Chapter Ten: One Wave After Another
Wang Changsheng had not originally intended to intervene; his initial thought was to wait until the assassin succeeded, then reap the benefits as the fisherman who profits from others’ struggles.
But unexpectedly, he caught a faint mention of the “Cloudpeak Empire” from the young noble’s lips.
The distance was a bit far, and the noble’s voice was quiet, so Wang Changsheng didn’t hear everything clearly, but it was enough to prompt him to act.
When the noble heard Wang Changsheng speak, his expression shifted between uncertainty and clarity, as if something had just occurred to him, and then a look of relief settled on his face.
“Indeed!” The noble gazed at Wang Changsheng and said in a deep voice, “I am the fourth prince of Cloudpeak Empire!”
Having spoken, he seemed to breathe easier.
“Cloudpeak Empire, truly?” Wang Changsheng’s face showed surprise.
His second uncle’s letter had instructed him to seek the Empire’s Grand General who protected the nation, and now, the very person he had hoped to profit from turned out to be the fourth prince of Cloudpeak Empire?
“That’s right, I’m the fourth prince of Cloudpeak Empire!” The noble asked with some curiosity, “You know of Cloudpeak Empire, Daoist?”
Wang Changsheng nodded slightly.
“How far is it from here to Cloudpeak Empire?” he inquired.
The noble looked puzzled; if Wang Changsheng knew of Cloudpeak Empire, how could he not know its location?
“About two hundred days’ journey!” the noble replied.
“Two hundred days…” Wang Changsheng contemplated.
The prince referred to an ordinary person’s pace; by Wang Changsheng’s own measure, he could reach Cloudpeak Empire within a month.
Having learned about Cloudpeak Empire, Wang Changsheng turned to look at the assassin not far away.
The prince and his two guards also stared at the assassin, fury in their eyes.
“Deal with him as you wish. I’ve already crippled his cultivation,” Wang Changsheng said indifferently.
Since he was the fourth prince of Cloudpeak Empire, Wang Changsheng decided it might be worthwhile to lend a hand.
The other two unharmed assassins glanced at each other, then fled without hesitation.
Even the assassin at the early innate stage had lost his cultivation; the remaining two were only at the acquired stage. Killing was now out of reach—they’d be lucky to escape alive.
Seeing them run, Wang Changsheng made no move to pursue.
Spurt!
The assassin at the early innate stage, realizing his fate, wasted no time; he picked up the sword beside him and plunged it into his own chest.
“Ruthless!” Wang Changsheng remarked gravely.
In such circumstances, the assassin knew he would not survive, even if Wang Changsheng refrained from acting—the prince would not let him live. Yet to summon the courage for suicide was not common; it spoke to the assassin’s professionalism.
“Do you know who is trying to kill you?” Wang Changsheng asked the prince.
The prince pondered and then replied in a deep voice, “These are people from the Shadow Assassins’ Tower. But… very few in Cloudpeak Empire have the power to employ their services!”
Clearly, the fourth prince already had his answer in mind.
“Your Highness, we must return to Cloudpeak Empire quickly—delays bring danger!” the captain of the guards said gravely. “Given the situation, we must abandon our baggage and take the smaller paths back.”
The prince nodded gently.
“Gather only the essentials, leave the baggage behind. We’ll take the side roads!” he ordered.
The survivors breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began to pack.
“Hmm?”
Just as the group prepared to depart, Wang Changsheng’s brows furrowed.
He caught sight of a figure in the distance—a man dressed in a gray robe.
“Cultivator?!”
At first glance, Wang Changsheng instantly knew: this was definitely a cultivator.
The aura of a cultivator was entirely different from that of a martial artist. Wang Changsheng now stood between both worlds and could easily recognize a kindred spirit.
“A cultivator at the pinnacle of Qi Refining!”
A solemn expression appeared on Wang Changsheng’s face.
The gray-robed cultivator approached slowly, his gaze fierce as he looked upon Wang Changsheng and the others.
“Could he be from the Shadow Assassins’ Tower?” Wang Changsheng wondered.
The Qi Refining pinnacle was equivalent to Wang Changsheng’s own peak innate realm, but the methods of cultivators and martial artists differed; Wang Changsheng could not guarantee victory against such a foe.
“Hand over your spirit stones!”
The cultivator at the Qi Refining pinnacle demanded fiercely, staring at Wang Changsheng.
“Spirit stones?” Wang Changsheng’s expression changed instantly.
The fourth prince and his entourage were utterly baffled.
“Spirit stones? What are spirit stones?” They had not yet grasped the concept.
Wang Changsheng, however, understood: this man was likely not from the Shadow Assassins’ Tower, but had come specifically for him.
“Above?” Wang Changsheng gestured upward.
The cultivator nodded.
