Chapter 5: Falling into Danger

Rustle, rustle…

A strange sound came from his waist.

Ye Tianlong glanced down and froze on the spot, stunned.

Countless translucent, crystal-like root filaments were sprouting from the pitch-black Wood Stone Sword! They were wrapping around the Lishui Sword (his master’s short sword he’d picked up). Some roots even pierced directly into the metal blade itself! And the Lishui Sword… it was visibly shrinking!

The Wood Stone Sword is… devouring the Lishui Sword!

Shock rippled through Ye Tianlong. “This sword… it can actually consume other weapons?”

It didn’t take long. The Lishui Sword completely vanished, and the crystal roots retracted back into the Wood Stone Sword. Outwardly, the black sword didn’t look much different after consuming the other weapon, but Ye Tianlong could feel it. It felt like a mysterious energy now pulsed within the wooden blade, making it feel… stronger!

***

Suspended Stone Island.

Ye Tianlong appeared, his face etched with confusion. “Elder Mu! What’s going on? This Wood Stone Sword… it just swallowed another sword!”

Lao Mu’s voice was calm, almost indifferent. “This Wood Stone Sword was tempered by heavenly thunder for seven times seven – forty-nine days. It gained spiritual awareness. Trees absorb nutrients from the earth, spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Is it really so strange that it can devour a sword? Use it to kill your enemies, let it drink blood. It will grow stronger. One day, it might even be able to tear open the void itself!”

A chill ran down Ye Tianlong’s spine. He pondered this for a moment. “Thank you, Elder Mu!”

Lao Mu grunted dismissively. “Cut the useless pleasantries. Come on. Time for today’s training.”

Swish! Swish!

Two green willow branches shot out, fast as shooting stars! Only blurred afterimages remained in the air.

Ye Tianlong had barely raised the Wood Stone Sword when WHAP! one branch struck his wrist, and WHAP! the other slammed into his chest! The immense force sent him flying backward instantly!

The Wood Stone Sword flew from his grip. Thunk! It landed, jabbing into a crack between the jagged rocks.

“Too slow! Keep up with my speed!” Lao Mu barked.

Ye Tianlong scrambled back to his feet, only to face a dozen more willow branches whipping towards him…

Again and again, the Wood Stone Sword was knocked from his hand, tumbling into the rocks. Ye Tianlong’s wrist was already red and swollen, his body covered in fresh, bleeding welts.

“Again!”

Swoosh!

Ye Tianlong pushed off the ground, swinging the sword, hacking horizontally, slashing vertically.

SMACK! He was knocked down by a willow branch again, but this time – he held onto the Wood Stone Sword!

“Not bad. Progress,” Lao Mu’s voice was stern. “A warrior must never lose their weapon. Remember that. Rest for a bit now.”

Ye Tianlong nodded, sitting cross-legged, facing the scarred red temple door again.

The sword marks on the door seemed to move. He felt himself drawn into that strange state again, unable to pull away.

His head throbbed, feeling like it would split open. His eyes felt strained to their limits.

Despite the agony, that profound, mystical feeling returned.

He gained something! More insight!

Ye Tianlong turned his head away from the door, stood up, and began sparring with the willow tree once more.

Again and again. After the tenth round…

The training session ended. Ye Tianlong felt the energy inside him surging, like a volcano about to erupt!

BOOM!

The volcano erupted! His cultivation soared!

Ye Tianlong’s eyes widened in surprise. Another breakthrough!

Body Refining Realm, Fifth Layer!

He looked utterly bewildered. “Elder Mu! How did I break through again? And why is it still Body Refining Realm?! Fifth Layer?!”

Lao Mu replied nonchalantly, “It doesn’t matter. So what if you reach Body Refining Realm, one hundredth layer?”

Ye Tianlong: “…” Seriously?

Everyone else went from Body Refining Third Layer to Diamond Realm First Layer. He should have done that last time! Now he was at fifth layer Body Refining, and Lao Mu was just brushing it off like it was nothing? Speechless.

Lao Mu looked at Ye Tianlong, and for a fleeting moment, a hazy memory of someone else surfaced… but it was too blurry, too indistinct. He couldn’t quite grasp it.

Heavenly Thunder Crystals rained down, and Ye Tianlong’s wounds began to heal once more.

***

Midday. Blazing sun.

North of the city. Xiahou Family Estate.

Ye Tianlong adjusted his bamboo hat, pulling the brim low, cautiously approaching the massive gates of the Xiahou residence.

