C19 Life and Death

Crouching Dragon Slope, a place steeped in a thousand years of culture and history, had its millennia of tranquility shattered today.

On a narrow path, a boy was carrying a girl on his back, racing forward at his top speed. Jie Mu could feel blood droplets falling onto his head. He wanted to speak but dared not, fearing any mishap while exerting his full Lightness Skill.

Yu Wen, gritting her teeth against the pain, urged, "Jie Mu, put me down. You can run faster without me. You won't escape if you keep carrying me."

Jie Mu remained silent, his eyes fixed on the path ahead as he sprinted at maximum speed.

Neither he nor Yu Wen had mastered the "DL8 series" of Machine Arts, which specifically enhances leg strength and significantly boosts Lightness Skill. If only they had, they could be moving even faster.

Yu Wen persisted, "Come on, Jie Mu, let me go. I'm the Yu family's young lady, a direct disciple of our teacher, and the junior sister of the Ninth Department. No one would dare harm me."

"Han Han is also my close friend, the young lady of East Prosperity. With all these connections, aren't you reassured? Please, let me down!"

Jie Mu, however, didn't respond and continued his relentless pace until they reached a crossroads. He had never been here before and urgently inquired, "Yu Wen, which way do we go?"

"Take the left," Yu Wen directed, "There's a forest ahead. Once we get through it, we'll reach the River Crossing Bridge. After that, it's straight back to the academy."

With renewed energy, Jie Mu veered left and dashed into the woods, reassuring her, "See, we'll be at the academy soon. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

Yu Wen remained silent, yet her tears fell quietly, staining Jie Mu's clothes.

Before long, Jie Mu had plunged into the forest. It appeared empty, but as he entered, his heart inexplicably leapt.

Out of nowhere, he felt a sudden chill down his spine, but he didn't dwell on it, continuing to run forward with barely a decrease in speed.

However, shortly after entering the forest, Yu Wen sensed something was amiss. Brushing aside her tears, she urgently addressed Jie Mu, "Jie Mu, put me down quickly, then head back the way you came. Don't continue on this path; it's different!"

Before he could respond, a flying dagger abruptly materialized before his eyes. Whether the thrower had intentionally missed or Jie Mu's reflexes were just that quick was unclear, but with a deft sidestep, he avoided the blade.

Jie Mu, startled by the close call, clapped his hands together, activating the Machinery Equipment on his wrists. A glow of electronic red swiftly enveloped his arms, transforming into a brassart that extended down to his forearms.

Yu Wen, with a furrowed brow, whispered, "First, put me down. The people in this forest are no ordinary foes. I can't say why that flying dagger didn't hit its mark, but rest assured, the attacks to come will be anything but ordinary. You won't be able to fight them with me on your back. Now that I've taken the Fragrance Light Pill, my inner strength has significantly recovered, and I can defend myself."

After a moment's consideration, Jie Mu complied with her request and gently lowered Yu Wen to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the earth, another flying dagger hurtled towards Jie Mu's chest.

With a swift motion of his hand and a clear "clang," the dagger was deflected, proving the protective capabilities of his Machine Arts-crafted armor, which not only bolstered his inner strength but also provided defense.

Jie Mu, it should be noted, was not primarily trained in the defensive aspects of the Machine Arts brassart; otherwise, he wouldn't have mastered the more advanced Machine Arts Weapon Transformation.

Yu Wen refrained from using the Machine Arts, knowing her restored inner strength wouldn't sustain the technique's drain for long. Unlike Jie Mu, she had mastered the art of Instantaneous Machine Arts, which required no preparation. Given her current state, her preference was to locate the enemy and unleash a full-force, lethal strike.

The wind swept through, carrying with it the cold sweat that had formed on the backs of Jie Mu and Yu Wen.

Yu Wen found the situation exceedingly odd. The individual's intent to kill was palpable, indicating a formidable adversary. Yet, the two flying daggers thrown did not seem to be the work of a master.

Neither of them had been trained in any detection-based Machine Arts, so they had to rely solely on their sensitivity to inner strength to locate their foe. This person, however, appeared to excel in the art of concealment.

With such a potent desire to kill, it was baffling that he managed to keep his presence undetected.

Jie Mu and Yu Wen found themselves in a deadlock, with time slipping away. They exchanged glances, both realizing the gravity of their situation—if the Qilin Society's main forces were to catch up, they would be in serious trouble.

At that moment, Jie Mu came up with a strategy.

He signaled to Yu Wen with a glance. She returned his look, grasping his intent immediately, her fists ready for the right moment to strike.

Jie Mu loosened up his body and, without a backward glance, sprinted forward.

As anticipated, another flying dagger whizzed by, narrowly missing Jie Mu and hitting the ground.

The close call sent a shiver of cold sweat down Jie Mu's spine, not because he had nearly lost his life, but because the assailant had never intended to take it. Each dagger had been thrown with such precision that it merely grazed him. If the attacker had truly sought to kill, how could he and Yu Wen have hoped to survive?

Behind him, Yu Wen reacted swiftly, stepping toward the direction of the thrown dagger and launching a powerful punch.

The earth cratered under the impact of her fist, but as the dust settled, Yu Wen stood frozen. There was no sign of anyone around her—it was as if no one had ever been there.

In that moment, the murderous aura that had permeated the forest vanished, and the oppressive feeling weighing on Yu Wen and Jie Mu lifted.

