Su Yan had a plan. Even before he had seen them, he had ascertained one fact: these two were both mortals without a shred of cultivation. So his plan dictated that he kill them easily enough and rescue the damsel in distress. Then he could ask for the directions to his destination, and everyone would go their merry way.
Only the situation hadn't turned as he hoped it would. It reminded me of that saying, that no plans survived the actual encounter. He wondered if the person who said that found themselves in similar circumstances.
Shaking his head, he focused on the giant of a woman before him. She sat with an air of authority and eyed him the same way a hunter does their prey. It felt uncomfortable to be eyeballed like that and his attention turned to men beside her.
At least he had been sure of one thing. This group of people was just savage bandits without many numbers. Just the two men, utterly lacking any cultivation, and one fierce woman who had definitely cultivated. He still couldn't detect Aura of any kind from her and deduced that she must've only focused on body transformation.
The woman in question was at least two feet taller than him and packed muscles that made him look skinny by comparison, and he was not skinny. The presence she emitted was the only thing staying his hand. He couldn't accurately gauge his chances of winning.
"So your young master will kill me if I fail to meet his demands?" She narrowed her eyes at him, and Su Yan had to wonder why that was the only detail that stuck out to her from the entire conversation.
After he had informed the men of his purpose, they had bound the girl and dragged her back with them while prompting Su Yan to follow. After arriving at the camp, he finally realized what they did. Human trafficking, particularly of young females, who were bound and scattered all across in their cages. The very carriages he had seen the traces of on the road.
"Not unless you follow through with what's been asked of you." He replied back with an uncaring smile adorning his face.
"But he will kill me if I don't listen?" 'High heavens! Get over it, woman,' he inwardly screamed.
"That's what he told me to convey." He relayed without hesitation.
The woman stared at him for a moment before letting out a laugh. A laugh that soon grew loud and manic, and Su Yan considered making a run for it, should the laugh be contagious.
"Funny!" The woman grinned at him. "You're funny, and your young master is funny too. In return for this amusement, I will kill you painlessly."
Su Yan's eyes narrowed into needlepoint sharp. He watched as the woman drew her rusty axe from the side and made to stand up. For a moment the world slowed down, and he watched the men beside her draw their swords, also. All around, the caged females watched in horror or amusement, and some with an expression of nonchalance. He recognized the dim light of resignation in their pupils.
Sighing, he unsheathed the sword on his back. "I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice."
Cultivation was a multi-faceted affair. It wasn't limited to enhancement of Qi, body, and spirit. Instead it branched off into a variety of pathways that governed life. Thus the utility arts were invented.
These methods supplemented and drew upon the cultivators cultivation to manifest esoteric effects like birthing fire using Qi. Su Yan had learned a very basic weapon enhancement art in the clan. It was so generic that it could be used on any weapon, even your body, but the effects were paltry.
A nervous tension passed through his body as he assessed his surroundings. Some might say he was adapting to the environment, and in a way he was, but the truth was he was just looking for a chance to escape. Because he wasn't confident.
Even if the person before him was a Body Transformation cultivator of the very first level, it was absurd to even consider that she could be faced with his single mote of Qi Gathering. The only thing left to do was draw upon his lifetime of learned skills and focus on dodging, and when the opportunity presented itself, make a run for it.
As the woman drew closer, she tilted her head and looked him up and down. "You're not running, courageous."
He smiled stiffly and waited for the first blow to arrive.
Just then the woman smiled wider. "I know that you're lying." Color drained from his face. "I know that there's no young master waiting some distance behind. And I also know that you will make an excellent offering to the Yang clan."
The elders at the clan always taught to maintain calm. Not just during the heat of battle, but also when talking to someone. Keeping a neutral face all the time could help you avoid giving your adversaries any information about you. Even when you're accused, neither deny nor agree to anything. Silence was the virtue of a true cultivator.
Despite that he couldn't stop the expression of surprise from morphing on his face. The reason was very simple. This hulking woman, who seemed to have put more effort into growing muscles, shouldn't be capable of sharp reasoning. The burly woman had more smarts than the young master. Color him surprised. Oh wait, he already was.
"Hmm." The woman frowned at his expression. "Did you also think that I was dumb? That I had muscles within my brain?"
Laughing nervously, he shook his head. "Absolutely not. How could I think that about a lady like you? That would be very ungentlemanly."
The woman's expression suggested she didn't believe his words. Su Yan sighed and shook his head. It didn't matter whether she believed him or not.
"Well, time to say your prayers." The woman spoke. "The High Heavens will accept your soul with open arms."