Jianghu

Wherever there were people, there was Jianghu, and wherever there was Jianghu, there would be fighting. Ye Yun had been in the city for barely half an hour and had already seen at least three altercations. Fortunately, both sides had shown some restraint and none had actually broken out into a fight. Even so, Ye Yun wouldn't dream of leaving his belongings at the inn. He didn't want to go out and come back to find everything gone. After all, there were far too many cultivators in this border city.

Glancing at the lightning-struck wood wrapped in cloth on his back, Ye Yun found himself longing even more for the legendary storage equipment. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort existed in this world, so he had no choice but to carry the wood himself.

He found an inn at random and settled in. After eating and cultivating until he had fully recovered, Ye Yun left the border city and headed toward the place marked on the map. He wanted to pick the vermilion fruit before the beasts of the Great Wilderness had finished gathering, lest unforeseen complications arise. The demonic beasts of the Great Wilderness were about to attack the city, after all. Who knew if they might eat all the vermilion fruit to boost their strength before the siege?

Following the map, Ye Yun traveled farther and farther from the city until the surroundings grew increasingly remote. Gradually, all traces of human activity disappeared. Just then, he came to an abrupt halt and turned to look at a patch of wild grass not far away. Calmly, he said, "Stop hiding and come out!"

Several seconds passed. Aside from the moaning of the wind as it swept through the rocky outcroppings and grass, there was no other sound.

Looking at the motionless grass, Ye Yun shook his head slightly and sighed. "Stop hiding. I noticed you before I even left the city. Who are you, and why are you following me?"

Unfortunately, the only sound from the grass was still the wind. Nothing else stirred.

Ye Yun sighed. "Well, if you're unwilling to come out, then stay where you are. I can't be bothered to ask anymore. You're probably after my things, and willing to kill for them."

With that, Ye Yun formed a hand seal with his left hand and shouted, "Lightning, come forth!"

"Crack!"

With a deafening boom, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck the patch of grass. Along with the blinding flash came two anguished screams. Two charred figures then stumbled out of the grass, twitched a few times, and went still. They looked to be dead.

Ye Yun looked at the two blackened figures lying on the ground, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Although they had been following him, he wasn't some bloodthirsty killer who would slay people at the slightest provocation. The lightning he had summoned hadn't actually been that powerful. At most, it could have gravely wounded an ordinary person—and those two were clearly no ordinary people. Of course, if they had cultivated some evil technique, that was another matter. After all, lightning was the embodiment of pure yang and was especially effective against evil spirits and demons.

"Tsk, they died that easily? They sure couldn't take a hit. Well, since they're already dead, I'd better burn them so they don't end up as food for wild beasts. That'll be a good deed, at least."

A wicked smile flickered across Ye Yun's face as he began forming the Fire Control Art. Just then, the two figures on the ground shot to their feet and lunged straight at him. Their eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Seeing the shortswords in their hands gleam with a chilling light, Ye Yun's gaze turned icy. He sped up his movements, and the Fire Control Art, which he had nearly completed, was finished in an instant. He swept his right hand, and a blazing inferno erupted before him.

The two exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and their eyes blazed with ferocity. They charged straight through the roaring flames without hesitation.

Ye Yun hadn't expected them to be so savage, and their sudden move startled him. But he was no longer the naïve novice who had just come down from the mountain. Though taken aback, he didn't panic. He formed a hand seal with his right hand, and the longsword in his left instantly sprang from its sheath. To the two men's horror, it shot toward them like lightning.

"Run! He can already control objects with his mind. We're no match for him!"

The moment they saw the longsword rise from Ye Yun's hand, despair filled their hearts. Cultivators capable of controlling objects were far beyond the likes of them. All they could do now was hope they could run fast enough to escape.

"Old Zhang Six, you set me up! You said this was a rookie at the first level of Qi Cultivation! If I make it back alive, I swear I'll never let you get away with this!"

Wu San's eyes shone with delight as the rocky outcroppings drew nearer. If he could just reach the rocky maze stretching for several miles, he was confident he could use his knowledge of the terrain to escape. The place was full of jagged boulders and complicated passages, with countless caves. Even someone who could fly would have a hard time finding anyone who entered.

"Almost there, almost there! Just a few more meters and I'll be free. Old Zhang Six, I, Wu San, will be your sworn enemy for the rest of my life!"

But just as Wu San was about to dash into the rocky maze, a longsword glowing blue suddenly dropped in front of him. Unable to stop in time, he slammed into it and was flung back by a pale blue barrier. He hit the ground with a thud, rolled several times, and finally came to a stop. Lying there in despair, he stared up at the sky dotted with white clouds.

The two men were only cultivators at the second level of Qi Cultivation, and Ye Yun had taken them down in an instant. Once they were defeated, they understood there was no escaping and resigned themselves to their fate, lying on the ground. Finding the whole thing rather dull, Ye Yun said with an indifferent expression, "Why were you following me? If I'm satisfied with your answer, I might spare your lives."

Wu San lay on the ground, his face ashen. At Ye Yun's words, a dazzling light flared in his deadened eyes, only to fade a moment later. He had spent several years getting by in this border city and had long since learned how cruel people could be. In a situation like this, no one would let them go. The moment they had attacked each other, they had become sworn enemies, locked in a fight to the death.

Wu San gave a derisive laugh, forcing an ugly smile. "Why else? Old Zhang Six said the bundle on your back might be something valuable, and that you were only at the first level of Qi Cultivation. So we decided to target you. Oh, and Old Zhang Six is the burly man you met at the city gate."

"How ridiculous. We're two ants who believed another ant and tried to rob a tiger. We deserve to die. Go ahead—do it!" The other man spoke up after hearing Wu San's answer. From his words, Ye Yun pieced together what had happened. The two had been so quick to tell him everything because they knew they were going to die and wanted to drag Old Zhang Six—the one who had fed them false information—down with them.

"Greed really is the greatest sin. You didn't even know what I was carrying or how strong I was, yet you still dared to follow me. I don't know whether to say greed blinded you or that you were simply stupid."

"I was going to kill you, but I've changed my mind. I'll let you go. But you won't escape punishment entirely. If I ever catch you again, you'll regret not being killed by me today."

As he finished speaking, Ye Yun moved his hand seal. The air around them suddenly turned frigid, and a thin layer of frost formed on the ground in an instant. Wu San and the other man's hair and eyebrows turned white with frost as they hugged themselves and shivered.