Flight

I don't know how long I ran.

Li Jinshui only knew that his legs no longer felt like his own. His lungs seemed ready to burst, and his throat was thick with the taste of blood.

Every step felt like treading on a knife's edge. Every step made him want to stop, but he gritted his teeth and kept going.

The shouts of slaughter behind him gradually faded.

After running for another incense stick's worth of time, everything around them fell utterly silent. Only the wind rustling through the trees remained.

Li Jinshui finally stopped and braced himself on his knees, gasping for breath.

Behind him came two thuds.

Monkey and Er Gou collapsed to the ground like a pair of dead dogs.

Monkey lay face down, his whole body twitching as he made hoarse, wheezing sounds. Li Jinshui couldn't tell if he was panting or crying.

Er Gou lay on his back, eyes half-closed, lips pale, his chest rising and falling as fast as a drumbeat.

Li Jinshui panted for a long while before straightening up and looking around.

They were in a sparse wood, and to the south, he could still see the rolling silhouettes of distant mountains.

There were no pursuers.

He walked over and kicked Monkey's leg.

"Get up."

Monkey didn't move. He only rolled over and lay on his back, staring blankly at the sky.

"Jinshui..." His voice was as hoarse as sandpaper scraping stone. "Are... are we still alive?"

Li Jinshui nodded. "We're alive."

Monkey fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

His smile looked even worse than a grimace.

"Alive... What's the point of being alive? His Highness ran off, North-Rejecting City is gone, and we're just three stray dogs with nowhere to go. How far can we run? When the Di People catch up with us, we'll still die..."

Er Gou was listening beside them when he suddenly began to sob.

"My mother... My mother is still in the city... When I ran... I didn't have time to call for her..."

He cried louder and louder, tears mixing with dirt and smearing his whole face.

"Stop crying," Li Jinshui said.

Er Gou ignored him and sobbed even harder.

"My mother is over sixty... She can't run... She definitely couldn't have gotten out... Those Di People will kill her... They'll definitely kill her..."

Li Jinshui was silent for a breath, then crouched and slapped him across the face.

It wasn't hard, but it cracked sharply.

Er Gou froze, his sob caught in his throat.

Li Jinshui stared at him and spoke each word distinctly.

"I don't know if your mother is dead. But if you keep crying and bring the Di People here, you'll definitely die."

Er Gou covered his face and stopped crying, though tears still streamed down his cheeks.

Watching from the side, Monkey sighed, braced himself as he climbed to his feet, and sat beneath a tree.

"Jinshui, what... what do we do now?"

Li Jinshui sat down too, leaned against a tree, and closed his eyes as he caught his breath.

What should they do?

He didn't know either.

North Plain City was a thousand li away. At their pace, the three of them would need ten days to half a month to get there.

They had no idea how many Di soldiers were along the way or how many dangers lay ahead.

But staying here meant certain death.

"Rest," he said. "Once we've recovered, we keep heading south."

Monkey and Er Gou didn't say anything more.

Silence settled over the woods, broken only by the wind stirring the leaves.

One hour.

Two hours.

The sun slowly sank westward from its position overhead.

Li Jinshui leaned against the tree trunk, half-asleep, but kept his ears pricked for any movement nearby.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

There was a sound.

Footsteps.

They came from the north, growing closer, chaotic and hurried. There were at least a dozen people.

"Get up!" he said in a hushed voice, kicking Monkey and Er Gou.

The two jolted awake and instinctively opened their mouths to speak, but Li Jinshui clamped a hand over them.

"Not a sound."

He dragged them behind a large boulder. The three huddled together and held their breath.

The footsteps drew closer.

The dry branches and leaves crunched and rustled beneath their feet.

Er Gou's face was deathly pale, and his whole body trembled. His teeth chattered as he clutched Li Jinshui's sleeve so tightly that the fabric crumpled in his fist.

"J-Jinshui..." he squeezed out, his voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. "Th-they're Di soldiers... There are so many..."

