Treasure Boots

In the night, Ye Qi's figure turned into an extremely faint black shadow, darting left and right, erratic and unpredictable.

But under Lu Chuan's Eagle Eye, Ye Qi's trajectory wasn't so mysterious.

The moment he stepped forward with his saber, Lu Chuan's blade was already waiting there.

"Clang!"

The two sabers clashed, sparks flying.

Ye Qi frowned. He refused to believe it, shifting his footing again and sweeping his blade horizontally.

Lu Chuan sidestepped, raised his saber vertically, and blocked it steadily.

"Clang!"

Another ring.

Ye Qi's expression shifted slightly.

In his years roaming the martial world, relying on his Night Eye and Seven Star Steps, he'd never suffered a loss in night fights. Now, for the first time, he'd met his match.

The two clashed in the darkness.

Blade light interwove, figures tumbled.

Lu Chuan stood rooted, not retreating half a step.

Though Ye Qi was fast and his footwork bizarre, after dozens of exchanges, Lu Chuan gradually figured out his level.

This guy's saber technique was actually mediocre—at best, Mountain Splitting Saber at Minor Success.

He was only tough to deal with because of the speed and footwork of Seven Star Steps.

But combined, the effect was indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Lu Chuan could barely hold his ground, finding no chance to counter for the moment.

On the other side, Mo Lao Er and Wang Zhi's trio fought in a chaotic blur.

Chaotic blur, because they truly couldn't see.

The campfire had mostly died out, leaving only a few dim red embers.

The three tangled together, none able to gain the upper hand.

"Clang—"

Lu Chuan blocked another strike, his tiger's mouth slightly numb.

He'd already picked up a few shallow wounds, none deep, but they stung fiercely.

Yet the corner of Lu Chuan's mouth slowly curled up.

"Ye Qi, is this all you've got?"

Ye Qi's face darkened.

"Then you're not taking these herbs today," Lu Chuan said, holding his saber before him.

Ye Qi didn't reply, but inwardly he was starting to panic.

His senior brother Ye Wu had lured away that Second Qi and Blood escort leader, but who knew when the guy would come back?

If they didn't finish these people off soon, once Escort Leader Fang returned, the two of them would be dead.

"Ye Qi!" Mo Lao Er was panicking too, fending off Wang Zhi and the others' wild slashes while shouting, "What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be as strong as Second Qi and Blood at night? Why can't you take down that kid after all this time?!"

"Shut up!"

Ye Qi's face turned ashen. He stared at Lu Chuan, gritting his teeth.

"You forced my hand."

The moment the words left his mouth, his gaze shifted abruptly, his pupils suddenly tinged with blood-red.

His entire aura surged violently, his qi and blood intensity instantly climbing a notch.

Wang Zhi caught this from the corner of his eye, his face changing drastically.

"Be careful, Brother Lu! That's the Night Roaming Gate's Blood Burning Secret Art—his strength is about to skyrocket!"

Lu Chuan's eyes instantly turned grave.

He didn't need Wang Zhi's warning; he could already feel it.

At this moment, Ye Qi's qi and blood intensity rivaled Second Qi and Blood. This next strike would be no easy block.

The next instant, Ye Qi moved.

This time, his speed was so fast his trajectory was nearly invisible.

The blade split the air, carrying a sharp gust, aimed straight at Lu Chuan's head!

Lu Chuan didn't retreat; he advanced. All his qi and blood poured out in an instant, flooding into his saber.

Mountain Collapse!

"Clang!!!"

The two blades clashed, and a thunderous sound erupted!

Both were sent stumbling back several steps by the force of the strike.

Ye Qi's chest heaved violently, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

"You... at such a young age, you've not only trained your blade art to Major Success, but also comprehended a secret technique?"

"A kid barely in his teens can grasp a blade art like this—any Martial Arts Hall would treasure you like a gem. Why the hell are you delivering goods for Renhetang Pharmacy?"

Lu Chuan wiped a trace of blood from his own lips, revealing a stark white grin.

"That's none of your concern. Let's keep going."

Ye Qi's face twisted as if he'd swallowed a dead rat.

Keep going?

The Blood Burning Secret Art traded life for power—that last slash had cost him nearly half a year's worth of essence and blood. It would take months to recover.

He'd thought that one strike would leave the brat crippled at best, dead at worst.

But what happened?

The kid was still standing!

He glanced over at Mo Lao Er.

