A Lone Counterattack

The campfire flickered in the cramped cave, stretching Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian's shadows across the rough stone walls like swaying ghosts. Xiao Yi Xian looked at the wound on Xiao Yan's arm, still seeping blood—the thorn had cut him during the day, and it looked especially glaring in the firelight. She bit her lower lip and suddenly spoke, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremble, yet unusually firm.

"Xiao Yan, at this rate, they'll catch up to us sooner or later." She reached out and pressed down on the hand Xiao Yan was about to use to bandage his wound, her eyes full of stubborn resolve. "With me holding you back, you can't move fast at all. I'm from Medicine God Valley. I have a special Token from the valley on me. As long as I reach one of Medicine God Valley's outer branch halls, no matter how arrogant the Wolf Head Mercenary Group is, they won't dare set foot there lightly—they make their living in the Monster Beast Mountain Range year-round, and they often need us to treat their injuries. They would never make an enemy of Medicine God Valley just to capture me."

Xiao Yan's brows instantly drew together. Just as he was about to argue, Xiao Yi Xian continued before him. "Don't try to talk me out of it. My mind is made up. Lei Batian's men are still searching nearby. The longer we delay, the more dangerous it becomes. Listen to me—we split up. I'll head toward Medicine God Valley. Their attention is all on you, so they definitely won't be watching me. Once I reach the branch hall, I'll find a way to contact you."

"No!" Xiao Yan's voice was firm beyond question. "You know better than I do how dangerous the Monster Beast Mountain Range is at night. Even setting aside the chance that Lei Batian might send people after you, the nocturnal demonic beasts in these woods could easily hurt you. If we leave, we leave together. I'll take you to Medicine God Valley's branch hall, then figure out how to get away."

"Take me? Then who's going to lure Lei Batian away?" Xiao Yi Xian was so anxious that her eyes reddened. "They already see us as thorns in their sides. Now we wandered into their territory and ruined their plans. With Lei Batian's temper, he won't rest until he catches us. If you keep following me, they'll corner us eventually. By then, forget protecting me—you won't even be able to escape yourself!" She took a deep breath, as if making an immense decision. "How about this? I'll lure them away while you run in the opposite direction. I know these woods, and it's dark at night. They won't catch me. Once I shake them off, I'll go to the branch hall and find you."

Xiao Yan looked into Xiao Yi Xian's resolute eyes and knew she was not joking. He fell silent for a moment, his mind racing, before an idea suddenly came to him. His gaze sharpened. "You don't need to lure them. I'll do it."

"You?" Xiao Yi Xian froze.

"Lei Batian's target is me in the first place. I was the one who hurt his men when we fought during the day. If I show myself and draw them away, you can leave safely." Xiao Yan's tone was calm, but it carried a reassuring strength. "Listen. I'll deliberately expose my trail and lead them northeast to Rubble Slope. The terrain there is complicated, with natural crevices and cliffs everywhere. It's perfect for keeping them occupied. Take the chance to head southwest. Follow that stream for five li, and you'll see the marker for Medicine God Valley's branch hall. Remember, be careful. Don't look back."

Xiao Yi Xian wanted to say more, but Xiao Yan had already risen and taken a palm-sized black Token from his Storage Ring, pressing it into her hand. "This is a Stealth Token I brought from the Jia Ma Empire. It can temporarily conceal your aura. If you run into danger, crush it. It can block one attack from a Dou Shi-level opponent. Take it. Don't lose it."

He pulled out several bottles of pills and some medicinal herbs from his pack, stuffing them into Xiao Yi Xian's bag. "These are healing and antidote pills. Keep them with you, just in case. Remember, once you reach the branch hall, don't come out. Wait for me to find you."

Xiao Yi Xian watched Xiao Yan calmly prepare everything for her, and at last, tears spilled from her eyes. Still, she nodded hard. "Then you have to be careful. Lei Batian is a Da Dou Shi, and he's cultivated Mad Wolf Strength. His close-range Explosive Power is terrifying. Whatever you do, don't fight him head-on!"

"Don't worry." Xiao Yan smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I'm not going to gamble with my life. Go. Once I count to three, I'll go out and draw them away."

Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip and gave Xiao Yan one final look before turning and running toward the exit on the other side of the cave. Her steps were light, and under the cover of night, she quickly vanished into the dense forest, leaving behind only a faint string of footsteps that gradually faded away.

