As sure-footed on perilous ground as on level earth

The four marauding soldiers were in no hurry to pursue. Even a cornered rabbit would bite, and was all the more likely to run about wildly.

One of the marauders raised a brass whistle to his mouth and blew hard.

The shrill sound pierced the dusk and the woodland vegetation, spreading far into the distance.

Soon, answering whistles came from deep in the forest...

Brass whistles were a military means of communication to begin with. Different sequences of long and short blasts could convey simple messages.

The marauders slowly pressed forward as they sent their signals.

The broad river lay behind the group. Even if they wanted to run, they had nowhere to go.

The message had already gone out. Once everyone arrived, these people would be theirs to deal with as they pleased.

Li Qiang sat collapsed on the ground. Watching the marauders advance slowly, step by step, in an orderly formation, he was so frightened that he kept kicking his legs to scoot backward.

The exertion tugged at the arrow wound that pierced his shoulder. The pain turned his face deathly pale, cold sweat covering his face and head.

Tears sprang from Li Qiang's eyes at the pain. He could no longer see the marauders' expressions clearly, only vaguely make out their savage grins.

A marauder in cloth-covered armor raised his saber to strike. The slender goose-feather saber gleamed with an icy light in the vast, dim dusk.

Before the saber even fell, Li Qiang felt his life was already over. He shut his eyes in despair.

Just then, a low shout came from ahead. "Stop."

The marauder with the raised saber heard him but paid no attention to the command. Only his squad leader could give him orders. No one else could.

Zhou Wuji leaped off the boat. Seeing that the man had no intention of stopping, he flicked his left hand and threw a steel ball.

Back when his cultivation was inadequate, he had worked out many means of self-defense, such as flour that could ignite and explode, and throwing steel balls.

The smooth, round steel ball was the size of a walnut and weighed about two taels. Though it had no cutting edge, it made up for that with its weight. Thrown with full force, it packed considerable power.

Its smooth shape made it easy to put force behind the throw, and it was reasonably convenient to carry.

Having opened his Divine Aperture, Zhou Wuji naturally channeled True Qi when he threw the steel ball, increasing its power at least tenfold.

The marauder with the raised saber had only just heard the piercing whistle through the air when the steel ball buried itself deep in his nose.

Not only did the steel ball shatter his nasal bones, but its tremendous impact also blasted through the cavity behind them, bursting his brain.

That single blow killed the marauder poised to strike on the spot.

The other three marauders jumped in fright, all turning their eyes toward Zhou Wuji as he swept toward them.

Twenty paces away, none of them could make out Zhou Wuji's features. They could only vaguely see that the Daoist seemed young, his figure tall and straight as a crane. His loose sleeves streamed as he moved, giving him a carefree, ethereal grace, as though he rode the wind.

All three marauders knew what they were looking at. They immediately recognized him as at least an eighth-rank Daoist capable of wielding Qi.

The marauder with the bow drew it and nocked an arrow without hesitation. He had only just raised his bow when Zhou Wuji flicked his left hand and threw another steel ball.

At such close range, propelled by True Qi and the combined strength of his wrist and fingers, the steel ball was truly as fast as a bolt fired from a powerful crossbow.

The marauder had only just sensed something wrong when the steel ball drove deep into his face, blasting it into a mangled ruin. Blood sprayed as he toppled backward.

The remaining two marauders were horrified. Both knew that turning to flee would only get them killed faster.

They pointed their sabers at Zhou Wuji and kept backing away.

Zhou Wuji had already seen how vicious these marauders were. If they killed Li Xin and the others, he would have no way to handle the boat alone.

Besides, he did not know whether there were experts among the marauders. Being surrounded by them would be extremely dangerous for him as well.

Rather than give ground, he might as well strike first.

At a critical moment, Zhou Wuji preferred to seize the initiative. Moreover, his swordsmanship had reached the proficient level. Killing a few eighth-rank martial artists would not be difficult.

He had heard clearly just now: the marauder had said to signal their squad leader to come.

Under the Great Hao Dynasty's military system, a squad leader commanded no more than fifty men.

A seventh-rank martial artist would at least hold the post of a thousand-man commander. There was no possibility of one serving as a mere squad leader.

Naturally, Zhou Wuji could not let the remaining two marauders escape. He accelerated toward them. The two retreating marauders suddenly split left and right, each raising his saber to slash straight at him.

Military martial techniques were all extremely simple and direct. Though these two marauders had yet to reach the ninth-rank level of Manifest Force, they were practiced with their sabers and ruthless in their attacks.

They also worked together. With their fast blades and thick armor, they would not be at a disadvantage even against a ninth-rank martial artist.

This was Zhou Wuji's first encounter with military martial techniques, and he could feel their ferocious presence.

He inwardly offered a word of praise. They truly were well-trained, brave, and willing to fight.

Still, they fell rather far short of him.

Proficient-level swordsmanship was equivalent to the fruit of Zhang Wuding's lifetime of arduous practice-and single-minded, undistracted practice at that.

At this stage, it was not merely a matter of wielding a sword as naturally as his own limbs. He also possessed a deep understanding of combat techniques.

