Chapter 6: Tripwires in the Pines, A Race Between Life and Death
The moment they plunged into the pine forest, the surrounding light abruptly dimmed. The towering ancient pines intertwined, their dense needles layered overhead, slicing the midday sun into countless tiny, shifting dapples of light. The ground was carpeted with thick, decaying leaves. It was soft and slippery underfoot, with gnarled old roots protruding everywhere, ready to trip the unwary. The air was thick with the faint, bitter scent of pine resin and the musty smell of rotting foliage, mingled with the lingering stench of blood trailing behind them. The combined odors pressed heavily against the chest, making it hard to breathe.
A-Shi clutched the oilcloth-wrapped token tightly against his chest, his arms locked in a death grip as if his entire life depended on it. The wound on his shoulder continued to bleed from the relentless sprinting. Warm blood soaked through his coarse tunic, running down his arm and dripping onto the decaying leaves, leaving a faint, intermittent trail of crimson in his wake.
Every wide swing of his arm yanked at the wound, sending sharp jolts of pain racing through his nerves. Prolonged blood loss made his vision darken in waves, a gray fog creeping into the edges of his sight. His legs felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to lift. He didn't dare stop, nor did he dare take a deep breath, managing only short, shallow gasps for air. The footsteps of the black-clad assassin behind him struck his eardrums like a heavy hammer. The distance between them was closing, inch by inch.
The assassin was a veteran of deep-mountain pursuits, intimately familiar with every inch of the forest terrain. His steps were light and agile, effortlessly avoiding protruding roots and vines, unencumbered by the ground's obstacles like an amateur would be. His gaze was locked onto the bulging oilcloth bundle in A-Shi's arms. His only objective was to seize the token. His breathing was steady, his stamina vastly superior to A-Shi's wounded and exhausted state.
"Stop! Leave the token, and I'll grant you a whole corpse!" the assassin barked in a hushed, fierce voice, accelerating his pace. His short knife was gripped tightly in his palm, the blade trembling slightly as it caught the dappled light filtering through the canopy.
A-Shi clenched his jaw, biting down so hard his tongue nearly bled. The sharp sting of pain forced back the creeping dizziness. He stared fixedly at the narrow forest path ahead, carved by human footsteps. Chen Yi had told him that following this uphill trail would lead directly to the wooden fence of the Zhenyue Escort Agency's outpost. Only by crossing that fence and handing the token to the guards on duty would the mission be secured.
But he was already at the absolute limit of his endurance.
Just then, Lin Yan burst into the pine forest.
The instant he entered the woods, Lin Yan forced himself to calm down. He knew perfectly well that he couldn't fight the assassin head-on. Without martial arts or physical strength, his only advantages were the complex terrain of the forest and the assassin's innate underestimation of a "mortal boy."
"A-Shi! Keep running forward! Don't look back! Don't slow down!" Lin Yan shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice piercing through the rustling pines.
Hearing the cry, A-Shi gritted his teeth and pushed the very last ounce of his strength into his legs, sprinting wildly up the incline.
Hearing Lin Yan's shout, the assassin's brow furrowed, and his steps faltered for a fraction of a second. He had originally planned to prioritize chasing A-Shi, who carried the token. But this inexplicable youth had repeatedly sabotaged his plans. If he let him linger on the sidelines, causing endless trouble, unforeseen complications could arise. Weighing his options, the assassin abruptly changed direction and lunged straight for Lin Yan, his short knife flashing with cold light as it thrust toward Lin Yan's chest and abdomen.
The instant the blade reached him, Lin Yan pushed off hard with his foot and rolled sideways into the dirt. Decaying leaves coated his entire body as the short knife plunged viciously into the mud, the blade wedging itself into the crevice of a tree root. In the brief moment it took the assassin to yank his weapon free, Lin Yan quickly scrambled backward to create distance, his eyes darting frantically around, searching for anything he could use.
Between two ancient pines spaced about a yard apart, several wild vines hung down, grown over many years. The vines were as thick as a thumb, their dark brown bark incredibly tough, tightly wrapped around the trunks. Even an adult pulling with all their strength would struggle to snap them.
A plan rapidly formed in his mind.
Lin Yan darted left and right, constantly shifting his position, deliberately baiting the assassin into chasing him back and forth. Dragged along by Lin Yan's movements, the assassin had to constantly watch out for protruding roots and hidden thorns. His speed was forced to slow, and his stamina silently drained. The assassin's fury grew, his patience rapidly eroding as he was toyed with by the evasive youth.
"You cowardly rat! Hiding and dodging! Dare to face me head-on!" the assassin roared. Dropping his center of gravity, he surged forward with full speed, intending to finish off this annoying boy in a single strike.
The time was right.
