Li Wei trudged forward, his hands tightly bound behind his back, the coarse rope digging into his skin as his horse clopped steadily along the uneven path. The five Heavenly Tide Sect disciples surrounding him kept their eyes trained on him and the surroundings, their tension palpable. The leader, a woman with cold, calculating eyes, rode ahead of him, her sword never far from her grasp.
As they moved deeper road through the woods, Li Wei's mind raced.
His goal: Escape. He needed to get out of here before they reached the sect. Once they interrogated him and realized he had poison immunity, they'd assume the worst—that he was a member of the 1000 Poison Sect. or some unorthodox sect. Neither option would end well. The sect wouldn't bother with investigating the truth; high and mighty as they were, they'd just eliminate him.
Thank the heavens they didn't know he was a peak 2nd-rate martial artist. He was stronger than any one of them individually, but with his hands tied and five against one, it wasn't the time to fight—yet.
"Enough of this," the leader of the group said as she slowed her horse to ride beside him. Her voice was quiet but filled with authority. She glanced at the weakened bodies of her poisoned comrades lying on a cart behind them. Only 5 of them had been totally unaffected. The 3rd rate warriors travelling along them were affected.
"I probably made the wrong call," she muttered, almost to herself but loud enough for the others to hear. Her eyes flicked toward Li Wei. "Why bring him back to the sect and risk more trouble? We should eliminate him now and move on."
Li Wei's stomach dropped. *That's not a great start.*
The youngest disciple hesitated, his eyes wide. "But what if he's not the enemy? We have no proof that he's involved."
The leader's expression hardened. "We don't need proof. He's not one of us, and that's enough." Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, the blade gleaming as she began to draw it. "Better to eliminate him now before he causes any more trouble."
Li Wei's mind raced. He needed to act fast, but his options were limited. Just as he was about to make his move, a sudden whistle pierced the air.
A volley of poisoned darts shot out from the treeline, whizzing past Li Wei's head. The leader barked orders as the disciples scattered to defend themselves. "To arms! It's an ambush!"
In the chaos, Li Wei saw his chance. Without hesitation, he snapped the ropes binding his wrists, his refined martial strength making it easy. The ropes fell to the ground as he rolled off his horse, using the momentum to duck behind a nearby tree for cover.
But before he could regroup, the attackers emerged from the woods—masked figures with blowpipes and short blades. They moved quickly, their eyes scanning the scene for targets. When they spotted the Heavenly Tide Sect disciples, they lunged at them without hesitation.
"Kill them all!" one of the attackers shouted, raising a dagger.
Li Wei's stomach sank. *They're here for the sect, not me.* He wasn't the enemy, just an unfortunate witness to this chaos.
As the ambushers engaged with the Heavenly Tide Sect, Li Wei seized the moment. He couldn't let the sect members fall without a fight. He dashed out from behind the tree, ready to confront the nearest attacker, who was distracted by the chaos. With a swift kick, he knocked the dagger from their hand and followed up with a punch that sent the attacker sprawling to the ground.
"Not your enemy!" Li Wei shouted, but his voice was lost in the turmoil of battle.
The leader of the Heavenly Tide Sect glanced over, surprise flickering in her eyes as she saw him fighting off the ambushers. "You!" she shouted, realizing he was not part of the attack.
But there was no time for explanations. Li Wei threw himself into the fray, taking down another attacker with a series of quick, calculated strikes. The disciples, now recognizing that he wasn't their enemy, quickly regrouped, rallying to counter the ambush.
However, the attackers were relentless. Li Wei ducked low to evade a swinging blade and countered with a well-placed kick to the attacker's knee, sending them tumbling to the ground.
:
As the fight escalated, Li Wei felt a sudden surge of adrenaline. He had no weapon, but his martial skills were enough to hold his own. Just as he was about to strike another blow, the leader of the ambushers locked eyes with him, a look of recognition crossing her face. "You're with them!" he hissed, brandishing his dagger with deadly intent.
Before he could react, he lunged at him, and Li Wei barely had time to dodge. He stumbled back, his heart racing. *Can't we sort this out later?*