Chapter 332

The hallmark of a snitch is their unwavering belief that they’re never at fault, even if death is staring them in the face.

So, if you ever find yourself in a snitching situation and say something like, ‘I might have made a small mistake,’ just know that objectively, you’ve likely committed a colossal blunder that even the Martial World would notice.

“Seomun Qing? Surely, that’s the one who unleashed the golden mountain spirit—”

“That’s right! That girl just pulled out her sword without a second thought!”

Dou Sam scowled; the audacity of this lowlife interrupting him ticked him off, and what the guy interrupted with wasn’t comforting either.

“Seomun Qing, huh? What kind of grudge drives someone to crash into another’s yard? So, how many are we dealing with? Their strength? Are there many masters?”

“She’s alone! She came by herself!”

“Alone? Are you telling me that one blue-haired girl just wrecked an entire combat unit of Green Forest?”

Dou Sam’s eyebrows twitched.

The combat unit led by the Young Master was just a glorified group formed to gain accolades, essentially just for show. Yet still, it was just one little girl.

Sure, word had spread that she made it to the Supreme level recently, but how well and how long can a newbie girl wield Sword Aura?

Thinking back to when he entered the Supreme level over twenty years ago, he could recall many times nearly collapsing from overexerting himself with barely any inner strength.

Graduating to Supreme level was a weak phase; it was like a kid with a shiny new toy not knowing how to use it, exhausting themselves before even getting the hang of it.

“Hmm. She can fight.”}

“Great Lord?”

“Look at those cruel hands. Why would a female martial artist from Zhengpai take joy in slicing up people? She probably acted brutally just to instill fear. Look at the aftermath. Half of them fled and the remaining half were too scared to act.”

Half right, half wrong. It was true Qing was more ruthless for that purpose.

But it was also true she took pleasure in the kill. It’s a shame that the term ‘pleasure killer’ is still foreign to this primitive, wild world.

Dou Sam turned to his men.

“Mark my words. Understand how powerful cruelty can be. She may be called ‘Supreme’ but she’s just a rookie who’s barely touched the realm. What kind of real battlefield experience does a twenty-year-old girl have? If they had charged in unafraid, instead of running away, even if the body count stayed the same, they would’ve certainly caught her and hung her naked in front of the Great Chief by now.”

“Yes, Great Lord.”

“Yet doesn’t it seem odd? I distinctly remember ordering anyone who fled to be killed. I told them to never retreat and to catch her no matter what.”

“Uh, I didn’t flee—”

“Fear is fear. Let’s make sure this brat dies an excruciating death and hang him over there. Let them see what happens to the coward as a warning.”

“Yes, Great Lord.”

“Wait a minute. No.”

Dou Sam’s face lit up with a cruel smile, one filled with excitement, much like Qing’s.

“I’ll do it myself. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a bloody spectacle.”

—-

As you descend from Dongfang Peak on the Tianmen Mountain, you enter the ancient forest known as the Won Gagye.

When people think of Zhangjiajie, they envision the majestic landscape filled with vertical columns and irregular cliffs, a stunning sight that characterizes this primeval forest.

However, once you set foot on the ground of Won Gagye, the breathtaking views vanish.

In the middle of the dense jungle, the thick canopy of trees prevents any light from breaking through, so you can’t see the sky.

Thanks to this, even in the brightest summer day, it stays dim.

Qing had already descended steep slopes after sunset in early November.

If it was dark during the day, how about at night?

What the— I literally can’t see a thing!

Thinking perhaps I had my eyes closed, I tried squeezing them tight, but strangely, it felt like closing my eyes made it easier to see something.

If I kept my eyes shut, I could almost sense a dizzying shimmer behind my eyelids.

But when I opened my eyes, it was true nothing existed—a pitch-black void.

Because Zhangjiajie is humid all year round, the night fog rolls in thickly once the sun goes down.

Even with Qing’s superhuman eyes able to see through most things, without any light source, she couldn’t see a single thing.

Nonetheless, despite the complete darkness, Qing was steadily walking forward as if she knew the way.

Thanks to her Awakening Skill, the mist acted clearer than the wind.

This extended her spatial awareness, allowing her to navigate without bumping into anything, almost like taking a leisurely stroll.

And she was well aware her physical abilities surpassed mere mortals.

She knew her eyesight was indeed exceptional.

If she couldn’t see, how difficult must it be for the bandits?

With the cover of night, she could escape unnoticed.

Qing felt a swell of pride.

Yeah. It’s me. I knew it all along. No gaps in my plan.

Having stumbled into a fortunate situation, her shoulders felt perky and proud.

So all she needed was to head south, just south, south…

Hmm. But wait, where exactly is south?

Of course, Qing lived long enough in a world without a compass, so she picked up some sense of direction.

Looking upwards should give her an idea.

But the sky is nowhere to be seen…

Without a clear view of the sky, observing the trees could help.

Trees stretch their branches southward, so whichever direction they’re denser signifies south.

But, hmm— I can’t see them either…

Little did Qing know, even if they were visible, she likely wouldn’t understand.

