Who Was the Hunter, and Who Was the Prey?

Early the next morning, Lin Xiao rose before dawn.

After checking his luggage and making sure nothing had been left behind, he locked the door and departed.

Outside the courtyard, a sturdy, blood-red horse stood waiting quietly.

When Lin Xiao emerged, the horse let out a soft neigh, as though greeting its master.

This horse was a Blood-Sweat Dragon Steed unique to the Wu Kingdom. It was said to possess a trace of ancient ferocious beast bloodline and could travel a thousand li in a day with ease.

Lin Xiao stroked the Blood-Sweat Dragon Steed's mane and led it toward the city gate.

Riding was forbidden within the Wu Kingdom's capital, so he could only mount up after leaving the city.

At the corner, a figure appeared. Little Fatty had come to see him off.

"Brother Lin, I'll wait for you to return."

Seeing Little Fatty's heartfelt display, Lin Xiao got a chill down his spine and nearly kicked him. What was with this sudden outpouring of emotion?

"Brother Lin, once you reach Stability Prefecture, make plans before taking action. It isn't like the capital there. Deception and intrigue are everywhere. Even if you serve the court, should you clash with those aristocratic families or sects, someone may still risk everything to deal with you."

Little Fatty reminded him as he walked alongside Lin Xiao toward the city gate.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Upon reaching the city gate, Lin Xiao patted Little Fatty on the shoulder, then turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

In a tavern not far from the city gate, a graceful figure silently watched Lin Xiao depart.

"Princess, let us return. Lord Lin has already left."

Ji Mingyue nodded. After taking one last deep look at Lin Xiao's receding back, she departed with her maid.

Elsewhere, after Lin Xiao left the city, Li Yue received the news and hurriedly led four martial artists of the martial world out in pursuit.

"Lord Li, when do we make our move?"

One of the martial artists asked impatiently.

They had followed Lin Xiao for three hours already. With nightfall approaching, they were all growing restless.

"Wait a little longer. We need to get farther from the capital."

"And this is an official road. If we strike openly here, we could easily be seen."

"No matter what, Lin Xiao is Jinyiwei. If people learn that I was behind it, it will be difficult to explain."

"Understood, Lord Li. Then we'll let the brat live a little longer."

"If you ask me, Lord Li, you didn't need to come along to kill such a minor character. The four of us brothers would have been enough."

Li Yue shook his head. "Do not underestimate him. He managed to escape the White Lotus Saintess unharmed, so his strength is certainly nothing to scoff at."

As darkness fell, Lin Xiao was in no hurry to continue traveling.

The journey to Stability Prefecture was long, and there was no deadline. He could take the opportunity to admire the scenery of this other world as well.

Before he left, Little Fatty had prepared more than enough food and water for him.

After moving away from the official road and finding a sheltered spot, Lin Xiao took down his food and water from the horse's back and began to eat.

The moon shone brightly while the stars were sparse. Leaning against a tree trunk and gazing at the bright moon in the sky, Lin Xiao felt himself relax for the first time in a long while.

But just as he was preparing to sleep, a warning surged through him. His ears twitched, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Whoosh!!!

A feathered arrow embedded itself where he had been moments earlier.

Within the dense forest, a martial artist saw that his strike had missed and could not help feeling disappointed.

"This brat is quite alert. He actually sensed the danger before I even launched my attack."

Before the man finished muttering, he heard a companion shout from afar, "Third Brother, watch out!"

But it was already too late.

Lin Xiao appeared at his side like a ghost, the Embroidered Spring Blade already drawn in his hand.

Blood flashed, and a large head soared high into the air.

"Third Brother!"

Seeing their fellow martial artist beheaded by Lin Xiao in a single slash, his companions' eyes turned bloodshot with rage.

"Ding! Mission received: Slay all incoming enemies. Reward: max-level Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill. (No penalty for abandoning the mission.)"

The system's voice rang out at the same instant Lin Xiao swung his blade.

Naturally, Lin Xiao would not abandon the mission.

The max-level Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill was far too tempting.

Forget these nameless nobodies—even if the White Lotus Saintess were here, with this system mission at stake, he would risk his life to complete it.

