Just as Jin Yu was about to strike down the escort

  The man's cold, emotionless voice cut through the forest.

  "How dare you attack Spiral Gate's guest? You must seek death!"

  Jin Yu paused, brow furrowed.

  It’s not him?

  Tens of robed figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding both Jin Yu and the escort.

  "He's ours." one of the figures muttered before signaling the others.

  Without hesitation, a sword appeared in the escort’s hand. He shot forward like a bolt, aiming straight for the speaker. A fan materialized in the robed man’s grip as he countered, meeting the attack head-on.

  The rest didn’t hesitate. They launched themselves at Jin Yu, small weapons flashing through the air like a storm of steel.

  Ding!

  Influence +10,000

  Ding!

  Influence +10,000

  Ding!

  Influence +10,000

  Ding!

  Influence +10,000

  (Emotion Provoked: Killing Intent)

  Jin Yu didn’t speak. He drew a sword from his ring and slashed in a sweeping arc, sending the flying weapons back the way they came. The attackers dodged, but immediately followed up with another barrage.

  He vaulted off the horse. With a single pat, the stallion vanished into his orb.

  And in the same instant—

  He vanished too.

  He reappeared behind one of the attackers.

  Crack.

  A sickening snap echoed as the man’s neck twisted backward, his body dropping in silence.

  The rest didn't falter, they lunged toward him at once—

  Thin daggers, throwing needles, and sickles curved like crescent moons rained down in deadly silence.

  Jin Yu's eyes narrowed.

  His sword flashed.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Clang! Clang! Cling—Thwip!

  He deflected the first wave, blades sparking off his weapon as he spun to meet the next.

  Two charged from the left.

  He ducked low, sliding beneath a pair of swinging blades, then shot up between them, his sword slicing upward in a clean arc.

  Splurt!

  One of them clutched his throat before collapsing.

  The second attacker turned to retreat—

  Jin Yu vanished.

  In the space of a blink, he reappeared behind him, sword reversed.

  Shick.

  The blade pierced through the man’s back and out his chest.

  From above, three more dropped down from the trees, ropes in hand like executioners.

  Jin Yu leapt to meet them midair, twisted between the ropes, and kicked off one of their shoulders, sending that one crashing into a trunk.

  While still airborne, he threw a blade from his ring.

  Thunk!

  It lodged into the neck of the second.

  The third landed and turned to run,

  But Jin Yu landed behind him first.

  Crack.

  A sharp twist of the wrist, and the man’s neck snapped, limp in his grasp.

  Another came from behind, slashing with dual short swords aimed at Jin Yu’s ribs.

  He ducked low, swept the attacker’s legs, and drove his elbow into the falling man’s temple.

  Thud.

  To the side, a pair of assassins tossed dozens of metal needles toward his eyes and chest.

  He turned slightly, his foot tapped the ground.

  Swish!

  He vanished.

  The needles struck nothing.

  He reappeared behind one of them—

  Shing!

  Blood sprayed as his sword carved through the man’s back.

  The second hesitated. Just a blink.

  Jin Yu’s fingers flicked, and the man’s own needle struck his throat.

  Another body fell.

  A dagger flew for his forehead.

  Needles streaked toward his eyes, chest, and throat.

  Again and again, Jin Yu phased through the air like a ghost, reappearing with every fallen body.

  While Jin Yu danced through death like a phantom, the escort and the fan-wielding robed man clashed a short distance away.

  Clang! Whoosh! Clang!

  The escort’s sword shimmered under moonlight, slashing with clean, mechanical precision. Each strike was met by a graceful flick of the robed man’s fan, its edges glinting with sharp steel hidden in folds of silk.

  Wind burst around them with every exchange.

  Sword met fan, power met technique.

  The escort moved like a silent machine, his expression unchanged, every attack exact and ruthless. He spun and delivered a rising strike toward the man’s ribs.

  The fan opened with a snap, catching the blade between its steel spokes.

  The robed man smiled coldly. “For a lapdog, you bite well.”

  The escort didn’t respond. His eyes narrowed.

  He twisted his wrist, forcing the fan away and launching a rapid flurry of precise stabs.

  The robed man leaned back, avoiding them by a hair’s breadth, before kicking up a cloud of dirt and vanishing into the mist.

  Swish!

  A blade cut through the haze—nearly taking his head off.

  The fan spun and deflected the sword, pushing the force aside with a gust of wind imbued with Qi.

  Their shadows blurred in a relentless rhythm, vanishing and clashing across the battlefield, neither gaining ground. Every strike aimed to kill. Every parry meant life saved by inches.

  It wasn’t just a fight, it was a standoff between two beings who couldn’t afford to lose.

  And all the while, behind them, Jin Yu stood in the center of corpses.

  Blood marked the earth in an uneven circle around him, his breathing steady, his sword dripping, his expression unreadable.

  The air suddenly shifted.

  Just as the last robed attacker collapsed with a gurgling breath, his lifeless eyes wide with disbelief, the remaining assassins backed away in unison, retreating a few steps.

  Jin Yu didn’t chase.

  He stood amidst the corpses, blade lowered, face blank, blood on his cheek, none of it his.

  Then movement.

  The remaining robed figures formed a tight arc, their hands flashing through synchronized seals. Symbols danced in the air, glowing faintly before vanishing into the soil beneath their feet.

  A low hum vibrated through the ground.

  Fshhhhh!

  Thick black mist began to rise from the earth, curling like smoke but denser. It looked oily and unnaturally slow, It spread around them, the scent sharp enough to sting the nose.

  The escort, locked mid-strike with the robed fan-user, faltered for just a second.

  His eyes widened.

  “Poison Valley!” He spat, hate thick in his voice. “You animals dare use this again?!”

  His calm vanished. Rage surfaced.

  With a roar, he launched a brutal assault, his sword howling through the air with newfound savagery, driving his opponent back, strike after furious strike.

  Meanwhile, Jin Yu narrowed his eyes at the smoke slithering toward him. He could feel that it wasn’t ordinary poison.

  It carried intent, like a venomous will. The kind that corroded from the inside.

  He took a step back, already moving to phase again when....

  Ding!

  Poisonous Qi detected.

  Absorbing...

  Progress bar: 44%... 44.3%... 44.6%... 44.9%...

  His breath caught.

  Then, he laughed.

  "Hahahahahahaha"

  A low, amused sound rumbled from his chest. “So... you’re feeding me now?”

  The mist twirled tighter, latching to his skin like eager snakes. He didn’t resist.

  Instead, he stood still, eyes glowing faintly red, letting the poison Qi sink in.

  The assassins watched in confusion, this wasn’t what was supposed to happen.

  He smiled, slow and cruel. Madness flitting in his eyes.

  “Try harder.”