Lin Shu moved away, slipping into the shadows, but he didn't go far. The night was quiet, save for the distant howls of beasts and the faint crackling of burning wood from the village. His gaze lingered on the bound man, pinned to the tree — helpless, broken, and waiting for death. But Lin Shu knew better than to leave things to chance.
There were still two more enemies hidden in the village, and two outside. One was likely clashing with Xie Lang, but the other… the woman. Would she come looking for her comrade? Did they have a way to contact each other? He needed to know. He would wait. Observe. And when the time was right, he would kill her too.
He couldn't afford to let a single one of them live. Not now. Not ever.
Power was a fleeting thing, easily lost and just as easily taken. More than a year ago, Lin Shu had been nothing — a worm crawling in the dirt, weak and unnoticed. Now, he could break boulders with his fists and outrun horses. If even someone like him could rise to this level in such a short time… what about others?
Letting his enemies live was the same as giving them time. Time to grow. Time to sharpen their blades and strike back. Even the smallest ember could become a raging inferno if left to smolder. Lin Shu wouldn't make that mistake.
This man… he was already dead. Whether by beasts, blood loss, or Lin Shu's own hand — it didn't matter. Mercy was a luxury for those who feared consequences. Lin Shu had no such fears. Anyone who stood in his way, anyone who even dared cross his path, would meet the same fate.
Death.
There was no other option.
The night was thick with tension, the distant sounds of battle fading into the darkness. Lin Shu crouched silently in the shadows, his cold eyes watching the bound man struggle against the nails pinning his hands to the tree. The man's screams had grown hoarse, desperation filling each ragged breath. Lin Shu didn't move. He waited.
The rustling of leaves made his gaze shift. A faint silhouette emerged from the darkness — a Bloodbeast. Its crimson eyes gleamed in the moonlight, its snout twitching as it caught the scent of blood. The man thrashed, his eyes wide with terror. "No! No, no, no!" His cries fell on deaf ears. The beast circled him, slow and deliberate, savoring the fear in the air.
Then, with a sudden lunge, it struck. Teeth tore into his throat, silencing his screams in an instant. Flesh ripped. Bones snapped. The forest floor grew slick with blood. Lin Shu watched without flinching. Even after the body fell limp, he waited. Only when the Bloodbeast lowered its head to feast did Lin Shu approach, his steps quiet as death. He observed the lifeless corpse, ensuring no trace of life remained. Satisfied, he turned away and slipped into the darkness, heading towards Xie Lang's position.
Suddenly, three flares shot up into the night sky from the village. Lin Shu's eyes narrowed. "This is bad."
He moved swiftly, keeping to the shadows. He didn't care about saving his fellow students — they were useful only as long as they weren't a threat. If they died, it meant more loot for him. But he couldn't act recklessly.Stealth is the key for his survival.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Xie Lang. The boy's movements tore through the earth, each step shattering the ground beneath him as his speed increased. Momentum built with every strike of his feet, his technique propelling him forward like a raging bull. Lin Shu ignored him. There was no point in wasting time on others' battles.
What mattered now were the two traitors and the woman. He would find their positions, not to fight, but to slip past them. The village leader's house — that was his goal. If there was anything valuable in this doomed village, it would be there. And with chaos erupting all around, it was the perfect time to take it.
Meanwhile, near the village leader's house, Xu Jin, Yan Bai, and Yan Hei crept through the dark streets. The house loomed before them, silent and foreboding. Mortal guards stood at the entrance, but they were little more than decoration. Any half-decent cultivator could cut them down in seconds.
Suddenly, a muffled sound drifted from inside the house. The boys tensed. No one was supposed to be there — only the village leader's daughter. The leader had promised them extra gold to protect her, but they hadn't cared much. Until now.
They moved quietly, slipping through the shadows. Inside, they saw two masked figures. One held the girl by the neck, her feet barely scraping the floor. The other stood watch, his eyes cold and unreadable.
"Stay back," the first one growled. "I'll snap her neck if you try anything. No need for anyone to die — we just want something. Let us leave, and no one gets hurt."
Yan Bai clenched his fists. "Damned brat. She didn't want us to stay with her, and now look what happened." He glanced at Xu Jin, who nodded and slipped outside to fire a flare. Moments later, two more flares shot up from within the house, their crimson glow piercing the night sky.
"Shit," Yan Bai hissed. "They've got reinforcements."
