Chapter 9: Ambush
Chapter 9: Ambush
After achieving the fifth rank on the Red Jade Technique, Li Fuchen’s cultivation was enhanced. He could feel the growth day by day. With this speed of growth, just another 7 or 8 months was required to breakthrough to the sixth level of the Qi Realm.
To others, this surge in cultivation was quick, but to Li Fuchen, it is still too slow.
“If I had a martial artist accessory, it would help boost my cultivation speed.”
Such accessories normally had energy crystals set in that helped converge the energy from the heaven and earth. Even though the effect was weak, it was consistent. Though what Li Fuchen wanted, was actually an accessory with top class crystals, thus the impact should be better.
Li Fuchen wasn’t planning on asking his parents for any help financially. He felt that the heavens were kind enough to endow him with the golden amulet. If he still required others to help him, he would be too useless.
His only option to obtain more gold was to hunt demonic beasts and forage herbs.
Li Fuchen trekked into the huge Misty Mountains on another path.
What he didn’t expect was that this path was too safe, there was not even a beast in sight. It was the same for herbs as well.
Unknowingly, Li Fuchen came across a small pristine lake.
On the lakeside, weeds grew as tall asLi Fuchen’s waistline. Just tens of meters away, Li Fuchen spotted a huge boulder, on it was a stalk of a greyish white plant. It was glistering under the bright sun.
“Rock Heart plant!”Li Fuchen squinted his eyes.
The Rock Heart plant is a high-tier, yellow class herb, a single stalk is worth roughly 200 gold coins. They habitually grew atop rocks that were packed with minerals. After reading many herbology books, this was the first time Li Fuchen had seen one since he was born into this world.
“I have to score this.”Li Fuchen’s eyes gleamed.
The Rock Heart plant could help strengthen one’s bone frame. The reason why beasts were stronger than humans is precisely because of tougher bones and skin as well.
Drawing his steel sword, Li Fu Chen warily approach the Rock Heart plant.
Roar!
As Li Fu Chen was 10 meters away from the Rock Heart plant, a trail of a blood red shadow shot out from the bush like a hurricane and twisted all the bushes and leaves.
“Clear Breeze First Blade!” (TL note: A sword move of Clear Breeze Sword Style)
Without a trace of fear, Li Fuchen’s sword flashed in mid-air, as a stream of blood followed.
Crash!
The blood red shadow plunged for more than ten meters due to inertia. Blood could be seen spouting from the stab located at the throat.
The Blood Shadow Panther, among the mid- tier Class 1 beasts, it’s speed reigned above the rest. It liked hunting alone. Although it may not be a rival for the mid- tier Class 1 Steel Boned Jackal or the Metal Claw Wolf, neither of those beasts could keep up in speed with the Blood Shadow Panther.
But it’s speed was useless in front of Li Fuchen’s Clear Breeze Sword Style, as it wasn’t at a speed which Li Fuchen couldn’t react against.
Crouching by the side of the Rock Heart plant, Li Fuchen was captivated by its beauty.
As if it was because of its maturity, the greyish white plant was emanating a white glow that brought along the fragrance of freshly cooked rice.
Cautiously harvesting the Rock Heart plant, he swiftly stored it in a jade box to prevent the loss of energy.
***
At a bush deep in the forest.
“Baldy, Old sixth, guess who I saw?”
(TL Note: Old sixth – A chinese way of addressing a person with the rank or standing of Sixth place)
The archer who nimbly scaled atop the tree, took a glimpse towards the lake and disclosed to the pair below.
“Who was it?”A bald and scrawny man asked curiously.
“The Li Clan’s young master, Li Fuchen.”
“Li Fuchen?”The scrawny man replied with surprise, “A weak individual like him dares to come to the Misty Mountains?”
“Heh heh, here comes our fortune. Li Fuchen seriously hurt young master Yang Qi, we will receive a huge reward if we can ambush him and bring his head back to the Yang Clan.”The bald man grinned while speaking.
These 3 were the Yang Clan’s top guards, and because of their gambling habit, they were always short of money. Occasionally, they would come to the Misty Mountains in search of gains for their hobby.
As Li Fuchen was about to turn around after putting away the jade box…
Shooooo
A sharp whistle could be heard as though the air was pierced.
“An ambush.”Li Fuchen sensed danger. Before the sound even reached his ear, he started his evasive actions and rolled on the ground. Right at the moment when his body left where he was standing, an arrow shot out from the bushes and hit deep into the ground.
Shoot, shoot!
Li Fuchen did not stop rolling for a single moment, following after him were 2 arrows stuck deep into the ground. The ambusher was an archer who took aim at his movement trajectories. Had he not been a tad bit faster, he would have been dead.
After releasing 3 arrows in a row, the archer pick up a fruit to chew on. He expected Li Fuchen to be a dead man.
“Baldy, Old sixth, go bring his corpse here!”The archer gestured to them.
“You sure had it easy..”The bald man laughed and spoke with irony. He then headed towards the lake with the scrawny looking man.
***
Among the tall weeds, Li Fuchen lifted his head with haste, looking at the direction where the arrow came from. 60 or 70 meters away, a bald and a scrawny man was walking towards him together.
With his extraordinary senses, he estimated that the bald man was around the eight level of the Qi Realm, while the slender male was at the seventh level.
“I need to take out one of them first.”
A flash of coldness could be seen in Li Fuchen’s eyes, he sneaked out like a silent python towards the scrawny man on the right.
50 meters… 40… 30…
When the distance to the scrawny man was down to 30 meters. Li Fuchen laid motionless, without presence. If one did not look closely, they would never have discovered that Li Fuchen was there.
Training for 2 days in the Misty Mountains, Li Fuchen gradually got a grasp of his gift for nature. Hence, he could now control his presence. On the other hand, it could also be because of the golden amulet that gave him this gift.
The weeds were at least 1 meter tall and that helped to camouflage Li Fuchen perfectly. With his sword handle in his right hand, he awaited for the scrawny man to come closer.
10 meters, 5… 3.
“Right about.. now!”
Li Fu Chen leaped up from the ground. The bright sun reflected off the sword and blinded the scrawny looking man.
Swish!
A cold sensation was felt on his neck, with eyes still wide open. The scrawny male fell over still looking towards the sky.
“Old sixth!”
The bald man howled then cleaved at Li Fuchen.
A full-powered cleave of an eighth level expert of the Qi Realm would easily split apart a Class 1 mid-tier beast, let alone Li Fuchen. However, Li Fuchen wasn’t just any beast, he was much more terrifying than that. Beasts weren’t as nimble as him,their combat senses were nothing like to Li Fuchen’s, who could easily discern the bald man’s attack trajectory.
As Li Fuchen was only at the fifth level of the Qi Realm, even if he could predict the attack trajectory, there wasn’t any options for countering. He could only dodge non stop.
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Swosh!
A patch of green weed was slashed in half. The bald fighter’s combat skills weren’t bad, after not being able to slash Li Fuchen, he changed his approach to horizontal slashes instead.
Li Fuchen long anticipated this and reacted instantly.
“What a kid!”
The bald fighter re-focused himself after understanding that Li Fu Chen’s live combat experience was higher than his. This wasn’t something a practitioner at the fifth level of the Qi Realm could display.