Xiao Yan watched the direction in which she had disappeared and took a deep breath. His expression instantly turned cold and sharp. He gripped the Black Iron Dagger at his waist—it had been forged from the fangs of a First-tier Demonic Beast, the Black Iron Wolf, that he had slain. The dagger was around seven inches long, its blade body glinting with a cold, ghostly sheen. Its edge was sharp enough to slice through rock with ease, while its handle was wrapped in non-slip beast hide, steady and comfortable in his grip. Then he took a Short Crossbow from his Storage Ring. Its string was made from tough demonic beast sinew, and small magic crystals were set into its mechanism, giving it formidable power and an effective range of thirty paces. He swiftly loaded six bolts coated with paralytic medicine Xiao Yi Xian had given him earlier. Colorless and odorless, it could stiffen the limbs of a Dou Zhe within three breaths after entering the bloodstream, robbing them of mobility. Once he had checked his equipment, Xiao Yan crouched like a leopard and silently slipped out of the cave.

The night was as dark as ink. Moonlight was blocked by the dense leaves overhead, leaving only scattered patches of light on the ground, barely enough to make out the path. Xiao Yan did not expose his trail immediately. Instead, he moved swiftly along the tree trunks, his eyes sweeping the area like a hawk's. Lei Batian had taken the main force to conduct a carpet search through the forest, leaving eight scattered mercenary members divided into four groups to search the nearby areas. They held torches, whose dancing flames illuminated only a few yards around them, and occasionally barked crude curses. Clearly, they had not expected that the youth who had been "fleeing in panic" during the day would now come looking for them on his own, transformed into a hunter who came for lives.

His first target was a tall mercenary. He was alone in charge of searching the western area, carrying a rusted saber as he kicked stones underfoot and cursed. His torch was casually tucked under his arm, its light casting his shadow in a twisted shape. "That damned little brat, where the hell did he hide? The boss said it—if we can't find them, none of us will get off easy! Once we catch those two little bastards, we'll hang them from a tree and let the demonic beasts gnaw them clean!"

He did not notice at all that a black shadow was slowly approaching from the bushes to his left. Xiao Yan held his breath, his steps as light as falling leaves. Every step landed in the hollow between two roots to avoid making a sound. He knew that against mercenaries who had spent their lives killing, he had to strike fatally in one blow. He could not give them a chance to react or cry out.

Just as the mercenary turned and bent down, intending to Pick up a suitable stone and smash it toward the nearby bushes to test whether anyone was hiding there, Xiao Yan moved. He Darted out like an arrow released from a bow. Dou Qi surged faintly beneath his feet, and with the technique of Windwalk Steps, he moved so fast that only an afterimage remained. The Black Iron Dagger in his hand tore through the air as it stabbed straight for the man's throat—one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. As long as it pierced the windpipe, the man would not even have a chance to call for help.

The mercenary had spent years walking the line between life and death, and he instinctively sensed the danger. He twisted sharply aside and brought his saber horizontally before him to block. But Xiao Yan was too fast. The dagger nearly Swiped past the edge of the saber. Pfft. It accurately pierced his throat. Blood Gushed out in an instant, Splashed onto the fallen leaves like a fountain, and made a soft rustling sound.

"Urgh..." The mercenary let out a short, muffled groan. His eyes bulged as he clutched his throat with both hands, his body crumpling to the ground. The saber in his hand fell with a clang, and the torch rolled aside, its flame gradually dying out and leaving only a wisp of bluish smoke. Xiao Yan quickly Stepped Forward and covered the man's mouth until his body stopped twitching, only then releasing him. He dragged the corpse behind thick bushes, covered it with dead branches and leaves, then Picked up the saber and torch from the ground. After extinguishing them, he threw them into a distant ravine and wiped away the bloodstains. His movements were clean and efficient, leaving no trace behind.

He had just finished handling the corpse when the voices of two mercenaries came from not far away. Accompanied by footsteps and the crackling of burning torches, they were heading this way.

"Hey, do you think the boss is making such a big fuss this time because he's looking for something besides those two little brats?" asked a mercenary with a hoarse voice. He held his torch high, its light sweeping over the surrounding trees and casting mottled shadows.

"Who knows? Whatever he's looking for, we just need to make a living. Still, that kid managed to hurt Scar during the day. He has some skill. We'd better be careful if we run into him later," replied another mercenary in a shrill voice. His footsteps gradually slowed, and his eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings. He gripped his saber tightly, ready to strike at any moment.

Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened, but he did not choose to confront them head-on. He quickly climbed a sturdy ancient tree beside him. Its lush branches and leaves, combined with its trunk nearly two feet thick, concealed him completely. He lay prone on a thick horizontal branch, Short Crossbow in hand, its bolts aimed at the path below. He knew the two mercenaries were too close together. He had to deal with them simultaneously; if either one raised the alarm, the pursuers nearby would swarm over.

