Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter Seventy-Seven: How Could One Simply Walk Away

Beside the door to the guest room, there was a window. Through the narrow gaps in the lattice, one could see what was happening in the courtyard.

The sky was already dimming toward dusk. Into what had been an empty and quiet courtyard surged a group of horsemen, numbering thirty or forty, each bearing sharp blades and displaying fierce expressions. The innkeeper and his staff rushed about, barely touching the ground with their feet, yet still drew curses from their guests. After a moment, four middle-aged men entered the courtyard. At their arrival, the crowd greeted them with raised hands, addressing them respectfully as “Masters.”

These four Masters each had distinct appearances and carried themselves with pride. One among them, who was sallow-faced and thin, stepped into the center of the crowd and spoke: “Half a month ago, two of my fellow cultivators from Qizhou died outside Xingyuan Valley. Ten days ago, another Qizhou companion perished in Lingjiao Valley. Such heinous acts were all committed by Yu Ye, who has now fled north from Lingjiao Valley. It is known that Yu Ye hails from Yu Family Village in Xingyuan Valley. As long as we block all roads from Lingjiao Town to Xingyuan Valley, it should not be difficult to find his whereabouts. Master Bu Yi has issued instructions—”

He paused, swept his gaze around, stroked his beard, and continued with unquestionable authority: “Yu Ye is a cultivator, yet acts against the way, wantonly killing innocents—his crimes are unforgivable. To restore order to the Daoist sects of Daze and to uphold justice, from this day forward I, Gan Xing, alongside three fellow Masters and all martial heroes present, will seal off every road from Lingjiao Town to Xingyuan Valley. We must capture and kill Yu Ye to serve as a warning to others…”

By the window inside the guest room, Yu Ye’s face was cold as ice.

He had only wanted to search for Bai Zhi, never expecting to walk straight into a trap. What shocked him even more was Bu Yi’s determination to catch him, sealing off every road within a hundred miles between Lingjiao Town and Xingyuan Valley. The villagers of Yu Family Village would inevitably be implicated by his actions, their fate uncertain.

Bullying someone was one thing, but now the trouble had come to his own doorstep!

Yu Family Village had already lost over thirty uncles and brothers because of him; how could he stand by and let his clansmen suffer again on his account?

At this moment, he felt as though he were trapped in a den of wolves. A single misstep would mean an inescapable disaster. The Feilong Inn would become the site of his defeat and his grave.

A mob of martial ruffians was not the real threat—the key lay with the four Qizhou cultivators. Especially the one calling himself Gan Xing: though his depth was unclear, he was, after Bu Yi, the strongest presence Yu Ye had ever encountered. Moreover, Bu Yi himself could appear at any moment, making Yu Ye’s predicament even more dangerous and fraught!

A shrill neigh sounded from the courtyard.

Yu Ye’s expression tightened.

The southeast corner of the courtyard was where the stables stood, packed inside and out with dozens of horses. Among them, a tall, robust black steed stood out.

That was his lost mount!

Which meant Bai Zhi’s horse had also fallen into the hands of these martial people…

“This is serious trouble now!”

Yu Ye was still marveling at the situation when the voice of the Jiao Shadow echoed in his mind. He ignored it, turning instead to gather the nine Armor-Piercing Talismans he had crafted earlier, along with other items on the wooden table, storing them in his iron ring. He then sat down on the couch, continuing to ponder his escape.

“You’ve been deceived again!” Jiao Shadow, ever restless, pressed on. “Don’t ignore me—listen, and let me analyze this for you. Bu Yi knows you killed people in two places, so he’ll deduce that, with everyone pursuing you, Lingjiao Town—between those two sites—must be your path of escape. And since you’re from Yu Family Village in Xingyuan Valley, threatening your clan’s safety will force you into a dilemma and drive you to your doom!”

Yu Ye still paid her no mind, but secretly nodded.

Jiao Shadow continued: “Never mind whether Bu Yi’s plan is vicious or has flaws—ordinary minds think alike, and as it happens, Bai Zhi thinks so too. That woman, seeing your cultivation exhausted and herself at risk, took the excuse of scouting ahead to flee Lingjiao Valley alone. Fearing you might survive against the odds, she tricked you into heading to Lingjiao Town. To her, Lingjiao Town is nothing less than a dragon’s lair, a tiger’s den…”

“That’s enough!” Yu Ye couldn’t help but interrupt. “Bai Zhi isn’t as you imagine—don’t judge others by yourself!”

“Hmph, even if my guess is off, aren’t you judging others by yourself as well?”

“You, too, are a woman—shouldn’t you be kind-hearted…”

“You shouldn’t let beauty blind you to evil!”

“She has shown me kindness…”

“Kindness may not be real, but harm is!”

“Why not let go of prejudices and treat others generously…”

“If you haven’t suffered another’s pain, don’t urge another’s virtue!”

Are all the women in this world so willful and unreasonable?

Yu Ye sighed helplessly. “If I don’t go to Lingjiao Town, how can I be at ease?”

“Ah, understood!”

Jiao Shadow seemed sympathetic, yet before her words faded, she added—

“Only hardship teaches lessons!”

Yu Ye wanted to retort, but fell silent instead.

He couldn’t spare thought for Bai Zhi’s actions—his immediate predicament was his greatest worry.

But his thoughts could not escape Jiao Shadow, who said—

“Let’s leave aside everything else, and focus on the present. Do you have a way out, little brother? Tell your elder sister!”

