Huyan Ji securely stowed away the sealed letter, hoisted the bundle onto his back, and exited the secret passage. Holding a lit torch, he moved swiftly through the dimly lit corridor.
After walking a couple of miles, he suddenly heard faint rustling sounds behind him.
Huyan Ji instantly grew alert.
This isn't good, someone is in the secret passage!
Gripping his dagger tightly, he quickened his pace.
Soon after, the laughter of a child echoed.
"Giggle~"
Under ordinary circumstances, a child's laughter would bring a smile to anyone's face. However, in this pitch-black and confined passage, it sent an indescribable chill down his spine.
Even Huyan Ji, accustomed to a life of bloodshed, couldn't help but swallow hard at this eerie situation. He repeatedly glanced behind him and began to run.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The sound of stones hitting the ground, drawing nearer with each hit, reached his ears.
Huyan Ji's expression grew stern as he raised his torch high, attempting to see who was following him. Unfortunately, the torch's light was too feeble to reveal anything.
At that moment, a "whoosh" sounded, and a stone struck the torch, extinguishing it.
In an instant, all he could see was darkness.
"Who?! Who's playing these tricks? Show yourself!"
Realizing the situation was dire, Huyan Ji yelled while sprinting forward.
However, the pounding sound of stones striking the ground, from near and far, continued to grow denser and closer.
The pursuer behind him was accelerating too!
"Whoosh!"
A stone hit Huyan Ji's ankle, causing him to stumble, narrowly avoiding a fall.
In the pitch-black enclosed tunnel, facing an unknown danger, Huyan Ji experienced a moment of panic. Yet, he quickly forced himself to regain composure, enduring the excruciating pain in his foot. He pressed on, running desperately forward without making a sound.
But in the complete darkness of the tunnel, his vision failed him. He stumbled and struggled to increase his speed.
Behind him, the sound of stones hitting the ground grew nearer.
"Whoosh!"
The second stone came, striking his other ankle.
This time, Huyan Ji couldn't avoid falling to the ground.
Huyan Ji reacted swiftly, propping himself up on both hands in an attempt to stand. Yet, the stones were faster than he was. "Whoosh, whoosh," two more stones hit his wrists.
The intense pain rendered him incapable of getting up, and in an instant, he became a sitting duck.
As if the stones had eyes, they unerringly aimed for Huyan Ji's head. Despite his vigorous efforts to dodge, he was soon bleeding from cuts on his forehead.
"Who are you?! Come out!"
At this moment, Huyan Ji felt utterly frustrated. As a Seventh-Rank expert from Bei Yan, he didn't even know who was ambushing him, and he was powerless to retaliate.
Since becoming an assassin, he had prepared himself for death at the hands of others. Yet, he had never imagined that one day he'd be killed by rocks.
"Bang!"
This time, a larger stone hit him squarely, causing Huyan Ji to fall onto his back.
The stone barrage continued. Huyan Ji keenly felt his life force slipping away, but he was too weak to fight back.
Dying like this was truly galling!
Despair filled Huyan Ji's eyes as he stared into the darkness, trying to discern the identity of his attacker.
Whoever could accurately strike him in this pitch-black environment, and whose stones he couldn't evade, must be an expert of at least Seventh-Rank or higher, right?
Dying at the hands of a stronger opponent was still somewhat acceptable.
Huyan Ji suddenly felt somewhat resigned. As an assassin, either he killed or was killed—this day was bound to come sooner or later.
Time slipped away. Huyan Ji's eyelids grew heavier. Just as he was on the brink of closing his eyes for good, the stone bombardment ceased. Then, a faint glimmer of light suddenly illuminated the passage.
Renewed hope flared in Huyan Ji's eyes, and he struggled to keep them open.
He wanted to see who had attacked him.
Then, he caught sight of a blurry figure.
A figure of a child, not even three feet tall, holding a torch in one hand and intermittently tossing stones with the other, calmly approaching him.
It was a little kid.
A little kid.
"Splurt~"
Huyan Ji's heart seemed to have been fiercely struck by something. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, and his head tilted to the side as he breathed his last.
A few minutes later, Li Wuya stood before Huyan Ji, ensuring he was truly lifeless. She then crouched down, retrieved the bundle from his body, and opened it on the ground.
Seeing the four Blood Ginseng, five Blood Lingzhi, and a small pouch of Wormgrass inside the bundle, Li Wuya's eyes lit up with joy.
Finally, she could enhance her healing abilities!
Li Wuya couldn't wait any longer. She eagerly grabbed the Blood Ginseng, and in an instant, the plump roots visibly withered at a speed discernible to the naked eye, until they turned into dried husks.
Leaving behind a single Blood Ginseng, a Blood Lingzhi, and a bundle of Wormgrass, Li Wuya absorbed the rest.
Healing abilities that saved others externally and fortified oneself internally.