Mo Lao Er was fighting two-on-one and had already lost the upper hand.

Wang Zhi and the other guard couldn't see clearly, but their coordination was sharp. Mo Lao Er had tried several advances without gaining any ground, and he was wounded himself.

I need to run... The thought flashed through Ye Qi's mind.

If he didn't bolt now, once that Second Qi and Blood escort captain returned, escape would be impossible.

He shifted his feet slightly, scanning for an escape route with his peripheral vision.

But just then, Lu Chuan read his intent and struck first—a horizontal slash.

Ye Qi hurriedly raised his blade, barely blocking it.

Lu Chuan gave him no chance to breathe, strike after strike, each aimed at a vital spot.

He pressed forward relentlessly, sealing off every path of retreat.

The more Ye Qi fought, the more alarmed he grew.

His proud Seven Star Steps, now crippled by the massive loss of essence and blood, had lost its eerie speed.

Lu Chuan had already matched his pace and was steadily overpowering him.

"Kid, don't you—"

Ye Qi started to speak, but a short, sharp scream came from behind him.

It was Mo Lao Er.

He turned his head instinctively, and what met his eyes was a scene of utter despair:

Mo Lao Er lay on the ground, a burly figure standing beside him.

That figure held a long blade still dripping blood—it was Escort Captain Fang.

Mo Lao Er twitched twice, then went still.

One slash, instant death. He hadn't even been given a chance to beg for mercy.

A buzz rang through Ye Qi's mind, and his composure shattered in an instant.

Now.

Lu Chuan's blade was already upon him.

Ye Qi instinctively tried to dodge, but as he moved, he realized his escape routes had long been cut off.

Lu Chuan's strike came from a vicious angle—there was nowhere to run.

A flash of steel.

Ye Qi's body swayed, then pitched forward, motionless.

Lu Chuan stood where he was, panting heavily.

He looked down at himself—cuts on his arm, ribs, and thigh. None deep, but they stung.

Escort Captain Fang walked over, glanced at Ye Qi's body, then at Lu Chuan.

Without a word, he pulled a porcelain bottle from his pocket and tossed it over.

"Golden Wound Powder. Stops the bleeding."

Lu Chuan caught it, pulled out the stopper, and sprinkled some over each wound.

The powder stung like fire as it touched his skin, but the bleeding did stop.

Wang Zhi and the other guard came over too, both pale-faced and bearing their own injuries.

They looked at Lu Chuan, battered and bloodied, and felt nothing but deep admiration.

"Boss, we really have to thank Brother Lu this time. If he hadn't spotted Ye Wu first, the rest of us might not even know how we died."

"And later, in that fight with Ye Qi, he held him off alone—otherwise, the two of us would probably be..."

Fang Biaotou looked at Lu Chuan, battered and wounded, his face full of relief.

"Lu Chuan, I honestly didn't expect that at your age, you could trade blows with a tough guy like Ye Qi. Looks like the Young Master put real thought into shoving you into my crew..."

Lu Chuan felt a little embarrassed. "It was still thanks to you coming back early, Biaotou. Otherwise, Ye Qi wouldn't have been distracted..."

Fang Biaotou gave a helpless smile, then swept his gaze around, pausing briefly on a few corpses.

"Mo Lao Er and Xiao Si are dead. I'll answer to Renhetang Pharmacy when we get back."

He paused, his expression turning complicated.

"Lu Chuan, I miscalculated this time."

Lu Chuan and the others all looked up at him.

"I figured with five of you, even if another Second Qi and Blood bandit showed up, you could hold the line," Fang Biaotou said, his voice low. "Who knew there'd be a snake in the grass eating from both sides."

Lu Chuan waved a hand, his demeanor relaxed.

"No harm done, Biaotou. By the way, what about Ye Wu? Did you catch him?"

Fang Biaotou shook his head.

"I only recovered the herbs. That Ye Wu's Seven Star Steps are probably close to Perfection. Even with his injuries, once he ditched the herbs, I couldn't catch him."

Lu Chuan had experienced the weirdness of that footwork himself, and a craving stirred inside him.

If he had such a good movement technique, his strength would definitely skyrocket!

With the fight over, dawn was nearly breaking, and everyone started cleaning up the battlefield.

Just then, a startled cry from Wang Zhi caught Lu Chuan's attention.

"Damn, that Ye Qi kid's boots are made from Exotic Beast hide—those cost a fortune..."