Blade - Unbound

Slash!

Blood sprayed through the darkness.

A bandit who had been firing arrows clutched his throat and collapsed to the ground. His legs kicked wildly as choked gasps escaped his throat. Moments later, he stopped moving. Beside him, three other bandit archers were already dead.

Li Yan didn’t give them a second glance as he moved through the underbrush with his blade in hand. His footsteps were nearly silent, yet he rushed toward another section of the battlefield with astonishing speed.

The merchants and jianghu travelers couldn't see anything in their pitch-black surroundings. The bandits seemed hidden everywhere in the darkness. Arrows flew from all directions, and it felt as though they had fallen into an inescapable encirclement.

But through his divine ability, Li Yan saw the entire battlefield clearly. The bandits numbered fewer than two hundred men! About fifty men had been divided into ten squads, each consisting of five archers hidden in different locations.

The groups had taken up scattered positions around the inn, each marked by a bonfire that clearly lit them up. Meanwhile, the enemy remained concealed in darkness. That was what created the illusion of being surrounded on all sides.

In truth, quite a few jianghu people were trapped around the Long Wind Inn. The bandits wouldn't be able to defeat them through brute force alone. Scheming was their only option.

Li Yan had already wiped out three squads. He didn’t kill them because he was trying to play hero. If the bandits were allowed to continue attacking, most of the groups would eventually collapse. Once panic set in and people scattered, the ambushing bandits would descend like wolves upon prey.

Nobody would survive unscathed at that point.

One thing puzzled him, though: According to the intelligence they had received, there should have been at least seven or eight hundred bandits in the mountains. They had supposedly united into a massive force and even blocked all routes going out. Otherwise, why would so many travelers have been trapped here?

Yet now, this bandit force was only a measly two hundred at most. Something had to have happened. Whatever it was, Li Yan had no time to think about it. The immediate priority was breaking the current deadlock.

Soon, he slipped behind another bandit squad.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Throwing knives sliced through the air, and two bandits immediately collapsed, clutching their throats.

The remaining three bandits hurriedly scattered as someone screamed, “Watch out for hidden projectiles!”

But against Li Yan, who was equally hidden within the darkness, they held no advantage whatsoever. All they heard were gusts of wind, screams, and the sound of steel slicing into flesh.

Soon, darkness swallowed them forever. With four squads eliminated in quick succession, the rain of arrows had noticeably weakened.

The jianghu travelers hiding behind wooden boards finally realized what was happening and began shouting.

“There aren't many of them!”

“Hold your ground!”

“Don't panic and run!”

The bandits naturally noticed the situation as well.

A hoarse shout rang out from among the bandits. “Chief, over there!”

Several flaming arrows whistled through the air. Li Yan threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding them.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The flaming arrows embedded themselves into the ground and instantly ignited the dry grass.

Unfortunately for them, Li Yan had already vanished back into the darkness and moved toward another squad. After traveling only halfway, however, he suddenly leaped behind a nearby tree trunk.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Three more flaming arrows struck the ground where he had been.

Someone from the mystic path is helping them!

The realization was immediate. Anyone with a divine ability related to sight, hearing, or smell would detect him. It wasn't that Li Yan had been careless. Rather, after leaving Xianyang and the Zhongnan Mountain, he had finally realized just how rare practitioners of the mystic path truly were.

Along the entire journey, aside from himself and Wang Daoxuan, he had not encountered a single practitioner. That was the true state of the mystic path. In theory, there were many members of the mystic path, but they were actually exceedingly rare, scattered among ordinary people.

Most either secluded themselves in mountain cultivation or lived in major cities. Even the weakest village shamans and spirit mediums were considered extraordinary figures within dozens of miles. In some places, people could spend their entire lives without ever seeing a member!

Had Li Yan not experienced his own adventures, he likely would never have known that the mystic path existed. Even within the jianghu, not everyone had contact with such practitioners. Yet, there was an expert like that among these bandits?

If they truly had someone like that helping them, why had the Old Dragon Stronghold frightened them into retreating?

