-- Chapter 12:

A youth stumbled through the forest in a flurry, trailing blood from a wound on his thigh. He appeared to be 13 or 14, as evident from the traces of immaturity that had yet to fade from his face. Currently, his startlingly beautiful face was covered in anger and grief.

Close behind, a group of older youths followed effortlessly while taunting him.

“Qin Yu, if you’re really a man, don’t run. We promise to fight fairly! Ha!”

One of them, who appeared to be in his earlier twenties struck out blindingly fast with his thin sword, cutting a length of cloth off Qin Yu’s now tattered white robe. With a lascivious grin, he caught the strip and brought it to his face, inhaling the fragrant aroma that lingered.

Qin Yu was almost shamed to tears. He regretted being willful and leaving the sect’s training expedition on his own, thinking himself infallible and his peers unable to keep up with him. Unfortunately, shortly after he wandered off in search of novelty, he was ambushed by a rival sect’s practitioners who sought his possessions.

Generally, no one would be foolish enough to affront Qin Yu or seek his excessive wealth, but this was the infinite wilderness. Even if Qin Yu managed to return in one piece, the elders who doted on him wouldn’t have been able to air their grievances because of a junior’s minor scuffle.

Another youth sneered, “With your defensive treasures we can’t kill you, but we can still put you in bedrest for a couple months, so be a little darling and hand over your Celestial Transmutation Dan!”

Qin Yu’s expression sank as he didn’t fail to realize the insinuations of the last remark. ‘Have I been betrayed?’ Bitterly ignoring the derogatory calls, he continued running forwards. Though he knew it was futile, he refused to surrender before the end.

As they reached a river, the youth with the perverse trend across his face seemed to run out of patience.

“Don’t refuse a toast and be forced to drink as forfeit!”

Darting forwards, he instantly appeared before Qin Yu.

Qin Yu halted and resigned to fight to the death. Conjuring up a finely decorated sword, he channeled the remnants of his qi and with a series of mystical hand signs, sent the blade flying forwards.

The youth’s aura surged with malevolent airs as he casually deflected the sword. He sneered with disdain and unbridled envy, “Has your brain been addled by excessive praise? So what if you’re far more talented than we are? What can an undeveloped talent do in the face of overwhelming might!”

As he spoke, he turned his body and stretched out his darkness shrouded arm and caught the sword that had flown back, snorting in derision at the weak attempt of a trick. Dark energy trembled violently and with slight effort, the sword crumbled to pieces in his grasp.

Qin Yu recoiled, and blood dripped from the corner of his lip as he felt his connection with the flying sword break. Sighing silently to himself of his lack of practice, he prepared to activate the protection talisman his sister had delivered him.

When his hand was clenching, a shadow abruptly fell from above and landed bewilderedly on the affronting youth.