Motive

Thinking that I decided that I will not run anymore, I will not hide anymore. No matter who stands in front of me, I will fight him head-on even if I die in the effort.

Therefore I decided to confront the person in front of me.

The only plan I had in mind was to avoid fighting him as much as I can, and if the situation demands, I will fight.

With this thought, I started approaching the river.

Sensing my footsteps, the person turned towards me. As he turned towards me, all his killing intent also started gathering and focusing on me.

As he focused all his killing intent on me, I felt like someone has put a huge mountain on me, and a rush of coldness started running into my spine.

My hands and legs started shaking just from the environment created by his killing intent. I started losing breath it was like all my body parts were telling me to stop approaching him or else they will not work anymore. My body parts started a strike inside my body.

As I was cowering in fear, that person's voice saved me again. It saved me from losing my mind. No matter how serious the situation gets, this person's voice has always rescued me. Whenever I hear her voice, it feels like I not alone, not anymore. She is there for me. My master is here for me.

-"You idiot, what are you doing spacing out in the middle. I will block the intent just do what you gotta do."

Hearing the master's voice, I came back to my senses. And as she said, suddenly, all the chill that was running in me due to the intent started fading away.

It was like all that intent wasn't affecting me anymore. So, I started moving towards the river again.

Seeing me coming towards him, the boy standing near the river snapped, he opened his left hand and, suddenly all the nails on his left hand started growing. Then he shaped his palm as a claw and leaped towards me to attack.

As I watched his nails growing, I was sure that if he connects his attack to me, the portion of my body that comes in contact with it will be ripped into shreds.

So, I jumped backward to maintain distance, which resulted in him missing the attack. Since he wasn't able to connect the attack, he got irritated. His irritation was visible to me. In irritation, he came towards me again, and again, and again. But I was able to avoid his attacks easily. His attacks were just like that of a wild animal, but since I was experienced with the fighting pattern of a beast, I was able to avoid his attack.

If this continues, then it will never end so it's time to end the matter with this thought in mind, this time I jumped towards him by strengthening my punch with the Qi.

As he saw me coming towards him, he tried to avoid it. But since his movement was just like a wild animal, I was able to predict it and was able to land a strong punch. Even though his cultivation was the same as mine, that is, the seventh layer of the Bone Temper stage, I was able to knock him out with just one punch.

I guess this is the difference in strength the master was talking about during the first test.

Then I went towards the river and collected the water that I would need to survive for the next two days.

But while I was collecting the water, unbeknownst to me, that kid regained his conscience and started pretending to be unconscious. Since I was unaware of the situation, so I let my guard down and kept collecting water.

After I collected enough water, I started moving towards the cave, which I prepared, to stay for the remaining time.

The kid was waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack me and finish me in one go and that opportunity arrived when I got past him thinking he is still unconscious.

Just after I passed him, I felt a sudden chill, it was killing intent released by that kid towards me. But since I wasn't prepared for this, so I knew that I will not be able to react to it in time.

But suddenly someone crossed me with a sword in his hand. It was Ho Chen. As I turned backward, I saw Ho Chen stabbing the kid right through his heart.

-"What were you thinking? Why didn't you finished him off before? It is clear that you knocked him out, then why didn't you kill him."

"Actually there was something that I wanted to ask him, that's why I didn't kill him. I was planning to kill him after getting answers to my questions. But then you came and took away the liberty of asking."

After giving me a weird look Ho Chen said,

-"You knew that you were playing with fire didn't you?"

"Well yeah, I did. After experiencing that intent I would be fool not to know that. But I wasn't expecting him to regain his consciousness so soon. This guy was really something else. If it weren't for you I would be dead by now. You have my gratitude brother Ho Chen."

-"It wasn't something that great."

"By the way, what were you doing there, brother Ho Chen?"

-"Sorry, brother Mo, I don't want to lie to you. but I can't tell you the truth about me being there either."

He can't tell the truth? It only means one thing that he is hiding something big.

As I was thinking about various reasons for me being there, I heard the master's voice,

-"Lin Mo, I don't know why, but I am getting the feeling that this second test is a complete sham."

"A sham? What do you mean, master?"

-"Think about it ever since you entered this forest, have you met any beast who would be able to defeat someone above the 5th layer of the Bone Temper stage?"

"Now that you mention it, it is true all the beast I faced up until now were all weak. Even a ninth layer of the Body Temper stage person would be able to defeat them."

-"Correct. So do you think that surviving for two days in this forest is that hard?"

"No, it can't be that hard. But then why would they hold such a meaningless test? It is not possible, that they will hold it for seeing whether we could find food and water in the forest or anything. And then again, that pill is bothering me."

-"Wait, I think I know what is going on here, but I am not sure. But if that is truly the thing that is going on here, then be careful. Don't trust anyone until the end of the test, not even Ho Chen."

"Not to trust Ho Chen... what do you mean, master?"

-"I can't tell you that, not until I am certain of it. But if that exactly what going on here then this place may get itself a river made up of blood by the end of the test. So be careful."