if he had only crushed a few ants: "Patriarch, these are the petty thieves who dared to ambush us here last night. We circled around to the back of the mountain to surround them, but they still dared to put up a stubborn resistance."

Vijay silently stared at the mangled limbs and remains on the ground, then glanced at the blood-stained giant hammer in the warrior's hand.

It's obvious that the reason these corpses are so mangled is entirely due to the giant hammer.

Vilandra could have dealt with the bandits from a hidden spot, but instead, he deliberately placed the corpses in the middle of the road, leaving them scattered and bloody, and even sent soldiers back to report, leading Vijay to witness this scene.

This is not just a simple boast about achievements.

Is it a threat?

Vijay looked at Vilandra's blood-stained face.