The Ten-Day Deadline: Each Had His Own Scheme

"You were much faster than I expected. Your luck was good!" Blood Wuy a was slightly surprised to see Little Leopard bring all three herbs into the valley at noon on the third day, though it was hardly beyond belief. "What happened to your hands?!"

"Oh, a little accident. While picking the Drifting Glass Flower, I ran into a monster that breathed fire, and this happened!" Little Leopard replied casually. He was not afraid of being exposed. The Vast Cang Mountains held countless strange beasts, and quite a few could breathe fire. He had seen several himself over the past day or two. Naturally, Blood Wuy a would never imagine that Little Leopard had burned his hands with his own eyes. He paid little attention to the explanation and merely took out a white porcelain bottle and handed it over. "This is excellent Wound-Healing Salve. Apply it to your hands, and they'll heal in less than two days. Also, we have about ten days left. During those ten days, practice the sword move and movement technique I taught you. Ten days from now, on the night of the full moon, help me subdue that Demon Toad!"

Little Leopard's heart gave a violent jolt.

Ten days from now, on the night of the full moon, they would subdue the Demon Toad!

"What? Is there a problem?!" Blood Wuy a asked, as though sensing the disturbance in Little Leopard's heart.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a little-!"

"Afraid, are you?!" Blood Wuy a's eyes seemed to pierce straight into his heart. He burst into wild laughter. "Boy, don't be afraid. There's nothing to fear. I've already wounded that monster. It's hiding in its underground cavern, nursing its injuries and refusing to come out. But once I make the Elixir Perfume and combine it with the moonlight power on the night of the full moon, it won't be able to resist the temptation. You needn't worry. Just stand by and support me when the time comes!"

"As you command, Master. Thank you!" Little Leopard dared not say more and withdrew from the valley.

Elixir Perfume, combined with moonlight power, to lure the Demon Toad out. This is a fine opportunity!

At the edge of the cave, Little Leopard sat cross-legged, both hands covered in Wound-Healing Salve. His eyes flickered as he considered what Blood Wuy a had told him. He still had thirteen bottles of Soul-Dazing Powder left, and he knew their potency all too well. If I put Soul-Dazing Powder in Blood Wuy a's blood food, and it takes effect while he's fighting the Demon Toad, wouldn't that hand me a huge advantage?

He supplied all of Blood Wuy a's blood food anyway, and the Soul-Dazing Powder's properties were peculiar indeed: it dissolved on contact with water. He could dissolve it in a beast's blood and let Blood Wuy a drink it...

The idea was wonderful, but...

But I can't take everything he says on faith. Can moonlight power and Elixir Perfume really lure that Demon Toad out? If his calculations go wrong after I've already slipped him the Soul-Dazing Pill, wouldn't I be in for a calamity? At the thought of possible failure, Little Leopard shuddered involuntarily. He valued his life and was cautious by nature. Other matters were one thing, but this concerned his very survival, and he dared not be careless in the slightest. Blood Wuy a said he could lure the Demon Toad out, but what if something went wrong?

If he acted on his own and the Demon Toad failed to emerge, what would happen? He dared not imagine it.

Afraid of wolves ahead and tigers behind-that must be exactly what I look like now! Little Leopard silently mocked himself. Ten days from now... This Wound-Healing Salve works well. My hands should heal in three days at most. As for that sword move... Thinking of the move Blood Wuy a had taught him, his bitter smile deepened.

Is this a move meant for humans to practice?! When he considered the outrageous control it demanded over his internal energy and every ounce of strength in his body, Little Leopard could describe it with only one word: perverse!

Of course, Blood Wuy a did not expect him to learn the move in such a short time. It was an exceptionally fierce and sophisticated sword move, and Little Leopard was learning it from scratch. Although Blood Wuy a had explained it in detail a few days earlier, the way of the sword was vast and profound. If a single explanation had been enough for him to understand it, he would not have been Little Leopard, but the Sword God.

Besides,

after those two days, he had already forgotten almost everything Blood Wuy a had explained. He had never been particularly clever.

For Little Leopard as he was now, practicing this sword move was extraordinarily difficult. After trying twice, he abandoned the pointless effort.

Mastering it within ten days was simply impossible.

