Chapter Eleven: Destination

“They actually managed to catch up...”

As Li Ju weaved through the forest, his mind was wholly occupied by the group of black-clad pursuers at his heels.

Since his arrival in this world, the only one he had provoked with the power to dispatch such a deadly squad was that mysterious figure from the Zhao family. Thus, the moment he was ambushed, he immediately deduced the origin of those hunting him.

Though none among these assassins had truly stepped into the realm of external martial mastery, all were seasoned fighters, their skills nearly on par with true masters. Their shortcoming lay only in the lack of a genuine internal cultivation technique. Coupled with their superior weapons and flawless coordination, even a true adept would find it difficult to dispatch them—and might even fall prey to a counterattack. This was precisely why Li Ju had avoided a direct confrontation.

“I must find a way to deal with those men behind me.”

He skirted past a low hill where Old Carpenter Li and Li Yan were hiding. Both were ordinary folk—if his pursuers discovered them because of his actions, they would surely be doomed.

As he ran, Li Ju opened his status panel.

“Checkpoint cooldown: 12 hours.”

“So I can’t rely on the panel for help this time...” Li Ju frowned. He had hoped to clear another instance and bolster his strength before turning on the group chasing him. But unfortunately, there was still a long time before the cooldown ended.

Rustle, rustle...

Hiss!

He instinctively snatched a black-and-white ringed snake darting at him. He had no time to bother with it and was about to toss it aside—when a thought struck him.

“Wait. While those men can wound me with their steel weapons, they haven’t reached the realm of external mastery. The venom of this ringed snake should still affect them.”

A glint flashed in Li Ju’s eyes. He, as a martial master, had no fear of snake venom—but his pursuers were not so fortunate.

Without hesitation, he killed the snake, tore it apart, smeared its blood on his hands, and kept its venomous fangs.

Then, instead of fleeing, he charged straight at the black-clad men.

Arrows whistled past him. Dodging them, he darted to the side of a swordsman, driving the snake’s fangs deep into the man’s body.

A strangled groan, a sudden rigidity—the assassin staggered as if drunk, then collapsed to the ground.

The venom of the ringed snake was deadly, taking effect instantly on those without the protection of internal energy.

“It works...”

A cold grin stretched across Li Ju’s lips. Holding the snake’s fangs, his gaze grew icy as he stared down the remaining men, who, oblivious to their comrade’s fate, surged toward him.

The brilliance of the sun had begun to eclipse the faint glow of the moon. The sky turned bright once more.

Coughing, Li Ju wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, clutching a curved blade as he looked down at the heap of corpses before him.

Though he had ultimately relied on the snake’s venom to overcome the black-clad men, he hadn’t escaped unscathed—their desperate resistance had left him wounded.

“At least the injury isn’t serious.”

He tore strips from their clothing, binding his wounds, and after resting a moment, searched the bodies for anything useful before quickly leaving.

It was his first time taking a life, yet not a trace of discomfort plagued him. He could even search the dead with perfect composure.

A faint buzzing lingered in the air as a tiny insect circled above the pile of corpses long after Li Ju had gone.

Thump, thump.

Back at the low hill, Li Ju lifted the stone barring the entrance.

“Brother!”

“What happened to you?!”

Li Yan, hearing his return, ran out eagerly—only to be shocked at the sight of him, bloodied and battered.

“Father, you lead the way—I’ll take you both out of here now.”

Ignoring Li Yan’s cries, Li Ju addressed Old Carpenter Li.

“A-all right...” The old man recoiled at the sight of Li Ju’s blood-soaked form and murderous air, but nodded quickly.

As before, Li Ju hoisted the old man and Li Yan onto his shoulders. With Old Carpenter Li giving directions, he sprinted east toward the city of Shimen.

...

“Oh?”

“A squad capable of hunting down martial masters, wiped out by that man alone?”

The man in the brocade robe regarded the black-clad subordinate who knelt before him, his expression inscrutable.

“Don’t try to fool me. I’ve fought that man myself—his skills alone could never defeat a squad of elites.”

“Chief Ye, examination of the corpses shows they all died from snake venom.”

The subordinate’s head nearly touched the ground.

“I don’t care how it happened. I only care about the outcome.”

The man in the brocade robe rose from his seat.

“There is a strict mandate in the sect: no information about the Guardians may ever be leaked. Yet here, under my watch, an incident has occurred that might expose them.”

“If the sect finds out, do you know what will happen?”

“Merit is always rewarded, but mistakes are never forgiven.”

“I’ll give you one more chance.”

He pressed his fan against the man’s head. Cold sweat poured down the subordinate’s face.

“If, next time, you still fail to bring him to me, you know what the consequences will be.”

With that, he departed, leaving the black-clad man kneeling alone.

“At last, we’re out of the woods,” Li Ju said, turning to look at the forest behind them, then at the wild expanse ahead. He set Old Carpenter Li and Li Yan down.

This was his first time outside the woods of Yangyuan County—indeed, the farthest he’d ever been from home in this life.

“Once we cross this wilderness, we’re out of Yangyuan’s borders. From here, it’s a straight path east to the city of Shimen,” Old Carpenter Li said as he stretched his limbs.

Their swift escape was thanks entirely to Li Ju’s relentless pace, but neither Old Carpenter Li nor Li Yan was used to such exertion—they were, after all, ordinary folk, unaccustomed to hardship. It was for their sake that Li Ju had chosen to rest here.

“Once you’ve caught your breath, I’ll carry you both on again—this time, we’ll run all the way to Shimen...”

He broke off mid-sentence.

“What is it, brother?” Li Yan asked, puzzled by his sudden silence.

Seeing Li Ju staring gravely into the distance, she followed his gaze.

There, in the distance, a great cloud of dust was rolling toward them.