Yu Wen gathered her internal energy and hurried to Jie Mu's side.

Jie Mu spoke up, "This person's martial arts skills must be extraordinary, yet he refrained from killing us. What could his motive be? Is he simply trying to keep us here?"

No sooner had he voiced his thoughts than Yu Wen and he locked eyes, a shared realization dawning on them. In unison, they exclaimed, "Not good!"

As he finished speaking, a swarm of men dressed in black emerged from all directions, encircling the pair. Their garments were adorned with the emblem of a black Qilin, marking them as members of the Sixth Hall of the Qilin Society.

The leader of the group was a middle-aged man, slightly overweight with a seemingly warm smile. Yet, it was clear at first glance that he was the type to smile while hiding his true intentions—a smiling tiger.

He gazed at the two and chuckled, "You two youngsters are quite amusing, standing around in this forest as if you've accepted your fate. Do you realize escape is futile? Haha."

Jie Mu and Yu Wen exchanged a glance, sensing trouble. The previously concealed master had vanished, undoubtedly to delay them. And with his timely escape prior to the arrival of these men, it was evident that he was no ally, whether he belonged to the Qilin Society or not.

The black-clad men had them completely surrounded, yet none dared to make the first move. Rumors of the duo's deceptive appearance and lethal prowess had spread; they had slain many gang members and were not to be taken lightly, certainly not by the likes of these ordinary followers.

The middle-aged man noticed the trepidation in his underlings but held no grudge against them. After all, fear is a natural human response. His own strength, however, was not daunted by these two wounded youths—he was a master at the peak of the Acquired level.

With a gesture, he launched a formidable attack, barreling straight toward Jie Mu with his "Stone-Breaking Fist!"

People surrounded them, cutting off any chance of escape. Jie Mu, realizing evasion was impossible, braced for impact. He countered with a technique taught by Chenmu, the "Bone-Shattering Palm!"

Their fist and palm met with a thunderous impact. Jie Mu coughed up blood and was hurled backward, agony coursing through his arms. Thankfully, the Machine Arts brassart spared him from broken bones.

As Jie Mu attempted to rise, several long sabers were swiftly pointed at his neck, compelling him to freeze in place.

Meanwhile, Yu Wen's arms glowed with a golden radiance. Seizing the moment of the man's distraction, she launched a powerful punch, executing her signature move:

"Draw your bow, aim far!"

The middle-aged man's strength far surpassed Yu Wen's, and he easily detected the surge of inner force behind him. Yet, he neither dodged nor evaded, instead turning to deliver another Stone-Breaking Fist directly against Yu Wen's own punches.

With a muffled "thud," Yu Wen was sent flying.

The vast disparity in their internal energies was not something even the Machine Arts could bridge.

Moreover, Yu Wen was already wounded. Without the life-sustaining Fragrance Light Pill, she would have collapsed long ago.

Yu Wen lay on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth. As she struggled to rise, several steel blades were suddenly pressed against her neck.

The middle-aged man stood his ground, laughing heartily.

"Just the two of you, trying to take me on? The Qilin Society is brimming with masters. How dare you two youngsters be so reckless?"

He approached Yu Wen, seizing her throat and slowly tightening his grip until her face reddened from the pressure.

"I'm quite curious. With your meager skills, how did you manage to kill Brother Lin?"

With a swift kick, Yu Wen was sent sprawling, blood spraying from her mouth as she gasped for air, her internal energy utterly depleted.

"Yu Wen!"

Jie Mu bellowed in rage, attempting to rise, only to be forcefully held down by those surrounding him. His face seethed with fury, and his eyes began to turn a deep shade of red.

The middle-aged man, however, furrowed his brow and strode over to Jie Mu, delivering a heavy slap.

"You fool, thinking you're worthy of swan meat when you're nothing but a toad. If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened."

With another harsh slap to Jie Mu's face, he shook his head in disdain.

"Young man, I've seen countless like you, swearing eternal love and vowing to die for it. But when push comes to shove, they lack the courage."

"Well, I'll grant you such an opportunity."

He then tossed two knives before Jie Mu and Yu Wen. "Pick up the knives and end yourselves!"

"I'll ensure you're left with a whole corpse. After your demise, I'll see to it that you're given a proper burial."

Upon hearing this, one of his henchmen stepped forward, seemingly to protest, but with a dismissive wave of his hand, the middle-aged man signaled for him to step back.

"Look, if there's blame to be had, I'll shoulder it alone. Don't overthink it," Yu Wen said as she picked up the knife and struggled to walk over to Jie Mu, dragging her heavy body step by step.

Her injuries were severe, and she had nearly depleted all her internal energy.

Without speaking, they simply locked eyes. The redness in Jie Mu's eyes slowly dissipated as he watched Yu Wen gradually lift the knife.

He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. His face was so swollen from the man's slaps earlier that he couldn't even articulate a word.

Yu Wen smiled at Jie Mu, thinking to herself, "Jie Mu, let's meet again in the next life!" Then she plunged the knife toward her own heart.

Just then, the middle-aged man standing next to them kicked Yu Wen, sending her flying and the knife skittering away.

Blood spilled from Yu Wen's mouth once more, this time even thicker than before.

The man clutched his forehead and burst into mocking laughter. "You two fools, you actually believed that? Haha, did you think I'd just let you die so easily? What fools, hahaha!"