The two soon walked beneath the tree. The hoarse-voiced mercenary was still complaining. "There are too many mosquitoes in this damned place. When we get back, I'm drinking a few jars of strong liquor to ward off the bad luck." The shrill-voiced mercenary abruptly stopped and sniffed suspiciously. "Something's wrong. I think I smell blood."

Just as he was about to call to his companion and investigate further, Xiao Yan pulled the trigger. Whoosh, whoosh! Two bolts coated in paralytic medicine tore through the air like twin black streaks of lightning, shooting toward the men's knees. The joints had thinner skin and dense blood vessels, making them easy targets where the medicine could take effect quickly. They were also not immediately fatal, avoiding too much noise.

"Damn it! An ambush!" The hoarse-voiced mercenary reacted quickly. Almost the instant the bolts fired, he instinctively swung his saber to block. With a sharp clang, one bolt struck the flat of his blade and fell to the ground. But he was still a step too slow to protect the companion beside him.

The shrill-voiced mercenary only felt his knee go numb before a wave of agonizing pain hit him. Looking down, he saw that a bolt had pierced his kneecap, its shaft still quivering. The paralytic medicine instantly spread through the wound. His legs quickly stiffened, and he dropped to his knees with a thud. He wanted to call for help, but his tongue was already going numb, leaving him able to make only hoarse choking sounds as his body convulsed.

Xiao Yan seized that fleeting chance and leaped down from the tree like a tiger pouncing on prey. His body traced a smooth arc through the air. Upon landing, he rolled forward with the momentum, Avoiding the hoarse-voiced mercenary's first slash. Before the man could react, Xiao Yan had already closed in. His left hand clenched into a fist as he circulated Dou Qi through his body and smashed it into the man's ribs—the weak point protecting the internal organs, where the gaps between the ribs were wider and Dou Qi circulation briefly stalled.

Crack! A shrill scream followed as two of the mercenary's ribs broke. Xiao Yan gave him no chance to catch his breath. The Black Iron Dagger in his Right Hand rose with the motion. With a twist of his wrist, it struck like a venomous serpent, slicing across the man's neck and leaving a deep bloody wound. Blood Gushed out and Splashed onto Xiao Yan's body. The mercenary crashed to the ground, Staring at Xiao Yan until his dying moment, his eyes full of unwillingness and terror.

After dealing with the two men, Xiao Yan did not linger. He quickly dragged the bodies into a hollow among the ancient tree's roots and concealed them with vines and fallen leaves. He Glanced at the shrill-voiced mercenary still twitching on the ground, his brows faintly furrowing. With a swing of his dagger, he ended the man's suffering. Leaving a live witness was too dangerous. If the medicine wore off early, his trail could easily be exposed. After clearing the scene, Xiao Yan licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes growing colder. He wiped the blood from his dagger, reloaded the Short Crossbow, and headed toward the next target area.

His third targets were two mercenaries resting against a tree trunk. They were clearly tired. They had planted their torch in the dirt beside them; one leaned against the trunk smoking, while the other took out a waterskin and drank deeply. "I'm exhausted. We've been searching for nearly two hours and haven't even seen a shadow. Those two brats might've run far away already," complained the smoking mercenary, absently rolling a polished copper coin between his fingers. "Stop whining. You know the boss's temper. If we don't find them, we'll all be punished," said the drinking mercenary after choking on a mouthful of water. He coughed, his tone full of helplessness.

Xiao Yan lay behind a cluster of low shrubs some distance away and observed them for a moment. They stood about three paces apart, neither paying much attention, and they were back-to-back, exposing a perfect opening. He took a deep breath and slowly drew his Short Crossbow, aiming at the smoking mercenary's Back of the heart. It was close to the heart; even if the bolt did not kill him instantly, it would rob him of his ability to fight.

With a whoosh, the bolt shot through the air and struck the smoking mercenary squarely in the Back of the heart. The man jolted, the pipe falling from his hand as his body slowly slid down the trunk. Before he could cry out, he went still. Hearing the sound, the drinking mercenary instinctively turned around. Before he could see what had happened, a black shadow lunged at him. He hurriedly raised his saber to block, but Xiao Yan sidestepped it. With a flick of his wrist, the Black Iron Dagger plunged in beneath the man's ribs and drove straight into his organs.

"Ah—" The agony forced a scream from the mercenary. He tried to swing his saber in retaliation, but his body no longer obeyed him. He could only watch helplessly as Xiao Yan Pulled out the dagger, blood gushing from the wound. Xiao Yan did not pause. He quickly delivered another strike, ending the man's life. Then he Pulled out the torch planted in the ground and threw it into a distant puddle, dragging both corpses behind the bushes to hide them. The entire process flowed seamlessly and took no more than ten breaths.