In semi-jungle terrain, trees grow upwards, pushing past each other, making it impossible to determine east, west, north, or south.

Nothing else showed either; tree stumps? Nope, can’t see those.

Moss on rocks? Just a soggy heap of moss everywhere.

“Miss. I’m lost…”

Only then did Qing finally acknowledge her predicament.

But that didn’t mean she was gripped by fear.

She just couldn’t orient herself; when the sun rises, she’ll be fine.

So in this situation, the smartest plan was to make the most of her well-trained body, throw down for a good night’s sleep, recharge her energy, and when morning comes, figure the way out.

But yet again, her reckless spontaneity held her back.

The Green Forest is surely waiting with their eyes peeled. How can she sleep easy?

Moreover, it’s just a matter of direction. Wouldn’t she find her way wandering around?

She’d escape before the sun rises; that’s a win.

If she can’t, she’ll try mapping her way later once it lights up, and that’s that.

Even if it fails, there’s no loss. If she succeeds, it’s a gain, right?

Then not acting now seems way worse.

After all, the forest doesn’t stretch endlessly. If she could just keep moving in a straight line, wouldn’t that lead her out during the long night?

But, only if she could walk straight, though.

What Qing overlooked was the fact that no one can just stride straight through a forest.

If failing to get out, it’s not just loss; it could mean drifting deeper into the woods.

That’s probably why in survival situations, people often say to stay put and signal for help instead of wandering off.

And so began Qing’s epic jungle exploration.

It was a futile effort burning energy, but to put a positive spin on things—exploration usually serves little purpose anyway.

—-

During a fight, Qing felt something slippery covering her from the injury of her own weapon, or whatever it was that broke apart and splattered on her.

Luckily, there was no need for concern. It was just a type of oil with an odor unrecognizable to humans, purely something like essential oil.

But unfortunately for Qing, the Green Forest had trained a bunch of dogs to track this kind of oil.

After a few dogs sniffed around the southern cliffs of Lush Peak and made their way east, they couldn’t descend from a steep dirt mound and just bark madly.

Dou Sam was dumbfounded.

So this bloodshed went unattended, and instead of fleeing, she took her sweet time admiring the stunning scenery of Lush Peak before sneaking into the Won Gagye jungle?

“This girl is smarter than I thought. And incredibly bold too. If it weren’t for Follow Fragrance, I might’ve missed her entirely.”

She must’ve heard the sounds of the dogs skyrocketing in the air, reasoning that no matter where she fled, she’d run into foes anyway.

So she played it slyly.

Hiding in the thick jungle of Won Gagye, she waited for them to chase her into the valley.

She must’ve thought she could enjoy the scenic views while she waited to ambush, wasn’t that a kind of audacity for a twenty-year-old?

Dou Sam genuinely admired her.

In that beautiful mess of slaughter, coupled with that cunning brain (or not) and gallant courage,

If she weren’t an enemy, he’d be asking her to bear his children.

Of course, considering she had taken down two of the Great Chief’s sons, she could never be spared.

In any case, upon reaching Lush Peak, the battle teams from every hideaway returned after catching a glimpse of the glamorous downfall of a fugitive.

Sundown was approaching.

They all knew just how lethal the night on the mountain could be for the Green Forest.

With such a frantic situation, there was no way they could infiltrate the Won Gagye.

The real hunt would begin tomorrow.

What worried Dou Sam more was needing to report this to the Great Chief.

Sending a subordinate would likely guarantee his head under the Great Chief’s wrath.

But he couldn’t just avoid telling the elite, so he had to personally deliver the message.

And, as expected, the moment he reported, the Great Chief raised his hand.

Dodging would only lead to more blows.

That’s when Dou Sam’s neck went stiff.

“No, no! It’s not your fault, I—!”

Believe it or not, the Great Chief managed to hold back his slap!

Dou Sam’s eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn’t just that the Great Chief restrained his temper; the even more shocking scene was—

tears—blood tears were streaming down the Great Chief’s face.

“Brother.”

“I’ll offer that girl a sacrifice. No, I’ll chew her up alive! I’ll devour her starting from her fingertips and toes. When she begs for death, I’ll toss her into the toilet! Hey, little brother, what should we do? Let her drown in pee? Is she afraid of dying from drowning? Would she burst due to fear? Do you not find it curious? Isn’t it?”

A father’s grudge for losing two of his sons.

With blood vessels in his eyes exploding and words dripping with vengeful rage, resentment clung to each syllable.

“No, what’s sadder, what’s worse? Oh, right! Since she’s a girl, let’s toss her aside during the day! What do you think? Would those bandits even touch a filthy, pee-soaked girl if she’s still a beauty? Curious, right?”

“Brother.”

“Yeah. I know. If we capture her, many will die. But, Dou Sam, I need to ask you for a favor, alright?”

Dou Sam watched as the Great Chief’s trembling hand and tears, mingled with blood, dripped onto his chin.

So what could he possibly say?

“…I’ll carry out your orders.”

Meanwhile, Qing was completely oblivious, still meandering through the primeval forest.

And thus began the night before the showdown.

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