◎Pursuit, The First Strike◎
Five riders approached—a man and woman at the forefront, followed by three robust young men.
The one who spoke was a young woman dressed in a soft yellow gown, her delicate features accentuated by a charming pout. A sword hung at her waist as she tugged lightly on the reins.
Yan Feicang did not respond.
"Brother Yan, why won’t you answer me?" the girl cooed with playful reproach.
Yan Feicang frowned. "You are…?"
"You don’t even remember me?" Her almond-shaped eyes widened in disbelief. "I’m Luo Lianhuan! We met last year in Luozhou City!"
"……"
Silence stretched unbearably.
Luo Lianhuan’s face flushed with humiliation, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Fortunately, the young man beside her intervened.
"Brother Yan, I am Luo Sheng of Red Cloud Peak. My master is the Peak Master. We met once last year at the Luozhou Martial Alliance gathering."
Yan Feicang: "…Now I recall. What do you want?"
"My master and Uncle Zhou are old friends. We’ve come to Dongliu City to celebrate Uncle Zhou’s birthday."
"Mm."
Luo Lianhuan cut in impatiently, "Ugh, Senior Brother, stop rambling! Go ahead and attend the banquet if you want. I’m going to travel the rivers and lakes with Brother Yan!"
"Absolutely not. Master’s orders were clear—we’re to accompany you," Luo Sheng coaxed. "Lianhuan, the martial world is treacherous. I can’t let you go alone."
Luo Lianhuan scoffed. "You’re nowhere near as skilled as Brother Yan. I’d be safer with him!"
Luo Sheng: "……"
"Little Junior Sister, if you leave with them, who’ll take care of you?" another disciple chimed in.
Luo Lianhuan’s face burned with indignation. "Since when did I ever need your service?! You’re all so clumsy, I don’t want it! Stop blocking me—I’m going with Brother Yan!"
"Junior Sister, we haven’t even attended the banquet yet."
"Didn’t we already go?" she retorted dismissively. "You can drink all you want. I’m not interested."
Luo Sheng sighed and turned to Yan Feicang. "Brother Yan, could you please talk some sense into her?"
Yan Feicang had never been one for persuasion. To him, this was nothing but noise.
"We’re in a hurry. Move aside."
Lu Jianwei mused silently: Not that urgent, really. Keep talking—it’s rare to witness the legendary First Blade’s personal drama.
"Senior Brothers, you go to the banquet. I’m following Brother Yan. That’s final." Luo Lianhuan tugged her horse’s reins, maneuvering to ride alongside Yan Feicang.
Luo Sheng grew frantic. "Lianhuan, didn’t you hear what Senior Zheng said? Brother Yan is traveling with companions. Don’t cause trouble for him!"
Xue Guanhe: "……"
Do we need rumors to confirm whether he has companions? Are we invisible?
Luo Lianhuan snapped, "Will you stop pestering me?! This whole journey, it’s been ‘be careful’ this and ‘stay cautious’ that—I’m sick of it! I don’t want to travel with you anymore. Get lost!"
"Lianhuan…"
"Move." Yan Feicang’s patience had run out. The crushing aura of a sixth-rank expert pressed down, rendering Luo Sheng and the others pale and speechless.
They instinctively parted, clearing the path.
Yan Feicang led the way on horseback, Xue Guanhe steering the carriage behind him. No one dared obstruct them.
Luo Lianhuan wanted to give chase, but the suffocating pressure of his power left her unable to even lift her whip. She could only watch helplessly as they vanished beyond the city gates.
Only when they were far enough did the oppressive force dissipate, allowing the Red Cloud Peak disciples to breathe again.
"Brother Yan has grown even stronger," Luo Sheng murmured in admiration.
"Of course! Brother Yan is the number one blade master in the martial world. Even Father says his talent is unparalleled—how could he not be strong?" Luo Lianhuan declared proudly. "Enough talk. I’m going after him!"
She raised her whip, ready to charge out of the city.
