"Who are you?"
This was Liu Yiru's first question, her beautiful eyes flashing with a hint of wariness as she gazed curiously and doubtfully at Ye Tian. "How do you know all this?"
Her chest rose and fell as she gradually regained her composure, fixing her calm gaze upon Ye Tian.
Ye Tian regarded her with a measure of appreciation; this woman possessed a certain cunning, able to swiftly regain her composure in such circumstances, indicating that she was not foolish.
"Who I am is of little consequence; what matters is your current predicament," Ye Tian replied with a smile. "Last night, the young man beside you conspired with his second uncle. I was hidden in the large tree nearby, and they were unaware of my presence, so I overheard everything."
"His name is Xue Tian. The half-step Martial Spirit you mentioned is likely Xue Xiong, his second uncle. The Xue family is the most powerful clan in Liu City!" Liu Yiru took a deep breath and finally gazed at Ye Tian with grave seriousness. "You wouldn't simply warn me without reason. Speak—what is your true intention?"
"I have no ulterior motives; I merely wish to propose a transaction with you," Ye Tian replied, his tone nonchalant.
"A transaction?" Liu Yiru's eyes glimmered with a hint of derision, and she scoffed, "I suspect your aim is the same as Xue Tian's—seeking those fifteen top-tier Qi-Consolidating Pills."
"Indeed! It is refreshing to converse with an astute individual. If you provide me with those fifteen top-tier Qi-Consolidating Pills, I will escort you home and ensure that they cannot harm you. What do you say?" Ye Tian said, his smile unwavering.
"Impossible!" Liu Yiru retorted, her refusal immediate.
"Hmm?" Ye Tian narrowed his eyes, gazing deeply at the beautiful woman before him, his gaze tinged with a hint of menace.
Liu Yiru met his gaze without flinching, her voice icy as she said, "My Liu family is already in decline; even if you return me home, I cannot escape his deadly grip. This transaction holds no benefit for me."
"Oh!" Ye Tian's expression shifted in understanding. He continued, "In that case... I can take you away from here to wherever you wish to go…"
Before Ye Tian could finish, Liu Yiru interrupted.
"No need to elaborate. Do you think I would abandon my family and flee alone? If that were the case, why would I need your help?" Liu Yiru replied coldly.
Ye Tian silently admired her resolve; this woman showed commendable loyalty to her family even in dire times. He frowned and said, "So, you mean to say that this transaction is off the table?"
"Not necessarily!" Liu Yiru blinked her lovely eyes, a glimmer of murderous intent flashing within them. Her tone turned frigid as she declared, "If you kill Xue Tian for me, I will hand over those fifteen top-tier Qi-Consolidating Pills."
Ye Tian was taken aback but soon regained his composure, studying Liu Yiru intently. "Such an action seems to serve you little advantage. If you eliminate Xue Tian, the Xue family will undoubtedly hunt me down, but they would not spare your Liu family either."
"That is of no concern to you; this is my proposition. You are free to accept or decline!" Liu Yiru stated calmly, her eyes brimming with confidence.
Ye Tian hesitated for a moment, but ultimately succumbed to the temptation of the fifteen top-tier Qi-Consolidating Pills. He nodded and said, "Alright, I accept! However, you'd best not try any tricks, for if I can kill Xue Tian, I can certainly do the same to you."
He cast a warning glance at Liu Yiru before quietly retreating, disappearing into the forest.
"Miss Liu, shall we set up camp and wait for you to relieve yourself?" Suddenly, Xue Tian's teasing voice rang out from not far away.
Liu Yiru cast a lingering glance in the direction where Ye Tian had vanished, inwardly hoping that she had not misjudged him. If this plan succeeded, her Liu family might still have a fighting chance.
"I'm done!"
Then, Liu Yiru composed herself and calmly emerged from the thicket.
…
Night enveloped the entire Beast Mountain Range, the cool moonlight gently cascading down, while a sky filled with stars sparkled brilliantly, creating a stunning tapestry.
A massive bonfire flickered with intense heat, and nearby, a dozen warriors patrolled.
At the heart of the encampment stood two large tents, their interiors illuminated, casting a hazy glow.
Frowning at the well-fortified camp, Ye Tian, concealed in a large tree nearby, observed cautiously, biding his time before acting.
"If I strike quickly, that fellow should remain oblivious!" From the treetop, Ye Tian caught a glimpse of another similarly sized tree nearby, where he faintly discerned a shadowy figure.
"That individual is preoccupied with the surrounding beasts; he likely wouldn't expect anyone to target his nephew. Heh heh!" Ye Tian slowly withdrew his gaze, gradually descending the tree and rolling into a dense thicket.
"Hey, do you know what I just overheard?" Two warriors approached in tandem. Ye Tian furrowed his brow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Had he been discovered?
"What did you hear? The young master's snoring?" one warrior joked.
"Wrong! It was something else entirely!" The warrior who had spoken earlier blinked, a lewd grin spreading across his face.