Li Yan couldn't understand it, but his reactions remained swift. He quickly blew the whistle hidden in his mouth. At the same time, he kept moving rapidly to avoid being locked onto.

Phee! Phee-phee!

The whistle tones echoed through the night. That was their private signal. Only Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei knew its meaning.

After sending the signal, Li Yan put away the whistle and withdrew a yarrow stalk and wrapped it around his left hand. He then formed a hand seal, stepped in a strange formation, and quietly chanted, “Nuogao, I alone open the descendant Wang Jia. Six Jia Azure Dragon, Six Yi-Encountering Star, Six Bing Bright Hall, Six Ding Hidden Yin...”

As he activated the Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique, his aura rapidly withdrew and concealed itself. Li Yan had already mastered the technique through extensive practice. Although Luo Mingzi had called it a mountain-climbing technique and said it merely concealed one's form from yin mist, Li Yan had discovered many additional uses.

For example, concealing his aura. Once his aura disappeared, enemies could no longer detect him. He could still smell them, though. The various groups around the inn were already alert. The bandits' scheme had been exposed. Hence, Li Yan no longer bothered hunting the remaining archers.

Instead, he carefully concealed himself. He intended to wait for an opportunity to eliminate the enemy practitioner of the mystic path.

He knew that it would definitely come.

***

Down by the inn, Wang Daoxuan's face darkened after hearing the whistle ring out. “There is a cultivator among the bandits! Brother Sha, help me set up an altar and protect me!”

Sha Lifei immediately sheathed his blade. “Got it!”

He swiftly helped arrange a simple ritual altar while subtly positioning himself to shield Wang Daoxuan from behind.

After several battles, the three had developed excellent coordination. Sha Lifei knew exactly what his role was.

Nearby, Wu Mao stared with wide eyes. He had heard that Li Yan was both a blademan and a practitioner of the mystic path, with a Daoist companion at his side who was adept at conducting rituals.

But from the looks of things, they seemed about to engage in a duel of the mystic path.

Good heavens.

It was his first time witnessing such a thing.

Weren't ritualists only supposed to curse people from behind the scenes?

Wang Daoxuan ignored him. Turning toward Troupe Master Zhou, he said solemnly, “Master Zhou, I'm afraid I'll need your assistance.”

Troupe Master Zhou immediately understood. “Of course.”

Respectfully, he lifted a shrine from one of the wooden crates. It was still covered by a red cloth. Inside was the yin spirit they had invited from the mass grave.

Wang Daoxuan quickly placed it atop the altar. He lit three sticks of incense and circled the shrine three times. Only then did he insert the incense and carefully remove the red cloth. Instantly, a chilling aura of slaughter spread outward, and the surrounding candle flames flickered violently.

Wang Daoxuan nodded in approval. “You've done a good job, Master Zhou.”

He could tell the Spring Breeze Troupe had properly maintained the spirit. Barring accidents, it would continue protecting them for a very long time without causing trouble.

Master Zhou grinned. “It seems the Patriarch enjoys listening to opera...”

In the Guanzhong Plains, people commonly referred to the deities they were worshipping as the “Patriarch.” Although the spirit they had invited had transformed into a yin deity filled with murderous energy, it seemed to genuinely enjoy opera performances.

It had remained remarkably stable. That was precisely why the troupe had been able to establish itself and gain fame through two ghost operas.

Wang Daoxuan replied casually, “Opera itself originated from rituals performed to entertain the gods...”

Then, his expression grew serious. His peachwood sword struck the altar as he stepped along the big dipper formation and sprayed ritual water from his mouth.

Lifting the command tablet, Wang Daoxuan pointed toward the sky. “Come!”

He then sidestepped and slapped the altar three times. The peachwood sword flicked up, and a black jar and a yellow talisman on the altar shattered. Yin winds suddenly surged in every direction.

Whether it was the coffin bearers or members of the Spring Breeze Troupe, everyone gulped nervously and remained silent. They vaguely understood that he was commanding spirit soldiers.

But they didn't know that Wang Daoxuan possessed neither a proper lineage nor significant cultivation. He had only managed to recruit a single pitiful yin soldier whose sole function was reconnaissance. That was why he had sought the assistance of the Spring Breeze Troupe's spirit.

