Section 9: Though Young in Years, My Heart is Old, My Blood Not Yet Cold!

"Look over there!" It was the voice of Ruan Er, the shop assistant; clearly, he had discovered the wrapping paper Chu Yun had intentionally left behind.

"This is the wrapping for the Tasteless Powder. I have a feeling he's not far off." Next, the voice of the Triangular-Eyed man reached Chu Yun's ears. His tone was cold and sinister, accompanied by a rustling sound, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"The tracks lead that way. The brat is nothing more than a small fry with limited stamina—hurry and pursue!" The bearded man shouted urgently. Following this, the sound of the group of men running together echoed over, then gradually faded into the distance.

Chu Yun let out a long breath; he had finally managed to lead them astray. A full half-hour passed, and only when a faint scream echoed in the distance did he crawl out from the hollow tree, gasping for mouthfuls of fresh air.

A moment later, the unnatural flush on his face subsided, and the feeling of weakness and exhaustion gradually faded. His clothes were stuck to his body, and as the wind blew, he couldn't help but shiver.

He struggled to his feet, left the Fragrant Locust Wood Stick inside the hollow, and carrying the Iron Vine Hemp Rope and the Mountain Chopping Blade, he walked back to the path he had come from to begin setting his trap.

The trap was simple. On the only path forward, he tied both ends of the Iron Vine Hemp Rope firmly to the trunks of trees on either side. The rope was pulled taut, hidden within the tall grass to form a tripwire. Then, gripping the Mountain Chopping Blade in his right hand, he found a nearby spot for an ambush and began the nerve-wracking wait.

The wind whistled past his ears, yet his throat burned like fire. Fear and terror filled his heart, and the forest and earth in his field of vision shook violently.

His mouth was wide open, his chest heaving like a bellows as he gasped for air. The bearded man and his cohorts now wished they could grow a third leg just to run faster!

No one had expected that there would be a Phantom Scorpion Bat on the outskirts of this forest!

With nineteen years of cultivation and a tyrannical, violent Shadow Poison Dao technique, it had poisoned the Drunkard Dog to death in a single encounter.

Without the support of the Drunkard Dog, even the remaining cultivation of the Green Blade Mantis was no match for this Phantom Scorpion Bat.

After the Green Blade Mantis also became a soul under the lethal scorpion tail of the Phantom Scorpion Bat, the morale of the bearded man and his group plummeted to freezing point. With no will left to fight, they turned and fled in a rout.

Naturally, the Phantom Scorpion Bat would not let go of these bold fools who had dared to intrude deep into its territory, delivering themselves as blood-food.

Screams rang out one after another, each one signifying the loss of a life.

The bearded man and the others running in the lead felt a chill spreading through their hearts, congealing into an iceberg that weighed heavily upon them. Fear, like a tidal wave, drowned out all their thoughts.

Run, run, run!

Their minds were blank; they had no other thoughts. At this moment, they only wanted to escape with their lives.

"Ah!"

Another scream echoed for miles around. Only three people remained running.

The bearded man, the Triangular-Eyed man, and the shop assistant Ruan Er.

Yet the Phantom Scorpion Bat remained behind them, following like a shadow. It possessed a shimmering, ink-blue shell, with large pincers swaying in front. Bat wings grew from its sides, and on its foot-long scorpion tail, a scarlet stinger radiated a desperate aura of death.

It flew silently, quiet as a ghost, living up to its name as a phantom shadow. Suddenly, it flapped its wings in succession, rapidly closing in on the three running men.

The scorpion tail lashed out, and a point of scarlet light, like a flying dagger or a firefly, struck the Triangular-Eyed man square in the back.

Thud!

Without any resistance or struggle, the Triangular-Eyed man collapsed to the ground. Carried by his momentum, he tumbled repeatedly until he slammed into a tree trunk, coming to an abrupt halt.

His mouth twitched, and his eyes, once brimming with sharp light, became dull and vacant.

The next instant, the Phantom Scorpion Bat pounced onto his face.

This was the last sight he ever beheld.

"Mommy!" Ruan Er, the shop assistant, tore his throat open, screaming to vent his extreme terror. The physical constitution of a Demon Tamer was far higher than that of an ordinary person. His previous luck would not strike a second time; Ruan Er felt he had finally reached his limit, his speed plummeting as he fell further and further behind the bearded man.

"Please, don't leave me behind!" He reached out, trying to grab onto the bearded man.

"Get lost!" The bearded man swung his arm, shoving Ruan Er away with force. The latter lost his balance and let out a cry of alarm, watching in horror as the ground beneath his feet expanded rapidly in his vision.

But the next moment, two thuds of human bodies hitting the ground sounded almost simultaneously.

Ruan Er fell to the ground in pain, and at the same time, the bearded man was tripped by the tripwire Chu Yun had set, landing face-first and sliding across the damp moss, leaving a long trail of blood.

"It's over!" The same thought exploded like thunder, roaring through both their minds at once. Like men struck by lightning, they scrambled to turn over, eyes wide with sheer terror as they looked back.

The Phantom Scorpion Bat rose slowly into the air once more, leaving behind the Triangular-Eyed man, who had already been sucked dry into a mummy.

Ruan Er wept and wailed, his legs kicking against the earth as he scraped backward, doing his utmost to put distance between himself and the Grim Reaper.

He succeeded.

The Phantom Scorpion Bat circled leisurely in mid-air for a moment, then, seemingly satisfied, turned around and slowly flew back into the depths of its territory.

Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo...