Turning to the prince and his companions, Wang Changsheng said, “Finish packing and leave. He’s after me.”
The prince hesitated, “Daoist…”
“No need!” Wang Changsheng said firmly. “He is powerful—even I may not defeat him. But I am confident I’ll survive; if you stay, you’ll only be a burden!”
The prince gritted his teeth and nodded. “Let’s go!”
With that, he led the others away.
“You’ve been following me for quite a while, haven’t you?” Wang Changsheng said, his tone dark.
The cultivator nodded.
Wang Changsheng’s expression grew more grim; he braced himself as he looked at the cultivator.
The nod confirmed it: this man was likely from the same batch who descended from the Celestial Realm with Wang Changsheng, and had tailed him ever since leaving the cloud ship, scheming to seize his spirit stones.
What troubled Wang Changsheng was that he had been followed for so long, yet had not noticed a thing.
“This fellow’s concealment skills are exceptional!” Wang Changsheng addressed the cultivator, “Then you may be disappointed—I have not a single spirit stone on me!”
The cultivator’s face remained unmoved.
“I truly have none!” Wang Changsheng spread his hands.
“Give me your pack!” the cultivator demanded.
Wang Changsheng’s expression did not change, but he grew tense inside.
He could not hand over his pack; inside were three spirit stones left by his father, and not mere low-grade stones—they were at least mid-grade.
Those three spirit stones were Wang Changsheng’s hope for cultivation in the Meridian Opening stage; he would never surrender them.
“So, you’re certain you can take me?” Wang Changsheng said coldly. “We’re of the same realm—if it comes to a fight, who dies is far from decided!”
“Hmph!” The cultivator scoffed. “A martial artist at peak innate, not even a true cultivator—how could you possibly understand a cultivator’s methods?”
Without further ado, he gestured, and a short sword shot from his hand, attacking Wang Changsheng.
Wang Changsheng dodged constantly, lacking a suitable weapon. Facing the fierce assault of the short sword, he struggled to defend.
“Run!”
Wang Changsheng made up his mind at once.
But the short sword grew faster and faster, and in a blink, caught up to him.
Hiss…
The sword stabbed at Wang Changsheng. Fortunately, his speed let him leap aside, avoiding his chest—the blade grazed the outside of his thigh, and blood flashed.
Rolling with the momentum, Wang Changsheng dashed toward the nearby woods.
“Cannot fight head-on!”
His expression grew ever more grim.
It was not that his strength was inferior; his accumulation of true energy, tempered by two years on the cloud ship, was unmatched among peers.
The difficulty lay in his lack of a proper weapon.
The Qi Refining realm still belonged to martial artists—wielding a suitable weapon would make a world of difference.
Moreover, this was Wang Changsheng’s first battle against a cultivator; he was unfamiliar with their techniques.
In a blink, he slipped into the forest.
Once among the trees, he could use the terrain to his advantage.
The cultivator at the Qi Refining pinnacle frowned at Wang Changsheng’s escape into the woods, but soon followed him in, instantly locking onto him. The short sword shot at Wang Changsheng, tailing him, intent on attacking.
“Sword control…”
Wang Changsheng’s heart chilled. “A cultivator’s methods truly differ from those of martial artists.”
With his current skills, Wang Changsheng could easily shoot a short sword, but to control its direction mid-flight was impossible.
This was the fundamental difference between cultivators and martial artists.
“Should I flee, or fight?”
Perched atop a tall tree in the forest, Wang Changsheng watched the cultivator nearby, weighing his options.
Fleeing was certainly possible—Wang Changsheng was confident in his speed.
“Li Fusheng once said, there are always spirit stones in the Celestial Realm… presumably, they are on these people…”
The temptation was immense.
Wang Changsheng now understood the importance of spirit stones; the cultivator before him surely carried some. Without them, advancing from the Celestial Realm to Meridian Opening would be nearly impossible—the only aid was spirit stones!
“The temptation is too great—even if I fail, I can still escape!”
Resolving himself, Wang Changsheng wasted no time; while the cultivator was on guard, he sprang forth, rushing straight at him.
Close quarters!
In martial arts, close combat was the hard truth; only in proximity could a martial artist leverage his strengths—this, Wang Changsheng understood.
Seeing Wang Changsheng’s sudden appearance, the cultivator at the Qi Refining pinnacle retreated swiftly.
“Trying to get close?” he sneered. “You think I don’t know the tricks of martial artists?”
The cultivator withdrew, thwarting Wang Changsheng’s ambush; his short sword, seizing the moment, attacked Wang Changsheng from the side. Seeing this, Wang Changsheng realized danger.
“Fight to the bitter end!” Wang Changsheng gritted his teeth, his eyes fierce, ignoring the incoming sword as he charged straight at the cultivator.