Chimu Xiong

To the north of the woods, a squad of Di soldiers was searching.

Their leader was Chimu Xiong, a mid-stage Inner Strength Realm warrior, thirty-two years old.

He walked at the very front, gripping a curved saber as his eyes swept around like an eagle's.

Twelve soldiers followed behind him. All were at least at the fifth level of Body Forging, making them the most elite men under his command.

"Stay sharp!" Chimu Xiong growled in the Di language. "Find the scattered Zhou Army soldiers, and you'll get five taels of silver for every one you kill! Kill ten, and I'll buy you all a drink!"

The soldiers behind him lit up, quickening their pace.

As he walked, Chimu Xiong calculated things in his mind.

He had been born in the bitterly cold grasslands. His parents had died early, and he had grown up in his tribe, eating at one household after another.

He had joined the army at fourteen and fought for eighteen years before finally reaching the mid-stage of the Inner Strength Realm. The brothers under his command were all poor wretches like him, men without connections who risked their lives for military merit.

But those centurion posts would never go to them.

Why not?

Because those noble brats had powerful fathers?

He thought of the new centurion he had seen yesterday. The man was in his early twenties, at the early stage of the Inner Strength Realm, and could barely hold a saber. Yet because he was the son of some tribal chieftain, he had been dropped straight into their unit as centurion, where he even dared to boss Chimu Xiong around.

Chimu Xiong spat viciously.

Bah! What a piece of trash!

He tightened his grip on the saber, a hard look flashing in his eyes.

Once this pursuit was over, he'd have killed enough men and earned enough military merit. Then he'd see what those nobles had to say.

He was going to become a centurion. No matter what.

Just then, a figure appeared in the woods ahead.

Chimu Xiong stopped and raised a hand, signaling for the squad to halt.

It was a Zhou Army soldier in battered armor, covered in blood and leaning against a tree as he slowly made his way forward.

He staggered along at a crawl, as if he were about to collapse from exhaustion.

Chimu Xiong narrowed his eyes and studied him carefully.

Inner Strength Realm?

It was hard to tell, but the man looked badly wounded. He could barely stay upright as he walked.

Chimu Xiong's lips slowly spread into a grin.

A godsend!

A lone Zhou Army soldier at the Inner Strength Realm—killing him would be a major achievement! It was worth killing ten ordinary soldiers!

"After him!" He waved his hand and charged ahead. "Don't let him get away!"

The twelve Di soldiers howled as they followed, rushing into the woods in a desperate scramble to get ahead!

The figure looked back, a terrified expression on his face, then turned and ran!

But he was too slow, limping badly and unable to pick up speed.

Chimu Xiong charged after him even harder.

Fifty paces.

Thirty paces.

Twenty paces.

The figure plunged headlong into a dense thicket and disappeared.

Chimu Xiong charged into the thicket.

"Argh—!!!"

A scream rang out behind him.

He whipped around and saw the last soldier in the group with a saber stuck in his neck. The man toppled stiffly to the ground.

A shadow burst out from the side. A flash of steel, and another soldier's head went flying!

"Enemy attack!!!"

Chimu Xiong roared and turned to charge at the attacker.

But the shadow was too fast!

Fast as a ghost!

In the space of a breath, three more soldiers fell!

"Spread out! Surround him!" Chimu Xiong shouted.

The remaining soldiers scattered desperately, but the shadow gave them no chance. His blade flashed again, and another soldier was split in two!

"Damn it!"

Chimu Xiong finally got a clear look at the figure.

It was a young Zhou Army soldier, covered in blood, with a pair of eyes so bright they were frightening. The saber in his hand was black as ink, its edge still dripping with blood.

Late-stage Inner Strength Realm!

One minor realm above him!

But so what? He still had seven or eight men on his side!

"Attack together! Kill him!" Chimu Xiong roared as he charged, his curved saber cleaving straight toward the man's face!

The Zhou Army soldier didn't retreat. He advanced, swinging his saber to meet the blow!

"Clang—!!!"

The blades collided, sparks flying everywhere!

A tremendous force slammed into Chimu Xiong. His thumb and forefinger went numb, and he was hurled back three steps!

The Zhou soldier's blade didn't stop. It swept sideways, cutting down another soldier who had lunged in from the flank!

Too fast!

Too fierce!

Chimu Xiong's expression changed drastically. He fought to steady himself, then charged forward again.

There was no way ten men couldn't beat one!

But what happened next shattered his confidence completely.