Wang Daoxuan's peachwood sword trembled as he rapidly chanted an incantation so quickly that nobody could understand the words. Then, he pointed toward the night sky.

Cold winds swept through the area again as everyone felt a chill pass through them.

Moments later, the sensation vanished.

***

Hidden within the forest, Li Yan maintained his hand seal tightly and leaked not the slightest trace of aura.

The bandits' cultivator ally was likely not very powerful. Otherwise, he would have seen through such a basic concealment technique. Li Yan had slowly made his way closer to the bandits' main force, narrowing the distance to less than thirty zhang.

He looked at the night sky, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He naturally recognized the scent of Wang Daoxuan's yin soldier. As long as he could identify the enemy, he could eliminate him amidst the chaos and remove the threat permanently.

Many ritualists truly lacked martial skill. Once a powerful fighter closed the distance, death usually followed. But after truly stepping into the mystic path, Li Yan finally understood how terrifying a ritualist could be when protected and given time to establish an altar.

From among the bandits, someone coldly remarked, “Hmph. You dare use spirit soldiers to spy on me?”

Smelling three separate sources of chilling murderous energy, Li Yan's expression darkened. Amid the crowd of bandits stood a man protected by many others. His hair hung loose around his shoulders, and a taiji symbol drawn in cinnabar covered his forehead.

It was You Laosi, the Jiangnan ritualist who had once served the Iron Blade Gang. He had hidden within the gang for two reasons. First, he had sought to exploit Zheng Heibei's strength for profit. Afterward, he had secretly coveted the heavenly treasure that had been about to form within the Longchang Opera Troupe.

That treasure was the statue itself! The statue had originally been carved from extraordinary wood. After a century of worship by the Longchang Opera Troupe, combined with its location atop a feng shui spiritual node within a yang residence, it had absorbed a thousand years of Xianyang's ancient cultural fortune.

Listening to countless human joys and sorrows through the opera performances, it had gradually become a genuine treasure. Had You Laosi not happened to hear the opera, he never would have discovered it.

Eventually, the statue had even concealed its spiritual aura, making its nature impossible to detect. If he obtained it and refined it through evil arts, he could create a powerful yin spirit general.

He had spent years waiting in Xianyang for that goal. Unfortunately, a living yin emissary then informed Luo Shihai of the matter. Enraged, Luo Shihai had personally gone to the Iron Blade Gang to arrest him. Although You Laosi escaped through a secret technique, he knew the treasure was now forever out of reach.

Without the gang's protection, he feared being hunted by the Enforcement Hall. Thus, he had fled Xianyang overnight. His divine ability was related to his sense of hearing. That was how he had sensed Li Yan blitzing through the bandits, and also pinpoint Li Yan's location earlier.

Naturally, Wang Daoxuan's yin soldier could not escape his notice.

You Laosi had also established an altar. But atop it sat straw effigies, blood basins, corpse rice, bone powder, and even the skull of a child. It was obvious at a glance that these were not righteous methods.

When You Laosi noticed the yin soldier in the sky, contempt filled his eyes. With a sinister smile, he picked up a straw effigy and bowed toward the heavens three times. He then casually took a yellow talisman and attached it to the effigy.

The straw figure instantly grew icy cold and started to emanate the aura of a yin soldier. He placed it upon the altar. Beside the straw effigy rested three small arrows, with blood-colored talismans covering their shafts.

Picking up one of the talisman arrows, he formed a hand seal and chanted, “Dark is the sky, dark is the earth. By the Divine Lord's command, I come to summon souls. Six Jia on the left, Six Ding on the right. Imperial Spirits before me, Yuezhang behind me. Heaven locks the soul, Earth locks the spirit. By urgent decree, obey!”

He thrust the arrow directly into the straw effigy.

Li Yan gaped in shock as Wang Daoxuan’s yin soldier circling above instantly vanished.

At the same moment, back around their campsite, a loud crack rang out as the Wandering Soul Jar on Wang Daoxuan's altar shattered into pieces.