Chapter 6: A Modest Trial

I carried the white-haired man into the woods. By now, he had regained consciousness, though his body was still weak. Through some questioning, we learned the assassin’s identity: he was in fact a registered disciple of the Sword Demon Sect, going by the name Yu Jing. As for the two street performers, the man was called Xu Lin, and the young woman Xu Qinghuan. They were father and daughter. When we intervened, they too joined the fray, clearly taking Yu Jing’s side!

As it turned out, Yu Jing’s master was none other than Xiao Xiangzi. The assassination attempt had been meticulously planned for some time, but Yu Jing was unwilling to divulge further details, and we didn’t press him.

Now, the question of where to go next became a vexing one. After all, we had already crossed swords with the soldiers of the Cangxi Empire. I had no doubt they would seek vengeance, though I hadn’t expected it to come so swiftly. Just as we prepared to escort Yu Jing away, a troop of soldiers caught up to us. I was puzzled as to how they had found us—until I caught sight of the man in gray. Only then did I understand. Shi Feng—what a troublesome foe. Surrounded by soldiers, we had nowhere left to run.

“Hand over Yu Jing if you value your lives,” declared the officer at the head of the troop.

“What arrogance!” I laughed.

“So it seems you are determined to make enemies of the Cangxi Empire?” Shi Feng said coldly.

“Yun Fei, don’t waste time talking. Take them and go—I’ll cover the rear,” Zhang Lei said, charging forward before I could protest. How could I abandon my brother? Quickly, I gave instructions: Xu Qinghuan and her father were to escort Yu Jing to safety, and we would regroup at the Windwave Pavilion south of the city before nightfall.

Seeing Zhang Lei on the verge of defeat at Shi Feng’s hands, I shouted, “Zhang Lei, fall back! You’re no match for him.” Reluctantly, Zhang Lei withdrew, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“First level of true energy? I advise you to come quietly and spare yourselves unnecessary suffering,” Shi Feng sneered. Judging from the earlier fight, Shi Feng was a novice martial artist, but his true energy was clearly above Zhang Lei’s—likely approaching the fourth level. Zhang Lei, also a novice, was forced to retreat again and again.

This was my first real fight. At first, Shi Feng, seeing how weak I appeared, toyed with me. But I, having lived through the twenty-first century, was well aware of the dangers of underestimating one’s opponent. Using a familiar trick, I conjured a palm-sized Bagua, trapping everyone inside. Seizing the moment, Zhang Lei and I escaped, mounting his tiger and racing toward the Windwave Pavilion.

When we reached the appointed place, Yu Jing and the others were nowhere to be seen. However, Xu Qinghuan’s bracelet lay on the ground. Had something happened to them? A sense of foreboding gripped me. I took a few steps forward, and suddenly the ground gave way beneath my feet. Zhang Lei and I both tumbled into a pit.

What kind of world is this, I thought bitterly. Why are there so many pits? My luck was truly absurd. But that was the least of it—for once we had fallen, I discovered we were not alone. The pit was home to unknown creatures—a nest, to be precise. Yu Jing and the others were currently surrounded by a pack of monstrous, toad-like beasts. Xu Qinghuan was clutching her shoulder—she must have been wounded.

“Don’t come any closer, these creatures are a nightmare to deal with,” Yu Jing warned. The group was ringed by giant toads, each at least three meters tall. Their attack method was their tongue—no doubt that was how Xu Qinghuan’s shoulder had been injured. Watching for a while, I began to discern a pattern in their movements, and they didn’t seem to have noticed Zhang Lei and me. Or perhaps, a few giant toads had simply dismissed us as insignificant. The thought of being ignored like that was infuriating.

Lacking weapons, and unsure of the creatures’ defenses, I decided to test them by throwing a stone. It was just an ordinary rock, but in my hand, it became as deadly as a bullet. To our astonishment, a toad lashed out its tongue and batted the stone against the wall with such force that it left a gaping hole.

Xu Lin, the street performer, was shielding the wounded Xu Qinghuan while fending off the toads. Zhang Lei was about to rush in to help, but I grabbed his arm. “If you charge in recklessly, you’ll just trap yourself,” I cautioned.

“Yun Fei is right,” Yu Jing agreed. “Observe carefully—see if these monsters have any weaknesses.” He even resorted to his signature technique, Shadow-Chasing Wind, a unique skill of Master Xiao Xiangzi. It consumed a great deal of internal energy and had formidable offensive power, but even so, it barely scratched the beasts’ skin—what astonishing defenses!

Hemmed in by the monstrous toads, Yu Jing and his companions fought desperately. But the creatures’ defenses were so formidable that there was no easy escape. I recalled the true energy technique my master had taught me. Though I was only at the first level, we had no choice but to risk it. I focused my true energy into my right hand, clenched my fist, and struck a toad. Then another. Three toads in front of me staggered back. “What are you waiting for? Run!” Seizing the opportunity, I dragged Zhang Lei out of the encirclement.

Yu Jing reacted quickly, grabbing Xu Qinghuan and running for the exit. Xu Lin followed close behind, dodging several toads as we all made our way deeper into the cave. At last, we shook off the beasts, gasping for breath.

“Yun Fei, you’re something else!” Zhang Lei said, slapping my back.

“Don’t tease me,” I replied with a wry smile. “I always thought I was so capable, but it turns out I was just a frog at the bottom of a well.”

“Brother Li, Brother Zhang, you’ve saved me more than once—please accept my deepest gratitude.” As Yu Jing spoke, he started to kneel, but I quickly pulled him up. “A man’s knees are as precious as gold. You shouldn’t kneel so easily,” I said, continuing on as we reached the depths of the cave.

A dark river cut across our path, wide and seemingly impassable. Xu Qinghuan spoke up, “It’s just a river. Wait here, I’ll go across and check it out.” With that, she strode straight toward the water. I was about to call out, but Xu Lin patted my shoulder, reassuring me.

Xu Qinghuan walked across the surface of the river. The water seemed to hold her weight like cotton—her feet sank deeply with each step, yet not a drop of water clung to her clothes.

“So she was hiding her true abilities all along!” Zhang Lei exclaimed.

“It’s just a minor trick,” Xu Lin said with his hands clasped behind his back.

“By the way, may I ask your name, sir?” I realized I still didn’t know what to call him.

“I am Xu Lin. My family has been street performers for generations. The technique my daughter used is our family’s ‘Falling Feather,’ which allows one to lighten their body to the weight of a feather. There’s an ancestral rule: this technique is only passed down to the women of our family. My daughter’s skills are still shallow, but it’s enough to cross this river. If it were any wider, though, it would be much harder,” Xu Lin said, clearly proud of their secret technique.

“I see. My master once spoke of such techniques—he even taught me a method to lighten my body. I wonder if I could use it to cross this river,” Yu Jing mused.