Mage's Cultivation Journey 38

The door opened, and one of the invaders stepped in, the other three waiting in the corridor. He tried to hide it, but his internal energy was churning, ready to retreat back to the corridor the moment I made a hostile move, afraid of getting closer.

It was good to see that my performance against the expert at the city gates had made a lasting impression.

“We’re sorry to interrupt, Lord Steward, but we’re under strict orders to escort you to a safe spot. Our enemies are attacking,” he explained. His voice was polished, but despite his best effort, his fear was impossible to hide.

I said nothing for a moment, just looked at him with a slightly quirked head, like I was having trouble processing his presence. He tried to look confident, but there was no hiding his fear. I wondered why he was truly here. Was their assassin really that good?

“L-lord Steward, please,” he added, my silence unsettling him even more, but I could see one of the others reach to poke his shoulder, no doubt reminding him that they didn’t have much time. If they could move as they wished, there would be no need for that explosion.

I smirked as I stood up, taking a step forward, seemingly uncaring. In reality, it was just a bait for the expert lurking underneath the window, tense, waiting for an opportunity. My skill set meant that I would be far more successful in defending an attack rather than trying to take the offensive.

Especially since, if I failed to take him down, I would end up in a very unfavorable situation, surrounded on both sides, with at least one targeting my ‘young master’ to distract me. I would much rather give the assassin an easy shot, goading him in the action.

That was the paradox about the ambush. If the opponent was aware of it, it turned into a big drawback.

However, my step didn’t help. “An order? What if I don’t follow?” I responded.

“I-It’s a direct order from one of the leaders,” he replied. “Y-you cannot defy the order of a Connate master.”

I didn’t argue immediately. Instead, I made a big show of chuckling, even closing my eyes to create an additional vulnerability. Facing martial artists, I wasn’t using my sight, so it was just another bait. They didn’t take it. A problem, as the strain of the excess internal energy was getting to be a bit much. I needed to act soon.

I could have attacked him directly, but one of them wasn’t the advantage I wanted.

“You think I will be afraid of it,” I said. They did not act. “Even if it was the truth!” I added, letting my expression shift, and took a step forward. “Were you the best spy your owner could have found?” I added. “Kneel, and I’ll spare your life.”

He didn’t argue, but it was less of a decision, and more of his fear covering his face. The other three still stayed concealed in the corridor. Waiting for a signal.

That signal came in the form of the window, breaking down with great fanfare. Finally, I thought as I prepared to take down the attacker … only for him to pick a direction I didn’t expect.

Yu Xing. And, I was out of position to support him.

I cursed as I shifted my attention, uncaring of the four that burst into the room for the moment, trying to rectify my mistake before it was too late.

I had been so confident that they would target me first. That would have made sense … if the intention was to kill me. But, the way the shadowy attacker positioned his dagger in his offhand while reaching Yu Xing empty-handed suggested the aim was to kidnap, not kill. They wanted to threaten me with compliance.

Seeing that, I considered turning my attention back to the four that burst into the room, to reduce the variables. That way, it would be easier to bargain with the shadowy kidnapper.

But, before I could make that suboptimal decision, something surprising happened. Yu Xing reacted faster than I expected, his body uncoiling like a spring to deliver a devastating blow … a blow that was far stronger than anything else he had delivered. Not because he had channeled more internal energy.

It was the purity of the transformed energy. It changed halfway to the blow, giving his attack a power that I didn’t expect.

Even with the boost, it wasn’t enough to defeat an attacker two realms above him, but that didn’t matter. He had repelled the attacker for a fleeting second, who seemed shocked at the sudden burst.

That shock was the last thing he had ever felt. Against an Organ Refinement expert, I didn’t want to take any risks. I had put two-thirds of my enhanced reserves to one attack, the needles once again flying with their eerie accuracy.

Even in his disadvantaged situation, the expert managed to deflect some, but the others sank into his flesh, the delivered essence enough to ruin his meridians. The rest had been handled by his own internal energy dispersing through his body.

He fell down, expired.

His death was welcome, but not the only thing I expected. I turned my attention back to the four, only to see one of them kneeling. He seemed to take my earlier baiting as instructions. I welcomed it. It would be a good thing to leave someone to question.

As for the other three, their deaths came quickly. If they coordinated to deflect my attacks, they might have had a chance to retreat unscathed. Unfortunately, watching the shadowy kidnapper that was supposed to be their trump card was broken.

Three more attacks. Three more bodies.

“Lord Steward. I —” the kneeling figure started.

“Shut it,” I cut him off. “Stay there, and don’t move. I have absolutely no interest in what kind of backwater political game led to this. You can explain that to others once they arrive,” I said. He seemed shocked at my disinterest. Then, I turned to Yu Xing, examining him, including his shattered hand. “Or, to the young master once I finish treating him,” I added.

“I ...” He started.

“I don’t care,” I responded. “Leave this room. Step out of the broken window, and kneel there,” I said. “If you dare to run, I will follow you, and beg you for a death that you won’t receive, understood?”

“Yes, Lord Steward,” he said and followed my orders. It seemed that my earlier show had made quite an impression. He left, and he knelt in a position where I could see him, thinking that it was a test.

It was a test, at least from a certain point of view. I was testing to see if he had any other collaborators.

With that done, I started examining Yu Xing’s hand, a burst of internal energy enough to jumpstart his recovery. “You have done well,” I said, whispering to avoid being overheard just in case. “Though, I’m sorry you have been hurt. That was my miscalculation.”

“Master, you have destroyed an enemy that would have killed me in a few blows if he wished. I owe you my life again. The last thing I want to hear is an apology.”

I patted his head. “Everything has its place, kid. It doesn’t absolve the mistake.” Then, I pulled the needles. The attack, while devastating to his flesh and bones, didn't damage his meridians, making it easy to treat. A careful flood of internal energy and some bandages were all he needed. I handled the first, and left the other part to Su Mi.

I turned my attention to the corpse of the shadowy kidnapper and reached down. I didn’t expect to find anything with him … which was why I was absolutely surprised to find him carrying a small bag, most of it filled with gold … but the other part was even more interesting.

A martial arts manual.

It didn’t look like his possessions, as it would have included more. I suspected that it was his payment; though that was interesting. The economy here was mostly dependent on silver, with gold very limited in circulation. Whoever had paid him, it was not an ordinary party.

I suspected it would be easier to track him based on the book, but I had no intention of giving it up. I had only a passing interest in the identity of the attacker. In comparison, the book was a treasure.

Considering it was valued by an Organ Refinement expert, there was a chance that it actually explained how to reach the Connate Realm.

“Tell me. What’s up with the sudden burst of power?” I asked Yu Xing even as I walked back to my seat, taking another pill to replenish my reserves, already flipping through the pages.

The kid looked surprised. “I … I don’t know,” he admitted. “When the window broke and the attacker rushed toward me, I just attacked. But, before I could, a gust of wind hit my face and …” he muttered. “I don’t know. Something had just —”

His words had been interrupted by a cry of death. One that, thankfully, had not come from the room. The victim was the attacker who had surrendered earlier, collapsing with an arrow lodged in his throat.

I frowned. That, I didn’t like, as it implied whoever arranged it went into the trouble of getting rid of the evidence. It meant that it was not just an outside job. Someone in the compound didn’t want him to speak, going as far as to silence him. But, in a twisted way, it was also good news.

They wouldn’t have tried to silence him if they had a follow-up attack. All that remained was to handle the aftermath, which was mostly posturing. And, that, I did very well.

I just sat, reading the book to see if my expectations about it having the secrets of the Connate realm were accurate.

The bodies of my enemies would do all the speaking…