"Shut up!" Li Jinshui hissed.

Er Gou shuddered in fright, but his teeth still clattered away—clack, clack, clack—and he couldn't stop them.

Monkey said nothing beside him, but his hand trembled too as he gripped his sword hilt, his knuckles white.

Li Jinshui glanced at him, then at Er Gou. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped Er Gou across the face.

"Smack!"

The sound rang out sharply.

Er Gou was stunned by the blow, and his teeth finally stopped chattering.

Li Jinshui leaned close and lowered his voice, hammering each word into his ear.

"Make another sound, and I'll throw you out."

Er Gou nodded frantically. Tears welled up again, but he clamped a hand over his mouth and didn't dare make a peep.

The footsteps came closer still.

Li Jinshui peered through a crack in the boulder—

More than a dozen Di soldiers came running from the north, gasping for breath. They had clearly marched here in a hurry, too.

The three at their head had deep, steady auras. They were at least in the Inner Strength Realm.

The dozen or so behind them ranged from the fifth to the ninth layer of Body Forging.

They stopped at the edge of the woods and looked around.

One Di soldier shouted something in the Di language. Another pointed toward the woods, apparently asking whether they should search it. The three Inner Strength Realm leaders spoke quietly for a few moments, then waved their hands.

The Di soldiers spread out and began entering the woods.

Li Jinshui shrank back behind the boulder, his heart pounding faster.

Fifteen.

Three in the Inner Strength Realm, twelve in Body Forging.

Could he beat them?

He looked at Monkey and Er Gou behind him—one at the sixth layer of Body Forging, the other at the fifth. They were both exhausted to the point of collapse and couldn't be counted on.

But as for him—

Late-stage Inner Strength Realm, White Tiger Blade Technique mastered, Inch Step mastered, Rock Body at minor mastery, and Evergreen Art mastered.

Three Inner Strength Realm fighters?

The corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.

If I can't take on someone in the Pulse-Opening Realm, surely I can handle a few of you in the Inner Strength Realm.

He lowered his voice and told Monkey and Er Gou, "Stay here. Don't move."

Monkey stared at him. "What are you going to do?"

Li Jinshui didn't answer. He just tightened his grip on the Black Iron Blade.

One of the Di soldiers had already come within fifteen feet of the boulder. He was using his curved blade to part the grass, cursing under his breath.

Li Jinshui took a deep breath, then—

Moved!

Inch Step!

He burst out from behind the boulder, fast as a streaking shadow, and closed in on the Di soldier in an instant!

The soldier barely had time to widen his eyes before the blade flashed across his throat!

[Kill Northern Di soldier (Body Forging, seventh layer), points +7]

Before the body hit the ground, Li Jinshui had already lunged at the next one!

White Tiger Blade Technique: Tiger Pounce!

His blade cleaved halfway through the second Di soldier's body!

[+6]

"Enemy attack!!!"

The Di soldiers finally reacted and rushed toward him with cries of alarm!

The three Inner Strength Realm fighters roared and lunged at Li Jinshui together!

Li Jinshui charged forward instead of retreating, sweeping the Black Iron Blade across!

White Tiger Blade Technique: Tiger Sweep!

His blade flashed like a streak of white silk, forcing back the two Inner Strength Realm fighters at the front!

The third Inner Strength Realm fighter rushed in from the side, his curved blade stabbing straight for Li Jinshui's ribs!

Without even looking back, Li Jinshui shifted three feet with Inch Step to dodge the attack, then smashed his fist into the man's face!

Iron Thread Fist!

The man's face caved in under the blow. He flew backward and smashed into a tree, his neck lolling to one side as he died!

[Kill Northern Di squad leader (early Inner Strength Realm), points +10]

The two remaining Inner Strength Realm fighters' expressions changed.

"He... he's late-stage Inner Strength Realm!"

"Attack together!"

They exchanged a glance and lunged at him at the same time!

