Thunder rumbled from the depths of the forest. Birds scattered. There was something going on over there, but it was something only the Nascent Soul cultivators could deal with. Plus, the chances of it traveling over here was minimal.

Little Spring, Clear Eyes, and I ran past large trees and clusters of bamboo toward the next plant on our list, Resplendent Red Rhubarb. A rare spiritual herb used in several heart injury prescriptions. I’d heard that immortal chefs considered its stem a tart vegetable, but using it in a dish seemed like a waste. Of course, spiritual beasts would sometimes eat the core-strengthening vegetable once it ripened to 100 years or more.

For this task, a sect alchemist requested the whole plant for 5000 contribution points. Even after being split three ways, it could help cover the ridiculously expensive wood I’d need if I couldn’t get the walnut tree.

I sent my divine sense out to a quarter mile away to a small clearing between two massive trees where I originally sensed the rhubarb to check if it was still undiscovered. Unexpectedly, a team of three fought a tiny but vicious rabbit-type spiritual beast while nearing the vegetable. They were the red-robed group that included the twins and the neck scar guy.

If those three oblivious idiots didn’t stop soon, they would step all over my rhubarb! We had to hurry.

::Senior Lin! Do you see that?:: Clear Eyes said.

I frowned. ::Get ready to protect the rhubarb if we need to! We’re going to collect this one as quickly as possible.::

We landed in a circle around the red-stemmed plant just as Neck Scar Guy sent a stab of spear Qi at the rabbit and in our direction. The bunny dodged, leaving the attack to carve a path toward the delicate rhubarb. With a swipe, Clear Eyes deflected the energy away, then faced the plant.

Each of us slashed into the ground around the rhubarb while avoiding the roots. Once the dirt separated from the ground in an upside-down pyramid, I sent everything into the space to the place I’d prepared for it.

This all took less than a second, not even the time it would take to light an incense stick. Then we were once more running towards the walnut tree, leaving the group behind to continue fighting as if we’d never been there… aside from the hole, we didn’t fill.

::Senior Lin,:: Clear Eyes said, ::You realize that we just stole that plant from under those cultivators’ noses, right?::

::They would have had someone guard it if it had been their goal. They also would have taken better care to not send an attack toward it.::

::Unless they weren’t being careful enough because the rabbit was too strong.::

::Or they thought they were the first ones here,:: Little Spring cut in.

::Doesn’t matter. Out here, whoever gets the treasure owns it.:: I grinned.

::And if they come after us?::

::I doubt they’ll run after us over rhubarb, even one as rare as this. The beast they were attacking was likely a Three Winds Dynamic Rabbit, worth four times what this plant is. I’m more worried about what their presence this far into the forest means.::

A grim expression flashed across Mad Tongue’s face.

::Our tree might already have some greedy cultivators looking to slice it up for their own formation flag sticks! We have to hurry.::

***

Rather than risk more trees getting infected, it would be better to save the whole thing and use its seeds to plant more in the future. With that in mind, I planned out how we were going to collect it into Little Spring’s space. The only issue was that the Golden Thunder Walnut usually had deep roots. I never thought I’d want Shovel Qi until this moment.

Whatever. As long as we kept it away from its roots, sword Qi would continue to work fiiiine.

I half expected someone to stop us, but we closed in on the tree with no issues. When it came into view, its shimmering yellow hue stood out in the deep green forest. Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate. It was more like the tree was coated in a golden gloss.

At this size, it was at least 500 years old. For a tree this large, its root system would travel about half the distance of its crown. Knowing that, I stepped under it, and sent my divine sense into the dirt. A lot of its roots were closer to the surface than normal, showing that this tree had experienced many tough droughts in its life. It also made it easier to find them.

I marked out the locations of the roots and had each of my minions... I mean, Little Spring and Clear Eyes, use their sword Qi to cut a circle around them. Meanwhile, I dug out a twelve-foot deep hole beside the tree’s roots and stored the dirt so I could fill it back in later.

Once we were all finished, I pointed at Mad Tongue and gestured to the pit.

He scowled.