Lin Yan pivoted sharply, slipping behind the trunk of a pine tree. He grabbed the loose end of a wild vine with both hands and yanked downward with all his might, pulling it taut horizontally. He pressed it down to the height of a knee, hiding it beneath the thick layer of decaying leaves. Only a tiny sliver of dark bark was visible, impossible to spot without a careful look.
The assassin sprinted forward at full tilt, his gaze locked entirely on Lin Yan behind the tree. His attention was completely fixed on his target; he never noticed the hidden tripwire on the ground. A second later, his shin slammed violently into the taut vine.
THUD!
The massive momentum instantly shattered the assassin's center of gravity. Completely off balance, he flew forward and crashed face-first into a pile of decaying leaves and gravel. His short knife slipped from his hand, rolling far away through the forest before wedging into a tree root. His forehead smashed against a sharp, jagged rock. The flesh tore open instantly, and hot blood gushed forth, streaming down his cheek and blinding his vision.
Groaning in agonizing pain, the assassin struggled to flip over and get back on his feet. Even after taking a brutal fall, years of combat instinct remained. His left hand quickly reached for the backup dagger at his waist.
Lin Yan didn't dare give him any chance to counterattack. He rushed forward, hoisted a medium-sized stone with both hands, held his breath, and brought it crashing down onto the assassin's right wrist—the hand reaching for the dagger!
"Ah—!"
A piercing scream echoed through the pine forest. The wrist bone shattered under the heavy blow, the joint dislocating and deforming. The assassin's right hand instantly went limp, collapsing lifelessly into the mud. Agony washed over his entire body, making him tremble violently. Yet, he still refused to give up. Gritting his teeth, he planted his left hand on the ground, desperately trying to force himself up.
Seeing this, Lin Yan raised the stone again and brought it down heavily onto the assassin's shoulder. After this blow, the assassin's entire left side went numb. Unable to support his own weight, he collapsed back into the decaying leaves, panting heavily and emitting low, pained groans. He was completely incapacitated, unable to pursue anyone.
Lin Yan stood there, his chest heaving violently as he sucked in massive gulps of air. His muscles trembled uncontrollably. The brief exchange had completely emptied his tank. The internal injuries from the assassin's kick earlier continued to throb dully, making every deep breath feel like tearing flesh. He glanced down at the defeated assassin on the ground. Not daring to linger, he simply confirmed the man could no longer give chase, then immediately turned his gaze toward the direction A-Shi had fled.
A-Shi was already halfway up the uphill path, drawing closer to the wooden fence of the distant outpost. But his swaying, unsteady gait made it obvious he was on the verge of collapse.
Lin Yan lifted his leg, about to sprint forward to support A-Shi.
Rustle...
From the entrance of the pine forest came the sound of unhurried footsteps.
It wasn't the frantic rush of a pursuit, but a calm, steady walk. The steps pressed into the decaying leaves, creating a rhythmic, faint friction. The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet of the pine forest, it pierced Lin Yan's nerves like an icy needle.
Lin Yan's entire body went rigid. Slowly, he turned his head.
Green Face walked calmly into the pine forest.
The bronze mask was firmly fixed to his face. Through the gaps between the layered tree trunks, his pitch-black, hollow eye sockets locked onto Lin Yan from afar. The hem of his ink-colored robe brushed against the fallen leaves. His sword tip pointed downward, a single drop of blood slowly sliding down the blade and falling silently onto the decaying leaves. He was in no rush to sprint. As he walked, he slowly scanned the ground for traces: the trampled leaves, the vine that had been pulled taut and then released, the depression in the ground where his assassin had fallen.
With just a few glances, he had deduced everything that had just transpired.
"I underestimated you." Green Face's voice came through the bronze mask, flat and emotionless, yet carrying a suffocating pressure. "A mortal with absolutely no internal or external martial arts. Without a weapon, you used only the forest's flora to cripple one of my carefully trained fanatics."
Lin Yan pressed his back hard against the rough bark of a pine tree, his palms instantly slick with cold sweat. He knew that his victory over the ordinary assassin relied on ambushes and terrain traps. But Green Face was entirely different. This man possessed terrifying insight and meticulous calculation. Even if Lin Yan set a trap, it would be seen through instantly. In a direct confrontation, he had absolutely zero chance of winning.
"How do you know I don't belong to this world?" Lin Yan steadied his mind, speaking to buy time as his eyes subtly darted toward A-Shi's figure on the uphill path. A-Shi was only a hundred paces from the outpost.
Green Face took a slow step forward, the forest breeze gently stirring the hem of his robe.
"Your aura is different." Green Face replied faintly, his gaze beneath the mask never leaving Lin Yan. "The people of this land are born and raised here; their flesh and souls are rooted in this soil. Your aura feels as though it has drifted from an impossibly distant place, without roots or anchor. I cannot see its origin, but I can sense the anomaly."