The two survivors, expressions of terror still frozen on their faces, stared blankly into the darkness as it gradually swallowed the silhouette of the Phantom Scorpion Bat.

Chu Yun's heart sank: "The Phantom Scorpion Bat lives on blood and prefers fresh prey; therefore, it has no habit of storing food once it is full. It seems I will have to do the work myself."

He sighed inwardly, but his fighting spirit surged.

Though his years were few, his heart was old, and his blood had not yet run cold!

A fire seemed to ignite within his chest. The blood in his veins grew hot, and his heart hammered against his ribs.

He slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The frigid air seemed to cleanse his soul, causing his entire body to tremble slightly.

Though the enemies were exhausted, they still possessed hidden strength. Given his current power, if he did not succeed in one fell swoop, he would face nine deaths for every one life. However, he was a man of decisive action; once he set a goal in his heart, not even the heavens turning upside down or mountains collapsing could hinder his resolve!

His eyes snapped open, the light within them appearing like electric sparks in the darkness.

Fight!

His right hand tightened around the Mountain Chopping Blade, and he turned abruptly. Moving like a nimble cat, he made only the faintest sound as he skillfully crept forward, silently closing in on the bearded man.

"Ha, ha-ha, hahahaha! It's gone, it's gone! We're saved! Do you see? We're saved!" After a long moment of stunned silence, the shop assistant Ruan Er suddenly burst into wild laughter, trembling with manic excitement and weeping for joy.

Having escaped the jaws of death, the bearded man also let out a long, ragged breath. Joy surged up within him, but it was immediately replaced by a wave of intense regret and resentment.

"I regret this so much! If only I had used the medicinal pills to feed the Drunkard Dog sooner, I surely could have coordinated with the Green Blade Mantis to slay the Phantom Scorpion Bat! Damn it, damn it all! It's all that brat's fault, all that brat's fault! That brat led us here to frame us!"

The bearded man shrieked hysterically, roaring in a frenzy. His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy, and his hatred flowed on without end, a sight that left the shop assistant Ruan Er watching in terror.

At the mere thought of Chu Yun, the shop assistant Ruan Er shook his head in secret, sighing incessantly. He had long known of the other's cunning and shrewdness and had even offered warnings. If not for the bearded man and the others underestimating their foe, how could they have fallen into such a plight?

After venting his rage, the bearded man suddenly clutched his head and wailed, "My Drunkard Dog, my poor Drunkard Dog! Raising it cost me so much energy and consumed most of my life's savings! I will catch that brat and tear him limb from limb with my own hands! I'll have him sliced to death! I'll grind his bones to dust!! Eh?!"

It was as if a gust of wind had brushed against his face. By the time the bearded man realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Chu Yun had been poised and ready, striking with calculated intent against an unsuspecting foe. With a lightning-fast ambush and a single swing of his blade, a life was extinguished!

Splat—!

The sharpness of the Mountain Chopping Blade decapitated the bearded man in an instant. His head flew off, and a fountain of blood erupted from his neck. The headless corpse then collapsed to the ground like a tattered sack.

"Ah, ah?! It's you, it's you!" The shop assistant Ruan Er was scared witless by this sudden turn of events. He collapsed to the ground, staring in terror at the slowly approaching Chu Yun, his entire body trembling like a sieve.

The moonlight cast its jade-like radiance, the shadows of the trees danced, moonlight splashed everywhere, and dark winds flowed.

Chu Yun's face was as handsome as jade, his eyes containing cold stars. Under the moonlight, his smooth, youthful skin shimmered in harmony with the lunar glow, draping his entire being in a dazzling, serene halo. He walked over with an unhurried grace, looking nothing like someone who had just taken a life; there was no trace of killing intent about him, as if he were an immortal from a moon palace or a spirit of the forest, devoid of any worldly grime.

Yet, the shop assistant Ruan Er was on the verge of a breakdown. His gaze was drawn involuntarily to the Mountain Chopping Blade in Chu Yun's right hand.

The blade was one and a half feet long, with a flat, blunt tip, lacking any hook or point. The body of the blade was thick and heavy, the handle coarse and short. As light and shadow shifted, the blade's edge gleamed with a dark, greenish-black sheen, stained with lingering droplets of crimson blood. It was a tool originally intended for felling trees and chopping wood, yet now, it had become an out-and-out lethal weapon!

The man was a graceful, elegant youth.

The blade was a cold, life-taking steel.

"Don't, I beg you, please don't come over..." As Ruan Er stared at the Mountain Chopping Blade, he couldn't help but imagine the bloody scene of his own head flying from his shoulders. He was filled with endless regret, hating himself for ever provoking this star of slaughter!

The outcome was decided, and his opponent had no will to fight. Chu Yun walked up to the shop assistant Ruan Er and waved his hand.

Green light bloomed, and hot blood splattered.

With a dull thud, Ruan Er's corpse fell to the ground like a tattered sack. His eyes bulged, his expression of terror frozen on his face, and his fresh, warm blood quickly stained the surrounding earth.

A wave of the scent of blood rushed into the air, and the forest returned to silence.

Chu Yun stood where he was, catching his breath as his battle intent slowly subsided. He thought of the perils of this fight; a single moment of carelessness would have meant total destruction.

A lingering sense of fear caused the arm holding the Mountain Chopping Blade to tremble slightly.

However, a man should be a hero who slays his enemies; if one wishes to achieve great things yet cherishes his own life too dearly, what kind of man or hero is he?

A moment later, his expression returned to calm, and he sheathed the Mountain Chopping Blade with a composed demeanor.

Then, with light steps, he began to clean up the battlefield.