With Blood Wuy a's knowledge and insight, he must know I can't master this move in such a short time. Why teach it to me, then?! Somewhat dejected, Little Leopard put down his sword and sat cross-legged where he was. But the way he taught me seemed strange. I can just barely manage the parts he emphasized. To do that, though, I have to stay in one place and gather power for at least an hour, then unleash all the internal energy in my body before I can execute the move. Could that be the secret?! Sitting on the ground, Little Leopard held his short sword before him in a mysterious posture and remained motionless. At first, nothing happened. But after a while, once he began circulating his internal energy according to the Sword Art Mental Method Blood Wuy a had taught him, an extraordinarily sharp aura slowly emerged from his body. A hazy glow also began to shine from the short sword in his hand. He was very close to Blood Wuy a's valley now, so he dared not use his strange eyes. Yet as he quieted his mind and concentrated, the circulation of energy through his meridians appeared faithfully in his mind. The nine-dragon divine fire inner qi he had painstakingly cultivated flowed and shifted through his body according to the Sword Art Mental Method, undergoing a slow transformation.

Nine-dragon divine fire inner qi was fire-attributed internal energy, and Little Leopard could already wield it with some power. Yet after circulating through this Sword Art Mental Method, the fire-attributed internal energy condensed into a single strand, growing finer and finer until it finally became a thread of sword qi as sharp as a needle.

The moment the sword qi formed!

Little Leopard's body moved involuntarily. His sword-bearing left hand abruptly traced an eerie arc before him, and his seated body sprang up as though a spring had suddenly popped out beneath his bottom. The sword thrust out, and his body descended, the motions flowing like clouds and running water. Upon landing, he swayed twice and staggered back two steps before barely regaining his balance.

Bang! An explosive report rang through the air-the sound of Little Leopard's sword piercing through it.

What a powerful sword move?! It had lasted only an instant, yet as the sword flashed, a cold star had burst into being in midair. In the blink of an eye, he had thrust nine times, unfurling a sword blossom that pierced the air until it burst, producing that explosive report.

But he was young, and his reserves were limited. After those nine thrusts, not only had he exhausted his internal energy, but every ounce of his strength as well. Like a man capable of running only a thousand meters who suddenly ran three thousand, he nearly collapsed on the ground.

Before he could catch his breath, a wave of weakness swept through him, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood. The meridians injured the previous night began spasming again.

His strength was depleted, and his meridians were damaged. Having executed the move once, Little Leopard gradually began to grasp its nature. The key to this sword move lies in the mental method for wielding the sword. Once it starts circulating, it drives the body to execute the move involuntarily. But how powerful the resulting move is depends on how much internal energy and physical strength I have.

No, that's not quite right! Little Leopard thought, narrowing his eyes. Even with enough strength and internal energy, knowing the mental method and movements wouldn't let me unleash its full power. The finer details still require an understanding and knowledge of swordplay, and I've never studied swordplay at all. Still, even without learning the sword, and with inadequate energy and strength, I can unleash a fair amount of power. The price is having this move drain every last drop of vital blood from my body!

Remembering the sword blossom his strike had produced, Little Leopard's brow relaxed. In that case, this must be what Blood Wuy a has in mind. My fighting strength is no help at all in his battle against the Demon Toad. It's utterly insignificant. But if I land a strike like this on the Demon Toad at a critical moment, it might catch it off guard. The final straw that breaks the camel's back-is that the idea?!

Little Leopard sat cross-legged again and carefully studied the short sword, a little over a foot long. His left hand gently stroked its finely worked blade, feeling its intricate grain. Even without internal power, martial skill, or a particular move, getting stabbed by this sword alone probably wouldn't feel pleasant. After one strike, I won't have any strength left to resist, and all my meridians will be damaged. If the Demon Toad counterattacks, I'm certain to die. That would save Blood Wuy a the trouble of doing it himself. After all, he's a Rank Eight expert. Killing a Rank One novice like me would be rather embarrassing, wouldn't it?! His eyes flickered several times as he gradually discerned Blood Wuy a's intentions.

In other words, my usefulness will end in about ten days. Even if the Demon Toad doesn't kill me, Blood Wuy a will. Heh, looks like I can only stake everything on one gamble! Little Leopard looked toward the little pit at the back of the cave where he had buried the Soul-Dazing Powder. He clenched his fists and made up his mind.

It was not that he had never considered escaping. But even if he could escape the Vast Cang Mountains and slip out of Blood Wuy a's grasp, the mountain village that had raised him for over ten years would likely be finished.

After he had extracted so many benefits from Blood Wuy a, how could the man possibly let him go?

Blood Wuy a had captured him outside Green Ram Market. His identity would not be difficult to investigate. Given the man's usual methods, if he could not find Little Leopard, there was no need to think too hard about the consequences, was there?