Over the next half hour, Xiao Yan moved through the forest like a ghost in the night. Using the terrain and darkness as cover, he targeted mercenaries with weak vigilance who were acting alone. When he encountered a mercenary washing his hands by the river, he Circled around to the man's back beneath the cover of reeds and strangled him with a rope from his waist. When he encountered a mercenary urinating among the trees, he leaped down from above and drove his dagger straight through the man's heart. When he encountered two mercenaries walking together but arguing, he first threw a stone to draw one man's attention, then took out the other before turning back to Deal with the remaining one.

Once, a mercenary sensed something was wrong and was just about to call for his companions when Xiao Yan rushed before him. His left hand tightly covered the man's mouth while his right pressed the dagger to his throat. "Don't make a sound, or I'll kill you immediately." Xiao Yan's voice was cold and carried an unquestionable pressure. The mercenary trembled from head to toe and could only nod desperately. Xiao Yan lowered his voice. "Where is Lei Batian now? How many of you are still nearby?"

The mercenary stammered, "At... at Rubble Slope to the northeast. The boss took the remaining ten men there. He... he said they were going to surround that area so those two brats couldn't escape..."

Xiao Yan's expression turned cold. He pressed the dagger in and ended the man's life. He knew Lei Batian had gone to Rubble Slope just as he had expected. Its complex terrain was ideal for keeping them occupied. Moreover, there were not many enemies left. With the right plan, escape was not impossible.

The night grew deeper. Xiao Yan had already dealt with seven isolated mercenaries. He was covered in blood, his black clothes dyed dark red and several drops splattered across his face, yet none of it affected his movements. He leaned against a large tree, caught his breath, and took a pill to restore Dou Qi from his Storage Ring, placing it in his mouth. It melted instantly, and a gentle stream of energy slid down his throat, rapidly replenishing his spent Dou Qi. The consecutive battles had kept his mind stretched taut, but his eyes grew increasingly bright, like stars in the night, full of sharp light.

Just then, Lei Batian's enraged roar rang out in the distance. It echoed through the forest like thunder, accompanied by an intense Dou Qi fluctuation. He had clearly discovered his subordinates' corpses. "Damn it! That brat actually dared to strike first! Search for him! Even if you have to turn this entire forest upside down, find him! Whoever catches him gets fifty Gold Coin!"

A cold smile curled Xiao Yan's lips. He knew his purpose had been achieved. Lei Batian's fury meant the other side had already lost its composure. He stood up, adjusted his equipment, sheathed the Black Iron Dagger at his waist, and reloaded the Short Crossbow. Then, on a conspicuous tree trunk, he used his dagger to Engraved a deep slash. He tossed a scrap of cloth carrying his scent toward the northeast, creating the illusion of a hurried escape.

After doing all this, Xiao Yan turned and ran northeast toward Rubble Slope. He was fast, weaving through the forest like a phantom with Windwalk Steps. Every so often, he deliberately snapped a few branches with a crack, drawing the pursuers' attention.

"There's movement over there! And marks on the tree!" one mercenary shouted excitedly after spotting the trail Xiao Yan had left. "Boss, that brat ran toward Rubble Slope!"

Lei Batian immediately sensed Xiao Yan's position. He roared and led the remaining ten mercenaries after Xiao Yan like starving wolves. Dou Qi burst beneath his feet, green Dou Qi enveloping his body like flames. He was astonishingly fast, and every step he Stepped Out left a shallow footprint in the ground. "Brat, you can't run anymore! You dared kill my men? Today, I'll tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

Listening to the footsteps and Dou Qi fluctuations drawing ever closer behind him, Xiao Yan did not feel fear. Instead, he became even more excited. He quickened his pace, weaving through the woods with Windwalk Steps. From time to time, he would turn and throw several stone-polished darts at the Pursuing mercenaries. Though the darts lacked killing power, they could disrupt their Line of sight and slow them down.

Rubble Slope loomed closer. It was covered in enormous boulders at uneven heights. Some rose several stories high, their surfaces smooth as if polished. Others formed narrow stone crevices barely wide enough for one person to pass through, their interiors pitch-black and leading to unknown places. There were also many cliffs hidden in the shadows, their edges covered by thin layers of fallen leaves. One careless step could send someone plunging into an abyss. Xiao Yan knew the real battle had only just begun. He took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incomparably resolute as he ran deeper into Rubble Slope. In the dark night, his figure flashed among the rocks like black lightning, leaving behind a string of hurried footsteps as he began a Soul-stirring pursuit with the enraged pursuers behind him.