Cultivators in lower realms were very vulnerable to assassinations. The defense techniques at that stage could only be activated consciously because the technique, whatever it is, needs a qi source to operate. and a bare body without qi protection could never go against a spiritual metal or high-grade poison qi. Assassins, taking people by surprise, can devastate people before they lift their guards up. Wang Feng however, knew when and where an assassin is coming. Therefore one making a surprise attack was Wang Feng. They kept coming for several days, they kept turning into corpses. Some died to spiritual arrows. Some died from strangulation, some were punched into a paste, and some were sliced and diced.
There was a reason only low-level assassins came after them. The hit reward on Yi and Wang Feng was low. Even if it wasn't, high-level assassins often didn't take the low-level target having, high-paying jobs. They knew better. If there is a high-paying hit on a low-level cultivator there was a risk of the target having powerful backing. Or even worse, the risk of information on the target being false was high. They didn't want to appear in front of the target just to be eviscerated. Cultivators acted especially brutally toward assassins. These were the people that could make a cultivator's path to immortality cut short suddenly, without rhyme or reason unless they get counterattacked and killed swiftly.
Yi and Wang Feng were standing over an assassin's corpse.
"It's a damn shame" Yi exclaimed. The assassin was, rather unflatteringly, sprawled on the ground, dead. This was the assassin who died the dumbest way. He leaped on a sword from a tree in an attempted ambush. He was skewered by Yi the bastard stepping aside and pointing his sword out.
Wang Feng agreed.
"We are slaughtering these people like chickens but this was once someone's dear kid. Now he is dead, unceremoniously, suddenly, dead. He probably had a girl he loved. F*cker took the only life he had and spent it on this nonsense. He now lies on the ground with a huge hole in his chest." The assassin was a morally bankrupt person. The assassination business was a dirty business. Being morally bankrupt didn't mean that person will succeed in the cultivating world. A nasty person was in fact, more likely to die a dog's death. Although not as precise as Wang Feng, diviner existed in this world. There was no such thing as a "perfect crime" where all the evidence is missing. One who does dirty deeds had to wear that on their sleeves. Everyone worth their salt opted for flimsily justifying their deeds with sophistry.
Wang Feng squinted his eyes as if he remembered something. He pointed at the copse and said:
"Yi, are we littering? Is this littering? We are stabbing these dudes and just leaving them there. We aren't burning them or burying them. "
Yi the bastard poked the corpse with the scabbard.
"Sh*t, you are right. Somebody is cleaning up after us, cussing our name. Oh well, whatever, you gotta do what you gotta do."
Wang Feng stood in a respectful, upright pose and offered a eulogy to the dead.
"Whatever power that created us, that controls our life and death, let this cool assassin be a cool food to cool worms, turning into cool worm sh*t."
Yi was amused. "What was that?"
Wang Feng replied "A eulogy. I've decided this guy at least deserves that."
Yi stood in a respectful, upright pose.
"Random assassin dude, although I knew you for a very brief period, I will never forget you. Mainly because you died in such a retarded way that, even in the lowest points of my life I will remember the way you died and start to feel better out of sheer amusement. I wanted to thank you for that. Let's go, Wang Feng, we're late"
Mr. Wan was not discouraged by all the happenings around him. It was a leader's duty to keep a calm mind at all times. Any and all weaknesses shown by Mr.Wan the leader would trickle down to the people under him. Even if things are worse than anything he ever experienced, he would not freak out. He couldn't afford to freak out.
Today was the day they joined the larger caravan that the Zhangsheng sect was organizing.
Mr.Wan approached Wang Feng.
"Hey Sonny, how are you?"
Wang Feng replied,
"I'm fine. What's the matter?"
Mr.Wan's expression changed for the worse. "I'm will be honest with you today Wang Feng. This trip was rough. I want you to divine dangers all along the return trip. We would be dead five times over if it weren't for your divinations. I want you to keep it up. I will also try and record the personal spirit stones you and your friends burning through as travel expenses so the Shoushan sect might refund it. " Yi and Wang Feng knew fit a fact that there was no such thing. Mr.Wan was trying to scam a young lad out of his measly sum of spirit stones so the caravan and escorts could survive. Wang Feng willingly and knowingly fell for it. He too wanted these people to survive.
"It's alright Mr.Wan. I was going to do so regardless. Did you forget sir? I'm a part of this endeavor too."
Mr.Wan smiled at Wang Feng. He didn't have the heart to tell the boy the truth. Soon after, the preparations for departure were finished. It was time to hit the road.
On the first day, Wang Feng approached Ma De the spiritual archer. And asked "Ma De, could you fire an arrow with my guidance? I assure you it is important."
Ma De nodded. Wang Feng adjusted Ma De's posture and pulling force and said "Let go." the arrow flew in an arc, and stabbed right into a man's cheek.
A few hours prior, Demon sect members were organizing a giant offensive. They had a piece of valid information about this huge caravan and the paths it will take. Knowing the large caravan was not easy prey, they had to gather a lot of warriors.
They were observing and planning from a "safe" distance.
While observing from a safe distance and planning, an arrow flew in. Stabbed right into the "Crazy Wei". Crazy Wei was crying tears of blood. There was an arrow in his tear glands. He didn't dare to pull it out, didn't dare to do anything at all. All he could do was panic. Crazy Wei ran up to his good friend Lee. An arrow sticking from his face, he screamed towards his friend Lee. Alas, there was nothing Lee could do. He ran up to his other friend Xu. Crazy Wei screamed at Xu's face. Xu was not any help either. Then he spotted Duan Jie. She was an acquaintance from work. If Duan Jie managed to help him, he would become even better friends with Duan Jie than Xu and Lee. He would sell his friends out in a heartbeat. He ran up to her and screamed. His messed-up eyes were looking in different directions. She said "Ew" and pushed him away. Crazy Wei fell on his back, still screaming.
This harrowing sight startled the Demon leader.
"Divide up, scour the area! find the archer."
Little did he know, that arrow was shot from an incredible distance by a cultivator. Likewise, There was another arrow with a broken bottle attached this time. Within this bottle was a lure. One by one, divided demon cultivators got attacked by the local fauna. It was pandemonium.
Meanwhile, the caravan started moving. Demon cultivators slowly lost the window to properly mount an attack on the caravan. The distance between them was widening. They now had to catch up to the caravan, go past them, and settle on an advantageous terrain if they wanted to mount an ambush again.
The demon offensive thus suffered a financial loss. The prospects of successfully attacking the caravan were getting bleak. He gritted his teeth and bellowed.
"We will give up on ambushing! We will directly attack!" Demon cultivators were whipped into a frenzy.
"Now or never!"
"Huzzah!"
Meanwhile, a flaming arrow landed on dry shrubbery. The demon cultivators stopped in their tracks. In front of them, a blazing inferno has arisen. Another financial loss was imminent. At this rate, they will have to give up on their competitive edge. Attack the far richer Sect cultivators with a subpar amount of spiritual qi. They were hungry too. they went thru their personal rations yesterday. This was supposed to be a far shorter campaign. Their larger numbers didn't help. The larger numbers went thru the provisions faster. Demon leader was in a dilemma once more.
Do I attack a fully rested, fully satiated fully qi-charged force with a starving and qi-depraved force?
Of course not.
"Let's turn back. We are not attacking anymore. This operation is a bust."