Yu Chen’s footsteps resounded as he dashed through the jungle, attempting to reach Ling Xia before the men closing in on her could. She turned, and he could see the fear in her eyes as they met.

Relief washed across her face.

That split second of attention cost her. Yu Chen watched as one of the two men chasing her tossed a dagger in an underhanded throw. It whistled through the air before lodging in her leg, taking her feet out from under her. The beautiful girl fell with a soft cry, collapsing to the ground no longer able to use her movement technique.

The two men closed the distance, attempting to finish the job, but Yu Chen was there.

He reached Ling Xia before them, landing with a ferocious shout as he threw his fist out to meet the closest one. The man hurried to block the sudden blow, revolving his qi as he activated some strange technique. It didn’t do him any good. The force of Yu Chen’s condensed qi backed by his tempered body slammed through the man’s guard, blasting him across the clearing and sending him tumbling away.

A sinister gleam flickered in the other man’s eyes as he struck out at Yu Chen. He hadn’t even spared a glance as his friend was sent flying away, using the opportunity left behind by the boy’s formidable attack to strike a deadly blow at the young boy.

Yu Chen’s face paled as the man slid close to him, the dagger coming up in a sweeping blow. He cycled his movement technique, desperately attempting to retreat, but he wouldn’t make it in time.

Cang Wuji arrived in the nick of time. Roaring, his staff appeared, knocking the other man’s knife off course. He twirled his staff, moving in to engage the sinister man.

Yu Chen cast a relieved look his way, leaving the boy to handle their opponent as he rushed over to check on Ling Xia. The young girl was pale, the skirts of her robe wet with blood that was steadily gushing forth from the wound in her leg. Yu Chen cursed. The knife must have nicked an artery.

“It’s alright.” Yu Chen said softly, as he knelt beside her. “Help is here. What happened?”

She looked up at him, beginning to speak as Yu Chen opened his pouch, pulling out a nurturing pill, offering it to her.

“They came out of nowhere, I don’t know why they attacked us.” She said, her face drawn tight with pain. “Yan Tie distracte-”

A look of dismay crossed her face. She grunted, trying to push herself off of the ground, only to fail and fall back down.

“Where is Yan Tie?” She said, panicking as she tried to push herself up again. “We have to help him; he was fighting a powerful foe!”

Yu Chen was about to reply when a warning from Cang Wuji sounded out from behind him.

“They’re returning.”

Yu Chen looked up, seeing Cang Wuji standing between them and the strange men in black, his staff held firmly in both hands. The sinister man stood before Cang Wuji, silent. He’d broken off his attack, waiting for his allies to arrive.

Yu Chen could see them in the distance. The man he’d sent flying had risen to his feet and was coming closer. Another approached, a bloody dagger still dripping in his hand. He could sense a dense aura roiling from the man.

“Give me a minute, Ling Xia,” Yu Chen said with steel in his voice.

Ling Xia cursed, trying to push herself up again as she watched him walk to stand beside Cang Wuji.

“They must be from your sect, eh?” Cang Wuji said, glancing towards the girl on the ground.

“That’s right.” Yu Chen said shortly, assuming a martial stance beside the other boy.

The three men attacked and there was no more room for talking. Yu Chen found their silence unnerving as they moved in tandem. No sign of emotion crossed their face, besides the one who still had a sinister glint in his eyes.

Yu Chen swayed as they first attack came, dodging a dagger that came streaking towards his midriff. He grabbed his opponent's wrist as it passed by, holding him in place as he prepared to strike him with his other hand.

He was forced to abort the attack as another man sliced towards him with a dagger. He bent out of the way, maintaining his grip on the wrist he held, before spinning back around to strike again. His eyes widened, seeing the knife’s edge coming towards his face.

The other man had switched hands when he wasn’t looking. Yu Chen let go of the now empty wrist as he leaned back, desperately avoiding the deadly stab. He felt the edge of the blade cut a thin line across the side of his chest and cursed, unable to believe he’d fallen for such a simple maneuver.

He pedaled backwards, making distance as he looked over to see Cang Wuji battling the man with the dense aura, who was avoiding the staff with unnerving ease. Cang Wuji’s face was screwed up in concentration as he spun through complex maneuvers Yu Chen had never seen.

Then the two others were on him again, and the fight dissolved into a brawl.

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

Fighting against men was different to fighting against spirit beasts. It was true that spirit beasts were stronger, but the men fought strategically, balancing their strengths in a way no beast could.

Yu Chen blocked an attack from one, but he had to duck as the other man’s dagger flew towards him again. The attacks he did manage to land were powerful enough to blast one’s guard open, but he was unable to follow up, as the other appeared to distract him.

The fight went back and forth, neither side able to gain an advantage. Yu Chen was stronger than either one of them, but together they put up a good enough fight that he could only persevere, waiting for his opportunity.

A flurry of attacks came towards him, and he spun out of the way, avoiding them. Another attack came, forcing him further to the left when a grin crossed his opponent’s face for the first time.