"Wait!" Luo Sheng pleaded. "Brother Yan clearly has urgent business. You saw how he reacted—he doesn’t want you with him. If you force your way in, you’ll only annoy him."
Luo Lianhuan’s eyes reddened instantly. "Am I really that unbearable?!"
"Not at all! That’s just how Brother Yan is," Luo Sheng soothed. "They’re heading toward Anzhou. Once we finish paying respects at the banquet, we’ll go there too. We’ll definitely meet them."
His reasoning made sense. Deep down, Luo Lianhuan knew Yan Feicang had no patience for her, so she reluctantly shelved her plans.
She wouldn’t admit it, but she had been frightened earlier.
Luo Sheng offered her an out, and she took it.
After traveling for an hour, nearing noon, Xue Guanhe asked, "Boss, should we rest? The horses are tired."
"Mm."
Lu Jianwei stepped out of the carriage. The official road was flanked by dense woods and wild grass, devoid of human presence.
She tied a hammock between two trees and lounged lazily, swaying as dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves.
Birds chirped intermittently in the forest.
Yan Feicang sat cross-legged under the shade, meditating silently with his sword across his lap. Xue Guanhe busied himself gathering branches to build a makeshift stove for cooking. Tiao stared blankly at the wildflowers dotting the ground.
Then—a scream shattered the tranquility.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP—!"
Xue Guanhe’s ears twitched. He sprang up. "Someone’s crying for help!"
Young and impulsive, his heroic instincts flared.
Yan Feicang was already gone, darting toward the sound.
"Stay here," Lu Jianwei said without opening her eyes. "It’s a fourth-rank opponent. You’re no match."
Xue Guanhe slumped back, craning his neck to see. When will I ever become strong enough?!
Yan Feicang intercepted a masked figure in gray. The assailant lunged with a sword, but to a sixth-rank expert, the attack was as clumsy as a child’s play. In one move, Yan Feicang subdued him.
"Who are you?!"
The gray-clad man bit down on a poison capsule hidden in his teeth and collapsed, lifeless.
Thanks to Yan Feicang’s intervention, the person screaming for help managed to catch their breath—but they didn’t stop running until they stumbled upon the carriage.
Lu Jianwei opened her eyes and blinked in surprise.
Where did this superhuman beauty come from?
A disheveled young woman stood before them, her yellow gown splattered with blood. Over her shoulder, she carried an unconscious man.
Her gaze swept past Xue Guanhe and Tiao before locking onto Lu Jianwei.
Both sides froze for a moment—until Yan Feicang returned, blade in hand.
"He took poison. No identifiable markings."
Luo Lianhuan finally snapped out of her daze. Tears welled up as she lowered the wounded man to the ground and collapsed to her knees.
"Brother Yan… they’re all dead. Everyone’s dead. Senior Brother got hurt protecting me… and now he’s dying too."
Her voice cracked, tears streaming down her face—a stark contrast to her earlier haughtiness.
Xue Guanhe, who hadn’t thought much of her initially, now felt a pang of sympathy.
Luo Sheng’s injuries were severe—multiple sword wounds and internal damage to his meridians. Even with immediate treatment, his survival hung by a thread.
"Save him first," Lu Jianwei ordered briskly. "Guanhe, fetch my medical kit."
"Right away!"
Xue Guanhe retrieved the kit from the carriage, stocked with needles, salves, and other supplies.
"What are you doing?" Luo Lianhuan demanded through her tears.
Lu Jianwei remained impassive. "Do you want him to live?"
"Yes!"
"Guanhe, draft a contract. Five thousand taels for a life saved. Have her sign it."
"Got it!"
Luo Lianhuan: "……"
Lu Jianwei pulled out a silver needle and tore open Luo Sheng’s blood-soaked robes, preparing to puncture his acupoints.
"Wait!" Luo Lianhuan threw herself forward, blocking her. "What exactly are you trying to do?!"