High walls surrounded a sprawling courtyard filled with elegant pavilions, intricately carved beams, and painted rafters – clearly showcasing the wealth and status of one of Bai Cheng’s top families.

Three years ago, Emperor Duan of the Da Zhao Dynasty had passed away. His final decree appointed Xiahou Ming as Regent King, tasked with assisting the young emperor.

With Xiahou Ming’s power soaring, eclipsing even the heavens, his influence was immense.

The Xiahou family here in Bai Cheng was merely a side branch of the main clan.

But, as the saying goes, “When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.”

Riding on the coattails of their connection to Regent King Xiahou Ming, this branch family had become arrogant tyrants, bullying the common folk and extorting wealth mercilessly. Xiahou family members demanded fresh flowers pave their paths when they went out, traveling in opulent sedan chairs carried by eight bearers. They drank the finest wines, wore the most luxurious silks, and indulged in extravagant feasts and entertainment every night. Utter decadence.

Yue Qingshan had claimed the Xiahou family wanted to buy Ye Qing. This had bothered Ye Tianlong deeply. He needed answers.

Right now, a large crowd was gathered in front of the estate gates.

Ye Tianlong sidled closer, tapping the shoulder of a middle-aged man in front of him. “Brother,” he asked quietly, “what’s going on with the Xiahou family? Why such a crowd?”

“Eh? You haven’t heard?” The man turned slightly. “The entire Xiahou family, thirty-six people, massacred! Every last one! Look there – bodies everywhere inside. Didn’t even spare the children. Ai-yo, it’s bloody horrific.” The man shifted, allowing Ye Tianlong a glimpse through the crowd.

Red. Everything was stained crimson.

Piles of corpses floated in pools of blood. Severed limbs lay scattered. The scene was utterly terrifying. Inside a cage, an expensive parrot shrieked hysterically, its beak smeared with blood, the mangled body of another bird lying beneath its claws.

Ye Tianlong frowned slightly. Annoyed. With the Xiahou family dead, his lead was gone. The clue was severed.

The middle-aged man sighed. “The Xiahou family ran rampant in Bai Cheng, extorting and bullying… I guess this is karma, huh?”

“Heh, you ain’t wrong there,” a woman nearby chimed in. “Such a miserable end for the whole family. I bet someone came seeking revenge.”

The middle-aged man nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I reckon it was that kid who killed Chief Yue of Ping Tong Agency. Right before he died, Chief Yue shouted that the Xiahou family forced him into it. Wouldn’t be surprised if that kid came and wiped out the Xiahou family too…”

“I know, I know! That escort’s name is Ye Tianlong! Whoa, you should have seen it! The way he killed his master was unbelievably brutal!”

“I also think it was that escort, Ye Tianlong,” someone else added. “But I heard one member of the Xiahou family, a cultivator named Xiahou Jie, is still alive. Ye Tianlong didn’t manage to kill him.”

“Whoa, lucky guy!”

“Bai Cheng’s never seen a massacre like this! The imperial constables will be here soon to catch the killer. Killing so many people, especially the Xiahou family who even the County Magistrate wouldn’t dare offend… that Ye Tianlong is definitely doomed!”

Suddenly, the rhythmic sound of marching footsteps approached. Thump-thump-thump!

A squad of constables in crimson official robes, long, shining steel sabers hanging at their waists, jogged up.

The constable leading the squad announced loudly, “By order of the County Magistrate! Effective immediately, we are hunting the murderer Ye Tianlong! Anyone harboring him or withholding information will be considered an accomplice! Those who provide information leading to his capture will be rewarded with ten taels of silver!”

After the announcement, the constables started posting wanted posters everywhere.

Ye Tianlong saw his own face sketched on one – and beside it, a drawing of his sister, Ye Qing!

Can’t stay here!

Ye Tianlong melted back into the crowd, head down, walking away quickly.

***

The cave in the woods.

“Sister, we have to leave Bai Cheng. It’s my fault… making you leave home like this,” Ye Tianlong looked at Ye Qing, guilt heavy in his eyes.

Ye Qing shook her head, her voice gentle. “Brother, everything you did was for me. How could I blame you? Besides… wherever Brother is, that’s my home.”

Seeing her thin face, Ye Tianlong’s eyes reddened slightly. He pulled her into a tight hug.

“Okay,” Ye Tianlong decided firmly. “We’ll pack our things and leave tonight. Wait for me just outside the city, okay? I need to meet someone first.”

Ye Qing nodded.

Suddenly, a cold breeze swept through the cave.

Ye Qing started shivering uncontrollably, her hands turning ice-cold.

