Chapter 106 – Spiritwood Grove (IV)

Chapter 106

Spiritwood Grove (IV)

Ever since Long Tao’s not-so-subtle ‘foreshadowing’, as it were, I’ve grown a bit… paranoid. I jumped at every shadow–not that there were many of them as we wandered the grassy fields under the burning scorch of the evening sun–and jostled at every sound, always expecting for something to go wrong.

And, as it often happens in life, just as I started relaxing and thinking it may be that old-monster paranoia at work, it happened.

We came upon a river–finally–as well as a bridge, indicating that we were likely fairly close to at least some civilization. On the other end of the river, the trees grew far more plentiful. It wasn’t a forest yet, no, but it was thick enough, as it turned out, to hide people.

We first paused a bit by the riverbank and freshened up before finally crossing the wooden construct. Just as we reached the other side, five shadows coalesced into figures that surrounded us, all armed with blades or axes or daggers, cloaked and masked.

Despite my propensity for panic attacks, I remained ‘steady’ enough to use my Creator’s Eyes (which just so happen to now hold 5 charges) on all of them and breathed a sigh of relief.

They were all weak.

Like, barely mid to late stages Qi Condensation weak. Their leader was actually only at the tenth stage.

“Surrender your goods and live; resist and die!” Hey, at least they had a semi-cool opening line. It’d be a lot scarier if they themselves were, you know, actually scary.

“Light, you go.” It wasn’t me that ordered a six-year-old girl to go out and fight a bunch of grown-ass men (and one woman), but Long Tao. I didn’t even get a chance to protest before the young girl emerged from the ranks, knuckles cracking, a strange smile on her face as she drew out a sword.

… hey.

When and where’d you get a sword from?!

She didn’t say anything and attacked immediately, reaching the leftmost figure so quickly it left me genuinely shocked. Not nearly as shocked as the cloaked guy, however, as he barely seemed to recognize what happened before a sword dug into his heart.

None of the other four came to while she continued her crusade, going clockwise and killing as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her realm has always been a point of… uh, let’s say confusion for me.

Technically, according to the system, she was ‘only’ in the third stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. I mean, she was six–it was already monstrous. But, her strength was about the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm thanks to her unique physique and bloodline.

Especially so after her ‘rebirth’ when the Bane became the Boon.

I’d actually hazard a guess that, if she had just a bit more combat experience, she’d potentially be stronger than Xi Zhao.

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Alas, for the bandits… it was enough.

Though… I’m a bit worried. I mean, if the average bandits and hoodlums were already broaching the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm, what about the more organized ones? Is the standard really that high for thieves that they can almost match sect disciples?

… something stinks here.

“Keep him alive!” I barely called out before she stabbed the last of the bandits, the strongest of the bunch. She held back and just knocked the axe from his hand, though there wasn’t much protest. The guy’s eyes were ostensibly shellshocked, and he was likely regretting every decision ever made.

“You three, bury the bodies,” I said. “Long Tao, come with me.”