CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 124: COLLABORATION

~ Earlier that day in the Qianlong Province

The explosion tore through the quiet forest like the roar of a sleeping dragon suddenly awakened. The air quivered, and a wave of splinters, dirt, and startled birds erupted into the fading light. The carriage, once a polished vessel of comfort, now lay half-buried in a shallow ditch, one wheel still spinning aimlessly as smoke coiled from the shattered frame. ~whoooosh~

The frightened horses neighed madly, their reins tangled as they kicked against the earth. A guard, his armor cracked and smeared with blood, struggled to rise beside the wreckage before collapsing again, unmoving.

Li Wuji stood on a rocky ridge not far from the scene, his black robes fluttering in the aftermath of his attack. The malicious grin upon his lips deepened, his eyes reflecting the orange hue of the setting sun.

"That crest is from Crescent Moon City... who would’ve thought fate would deliver such an opportunity to my doorstep," he murmured, his voice carrying a cruel amusement. He began walking toward the wreckage, his soles crunching against the forest floor. Each step exuded the weight of a predator who already saw his prey as caught.

Behind him, Hang Feng emerged from the shadows, his expression a mixture of irritation and calculation. The younger cultivator’s breathing was rough—his robes torn, a faint trace of beast blood still drying along his sleeves. "You strike without warning again, Li Wuji. Must you always be the viper lurking in the dark?"

Li Wuji chuckled lowly, brushing dust from his knuckles. "Every debt must be paid, i sthat not the will of heaven? And besides, hesitation is a habit for the dead."

Yuan Yi appeared next, stepping over the broken trunk of a fallen tree, her expression unreadable. In her hand, she carried the same severed beast head from earlier, its fanged mouth frozen in a grim snarl. She tossed it aside with a casual flick. "Both of you attract chaos like moths to flame. Your voice’s will draw attention."

Li Wuji didn’t turn. "Let them come. The forest belongs to beasts and corpses now." His gaze fell on the overturned carriage again. "Our business will be handled with discretion."

Inside the carriage, chaos had given way to sharp breaths and muffled groans. Mo Li, her forehead streaked with a thin line of blood, forced her eyes open. The world spun momentarily before settling into focus—the interior was splintered, half-crushed, and the faint scent of burnt lacquer filled the air.

She coughed softly and pressed a hand to her ribs. "Bing Cao...?"

A calm voice answered, strained but steady. "Still alive."

Bing Cao, sitting upright despite the tilt of the carriage, brushed fragments of glass from his shoulder. His composure was almost unnatural given the situation. He surveyed the scene—the door had been torn from its hinges, one of the guards lay crumpled beside it, motionless.

His gaze shifted toward the faint shadows moving beyond the cracked window. "We have been caught off guard." Mo Li tried to steady her breathing. "That impact... was that a spiritual strike?"

Bing Cao nodded once. "Someone of considerable cultivation. I felt the force distort the qi in the air before it hit. We’re dealing with a Core Formation expert, perhaps two." She swallowed, her hand tightening around the pendant at her throat. "So it’s a coordinated attack."

"Or an operation veiled as one," Bing Cao said, his eyes narrowing. "Either way, we must assume the worst." Mo Li shifted slightly, reaching for the short sword strapped beneath the seat. The blade slid free with a faint hum, its surface catching the dying sunlight through the shattered window.

Her reflection shimmered faintly against the steel—blood on her cheek, but her eyes sharp and clear. "Then we fight," she said quietly.

Bing Cao regarded her with a faint glimmer of approval. "Good. Do not panic in the face of adversity." The two of them waited in silence, the forest eerily still again except for the occasional creak of the carriage.

Outside, Li Wuji approached the wreckage, the wind stirring his hair as he lifted his hand and swept aside the remaining smoke. "Come out, little fish," he said mockingly. "Your hiding only makes the hunt tedious."

Hang Feng stepped closer, scanning the area. "Careful. If they are who you think, we might need them alive."

Li Wuji smirked. "Alive or half-dead makes little difference."