“Sister, is your illness acting up again?” Ye Tianlong asked worriedly.

“Brother, I… Don’t worry about…”

Suddenly, like a fragile reed, Ye Qing collapsed unconscious onto the cave floor. Her pretty face was deathly pale, not a trace of color, her forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Her  Cold Sickness – had flared up again.

It was an illness she’d had since birth, carried from their mother’s womb. Every time it struck, it caused her immense pain. He’d sought out countless doctors, but none could cure it – only alleviate the symptoms with medicine. And that medicine was the extremely expensive  – Fire Spirit Pill.

Panic seized Ye Tianlong. He frantically grabbed a medicine bottle from their bundle and uncorked it.

Only one pill left.

Ye Tianlong gently lifted Ye Qing’s head, carefully pried open her mouth, and fed her dissolves the last Fire Spirit Pill.

In the past, almost all the money he earned from escort runs, after basic expenses, went towards buying these pills for her. Initially, she only had an attack once a month. But this month… this was already the second time. Now, with a bounty on his head, constantly hunted… how could he afford more medicine for her? How could he keep her safe?

Worry gnawed at him.

Dark night.

City God Temple.

Ye Tianlong arrived cautiously at the temple entrance.

He heard a light, feminine chuckle from within. “Well, come on in. Are you afraid a weak little woman like me is going to eat you?”

A black shadow flashed before Ye Tianlong’s eyes, and the mysterious woman appeared.

This was the first time Ye Tianlong had seen her up close.

She had a stunning figure, draped in a fiery red dress cinched at her incredibly slender waist by a brown belt. Her face was still veiled with black gauze, but it revealed a pair of breathtakingly blue eyes, deep and clear like pools of water.

She’s from the Da Yue Clan of the Western Regions!

Suddenly, Ye Tianlong caught the faintest whiff of blood. But there wasn’t a single mark on her. The scent vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the delicate, orchid-like fragrance of a woman.

“Who exactly are you?” Ye Tianlong asked directly.

“My name is Araya,” she replied, standing straight, a small wooden box appearing in her hand. “I want you to escort something for me.”

“Escort?”

Araya nodded. “That’s right. I want you to deliver this wooden box to the Yunxiao Palace of the Kunlun Sect in the Shamo.”

She held the wooden box out to him.

A sliver of doubt rose in Ye Tianlong’s mind, but he kept his face neutral. “Why me?”

“You’re an escort. I have cargo I need delivered. Does there need to be another reason?” Araya countered.

Ye Tianlong shook his head slowly. “The Shamo is too far. Vast deserts, desolate mountains, dangerous jungles… one wrong step in any of those places means certain death!”

Arəya placed the wooden box on the temple’s offering table. Then, she placed a small porcelain vial on top of the box.

“Inside this vial are Fire Spirit Pills. They can alleviate your sister’s condition. Deliver this box to the Kunlun Sect, and I will give you many more Fire Spirit Pills. The payment for the escort job will also be generous.”

Ye Tianlong stiffened slightly. “How do you know about my sister’s illness?”

Arəya laughed lightly. “Bai Cheng isn’t that big. Is it really so strange that I know? Now, are you taking this job or not? Give me a straight answer. If you don’t want it, I’ll find someone else.”

Ye Tianlong hesitated.

On one hand, the authorities were hunting him and Ye Qing. He needed to get her somewhere safe.

On the other hand, Ye Qing needed those Fire Spirit Pills, and right now, he had no way to buy them. Where would he get the money?

“…I’ll take it,” Ye Tianlong made his decision.

“I knew you would,” Arəya said smoothly. “Along the way, any town with a shop bearing the Kunlun Sect’s symbol – you can go there for supplies. Just give them my name.” She paused briefly. “Escort Ye, this cargo must be delivered to the Kunlun Sect in the Shamo, directly into the hands of Sect Leader Dugu Sha.”

Ye Tianlong nodded.

Whoosh.

Arəya vanished into the night shadows.

Neigh!

The sound of a horse whinnying came from outside the temple.

Ye Tianlong stepped out to look. A horse-drawn carriage stood waiting.

That woman from the Da Yue Clan… she had prepared everything, just for him to deliver a small wooden box?

Ye Tianlong picked up the wooden box and gave it a gentle shake. Shh-shh. It sounded like there was a letter inside.

Going to such great lengths… paying such a high price… just to deliver a letter?

Something felt off. This was strange.

The night was deep and dark. Ye Tianlong climbed onto the driver’s seat of the carriage, flicked the reins, and disappeared into the darkness as well.