Then he could only gamble!

The crucial question is whether that Demon Toad will emerge as expected, and when. Still, since Blood Wuy a has made these preparations, he should be quite confident. Otherwise, he'd lose face in front of me. With his temperament, he would never do that. His Elixir Perfume ought to work!

Little Leopard reassured himself. At this point, there seemed to be no better option. Even if Blood Wuy a did not intend to kill him this time, he still had to act. Unlike Blood Wuy a, he had little time to waste. The longer things dragged on, the more Blood Wuy a's wounds would heal, and the slimmer his chances would become.

But Blood Wuy a was a Rank Eight expert, after all. When it came to actually facing him as a Rank One novice, Little Leopard still had no confidence.

Though the Soul-Dazing Pill was potent, it was essentially a powerful sleeping pill from his previous life, only without side effects. With Blood Wuy a's cultivation, it would certainly affect him, but it could not possibly knock him out as completely as an ordinary person or wild beast. As long as he held on through that first wave, killing Little Leopard would require no more than a flick of his hand.

At this point, Little Leopard had no room left to overthink.

Yet even as he told himself not to overthink, another question arose. Should he drug all the blood food, or only one beast? If he drugged everything, the risk would multiply. Apart from the possibility of discovery along the way, the dose would also be dispersed. Whether it would have the intended effect was another question entirely!

If I do this, I absolutely cannot divide the dose. All the Soul-Dazing Powder has to go into a single beast. Only then might it have the greatest effect. What I need to ensure now is that this fellow takes it all at once-wait-! Little Leopard suddenly thought of a safer approach.

I can't guarantee whether the Demon Toad will come out, or when, but with a good plan, I can control when Blood Wuy a feeds. Although he defeats the Demon Toad every time, he pays a heavy price. He must be exhausted afterward and need blood food to recover his strength. If I make him take the Soul-Dazing Powder then, wouldn't the chances of it working increase enormously?

Recalling Blood Wuy a's pale face after his battle with the Demon Toad that day, Little Leopard began pondering. Indeed, this was a safer method. At least he would not have to worry about so many factors beyond his control-whether the Demon Toad would emerge, when it would emerge, whether the Elixir Perfume would actually work, and so on. All those risks could be avoided. But without the Demon Toad restraining Blood Wuy a, he would have to face the exhausted man alone, and his chances would still be extremely slim. In that case, it seemed better to find an opportunity to administer the drug beforehand and let it drag Blood Wuy a down during his battle with the Demon Toad, leaving both sides badly wounded. That offered the best chance of success.

By this point, Little Leopard's head had begun to ache. Dejectedly, he realized that his life would ultimately still depend on unknowable luck.

Strength-it all came down to strength. Before Blood Wuy a, every scheme seemed pale and powerless. Even though the man was gravely injured, even though he would have to fight a powerful Demon Toad until both were wounded, even though Little Leopard had thirteen bottles of Soul-Dazing Powder, none of it could put his mind at ease. He was still at a disadvantage.

The slightest mistake would leave him with ten deaths and not one chance of survival.

Little Leopard sighed helplessly. He knew perfectly well that if Blood Wuy a truly subdued the Demon Toad ten days from now, his usefulness would plummet even if he survived. Blood Wuy a could even send the Demon Toad to gather blood food in his place. When that happened, his death might well be at hand.

Through their recent dealings, Little Leopard had learned that a strand of sword qi from the White-Robed Sword Saint, Lu Shaoyou, had injured Blood Wuy a's heart meridians. He could not possibly recover in so little time. But his injuries had been so severe that he could not flee far, leaving him no choice but to hide deep in the Vast Cang Mountains and wait Lu Shaoyou out. No matter how formidable Lu Shaoyou was, he could not search every inch of the mountains. Besides, their encounter had been accidental; there was no sea of blood and bitter hatred between them. Would Lu Shaoyou really spend all his time in these mountains contending with him?

The answer was no.

During these days of recuperation, Blood Wuy a had not fully healed, but he had recovered some vitality. His complexion had grown much rosier lately, even before he consumed blood food. Little Leopard could no longer be certain that fighting the Demon Toad would leave him as exhausted as the first time, or that he would still need large quantities of blood food afterward. Everything was unknown. Thus, although the final plan looked dependable, many uncertainties still lurked behind it.

There's no other way. I'll sound him out first, then decide!

"Master, what exactly is so wondrous about this Elixir Perfume that it can lure out that turtle hiding in its shell?!"

