I transmigrated to a chaotic world and became the sole player.

The镖师's counter-charge was like a red-hot knife cutting into butter, instantly tearing a gap in the encirclement. The leader, in particular, was incredibly skilled with his swordsmanship and imposing presence; wherever he went, the bandits were either killed or wounded. The pressure on Lu Zhao's side eased considerably.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes; he couldn't let that bandit leader catch his breath! Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), Lu Zhao launched a final, fierce attack on the leader, whose left arm was severely injured and bleeding profusely, and who was trying to get up!

"Kill!" Lu Zhao roared, pouring all his remaining strength and the power he had gained from the upgrade into his woodcutter's knife. The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, no longer pursuing fancy techniques, only the simplest chopping, slashing, and sweeping. But every strike was aimed at the opponent's weaknesses exposed by the pain and blood loss—throat, eyes, and heart!

The bandit leader was both shocked and furious. He tried to parry with his still-functioning right hand, wielding his ghost-head knife, while desperately dodging. However, his left arm was almost useless, and the continuous bleeding slowed his movements, with the Bleeding effect constantly eroding his health.

"Clang! Clang! Pfft!"

The woodcutter's axe clashed with the ghost-head knife again, sparks flying. After another parry, Lu Zhao's forceful strike seemed to reveal an opening. A fierce glint flashed in the bandit leader's eyes, and his right-hand ghost-head knife, whistling through the air, aimed straight for Lu Zhao's head! This was a mutually destructive tactic; he wanted to rely on his superior strength to force Lu Zhao back.

However, Lu Zhao advanced instead of retreating! He suddenly ducked and took the blow from the back of the opponent's blade with his shoulder! He activated the [Turtle Breathing Technique] to its maximum to minimize the damage, but it still hurt so much that he groaned and lost 5% of his health!

"Now!"

Taking advantage of the moment when the opponent's move was exhausted and his strength was depleted, Lu Zhao suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his body slammed into the opponent's arms like a cannonball! His left hand swung into his elbow and slammed into the gap next to the iron plate on the bandit leader's chest!

"Bang!"

The bandit leader felt as if he'd been struck by a heavy hammer; a wave of excruciating pain washed over him, and he couldn't catch his breath, his vision blurring. He instinctively tried to lean back and create distance. But he forgot that Lu Zhao's woodcutter's knife was already poised to strike!

"puff!"

A flash of cold light appeared, and the woodcutter's knife, carrying all of Lu Zhao's determination, plunged fiercely upwards from the exposed, unarmored chin of the other man as he leaned back!

"Uh...ho..." The bandit leader's eyes bulged out instantly, a strange hoarse sound came from his throat, and his arm, which was wielding the ghost-head knife, froze in mid-air. He stared incredulously at Lu Zhao's cold eyes, which were so close to his. In those eyes, there was no fear, no madness, only absolute calmness and a thirst for survival.

[Attack hits a fatal weakness! Deals critical damage!]

[Successfully defeated the 'Bandit Leader' (LV8)!]

[Experience points gained: 500!]

[Level upgraded to Level 6!]

A massive surge of warmth washed over his entire body once more, and the power boost from the attribute enhancement instantly healed all his injuries, restoring his stamina and mental strength to full! The instant he leveled up, even the pain in his shoulder and the bruises from the impact vanished! A glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, and he kicked aside the still-warm corpse of the bandit leader, pulling out the wood-chopping knife that was stuck in the man's jawbone.

The whole process was swift and decisive. From Lu Zhao's surprise attack to the bandit leader's death, it only took a dozen or so breaths! The surrounding bandits, seeing their leader so ruthlessly killed by a young man, were instantly terrified and lost all will to fight.

"The boss... the boss is dead!!"

"Run! Run!"

The defeat was swift and devastating. Without their leader, the bandits' morale collapsed. Faced with the fierce counterattack of the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), and with the ruthless young man beside them, they lost all will to fight and scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing into the mountains. The镖师 pursued them for a while, cutting down a few of the laggards, then ceased their pursuit and gathered together to clean up the battlefield.

