With a single punch, John Bennett's fist landed on the broad blade of the saber, causing the Tiger-Head Golden Saber to tilt just enough to dangerously graze past John Bennett's side.

A look of surprise flashed in the eyes of the bandit leader, as if he hadn't expected this useless young master to actually dodge his strike.

But immediately after, the bandit leader twisted his wrist, turning his chop into a sweeping attack aimed at John Bennett's waist. Yet John Bennett rolled with the momentum—though it looked clumsy, he managed to evade the sweep.

Moreover, although the bandit leader's attacks grew fiercer and John Bennett's dodges appeared increasingly desperate, in reality, John Bennett hadn't suffered any serious injuries.

After more than a dozen moves without being able to do anything to his opponent, the bandit leader was starting to get anxious—not because he feared he couldn't kill John Bennett, but because he couldn't save face.

In front of so many of his own men, he couldn't even handle a useless young master—didn't that make him look even more useless than the so-called waste?

His mind grew agitated, and his movements became erratic, devolving into a frenzied assault with no regard for his own defense.

At that moment, a glint of sharpness flashed in John Bennett's eyes. After dodging another strike, he suddenly lowered his body, swiftly closing in on the bandit leader. A flash of silver gleamed from his sleeve, slashing straight at the bandit leader's neck!

A quick blade unsheathed—Azure Dragon in the Sleeve!

The bandit leader was a battle-hardened veteran. The instant he saw the silver flash, his scalp tingled and a powerful sense of danger surged through him. He twisted his body with all his might, retreating just in time to avoid the fatal blow.

But who could have expected John Bennett to change the direction of his blade, twisting like a swimming dragon and slashing downward, the blade landing on the bandit leader's shoulder—nearly severing his arm!

Clutching his bleeding arm, the bandit leader staggered back, terror in his eyes. If he hadn't dodged quickly just now, that single strike would have taken his life!

John Bennett stood in place, short blade in hand, feeling nothing in particular. He thought to himself that he hadn't had the Azure Dragon in the Sleeve for long and lacked practice. If he had a few more days to get used to it, the bandit leader would never have escaped that strike.

A fierce glint appeared in the bandit leader's eyes as he shouted, "Kill! All of you, attack together—kill them all!"

The word "kill" had barely left his mouth when a chorus of battle cries erupted—but not from the bandit leader's side. It was another group.

This group numbered only a few dozen, half as many as the bandit leader's men, but each one fought with ruthless efficiency, cutting down swathes of enemies as soon as they arrived.

Among them, a man in his thirties was their leader. His face was sallow, his build not short but very thin, and in his hands he dragged a massive sword that seemed completely mismatched to his frame.

At this moment, Thomas Brooks suddenly appeared from somewhere, cautiously approaching John Bennett and saying, "Young master, I hope I'm not too late?"

John Bennett, eyes still on the battlefield, replied casually, "Not bad, just in time."

Although John Bennett had only just begun his martial arts training, he was, after all, from a martial arts family and had broader experience than those from rough backgrounds. Just from the way the sallow-faced man dragged his sword as he walked, John Bennett could tell that this man was nothing like the bandit leader from the wilds—he was a martial artist with a proper lineage!

Seeing this, the bandit leader's eyes reddened as he roared, "George Foster! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

George Foster grinned coldly and said, "What am I doing? Obviously, I'm here for you! Old Third Lian, you've used your seniority in Mount Shangmang to steal my business more than once or twice. This time, I'm sending you to meet the King of Hell!"

As his words fell, George Foster swung his massive sword down. From stepping forward, dragging the sword, raising it, to slashing—all in one fluid motion, each move executed with maximum force.

It was just an ordinary vertical slash, but he could unleash three times the power of a normal man—far stronger than the wild bandit leader.

As the sword came down, the bandit leader, wounded in the shoulder by John Bennett, couldn't grip his saber with both hands. The Tiger-Head Golden Saber was knocked flying, and as he tried to escape, George Foster's movements were so agile that he caught up and sliced the bandit leader in two at the waist.

Shaking the blood from his sword, George Foster turned and gave John Bennett a chilling smile. Thomas Brooks, standing beside John Bennett, was so frightened by the sight of George Foster cutting a man in half that he shuddered at the smile.

John Bennett simply cupped his hands to George Foster and said, "Thank you, hero, for your timely assistance."

George Foster dragged his heavy sword over and grinned menacingly, "Kid, aren't you afraid I'll double-cross you?"

John Bennett spread his hands and said, "Mr. Foster, you should know who I am. You've seen the terms I promised you. If you kill me, at most you'll get a few thousand taels of silver. But if you don't, you'll get all kinds of refined ores—enough for your men to replace all their junk weapons."

Earlier, Emily had urged John Bennett to go to Yuanbao Town. From that moment, John Bennett could guess that his second stepmother was ruthless enough—not showing any mercy even to a son with almost no chance of inheriting the family headship. Most likely, she didn't want him to return to the Chu family at all.