A second and third day passed in the Secret Realm, and this day was as peaceful as the first.

Hao became a long-term host to the little critters that stayed with him on the first night, returning each night after. In the mornings they would run off, spreading their arms, waiting for the wind to catch on the gross little wing flaps and carry them to the treetops.

He had already explored most of the area thoroughly, scouring most of what he could find. Not everything he had to leave, some for the little friend he made. They gave him a free lesson, all things considered. He tried to hand a lesson back, but talking to the little beast seemed an impossibility. They were responsive but cared little for him unless he had one of those orange, bitter fruits in his hand.

His cultivation was progressing well, his touching of the Yin and Yang of this place brought great gains. It provided him with a path to go down. With his knowledge and comprehension skills, his talent withholding. He grew acclimated to the dulled-down forms of the energies carried but this World’s World Energy.

On this day, the fourth day in the Realm, he was planning to leave this place, to go further than before, and not come this way again. Hao tried to mark the shelter’s location in his mind, unsure if he would ever see it again. It was now a kind and cozy place. He expanded the space in the back, leaving the door the same size and making a two-piece heavy stone latch. A small hole at the bottom, more than one, for the critters and the pressure that mounted during the wind. And if he came back with a bag full of World Energy, it could hold it well enough.

The place served him well for a few days, protecting him from the wild. The thought of staying, practicing and becoming stronger was tempting, but there was nothing here for him. No people, no targets or extra ways to grow stronger—He could take in that rich World Energy anywhere in this realm. There were things he had to do, and water and other rain he hoped to find.

Hao stood tall in the last blow of the morning wind; As if to rebuke it. It had the glory and terror of the night’s wind. The last of the small creatures disappeared in the wind, their eccentric action that they repeated every morning and night seeming more endearing. Their legs were straight and backs were upright, arms raised high, they were taken far from Hao’s sight.

Another day of searching for both of us. Hao thought, looking towards the forest that grew darker in color with the leaves. In the distance, their color was turning bright orange.

Hao went forward, feeling the push of the wind. It could have pushed him back, but he was steady on his feet, only flipping his hair. His hair was dirty again, he dampened it, filling it with the stone dust to dull the colors. The wind was slightly warm, a perfect temperature to dry it.

Today’s search will be different from yesterday’s. Hao knew it, he was not searching for hows or answers. He wanted results more than safety. So he took his first steps, actually looking forward to the noon sun.

He had to walk across the field of grass down the slope, that’s where the next treeline was, which stretched into a forest, eight times as wide as the one he first landed in. The trees were orange, the bark and wood itself were the same. But the leaves got more vibrant the further he went in.

It had the same eerie feel as the other forest. There was life thriving, bones and plants to be found, half-eaten fruit rotting on the ground with no bugs to consume it. Perhaps everything hid with the arrival of people. A result of previous generations having hunts in here. Or everything felt the vibrations of feed on the ground and smelled him, taking their chance to hide away.

Of course, people were not so subtle. Among the first couple of things he found after running for a few hours were people, bodies. Corpses bitten by blade or tooth under the high trees, the little critters avoided. A few of the bones he found were licked clean, worn smooth by teeth and tongue, he could only hope that was a beast’s and not a person’s doing.

The further he went from his cave, the deeper in the forest, the varied the wounds became. And the more he lost direction. Hao often found himself in treetops, trying to scout out his path, eager to make it to the mountains in the distance before ice fell, finding the amethyst his priority, until he found his other gifts.

That was when he heard the first voice he had heard in days. “Help!” it was a panicked voice, a woman, out of breath too.

Hao was in a tree when he heard the voice, it was in the distance but closing in. He didn’t know it, or it was so distorted in panic it was beyond any recognition. Not long after he first heard her, they passed underneath him.

It was not one person but three, a woman not lacking in an immortal’s beauty, and two men, one was sharp, the other injured, moving with a limp. The three were not from the same faction, the different robes made it easy to spot. The injured man — younger than the other two — wore blue robes. Robes Hao knew well, as he was wearing the same ones on. The other two were wearing the white cloaks of the Blue Moons Mountain.

The man from Blue Moons stuttered his footsteps to turn and help the Drifting Stream disciple as he limped. The woman wearing the same white was leading the other two down a path, a compass in her hand. She led them directly under the tree, Hao was watching them from. Rabbits came knocking at the eagle’s nest.

