The sun had already set, and the moon was shining brightly in the starry sky.
Beside the small, gentle stream, the dragon-like creature dipped its scaled snout into the water, drinking in silence.
Mo Yanyu sat upright in a sedan mounted on its back, her fingers absentmindedly playing with a blue smoke bomb. Her brows were furrowed, but not in focus—her thoughts were wandering, and they had taken her somewhere far more dangerous than any battlefield.
That man… Yang Kai.
She bit her lower lip. No matter how she tried to ignore it, the memory kept returning—his firm hands on her body, their heated struggle in the water pool, the shameless closeness, the rush of blood to her cheeks when their eyes met...
Her face flushed scarlet.
"What am I thinking?" she murmured to herself, shaking her head fiercely, but the heat on her cheeks wouldn't fade. She'd never been touched like that—never felt that kind of chaos stir in her body. It wasn't just anger anymore.
She was still supposed to hate him. He had humiliated her, escaped, and killed Master Karu. She should want to rip him apart.
But her thoughts betrayed her. Again and again, her mind returned to that moment in the pool. His grip, his eyes, the way he moved…
All of a sudden, a pale blue light shot up across the sky some five miles ahead.
"They have arrived!" Mo Yanyu's spirit rose. She immediately threw the blue smoke bomb into the sky, and the same pale blue light was seen above her.
The cultivators around the dragon-like creature rejoiced with a lively outburst of happiness as if they were getting ready for a fight.
In less than a quarter of an hour, three dark shadows appeared from afar and flew in their direction. The first of them had a graceful beard and wore an indifferent smile. He approached near Mo Yanyu and laughed loudly. "Yanyu, where is Master Karu?"
"Third uncle, Master Karu is dead." Mo Yanyu explained in a very unwilling manner, "We met a thief midway. He was only of the Qi Transformation Stage, but he still managed to kill Master Karu. I just can't figure it out."
Mo Chaoge's smile disappeared at once, and his face turned pale. "Have you got the thing that was on Karu?"
Mo Yanyu shook her head. "It was taken by that thief."
"Stupid!"
Mo Chaoge cursed in a low voice. With a cold face, he observed, "We received information that Karu had stolen a tortoise shell—a strange tortoise shell which displayed some kind of map. I came here in a hurry with two escorts just for that incomplete map! But you let him die! How stupid!"
"What!" Mo Yanyu was shocked. "How could that be?"
"You think he was attracted by the wealth of the Mo family? Humph." Mo Chaoge thought for a second seriously and reproached, "Tell me the details. That man must still be in the Dark Forest. We have to find him! The map means a lot. We, the Mo family, have to get it!"
Mo Yanyu started to realize how bad the situation was. She told him all the details, except that she had been violated by Yang Kai twice.
"Dumbass!" Mo Chaoge scolded again. He flew into a rage. "You didn't keep tracking him? That bastard is only of the Qi Transformation Stage! No matter how he killed Karu, he must have paid a significant price. He might have been hurt too. If you had chased him, you could have killed him easily! Too dumb!"
"I was afraid that we would lose more, so…" Mo Yanyu lowered her head in shame.
"An Qi Transformation Stage guy, and you were afraid of him?" Mo Chaoge was annoyed. "You wasted so many resources of our Mo family! What are you doing now? Show me the way! You! You! You! Bring the creature back to the Red Cloud Sect through the secure route. Others! Follow me and search!"
-------------------------------------
Under the moonlight, Yang Kai was leaning against an ancient tree, deep in thought. He had decided to stop the chase for the time being.
He took off Karu's bag from his back and opened it to look into the contents.
Inside the bag was a volume on poisons, several bottles of poison refined by Karu, and a strange tortoise shell, studied it for two days but found nothing, so he didn't take it seriously.
Yang Kai packed the bag and observed the surroundings for a while. Assured that it was safe, he quietly climbed up a tree behind him, hid himself in the thickets, and started to train.
...
Up in the sky. The moon had disappeared. Dawn was coming near.
"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!" There came a sound of someone approaching from afar.
Yang Kai frowned and slowed his breathing. He then started observing his surroundings.
Before long, seven shadows, each of whom were wearing grey gowns and pale masks, stopped under the ancient tree, seeming to be waiting for something.
On the shoulders of six of those seven cultivators were signs of silver stars, while on the last one's shoulder was a sign of a silver crescent.
"Wooon! Woon!" A weird sound came from the grove ahead, sounding like a communication signal.
Under the ancient tree, the tall, thin cultivator with the crescent on his shoulder had a cold look in his eyes. He listened to the surroundings for five seconds and remarked, "According to the secret message, they have been spotted in a valley twenty miles away. Now chase after them!"
The troop of seven cultivators passed rapidly.
Ten seconds after they left, Yang Kai stuck his head out of the leaves. After thinking for a while, he jumped down from the tree and followed after them secretly.