He raised his palm again, spiritual energy crackling faintly along his fingertips like stormfire. Before he could unleash another strike, however, a sudden flash of movement burst from the broken side of the carriage.

Mo Li shot forward, her sword gleaming as it sliced through the air. ~shing~

Li Wuji barely tilted his head aside, the blade grazing his cheek and drawing a thin crimson line. His grin widened. "Ah, the fish has fangs after all."

Before he could counter, Bing Cao followed—his robes fluttering as his hand drew a circular sigil in the air. Lines of light flared briefly, and with a sharp twist of his wrist, the sigil erupted into a burst of compressed wind.

~BOOM~

Dust and leaves exploded upward, momentarily blinding their attackers. Hang Feng retreated instinctively, shielding his eyes. Li Wuji laughed amid the storm, his voice carrying through the chaos. "So the adviser of Frost City still breathes! This will be entertaining."

Bing Cao’s expression remained unreadable as he landed lightly beside Mo Li. "He knows who we are," she muttered.

"As do half the vultures in this forest," he replied. "We move. Now."

The pair dashed toward the treeline, their robes snapping in the wind. Mo Li’s heart pounded, her every step fueled by instinct and training. Behind them, the laughter ceased.

~Crack~

A shadow flickered across the ground. Li Wuji appeared before them, his speed unnatural. One moment he was distant; the next, he stood blocking their escape, the air distorting faintly around him from the force of his qi.

"Going somewhere?"

Mo Li lunged again, her sword gleaming like falling starlight. Li Wuji caught the blade between two fingers, sparks flying as his spiritual pressure crushed against hers. "Pretty," he murmured, twisting his wrist until the metal groaned. "But soft."

"Release her." Bing Cao’s voice came from behind.

Li Wuji glanced over his shoulder, eyes cold. "You think to command me, scholar?"

He released Mo Li’s sword and turned his full attention toward Bing Cao. The adviser’s hands moved in deliberate arcs, weaving sigils of light that shimmered with controlled energy. A thin gust rippled through the trees as the sigils expanded outward.

"I’ve no interest in command," Bing Cao said evenly. "Only in peace."

The sigils snapped shut.

~FWOOM~

The forest erupted in wind. Leaves and branches tore free, whirling like a storm-born serpent. Mo Li was pulled backward, shielding her face. Li Wuji’s feet dug into the earth, his robes flaring wildly as he pushed through the gale with a defiant grin.

"Impressive," he said through gritted teeth. "But wind without fangs only dances."

From behind him, Hang Feng struck—his sword cleaving through the storm, aimed at Bing Cao’s heart. Bing shifted his stance, turning the blade aside at the last instant, but the impact sent him sprawling backward into a fallen tree.

Mo Li shouted, "Bing Cao!"

She charged again, flames flickering faintly along her sword’s edge as her spiritual energy surged. The clash of steel and qi lit up the dim forest in flashes of red and white. Li Wuji deflected each strike with effortless grace, laughing all the while.

"You fight well, girl," he taunted, "but you bleed faster than you think."

He stepped in close, too close—then slammed his palm against her shoulder. The force sent her flying back into the carriage’s remnants. ~thud~

Bing Cao’s eyes narrowed, pain flashing across his features as he steadied himself. "Enough!"

He slammed his palm into the ground, channeling his qi through the soil. Lines of light spread in all directions, forming a glowing barrier between them and their attackers. For a brief moment, silence reigned—then the air itself shimmered like glass.

Li Wuji sneered. "A spiritual ward? Here?"

"It’ll hold long enough," Bing Cao said quietly, helping Mo Li to her feet. "Run."

"But—"

He cut her off with a firm look. "You carry the letter from the Capital City. If they take it, everything we’ve worked for collapses. Go." Mo Li hesitated, then nodded sharply. She turned and darted into the trees, her silhouette quickly swallowed by shadow.

Li Wuji’s laughter echoed faintly through the barrier. "Run as far as you like, little fish. The net was cast long before you ever swam into it."

The last of the sunlight vanished behind the trees, and the forest plunged into a deep, crimson dusk.