“I don’t see anyone…”

“The compass. It says someone is here. Right here.” The woman said. It was not her voice that was the panicked one, she was stalwart. But she could not hide the shake in her steps.

“Why would it break now? He won’t be far behind. What do we do?” It was the man from her faction who had the panic in his voice. The injured one barely got out a groan, his voice not reaching anything close to the yell his face was making.

“Even if it’s been busted up, an artifact won’t break so easily. There has to be someone here,” She said. Her voice was almost a whisper as she rolled the compass in her hands. She had a little doubt about her own words.

Her face grew more pale by the second. Hao could see the scratches on the object, along with the silver dot in the center of the glass compass. Another silver dot coming towards the center.

“He is coming,” she said, her arm falling to her side, putting the compass into the smaller brown bag on her hip. Hao was surprised; She didn’t seem the type to give up, they were already beaten up, dirty. But her head was high again, her mouth opening wide.

“Please! We have an injured member and require help,” she shouted, a complexing feeling on her face. Her voice echoing down the paths of trees.

Hao wasn’t going to respond, but before he ever got the chance, the uninjured man was leaping and shouting.

“Haha, Senior sister, there may be someone here other than us. He must have assassination techniques… We are saved.” His mouth moved to a manic smile.

“Don’t get your hopes…”

“Think about it, Senior sister. If they can hide from an artifact, then maybe this one can easily win the fight,” he said. His voice reaching a scream, and continuing to increase his volume.

This one? Hao looked closely at them, trying to spy their game.

The wolf hunting the rabbits came in a slow, loud walk, leaves and twigs crunching his heavy feet. The man had a large blade leaning across his shoulder. A saber too large for any normal person to wield. He wore the yellow robes of Two Rivers Fort. A deep scar across a pretty face twisted back in a vile smile. Age was kind to him, as his silver hair told a different story to his smooth face. For a cultivator to walk so confidently through the Secret Realm, they need experience and strength.

“So you finally found my next treasure bag,” the wolf said, barking out into the sky. He pointed his sabre to the tree where Hao was, the dark gray blade reflecting the high sun’s overwhelming light. It was close, the blade’s tip just a few steps off. It was close enough to make Hao’s neck straighten.

The wolf took a few steps forward. “How many more people are gonna kill before you give me that compass?” He spoke through a grin, his teeth showing.

“We did nothing. You’re the one with the blade. What do you get out of tormenting us?” The panicking man said, sliding his feet back. He was ignored, even the people at his side did not react to his words.

The rabbits were trapped by a lone wolf, and an eagle watched the interaction from the sky.

“If you give me the compass, I might spare just your life,” he said to the woman.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

His eyes left off the tree top, going to the women in the battered white cloak, “If you come with me, I can even spare the two of them.” he let out a long laugh, taking a second to take in her image. “But that one up there, these three people, doomed you to die.” He said, lifting his nose to the sky for another laugh, his eyes going down his nose to the bosom of the exhausted woman.

Hao was listening, the situation becoming clear. The wolf, the man from Two Rivers Fort, was using the team with the compass as hunting dogs. They would use the compass to find help, and the help, and the wolf would come chasing from behind.

Let the dogs find a new target while he loots the last one. Hao had guessed the game, but how long it had been going on he didn’t want to know, not after looking at the rabbits. It seemed he was toying with them for a while; Tormenting and torturing. The wound he left on the Drifting Stream Sect member was probably there just to slow them, so he could keep up. And that wound was something that would not heal, even given time, unless he saw a true healing expert.

“Bastard! Beast, just leave us be, or kill us already. Eventually we’ll find someone, someone who is more than your match,” the woman said. It sounded more like a prayer than a confident call.

Her voice stalled after she spoke, her breath becoming ragged as the rest of the group stopped breathing entirely. The wolf started to give off a great pressure, his World Energy cycling at an extreme speed. It was radiating off his skin, managing to stay in the air for a second before dissipating.

Six stages at least. This could be Seventh or Eighth, maybe. Hao was already analyzing the man, since he first pointed the sabre his way. He got more intent on his investigation after hearing the man’s words. If he was left with no choice but to fight, he would know his opponent’s appearance at least.