Lu Jianwei spoke calmly, "Don’t want your senior brother to live? Fine, I won’t save him."
She withdrew her silver needles without hesitation.
Luo Lianhuan froze, at a loss, glancing at Yan Feicang beside her. She wanted to say something but didn’t know where to begin.
Yan Feicang wasn’t the type to stand by and watch someone die. The Yan family had some ties with Red Cloud Peak, and he couldn’t ignore this situation.
"She’s skilled in medicine. She can save Luo Sheng."
His words were brief, but Luo Lianhuan understood.
"Elder sister, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were a physician earlier. Please, save my senior brother."
The once-spoiled young girl, now tempered by hardship, had learned a bit of humility.
Lu Jianwei raised an eyebrow. "Guanhe, revise the contract to ten thousand taels."
"Right away!" Xue Guanhe swiftly wrote the amount and handed the contract and red ink paste to Luo Lianhuan. "Sign and stamp it."
"You—" Luo Lianhuan’s temper flared. "This is outrageous!"
Xue Guanhe mused, "That sounds familiar."
"Yunlai Inn," Tiao interjected coolly.
"Ah, right! The Dongliu Twin Heroes said the same thing."
And yet, they’d still coughed up ten thousand taels in the end.
Yan Feicang fixed Luo Lianhuan with a cold stare. "A life hangs in the balance."
The words doused her like icy water. Her breath hitched, and after a moment of stunned silence, reality sank in.
Her other senior brothers had perished at the birthday banquet. Luo Sheng was teetering on the edge of death. There was no one left to indulge or coddle her.
A pang of sorrow struck her heart, and tears streamed down her face again.
Xue Guanhe softened at the sight. "Miss Luo, we’re not bullying you. Your senior brother’s injuries are severe—he’s already halfway through the gates of the underworld. Saving him will cost my master immense effort. Ten thousand taels truly isn’t excessive."
"Waaah—" Luo Lianhuan wept, her makeup smearing as she snatched the contract, signed it, and pressed her thumbprint onto it.
It wasn’t the money that pained her—she just needed to cry.
Lu Jianwei checked the system map. For now, no other pursuers were coming from Dongliu City, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t appear later.
She first sealed several acupoints with silver needles to stop the bleeding, then applied a wound-healing salve.
"We need to leave now," she ordered. "Yan Feicang, carry him onto the carriage. Let’s move."
Yan Feicang complied without question.
Luo Lianhuan stared in disbelief. Why was he so obedient?
With only one horse and a single carriage, their group of six—one of them injured—was stretched thin. The added weight slowed the horse.
Time was of the essence. Lu Jianwei ignored the impracticalities and commanded, "Yan Feicang, take Luo Lianhuan on horseback."
In the martial world, propriety took a backseat to survival.
Neither Yan Feicang nor Luo Lianhuan objected.
As the carriage rolled forward, Lu Jianwei tended to the wounded inside while Xue Guanhe and Tiao remained on the driver’s seat.
"Boss, with four people in the carriage, the horse won’t last long," Xue Guanhe pointed out.
Lu Jianwei replied, "We’ll manage for now."
She checked the map again. Two green dots—riders on fast horses—were closing in from Dongliu City.
The next city was half a day’s journey away. They couldn’t outrun their pursuers.
Whoever had massacred the banquet guests wouldn’t let survivors escape. Once the Zhou Mansion was dealt with, more killers would be dispatched.
Lu Jianwei’s decision to keep moving was to avoid being surrounded.
For now, two pursuers were manageable. But if more came, even Yan Feicang’s formidable skills might not be enough.
The banquet had hosted warriors of the fifth and sixth tiers. Their deaths proved the attackers’ overwhelming strength.
Lu Jianwei knew her limits. At her current level, facing them would be suicide.
The two green dots drew nearer.
Yan Feicang’s instincts sharpened. He turned toward the carriage. "We’ve got two tails. I’ll handle them."
