Return to the City

Within the deep, dim karst cave, damp cold mingled with the faint rank stench of ferocious beasts, drifting slowly through the cavernous stone chamber.

The middle-aged captain's face twisted savagely. His heavy saber carried whistling force, bearing an unstoppable, vicious momentum as it cleaved down at Lin Qing's head. The sharp blade wind stirred the fine rock dust floating around them.

Facing the fierce saber rushing toward him, Lin Qing stood where he was, his expression calm and unhurried.

The fingers of his right hand naturally closed around the hilt at his waist. With a slight exertion of his fingertips, the icy feel of the scabbard spread through his body. His feet shifted lightly, and with a clean, decisive step backward to the right, he glided aside like drifting clouds, evading the saber's edge.

Clang—

A crisp saber cry rang through the cave, and cold light flashed.

The long saber at his waist left its sheath. Beneath the faint glow of the fluorescent stones, a streak of snow-bright blade light traced a frigid arc. The saber's edge slid from the middle-aged captain's right waist all the way to his left shoulder in one fluid stroke.

The two figures passed each other, as though they had merely brushed shoulders in passing.

The fierce wind slowly faded, and the surroundings fell into a brief deathly silence.

Lin Qing flicked his wrist. The long saber in his hand lifted slightly, then snapped through the air. Crimson droplets clinging to the blade sprayed outward, landing on the cold stalagmite floor and blossoming into dark-red flowers of blood.

He held the saber low, his posture as straight as a pine, his indifferent gaze fixed on the remaining four Demon Hunting Team members not far away.

Behind him, the middle-aged captain still maintained his forward-charging posture.

The next instant, a neat fissure ran from his right waist to his left shoulder. His entire body slowly slid apart along that line. Blood erupted like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam, his organs spilling across the ground as his heavy body crashed down, spreading a horrifying pool of blood across the floor.

The pupils of the remaining four Demon Hunting Team members suddenly contracted. The cold killing intent on their faces vanished in an instant, replaced by unconcealable terror and panic.

They looked at one another and saw utter fear in each other's eyes. Never could they have imagined that the only Second-Tier Martial Artist in their team would fail to endure even a single move against this youth who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, dying beneath one slash.

Fear washed over the four of them like an icy tide, completely drowning them.

The man who had first discovered the treasure inside the cave had his legs give out. Unable to support himself any longer, he dropped heavily to his knees on the damp stone floor. He slammed his head against the ground again and again, and fresh blood quickly appeared on his forehead.

"Spare us, my lord! Spare us, young hero!"

His voice shook violently, filled with utter terror and despair. His tone was full of humble pleading. "We were blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai! We should never have offended you, young hero. Please show mercy and spare our lives!"

Their pleas echoed through the cave, humble and miserable.

Lin Qing remained expressionless as he slowly raised his feet and walked toward the four of them step by step. Every footfall was like a heavy hammer striking their hearts, making their entire bodies tremble.

Watching that cool, distant figure draw ever closer, the four men were frightened stiff. Even the courage to flee had completely vanished. They could only curl up where they were and shiver.

Lin Qing raised the long saber in his hand high, gathering all his strength. Accompanied by a piercing whistle through the air, the blade fell straight down.

Boom!

The hard, enormous stalagmite was split cleanly into left and right halves. Fragments of stone rolled down in a rustling shower, kicking up dust that filled the air.

By the faint glow emitted by the fluorescent stones in the cave, Lin Qing slowly stepped forward, his gaze falling upon the pool of milky-white liquid at the stone's center.

He took out a white porcelain bottle and collected all of the Earthheart Marrow into it, around seventy or eighty drops in total. He had looted this porcelain bottle from the Demon Hunting Team members.

After putting away the porcelain bottle, Lin Qing walked toward the stone wall beside the underground river. The long saber in his hand swung again, and the hard wall shattered in response, revealing black liquid still remaining within the cracks. He patiently collected it drop by drop as well.

