Hatred lingers, for people will inadvertently brush over healed scars.

Silently, An Hou tossed portrait after portrait into the fire. When only the final one remained in her hand, she paused. She took another glance at it, her gaze lingering on the hesitation in the painted figure's eyes. Then, with a sudden motion, she thrust the portrait into the licking flames…

That night, her order was carried by falcons to the leaders of many factions:

"If seen, kill on sight."

...............

Boom!

Two days had passed since the Lantern Festival, and fireworks detonated high in the distant sky.

Their origin was impossible to discern—were they from the Capital City, or perhaps from one of those two small villages?

The light scattered across the night, emphasizing its desolation.

Chen Yi walked through the mountain woods. It was said that the name of this mountain was quite intriguing—"Drunk Mountain." Strange to think that mountains, unlike beauties, couldn't really become drunk. Otherwise, the world wouldn't have so many people who love beauties yet disdain kingdoms. Among the Martial Arts legends, there was even the reclusive Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch who once declared boldly: "Kingdoms cannot drink wine. I need someone who can drink with me…"

As thoughts meandered in these idle moments, Chen Yi sometimes found his mind wandering. If mountains truly could get drunk, would that surpass even the intoxication of beauties?

Perhaps…

But his love for beauties wasn't because of wine; he never cared much for drinking.

However, he quite liked the sight of beauties drunk—especially the little vixen, her face glowing red and flushed.

Oh yes, Luan Huang when drunk was stunning as well; though intoxicated, she exuded a celestial aura, like walking above the clouds.

Speaking of that—how was Min Ning doing? She had been away from the Capital City for some time now. Was her wine gourd full?

Speaking of that… there seemed to be a shadow behind him...

Just as the thought arose, Chen Yi spun around and struck out. No sound followed. No response either. He scrutinized closely—it wasn't a person but merely swaying branches.

It turned out to be a false alarm.

Chen Yi exhaled slowly. Every step along his journey evading pursuit and fighting off assassins had made him jumpy, mistaking sounds of the wind and bird songs as harbingers of threats.

Every cloud, every gust, every leaf seemed to harbor murderous intent. Constant vigilance toward the smallest details had left him overwhelmed and weary.

Cooling down, Chen Yi wiped the sweat from his brow as a breeze swept over the ridge and teased his hair. In that moment, he suddenly felt he had never truly tasted freedom.

Never felt ease.

"Should I have a drink?" Chen Yi murmured aloud.

But the thought passed as quickly as it came.

Amid the sound of the wind, faint bird calls, and the tiny insects nestled in crevices of bark, jagged shadows jutted like fangs—was it a blade? Between the shifting tree-canopy light and shadow, were those mere beasts passing through, or glints of swords and knives among them? A sip of wine might provide temporary reprieve, but the moment the wine slides down—someone's head will roll.

Chen Yi's heart was tightly wound.

Eyes scanning in all directions, ears attuned to every sound, he dared not relax for even a moment.

Pushing aside the branches, weaving through the woods, Chen Yi's breathing remained steady, neither quickening nor slowing.

His quietude was chilling.

Then came the sound: a dry leaf crackling as it broke.

Swish!

He spun and slashed with his blade.

In the vast night, a slender white line shot through the air. A barely perceptible dark point collided with the white streak and was instantly shredded to fragments!

"He's here!"

From the gloom, a shrill cry from Death Crow pierced the air as his figure leaped up high, landing atop a treetop.

He widened the distance instantly, ensuring Chen Yi couldn't chase him down. His heart still raced in fear—the poison arrow he had silently launched earlier had seemed sure to strike its mark, yet he hadn't foreseen the sheer vigilance of this man.

In the shadows, Chen Yi instantly deduced the identity of Death Crow by his diminutive figure. Although only a fifth-grade fighter, Death Crow was notorious for his cruel and venomous techniques, with poisoning being practically second nature to him.

With Death Crow's warning cry, Chen Yi saw figures darting through the forest toward him. He retreated several steps, pulling back to a towering rock wall as a defense against the unseen arrows flying toward him. But in the blink of an eye, the rock wall shattered open, dust billowing as the hulking figure of Unyielding Eagle emerged.

Unyielding Eagle gripped his blade single-handedly, the edge gleaming coldly in the night as it swung in a relentless strike!

Chen Yi sidestepped swiftly, dodging the descending arc of the blade that split the crumbling rock wall cleanly in half. With a thunderous crash, the sound echoed like that of exploding lightning.

Debris scattered as dust clouds rolled forth. The shattered wall completely collapsed. Just as Chen Yi prepared to counterstrike, reversing his blade to cut at Unyielding Eagle, he heard faint "swish, swish" sounds masked by the noise of the rock crumbling.

Jerking his head aside, a poison arrow just grazed his hair, splintering it as it embedded itself into the ground.

The arrow was coated in potent venom, so lethal that despite Chen Yi's mastery of Copper Bone Skill, a mere breach of skin would leave him half-crippled.

Seeing his evasion, Death Crow let out a surprised "Huh!"

Had the first arrow missed, he was certain the second one would hit. If it did, this Chen Yi would be left paralyzed, forced to expend his True Qi to expel the poison.

Boom!

Festive fireworks erupted in the distance—a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness of this forest.

Though startled, Death Crow wasted no time in his actions. He abandoned his blowpipe, swiftly unfastening the crossbow from his belt. The poison on this arrow was even deadlier.

Yet, no matter how lethal the poison, it served merely as a supporting role for Unyielding Eagle.

The simple reason was, for martial artists whose blood and energy had been honed by True Qi, no poison could kill instantly on contact. As long as their True Qi functioned, the toxins could be temporarily suppressed, though symptoms would eventually manifest after some time.

Unyielding Eagle showed no frustration regarding Death Crow's narrowly missed poisoned arrows. He pressed in closer, swinging his curved blade in a crescent arc like the moon itself. One deadly slash aimed directly at Chen Yi's abdomen.

Chen Yi retreated several steps. Without hesitation or distraction, he raised his own blade, intending to strike at the opening. But Unyielding Eagle seemed willing to trade injury for the kill, not dodging or withdrawing as he pushed forward relentlessly, his blade gleaming as it locked Chen Yi's movements in place.

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