’Startling Step?’
’This Trait is quite simple. A single step to burst forward, then continue accelerating for a short time without losing momentum.’
’It’s very practical for either escaping or pursuing.’
’But I don’t know the exact speed increase. The Seven Kills Thunder Collapse Step Martial Arts already had a few footwork techniques with similar acceleration effects.’
’For example, the Thunder Collapse Step and the Seven Fiend Thunder Collapse.’
’I can’t test it out right now, though. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow.’
"Ah Yu, what are you spacing out for? The water’s getting cold."
Lin Wanzhu dried her smooth, jade-like feet, then stood and carried the two wooden basins outside. She then blew out the candle, felt her way to the bed in the dark, and pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping it tightly.
In the darkness, Su Yu smiled faintly. He lifted a corner of the blanket, slid in, and pulled her astonishingly warm, soft body into his arms from behind.
"Ngh—"
Feeling the startling heat against her back, Lin Wanzhu’s body trembled slightly, and she couldn’t help but let out a suppressed nasal sound.
The long night was spent with grappling hands, pinching and kneading, stroking and seizing.
...
「The next day.」
Dawn had just broken, and a layer of cold mist still shrouded the inn.
On the bed, Su Yu’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them!
His ears twitched almost imperceptibly. A chill ran down his spine as a sense of crisis, like a spike at his back, instantly swept over his entire body.
Beside him, Lin Wanzhu hadn’t sensed anything, but as a Muscle Forging Realm expert, the very instant Su Yu’s aura changed, she silently flipped up, threw on her outer robe in one fluid motion, and pressed herself into the blind spot behind the door.
The room fell deathly silent for a moment.
The stinging sensation of being watched finally faded. Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Senior Sister, we can’t stay here. Let’s leave at once."
"Alright."
Without a single wasted word or question, Lin Wanzhu silently followed Su Yu in getting dressed and packing their bags.
...
In the small courtyard on the first floor.
Su Yu casually tossed a piece of Broken Silver to the still-rubbing-his-eyes waiter as a tip, took the reins from the stable hand, and swung himself onto his Dragon Scale Horse.
The morning mist in the distance had yet to dissipate. With Su Yu in the lead and Lin Wanzhu following, they spurred their horses. The two blood-red Dragon Scale Horses made little noise as they quickly vanished into the mist ahead.
"Safe travels, you two..."
Behind them, the waiter’s drawn-out farewell echoed across the wilderness.
Meanwhile, in a hidden attic at the highest point of the inn.
Behind a half-open wooden window stood a mysterious woman dressed in a pure black gauze skirt, her face covered by a black veil.
Although her figure was wrapped in loose black gauze, her unique aura and the faint outline of her face beneath the veil all revealed her to be a peerless beauty.
At this moment, the woman’s gaze was fixed eerily on the direction Su Yu and his companion had disappeared.
Kneeling on one knee beside her was a burly man wearing a ghost-faced mask. The Qi and Blood fluctuations faintly emanating from his body were astonishing; he was at least an expert at Muscle Forging Realm Perfection.
"Miss, our mole has already investigated the identities and backgrounds of those two overnight."
"The man is Su Yu, the unrivaled number one genius currently making waves in the Outer City of Black Stone City. He comes from a poor fisherman’s family, but his talent for the Martial Arts is astounding. After practicing for a mere two years, it’s said he has already broken through to the late-stage Flesh Refining Realm. He now holds the high position of Vice Commander in the Public Security Bureau."
"As for the woman, her identity is also significant. She is the Vice Patriarch of the Black Stone Lin Family, a Vice Commander in the Public Security Bureau, and Su Yu’s Senior Sister from the same martial school. She just recently broke through to the Muscle Forging Realm."
The woman in black gauze remained silent, but a strange white light suddenly flashed in her eyes, which were as deep as the starry sky.
She just stood there, quietly staring into the dense fog. Even though Su Yu and Lin Wanzhu had long since vanished from sight, her gaze seemed to pierce through the mist, remaining locked onto Su Yu.
’This aura... it’s so alluring. It makes one want to get closer...’
The woman murmured to herself. For some reason, the moment she saw this Su Yu, she felt a strong palpitation, a desire to approach him.
’Could it be the awakening of some rare, ancient bloodline?’
After a long moment, the woman in black gauze slowly withdrew her gaze. An unquestionable voice rang out in the attic:
"This Su Yu is fated to be with me. He shall serve under me and become a Black Stone Guardian."
Hearing this, the ghost-faced man kneeling on the floor stiffened abruptly. A twisted look of jealousy flashed in his eyes beneath the mask. He couldn’t help but raise his head and say through clenched teeth:
"Miss! Su Yu’s talent is decent, but he’s merely in the Flesh Refining Realm! By what right is he worthy of being your personal protector?"
The woman in black gauze tilted her head slightly and said lightly, "Are you telling me what to do?"
An icy killing intent instantly enveloped the entire room. The ghost-faced man felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cave. Cold sweat trickled down his back as he slammed his head onto the wooden floor, trembling. "This subordinate wouldn’t dare! This subordinate was wrong!"
"This matter is decided. Go and arrange the sacred initiation ceremony."
"Yes, Miss."
The man grit his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment and malice, but he could only accept the order respectfully and retreat into the shadows.
...
In the morning mist, Su Yu urged his Dragon Scale Horse on, its speed increasing steadily!
After a full quarter of an hour of frantic galloping, Su Yu finally felt the prickling sensation of being watched on his back completely disappear. He couldn’t help but let out a long, silent sigh of relief.
"Ah Yu, who exactly was hiding in the Wild Fox Inn just now?" Seeing Su Yu slow his horse slightly, Lin Wanzhu immediately rode up beside him to ask.