The wolf was stronger than any of the four, probably stronger than the four combined. A few solutions came to mind, intimidating him was the best bet. If he showed off a bit. A threat of a four on one fight may be enough to release the constraints of the situation.

The rabbits said nothing, and the wolf was losing patience.

“Hehe, very well. You’re still defiant in a hopeless situation.” The wolf could still laugh. He pulled his pressure back, his World Energy hidden once again.

The woman gained enough breath to speak, being able to breathe again. “What happened to our Sects being allies?”

“What does a shaky alliance of the Elders outside have to do with us, in here? If your Sect forces in the Secret Realm were wiped out and your generations crippled, my Two Rivers would rise, forgetting the alliance at its first chance. Any faction would do the same.” The wolf stepped beneath the canopy of Hao’s tree.

“If only members of the Two Rivers Fort exited the Secret Realm, not even your chickens would survive. All flags and robes with your Sects would be ashes. Your bloodline wiped out. Even the innocent would see their end.” The wolf was losing his interest in posture, but his strength was still getting to his head.

Hao could see it, the words putting the images in his head. Five percent of the Southern Tip would disappear overnight. All places, anything ruled over by cultivators being torched. Mortal holds, villages, and cities turned to cinder by an old Immortal at the snap of his fingers on a whim or accident—The result would be the same.

The wolf slung his saber over her shoulder again; It was still at the ready for a body-splitting overhead swing. “Of course, there would be rewards for the most accomplished. But since I don’t know if I would get a fair reward, I should take what I can get here.” He shrugged, the oversized saber bouncing. “Plenty of women entered the Secret Realm, some with treasures like you. I’m just lucky you were the first I ran into, and happened to be both.”

“The person we found this time has assassination techniques. We’ll have your head!” The shaking man in white said. Laying the Drifting Stream Sect disciple against the tree.

“Pfft, from which assassination Sect, ha, did you hire a mysterious rogue from an organization? Were you the only one to see the assassin arrive and enter? Or did fear just make you stupid?” The wolf mocked the rabbit, having a good laugh, while tapping the saber on his back.

“You won’t be that dumb for much longer, I will kill you first. Let your friend from that dying Sect bleed out, then have your woman. And you up there! Stay put and watch until I’m finished. Then, I’ll rip you down myself.” The wolf made a large gesture as he talked.

The leaves of the tree tickled Hao’s ears as he listened. He was surprised by the sudden steadfast resolve of the three.

The three rabbits stood in front of the wolf, ready to fight to the death. Even the injured one struggled to keep balance on his shattered leg. The wolf showed disdain in the silence. His face glowing like the current sun. It was close to noon. His feet were tapping as his saber bounced on his shoulder. He was close to a dance in his eagerness for death and bounty.

Hao stood, the tree shaking as he started moving from branch to branch, each losing more leaves than the last, filling the air. In his display, Hao took a stone out of the Spirit-Holding bag. He threw the stone, striking another tree. The branches of many trees were touching, so when he shook one, many did.

They all turned their heads to the sound of the stone. Just when the heads were turned, Hao leaped, landing behind the wolf. A false display of prowess, the eagle spreading its wings to appear bigger.

Hao made no noise in his landing, his appearance sudden, unknown until he spoke. The show he put on making his already fast speed appeared even faster. “You dogs are loud, barking up my tree. Any more rude speculations, I’ll give you a chance to say them since you’re eager to get yourself killed,” he said, standing as still as a statue. There was no sound in the world but his voice. Even the wind parted from him in silence. His gray appearance—covered in stone dust—Made him appear as a statue.

The four heads had to twist around all at once. The wolf had to turn more, all the way around, as Hao was directly behind him, just out of the saber’s range.

“Oh, perhaps you have some skill. I didn’t know the Drifting Stream was raising assassins unless subterfuge is at play.” The wolf squinted one eye, inspecting the young man. Half or quarter his age. “But you gave up your advantage; Assassination techniques are easy to counter when you see the assassin.”

The wolf was laughing. A slow, short chortle, the forming of sweat on his brow betrayed his confident words. And the tip of his blade, lifting to point in Hao’s direction.