“No!” He shouted.

They’d tricked him, maneuvering him out of position and placing themselves between him and Ling Xia. He could only watch in horror as the man furthest from him turned, dashing towards the unprotected girl.

He cycled his movement technique dashing to intercept the man. The man turned before he reached the wounded girl, and Yu Chen was relieved, thinking he’d arrived in time.

The man didn’t move to attack however, just staring at the boy, expressionless, and Yu Chen felt the cold pain of something sharp entering his back. They’d used the girl as a distraction, and he’d paid dearly.

“Yu Chen!” Ling Xia gasped, watching the knife enter his back.

He roared, spinning around to see the man with the sinister smile standing behind him.

Yu Chen stumbled, but he firmed himself, remaining on his feet through will alone. He realized he was taking deep breaths, and he felt his heart thumping like never before.

The two men began approaching once again, flanking him from both sides.

The spiritual energy in the air began swaying gently. Then it moved, tugged towards the bloody young boy who stood in the clearing breathing heavily. His dantian opened up, happily accepting the gift. Yu Chen felt revitalized, his discomfort sloughing away like a second skin.

His concerns disappeared, his thoughts for himself and others replaced by a cold feeling of ruthlessness that subsumed his being. A cold grin crossed his face as he stared towards the man who had stabbed him. His grin widened as he saw the smile on the other man’s face falter before sliding away.

Yu Chen took a step forward, and then another. The two men paused, uncertain as he approached, but Yu Chen didn’t stop moving forward, he’d never stop moving forward.

Dragons didn’t retreat, they advanced.

He cycled his movement technique. In his clear minded state, his qi responded like never before, livelier than ever as it rushed through his meridians to flood into his muscles, dramatically increasing his speed.

They began to react, but he was already there. The sinister man’s eyes widened but Yu Chen had already struck out, hitting him in the arm hard, breaking the bone. For the first time the man made noise.

Screaming he grabbed his arm, the bloody dagger falling from his limp grasp to land on the jungle floor, forgotten. The other man came rushing towards him from behind, brows furrowed as he attempted to help his ally.

Yu Chen didn’t move.

“Lue She!” He didn’t even look as he threw his arm up. The small snake hissed with excitement as she came flying out of his sleeve, landing onto the man as he approached.

“Wha-” He began saying, but Lue She had already latched onto an artery, pumping him full of venom. He didn’t realize it yet, but he was already dead.

The entire time Yu Chen hadn’t taken his eyes off of the man before him, feeling the slow trickle of blood running down his back. The man clutched his broken arm, looking up at him with hatred in his eyes.

Yu Chen simply raised a foot, kicking him in the chest.

The man hit the ground hard, and Yu Chen’s blood rose, an intense feeling welling up within him. He spared a glance at Ling Xia’s wounded form, before striking downwards, ending the man’s life.

Yu Chen’s feelings battered at the edges of the bubble of ruthless focus that had engulfed his mind. A feeling of revulsion welled up in him, sickness at having ended a person’s life, but also…

Joy, the intense visceral reaction of a beast that had grappled with death and come out victorious. Pride, in his own strength and abilities, and a deep sense of satisfaction that Yu Chen did not want to unpack right now.

A pained cry sounded out, pulling Yu Chen from his reveries. He glanced up to see Cang Wuji reeling backwards as their last opponent pressed his advantage. Yu Chen didn’t hesitate, dashing across the clearing to help his friend.

He blocked a blow that would have seriously injured the other boy and exchanged several quick blows with the man while Cang Wuji recovered. To his surprise he found the strange fellow to be a superior fighter, one who was somehow even stronger than him.

In a few quick exchanges, the other man had already managed to get the upper hand.

Yu Chen ducked a blow aimed at his head, before hastily dodging a dagger that swept towards his side. He wasn’t quite fast enough, and the blade drew another crimson line across his stomach. The other fighter was beginning to press him, and Yu Chen felt beads of sweat build up on his forehead.

Soon, it was all he could do to avoid the other man’s unusual techniques. The man remained expressionless, even as he sent his bloody knife cutting towards Yu Chen once more.

And then Cang Wuji returned.

The other boy’s staff slid in, deflecting the thrust. The two boys turned the tides, beginning to press the other man back. Together they were more than the sum of their parts, the countless life and death battles having given the two boys an instinctive understanding of each other.

“Tch.” The strange man said, expressing emotion for the first time. His brows narrowed, a frown appearing as the three whirled together through the strange steps of their deadly dance. Cang Wuji sent the other man’s dagger flying high and Yu Chen unleashed a mighty shout, summoning his remaining Qi and condensing it into his fist to deliver a devastating blow.

However, it was not to be. The black-robed man utilized a strange movement technique, abandoning the fight as he turned to run off into the jungle.

Yu Chen hurried to chase after him, but his steps faltered as Ling Xia’s wounded form entered his vision.

He sighed, watching the black-robed man disappear into the distance.