----------------------------------------------------
The serene valley had turned into a graveyard of broken weapons and bloodied earth. A broadsword lay snapped in half beside a fallen guard, his chest unmoving. Another guard groaned, pinned beneath a boulder with a blood-soaked leg.
Mu Yu Die stood alone, blood trickling from a wound on her forehead, her flute snapped in two. Her lips trembled, but her back remained straight. In front of her, the members of the Assassin Pavilion closed in like wolves. The tall, thin man in the grey gown, with the silver crescent on his shoulder, surveyed the scene coldly.
"Miss Mu, it's over. Come quietly to the Lord of the Assassin Pavilion, or we might just forget our manners," he said flatly, raising a hand to halt his men.
Mu Yu Die met his gaze, unblinking. "Then kill me. I'd rather die than be dragged back to that place."
The assassin leader chuckled. "So be it. You have spirit, Miss Mu. Too bad it ends here."
Yang Kai was hiding behind an ancient tree, about fifty meters away from the fight. He observed with a rigid expression, his eyes glinting in the dark.
All the people from the Assassin Pavilion were at the True Element Boundary Stage. Yang Kai was envisioning various scenarios for the best possible approach.
A few seconds later, his eyes lit up. He grabbed his bag cautiously and took out the Bone Cutting powder, wrapped in a soft cloth. Lowering his body, he quietly climbed out onto a tree branch.
Bone Cutting powder was a drug invented by Karu, the alchemist. It made one's veins and bones go numb, decreasing their power. Its effects could last for three hours—enough time to change the outcome of a battle.
Just then—
Abruptly, a slight sound came from above.
"Dammit! Run!"
It was too late!
Grey dust fell from the sky like drizzle, spreading over the area. Everybody, including those from the Assassin Pavilion, was covered by the dust. No one was spared.
Many inhaled the Bone Cutting powder, which entered their lungs and quickly affected their bodies. Within seconds, they were numb all over, their bones softened, and their strength weakened.
A thin figure appeared from the branches above. With an indifferent face, he floated down from the tree and calmly landed beside Mu Yu Die, who stood there in shock. He took out a medicine bag and said lightly, "Smell this. It'll detoxify you."
"It's you?!" Astonishment overtook Mu Yu Die's moon-like face. She couldn't believe it was Yang Kai who had descended from above.
"Miss, you once saved me. I'll remember that forever." Yang Kai smiled. Seeing this, Mu Yu Die grabbed the medicine bag. He added, "The Bone Cutting powder will last for three hours—not too long, not too short. You should know what to do, Miss." His eyes turned cold.
"Got it." Mu Yu Die understood what Yang Kai meant. She took a deep breath of the fragrant medicine.
Mu Yu Die turned to Yang Kai. Her beautiful eyes silently pleaded for his help.
Seeing her gaze, Yang Kai smiled and asked naturally, "Miss, may I know your name?"
"Mu Yu Die."
"A nice name."
Yang Kai nodded, imprinting it in his mind. Under her gaze, he darted out instantly!
With a dagger in hand, Yang Kai charged into the group of assassins, his face deadly serious. The dagger slashed through the air with chilling precision.
In no time, the assassin most affected by the Bone Cutting powder took a deep wound to the neck and collapsed.
Yang Kai moved like a phantom through the enemies, leaving cuts and slashes behind—his body a whirlwind of deadly intent.
One assassin fell. Then another.
Mu Yu Die watched with wide eyes, barely able to comprehend the speed. The calm boy she once helped was now a storm of death in the heart of chaos.
"Uh…" she brushed her hair behind her ear , a strange, embarrassed expression crossing her face.
Yang Kai looked indifferent as he moved like a ghost. With each wave of his dagger, icy light exploded.
"Ahhhh!"
One of the assassins was struck in the back and couldn't help but scream, "Kill this bastard!"
A rainbow light shot toward Yang Kai like a sentient arrow, reflecting the thoughts of its masters.
"Be careful! That's the [Dark King Spear] from the Assassin Pavilion!" Mu Yu Die cried out. "Don't hold its image in your mind, or it'll chase you forever!"
So magical?
Yang Kai immediately withdrew from the confrontation, abandoning any thoughts of resisting. He cleared his mind without hesitation.
In an instant, the three [Dark King Spears] lost their target and shot off into the distance, detonating in a shower of grass and soil.
"Damn it!" one of the assassins cursed, preparing to use another trick.
Just then, Di Yalan inhaled the medicine from the bag and gradually recovered from the effects of the Bone Cutting powder. Realizing this, one of the assassins, who had been preparing to strike, dashed toward her.
Di Yalan swung her arms, which stretched and retracted like a snake. She clasped the assassin, binding him from all angles.
Rejoining the fight, Di Yalan's strength surged, and Yang Kai felt the pressure ease. After inhaling the medicine, her energy returned. Meanwhile, the three remaining assassins grew weaker by the second, poisoned by the Bone Cutting powder. Soon, they would be killed by Di Yalan and Yang Kai.