Black-hearted and Ruthless

With that, Wang Ziling flicked his hand, sending the red pill flying straight toward Wang Yan...

"!" How could Wang Yan believe Wang Ziling would be so kind? He abruptly held his breath and thrust out his short sword artifact with astonishing deftness. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Sword light flashed as he turned the blade sideways, catching the incoming red pill on its flat with exquisite ease...

At the sight, a cold glint flashed through Wang Ziling's eyes. He narrowed them and thought, Wang Yan has completely exhausted his magical power, yet his swordsmanship alone is this refined? Even many martial arts masters in the mortal world couldn't manage a move like that. There must be more to Wang Yan than meets the eye. Good thing I didn't rush in to kill him!

"A Qi-Returning Pill?" Wang Yan stared at the pill on his short sword artifact, momentarily stunned, and spoke in surprise.

A Qi-Returning Pill was excellent for replenishing spiritual energy, and it was a rare treasure among outer disciples. For this trial on Back Mountain, Wang Yan had spent almost everything he owned on the short sword artifact in his hand, leaving him unable to obtain even one Qi-Returning Pill. Otherwise, with magical power still at his disposal, he would never have ended up in such a sorry state. He might even have turned the tables and killed Wang Ziling.

But Wang Yan also knew that cultivators... especially Wang Ziling, were extraordinarily cunning. There might well be something fishy about it. He would remember this debt and settle accounts with the fellow later. With that in mind, he said gravely, "Fine! In that case, we'll let this matter rest for now. I'll take this. You can leave!" He flipped his short sword artifact, then moved his other hand, producing a bottle. Sweeping it beneath the blade, he caught the Qi-Returning Pill neatly inside.

The entire sequence was exquisitely deft. From beginning to end, Wang Yan's hands never once touched the Qi-Returning Pill, and he kept holding his breath. Who knew what tricks might be hidden in it? Better to be careful. Still, there was no need to keep hounding Wang Ziling. With his magical power completely depleted, he could not possibly deal with him. Better to feign generosity and let Wang Ziling leave, removing this threat. Passing the trial came first, after all, and he only needed one final spirit herb...

This fellow is cautious and clever. He's a formidable rival-I can't leave him alive! He'll surely become a threat to me someday...! Wang Ziling thought as he watched Wang Yan. This little fellow was only eleven or twelve, yet his scheming ran so deep. Despite those thoughts, he wore a rueful smile and said, "It seems you still don't trust me, Senior Brother Wang Yan. Never mind. We're both members of the Wang Household, so we'll have plenty of chances to meet in the future. Farewell!" With that, he turned and left...

"I won't see you off!" Watching Wang Ziling's retreating back, Wang Yan remained on guard and spoke in a low voice, without any polite courtesies. He thought, Wang Ziling is even younger than I am, yet his schemes are so vicious, and his talent is outstanding. I'll have to find a chance to kill him. Otherwise, after today's grudge...!

Suddenly!

"Oh, right!" Wang Ziling had already walked seventy or eighty feet away when he seemed to remember something. He stopped and abruptly turned back toward Wang Yan. "Senior Brother Wang Yan! You came here for spirit herbs, didn't you? How many more do you need? I have some extras. If you're only short a few, I could give you some!" He smiled with the utmost friendliness... as though deliberately trying to befriend Wang Yan...

"No need. I'll find a way myself!" Wang Yan replied coldly. Naturally, he would not readily trust Wang Ziling's attempt to win him over. This fellow was certainly no simple character; otherwise, how could he have become so friendly with the other disciples so soon after arriving? Even so, Wang Yan had been tempted for an instant. Only two or three days remained, and the return journey would take more than a day, leaving him just one day to find another ten-year-old spirit herb. Although that should not be too difficult... trading with this fellow would save him a great deal of time... Forget it. He did not want to owe someone like this a favor.

"Oh! That's a shame. I've searched pretty much this whole hill, and there aren't any spirit herbs left. I haven't searched the other side of that lake, though. You could try your luck over there, Senior Brother!" Wang Ziling sounded somewhat regretful. Looking toward the little lake at the summit, he offered the suggestion casually, then turned and left. When he reached the cliff edge, he said solemnly, "Senior Brother Wang Yan, I'll see you in the inner clan!" Then he headed down the cliff, paying Wang Yan no further attention.

"This fellow...!" Wang Yan hurried to the cliff edge and saw Wang Ziling descending at astonishing speed. Perhaps, with so little time left, he too was planning to return. Wang Yan's expression darkened as he murmured, "Looks like I'll have to find a chance to kill you...!" With that thought, he took out the little bottle containing the Qi-Returning Pill and toyed with it briefly. "What a waste, what a waste...!" he muttered, then threw it straight down the cliff...