"Young man! Well done!" The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) strode over. He was about forty years old, with a resolute face and blood-stained clothes, but his eyes were bright. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Zhao, his voice booming, "Li Gang of Changfeng镖局 (Changfeng Escort Agency), thank you for your righteous help, young man, in saving us and this shipment from danger!"

He scrutinized Lu Zhao with keen eyes, his gaze filled with astonishment and admiration. With his keen eyesight, he could naturally see that although Lu Zhao was dressed in rags, he possessed a calm demeanor and agile movements. In particular, his stab to the bandit leader just now was perfectly timed, angled, and ruthless, demonstrating that he was no ordinary person, much less a common vagrant.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing the fluctuations in his blood and energy caused by killing a powerful enemy above his level and leveling up. He also clasped his hands in return, saying, "It is only natural to help those in need. I am Lu Zhao, and I have met Chief Escort Li. I wonder if Escort Master Liu Qingqing and Chief Escort Li Feng are well?"

"Oh?" Li Gang was even more surprised upon hearing this. "Young man, do you know my niece Qingqing and the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort)?"

"We met once, and I received guidance from Master Liu," Lu Zhao replied simply, without revealing any details.

"I see!" Li Gang exclaimed in realization, his gaze towards Lu Zhao becoming even more amiable. "The head镖师 (chief镖师, a kind of bodyguard/escort) and Qingqing are both at the Qingmu Town镖局 (镖局, a kind of security agency), doing very well! I didn't expect to meet you here, young brother, it's a real pleasure! By the way," he glanced at the woodcutter's knife in Lu Zhao's hand, then looked thoughtfully at the group of refugees peeking out from the bushes in the distance, "young brother, what's this...?"

"To be honest, Chief Escort Li," Lu Zhao pointed behind him and said frankly, "I am originally a refugee from the north, temporarily residing in the valley ahead with my fellow villagers. However, last night, some evil sorcerers used corpse demons to attack our camp, and the valley is no longer a safe place. That's why I decided to go south to Qingmu Town to try my luck. I never expected to encounter your esteemed escort agency here and run into danger."

"Refugees? Heretics driving corpses?" Upon hearing this, Li Gang's expression suddenly turned serious. He stepped forward and asked urgently, "Was it near that abandoned border town to the north a few days ago?"

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded, saying, "That's right. Chief Escort Li also knows about this?"

"I know more than I do!" Li Gang's expression was grave. "The north has been quite unsettled lately, with many evil spirits appearing, and even rumors of entire villages mysteriously disappearing. During our journey north as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), we received several requests for help, all related to this. The head镖师 (chief镖师) sent us to investigate several villages in the north, but we were ambushed halfway there… Now it seems that the bandits in this area are also connected to those evil spirits!"

He glanced at the horrified, ragged refugees behind Lu Zhao, then at Lu Zhao himself, who was covered in blood but had a determined look in his eyes. After a moment's thought, he made his decision.

"Young brother, this place is not safe to linger. There are few of you, and many are elderly or infirm. The journey is long, and we fear for your safety. Our caravan is not badly damaged, and we are on our way back to Qingmu Town. If you don't mind, you can come with us. Firstly, we can look after each other, and secondly, we can report the situation to the head镖师 (chief镖师, a high-ranking镖师 in charge of escorting goods) in the north. What do you think, young brother?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao felt reassured. This was exactly the result he wanted! With the experienced镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) from Changfeng镖局 (Escort Agency) escorting them, the safety factor on their journey to Qingmu Town would be greatly increased, and they would be able to make contact with the镖局 and Qingmu Town more smoothly.

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask." Lu Zhao bowed respectfully. "In that case, I will trouble Chief Escort Li and the other escorts!"

"Haha, easy! No need for formalities, young brother!" Li Gang laughed heartily, waving his hand. "Brothers, quickly clean up the battlefield, take the fallen brothers, treat the wounded, and prepare to set off! Young brother Lu, please invite your fellow villagers to come along too; we can travel together!"