Chapter Five: The Sword Named "Autumn Water"

Yun Yufeng cautiously peeked out from behind the large tree, surveying his surroundings before stepping forward with relief. Moments ago, he had spotted the spatial pouch at the mercenary leader’s waist—and to his delight, the captain possessed one as well. Such a convenient item! Yun Yufeng was overjoyed, feeling as though fate had handed him a pillow when he was longing for sleep.

He could finally take some of the magical beast materials he had coveted for so long. The captain’s spatial pouch was surely not large enough; otherwise, the party would not have needed to pick out only the most valuable items, leading to their ambush and annihilation.

Yun Yufeng took the spatial pouch and caressed it in his hands. He bit his finger and traced a rune upon its surface. As he finished the last stroke, a ripple of energy spread through the space, blurring the rune. It seemed to draw something from its surroundings, then absorbed it rapidly into the pouch like a sponge.

He repeated the process with the other spatial pouch, marking it with his spiritual imprint. Upon opening them, he discovered that one held ten units of space, while the captain’s was five times larger, at fifty units.

There was little of value inside—just magic crystals ranging from Tier Two to Tier Five, a few silver notes, and some basic supplies for the squad: food and wine.

Gazing at the bubbling pool of tiger beast blood, Yun Yufeng decisively emptied several wine jars and filled them with the blood. He then stored the relatively intact wolf-shaped magical beast in the pouch, but the pouch could not fit the entire beast. He had to cut off four tiger claws at their roots. The sword he used was of uncertain grade, but it sliced through the eighth-tier beast’s claws with just two strokes, even though each claw was as thick as a man’s waist.

Checking the remaining space, he thought for a moment and took the tiger’s sinew as well, along with some meat for future meals. Stored inside the spatial pouch, the meat would not spoil. Considering the battle earlier, the fiery beast’s flesh might even benefit his cultivation of fire elemental battle energy.

Having finished his preparations, Yun Yufeng examined the sword in his hand. Its slender blade was smooth as a mirror and shone like autumn water. He decided to name it “Autumn Water.” With a casual flourish, he spun the sword and silver flowers bloomed, dazzling and splendid.

He sighed. This sword was so ostentatious when drawn—even those lacking discernment could recognize it as a treasure. Better to stash it in the spatial pouch; perhaps it would surprise others when produced at a critical moment.

He picked up another sword from the ground, noting its lack of distinguishing marks, and hung it at his waist. The spatial pouch he tied to his belt, and a flick of his robe ensured it was well concealed. He headed toward the forest’s outer regions. The captain had mentioned that they hadn’t encountered any noteworthy magical beasts in the Tier Five area, so Yun Yufeng aimed to seize the opportunity and leave. The outer regions would be busier with people, making dangers fewer. The thought of lingering at the edge of the Tier Six zone was unnerving.

The journey proved uneventful. Occasionally, a small beast would leap out only to be easily dispatched by Yun Yufeng. After half a day, he entered the Tier Five region. Thankfully, he had a map of Blackwind Mountains in his pouch; otherwise, he would have wandered endlessly.

Just as he crossed a low hill, he sensed strong waves of energy ahead, tightening his chest. Two hundred meters away, a mercenary squad was besieging a magical beast. The battle was nearly over. An ice spear pierced the beast through a gaping wound, and the creature let out a long, despairing cry before collapsing. The mercenaries, leaning on their weapons or against trees, gasped for breath—magical beasts of the same tier truly held a great advantage in physical strength.

“Who’s sneaking around over there? Come out,” the apparent captain suddenly shouted, eyes scanning the spot where Yun Yufeng hid. His tone was slightly annoyed; ambushes and treasure thefts by those lurking in the shadows were all too common.

Damn, discovered. Should he show himself or run? After a brief consideration, he decided his harmless guise posed no threat—he was only passing by. Cautiously, he stepped out from behind the tree.

“A little one?” The mercenaries were surprised. “Strange things happen every year, but this year is truly extraordinary,” they laughed uproariously.