Another sister? And such an old-fashioned one?

Yu Ye’s heart skipped. He hurried to say, “Enough! You’re not that old—don’t take advantage of me!”

“Hehe!”

Jiao Shadow chuckled slyly. “This place is unsafe. I advise you to escape quickly!”

“I’m already thinking of how to escape!”

“You have Armor-Piercing Talismans—use them to slip away unseen!”

“Slip away?”

Yu Ye fell into thought.

He had just crafted nine Armor-Piercing Talismans, so escaping wouldn’t be difficult. But if he simply fled, what would happen to Yu Family Village, which would once again suffer because of him?

“You’re not planning to fight, are you?” Jiao Shadow asked, then warned him: “Gan Xing, who spoke earlier, has cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining. The other three Qizhou cultivators are all at or above the seventh level. You’ve barely reached the second level of Qi Refining—you’re no match for them. Don’t act rashly or impulsively, or my efforts will be wasted…”

Yu Ye couldn’t help but question, “Your efforts? What do you mean?”

“Ah…”

Jiao Shadow, usually quick-witted, suddenly hesitated.

Yu Ye didn’t press further, but was puzzled. “Barely at the second level? Even if my talisman crafting cost me some cultivation, I shouldn’t be only at the second level of Qi Refining!”

His disappointment was understandable. By rights, since he had swallowed the Jiao Pellet and Qiu Bo had helped him refine his body, he had been reborn as a first-level Qi Refining cultivator. Later, he had consumed many pills and spiritual herbs at Xuanhuang Mountain, and absorbed spirit stones. Yet, after more than half a year, his progress had only just crossed the threshold to the second level—far slower than expected.

Qi Refining has nine levels, and each becomes harder to advance. At this rate, forget about building a foundation—dreaming of becoming an ancestor like Yan or a master like Granny Hong was mere fantasy!

“This…”

Jiao Shadow hesitated again.

“No need to explain!” Yu Ye, knowing his hopes for revenge were dashed and his future bleak, felt oddly freed from attachments. He said calmly, “As long as I live, Bu Yi won’t rest. If my death could bring peace to others, what does it matter if I lose this worthless life?”

“Aiya, I said you were reckless, and you prove me right—always ready to fight to the death, a true troublemaker!”

Jiao Shadow complained anxiously, then sighed softly, “If you die, where will my wisp of soul find shelter?”

Though he’d only heard her voice and not seen her, Yu Ye pictured her as a mischievous, ghostly little girl. But her words suddenly turned gentle and sorrowful.

Yu Ye paused, quietly moved.

“I’ve hidden within the Jiao Pellet for countless years. As my soul power wanes, the day will come when I dissipate completely. No reincarnation, no next life, no one even knows I exist—until you brought a glimmer of hope. You, a mortal, could do little, yet you rose against fate, escaped disaster, became a cultivator, and survived trial after trial. I regained some soul power, and taught you the Heavenly Gang Sutra and Seven Killing Sword Art.”

Jiao Shadow paused, then continued: “From that moment, whether by destiny or coincidence, our fates became intertwined—we share life and death. If you live, I live; if you die, I perish. I wish for us to achieve together: I help you ascend to the peak of immortality, you help me restore my soul and become human again…”

Yu Ye listened in silence, his heart stirred.

He’d thought himself alone and unattached, never realizing he was the hope and lifeline for a wisp of soul. What hardship had Jiao Shadow endured, that this lonely, helpless girl and he, a poor mountain boy, would share adversity and fate?

Perhaps, as she said, it was mere coincidence.

“To restore soul power, I must rely on spiritual energy for cultivation. And where does spiritual energy come from? Naturally, from the pills you swallow, the spirit stones you absorb…”

At this, Jiao Shadow’s voice grew apologetic.

Yu Ye suddenly understood.

Crafting talismans consumed essence blood and perhaps harmed his cultivation, but it was someone siphoning off his spiritual energy that truly slowed his progress.

He muttered—

“Living off another’s efforts!”

“Exactly!” Jiao Shadow didn’t deny it, but her sorrowful tone shifted to righteous pride: “You’ll be the head of the household—you must provide for everyone!”

“I have no family left!”

“Stop pretending! You have me, and the Jiao Pellet. Most of your spiritual energy goes to it—it will be your greatest asset for forming a Golden Core in the future!”

“I don’t have that many spirit stones!”

“Go steal some!”

“You… Daze is a barren land—there’s nothing to steal!”

“Then go to Qizhou, to Yanzhou! Overseas, there are countless immortal mountains and sects…”

As Yu Ye conversed with Jiao Shadow, his mood shifted with hers—sometimes low and despondent, sometimes light, sometimes with a helpless, bitter smile.

At this moment, he seemed to see the figure of a little girl before him, mischievous face and sly, proud laughter.

Bang, bang—

Someone knocked at the door, and a weary voice called from outside—

“Honored guests, please come to the courtyard. The Master will judge good and evil and capture the villain!”

Yu Ye’s brow arched, his smile vanished.

The inevitable had come.

With Qizhou cultivators in the inn, they would surely not spare a single guest!

Jiao Shadow urged, “Use the Armor-Piercing Talisman—escape is your best option!”

Yu Ye was unmoved. He picked up his bamboo hat, pulled it over his head, grabbed his dog-beating stick, and strode toward the door…