"Really? I saw that the new guard entered the young master's tent; does that mean the young master has a taste for men?" The other warrior looked dumbfounded.
Hidden in the thicket, Ye Tian let out a sigh of relief, then felt a wave of nausea wash over him; it seemed that Xue Tian was indeed a homosexual. No, he must be bisexual—otherwise, how could he be interested in Liu Yiru?
At that moment, the two warriors approached closer, unbuckling their belts, evidently about to relieve themselves. Ye Tian frowned; did they expect him to endure the stench of urine?
"Brother, didn't you notice how fair-skinned that new guard is? If I'm correct, the voice I heard earlier must have belonged to a woman disguising herself as a man."
"Ah! So that's it! The young master is quite bold, pursuing women while being unfaithful; he's not afraid of Liu Yiru finding out!"
"Heh heh, men are like that!"
Swish!
A cold flash of steel sliced through the air, and the two warriors, poised to "let loose," widened their eyes in shock as they instinctively reached for their throats, only to see blood gushing forth before collapsing to the ground.
Emerging from the thicket, Ye Tian cast a cold glance at the encampment before donning one of the slain warrior's garments and slinking into the camp.
"Hey, Old Li, didn't Little Zhang go out with you to relieve himself just now? Where is he?" A voice called from behind as Ye Tian entered the camp.
A flash of light flickered in Ye Tian's eyes, but his expression remained calm as he replied in a raspy voice, "He… he's… in the latrine!" With that, he kept his head down and walked away.
"In the latrine? That fellow must have eaten something bad again! Old Li! Old Li! Why are you walking so fast?" The warrior behind him called out a few times before grumbling to himself and wandering off to patrol.
…
"Hmm!"
"Mm-hmm… Ah…"
Approaching the tent where Xue Tian resided, Ye Tian cautiously surveyed the surroundings and, finding no one in sight, prepared to enter. At that moment, he overheard some rather embarrassing sounds.
"This brat..." Ye Tian chuckled coldly. With two lifetimes of experience, he was well aware of what Xue Tian was engaged in, which brought him a measure of relief, as Xue Tian would certainly be caught off guard during such an act.
"You have brought this upon yourself!" A chill smirk crept upon Ye Tian's lips as he gently lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
Within the tent, two bare bodies were entangled in a fervent embrace, their heavy breaths resonating in the darkness. They remained oblivious to the presence of an intruder as they continued their passionate struggle.
Suddenly, a flash of cold light emerged, and Ye Tian's bloodied blade sliced toward the two figures, the sound of flesh being cleaved echoing ominously, followed by a pungent scent of blood wafting through the air.
Simultaneously, the heavy gasping ceased abruptly.
Ye Tian furrowed his brow, quickly withdrawing his blade, and listened intently to the commotion outside the tent, ensuring that no one was around before slipping away.
After navigating a few twists and turns, he vanished into the embrace of the forest.
The next morning, a piercing scream erupted, shattering the stillness of the camp and resonating through the nearby mountains.
Even Xue Xiong, who was concealed atop a tree, opened his eyes in bewilderment, glancing toward the camp.
The camp erupted into chaos as several warriors shouted, "It's bad! Young Master is dead!"
A throng of warriors converged.
"Xiao Tian is dead?" Xue Xiong's pupils constricted as he rushed out without a moment's hesitation, soaring into the camp like a great eagle.
"Who goes there?"
"There's an assassin!"
"The assassin hasn't left yet?"
Upon seeing an intruder in the camp, many warriors were seized with panic, drawing their swords to confront him.
"You fools, get out of my way!" Xue Xiong, frantic over Xue Tian's safety, struck out in fury, instantly slaying over a dozen men when they failed to recognize him.
"Ah… it's Second Young Master!"
"Spare us, Second Young Master! We didn't see clearly!"
The warriors hurriedly knelt, begging for mercy, but Xue Xiong ignored them and moved directly to Xue Tian's tent, lifting the curtain to peer inside.
"Hmm!" Upon seeing the two bloodied, naked bodies within, Xue Xiong's pupils constricted once more in disbelief, a savage expression surfacing on his face.
Nearby, Liu Yiru, who had already been alarmed, beheld the corpses within the tent, momentarily stunned, before a flicker of revulsion crossed her features.
"Who dares?"
Xue Xiong roared, his fierce gaze sweeping across the gathered warriors before landing squarely on Liu Yiru.
"It was you, you vile woman!" His eyes burned with murderous intent, the overwhelming aura pressing down on Liu Yiru until her face paled.
"It wasn't me! I am merely a First-Level Martial Master; I lack the strength to kill him!" Liu Yiru's heart raced, but her expression remained composed as she met Xue Xiong's gaze fearlessly, responding coldly.
However, Xue Xiong disregarded her words entirely and launched an attack, striking down upon her with a sweeping palm.
Liu Yiru's complexion shifted in alarm, panic etched across her face.