Yun Yufeng touched his nose, as expected—anyone seeing him here would be surprised. “Um, sorry, it’s just an accident—definitely an accident,” he muttered.

“An accident? Of course, I can’t think of any other reason,” the captain replied. “So, little one, what were you doing hiding there?”

“Just passing through. I want to leave Blackwind Forest, so I stopped here, worried I might disturb you,” Yun Yufeng answered calmly. He was getting tired of being questioned every time he met someone.

“You came from inside?”

“If you mean the Tier Six region, then yes. But it was just an accident.”

“Uh, with your cultivation, how did you get in?”

Yun Yufeng pointed overhead. “Flew in…”

The mercenaries were dumbfounded. Carefully, they asked, “But your cultivation…”

Yun Yufeng rolled his eyes. “Who said I flew in myself?”

A sharp intake of breath. To fly in, one needed to be at least a Tier Six wind mage or a Tier Seven martial spirit for short-range flight. With this in mind, the mercenaries assumed that someone powerful had tossed Yun Yufeng into the Tier Six zone and was secretly protecting him.

The captain pondered—perhaps this was a chance to connect with the strong figure behind Yun Yufeng. If he could get guidance, the benefits would be immense. With this thought, his tone grew warm and welcoming.

“Little brother, where are you from? Oh, let me introduce myself—I’m Kuang. You can call me Captain Kuang.”

Yun Yufeng responded naturally, “Heh, Yun Yufeng, from Weishan Town. Captain Kuang probably hasn’t heard of it—it’s a small place.”

Hearing he was from Weishan Town, the mercenaries shrugged. This kid was probably spinning tales—a small town no one had heard of, likely the offspring of some big family’s bored scion out for adventure.

“Well, little brother, you look about ten, not even an adult, yet you dare walk alone in the depths of Blackwind Forest. Just your courage puts us to shame. Weishan Town must be a place of extraordinary people.”

Yun Yufeng twitched his lips—who would have thought this captain would be so ingratiating, sticking to him so quickly? He mused silently; with no powerful protector behind him, he couldn’t let the truth slip. If needed, he’d bluff with borrowed prestige.

“Little brother, we’ve finished our mission today. Want to leave together?”

“Well… Thank you, everyone,” Yun Yufeng quickly replied. A timely offer—he wouldn’t even need to ask.

“No need to thank us—it’s just on our way.”

“Still, I owe you thanks for saving me a lot of trouble.”

Trouble? The mercenaries’ lips twitched. A Tier Two kid wandering here, saved from trouble? If not for some powerful guardian cleaning up after him, he’d long have become beast food…

Yun Yufeng saw their expressions but said nothing. If they knew he’d actually been dropped here by a bird, their jaws would be on the ground. Let them misunderstand; for his plan to exit the forest, he must not reveal the truth.

The group chatted and laughed as they traveled. In the time that had passed, they had slain several Tier Five beasts. The magical beasts that had fled earlier were slowly returning to their territories. Yun Yufeng satisfied his curiosity along the way.

Since arriving in this world, he had never felt so relaxed; always on edge, never so at ease. Thanks to that wonderful misunderstanding, his companions treated him as a revered guest—even ensuring he had a share of food.

As night approached, they arrived at the foot of a steep rocky hill. Captain Kuang surveyed the terrain and decided to set up camp here. A bonfire atop the mountain would be too conspicuous; large magical beasts were much smarter than common animals, he explained. Yun Yufeng nodded—he hadn’t known this.

Two men were assigned to keep watch, with shifts swapping after midnight. Some trained, others simply buried themselves in sleep—after all, some lacked the talent for advancement and had given up on cultivation.

Yun Yufeng sat cross-legged in a stone hollow, focusing on his training. Purple battle energy flowed slowly through his meridians, circulating and gradually growing stronger. Sparks began to condense in the surrounding air, drawn into his body with each breath.

The mercenary captain happened to open his eyes and witness the scene. His eyes widened in disbelief, mouth agape.

“My god!” the captain groaned helplessly.

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