“Only you have the strength to slice into the ground that far.”

He just looked at me like he was sure I was crazy.

I grinned. “I know you’ve secretly been practicing a technique to slice through dirt better ever since the incident with the vine plague. This is your chance to show it off to your seniors.”

“Fine!” He jumped down. A puff of dust rose from the hole. “Do I angle it down?”

“Crouch low and try to make the cut as flat as possible.”

“You better be impressed!”

My divine sense showed me how the teen, almost like a goat, awkwardly gripped the steep walls with his feet. He pulled out a knife.

Good, he’d correctly deduced that an actual sword would be too big for the space I’d made. He crouched low, created a seal with his offhand, and sent a long thin slice of Qi across a large section of earth.

“Thousand Tons Dirt Eating Blade!”

“Excellent form and deduction skills, junior!”

“That’s impressive!” Little Spring said. “I never knew you could look so cool!”

He jumped out of the hole easily. Then he flicked the tip of his nose with his thumb, pretending that what he’d done was nothing special. His red ears gave him away.

If he kept learning these kinds of attacks, I might be able to convince his master to rename him to Dirt Eating Swordsman... actually, never mind. That was worse.

I pulled out a handkerchief, placed it on the ground we’d separated, then touched it with two fingers.

“You know,” Clear Eyes said while looming over me, “I’m surprised nobody has come after us yet.”

It took me a moment since, for an object this large, I had to first wrap it in my divine sense before throwing it into the space, roots, dirt, and all.

Of course, with the tree gone, we had a perfect view of Neck Scar Guy and his two buddies.

One of the twins pointed at us. “Hey! They’re the ones that grabbed the rhubarb.”

The entire group looked like they were about to pull out their weapons to attack us.

Well. Fuck.

I sent a glare toward Clear Eyes and his damn crow’s mouth. That was a trope I used to laugh at until I repeatedly experienced it.

To establish myself as the brilliant, immortal child I was, I tossed my chin up and clasped my hands behind my back. “Are you willing to make enemies with the Indomitable Will Sect over a spiritual plant?”

The three looked at each other, considering their options. They likely looked at our ages and cultivation base and thought they could take us. However, they knew we were part of the continent’s largest sect, and that we were friendly enough with a Nascent Soul that he gave us a lift. What was the point of being in the largest and most successful sect if its reputation couldn’t allow us to throw our weight around a little? It was one of the major reasons I joined the Indomitable Will sect.

Neck Scar Guy stepped forward. “Maybe we could come to an agreement? A single 100-year-old rhubarb stem is all we need for our mission. If I remember correctly, there were several.”

“Unfortunately, the alchemist in our sect requires the entire vegetable for a pill.”

Little Spring stepped in front of me. “However, our task doesn’t specify how old it needs to be. If you find another, we can exchange it for some compensation.”

“I don’t see a problem with exchanging it like that,” I said. It wasn’t like I was the one who wanted the plant, and I’d get my contribution points regardless of its age.

The three didn't look happy. Considering they would have blasted the rhubarb if Clear Eyes hadn’t protected it, I had no sympathy for them. We took the plant first while they were too busy fighting a spiritual beast.

“We agree,” Scar Guy said. “If we can’t find one of the same quality, we’ll contact you outside the forest.”

Suddenly, I sensed a large team of cultivators closed in on our location. Just perfect. A mission just couldn’t be peaceful while a main character was around.

“Incoming!” I said.

The now visible group darted through the trees. Their dirty, offensively-fake rogue cultivator attire was easily recognizable. Without pausing, they threw several hidden knives both our way and towards the red-robed team as well. Their blades flew at us, wrapped in spiritual energy. I drew my sword, sidestepped one, and slashed another out of the air.

Then I sent a hundred cuts toward them, but my attack fizzled out against their protective tools.

Shit. We avoided one pointless fight, only to get tossed into another. But this one was way the fuck more dangerous. The question was — were these guys after us or the red robes?

The assassin group had about ten cultivators that mostly ranged from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment. However, they also had a single Golden Core in purple who threw a crimson rope at Neck Scar Guy. The red-robed cultivator pulled out a spear and batted the rope away with a spin. Next, he slashed a blade of spear Qi at the other man’s face.