As he killed that martial artist, Lin Xiao's figure vanished once more.

"Everyone be careful! Back to back! Don't give this brat an opening!"

"Heh, a pack of rats dares to come assassinate this official? You truly don't know how the word death is written."

As his words fell, Lin Xiao descended from above the four men.

The Embroidered Spring Blade in his hand gleamed with icy light, and a terrifying blade aura enveloped all four of them.

By the moonlight, Lin Xiao clearly saw Li Yue among them.

"Li Yue, there is a road to heaven, yet you refuse to take it. Hell has no gate, yet you insist on barging in."

"I spared your dog life, and instead of living it properly, you dared to bring men to kill this official?"

"I cannot let you live today."

Boom!!!

The ground was cleaved open by the blade aura, leaving behind a fissure two meters deep.

"Brat, don't get too arrogant!"

After evading Lin Xiao's strike, the only Innate Realm expert among the four roared and threw a punch.

A faint Golden Light shimmered around the man's body. Before his fist arrived, its wind had already struck.

"Shaolin Temple's Golden Bell Shield?"

Li Yue narrowly avoided Lin Xiao's attack. Upon seeing the man's technique, his expression filled with surprise.

That Innate Realm martial artist was precisely a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple.

But the Golden Bell Shield could only be learned by Shaolin Temple's true disciples.

How could a mere lay disciple possibly have learned it?

But this was not the time to dwell on such matters. Killing Lin Xiao came first.

The moment Lin Xiao landed, he met the man's full-force punch head-on.

Fist and palm collided, force exploding in every direction. The surrounding trees trembled slightly, and leaves rustled down in showers.

Borrowing the force of the clash, Lin Xiao flew backward, only for two men to strike from the flank midway through.

The two martial artists had seized their chance perfectly—Lin Xiao's old force had been expended, while his new force had yet to arise.

Though he had exchanged a move with the Innate Realm martial artist and could not temporarily gather his qi while airborne, Lin Xiao still had a way to respond.

His body spun through the air, and the Embroidered Spring Blade swept out horizontally.

Clang! Clang!

The weapons of the two martial artists broke into halves.

"Everyone, be careful! What he holds is the Embroidered Spring Blade, forged from thousand-year cold-pool iron. It cuts iron like mud!"

Li Yue shouted a warning.

But Li Yue's warning was clearly too late.

Upon landing, Lin Xiao swung his arm, and a blood-red blade aura swept across the two men's waists. In an instant, their bodies split into two.

Three out of five were gone, leaving only Li Yue and the Innate Realm martial artist.

Watching three brothers die in the blink of an eye, the Innate Realm martial artist's eyes turned blood-red.

"Brat, die!"

The Innate Realm martial artist stamped fiercely on the ground and leaped high into the air, striking downward with his palm.

Lin Xiao showed no fear whatsoever. He raised his palm from below to meet the attack.

Boom!!!

The ground abruptly sank. Lin Xiao's legs sank three inches into the earth, purple qi spreading across his face. His inner force circulated, directly blasting the Innate Realm martial artist away.

Li Yue knew that fleeing was useless. Keeping close to the ground, he swung his sword at Lin Xiao's feet.

"Hmph."

Lin Xiao stomped his foot, launching himself from the ground as a blood-red blade aura descended.

Li Yue flipped away from it, dust covering his entire body as he cut a thoroughly miserable figure.

On the other side, veins bulged across the backs of the Innate Realm martial artist's hands. That palm exchange with Lin Xiao had actually shaken him so badly that he could not gather his qi for a short time.

Before he could react, an Embroidered Spring Blade shot toward him, piercing through his Golden Bell Shield and pinning him to a distant tree trunk.

Urgh!!!

Blood continuously gushed from the Innate Realm martial artist's mouth. Footsteps sounded as Lin Xiao strolled over, his eyes devoid of the slightest emotion, and pulled the Embroidered Spring Blade from the man's chest.

"You..."

The Innate Realm martial artist still wanted to say something, but his strength grew weaker and weaker. In the end, he collapsed into a pool of blood.

Only Lin Xiao and Li Yue remained in the entire clearing.

"Have you decided how you want to die?"

Lin Xiao slowly turned around and spoke indifferently.