His anger burned hotter. That bastard lied to them. There was more than one demonic cultivator here, maybe even more than these two. If Xie Lang and Lin Shu didn't kill at least one, this mission was about to become a nightmare.
The promise of extra gold for protecting the girl meant nothing now. The only thing that mattered was killing the demonic cultivators. In fact, if the girl got in the way, they'd kill her themselves. Once this was over, they'd report it to the institute. The one who hired them would be punished — either by a stronger cultivator sent after him or, at the very least, fined for not providing proper information.
Yan Bai's eyes burned with rage. "I swear, if we survive this… someone's head is going to roll."
The night erupted into chaos. Yan Bai and Yan Hei moved as one, twin blades flashing in the moonlight. The moment they saw the masked intruders, they struck without hesitation — the girl's life was meaningless compared to their own.
"Twin Serpent Art — First Fang!"
Their movements were sharp and precise, fangs of steel lunging forward in perfect harmony. The twin blades twisted in a deadly spiral, aiming to tear through their enemies from two sides.
"Shit!" One of the intruders cursed. The man shoved the girl aside and unsheathed his sword, barely managing to block Yan Bai's strike. Sparks flew as the blades met, the force behind the blow pushing him back. The other intruder lashed out at Yan Hei, their swords clashing in a flurry of metal and sparks.
The room became a whirlwind of steel and shadow. Yan Bai pressed forward, his blade slipping past his opponent's defenses and grazing the man's arm. Blood sprayed across the floor, but the intruder gritted his teeth and retaliated with a vicious slash aimed at Yan Bai's throat. Yan Bai ducked, feeling the cold rush of air as the sword missed by a hair's breadth.
Yan Hei spun around his opponent, twin blades sweeping low in an attempt to hamstring the man. The intruder leapt back, but not fast enough — one of Yan Hei's blades nicked his leg, making him stumble.
"Don't let them get away!" Yan Bai roared, his blood pumping with adrenaline. He pressed his attack, blade arcing downward. The intruder parried, but the force of the blow made him stagger. Yan Bai pivoted, slashing at his ribs, but the man managed to twist out of the way at the last second.
The intruders fought back viciously, swords flashing in desperate arcs. One of them lunged at Yan Hei, aiming for his heart. Yan Hei sidestepped, catching the blade between his twin swords and twisting, disarming the man in a single smooth motion. His blade flashed downward, slicing across the man's chest. Blood sprayed, and the intruder stumbled back, gasping for air.
Suddenly, the other intruder roared and charged Yan Bai, blade raised high. Yan Bai met him head-on, steel clashing against steel in a furious exchange of blows. Sparks danced in the air as they pushed against each other, muscles straining.
The fight raged on, each strike more desperate than the last. The twin brothers moved like a pair of vipers, each attack flowing seamlessly into the next, keeping their enemies on the defensive. The intruders fought with the desperation of cornered beasts, but the twins' coordination was unmatched. Slowly, they began to overwhelm their enemies.
---
Not far away, Xie Lang tore through the village streets, his every step shaking the ground beneath him. His breathing was steady, his muscles coiled with power. As he neared the village leader's house, a shadow dropped from a rooftop.
He barely had time to react.
"Mid-tier Battle Skill — Stone Wall!"
The earth rumbled, and a thick wall of stone erupted from the ground, blocking the ambush. The woman cursed, her dagger scraping against the stone as she leapt over the barrier. She twisted midair, aiming a kick at Xie Lang's head.
Xie Lang ducked, feeling the wind brush past his ear as her foot missed him by inches. His fist shot forward, a hammer of iron aiming for her ribs. She twisted, avoiding the full brunt of the blow, but his foot snapped out in a brutal kick that caught her square in the stomach. She flew back, crashing into a wooden cart and splintering it into pieces.
"Dammit!" she spat, wiping blood from her mouth.
Xie Lang stood tall, his chest heaving. He rolled his neck, the joints cracking loudly. "This trip was boring… until now." A grin stretched across his face, wild and dangerous. His eyes burned with the thrill of battle. "I'm gonna enjoy smashing your skull into the dirt."
The woman hissed, gripping her dagger tighter. "You'll die screaming, boy."
"Big words for someone who just got kicked across the street." Xie Lang stomped forward, each step cracking the ground beneath his feet. "Let's see if you can back them up."
They lunged at each other, the night filled with the sound of steel and fury.