No Safe Harbor
Another week passed by, and Lin Shu made no groundbreaking progress—just more training and cultivation. It was a quiet, uneventful stretch of time.
However, during that week, he managed to capture a Black Viper. Its venom was potent enough to paralyze a cultivator of his level if given enough time. This gave him an idea.
he killed the snake and harvested its venom, storing a good amount. His plan was simple—coat his bone gauntlet and blades with the poison. Even a single scratch could gradually weaken and paralyze an opponent, making them easier to finish off. If he couldn't overpower an enemy immediately, he could stall until the poison took effect.
Now that he had gathered enough venom, there was no reason to stay in the wilderness any longer.
It was time to return to Greenwood Hollow.
The competition was still two weeks away, but arriving early had its advantages. If possible, he would study his opponents, spy on them, and—if the opportunity presented itself—eliminate one before the competition even began.
As long as it didn't put him in danger.
The journey back to Greenwood Hollow would take at least a day on foot. Lin Shu had traveled far from the town to avoid drawing attention after his killings.
Unfortunately, night fell before he could reach his destination. He had no choice but to find a place to rest.
Moving silently and cautiously, he searched for shelter, making sure not to attract any unwanted attention. If there were predators he hadn't sensed, he didn't want to alert them.
His caution paid off.
Not far ahead, he spotted multiple figures, but they weren't bloodbeasts—they were humans. A carriage stood nearby, and the group appeared to be resting.
Most of them were young, but one man—who looked to be in his thirties—stood out. His aura was hidden, making it impossible for Lin Shu to gauge his cultivation rank.
None of them wore clothing associated with a sect, clan, or martial institute. Their plain robes covered their figures, concealing their identities.
Lin Shu remained still, observing.
Two months ago, the Tan Clan suffered a devastating calamity. Their patriarch had been poisoned, and despite their efforts to save him, he eventually succumbed. The clan was small, based in Emberwake, a town known for its endless power struggles between multiple clans—some mid-sized, and three dominant large ones. Conflict was a way of life there, and the Tan Clan was no exception.
No one outside the clan's highest ranks knew why they were being targeted, but after weeks of hidden battles and mounting losses, the truth became clear. A secret was leaked—somewhere within their clan was a child with a rank 5 talent. The moment this information spread, their enemies weren't the only ones after them. Other clans, even the three dominant ones, turned their attention toward the Tan Clan, drawn in by the possibility of eliminating or seizing such a rare talent before he could grow into a threat. The Thunderpeak Institute, the most powerful martial institute in the town, remained neutral as always, but its very presence only fueled the bloodshed. Compared to it, the smaller martial institute Lin Shu planned to join was insignificant. If he stepped into Thunderpeak, he would be killed before he even got past the entrance.
Faced with certain annihilation, the Tan Clan devised a desperate plan. They spread false information about the child's identity, creating multiple groups, each carrying several children. Some were genuine, some were bait, and even the members protecting them did not know if their group carried the true target. These clansmen had no choice but to obey, for their survival was already a gamble. If they ran, they would be labeled traitors and executed. If they were caught, they would be tortured for information, then killed. Even if they tried to betray their clan and sell information to another power, there was no guarantee they would be spared. They were trapped in a war that wasn't their own, forced to stake their lives on a child they might never meet.
If Lin Shu knew about this, he would scoff. A rank 5 talent, protected by countless lives, an entire clan fleeing just to keep him alive? The last person he knew with such a fate wasn't spared—not even by his own family.
The group in front of Lin Shu was none other than one of the scattered Tan Clan factions. Their leader, Tan Bo, stood at the front, his expression dark and unreadable. Around him, five young clansmen rested, speaking with blind arrogance, cursing their unknown enemies, vowing that one day, they would take revenge and rebuild their fallen clan. Behind them, a few mothers clutched their children, their faces filled with exhaustion and unease.
Lin Shu remained hidden, his sharp gaze taking in the scene. He couldn't tell their exact strength, but from the way they carried themselves, none of them seemed like true elites. A group of fugitives, tired and desperate, running from pursuers they probably didn't even understand.
What they also didn't understand was that danger was already creeping toward them—and not just from their enemies.
---
Tan Bo sat near the fire, staring at the flickering flames, his fingers tightening around the piece of dried meat in his hand. The voices of the younger clansmen grated against his ears.
