Lai Yiteng ran away

His abdomen and stomach throbbed with pain, one that twisted and ebbed. Everytime he thought it would go away it came back in force. Massaging it a little with his fingers did nothing to relieve it. Lai Yiteng could only seek to distract himself with pointless thoughts.

Vengeful thoughts.

Xian Wu said that Gojun Lao would really die. If so, that would be great.

How much would the poison hurt? Would it erode his veins or make them rupture and burst? How long would it take?

Lai Yiteng thought of these things for quite a while. It gave him a sense of cathartic satisfaction to know that he person who harmed him would suffer horribly. He rested for only about a half hour or so, then couldn't stand remaining in the same place any longer and made his way over to Xian Wu's luggage.

He began to rifle through his sack of belongings again.

The purpose was naturally to steal one of Xian Wu's spare sets of clothes!

This time he took out a set of male clothing. Indeed, the size was a bit large, but all of Lai Yiteng's clothes had been fully ruined, so there was no being picky over it. He changed, taking a moment to appreciate how much more comfortable these fabrics were. Xian Wu was some bigwig from Graceful Dragon Sect, so all of his clothes were made from the finest silks, threads, and cottons.

It was possible that Lai Yiteng would switch back to female dress later, but since his identity had already been exposed he'd keep to something more comfortable for now.

Lai Yiteng froze a moment when he felt his heart beating in his chest irregularly. He dug his hand over it to try and steady his breath.

It did not feel right.

He chewed his lip until he finally sat down in the corner of Xian Wu's room again and pulled out his erhu, catching a faint scent of rosewood that gave him relief. He had even twisted his body to avoid damaging his erhu in his falls before, and it was without a scratch upon its curved surface. He spent some time cleaning it with a cloth, oiling the bow, then wrapped it back up.

Even after all this Xian Wu was still deep asleep in his drunken coma, it was quite likely he wouldn't awaken for quite some time. Lai Yiteng could probably dance and sing and the man wouldn't awaken. He stared at him a moment longer before turning away.

The time had come.

For his own safety, Lai Yiteng knew that he should go.

No, it was also for the convenience of Xian Wu! Lai Yiteng was aware that a criminal such as himself posed far too great a burden since it was only a matter of time before the next goons from Lushang Sect arrived, perhaps even more capable than the previous. Leaving Xian Wu to his own business could actually be considered an act of kindness. Or at least that was what he told himself.

It was a shame, but he could still try to sneak into another sect and steal martial arts techniques to progress his abilities in the future. Learning did not have to come from Xian Wu, per say.

Lai Yiteng's heart just felt…slightly heavy.

He was not sure why.

But anyway, why had Xian Wu gone off drinking? It's all his fault!

It made Lai Yiteng was antsy and anxious to get away from him. All of it could be paranoia, but since drunk Xian Wu could lie to Gojun Lao about the deadliness of the poison so easily, it meant that he was clearly very comfortable with lies. How could he give a person like that the slightest trust?

A person like that was undoubtedly plotting something twisted, convoluted, and nefarious.

Xian Wu mumbled something incoherently and startled Lai Yiteng out of his spiral of thoughts.

He went about gathering his meager number of items up, frowning at his aching bruises and joints, and left the inn room. This time his attire was less eye-catching, even his hair was in a different style, so for the most part no one paid him any mind besides a few of the inn attendants that had clearly looked at his face before.

So he stalked out into the night air once again.

He took a side street to avoid the area that had been partially destroyed, a spot that was now filled with sad shop owners bemoaning their destroyed property.

Wen town wasn't like the city he'd escaped from with Xian Wu with previously, its population was lower. The town gates were much thinner and the guard on the area slack.

Lai Yiteng made it to the outer wall. It was lit by a few sparse lanterns, and only two guards loitered about a distance away. He readied himself before running up the wall in a sprint that caused his chest to heave from the effort, then nimbly swung over the top of the wall, making a perfect arc before landing on the ground.

The impact of his feet hitting the hard surface of the dirt road made his guts twinge with pain, but he ignored it.

Perhaps he should've stolen another horse to ride and make his travels easier, but he didn't want to cause attract any more attention than he had already. Lai Yiteng took a sip of water and trotted off onto the pitch-black road with only the moonlight to illuminate his way. He used his innate senses that were enhanced by cultivation to avoid ruts and stones.

An owl hooted, fireflies blinked, and crickets chirped on the outside of the road. There was a certain peace in the air despite the dimness of his surroundings, somehow putting him at greater ease.

Lai Yiteng saw a sign that directed towards the next town and chose the opposite path.

Based on the map tucked away into his pack, if he traveled along the right roadways then straight for a day or so he'd end up in a very rural area. It was a province known for farming rice and livestock, simple living. If he went there, then found a place even more rural and secluded from human activity, it would become increasingly difficult for Lushang Sect to find him.

Actually, he had one spot in mind.

A place where a landslide had occurred suddenly and buried an entire village, only the few people that were away at the time survived. On the map the area was marked as haunted and unsafe for travel.

The map specifically stated;

'Do not enter within 30 mile radius.'

'Number of casualties unknown.'

'Place where evils gather.'

He was unsure why no martial Sects had come to purify the area, but perhaps it was because this rural province did not pay much of anything in safety fees, so no one cared to waste their time or efforts for free.

To him it seemed like a fine place!

Lai Yiteng hoped to settle down there for a while. Having a ghoul or ghost as his next door neighbor was much more desirable to him than an actual human being. He did not fear them, and there would probably be several run down houses that he could live in. Heh, he wouldn't have to pay rent for an empty house--such a good way to save on money!

Imagining it brought him hope, because once he found a place a bit safe to rest he could finish healing his wounds and figure out how he'd proceed from now on. And he'd have just enough money to buy groceries at a small village, too, as prices would be lower in small places like that.

And so he planned out how he would live in a haunted village as he went alone the road.

But this kind of mental activity could only allow him to ignore his own body's protests for so long.

He went a mile or two.

Then a few more. After trudging for hours along the empty roads, Lai Yiteng's head and legs were like lead, weighing him down with fatigue and pain.

When dawn's early light lit up the sky, he knew that he'd reached his limit. The grass sparkled with dew and even the dusty dirt and rock of the road had a tint of yellow optimism, birds chirped their daily songs. But Lai Yiteng only felt annoyed by all this.

The sunlight was too bright.

And the birds made his ears ring.

Most of all, traveling in broad daylight would not be wise for a fugitive.

He watched the unmarked side roads he passed in order to find temporary shelter. Any place devoid of humans and secluded would suffice.

Eventually, he followed a winding trail up a hill that led to an area canopied by maple trees, the mossy earth dominated by various shrines. Some of them were larger, but unkempt, and leaves piled around them. Cracked Buddha statues and other deities sat inside them.

Great. What a good place to sleep.

Lai Yiteng chose a spot where his front was blocked by a fat Buddha statue, his back pressed against the dilapidated wooden shrine. He practically flopped down onto the leaves, pulling out a blanket he'd stolen from the inn bed.

He hadn't sensed anyone following him yet, but feigned sleep for an hour or so before drifting off into a shallow doze. It was better than nothing.

But although Lai Yiteng had kept careful watch of people following behind him or any other presence, he hadn't kept careful watch of the wildlife.

A single black crow perched with sharp talons on a maple tree branch.

Following Lai Yiteng in the pitch-black of the night wasn't a feat that any normal bird could manage. Their eyes weren't equipped with night vision.

The crow cocked its head as though checking that Lai Yiteng was truly asleep, then flapped its wings as it lifted into the air and flew back towards Wen town.