Two of the Foundation Establishment cultivators ran after the twins. One twin created a hundred ice darts and sent them zipping toward a fake rogue in orange, the other started throwing whips of fire at another.

This left us to fight the seven other cultivators. They threw several more hidden daggers our way. I punted the ones that came toward me with a casual swipe of the blade and returned their attacks with carefully calculated stabs. One of them blocked it with a shield spiritual tool made out of internal energy. Because of course, they did. These guys may look like penniless rogues, but they definitely were not.

Little Spring pulled out a defensive talisman and allowed the darts they threw at him to ping off his protected body.

“Are they serious right now?!” Clear Eyes said while slashing at the three Foundation Establishment assassins who had ganged up on him. They jumped over the blade of Qi. One conjured spiritual energy in the shape of a flying leaf. It zipped toward the teen’s neck. He barely dodged out of the way before more leaf-type attacks followed.

Meanwhile, Little Spring and I sent double spiritual fingers at the four Qi Condensation cultivators, pushing them back several feet.

“Who sent you?” the kid yelled.

He must have realized that these weren’t actual rogue cultivators but assassins sent by someone targeting our team.

Instead of answering, the four Qi Condensation cultivators pulled out a set of familiar talismans and braided them together.

Not good! I grabbed the kid’s arm and Clear Eyes’ collar, used my enhanced strength, and sent us into the massive hole we’d made for the tree. A massive spiraling blast of flames burned the air several feet over our heads. Before it could burn my hair, I grabbed a handful of the protective talismans that I kept having to restock and plastered them onto everyone’s arms. Then I directed everyone to rush to the other side of the massive hole.

Once we cleared the fire, all three of us sent sword attacks at the seven cultivators. Three Qi Condensation assassins couldn’t dodge in time. They must have run out of protective talismans because, when the attack struck, they fell. Likely dead. This left the fake-rogue with the shield spiritual tool.

Now, as long as the red-robed group didn’t escape, there were four to go. Considering how intense their fight was, I guessed that this team had two targets.

Mad Tongue used the Thousand Tons Dirt Eating Blade to send a wide slash toward the three Foundation Establishment fake rogues. It was so quick and powerful that it cut down several trees as it sliced a path forward.

One of the Foundation Establishment cultivators pulled out a protective tool to survive getting hit, but the other two weren’t able to react in time and fell. I grimaced at their imitation of those poor trees. That was one impressive attack. Judging by how pale the teen became after using it a second time today, it wasn’t one he could repeat in the near future.

Even as I blocked another hidden dagger from one of the Qi Condensation cultivators, I spread my divine sense around to check for other concealed enemies.

That was when I noticed another group of mostly Foundation Establishment assassins heading right towards this location. This one with twice the amount of cultivators, most of them carrying bows.

A couple paused and loosed spiritual arrows. With controlled stabs of Qi, I knocked them out of the sky. But this was just the beginning. More began raining down.

I glowered up at them. It was time to show off my arrow dodging skills from the rope bridge trial.

Frankly, saying that this situation was bad was a fucking understatement. Even if I could take down every bolt that neared me, we still had to retreat due to the number and increased power of these attacks.

Also, how the fuck did they know we were here? Not in this specific location. Obviously, they’d seen Shadow Gopher bring us in this general direction. With strong enough divine sense, they would have been able to track our movements. What I didn’t know was how they knew we were coming towards this forest. To hire this many assassins required a ridiculous amount of spirit stones. Since this stupid Xianxia world was insanely big — many times the size of Earth — no one could afford to send out this number to a single location without knowing where I planned to go and when I’d be there.

Shit. Was the reason we weren’t followed after we left the sect because they were setting up this ambush?

While it was possible that a demonic cultivator within the sect used my movements to discover where I was heading and sold that information, I had a better suspect. And I would confront that fucker later.

I really wanted to know who paid them off. The people behind the Zhang Clan? Violet Pill Fairy? The demonic cultivators?

Maybe my information was given to all three?