Chapter Thirty-Eight: Resolving Troubles

Looking out from the cave, the sunlight outside was dazzlingly bright. The radiant beams cascaded from the heavens, spilling into every corner of the Demonwood Forest.

The Demonwood region was dense with trees. Because of the heavy rain the night before, the earth beneath the trees was saturated—damp soil mixed with rainwater. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the moist ground with shifting patches of light. Where puddles had formed, the sunlight danced on their surfaces, refracting in shimmering brilliance.

Stepping out from the cave, Ye Cheng stretched languidly, letting the sunlight pour over him. After spending a night in the chilly cavern, the warmth of the sun now drove away all lingering cold, suffusing his body with gentle heat.

“Boy, that fly has been tailing you since you left the city. Don’t you intend to deal with it?” Mu Lao’s voice echoed in Ye Cheng’s mind.

“Deal with it? Why bother? If he wants to follow, let him.” Ye Cheng lifted his eyelids lazily and cast a casual glance toward a certain patch of forest not far away.

“If you don’t get rid of that fly, our whereabouts will be easily exposed. Besides, he’s been shadowing you since you left Luoyang Town. Think about who could have sent him. Plus, with this fellow lurking in the shadows, I can’t even show myself before you. Even I wouldn’t dare to take the risk,” Mu Lao’s tone carried a trace of discontent.

“That’s true enough. He is a nuisance, and I suspect he’s from the Luo family,” Ye Cheng replied inwardly, his brow slightly furrowed.

Ever since leaving Luoyang Town, after several days’ journey, Ye Cheng had already noticed someone covertly trailing him. At first, he wasn’t certain—perhaps it was just someone traveling the same path. But as the days passed, it became obvious the stranger’s intentions were anything but innocent. Whenever Ye Cheng paused along the road, the pursuer stopped as well. He was clearly being followed.

And in all of Luoyang Town, other than the Luo family—who had long sought his demise—Ye Cheng could think of no one else who would go to such lengths to stalk him.

“Yes, it’s likely a scout from that clan, sent to confirm your location. I suspect more will arrive soon. Best to deal with him now, lest worse follow,” Mu Lao said gravely.

“These people are truly persistent—coming all the way here to ambush me. Well, I’ll just have to strike first,” Ye Cheng replied, a flash of coldness glinting in his eyes. He shifted his gaze to the thicket not far away. His voice was calm, yet tinged with chill as he spoke:

“Are you not going to reveal yourself? Must I invite you out?”

A gentle breeze stirred the foliage, but his words elicited no response. The forest remained still, grass and leaves swaying softly.

Seeing this, Ye Cheng’s lips curled into a cold smile. Blood energy surged within him. With a sudden stomp on the ground, the earth trembled, sending chips of stone flying. With a flick of his finger, Ye Cheng sent one sharp fragment whistling through the air straight toward a particular spot in the woods.

A flash of blood-red light erupted in the thicket. Unseen force crushed the hurtling stone to powder, and a shadowy figure leaped out, landing atop a tree branch. The man, appearing to be in his thirties, was unremarkable in appearance but his expression was sinister, his eyes glinting coldly as he stared at Ye Cheng.

As the man moved, his robes fluttered, and Ye Cheng clearly saw the badge at his waist—emblazoned with the character for “Luo.”

“So, it’s a member of the Luo family,” Ye Cheng said coolly, his eyes glinting with killing intent.

“The genius of the Ye family, truly remarkable. Even this you saw through,” the man replied, his face darkening before twisting into a sneer. “But so what if you’ve discovered me? You and I are both at the Minor Accomplishment stage of the Blood Qi Realm. I know I can’t kill you, but if I want to leave, you won’t be able to stop me, Ye Cheng. Soon enough, when the experts of my Luo family arrive, that will be your death sentence.”

The man’s malicious laughter echoed through the forest. Though he’d heard tales of Ye Cheng defeating two other Blood Qi Minor Accomplishment warriors, he’d not witnessed it himself and doubted a youth of sixteen or seventeen could possess such skill. Moreover, those two were no match for him; he, after all, had reached the very peak of the Minor Accomplishment stage. This thought gave Luo Fu a surge of confidence.

“It seems you have great faith in your strength,” Ye Cheng remarked, turning his head slightly, his eyes filled with mocking amusement. “Then show me how you’ll escape. Let’s see if I can keep you here.”

“Don’t get cocky, Ye Cheng! When the Luo family’s elite arrive, you’ll be begging for mercy!” Luo Fu snapped, fury flashing across his face. He spun around, intent on leaving.

But as he moved, a surge of powerful blood energy erupted from Ye Cheng. His palm flickered and a silver spiritual spear manifested in his grip. With a swift motion, Ye Cheng hurled the weapon, infusing it with blood energy. The spear shot toward Luo Fu’s retreating form, splitting into dozens of afterimages that instantly engulfed him.

Sensing the danger behind him, Luo Fu turned, only to see the oncoming storm of spear shadows. Terror flooded his heart; he wished for nothing more than an extra pair of legs to flee.

A scream tore from his throat, but before Luo Fu could even react, the blood-tinged spear phantoms pierced his body, nailing him to a tree. His body jerked, blood spraying, his shriek echoing through the woods. He fell, crashing to the ground and sending up a cloud of dust.

Lying on the forest floor, Luo Fu convulsed a few times, his gaze growing vacant, until at last he stiffened and moved no more.

Ye Cheng gazed coldly at the lifeless Luo Fu. He felt no particular emotion; though this was his first time taking a life, there was no turmoil in his heart. Against his enemies, mercy was a luxury he could not afford.

“Well done. Kindness toward one’s enemies only breeds disaster. Eliminating threats is the only way to survive in this world,” Mu Lao’s voice sounded, tinged with satisfaction.

Ye Cheng nodded silently, glancing once at Luo Fu’s corpse. As he turned to leave, his eye caught the crimson powder clutched in Luo Fu’s hand.

He knelt, pried a small red pouch from Luo Fu’s grip, and opened it. Inside was yellow powder, exuding a strange, pungent fragrance that quickly dispersed into the air.

“Tracking Incense Powder!”

Ye Cheng recognized the scent at once. Gazing off into the distance, he noticed traces of the yellow powder mingled with the ochre soil.

“So Luo Fu was leaving signals for the Luo family’s experts, just as he said,” Ye Cheng thought to himself. A plan formed in his mind. He moved swiftly, leaping through the Demonwood Forest, erasing every trace of the Tracking Incense Powder.

Seeing Ye Cheng’s actions, Mu Lao questioned, “Why only erase the powder within the Demonwood? They’ll still be able to track you.”

Ye Cheng smiled as he looked at the bare earth where he had wiped away the yellow dust. “The Demonwood is vast. Let them search for months if they wish. By then, I’ll be even stronger—and when they finally find me, I’ll be ready to cut them down.”

Mu Lao’s laughter echoed approvingly. “So that’s your plan. I like it.”