Shao had no idea what Elder Ying was talking about, but he had the wherewithal to know advice when he heard it. With a bowed head and clasped hands, Shao said, “Thank you, Elder Ying. I will take your wise words to heart.”

Xiahou Ying brought the three young cultivators to the entrance to the Lesser Treasure Hall. The reassuring weight of the Coiled Dragon Armor weighed down on Shao’s limbs, and the wood below his feet creaked much more than before. Adding the added weight to his own, Shao realized that he must have weighed more than three hundred jin. He wondered if his punches would strike with greater force now that each of his arms weighed more than fifty jin.

As they reached the entrance, Elder Ying turned to them and said, “All of you have chosen treasures that will aid you on your path. Instead of short-term gratification, you have all chosen long-term growth. This reflects quite well on you as cultivators, and I hope to see how you all progress in your time with the Shigong Sect.”

The three outer disciples bowed their heads and began to turn for the exit, but Elder Ying cut them off once more. “One more thing. To help you survive long enough to flourish with our sect, I should tell you something. You were followed here by ten Lianqi. Eight are lower-realm, and two are upper-realm.”

Shocked that Elder Ying would show such favoritism to three new recruits, they bowed their heads once more and swiftly left the Lesser Treasure Hall. As soon as Shao walked out into the afternoon air and noted Huxian sitting obediently by the entrance, he scanned the horizon for any cultivators. Shao could not see anyone. As far as he could tell, they were completely alone.

“Ten, eh?” Xiahou Ren muttered. “I only noticed three.”

“Do you have another plan?” Gao Long asked seriously.

“Yeah.” Ren spoke quietly, and then he began to project his voice loud enough for anyone listening to hear. “All right, Yang Lin Shao. I’ll see you later at the Confirmation Ceremony.”

Xiahou Ren held his hand out, and Shao gave him a deep frown. Apparently, it was his turn to be bait. Shao considered the likelihood of this being a betrayal. Ren could just run and leave him to fight ten Lianqi. Against eight lower-realm and two upper-realm Lianqi, Shao wasn’t confident that he could handle it. Five lower-realm Lianqi almost killed him a few days before.

The thought of testing himself against such a foe excited him, for some reason. He wanted to see if he could do it. Shao was much stronger than he was a week before, and he wanted to see how much he had grown.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Yang Shao reached out and shook Ren’s hand with the twin emotions of worry and excitement churning in his gut. Xiahou Ren grasped Shao’s hand firmly and pulled him close. Ren whispered into Shao’s ear. “At the fork, head away from the Northern Gate. When you see an attacker, use that shout technique.”

They split at the fork in the road indicated by Ren, and Shao lightly thumbed his sword’s handguard as he walked. He made sure to walk in the center of the path so that they couldn’t attack him from concealment. About a hundred paces after Gao Long and Xiahou Ren disappeared from Shao’s view, he heard the rustling of leaves from one side of the path. A moment later, five Shigong cultivators dressed in the uniforms worn by outer disciples appeared from the foliage. One of the outer disciples wore a white ceremonial stole over his shoulders, and Shao immediately picked him out as the leader.

None of them had drawn their swords yet, and Shao could have used the opportunity to use Howl of the Black Wolf to alert Gao Long and Xiahou Ren of the danger. Shao did not make a sound, however. He was concerned that they could use the vulnerability created when he used the Howl to harm him.

There was another reason for Shao’s reticence. He would never admit it, but he wanted to fight those five Lianqi without the help of his two allies. His sword arm itched. Shao wanted to hold a sword in his hand and hear the melody of steel cutting flesh.

“You must be Yang Lin Shao,” the lead disciple with the stole around his neck said. “I am Shen Zaifu Guanzhong, son of Shen Zaifu Ming. Give us the treasure you received from the Lesser Treasure Hall, and we won’t kill you.”

A dark expression filled with malice covered Shao’s face as he heard the name “Shen Zaifu Ming” uttered by the brigand. When Shao was a child, that man had killed his parents, altering his life forever.

One other thing was clear to Shao. Shen Guanzhong would not allow Shao to leave alive if given the chance. Shao was pretty good at telling when someone was lying, and Shen Guanzhong wasn’t trying very hard to sell the lie. This group of five cultivators must have been a part of the faction that released the divine wolves by the Southern Gate. They didn’t just want the treasure in Shao’s pocket. They wanted him dead.

A strange feeling of relief passed through Shao. They were going to attack him one way or another, and that certainty meant that Shao didn’t have to choose his words carefully.

“I see that theft is hereditary, Shen Guanzhong,” Shao said, spitting upon the ground. He would have spat upon Shen Guanzhong’s face, but he was standing too far away. “When I tear out your entrails, know that I do it because of the sins of your father. Shen Zaifu Ming gave my parents a pointless death. Now, I shall do the same to his son.”

Shao drew his sword violently, pulling the red cord free of the handguard. Wrath motivated his movement, and he held the shining steel of his blade out toward Shen Zaifu Guanzhong.

“My father killed your parents?” Shen Guanzhong said, chuckling at the thought. He drew his katana and held it firmly in both hands. “I’ve never heard of them. They must have been too insignificant for him to mention.”

The four lower-realm Lianqi drew their swords as well, and Shao surged forward like a wild animal.