"Senior Sister, I don’t know who it was exactly," Su Yu replied, his expression grave. "But my five senses are naturally extremely sharp. The person watching us from the shadows just now had a terrifying aura. It gave me a fatal sense of crisis, as if I could be decapitated at any moment."
"For someone to give you that kind of feeling... that person in the shadows must be at least a Muscle Forging Realm expert!" Lin Wanzhu gasped.
"Perhaps."
Su Yu didn’t explain further. With his current strength, an ordinary Muscle Forging Realm expert wouldn’t make him feel endangered.
He guessed the person was at least at Muscle Forging Realm Perfection, or perhaps even the Profound Bone Realm!
This was also why he hadn’t wanted to cause any complications and had quickly left with his Senior Sister.
’But at least that person didn’t follow. Maybe it was just someone unrelated.’
"Let’s go, Senior Sister. Don’t overthink it. Full speed ahead to Linyuan City!"
"HYAH!"
...
For the next several days, the two traveled rough, pushing onward without any delays. They raced toward the frigid lands in the northeast of the Great Xia.
As they drew closer to the northern border, the temperature plummeted. The weather, which had been gradually warming in Black Stone City, reverted to a bone-chilling spring cold.
One day, as dusk began to fall, a knife-like wind swept across the wilderness.
The pair crested an extremely steep mountain ridge, and the silhouette of a massive fortification finally appeared at the edge of their vision.
In the dim, vast twilight, a colossal city built entirely of dark brown stone loomed like an ancient behemoth hibernating on the ice plains.
The towering, fifty-zhang-high city walls were covered in the scars of time, marks left by blades and axes, exuding a rough and desolate aura. In all of Qing Province, its majestic presence was second only to Black Stone City.
"We’ve finally arrived. Linyuan City."
Su Yu breathed out a puff of white air. The two took advantage of the final moments before the city gates closed, paid the entrance tax, and successfully passed the inspection to enter the city.
Although it was already dark, Linyuan City was a commercial hub on the border, so its main street was still bustling with traffic and filled with the roar of a crowd.
The buildings lining the streets were mostly low and sturdy, with heavy animal-hide curtains hanging over the doorways to keep out the wind and snow.
Street vendors with rough accents shouted their wares.
"Snow ferret pelts! Top-quality snow ferret pelts here!"
"Fire-Fluff Grass! Freshly picked this year! Come and take a look!"
"Profound Iron Sabers! Freshly forged by Master You! Get ’em while they’re hot, this is a one-time deal!"
Su Yu glanced at the vendors on both sides and said, "Senior Sister, let’s first go to the contact point, Lin’s Snow Ginseng Hall, and leave a message. See if we can get in touch with Xu Feng and the others."
"Mm, let’s go. We should get a handle on the situation before it gets too late."
Leading their horses, they walked along the noisy street. In less than half an hour, they arrived in front of a spacious apothecary with a gold-lacquered plaque that read "Lin’s Snow Ginseng Hall."
Stepping inside, they found the apothecary filled with the rich aroma of medicinal herbs. Behind the counter, a gray-robed old man fiddling with an abacus looked up upon their arrival. "Esteemed guests, our shop is about to close. Are you here for some urgent medicine?"
Su Yu said nothing. He simply walked to the counter, flicked his wrist, and produced a jet-black token, tossing it onto the counter with a CLANG.
The token was cast from heavy Profound Iron. Its front was carved with a lifelike White Ape, while the back was inscribed with the character for "Lin."
This was the exclusive token for the joint ventures of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall and the Lin Family.
The old man’s expression changed the moment he saw the token clearly. He immediately pushed his abacus aside, hurried out from behind the counter, and gave the two a deep bow:
"I was not aware that the two Proprietors were gracing us with your presence! Forgive this old one for not welcoming you properly! I am Li Lan, the Shopkeeper of this Snow Ginseng Hall. You can just call me Old Li. The other masters from Black Stone City happen to be settled in the rear courtyard right now. This old one will take you two honored guests there immediately!"
"Thank you for your trouble."
The two followed Old Li through the apothecary to a room in the rear courtyard.
Old Li stepped forward, knocked lightly on the doorframe, and said in a low voice, "Proprietor Xu, someone from the Martial Arts Hall in Black Stone City has arrived."
The next moment, with a CLATTER, the two heavy wooden doors were yanked open.
Xu Feng’s burly figure appeared in the doorway. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was a mess.
Upon seeing Su Yu and Lin Wanzhu standing outside, his tense nerves instantly relaxed, and he let out a long breath. "Junior Brother! Senior Sister! You’re finally here! Quick, come in!"
"Old Li, you can go back to the front for now."
"Yes, Proprietor."
Su Yu and Lin Wanzhu stepped into the room. Jiang Liuchuan and Yang Gang were inside as well.
Jiang Liuchuan’s Feather Fan was nowhere to be seen. His face was pale, his right arm was wrapped in thick bandages, and he greeted them with a wry smile. "Senior Brother, Senior Sister... you’re finally here. Ai, this trade route... we’ve had the worst damn luck in eight lifetimes for such a huge screw-up to happen."
On the other side, the moment Yang Gang saw Su Yu enter, his eyes instantly turned red.
With a THUD, he dropped straight to his knees before Su Yu and began to wail:
"Brother-in-law! I’m useless! The task you gave me, I botched it... Tens of thousands of taels worth of goods, I just watched as they were lost!"
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP...
As Yang Gang cried, he began slapping himself across the face, alternating hands.
"Enough!"
Su Yu stopped him.
He had never blamed Yang Gang for this matter in the first place.
"This isn’t your fault. From now on, I will handle the matter of the Wind Evil Stronghold."