The lingering dizziness in his head slowed Bai Yunfei's movements just slightly. A momentary lapse, and he was forced back into the encirclement.
The squad leader was indeed Zhao Ping. The dark-skinned man who had reacted first and slashed at him with his blade was the deputy leader, Wei Xu, a late-stage Soul Disciple.
After forcing Bai Yunfei back, giving him no chance to circulate his Soul Force and clear his head, Zhao Ping shouted once more, "Grab him!" He then charged at Bai Yunfei, leading the assault.
Bai Yunfei's current state wasn't suitable for wielding the Fire-Tipped Spear. Yet, he wasn't panicked. Though outnumbered, he could tell none of his opponents were Soul Masters stronger than him.
Using his foot to hook a nearby stool, he flung it forcefully towards a group charging from his left. As they dodged, he pushed off the ground and surged forward himself.
These men were clearly seasoned fighters, far more formidable than the mountain bandits Bai Yunfei had slaughtered before. Knowing they couldn't withstand him in close quarters, they immediately retreated several paces. Those wielding longer weapons swiftly thrust them forward, attempting to block Bai Yunfei's path.
Bai Yunfei halted his momentum. He considered leaping over them, but an attack already whistled towards his back, forcing him to turn and defend.
He raised his dagger to deflect Zhao Ping's stabbing shortsword, then twisted his body to dodge Wei Xu's sweeping blade. A sharp kick forced Wei Xu back. Simultaneously, his hand shot out and seized an incoming spear thrust. Veins bulged on his right arm as he swept it in a powerful arc, forcing the closing attackers back.
Bai Yunfei shook his head vigorously, anger flashing in his eyes. If it weren't for their damn drug sapping my strength, there's no way they could hold me like this!
Zhao Ping, undeterred by being pushed back, lunged forward again with his shortsword. The blade whistled towards Bai Yunfei's neck. Suddenly, Bai Yunfei's body twisted away with unnatural fluidity, almost touching the ground before snapping upright like a weighted doll. His legs blurred as he shifted, reappearing right in front of Zhao Ping!
The Rippling Steps!
Bai Yunfei thrust his dagger straight for Zhao Ping's brow! Horrified, Zhao Ping frantically brought his sword up to block. Then, a crushing pain exploded in his abdomen—Bai Yunfei's kick sent him flying!
Bai Yunfei moved to pursue, but a broadsword swept towards his side. He snorted coldly. His body instantly leaned back, leaving a trail of afterimages as he dodged several incoming weapons. He slipped between multiple attackers like a ghost, suddenly appearing right before Wei Xu! Without pause, his fist shot out like lightning.
Wei Xu, having just swung his blade, saw only a blur before his opponent materialized in front of him—the attack already upon him! Panicked, he raised his broadsword horizontally, bracing the flat against his chest to block the punch.
A fierce glint flashed in Bai Yunfei's eyes. Veins bulged on his right arm. With a short, sharp whistle of displaced air, his fist struck the blade.
Crack!
The broadsword shattered! Wei Xu hadn't even begun to feel relief before an immense force, like a thousand pounds striking him, blasted him upwards over a meter into the air. He crashed down backward, vomiting blood mid-flight. He landed motionless—alive, but out of the fight.
Wave Folding Art, Triple Folding Fist Force!
Bai Yunfei had no intention of lingering. Using the precious moment of stunned silence created by his blow, his feet blurred. Leaving a trail of afterimages, he bolted towards the inn's main door.
He hadn't reached it before a stabbing shortsword blocked his path—Zhao Ping, recovered from the kick.
Confronted by the blade blocking his escape, Bai Yunfei's hurtling form jerked to an impossible stop. Under Zhao Ping's disbelieving gaze, he leaned backward. Then, pivoting on his feet as if rolling inside a smooth, curved bowl, he traced a semi-circular path. His body straightened—now positioned beside the threatening shortsword!
Cold light flickered in Bai Yunfei's eyes. Unhesitatingly, he slashed his dagger towards Zhao Ping's heart!
There was no time for Zhao Ping to bring his sword back. Gritting his teeth, he twisted desperately to the side.
Thunk!
The dagger plunged deep into his left shoulder.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Bai Yunfei's eyes. He glanced at the others, who had recovered and were charging towards him again. He snapped his right leg up, driving his foot hard into Zhao Ping's stomach.
Thud!
The dagger tore free, spraying blood. Zhao Ping's body hurtled like a cannonball into the pursuing group, sending them stumbling and scrambling in disarray.
With Zhao Ping kicked away, Bai Yunfei spun without hesitation and sprinted out the door.
His foot had just crossed the threshold when a black streak shot silently from the shadows beside the door, aimed straight for him!
