The Traitor

Lu Chuan had wanted to give chase, but the two moved so fast they vanished in the blink of an eye.

With no other choice, he returned to the wagon.

Wang Zhi and the others only then fully snapped out of it, scrambling up from the ground with blades in hand, faces full of bewilderment.

They'd heard Lu Chuan's shout just now, but Wang Zhi and Mo Lao Er, who'd been on night watch, had somehow let the fire go out, leaving everything pitch black—so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

A Martial Artist at First Qi and Blood didn't yet have the ability to see in the dark; that took at least Second Qi and Blood.

Lu Chuan watched them fumbling for their swords in the blackness, sighed, and strode quickly to the fire, tossing in a few dry branches.

Flames leaped up, illuminating the area.

Wang Zhi saw it was Lu Chuan, let out a breath of relief, and came over.

"Brother Lu, that was a close call just now—if not for you, Chief Escort Fang would've taken a serious hit."

Lu Chuan had no mind for small talk. His gaze swept to the wagon. "Quick—check what herbs were taken."

Wang Zhi and another guard ran to the slit-open sack, rifling through it by firelight.

"Damn it!" Wang Zhi's voice cracked with panic. "That bastard took the Blood Sun Flower—that bag alone is worth three hundred taels!"

At that, the others' faces turned grim. A loss like this meant the whole escort job was a waste.

Lu Chuan frowned, but after a moment's thought, he said, "Alright, Blood Sun Flower may be pricey, but it's heavy too. That thief was carrying a big sack and wounded—Chief Escort Fang will definitely catch him!"

He'd watched closely; Fang's slash had cut deep. Both at Second Qi and Blood, there was no way Fang would let the man escape.

But then a deeper thought surfaced.

The thief was badly hurt, yet he still risked his life to haul off a huge bag of Blood Sun Flower. Was it... sheer greed?

"No. That guy's skills were excellent. If this attempt failed, he could just wait for another chance. Why take such a huge risk..."

It didn't add up.

Unless... his real goal was to lure Chief Escort Fang away, and taking that bag of Blood Sun Flower was just the bait.

Suddenly, the thought flashed through Lu Chuan's mind, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Circle up!" Lu Chuan barked. "There might be more nearby."

The words barely left his mouth before, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a dark figure lunging from the side—blindingly fast, straight for him.

"At that speed... could it be Second Qi and Blood?!"

No time to think. He twisted and raised his blade.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the swords clashed.

The terrifying force of a Second Qi and Blood blow never came. The opponent's strength was greater than his, but clearly still at First Qi and Blood.

The ambush failed. The man struck and retreated in one motion, putting distance between them, facing the five of them from afar.

Wang Zhi gauged the opponent's Qi and Blood intensity, then burst out laughing.

"Nice try, kid! I thought we had some big shot here—turns out you're just First Qi and Blood Complete? What, you came to die alone?"

The man stood in the shadows, his expression unreadable. A soft laugh escaped him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ye Qi, a disciple of the Night Roaming Gate. The one who lured away your chief escort just now was my senior brother, Ye Wu."

The moment the words fell, Wang Zhi and the others went pale.

Lu Chuan frowned slightly. "Night Roaming Gate?"

"Brother Lu, you wouldn't know," Wang Zhi said, his voice tight, his grip on the sword trembling. "The Night Roaming Gate... is a den of bandits infamous for hundreds of miles around."

"Their disciples have two specialties. First, the Seven Star Steps—unfathomably strange, fast as a ghost, letting them advance or retreat at will. Few of the same rank can keep up with their pace."

"Second, they soak their eyes in secret medicine from childhood, training the Night Eye—they see in the dark as clearly as in daylight."

"With those two skills, running into them at night is practically..."

Lu Chuan's heart tightened.

No wonder that slash had come so fast. Even at just First Qi and Blood, his footwork was astonishing.

If not for his own Eagle Eye, that blade would have drawn blood.

"So what?" Wang Zhi gritted his teeth, forcing bravado. "No matter how tough, he's just one man. We're five..."

Before he could finish.

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from behind!

Lu Chuan whipped around—a blade was already arcing toward his back, bone-chilling cold!

No time to think. He reversed his sword to block, and kicked out at the same time, forcing the man back two steps.

The firelight flickered, illuminating the man's face.

Mo Lao Er.

He wore an expression that was both regretful and excited, the large blade in his hand still dripping blood.

Wang Zhi's eyes widened in disbelief: "Mo Lao Er... you... you dare betray us?!"

A smile slowly curled at the corner of Mo Lao Er's mouth.

"A pity." He glanced at the corpse on the ground, his tone as cold as frost.

"Only killed one. A shame. If you'd been a bit slower, it'd be two against two right now."

Wang Zhi stared at him, unblinking:

"Mo Lao Er, you're the mole!"

"No wonder you said dawn was near and told me not to add more firewood... But don't forget, your uncle is your guarantor! Doing this, aren't you afraid of dragging him down?"

"My uncle?" The mockery on Mo Lao Er's lips deepened.

"Then you should know—my uncle died seven days ago."

Wang Zhi froze.

"Dead?"

"After this job, I'll probably have the capital for Third Qi and Blood. Why would I still need to slave away at Renhetang Pharmacy?" Mo Lao Er chuckled.

Wang Zhi opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

Mo Lao Er stopped looking at him and turned his head to Ye Qi, not far away:

"That kid's tricky. Just now, in the pitch dark, my strike was so concealed, yet he could see it... You handle him. Leave the other two to me. Let's finish this quick."

"Fine," Ye Qi said indifferently, his gaze landing on Lu Chuan.

Mo Lao Er lifted his blade and advanced toward Wang Zhi and the other man.

Watching Ye Qi approach step by step, Lu Chuan took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the long blade.

His opponent could also see in the dark, moved extremely fast, and had slightly stronger qi and blood than himself. This fight was bound to be a grueling battle.

"You can see in the dark too." Ye Qi was sizing him up as well. "Not from fumigating with secret medicine—born with it?"

Lu Chuan didn't answer.

"Interesting." A cold smirk appeared at the corner of Ye Qi's mouth.

"Then let's see which is better—your natural Night Eye, or the skills of my Night Roaming Gate."

The moment the words fell, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.