"Don’t forget their horses," Lu Jianwei reminded.
"Mn." With a leap, Yan Feicang vaulted backward, landing on the horse’s back before darting off.
The reins fell into Luo Lianhuan’s grip. Gritting her teeth, she spurred the horse forward, refusing to be a burden.
Soon, Yan Feicang returned, leading two horses. His sleeves were stained with blood, his expression icy.
Lu Jianwei exited the carriage and mounted one of the new horses.
"Tiao, tend to the wounded inside. Guanhe, pick up the pace."
With only three people now in the carriage, the lighter load let the horses move faster.
As they raced onward, Lu Jianwei monitored the map. A larger group from Dongliu City had paused briefly upon finding the three dead pursuers before resuming the chase.
The sun dipped westward.
Xue Guanhe was drenched in sweat, his romanticized view of the martial world shattered, replaced by fury and dread.
Mindless slaughter!
He’d dreamed of a heroic, righteous world—not this blood-soaked nightmare.
Though he’d witnessed violence before, this desperate flight hammered the lesson home.
"Boss, the horses won’t last much longer," he fretted, heart aching for the exhausted animals.
Lu Jianwei said, "Keep going."
"Why are we running?" Yan Feicang finally voiced his confusion. "Between the two of us, we can kill them all."
Lu Jianwei sighed inwardly. Her earlier act had convinced him of her prowess. But she was only fifth-tier.
"If they have fifth and sixth-tier fighters who choose to self-destruct, we might not stop them all," she reasoned—the only excuse she could muster.
Yan Feicang paused. "But before, with Song Xian..."
"Song Xian was alone," Lu Jianwei countered coolly. "This group is larger. Even if we survive, Tiao and Guanhe might not."
Yan Feicang bowed his head. "You’re right."
Then he added, "Let them go ahead. We’ll hold the rear."
Lu Jianwei: "..."
Further refusal would undermine her facade.
"Guanhe, keep moving. Yan Feicang and I will deal with the trash behind us," she declared.
"Boss!" Xue Guanhe protested. "What if they self-destruct?"
Lu Jianwei reassured him, "The agony of self-destruction is unbearable. Most wouldn’t choose it. Trust me."
"...Alright." Xue Guanhe wiped his damp eyes, hating his own helplessness.
Six pursuers approached—one sixth-tier, three fifth-tier, and two fourth-tier.
Lu Jianwei steeled herself. Once she acted, Yan Feicang would realize her true level.
They rode back and soon spotted the six gray-clad figures.
Without hesitation, Lu Jianwei split their paths. "You take the right. I’ll handle the left."
Distance would mask her energy level, letting her fight freely—her first real battle.
Fear was absent. Instead, exhilaration surged through her veins, her inner power priming for combat.
As they separated, the gray-clad men hesitated, then divided their forces.
Yan Feicang was a renowned figure, assigned to deal with one level-six and two level-five opponents, while the group chasing Lu Jianwei consisted of one level-five and two level-four assassins.
The official road was surrounded by dense forests and thickets, making it difficult for horses to traverse. Estimating that she was already beyond the pursuers' detection range, Lu Jianwei abandoned her steed and pushed the second stance of "Unconcerned by Time" to its limits.
As dusk approached, the weakening sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick canopy, casting dim shadows that obscured human figures.
Lu Jianwei's movements were eerily elusive, leaving the three assassins exhausted.
"How come we can't catch up?" one of the level-four assassins couldn't help but complain.
The woman in white ahead seemed just within reach, yet no matter how much they quickened their pace, they couldn't close the distance—she was like a fleeting ghost.
Even the level-five assassin was astonished. Well-traveled as he was, he had never encountered such exquisite lightness skill.
Who was she?
His thoughts barely wavered for a moment when the figure ahead suddenly vanished.
The assassins halted, holding their breaths as they strained to detect any movement in the forest. The slightest sound would be caught by their sharp ears.
But there was nothing.