"Fools."
They still clung to their naïve dreams. They still believed in vengeance, loyalty, brotherhood—in a clan that had never given a damn about them.
His lips curled in disgust.
"How long has it been? How long have I struggled, bled, and fought—just to reach the peak of Rank 1? Decades. Decades of pain, of clawing my way up while those bastards in the main family sneered at me from above. If I had been born with a better talent, they would have treated me like a treasure. If I had been one of their precious geniuses, they would have fed me pills, given me techniques, placed me on a pedestal. But because I was just 'ordinary'—because I had no natural gift—I was nothing to them."
His grip tightened, his nails digging into his palm.
"They only ever saw me as a tool—a disposable pawn to throw into battles, to fight, to die while they sat in their cushioned halls. And yet, I climbed. I crawled out of the dirt they left me in. And now, I stand at the peak of Rank 1, not because of them, but because I refused to stay weak."
He exhaled sharply, forcing his rage down.
But soon.
"Soon, I will be free."
He had no intention of dying for this so-called "clan." Not for some brat with a rare talent. Not for the delusional fools around him. He was done being their pawn.
All he had to do was wait for the perfect moment.
"A little poison in their food. A little patience. And then… I walk away."
---
Hidden in the shadows, Lin Shu remained perfectly still, watching.
He wasn't interested in their petty clan struggles. He didn't care who they were running from or why. What mattered was that they had food, supplies, and likely some valuables—things he could take.
A plan formed in his mind.
"What if I lead a pack of blood beasts here? Let them do the work, clean up the mess, and then take whatever is left."
His eyes flickered coldly as he turned and slipped away.
It was time to find his hunters.
Lin Shu moved like a shadow through the wilderness, his breath steady, his steps deliberate. The scent of blood clung to the air, thick and intoxicating. He had worked carefully, dragging the corpses of wind rabbits and other small prey, laying a perfect trail to lure the Emberfang Wolves.
And they followed.
Eleven beasts prowled behind him, their ember-like eyes gleaming in the darkness. The leader, a peak rank 1 wolf, moved ahead of the pack, muscles rippling beneath its scorched fur. Lin Shu kept his pace measured, ensuring they never caught sight of him, guiding them like a phantom orchestrating a massacre. Step by step, he led them toward his true prey—the Tan Clan fugitives who had unknowingly set up camp in the worst possible place.
As he neared the flickering glow of their fire, he veered off, vanishing into the night. The wolves were close enough now; the scent of fresh prey would do the rest.
And then, they smelled them.
A chorus of low growls rumbled through the silence. The pack advanced, encircling the camp like vultures waiting for the dying to collapse. The fire's glow reflected in their smoldering eyes, hunger thick in their stance.
The moment Tan Bo saw them, his face twisted with fury.
"Get into formation, NOW!" he roared.
His voice sent a ripple of fear through the young cultivators. They scrambled into position, hands trembling as they gripped their weapons. The women and children huddled together, the younger ones whimpering, barely holding back their cries.
"Damn it! Why now?!" one of the boys hissed. "Of all times for these cursed dogs to show up!"
"We should split up! Protect the women and children!" another shouted.
Tan Bo clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms. Idiots.
He barely held back a snarl. Protect? These brats think they're protectors?
He glanced at them—these useless, naïve fools, barely out of their training robes, trembling like frightened prey. They still had the luxury of believing in heroism, in righteousness.
They don't even realize they're already dead.
Hatred coiled inside him like a venomous snake.
Why? Why was I the one stuck with these worthless cowards?
For years, he had fought, bled, and suffered for the clan. He had clawed his way to the peak of rank 1, pushing himself beyond his limits. He had earned his strength through relentless struggle, not through talent, but through sheer, unyielding effort.
And what did the clan give him in return?
A group of trembling children who barely knew how to hold their swords. Not warriors. Not real cultivators. Just a batch of sacrificial lambs meant to die buying time for someone else's survival.
This is what I get after all these years? After everything I endured?
His fingers tightened around his sword. The clan never valued me. No matter how hard I fought, no matter how much I sacrificed, they never saw my worth. They only saw what they could take.
He should have betrayed them long ago. He should have sold their secrets, abandoned them the way they had abandoned him.
And now, because of these spineless wretches, he was going to die here.