LUO FAN
Border of Qushan
I massaged my numb fingers. The temperature was high, but my hands and feet felt cold.
Ruan Yanjun had just told me that we should make it to the town of Qushan before dark. We had been traveling for two months already, and I should be glad that we finally reached our destination, but I felt restless instead.
"Are you afraid?" Ruan Yanjun asked.
Even though I had not said anything, this man certainly knew what was bothering me.
Qushan was the last town in Wun Empire before crossing the border to Kan Empire. It was where travelers would stop by to buy necessary supplies for their journey.
Although we had not set foot in Kan Empire yet, it already made me feel anxious being just near the empire that wanted me dead.
"Don't worry," he said when I did not respond to his question. "You're in good hands. As long as I'm with you, you're completely safe."
I believed him.
How could I not? The world's best martial artist has vowed to protect me. Who would dare lay a hand on me?
However, that wasn't the only thing that was making me restless.
Being near Kan Empire reminded me of the past that I wished to erase from my memory—the physical tortures that I had suffered for days, the harrowing pain that almost sent me to madness as they nullified my cultivation, and the nightmare of seeing my master drop dead right in front of me because I had unknowingly offered him a poisoned tea.
I closed my eyes and tried to get those things out of my head, but I could not, not while I was so near that empire. If possible, I wanted to return to Xianru right away. Being that far away, it was easier to not think about Kan Empire and Frost Mountain.
My fingers trembled on my lap and I quickly opened my eyes. I found myself breathing hard.
"A-Fan," Ruan Yanjun said. "If you're in need of comfort, I'd gladly offer you myself. Come closer."
I quickly turned my head away from him.
Ever since we started traveling, he had never stopped teasing me so I had always made sure to keep a wide gap between us. Comfort was the last thing he was capable of providing me.
He laughed. "You are so amusing. With you as my companion, I can endure another two months of travel without being bored."
Not for me. I'd be dead if we were to travel for another week longer.
The carriage stopped and Ruan Yanjun immediately jumped out. "Let's go."
I looked through the window.
All I saw were trees and the sound of chirping birds told me we were in an inhabited place.
Although I had never set foot in Qushan yet, I had heard that it was a lively and busy town with countless shopping stalls lined up at the side of every road.
This wilderness couldn't even be considered a town.
Why did Ruan Yanjun stop here?
"Lord Ruan, what are we doing here?" I asked the moment I stepped out of the carriage.
"Didn't you come along to search for that legendary Molun herb?" he returned.
My heart lurched in surprise. "Is this the place? I thought it's located in southern Kan?"
"My research has pointed to two locations—here and somewhere along the south-eastern border of Kan Empire. Let's try our luck here first."
I took a deep breath as excitement hastened my heartbeat. If we found the plant, it would no longer be necessary for us to cross the border, and that would be good.
"Let's go," he said and started walking away.
I followed him through a narrow pathway in the middle of trees and bushes.
At first, the path was flat, with some slight slopes and turns, but the further we pushed, the steeper the slopes had become. Upward slopes took a lot of effort for me to climb, but I would still prefer it over a downward steep slope. With my poor vision, there was a big risk I'd lose my footing and fall.
"Do you want me to carry you?" Ruan Yanjun asked.
I quickly shook my head. "You may go ahead, my lord. I'll catch up with you."
"At your current speed, I don't think you'll be able to catch up with me." He climbed up the steep ground and approached me. "We don't have much time."
Before I could understand what he had in mind, he wrapped an arm around my waist and made several leaps downward, using his internal energy to propel us. After less than a minute, we made it into a flat ground.
"Thank you, my lord," I said the moment he released me.
"The plant should be around here," he returned. "Stay close to me. I'll let you know if I find something."
Without any complaint, I followed him through a dense forest.
Suddenly, he stopped and pulled me behind him. "Don't make a sound," he whispered.
I stayed absolutely still. He must have sensed something that I could not.
Could it be the guardian of the Molun herb? The monster they called Amo?
A heavy stomp shook the ground underneath my feet. When I turned around to look, I found a seven-foot-tall figure about a hundred steps away. He had just leaped from behind the thicket of trees and was now looking at us menacingly.
It had been two years since I fought this same forest guardian at the foot of Frost Mountain. Even though he looked nothing but a shadow in my vision, I still remembered what he looked like. He was described as half-man half-ape, but I saw him more like a giant man with most of his body covered with thick fur. He held no weapon, but he had ten sharp claws that would sprout out of his knuckles at his beck.
But there was something strange about this guardian. His breathing was somewhat irregular as if he had been in some kind of trouble and had exhausted a significant portion of his energy.
Ruan Yanjun slowly stepped forward, keeping me protected behind his back. "What's the matter?" he taunted the guardian. "I'm about to come into your turf and steal what you protect with your life. Are you not going to stop me?"
The guardian did not move, as if he was gauging his chances. He knew that he was up against a formidable foe that he might not be able to defeat.
Ruan Yanjun smirked. "If you're too tired to fight, then step aside and just let me take what I want. No need for you to sacrifice your life."
"Lord Ruan," I said. "You can't pluck the herb without killing him first. The essence of the herb is in him."
"Oh." Ruan Yanjun clucked his tongue. "I truly want to spare your life, but circumstances won't let me. Let's finish this then."
Ruan Yanjun's figure just disappeared out of my sight. The next time I saw him, he was already right in front of the guardian who had crossed his arms just in time to block the oncoming ball of dark energy that Ruan Yanjun had thrown at him.
Despite his solid defense, the guardian could not completely repel the devil's immense power. The energy ball exploded upon contact and pushed the giant several feet backward.
Just how strong exactly is a level nine?
I had no idea. I could not even begin to imagine the immense power that Ruan Yanjun possessed.
The guardian ended up panting, his feet spread as he struggled to retain his balance. It seemed that just blocking the devil's single attack had already depleted whatever strength was left in him.
I heard Ruan Yanjun's smirk. He was simply standing there, his hair and sleeves flowing with the wind. He did not even exert much effort into that single attack, yet it was enough to push the level-seven guardian to his limit.