Overnight Stay, Cave

The forest always darkens quickly, as the setting sun's rays are blocked by the layers of leaves, leaving only dappled light on the ground.

Shen Yi sat by a small stream.

In his hand, he held a baked cake he'd bought from a teahouse that morning.

He chewed it dryly, bite by bite.

When it became too difficult to swallow, he'd cup his hands and drink from the clear stream.

Shen Yi saw fish occasionally swimming in the stream, and if he wasn't a wanted man, he would have jumped into the water to catch one and grill it for a taste.

Putting aside the life-or-death escape.

In less than a day, Shen Yi had already felt the wandering spirit of the jianghu, the sense of having the world as his home.

Based on Shen Yi's understanding of the Pacification Office.

The first three days after an incident are the most crucial. The Pacification Office will do everything in its power to investigate and apprehend during this time.

If Shen Yi could evade the Pacification Office's pursuit within these three days, or break through their encirclement, he would be much safer.

After all, in this chaotic world on the verge of collapse, there were plenty of bandits, robbers, and wanted criminals for them to deal with. They wouldn't waste too much time on an Unranked nobody like Shen Yi.

Shen Yi ate some of the cake to replenish his strength.

He restored the place where he had stopped to eat to its original natural state, and then covered it with leaves.

Then, he continued to move forward along the mountain.

To be honest, Shen Yi didn't really understand tracking or counter-tracking, and could only rely on subjective speculation.

So, he cleared his tracks.

And tried to move as lightly as possible.

Unfortunately, Shen Yi didn't know qinggong.

He only knew some footwork that came with the Wind Severing Blade and Bone Dislocation Hand, which, when combined with the Array Breaker Skill, could have a slight lightening effect.

But it couldn't last long, and he inevitably left traces in the mud.

At this moment.

The sun had completely set.

The silvery moonlight was even weaker, making it difficult to penetrate the obstruction of the jungle. Shen Yi felt the surrounding environment becoming increasingly dim.

He walked along the jungle for a while.

He could barely make out the rugged mountain path, but it was very difficult.

Shen Yi decided not to travel alone at night anymore.

In the mountains at night.

He not only had to deal with possible wild animals, but also had to be careful of the Pacification Office pursuers who might catch up at any time.

It was better to find a relatively safe place to rest and recuperate, and then continue on his way when it was light.

Thinking of this.

Shen Yi turned to explore the mountain hollow.

Feeling along the mountain wall, Shen Yi quickly found a depression, not a very deep cave, but just enough to accommodate him.

He slipped inside, drew his horizontal saber, and cleared out the weeds, piling them up at the cave entrance to conceal it.

After doing all this.

Shen Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. From the time he violently killed someone last night to returning to the guardhouse to search for the secret manual, and then sneaking out of the city gate early in the morning.

His mind had been in a state of tension.

And like a string, it was getting tighter and tighter.

Shen Yi knew that being in this state for a long time would cause problems, so he was now trying to adjust his mind.

Slowly relax.

But he was also in a state of almost relaxing, but not quite.

Like holding a knife, you have to keep a loose grip.

This way, you can keep your palms dry and be ready to quickly draw your saber and unleash a wild slash.

Shen Yi leaned against the cave wall.

From his perspective.

He could see a sliver of moonlight flowing into the cave entrance.

He closed his eyes slightly, recovering his lost energy, while also keeping a trace of alertness.

Time passed imperceptibly.

The moonlight was hidden, and the morning glow had not yet awakened.

Suddenly, in the deep and quiet environment, Shen Yi suddenly heard a rustling and dense sound of footsteps.

The sound grew closer.

Then came the faint sound of voices, complaining:

"Ugh, that kid's a rabbit, he is. A whole day and night, and we still haven't caught up."

"I'm beat."

"Let's take a break up ahead..."

The voices faded.

Shen Yi's eyes narrowed, his mind alert, his right hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his blade.

After a moment of silence, another voice spoke:

"Up ahead... looks like there's a cave?"

"You two are out of shape. Go check if the cave's big enough. We'll chop some firewood and start a fire for light."

Shen Yi was almost certain they were heading for the cave he was in. Was it a coincidence, or were they doing it on purpose...?

Shen Yi didn't know.

But for Shen Yi, intention didn't matter.

He adjusted his stance, bending his knees slightly.

The saber slid silently from its sheath.

All he knew...

...was that his blade had to be ready at all times, ready to strike the enemy.

"Thanks, Head Constable Sun..."

Outside the cave, two constables in black uniforms, Wild Goose Sabers at their waists, looked exhausted.

They were used to enjoying the good life at the North City Garrison.

They had never hiked through the mountains like this before.

Previously, the Pacification Office's wanted lists were filled with ranked experts, even masters famous on the Heavenly Secrets List. It was never their turn to take action.

But this time, the murderer on the run was just a constable.

The Pacification Office had too many other things to deal with.

So the Prefecture City Pacification Office had the Squad Leader of the garrison take charge, with the Black Guard Captain leading the constables to make the arrest.

They called it not using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

They had followed the two Black Guard Captains, trudging through the rugged mountain paths all night, cursing Shen Yi a thousand times in their hearts.

It would have been better to just slit his own throat.

Why struggle to the death and make them suffer so much?

Fortunately, the two Black Guard Captains seemed easy to talk to. They hadn't been too harsh along the way, and now they were even letting them rest in the cave first.

The two constables looked at the cave entrance, almost completely hidden by weeds, and assumed it was an abandoned cave, not even fit for wild animals.

They drew their Wild Goose Sabers, pushed aside the weeds at the entrance, and one of them entered first, followed closely by the other.

The two constables blocked the faint morning light, making the cave even darker.

"It's pretty clean inside..."

The constable opened his eyes and looked around, saying casually.

Suddenly, his pupils shrank. He saw a dark shape in the corner of the cave that looked like a person.

A flash of silver light blinded the constable.

He only felt a searing white light before his eyes.

Then he heard a rustling sound, very pleasant. The constable felt the strength leaving his body as quickly as the tide receding.

He soon realized that his legs could no longer support him. His head drooped, and he fell forward like a tree.

The constable saw the droplets of blood spraying from his neck like mist.

And the ghostly figure before him.

Frosty eyes, an icy face, one hand holding a saber to his neck, the other supporting his body, hiding it behind him.

"Hey, what are you doing? Why aren't you moving?"

Slaying an Unranked martial artist grants four months of secluded cultivation time.

The first constable could no longer answer him.

Answering him was a blade of light, like a dragon, winding out from the neck.

The constable behind him was shocked and took a step back instinctively. Just as he was about to shout a warning, Shen Yi's blade pierced his throat.

Slaying an Unranked martial artist grants seven months of secluded cultivation time.

Shen Yi wasn't overjoyed at gaining time to cultivate in seclusion; instead, he looked even more warily toward the outside of the cave.

Just then, a burst of hearty laughter came from outside the cave:

"Brother Ma Cheng, you've lost!"

"Those two Constables haven't come out yet. That thief must be hiding inside, waiting to ambush us."

Another voice sounded rather helpless.

"Looks like you're the better tracker after all. I'll treat you to a relaxing time at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion when we get back."

Shen Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. As expected...

His whereabouts had already been exposed.

These two were just cannon fodder to test the waters; his real opponents were the two Black Guards lying in wait outside the cave.