Riven's arm snapped forward.
A thin needle left his fingers — flicked from his grip like a whisper of silver.
It was fast.
His qi wrapped around it, reflecting the light, softening the edges. The needle almost vanished midair.
Almost.
Velvet Touch.
The first skill described in the Velvet Thorn Acupunture.
It used your qi to produce a "velvet sheath", a qi cover that hides the sting and sheen of the needles allowing your needle to reach its target unnoticed. It wouldn't even hurt when it, doubling as a time bomb, as you can detonate the stored qi at any time.
With Riven having reached minor mastery in the last few weeks, he was able to form the sheath, just like the technique had described.
But only for a moment.
A meter before reaching its target, the qi unraveled — slipping loose like silk unwinding in water.
His qi control outside the body just wasn't strong enough yet.
He'd have to reach a higher cultivation level for that.
But the damage was already done.
The bandit — the one who'd gone for his sword — didn't even have time to register the danger.
The needle struck his neck with a dull thnk.
Not clean. Not quiet.
Definitely not painless as the technique wanted.
The man's eyes widened instantly, a sharp cry ripping from his throat as his hand flew up, clutching at the spot. Blood welled around his fingers.
He stumbled back, gasping — then collapsed to the ground, twitching.
Riven stood still, hand lowered.
He hadn't been able to detonate the qi inside the needle.
But he didn't need to.
The strike had hit the neck.
It was soft. Exposed. No armor.
He never expected to hit so accurately.
Lucky.
The bandits all shouted at once — half in panic, half in anger — weapons scraping from sheaths, eyes wild.
The one who had been talking — the tall, broad man — snarled and pointed his sword straight at Riven.
"You little rat—!"
He didn't finish.
He and two others broke into a charge toward Riven mid-sentence — boots thudding across packed dirt.
He wouldn't be a bandit if he couldn't even orchestrate such simple sneak attacks.
That made three on him.
The remaining two lunged toward Yue Lin, clearly assuming she was the easier target.
Bad guess.
Riven didn't have time to watch.
Nor did he have time to draw another needle.
They were coming in high, blades swinging for a kill.
Riven ducked under the first, sidestepped the second, and pivoted into the third with a brutal shoulder-check — then struck.
His fist connected with the man's ribs.
Crunch.
The man gasped, air blasted from his lungs. Riven's foot came next — a low sweep that yanked the bandit's legs out from under him. He crumpled.
One down.
Riven was really glad for the combat practice Vaern had drilled into him right about now.
The other two hesitated — more cautious now, circling him with slower steps.
Riven backed up, breath sharp. His single hand was already reaching toward his belt again, fingers brushing another needle.
He didn't know how strong these bandits were exactly.
They could be normal humans with some fighting experience, Inner Essence Realm cultivators or even stronger experts.
He wasn't able to tell.
There were apparently some special techniques with which you'd be able to tell anothers qi.
But he didn't possess those.
The other way to tell an opponents realm was something he'd heard he'd unlock with higher realms.
So for now, he could only go all out in all his fights.
He couldn't risk holding back against someone who could potentially be stronger than him.
Better safe than sorry.
After a short pause, the leader struck again.
A sharp stab, fast and heavy. Riven dodged, barely, letting the blade slice across the cloth of his sleeve. His hand moved.
A needle flashed.
But it didn't go for the leader — it went for the other man who'd moved to flank him.
The needle struck low — sinking into the bandit's thigh.
Not a vital point.
Painful, sure, but not disabling. Not enough.
The man shouted,instinctively reaching for the needle embedded in his leg.
Riven didn't give him the chance.
He stepped in.
His leg twisted — weight sinking low, core tightening — then snapped forward in a clean, qi driven arc.
Falconburst Kick.
It hit clean.
Right into the man's side.
The air burst from his lungs in a wheeze, and his body lifted half an inch off the ground before crumpling backward into the dirt. Not dead, but not getting up either.
That left just the leader.
Riven turned — too late.
The broad man was already in motion, blade flashing, closing the gap in a blur.
But he'd expected this.
Others might not be able to escape from his position, but he could.
He had Divine Speed.
His blood surged for a split second — heat racing down his limbs, muscles tensing to explode backward.
Just then Riven's eyes narrowed as his blood calmed down.
There was a shadow behind the leader.
Silent.
Fast.
Yue Lin's knife connected with the back of the man's neck — a clean, decisive strike that jolted through his spine.
He stiffened.
Then collapsed.
Face-first.
Riven exhaled, letting the tension drain from his shoulders.
"…Thanks," he muttered.
She didn't respond. She simply stepped back, sliding her blade free of the man's spine with a small flick to clear the blood.
Riven turned his head.
Two more bodies lay near the bushes.
Two broken short swords lay beside them — snapped cleanly at the blade.
Blood pooled from each bandit's throat in a dark, steady stream.
Dead.
Effortlessly.
Yue Lin crouched beside the two he'd incapacitated — the one in the leg and the one he'd kicked. Without hesitation, she drew her blade again and gave each of them a swift, efficient finishing slice across the throat.
Clean. Controlled. No hesitation.
Riven swallowed.
His stomach tightened in a slow, unpleasant twist.
He knew—
He knew she came from a demonic sect.
Knew what that meant.
Knew what they valued.
But seeing it done so easily… so casually…
He shivered once.
Just a small movement — barely noticeable.
Necessary or not, it still hit him.
He wasn't used to this. Not yet.
And then his gaze drifted to the first bandit — the one he'd struck in the neck.
Riven walked toward him slowly. Each step made the knot in his stomach tighten.
This was the second person he'd killed.
He crouched beside the corpse.
The man's eyes were still open — unfocused, frozen in that first instant of pain and surprise.
Riven looked away for a moment, jaw clenched. His heart thumped too loud in his chest.
He didn't regret it — not exactly.
But it didn't feel clean.
Didn't feel good.
It just felt… cold.
Like a stone dropped into water that never stopped sinking.
He took a slow breath, steadying himself.
Then he leaned in and gripped the thin shaft of the needle.
With one tug, it slid free — wet with blood.
He grimaced. Wiped it clean on the bandit's sleeve.
It was a low-grade artifact weapon. He couldn't waste it.
He stared at the needle.
Now I must look like I fit the sect I'm in...
His hand didn't shake — not visibly — but he felt the cold settle into his palm.
He slipped the needle back into the hidden slot in his belt.
Yue Lin was already waiting at the edge of the path, her expression unreadable. No judgment. No sympathy.
Riven took one more breath and joined her.
She held out her hand.
A few coins rested in her palm.
"Your share," she said simply.
Riven blinked. Only then did he realize she'd already looted the others.
It seemed like second nature to her.
Also.
How strangely upright...
He wouldn't have expected her to share on her own.
"…Thanks," he muttered, taking them and tucking them into his pouch.
Then, awkwardly, he turned back.
He crouched beside the first body again — the one he'd taken the needle from — and quickly searched the man's pockets.
A small pouch was tied at the waist, half-hidden beneath the belt flap.
Inside were two halfmoon coins and a couple small square coins.
"So poor," Riven murmured under his breath. Still, he took it.
He returned to Yue Lin and handed her half without a word.
She didn't comment, just nodded once and slipped it away.
Then they continued east — leaving six bodies behind, scattered among the roots and ferns.