Though Little Leopard still felt afraid in Blood Wuy a's presence, he was no longer as constrained as when they first met. Blood Wuy a treated him reasonably well, too, without the initial stiffness.

Yet this softened attitude made Little Leopard all the more uneasy. Whether it was his imagination or something else, every time he saw Blood Wuy a now, he instinctively sensed wisps of murderous intent leaking from the man. This made his sense of urgency even stronger.

He could not let Blood Wuy a keep recovering. If this went on, he truly would not have the slightest chance left!

That was Little Leopard's most immediate and heartfelt feeling.

"This is Elixir Perfume!" Blood Wuy a opened his palm. Little Leopard looked over and saw a layer of grayish-yellow powder resting on it.

Little Leopard sniffed and caught a faint, bitter scent, threaded with an odd, delicate fragrance.

"This Elixir Perfume is made specifically for capturing demon beasts. Once lit, it has a fatal attraction for demon beasts whose intelligence has only just awakened, and it can muddle their minds. Although this Demon Toad has begun to develop intelligence and possesses some cultivation, if I light the Elixir Perfume on the night of the full moon and combine it with the attraction of abundant moonlight power, it won't possibly be able to resist!" A cruel smile appeared on Blood Wuy a's face. "Once it comes out, it won't escape my grasp!"

Little Leopard smiled and nodded, though his smile was plainly rather stiff.

"What? You don't believe me!"

A man of Blood Wuy a's caliber immediately noticed something amiss and questioned him displeasedly.

"I wouldn't dare, Master. It's just that I got quite a fright last time. Thinking of that monster still makes my heart tremble!"

"Hahahahaha! You timid little fellow! That creature is merely enormous and ugly. Apart from its deadly poison, it has no particularly impressive abilities. But it has cultivated for at least several hundred years, so its inner core should be of some use. That's the only reason I want to kill it and take its inner core!"

"I understand!" Little Leopard answered with his head lowered. Seeing Blood Wuy a's confidence, he gradually settled down. For Blood Wuy a to speak like this, he must have been at least eighty percent certain. Otherwise, if he lit the Elixir Perfume in front of Little Leopard on the night of the full moon and the monster failed to come out, would that not be terribly embarrassing?

"How are your hands?!" Blood Wuy a suddenly asked while Little Leopard was deep in thought.

"They're fine now!" Little Leopard hurriedly extended his fully healed hands. "Your Wound-Healing Salve worked wonders, Master. They healed completely in just a few days. But the salve-"

"It's only a bottle of Wound-Healing Salve. Nothing important!" Blood Wuy a said indifferently. "You've made some progress with that sword move, haven't you?!"

"I'm slow-witted!" At the mention of the sword move, Little Leopard immediately bowed low. "The move you taught me is truly profound, Master. I've practiced for several days but still can't make sense of it. Please punish me!"

Blood Wuy a's eyes flashed. "You can't make sense of it? Well, I can't blame you. You've never practiced swordsmanship. Although I've simplified the move as much as possible, mastering it is still rather difficult. But the success or failure of my plan depends on this. You must produce results within the next few days!"

"But I-!"

"Never mind. I have nothing else to do these next few days anyway. Tell me whatever difficulties you encounter in your practice, and I'll answer them one by one. You must bring that sword move up to my requirements before the night of the full moon!"

"Yes!"

From then on, Little Leopard practiced the sword under Blood Wuy a's guidance in the valley every day. Just as he had expected, Blood Wuy a focused on teaching him how to unleash the move's greatest power. As for its consequences, he mentioned them only in passing, adding that even if Little Leopard suffered serious injuries, he would treat them after subduing the Demon Toad.

Little Leopard also took an extra precaution. Whenever he delivered blood food to the valley, he brought living animals, but one or two were always unconscious. Blood Wuy a found this strange during the first few days but said nothing. After all, the beasts were merely unconscious, not dead, and it did not affect his feeding. He assumed Little Leopard had simply knocked his prey out to save himself trouble.

By the final few days, more than half the beasts Little Leopard delivered to the valley were unconscious. That way, when he presented Blood Wuy a with a beast knocked out by the Soul-Dazing Pill, the man would not suspect anything.

The days passed one by one. In the blink of an eye, the ten-day deadline arrived-the night of the full moon!

The story in the Vast Cang Mountains was finally about to draw to a close. These mountains were full of comedy and tragedy, hehe. Overall, this was still about laying a foundation for the protagonist. Though he gained plenty, none of it was something he could wield with effortless ease. He still needed to adapt, needed time to hone himself, and needed bookmarks and recommendations!