During the absorption of the herbs, Li Wuya distinctly felt a warm current flowing within her body. She felt as comfortable as if she were soaking in a hot spring.
In just a few minutes, all the herbs had been fully absorbed.
Li Wuya felt somewhat satisfied as she looked at the faint green glow that appeared on her hand. Her mood improved remarkably. "Finally, I won't have to worry about injuries and illnesses anymore."
The medical standards here were abysmal; even a bout of fever could cost a life.
Though the herbs she had obtained weren't numerous, their potency was substantial. After absorption, she could still treat minor injuries and ailments.
Thinking about Li Qilang waiting for her, Li Wuya quickly stood up, packed the remaining herbs, and then searched Huyan Ji's body.
Soon, she found a sealed letter and a pouch from Huyan Ji. She wasn't interested in the letter, so she swiftly opened the pouch. Inside were several pieces of silver, and her face lit up with a delighted smile.
"All this effort wasn't in vain!"
Having obtained the letter, herbs, and silver, Li Wuya was quite pleased. She shouldered Huyan Ji's dagger and hurried toward the entrance of the secret passage.
"Qilang!"
Li Qilang obediently hid in the pit, and seeing Li Wuya return, he instantly beamed. "Wuya, you're finally back!"
"Look at what I have here."
Li Wuya handed the pouch to Li Qilang with a smiling face. She watched as he opened the pouch and took out the silver coins inside. "This is silver; we can buy a lot of food with it. Once the people outside have left, I'll take you to town to eat buns."
Li Qilang's eyes brightened. "Really? We can have buns?" He hesitated for a moment. "Buns are too expensive. Let's eat dry flatbreads instead. We can buy a few more and share them with Ma and the others."
Li Wuya patted Li Qilang's head affectionately and was about to say something when her expression suddenly changed.
Wasn't Sanlang going back to the military village with Ma? When did he return to the relay station?
"Watching" the scene in the relay station's hall, Li Sanlang was being pushed to the ground by a burly man. Li Wuya felt both anxious and worried.
Having lived in this time for five years, even though living conditions were difficult, her parents and siblings had cared for her deeply. She had long come to regard them as family.
Seeing her older brother being mistreated like this, Li Wuya felt as if something had stabbed her heart.
"Qilang, stay hidden here. I'll be back shortly."
Li Qilang's eyes shone as he held the silver coins. His older sister had just left for a moment and already brought back more silver. Could it be...
"Wuya, are you going to pick up more silver again? Then pick up more!" Li Qilang said, hoping for additional silver.
Li Wuya sighed, then patted Li Qilang's head, telling him to stay hidden and promptly left.
Arriving at the entrance of the secret passage, Li Wuya didn't immediately exit. Instead, she pondered how to rescue Li Sanlang.
Just then, Li Sanlang was escorted out of the hall by the burly man, heading straight for the kitchen.
Once they stepped out of the hall, the archers outside the relay station immediately raised their longbows. "Swish, swish, swish," several arrows rained down on the two men.
The burly man deflected several arrows with his knife, quickly grabbed Li Sanlang, and shielded himself with him.
"Snick~"
An arrow struck Li Sanlang's left shoulder directly.
"Ah!"
The pain made Li Sanlang cry out miserably.
The burly man used Li Sanlang as a human shield and coldly glared at the people outside the relay station, continuing to advance toward the kitchen.
Li Wuya "watched" this scene, her face growing terribly dark. She quickly activated her ability, exited the secret passage, and, holding the dagger she had just obtained, hid behind the kitchen's back door.
"Get in there!"
Li Sanlang was pushed into the kitchen, his body colliding with a raised section on the floor, causing him to fall face down. The arrow wound was exacerbated, contorting his features in agony.
Li Wuya silently "watched," gripping the dagger tightly. Her expression was tense, her gaze detached, like a poised hunter ready to pounce.
Enduring the pain, Li Sanlang propped himself up with one hand, attempting to rise. But just as he raised his body, he caught a glimpse of Li Wuya hiding behind the door. His pupils contracted, freezing him in place.
"I'm starving! Where's the food?"
The burly man entered the kitchen, following Li Sanlang. Seeing Li Sanlang lying on the ground motionless, he took a couple of steps forward, raised his fist, and was about to start hitting him.
In the very instant before his fist descended, a "snick" sound was heard. A long and fierce blade swiftly pierced into the burly man's back.
Seeing the blade tip emerging from his abdomen, the burly man seemed unable to comprehend the situation.
"Drip!"
"Drip!"
Blood dripped from the blade tip to the ground. The burly man, seeming to finally grasp what had transpired, displayed an expression that mixed astonishment and fury on his face.
He was about to turn around to see who had attacked him, but just as he made the motion, Li Sanlang, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sprang up. He seized a kitchen cloth and lunged at the burly man, knocking him down and using the cloth to muffle his mouth and nose.