Chapter 84: Escape

What should I do now?

While pretending to be indifferent, Li Tan nervously observed the reaction of the man in the black robe. If he didn’t fall for the trick, then there would truly be no other options left.

The black-robed man angrily pressed his hand against the wound on his neck, using his inner energy to stop the bleeding. At the same time, he was also watching Li Tan with equal tension.

The sword in Li Tan’s hand was extremely sharp. Against it, the black-robed man’s armor of inner energy was as ineffective as if it didn’t exist at all—fragile like tofu. Moreover, he was now unarmed. If he wasn’t careful and got stabbed in a vital spot, he could die on the spot.

In an atmosphere as dark and oppressive as the night sky above, time seemed to crawl unnaturally slowly. Though the standoff had only lasted a few seconds, it felt like it had stretched into hours.

The one who broke the silence first was the black-robed man. Fixing his gaze on Li Tan, he slightly lifted the sword in his hand, then lowered it, then lifted and lowered it again, his expression showing inner struggle. Then, gritting his teeth, he leapt up and disappeared into the dense forest.

Li Tan exhaled slightly in relief but didn’t let his guard down. He walked a long distance toward the direction of Linjiang before finally seeing the lights atop the city walls. Only then did he fully release the breath he had been holding. His icy expression gave way to one of exhaustion. He sat down right where he was, panting heavily. Fortunately, it was now late at night, and there were hardly any passersby around.

After a while, he pulled out the rusty sword that had just saved his life and plunged it into the ground beside him. Under the moonlight, the tarnished blade reflected a silvery-white glow, as if narrating its own heroic past.

“If even a sword from the third level is this impressive, I can only imagine how astonishing the other treasures must be.”

Li Tan muttered with some emotion, his heart stirring with anticipation.

When the entrance to the third level fully opens, wouldn’t he be able to possess countless divine weapons?

As Li Tan was caught up in excitement, the sword stuck in the ground suddenly trembled slightly.

“What’s going on?”

Li Tan was startled and immediately jumped up, staring nervously at his sword. Just as he was about to dismiss it as a mistake, the sword trembled again, unmistakably.

Swallowing hard, Li Tan cautiously examined the sword, muttering to himself.

“Could this sword actually have a sword spirit?”

Only the rarest of weapons, those that had gathered the essence of heaven and earth, could possess their own consciousness—these were known as spirit-forged artifacts. Such artifacts were extremely rare, yet each one could easily spark bloodshed and chaos across the martial world. If this sword truly had a spirit, then it would be something extraordinary indeed.

Li Tan cautiously drew the sword from its sheath and turned it under the moonlight, inspecting every detail.

This time, he indeed noticed something.

Near the hilt, beneath the rust, he faintly saw two elegant, flowing characters: “Chen Fu” (meaning “Rise and Fall”).

“It seems this sword is named Chen Fu,” Li Tan murmured softly, continuing to examine it.

“They say that the spirit of a spirit-forged artifact can manifest a physical projection in front of people. If this were truly a spirit artifact, it should be able to do that. Since it can’t, it’s probably not a spirit artifact. But then, why did it suddenly tremble just now?”

Li Tan tried various methods—plunging it back into the ground, tapping the blade—but the sword showed no further reaction.

“How strange. Could it be that I really did imagine it?

Well, no matter. Whatever the case, it was given to me by the Ruin Tower, so it definitely isn’t an ordinary object.”

With that thought, Li Tan stored the sword Chen Fu inside the second level of the Ruin Tower and then entered Linjiang City, where his energy had partially recovered.

“It’s not as cold inside here tonight, but that bed feels like a block of ice. It’s really uncomfortable to sleep on.”

Lying on the cold bed in Lin family’s guest room, Li Tan complained as he stared at the ceiling, trying to lull himself to sleep.

He was utterly exhausted tonight and had no desire to cultivate. As for breaking through to the Innate stage, if he couldn’t gather the necessary medicinal ingredients for the pill, he would have to attempt a forced breakthrough after a day of secluded cultivation. He also wondered how Li Yang and the others were faring, though they should be safe under Tang Leyin’s protection. He resolved to check on them first thing tomorrow morning. As for the auction, he had missed it due to the interference of the black-robed man. He was curious about how his Qi-boosting pill had performed in the sale.

Li Tan wanted to rest, but the moment he stilled his thoughts, a flood of concerns began swirling in his mind.

Sighing deeply, Li Tan gave up on sleeping. He got dressed and decided to go find Tang Leyin near the Alchemy Pavilion, and also to reassure Li Yang.

However, just as he opened the door to his room, the main hall’s door was pushed open.

“Master Li?

You scared me to death! How did things go with the Sa Ma Forest?”

Standing outside were Tang Leyin and the father and daughter, Li Yang and Li Jiaying.

“Xiao Tan!”

As soon as Li Yang saw Li Tan, he rushed in excitedly.

“Brother Li Tan!”

Overjoyed, Li Jiaying also ran up to hug him, while Tang Leyin followed more slowly behind, though her expression also showed some concern.

“Uncle, Jiaying, I’m fine. Please find a seat first.”

Seeing the three of them, Li Tan felt a wave of joy, and the frustration that had been building up instantly vanished.

The four of them sat down in the main hall, taking up three seats, with Li Jiaying insisting on sitting on Li Tan’s lap.

“Master Li, why don’t the three of you explain everything that happened at Sa Ma Forest? Let’s start with Uncle Li Yang.”

Tang Leyin suggested.

“Yes, the story begins with me, and should indeed start with me.”

Li Yang nodded seriously, then sighed helplessly.

“It was already getting late in the evening. I had gone to the market to buy ingredients and was on my way back when two men suddenly barged in. I wanted to call for help, but Jiaying was in their hands,” Li Tan said softly.

“The black-robed men must have hired a cultivator at the Post-Heaven stage to help them kidnap people. If only we could find out who exactly they were.”

“I’m afraid even if we knew who they were, it might already be too late,” Tang Leyin said with a look of pity.

Li Tan was momentarily stunned and asked in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Though it’s hard to believe, they probably are no longer among the living.”

Tang Leyin sighed, while Li Yang, still confused, asked.

“Tan’er, what are you two talking about?

Who are these black-robed men exactly?”

Li Tan hesitated slightly before answering.

“Uncle, I can’t tell you too many details. The more you know, the more dangerous it becomes. All I can tell you now is that these people are plotting something extremely dangerous.”

Li Yang looked at Li Tan with a deep, penetrating gaze, remaining silent for a long time. Li Tan felt uneasy under his gaze until finally, Li Yang spoke.

“I’m old and no longer able to guide you. Jiaying, come here.”

With that, Li Yang picked up the anxious Li Jiaying and walked toward the door.

“Master Li, perhaps…” Tang Leyin hesitated, looking worriedly at Li Yang.

For Li Yang, encountering such a serious incident and yet hearing nothing from Li Tan must have been not only a blow to his dignity as an elder but also a painful feeling of being untrusted.

Li Tan was equally anxious but still shook his head, signaling not to stop Li Yang. Inwardly, he resolved, once everything was over, to reveal the truth and properly repay him.

But just as Li Yang reached the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, he suddenly stopped, his face lighting up with joy.