Just as the three were baffled, an overwhelming blade shadow descended upon them—the first stance of the Frost Coiling Blade technique, "Enveloping All Life," crashed down with a force like a tidal wave. The icy gleam of the blade illuminated the woman's calm, profound eyes, sending a tremor through their hearts.
The Frost Coiling Blade unleashed its full might. Under its tyrannical pressure, the three felt as if they were sinking into a swamp, utterly powerless to resist.
At the last moment, the level-five assassin erupted with a desperate burst of energy, rolling aside to evade the devastating slash. Seizing the opportunity while Lu Jianwei executed the other two, he thrust his sword toward her back.
A level-five warrior's internal energy was not to be underestimated. Lu Jianwei sidestepped with nimble footwork, dodging the sword's edge before flipping her blade upward.
One against one—level five versus level five—it seemed evenly matched.
But Lu Jianwei's cultivation techniques far surpassed his, as did her blade skills. Moreover, the Frost Coiling Blade, forged by the system, was indestructible, its power absurdly overwhelming.
Within a few exchanges, the assassin's sword shattered into fragments under the Frost Coiling Blade's might.
Assassin: ???
Who was she? Not only were her movements uncanny and her martial arts extraordinary, but even her weapon was a treasure beyond compare.
Wasn't the woman who escaped supposed to be just a level-three martial disciple?
Doubt flickered in his mind, but the blade's light was already upon him.
A level-five warrior had many means of survival—his life was worth more than a mere underling's. Unwilling to die so easily, he reached into his sleeve while dodging, retrieving a small orb to throw for escape. But before he could act, a strange fragrance invaded his nostrils.
His mind instantly fogged over. Before losing consciousness, he saw the woman take out a pill and extend it toward him.
Lu Jianwei had won her first battle.
She truly felt it now—the cultivation techniques and martial skills she practiced were indeed far superior to those of ordinary martial artists in the jianghu.
Under her blade, one level-five and two level-four assassins had been powerless to fight back.
The two assassins had their throats slit by her blade, their lifeless bodies collapsing. The metallic scent of blood lingered around her, aggressively invading her senses.
She felt slightly nauseated.
But it wasn’t as unbearable as she had imagined.
Lu Jianwei had wondered countless times how she would feel after taking a life for the first time.
Would she hesitate? Vomit? Tremble? Be haunted by psychological scars?
Now that it had happened, she realized there was none of that—only an indescribable emptiness. Yet even in that void, she still had the presence of mind to force a pill down the level-five assassin’s throat.
The assassin still clutched a Thunder Pearl in his hand.
Once detonated, these pearls released a thick smokescreen, perfect for escape.
She had noticed his movement the moment he acted and drugged him before he could trigger the pearl.
For good measure, she also fed him the "Ordinary Guest" pill.
A heavy, labored breathing approached from afar.
Lu Jianwei raised her blade, only to recognize Yan Feicang.
"How did it go?" Yan Feicang approached, his longsword still stained with blood, his voice low.
Lu Jianwei replied evenly, "Left one alive."
"Mn." Yan Feicang said, "I didn’t manage to spare any."
Lu Jianwei reassured him, "One level-six and two level-fives—killing them all is already impressive."
"If not for your earlier advice, I might not have prevailed today." Yan Feicang's breathing grew even heavier, his voice muffled in his chest.
Lu Jianwei frowned. "You're injured?"
"Just a minor wound. It’s nothing."
"Can you carry this one?" Lu Jianwei pointed at the level-five assassin.
Yan Feicang nodded, sheathing his sword before hauling the assassin up by the collar. "There aren’t many signs of battle here. Did you finish them in one move?"
"Two or three, maybe." Lu Jianwei estimated.
Yan Feicang seemed somewhat deflated. "You’re strong."
"Not necessarily." Lu Jianwei chuckled helplessly. "You came to find me, meaning you finished your fight first. That makes you stronger."
Yan Feicang shook his head. "That level-six assassin was already injured."