Bai Yunfei was shocked. Reacting on instinct, he raised his dagger defensively across his chest while simultaneously shifting his stance, twisting his body sideways.
The small, dark projectile didn't seem aimed to kill. As it passed him, Bai Yunfei felt a sudden, chilling dampness splatter onto the back of his raised right hand—like a small blob of something sticky.
As he burst completely out of the inn, Bai Yunfei glanced back. He saw the streak land on the ground—it was a small, squirrel-like gray creature.
Inside the inn, the men could only watch helplessly as Bai Yunfei vanished after a few more ghostly movements. They looked at their two severely wounded leaders, then at each other, bewildered and unsure what to do.
Zhao Ping sat on the ground, teeth clenched, cold sweat pouring down his face. The kick Bai Yunfei landed packed immense power; an ordinary man would have been unconscious by now.
"He's gone! What are you all standing around for?! Go check on Wei Xu!" It took Zhao Ping a full ten seconds to draw a deep, painful breath and muster the strength to shout angrily.
Watching his subordinates swarm over to Wei Xu, Zhao Ping shook his head wearily. He began silently circulating his Soul Force, healing his injuries, while inwardly sighing.
Sigh… I miscalculated. Based on the earlier reports, this man only had late-stage Soul Warrior strength when he killed the young master. But now… he's clearly broken through to the Soul Master realm. To advance so quickly means he must have been at the peak of the Soul Warrior stage even back then…
He's incredibly troublesome. Throughout the entire fight, I barely landed a few thrusts—he simply wouldn't engage in a prolonged clash. And that technique he used to injure Wei Xu… that was a Soul Skill! Those ghostly movement techniques too—also Soul Skills! Despite his power, he didn't linger to fight. Even when he gained the upper hand at the end, he fled without a second thought… This man's mind is equally formidable.
Our investigation showed that just two months ago, he was merely an ordinary person! What kind of extraordinary encounter did he have?!
We finally found him, laid a trap, surrounded him… and still, he escaped. Fortunately, my tracking gray rat managed to plant the mark on him. He's still within our grasp! Now, we just need to wait for the master to arrive. Once he does, the tracking rat will lead us straight to him…
The saliva from the tracking rat remains effective for three days. The messenger bird has been dispatched. Given the master's speed, he should arrive by tomorrow evening. The target is unaware of the mark. He'll likely relax his guard after fleeing for a day at most. That gives the master ample time to catch up to him.
All right… So, this isn't a complete failure after all.
After escaping, Bai Yunfei dared not stop for even a moment. He briefly oriented himself, then ran flat out for nearly four hours. Only when he finally reached the bank of a small river did he allow himself to halt.
The constant use of the Rippling Steps along the way had nearly depleted his Soul Force. He had no choice but to stop and rest before deciding his next move.
Honestly, he could have killed everyone in that inn if he'd truly wanted to. But he had no idea if more reinforcements were coming. Every minute he stayed was an added risk. Killing them served no purpose anyway – his sole intention from the start had been to escape.
The lingering discomfort in his head had already faded. Bai Yunfei sat on a large rock, silently restoring his depleted Soul Force.
My experience navigating the world is still far too shallow, he reflected bitterly. To fall so easily into an enemy's trap… Thank the heavens I don't drink, otherwise… Recalling the drugged sensation sent a fresh wave of apprehension through him.
Damn it! Just how extensive is the Zhang family's reach? Why would a small town like that have such manpower? Is every town like this? Impossible. Among that group, there were two Soul Masters. No matter how powerful the Zhang family is, they couldn't station forces like that in every settlement. So… was I just incredibly unlucky? At this thought, Bai Yunfei couldn't help but shake his head with a grim sense of irony, feeling utterly helpless.
Indeed, his luck had been terrible. Of all places, he had chosen to come to Gujing Town. Zhao Ping and his men, already searching for Bai Yunfei's trail nearby, had rushed over immediately after receiving the tip-off from the innkeeper...
My location is exposed now. Zhang Zhenshan will surely come charging after me. I can't stay here. I have to get much further away!
And then there was that creature at the end… extremely strange. That sticky stuff on my hand felt like its saliva. Why would it do that? Bai Yunfei raised his right hand, inspecting it closely under the moonlight. It seemed unchanged.
He brought it closer to his nose and sniffed. His eyebrow suddenly twitched. A faint, peculiar odor… Could it be…?
Tracking!
His expression darkened. He rose and walked to the riverbank, plunging his hand into the cold water, scrubbing vigorously. He took out soap powder and scrubbed again, over and over. He kept at it for a solid ten minutes, until the skin on his hand was nearly raw and flushed red. Only then did he stop.
He sniffed his hand again. The peculiar odor was gone. A small measure of relief washed over him, yet a thread of unease stubbornly remained.
It seems… I'll need to flee far further than I originally planned!