His minor-accomplishment-level Flowing Cloud Sword made his movements all the swifter and more agile.

Zhou Wuji raised his sword as if to thrust left. The man on the left naturally halted and drew back his saber to defend.

The man on the right, however, saw an opening and accelerated into a fierce overhead slash.

In fact, Zhou Wuji had merely turned slightly sideways and moved his arm. That tiny motion had already made both marauders change their moves.

With their level of martial ability, once they fully committed to a move, they could no longer change it.

True Qi flowed beneath Zhou Wuji's feet, and he slid right in a single step. Only then did he draw the Seven Star Sword, meeting the descending saber and guiding it aside. The furiously slashing blade was diverted toward the left.

Startled, the man on the right tried to pull back his strength, but the Seven Star Sword seized the opportunity to dart forward.

Cold light flashed. The blade pierced the man's throat, severing his windpipe and blood vessels.

Having landed his strike, Zhou Wuji turned with the motion. His blade darted forward again, swiftly piercing the throat of the man on the left as well.

The "dart" he used generated force through a turn of the wrist. His forearm barely moved. The motion was tiny, its changes concealed, yet its speed was tremendous.

Neither marauder had ever seen such exquisite swordsmanship. A single mistaken judgment had allowed him to dispatch them with ease.

Collapsed on the ground, Li Qiang had thought death certain. Yet with his eyes shut, the blade he awaited never reached his head.

When he opened his eyes, he saw cold sword light flickering from the blade in Zhou Wuji's hand. The two marauders fell to his strikes.

Li Qiang was both shocked and delighted. Zhou Wuji was actually this formidable?! He really had misjudged him before...

Li Xin and the others, who had retreated to the riverbank, also wore stunned expressions. From farther away, they could see even less clearly. They only saw sword light and a figure flash before all four marauders lay sprawled on the ground, their fates unknown.

Li Xin and the others were likewise both shocked and delighted.

After killing the two men, Zhou Wuji twirled his sword, flicking the blood from the blade before sheathing it.

He turned to Li Xin and said, "Stay here. Don't wander off. I'll go deal with the other marauders."

Li Xin had recovered his wits by now. He hurried over with several others to help Li Qiang up.

At Zhou Wuji's instructions, he nodded emphatically. "Be careful, Daoist!"

As the second manager, Li Xin was normally a smooth talker.

At a time like this, he should not have offered only that single, dry remark. But this was his first encounter with such a bloody, dangerous scene. His heart was pounding wildly, and he truly could not think of what to say.

Zhou Wuji nodded slightly, then glanced at Li Qiang, who sat collapsed on the ground. "How are you?"

Li Qiang felt deeply ashamed and uneasy. He had been speaking ill of Zhou Wuji just moments ago, yet now Zhou Wuji had saved his life.

Forcing himself to endure the severe pain in his shoulder, he said, "I won't die. Thank you for saving my life, Daoist."

"It was no more than lifting a hand. Not worth mentioning."

That was precisely what Zhou Wuji had been waiting to hear from Li Qiang. The brat had been bad-mouthing him behind his back. Letting him die would have been no fun, and speaking ill of him hardly warranted death.

Saving his little life and then seeing that look of shame and remorse was what made it satisfying.

Zhou Wuji had gotten his wish. His expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he felt immensely pleased.

There were still enemies to deal with. He had no time to chat further with the brat.

Zhou Wuji darted into the woods, and his surroundings immediately darkened.

It was already dim outside, and darker still within the woods.

He concealed himself behind a large hardwood tree. Its branches and leaves were luxuriant, its bark close-knit, and it gave off a faint, fresh fragrance.

It's a camphor tree... Zhou Wuji adjusted to the darkness and recognized the tree's species.

The people of White Stone Village came and went through White Stone Ferry every day. They had long since trodden a two-foot-wide path through the woods.

The woods were thick with foliage, vines, shrubs, and tall weeds everywhere. Only this narrow path offered easy passage.

The marauder had blown his brass whistle to send a message. Others from his side would be coming soon.

Though Zhou Wuji was confident in his swordsmanship, he would not take risks lightly. After all, he only had one life!

With those marauders having sent the signal, the newcomers would not expect anyone to be lying in ambush beside the path.

The camphor tree's fresh fragrance was rich and lasting. It could mask the smell of blood on him.

Martial artists had keen senses. These soldiers fresh from the battlefield, in particular, were sure to be sensitive to the smell of blood.

Whether in its location, shape, or scent, this tree provided excellent cover.

Zhou Wuji had chosen on instinct. Now, analyzing it calmly, he realized his choice had been nothing short of inspired.

While he still had time, he took a Golden Light Talisman from inside his robe and placed it in his left sleeve pocket.

Soon, hurried, disorderly footsteps came from the other side of the woods, along with voices. From the sound, there were at least six or seven people.

Zhou Wuji also felt the two Yin Thunder Pearls in his left sleeve pocket. Even if he encountered a group of eighth-rank martial artists, the Yin Thunder Pearls would be enough to deal with them...