He had been proud of defeating three assassins alone, but seeing Lu Jianwei—her white robes pristine, untouched by even a speck of dust—he knew he had lost.
Covered in grime and exhaustion, while she remained composed and unruffled, he had no right to feel proud.
"There shouldn’t be any more assassins after us." Lu Jianwei mounted her horse. "The city gates are already locked. We’ll have to camp outside tonight."
The two rode swiftly, the assassin tied to Yan Feicang’s horse. After galloping for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they finally spotted Xue Guanhe and the others.
Unable to enter the city either, they had taken refuge in a forest outside the walls.
"Boss! Brother Yan!" Xue Guanhe, who had been anxiously waiting, hurried out from the trees at the sound of hoofbeats.
Recognizing them, he immediately waved excitedly.
Lu Jianwei dismounted smoothly and ordered, "Start a fire and prepare some food."
She didn’t elaborate on the battle, but this instruction alone was enough.
If they could light a fire and cook, the danger had clearly passed.
Xue Guanhe felt reassured and asked, "Boss, are you hurt?"
"No."
"What about Brother Yan?"
"Just a scratch."
Lu Jianwei tossed him a medicine jar. "Wash the wound first, then apply this. It’ll heal by tomorrow."
Yan Feicang: "Thanks."
"Brother Yan, let me bandage it for you." Luo Lianhuan approached.
Yan Feicang: "No need."
His injury was on his leg, so he deliberately kept his distance to avoid being seen.
"Boss, what should we do with this assassin?" Xue Guanhe asked.
Lu Jianwei pondered briefly. "Load him onto the carriage. I have a use for him."
She had spared him to uncover the truth behind this ambush. Whether he still had his internal energy or not didn’t matter.
The carriage already housed one injured person, and adding another made it slightly cramped. Fortunately, Lu Jianwei had purchased a spacious carriage for comfort.
Inside the carriage, Xue Guanhe prepared food over the fire, Luo Lianhuan sat in a daze, Tiao rested with closed eyes, and Yan Feicang tended to his wounds farther away—this was the perfect opportunity.
When Song Xian had self-destructed, she had absorbed his internal energy, gaining ample practical experience.
Back then, she had digested a level-six warrior’s energy despite being only level three. Now that she was level five, absorbing a level-five assassin’s energy should be effortless.
Placing her palm against the assassin’s dantian, her nameless cultivation technique whirred into motion. Her internal energy probed into his body, gradually forming a vortex.
The vortex rooted itself in his dantian, violently siphoning his energy before channeling it into Lu Jianwei’s meridians.
As expected, absorbing energy from a fifth-level practitioner into another fifth-level went smoothly without any resistance or stagnation—the process was swift and seamless.
The experience bar surged at an unbelievable speed.
The assassin's internal energy was at the fifth level, but unlike Lu Jianwei's early-stage fifth level, according to the system's judgment, his progress bar was at 7,205,439/10,000,000—still over two million points short of reaching the sixth level.
Even after digesting all of his internal energy and adding her own one million points, Lu Jianwei only reached a little over eight million, still falling short of the sixth level.
But compared to diligent cultivation, this speed was already beyond extraordinary.
By the time Yan Feicang returned after tending to his wounds, Lu Jianwei had just finished absorbing the energy.
The abundant internal energy, guided by the Nameless Technique, was continuously assimilated, becoming truly hers.
She closed her eyes, focusing solely on strengthening her power.
The memory of killing was forcibly locked away in her mind.
She couldn’t help but feel a flicker of shock at her own calmness.
Was she born this way, or had she already been assimilated by this ruthless era?
"Boss, time to eat!"
The boy's clear voice rang out. Lu Jianwei opened her eyes, her light brown pupils reflecting the pitch-black night, carrying an inexplicable chill.
If someone sought to kill her, then killing them in return was the only right choice. This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. All she could do was protect her own life—and, if possible, the lives of those around her.
She had simply done what was necessary.