The Zhou soldier fought ten men alone, yet moved through them like a tiger among sheep. His saber techniques were ferocious beyond compare, and every swing brought someone down. His footwork was so strange and unpredictable that even when they landed a blow, they hit only his afterimage.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

There were fewer and fewer men around him.

The longer Chimu Xiong fought, the more alarmed he grew, and the more hopeless he felt.

When the last soldier fell, he finally broke.

He turned and ran!

But after only three steps, a sharp pain tore through his back, and he pitched forward onto the ground.

He struggled to roll over and saw the Zhou soldier approaching step by step, saber in hand.

The tip of the blade pressed against his throat.

Chimu Xiong trembled all over and shouted in broken Great Zhou speech, "Spare me! Spare me!"

The Zhou soldier looked down at him, the corner of his mouth slowly curving into a smile.

It was a faint smile, but it made Chimu Xiong's blood run cold.

"How many search squads do you have?"

Chimu Xiong's lips quivered, but he couldn't speak.

The blade tip moved forward an inch, pricking his skin. Blood trickled down.

"Speak."

"S-so many... dozens of squads..." Chimu Xiong forced the words out. "The Pulse-Opening Realm... they've all gone after the Pulse-Opening Realm soldiers... We... we're searching for scattered troops..."

The Zhou soldier nodded, as if he had already known.

"Thanks."

The blade flashed. Chimu Xiong's world went dark.

[You killed a Northern Di squad leader (mid-stage Inner Strength Realm). Points +15]

Li Jinshui sheathed his saber and wiped the blood clean on the man's clothes.

Two figures emerged from deep in the woods.

Monkey and Er Gou ran over. Seeing the bodies strewn across the ground, they gaped.

"Jinshui, this... what squad is this now?" Monkey stammered.

Li Jinshui thought for a moment. "The fifth."

Er Gou sucked in a breath. "Five squads... sixty or seventy Di soldiers... and you killed them all by yourself?"

Li Jinshui nodded, walked to a tree, and sat down, panting heavily.

He had picked up several fresh wounds, and blood had soaked through his clothes. The Evergreen Art was circulating furiously through his body, healing the wounds at a visible rate, but they still hurt.

Monkey edged closer, staring at him with admiration. "Jinshui, are you even human? You've been fighting this whole time, killed so many, and you can still move?"

Li Jinshui ignored him, bringing up his panel and glancing at it.

[Name: Li Jinshui]

[Realm: Inner Strength Realm (late stage)]

[Techniques: Evergreen Art (Great Accomplishment 12/800) Rock Body (Minor Accomplishment 60/200) White Tiger Blade Technique (Great Accomplishment 136/300) Iron Thread Fist (Minor Accomplishment 0/100) Inch Step (Great Accomplishment 8/200) Marching Step (Minor Accomplishment 0/80) Iron Shirt (Perfection) Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Perfection) Tiger Walk (Perfection)]

[Points: 721]

He stared at the number, the corner of his mouth slowly lifting.

Seven hundred and twenty-one.

Enough to push a technique from great accomplishment to perfection.

Li Jinshui closed the panel and stood up, a faint smile on his lips. "No wonder search squads are worth so many points. Oh, wait. Their realms are higher, and they're worth more military merit."

Monkey scratched his head. He didn't understand, but he didn't ask.

Er Gou asked cautiously, "Brother Jinshui, should we... keep killing?"

Li Jinshui looked up at the sky.

The sun had already sunk in the west, leaving only a dark red streak on the horizon.

The woods were growing dim, and the silence all around them felt eerie.

He shook his head.

"We're done."

Monkey and Er Gou both froze.

"Why? We're doing great!"

Li Jinshui looked at them.

"We've been here for almost half a day," he said. "We've killed dozens of men and made plenty of noise. If a large force shows up and surrounds us, we won't even be able to get away."

He pointed south.

"Let's use the cover of darkness and move. Now."

Monkey and Er Gou exchanged a glance, then nodded.

The three of them quickly gathered what they could, taking along the food and water that were still usable, then headed south.

Behind them, dozens of bodies lay sprawled across the woods, gradually fading into the night.

Li Jinshui walked at the very front, moving quickly.

His right hand stayed on the hilt of his saber, ready to draw at any moment.

Following behind, Monkey couldn't help asking, "Jinshui, where are we going?"

"North Plain City," Li Jinshui replied without turning around.

"Where's North Plain City?"

"South."

"Where in the south?"

"I don't know."

Monkey was at a loss for words.

Er Gou muttered quietly behind them, "What if we head the wrong way..."

Li Jinshui didn't answer.

He just kept walking.

The wrong way?

Then they'd kill until they found the right one.

As the night deepened, the three figures disappeared into the darkness.