A Dangerous Assignment
Wu Jian didn't waste time.
"There is a rogue cultivator hiding within the sect's territory," he said. "A former disciple who was expelled for forbidden practices. The elders want him dealt with quietly."
I frowned. "If he's dangerous, why not send someone from the Iron Shadow Hall?"
"We would. But this is an… unofficial matter," Wu Jian said. "If we move openly, it could cause unnecessary attention."
I understood immediately.
The sect had secrets they didn't want exposed.
And this "rogue cultivator" was one of them.
"If I accept, what am I supposed to do?" I asked cautiously.
Wu Jian's expression remained unreadable.
"Track him. Observe. And when the time is right… eliminate him."
I stiffened.
Eliminate?
I wasn't a killer.
I had never even thrown a punch in this life.
Wu Jian studied me, as if waiting for my reaction.
I took a slow breath.
"…What if I refuse?"
He smirked. "Then you stay as you are... an Outer Court disciple, waiting for the next Wei Jun to crush you."
I clenched my fists.
I hated being pushed.
But I hated being powerless more.
"…Where do I start?"
.......
The Hunt Begins
The rogue cultivator's name was Gao Sheng.
A former Inner Court disciple, expelled for practicing unorthodox techniques.
He had fled into the outer forests beyond the sect's main grounds.
For days, I tracked him.
I wasn't a warrior, but I was a designer.
I had spent years observing patterns, details, the way things fit together.
Tracking wasn't so different.
Broken branches. Mismatched footprints. A disturbed bird's nest.
Every sign pointed toward a cave deep within the mountains.
That's where I found him.
Or rather..... where he found me.
....
The First Fight
A voice whispered behind me.
"You're not a hunter."
I spun, barely dodging as a hand shot past my throat.
Gao Sheng stood before me.... thin, ragged, but his eyes burned with intelligence.
"Who sent you?" he asked, his voice like silk.
I swallowed hard. "Just… passing through."
He laughed softly. "A designer? Tracking me? No, no, no. You're here for something."
I didn't get a chance to respond.
He moved.
Too fast.
His palm struck my shoulder.... and a wave of coldness shot through my body.
I staggered back, gasping. My limbs felt heavy, sluggish.
Gao Sheng smiled. "A little trick I picked up. Slows the blood, numbs the nerves."
I realized then.... he wasn't just a rogue cultivator.
He was a poison cultivator.
And I was completely outmatched.
.....
Thinking My Way Out
I couldn't fight him.
But I could outthink him.
I looked around..... the cave was small, enclosed. A single entrance.
My fingers brushed the spools of fabric I carried in my belt pouch.
An idea formed.
I staggered forward, deliberately weak.
"Wait," I gasped. "I can help you."
Gao Sheng tilted his head. "Oh?"
I pulled out a length of thin, silver-threaded fabric..... one of my experimental weaves.
"This cloth," I panted, "is resistant to qi techniques. If you're being hunted, wouldn't it be useful?"
Gao Sheng's eyes flickered.
Hooked.
I took advantage of his hesitation and threw the fabric in his face.
The second it covered his vision, I moved.
Not to attack.
To run.
I dashed out of the cave, my heart pounding.
Behind me, I heard an angry snarl.
I had bought myself a few seconds but I needed a real plan. Fast.
.....
A Desperate Gamble
I reached the edge of the clearing.
And saw it... a hanging beehive.
A normal person wouldn't dare touch it.
But I wasn't normal.
I grabbed a sharp rock and threw it with every ounce of strength I had.
CRACK.
The hive split open.
A swarm of angry spirit bees erupted, flooding toward the cave.
I didn't stop to watch.
I ran.
And I didn't stop running until I reached the sect's gates.
......
A New Beginning
Wu Jian found me the next day.
He looked me over..... bruised, exhausted, but alive.
"You didn't kill him," he said.
I shook my head. "No. But I neutralized the threat."
Wu Jian studied me for a long moment.
Then, he laughed.
"Clever," he admitted. "And effective."
He reached into his robe.... and tossed me a scroll.
"The technique manual," he said. "You earned it."
I caught it, fingers trembling.
This was it.
My first real step into cultivation.
And I wasn't going to waste it.