Once he had finished all this, there was nothing left in the cave worth lingering over. Lin Qing sheathed his saber, turned, and headed for the cave exit.

When he reached the entrance, he did not immediately step outside. Instead, he stopped, focused his senses, held his breath, and carefully listened to the movements beyond the cave.

A gentle mountain breeze blew outside, and all was silent. It seemed the encirclement and killing of the Third Tier ferocious beast had already come to an end.

After confirming that nothing was amiss nearby, Lin Qing stepped out of the cave. His figure disappeared into the dense forest vegetation as he carefully advanced under the cover of the trees.

Branches and leaves intertwined throughout the forest, blocking most of his view. After walking for a while, several shifting figures came into sight. Those people moved among the trees, their gazes sweeping in every direction as though searching the forest for some trace.

Lin Qing's expression did not change. He followed behind them at an unhurried pace and began searching through the forest as well.

About the time it took for an incense stick to burn, several urgent shouts came from afar, piercing through layer after layer of trees and reaching him clearly.

"Found it! It's here! The cave is here!"

The calls rose and fell, carrying a hint of delight. Hearing them, Lin Qing slowly walked in the direction from which the voices came. That location was precisely the karst cave he had just left.

Outside the cave, more and more people gathered, and discussions rose one after another.

Lin Qing swept his gaze over the crowd and quickly spotted Shen Lie, Shi Man, and the others. He immediately started walking toward them.

Shi Man saw Lin Qing approaching and instantly showed a hint of resentment on his face. In his booming voice, he said, "Xie Chen, where the hell did you run off to? You're only getting back now—you really made us wait!"

Though his words were full of complaint, the undisguised delight and relief deep in his eyes were especially apparent. Everyone had been worried that Lin Qing had encountered danger in the mountain forest. Now that they saw him return safely, the stones hanging over their hearts finally dropped.

Lin Qing smiled faintly and replied, "A Savage Wolf was chasing me earlier. In my panic, I went the wrong way and took quite a few detours, so I arrived late."

Lin Qing turned his gaze toward Shen Lie beside him. Shen Lie's clothes were torn to shreds, and his body was covered in disorderly wounds. There was also a claw mark across his chest. Though the wound was not particularly deep, it nearly covered his entire chest and abdomen.

A layer of pale-yellow medicinal powder had already been sprinkled over the wound, and a faint medicinal scent drifted through the air.

Seeing Lin Qing return unharmed, Shen Lie also let out a long breath and said in a deep voice, "It's good that you're back."

After that brief calm, Zhao Feng and his group emerged from the cave with faces as dark as iron, their bodies radiating hostility. Clearly, the sight inside the cave had put them in an extremely foul mood.

Zhao Feng looked around at everyone present and ordered, "Build fires and make camp here. Rest for the night. At dawn tomorrow, we'll leave the mountains and return to the county seat."

After several days of fighting and rushing about, everyone was already exhausted in both body and mind. Hearing this, they all answered in acknowledgment and began setting up a temporary camp and lighting bonfires.

As the night deepened, bonfires flickered through the forest, and the evening breeze blew gently. That night, everyone slept especially soundly.

After returning to Azure Sun County, the group from the prefectural city did not stay at the Martial Suppression Office as they had upon arriving, instead arranging their own lodging.

Inside Fortune Tower, table after table was laden with fine wine and delicious dishes. Everyone raised cups and traded drinks amid endless laughter, drinking and talking until deep into the night before dispersing to their heart's content.

After bidding farewell to the others, Lin Qing found a quiet inn by himself, intending to thoroughly take stock of his gains from this trip into the mountains.

After closing the door to his guest room, Lin Qing took out the bundle in which he usually kept dried provisions and healing medicine and placed it on the table.

But just as he was about to open the bundle, an unusual sensation surged through every limb and bone in his body.

The tendons and bones throughout his body seemed to be slowly stretched by an invisible force. A series of fine crackling sounds came from deep within his bones, unceasing.

Within this remote inn, Lin Qing silently stepped into the second tier of martial arts.