“You’ve already broken the storage ring’s array, haven’t you? Hand it over quickly!”
Cold Face Warrior said coldly.
Exquisite Fairy approached, her false smile gleaming, “Young Master Ling, you’ve already taken so many rare herbs. You wouldn’t want to hog everything inside the storage ring as well, would you? All that greediness never ends well.”
“Heh,” Ling Xiao replied, “I was planning to split it three-seven with you lot. I’m a man of my word, but since you don’t want that and keep trying to kill me, I’ll just take it all myself.”
As he spoke, Ling Xiao scanned for gaps between them, quietly stowing the array refining stone in his Mountains and Rivers World.
Trying to escape with the array refining stone was suicide.
Yet, he still used his template to mask his aura, leaving the two opposite him clueless about the changes in his body.
“That was our mistake, we shouldn’t have thought to kill you,” Exquisite Fairy said, her voice turning icy, “But, Young Master Ling, if you plan to keep the storage ring’s contents, we’ll make you suffer horribly. Not just you, but your family too, living worse than death!”
Ling Xiao’s face flashed with intense killing intent at her words.
That intent made both Exquisite Fairy and Cold Face Warrior step back instinctively.
“You two must die!” Ling Xiao said coldly.
He loathed threats against his family. Orphaned young, raised by Hong Qi and a band of beggars, he lacked the strength back then to protect his loved ones, watching many die before him.
Now, as a Mortal Realm warrior, anyone daring to threaten his kin had to die.
No compromise!
“Ha!” Exquisite Fairy sneered, “What a pity. I thought you had potential. Serve me, and Sha Family Fort could grow into a great city, even a nation, with you as a general or lord. But you don’t value the chance.”
“Pah! Who cares? You’re just a Mortal Realm Fifth Layer warrior. I’ll surpass you in a month or two. You think you can be my master? Look in a puddle and see your own worth!” Ling Xiao spat, cursing.
“Fairy, enough talk. He’s cracked the storage ring’s array. Kill him, take his treasures. This kid hid the ice bed and herb garden, he’s got something odd,” Cold Face Warrior shouted, his killing intent thick.
“Hear that? Killing you is easy. Hand over the storage ring and your treasures, and we might leave you a whole corpse, buried here to save you from wild beasts,” Exquisite Fairy said with a smug smile.
Ling Xiao stayed silent, his Mountains and Rivers Martial Soul already mapping his escape route.
Though the four in the cave were stronger, facing them head-on was tough.
But if he avoided direct combat, escaping was simple.
He needed to create an opportunity.
“Exquisite Fairy, have you considered that if I escape today, I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth?” Ling Xiao said, secretly channeling true essence, ready to flee.
He meant it. He was vengeful, and since they wanted his life, what wouldn’t he dare do?
If Sha Family Fort’s warriors blocked his path to kill Exquisite Fairy, he’d raze the fort to the ground!
He wasn’t some saint!
“Ha, that just means we must kill you,” Exquisite Fairy said, edging closer, “At fourteen, you’re already a Mortal Realm Third Layer warrior, showing great talent. I can’t let you live to seek revenge later. To avoid future trouble, you die here. Only the dead bring peace.”
From her days in the martial world, Exquisite Fairy learned ruthlessness. No mercy, no hesitation, always eliminate threats completely, even harmless infants.
Wildfires can’t burn out, spring winds bring regrowth.
She’d seen tragedies from misplaced mercy.
She wouldn’t make that mistake.
*Clap, clap, clap!*
Ling Xiao clapped, “Well said, brilliantly said! So remember, if you can’t kill me today, wait for me to hunt you to the ends of the earth. Like you, I cut the grass and dig up the roots, leaving no loose ends!”
Exquisite Fairy’s expression shifted slightly, puzzled by Ling Xiao’s confidence.
“I’m liking you more, but you’re too dangerous. I can’t let you live!” she said, lunging at him.
Cold Face Warrior didn’t idle, thrusting his sword from the side.
They aimed to kill Ling Xiao instantly, leaving no chance for escape.
“Heh.”
Ling Xiao smirked, suddenly tossing the storage ring toward the stream’s flow.
Once swept away, finding it would be near impossible.
He banked on this.
“Cold Face, handle him, I’ll get the ring,” Exquisite Fairy redirected toward the stream.
“Outside, guard the exit, don’t let the Ling kid escape! Signal the other warriors to block the cave mouth!” she barked, issuing two orders despite the sudden shift, determined to trap Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao knew the moment was now or never, ignoring her plans.
As Cold Face Warrior’s sword neared, his figure flickered, vanishing from sight.
“Damn, how’d his movement technique get so good!” Cold Face Warrior, shocked, realised something was off.
Before, Ling Xiao needed to climb a ten-metre height to enter the cave.
Now, his speed outstripped even Cold Face Warrior’s!
“Stop him, quick!” Cold Face shouted to the outside, chasing after.
Ahead, a peak Mortal Realm Fourth Layer warrior nocked a poisoned arrow, its tip glinting with venom, aimed dead at Ling Xiao.
