Jiang Yun’s First Night – Hunted Like Prey!
Jiang Yun's First Night – Hunted Like Prey!
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The bridge vanished behind him, swallowed by a mist thick with the scent of blood, the very air heavy with the weight of death.
Jiang Yun advanced, and instantly, he felt it.
A shift in the wind. A pressure pressing down on his chest.
The Forsaken Blood Valley was no ordinary place.
It wasn't just the scent—the iron tinge of dried blood clung to the very earth. It wasn't just the silence—the wind, as though in reverence, dared not stir. It was something deeper, an unspoken presence.
As though the valley itself were watching him.
Jiang Yun exhaled through his nose, his fingers tightening on the haft of his axe. Though he possessed no spiritual sense, even the common mortal could feel the weight of impending doom in such a place.
He had to move.
Standing still was an invitation to death.
Jiang Yun adjusted his pack and proceeded, stepping with caution, his boots crunching over loose stones. The terrain was uneven—jagged cliffs clawed at the heavens, and twisted trees loomed like ancient spirits, their bark blackened as though scorched by flames.
From far away, a howl shattered the silence.
Jiang Yun froze.
A second howl echoed. Then a third.
He was not alone.
His mind raced. How many? How far? How fast?
His eyes darted across the valley. Nothing moved.
Jiang Yun took a deep breath, resuming his steps, this time quieter, more deliberate. He did not know the strength of the beasts that roamed this cursed place, but he could not afford to engage them.
Not yet.
Not when he had nothing.
No medicine. No shelter. No spiritual energy.
One wound, and he would be as good as dead.
A faint rustle broke through the stillness.
Jiang Yun's body stiffened.
It wasn't a beast.
It was a footstep.
He spun, his gaze meeting the mist.
From the depths of the fog, a figure emerged.
A young man—no older than twenty—his robes torn and filthy, his face streaked with grime. A rusted sword hung at his side, still sheathed. His left arm was wrapped in bloodstained bandages.
Jiang Yun remained still.
The man stopped a few paces away, his eyes sharp despite his injuries. He tilted his head slightly, as if measuring Jiang Yun.
Then, he smiled.
"Newcomer?"
Jiang Yun said nothing.
The man's grin widened. "Fear not. I've been here for three weeks. I know all the safe places. Stick with me, and I'll keep you alive."
Liar.
Jiang Yun saw through the man's act.
Not a warrior. Not a survivor.
A scavenger.
One who preyed on the weak.
Jiang Yun's grip on his axe tightened.
"Where's your weapon?" he asked, his voice flat.
The man froze.
A small thing, but Jiang Yun had noticed. The sword at the man's side had yet to be drawn.
Had he truly spent three weeks here? He wouldn't have approached a stranger without first preparing for a fight.
Unless…
He had already marked Jiang Yun as prey.
Jiang Yun took a step back.
The man lunged.
Steel gleamed in the mist.
Jiang Yun spun, narrowly avoiding the rusted blade as it sliced across his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
The man grinned. "Good reflexes."
Jiang Yun said nothing.
He swung his axe.
The man dodged, but not fast enough.
The axe clipped his ribs, a solid blow.
The man staggered, coughing.
Then—he laughed.
"Not bad," he said, wiping blood from his mouth. "But you should've aimed for my head."
Jiang Yun's breath remained steady.
He was no swordsman. He was no cultivator.
But he had spent years swinging an axe.
And that made him a killer.
The man lunged again.
Jiang Yun reacted instantly.
This time, he did not dodge.
The sword grazed his shoulder—pain flared, sharp and searing—but he did not stop.
He brought the axe down.
The blade crashed into the man's forearm.
A sickening crack.
The man screamed.
The sword fell to the earth.
Jiang Yun did not hesitate.
He drove his foot into the man's chest.
The man crumpled to the ground, his breaths shallow and rapid, his eyes wide with agony. His fingers twitched, reaching for the fallen sword.
Jiang Yun stepped forward, axe raised.
The man's expression faltered.
"Wait," he rasped. "We can—"
Jiang Yun swung.
The axe buried itself deep into the man's neck.
Silence.
Blood seeped into the dirt.
Jiang Yun stared down at the body, unshaken.
His grip on the axe was firm.
The scent of blood filled the air, clinging to his skin, to his clothes. It should have weighed heavy on him. It should have made him feel something.
But it didn't.
Because this wasn't the first time Jiang Yun had killed.
Not a human, but he had slaughtered animals. He had butchered pigs for food.
Death was death.
The body before him was no different from any other carcass.
He exhaled, shaking the blood from the axe.
Then—he began to search the man's body.
No hesitation. No burial rites.
Just survival.
1 Rusted Sword (Dull, but sharper than an axe in battle.)1 Small Pouch (Dried meat, tough and barely edible.)1 Cracked Jade Token (A token from some sect, but which one?)
Jiang Yun slung the sword over his shoulder, stuffed the pouch into his bag, and continued on.
The valley cared not for regrets.
And neither would he.
He found shelter beneath a jagged rock overhang.
It was little more than a shallow space beneath the cliff, but it would have to do.
Jiang Yun sat, unwrapped the dried meat, and took a slow bite.
It was tough, nearly impossible to chew.
But he swallowed.
His shoulder ached from the wound, but no medicine, no bandages, could alleviate it.
It didn't matter.
Pain meant nothing.
Pain meant he was still alive.
The first night passed.
By morning, Jiang Yun was no longer the weakest thing in the valley.
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Did you know?
In Jiang Yun's journey through Forsaken Blood Valley, his survival instincts and experience with an axe prove to be more vital than spiritual energy or advanced cultivation. Though not a cultivator or swordsman, his knowledge of battle and his understanding of death—honed through years of slaughtering animals—are what allow him to overcome the dangers lurking in the mist. In the world of Cultivation, where martial prowess and mystical powers often reign supreme, survival can sometimes depend on the simplest, most fundamental skills.