Wang Chongming ran.
He ran for his life.
There were no pursuers in sight, yet he kept feeling as though something clung to his heels and refused to let go. It might spring out at any moment, and he dared not relax for even a second.
A figure stayed beside him the entire time, following like a shadow.
Looking at the fellow's corpse-like face, Wang Chongming felt a wave of despair.
He had planned it all out. He would use the Gate of Rakshasa as bait and find a way to lure out his unreliable junior brother. But plans never survived reality. Who could have imagined that the Thirty-Six Sects, famed for their elusive movements and ability to leave no trace, would suddenly become the target of universal condemnation?
That alone would have been bad enough.
The bigger problem was that he had never intended to get deeply involved. But that damned First Blade had insisted he come along. Now Wang Chongming was a target too.
From what he knew of those bastards in the Thirty-Six Sects... even if they knew he was innocent, they would never let him go.
Unable to hold back any longer, he spoke to the man beside him.
"Listen, Brother First Blade..."
"Shengyuan." "What?"
"Shengyuan. That's my real name."
Wang Chongming was baffled, but he went along with it.
"All right, Brother Shengyuan..."
"Don't call me brother."
"...?"
"Just call me Shengyuan."
What's wrong with this man?
Wang Chongming choked on his words, then tried again.
"Fine, Shengyuan... We can't just keep running. You used a double to lure them away earlier, but once they realize what happened... they'll come after us again..."
Shengyuan said nothing. He took a slip of paper from his robe, checked the direction it indicated, then looked into the pitch-black