Lashing after lashing, was received by him,

Callum was merciless with his vicious attacks on the leader of the bandit Jasper. 

"How did those bandits come there? Who were they?" Callum beat him so mercilessly that his skin came out and bones were visible.

Jasper was half-dead already.

While Dennis was standing behind him, "Answer what is going on?"

Jasper spoke with his slow voice, "My lord, I swear I really don't know what is going on. They were not my people, they were."

"THEN WHO WERE THEY!!!!"

Callum spoke, and hit him again, "Who were those people?"

Jasper cried, but no tears came out as all the water had come out from the body in the form of blood.

"My lord I don't know I really really don't know please spare my men please spare them."

Dennis sighed, "We should think about something... all our alliances are either dead or turned against us and we are all alone."

Callum spoke, "What should we do."

"Erase the race of them."

Jasper's eyes widened and he cried, "please, please my lord we have served you for so long and even sacrificed our lives for you how can you kill them?"

"SHUT UP." Callum spoke, "Loyal? sacrifice? do you think that your pathetic life and loyalty mean anything to me? I just have to throw a little bit of money and people like you will come crawling at my feet and licking them... you and your life mean nothing to you and your people all are replaceable.

Just like pest and now your work is done."

Jasper was left in tears and cried when Callum left, he was a bandit and he never really liked being one he was forced and just like him his other bandit friends were also forced, they never really tortured the people they captured it was done by the noble the one hey handed over the slaves too.

"Leader?"

A small and timid voice attracted his attention... and he looked at her person a man of around fifteen to sixteen years of age was standing there looking horrified. He paled after he saw the state in which his leader was.

"Leader are you okay hold on I will set you free."

"No, no, no, no Bruno you have to run... trust me to run and go and ask for help they are going to annihilate the bandits."

Bruno's eyes widened, "What? they are going to do what?"

"Yes go and warm them run away."

"But where will we run, where are we going to hide this is our livelihood and..."

Jasper spoke, "Just go somewhere anywhere."

"But we can't leave the country and we cannot even enter the army, we will be recognized where should we go?"

Jasper sighed, "Go and... ask.. duke of north's help."

"What?"

"Yes go and ask for his help and tell him that if he helps us bandits will always be loyal to him."

"But why him?"

"He is the only person against whom Callum and Dennis not go and he can grant you protection as well and he seems to be kind-hearted as well."

"But... what if he refuses?."

"Then kill selves... or run away that's the only way, But Bruno your only option is the duke of North convinces him or else you all will die."

Bruno pressed his lips together he wanted to take Jasper with him as well but he was stopped when he heard noises, so he ran away without Jasper.

~~~

Meanwhile, Philip was really anxious, he was dying of anxiety.

He was in his carriage going back home in the night, but his carriage abruptly stopped, and he nearly stopped breathing,"w...wh..what happened why.... did it stop?"

But no answer so he yelled and screamed but no answer with shaky hands he opened the door and stepped out his legs were shivering as well as he pulls out his sword he was terrified for his life.

He moved forward and gasped and put a hand on his chest when he saw the dead body of the driver he turned back and wanted to run but he was surrounded by the bandits again, "Where are you going, Count?" One of them said.

"Yes, where are you going? "

Philip spoke, "Why are you doing this? don't forget it is I who give you money an..."

"Doesn't matter we were always loyal to Callum and not you, and now he wants you gone so we are only following orders, "Zhan spoke.

Philip was trembling, "No, no, how dare they how dare they?"

Before he could complete his sentence he was kicked in the face by Chen who was enjoying this and as usual, Cheng beat him till he was half dead.

Philip was crying and Cheng only felt disgusted to see the old man crying like a child, "You seem to enjoy when the slaves used to cry like this as well."

"But my life is important."

"AND SO IS THEIR'S" Zhan said and bashed his head against the wall, "let's end him.'

Philip joined his hands in front of him and was almost begging but this time before they could kill him Yibo 'coincidentally' came there and stopped them.

Zhan smirked and they 'fought' against each other before Yibo defeated them and heroically saved Philip

"Count are you okay?" Yibo asked  looking worried but in reality, he couldn't care less, and while Philip was crying and his nose leaking he suddenly held Yibo's hand, "Duke!!!"

Yibo nearly puked but he still comforted him, after that Yibo took him to his house where Philip's daughter came, "Father?"

Yibo told her how he was attacked and asked her to bring some water and call the doctor while everyone was tending to him Yibo slowly whispered, "Count is it true that you were also involved with the bandits?"

Philip looked at him but Yibo assured him, "you can tell me count... I will not harm you, but since I saved you I expect you to be honest with me..."

Philip was still a little hesitant but Yibo sighed and told him, "If they try to attack you again I might not be able to save you... but if you come clean to me I will save you."

Philip after a little hesitation nodded and Yibo just gave him a firm nod, "Alright... count of you swore your loyalty to me and help me bring down duke Callum, I will make sure that you are not framed for your crimes, what do you say?"

Philip would be a fool to say no to Yibo when half of the nobility and merchants were already on his side and Yibo had enough power now to bring down Callum and Dennis, why would he say not o such an offer? And Philip knew that Yibo was not greedy he was a man of morals.

With him he won't have to walk on eggshells and with his protection, he can be safe so he nodded, Yibo smirked, "Alright then rest assured count no one can hurt you now. And to make sure about that, we have to remove Callum from our way right?"

Count nodded he wanted Callum and Dennis dead too.

~~~~

When Yibo, Zhan, and Cheng reached the residence they were met with Haoxuan,"Duke there is someone here to meet you."

"Who?"

"I'll show you." Haoxuans aid and walked in Yibo and Zhan followed him, when they came in they were met with a tied up man, "Who is he?"

Haoxuan spoke, "A bandit."

Everyone was on alert now.

"What is he doing here?" Zhan said.

"Ask him yourself."

Yibo moved forward and sat at his level, "Speak."

Bruno who was scared for life answered, "Please help us, Duke."

Zhan scoffed, "Bold of you to assume that we will help you."

"Please duke I know we have done heinous crimes but we had no other choice had to do, we either do the job or be killed we also had to survive and now when Duke Callum's purpose is over he wants to get rid of us... that's not fair, duke.

He already has our leader and he is going to kill all our brothers and sisters, duke please help us, if you help us then our bandits will be loyal to you for life, we will devote our loves to serve you."

Yibo turned back to look at Cheng and Zhan before he looked back at Bruno, "It must have required courage to come here despite knowing that you could be killed, wait here till I discuss this with my subordinates."

"What should we do?" Yibo asked.

Zhan answered, "I think we should save them."

Cheng nodded, "I agree too if the bandits are all annihilated then duke Callum gets to walk free, we can actually use this chance to convince the leader of bandits to testify in return we will save all of them."

Haoxuan sighed, "Well that sounds like a great plan because we do need a lot of evidence Xander and Sage will provide the documents they gathered after they became head of the household and the nobles."

Zhan added, "Having bandits as a secret force and using them as spies they can come in handy, like a secret weapon."

Yibo pressed his lips together before he slowly nodded, "Alright, I will save your group of bandits as well as Your leader."

Bruno's eyes widened, "But your leader will be sacrificed because we will have him confess his crimes and use him to testify against Callum and Dennis."

Bruno who felt horrible for his leader nodded this had to be done, "Yes Duke."

"Alright then let's get to work."