The Qi-Returning Pill Wang Ziling had given him would indeed have been extremely useful. But although he had found nothing suspicious about it, something of such dubious origin was best left untaken. Nor should he keep it with him, lest some unforeseen accident occur... Naturally, throwing it away was the best choice.

Greed and avarice were the deadliest things of all.

"!" Wang Yan glanced once more at the little hillside across the lake. After a moment's hesitation, he hurried in another direction and began searching everywhere. He only needed one last spirit herb... Naturally, the sooner he found it, the better.

When Wang Yan reached a small rise...

Suddenly.

"Hm?" Wang Yan caught an intensely pungent smell of blood. Startled, he carefully surveyed his surroundings, but noticed nothing unusual. After hesitating briefly, he held his breath and stealthily approached the source of the bloody odor. The farther he went, the stronger the stench carried on the wind became...

Beyond a small rise, he saw what looked like a Mountain Cave sloping downward ahead of him. The smell of blood was coming from inside.

Wang Yan did not dare approach rashly. He cautiously scanned his surroundings, but even after watching for a long time, he noticed nothing amiss. Unease stirred in his heart. He crept toward the Mountain Cave, picked up a small stone, and tossed it inside, crouching down as he did so. His hand tightened around his short sword artifact, ready for anything.

Clack, clack! Several sounds came from inside the Mountain Cave. Judging by the noise, it did not seem very deep.

He waited a while, but no further sound came from the Mountain Cave, allowing Wang Yan to breathe a little easier. Still, a bad feeling lingered in his heart. The stench of blood was simply too overwhelming...

After another long wait without any movement, Wang Yan finally approached cautiously and bent down to peer into the Mountain Cave. He would have been better off not looking. What he saw terrified him.

There, before his eyes!

The Mountain Cave seemed to be filled with bodies. Seven or eight corpses lay exposed, with what looked like several more pinned beneath them, all giving off an overpowering stench of blood...

Though Wang Yan was strong-willed and exceedingly bold, he was still only a thirteen-year-old boy. When had he ever seen anything so horrifying? Terror nearly shattered his nerve, and his heart threatened to leap out of his chest. His chest tightened, and nausea rose inside him. Forgetting everything else, he scrambled down the hillside on his hands and feet. Then he lost his footing and tumbled straight down the slope.

Crash...! Amid the clatter, pain shot through Wang Yan's entire body. He only stopped when he slammed into a large tree.

"Hah! Hah...!" Wang Yan felt utterly drained. He gulped down air, and when he came back to his senses, he lay on the ground, unable to get up...

"So many people dead... who were they?" Wang Yan murmured to himself, cold sweat breaking out across his body. The pain, however, actually made him feel a little better and cleared his head somewhat. "Why are there so many dead people here? Aren't we members of the Wang Household the only ones who come here for the trial? Then...!" His words trailed off...

"Could it be!?" Something stirred in Wang Yan's mind, as though he had remembered something. He abruptly sat up and looked around. Then, seemingly regaining his strength, he sprang into motion and raced back toward the Mountain Cave at astonishing speed. Mustering his courage, he peered inside.

"!" Wang Yan's eyes widened as he strained to see clearly. Suppressing his fear, he finally made them out. Several of the bodies wore clothes much like his own, and they were about his age, thirteen or fourteen. Their faces were twisted in utter terror, their bodies bloodstained and pitiful. Clearly, they were all dead.

As he looked, Wang Yan murmured to himself, "Wang Nan, Wang Li, Wang Xiao, Wang Ami... they really are... they're all people taking this trial! They're all dead. And underneath... who else is there...?"

At last...

"Urgh...!" Wang Yan could bear it no longer and began vomiting. But he had barely eaten anything decent in days, so all he brought up was bile. It felt as though every scrap of strength had left his body.

"Who did this? Such brutal methods...!" Wang Yan murmured. He could not muster the courage to go down and see exactly who had died. After vomiting, though, the smell of blood no longer seemed quite so unbearable.

Suddenly!

"It was him! Wang Ziling!" Wang Yan seemed to remember something and nearly sprang up from the ground. He murmured to himself, "Wang Nan, Wang Li, Wang Xiao, Wang Ami... weren't they all fellows who usually hung around Wang Ziling? And Wang An, Wang Yi... are they all dead too? Did Wang Ziling do this?" The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and a chill spread through his heart. Wang Ziling is so utterly ruthless. Is he really only twelve?