Li Jinshui gave a cold laugh, and his blade flashed again!

In his hands, the White Tiger Blade Technique unfurled in full. Every strike hit harder than the last, every cut came faster than the one before!

Ten moves!

Twenty moves!

On the thirtieth move, he split open one Inner Strength Realm fighter's chest!

[+15]

Seeing the battle turn against him, the last Inner Strength Realm fighter turned and tried to run!

Li Jinshui caught up in a single step and slashed his leg!

"Argh—!!!"

The man crashed to the ground with a scream. Blood poured from his leg, and the bone was broken.

The remaining Body Forging Di soldiers had already been scared out of their wits. They scattered and fled in every direction!

Li Jinshui didn't pursue them. He simply carried his blade over to the last Inner Strength Realm fighter.

The man lay on the ground, desperately crawling backward. In broken Great Zhou speech, he begged, "Spare me! Spare me!"

Li Jinshui crouched and pressed the tip of his blade beneath the man's chin, forcing him to look up.

"I ask. You answer."

The man nodded frantically.

"Where are your Pulse-Opening Realm fighters?"

"They... they went after the Zhou Army's Pulse-Opening Realm fighters... They all went south..."

"What about you?"

"We... we're a search party... three to a group... hunting down Zhou Army soldiers who escaped..."

Li Jinshui's eyes lit up.

Search parties.

Three to a group.

All Inner Strength Realm and Body Forging fighters.

Wasn't this—

Points delivered right to his door?

He smiled.

In the Di man's eyes, that smile was more terrifying than any menacing grin.

"Y-you're smiling... What are you smiling about..."

Li Jinshui didn't answer. He just stood and plunged his blade into the man's heart.

[Kill Northern Di squad leader (mid-stage Inner Strength Realm), points +15]

He pulled out his blade, wiped the blood on the man's clothes, then turned and walked back behind the boulder.

Monkey and Er Gou were still huddled there, staring at him in stunned silence.

Before even the time it took an incense stick to burn, all fifteen Di soldiers were dead.

Monkey stood with his mouth hanging open. It took him a long while to force out a sentence. "You... you killed them? Every last one?"

Li Jinshui nodded, sat down against a rock, and gasped for breath.

Several of his wounds had split open again, blood seeping out, but he couldn't spare them a thought.

He brought up the panel and read it carefully:

[Killed Northern Di soldiers ×12, points +62]

[Killed Northern Di squad leaders (early Inner Strength) ×2, points +20]

[Killed Northern Di squad leader (mid Inner Strength) ×1, points +15]

Li Jinshui looked at his own stats:

[Name: Li Jinshui]

[Realm: Inner Strength Realm (late stage)]

[Techniques: Evergreen Art (Greater Mastery 0/800) Rock Body (Minor Mastery 60/200) White Tiger Blade Technique (Greater Mastery 100/300) Iron Thread Fist (Minor Mastery 0/100) Inch Step (Greater Mastery 0/200) Marching Step (Minor Mastery 0/80) Iron Shirt (Complete Mastery) Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Complete Mastery) Tiger Walk (Complete Mastery)]

[Points: 457]

He stared at the number, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up.

Search parties.

Three to a group.

All in the Inner Strength Realm or Body Forging Realm.

Who knew how many more groups like these were in this forest?

He turned his head toward the distant shouts of Di soldiers, a glint flashing in his eyes.

They were all points.

Monkey took in his expression and asked cautiously, "Jinshui, what... what are you thinking?"

Li Jinshui stood and tightened his grip on the Black Iron Blade.

"I was thinking"—he paused, his voice as light as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather—"how long this forest will keep me killing."

He headed deeper into the forest.

Behind him, the setting sun stretched his shadow long.

Monkey and Er Gou helped each other to their feet and stumbled after him.

Now and then, the shouts of Di soldiers drifted through the forest.

Li Jinshui listened to those cries and tightened his grip on the blade.

They were all points.

Every one of them was another step on the path to becoming stronger.