Hao simply stared at the man, his face looking menacing to the others, scrunching down with peering eyes of scrutiny. In reality, however, Hao was confused by the wolf’s words. ‘Seven Colored Steps’ was a technique that granted great speed, was quieter than most movement techniques, but as far as he knew, it was not an assassination technique.

Hao was already confused when it was first brought up, it redoubled when it was brought up like it was a fact over and over. Now, the only one to mock the idea was talking about assassination techniques.

Isn’t an assassination when a little prince wants his daddy’s throne, not cultivators standing face to face? Hao knew of assassination, and that such techniques for silent killing were extremely powerful. It was hard not to know. The idea of them was like a warning label whenever he went outside.

Real assassination techniques allowed people who mastered them to fight above their cultivation level, more than one stage, or even a whole realm; Therefore, the thought of assassins brought fear to even the strongest of any realm.

Hao used his confusion to his advantage, turning his head. “You’re bold for a person who is about to face a four-on-one battle. And so close to that time, does the noon sun not daunt you?” Hao asked. He would let them thick as they would. It was a whetstone and gave him an edge. Put him in their minds as a bigger threat than he was.

The situation was close to ideal, but Hao could feel the strength bouncing off the wolf again. He stood steady, keeping his breathing calm, expecting it. On the other side, even if the group of rabbits was standing to be bold. They had little will to fight. Even if the three helped Hao fight against the wolf, it would be a struggle.

“Leave! That way we can all be spared, you most of all. Don’t forget, we aren’t the only ones in the Secret Realm.” Hao said, blinking as he took a quick look at the sky.

The wolf took a stance and Hao did the same, the three rabbits were ready the whole time. If a battle was forced, even if Hao had to retreat from the situation, he wanted at least an eye. The bigger the chunk of flesh he could claim, the more comfortable he would be in falling back.

It’s started with a sudden lunge from the wolf. Hao was going to pull the spear from his holding bag, but the wolf went right by. His back disappearing into the clumps of trees in just a few seconds. It left the rest of them in an awkward situation.

The woman in white broke the silence they found themselves in. “I thank you for your help, if not for you... At the very least, we won’t be tormented today.”

Hao gave her a quick look, then put his eyes back on the woods. The nervousness of the group was far from easing. The injured man, the Drifting Stream disciple leaning against the tree, was still panicking, keeping his guard up.

“What is it we can do to repay you?” The man wearing the white cloak asked, his bow stopping from going too low; he was keeping his eyes on Hao. He was still trembling. The rabbit had delivered itself to an eagle to escape the wolf. In his panic and hope, he forgot that both eat the flesh of such meek prey.

The woman did a full bow, although suspicious of Hao, she was far more composed. She was the entire time, but now an elegance was lifting from her as she cupped her hands, pushing her arms out. Her head lowered until her forehead was parallel with the ground, breaking eye contact with the display.

Hao was about to ask about the compass when she was lifting herself from her bow. The sight made him realize how long three days alone feel like. She was a cultivator, attractive, a little plump, with the hair and eyes of a typical woman on the land, dark and dark. But her skin was pale beneath the dirt, another feature of well-to-do women on land.

He shook his head from the gutter when he heard twigs and leaves being stepped on again. Is it a new person or is he back?”

Hao asked the question late, his untrained ears only picking up so much sound, if only he could hear and recognize the stepping of the feet earlier. But he didn’t. The last thing to tip him off was the gleam he saw from the corner of his eye. A great blade, moving at a great pace. The sound of the forest floor being pounded filled his ears when he saw the wolf in a great sprint.

“LOWER YOURSELF!” Hao shouted, his voice made the trees shake.

The two in white were already bowed or partially so, and just the volume of the yell shook them deeper. Their heads fell to the height of their waists.

The injured man leaning against the tree, the disciple of the Drifting Stream, Hao’s fellow sect member, could not bow at all. That injury cost him more than his leg.

A whistling sound passed over bowed heads, the metal sang until it clanged, slamming into the tree.

The two in white lowered themselves in time and the large blade was just short of taking the injured man’s head clean off. But it was not long enough. Blood began to spray from the wound on the man’s neck, soaking the bowing and the wolf standing tall. The head falling to the side, leaning on its owner’s shoulder. Left hanging by just a small bit of skin and flesh.

The wolf returned with a knowing open mouth smile. His game was done, and he had come to hunt.