He paused, raising his long sword slightly, the tip aimed directly at Lin Yan. "You didn't have to involve yourself in this Jianghu dispute. Hand over the token, and I will spare your life, sparing you a meaningless death."
"The token isn't in my hands," Lin Yan replied, his mind racing frantically to calculate a way out, doing everything he could to stall Green Face.
Green Face's peripheral vision swept past Lin Yan, looking up the distant hillside path. In an instant, he spotted A-Shi desperately sprinting toward the outpost, and in the distance, the escort guards who had heard the commotion, grabbing their spears and rushing out of the outpost.
A flicker of emotion finally crossed his demeanor.
Once A-Shi stepped into the outpost and the token was handed over to the Zhenyue Escort Agency, this meticulously planned ambush would be a complete failure.
Green Face stopped wasting words on Lin Yan. His figure blurred as he suddenly moved. Pushing off the ground, he swept directly past Lin Yan's side. He had no intention of wasting time on this boy; his target had always been A-Shi and the token in his arms.
Seeing him rush past to intercept A-Shi, Lin Yan didn't have time to think. He reached out, grabbed a cluster of dry pine branches beside him, and yanked down with all his might. A massive cascade of dry pine needles and broken branches rained down, momentarily obscuring Green Face's forward vision in a cloud of debris.
This move couldn't hurt Green Face; it could only delay him for half a breath.
Green Face flicked his sleeve. A gust of force swept away the incoming pine needles and branches. His pace merely faltered for a fraction of a second before he accelerated again, darting up the incline in pursuit.
In the distance, the guards at the outpost had clearly spotted A-Shi fleeing up the slope, with the black-clad, masked pursuer hot on his heels.
"It's A-Shi! He's back with the token!" the lead guard shouted, raising his spear high. "Everyone, form up! Prepare to receive him! Block the pursuer!"
Four or five guards, armed with spears and steel blades, quickly rushed out of the wooden fence, sprinting toward A-Shi to meet him.
Seeing his companions rushing to meet him, A-Shi's eyes welled with tears. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the absolute last shred of his strength into his legs.
A hundred paces. Eighty paces. Fifty paces.
The distance between Green Face and A-Shi was still closing at a terrifying speed.
Lin Yan immediately sprinted after them. He had no way to stop Green Face, but he had to create as many obstacles as possible, buying A-Shi just a fraction more time.
The uphill wind swept pine needles past everyone. On one side was A-Shi, desperately sprinting toward his reinforcements. On the other was Green Face, hunting him down at breakneck speed. The outpost guards were closing in, and Lin Yan was right behind them.
The final hundred meters would decide the success or failure of this dimensional mission.
A-Shi clutched the oilcloth-wrapped token tightly against his chest, his arms locked in a death grip as if his entire life depended on it. The wound on his shoulder continued to bleed from the relentless sprinting. Warm blood soaked through his coarse tunic, running down his arm and dripping onto the decaying leaves, leaving a faint, intermittent trail of crimson in his wake.
Every wide swing of his arm yanked at the wound, sending sharp jolts of pain racing through his nerves. Prolonged blood loss made his vision darken in waves, a gray fog creeping into the edges of his sight. His legs felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to lift. He didn't dare stop, nor did he dare take a deep breath, managing only short, shallow gasps for air. The footsteps of the black-clad assassin behind him struck his eardrums like a heavy hammer. The distance between them was closing, inch by inch.
The assassin was a veteran of deep-mountain pursuits, intimately familiar with every inch of the forest terrain. His steps were light and agile, effortlessly avoiding protruding roots and vines, unencumbered by the ground's obstacles like an amateur would be. His gaze was locked onto the bulging oilcloth bundle in A-Shi's arms. His only objective was to seize the token. His breathing was steady, his stamina vastly superior to A-Shi's wounded and exhausted state.
"Stop! Leave the token, and I'll grant you a whole corpse!" the assassin barked in a hushed, fierce voice, accelerating his pace. His short knife was gripped tightly in his palm, the blade trembling slightly as it caught the dappled light filtering through the canopy.
A-Shi clenched his jaw, biting down so hard his tongue nearly bled. The sharp sting of pain forced back the creeping dizziness. He stared fixedly at the narrow forest path ahead, carved by human footsteps. Chen Yi had told him that following this uphill trail would lead directly to the wooden fence of the Zhenyue Escort Agency's outpost. Only by crossing that fence and handing the token to the guards on duty would the mission be secured.
But he was already at the absolute limit of his endurance.
Just then, Lin Yan burst into the pine forest.
The instant he entered the woods, Lin Yan forced himself to calm down. He knew perfectly well that he couldn't fight the assassin head-on. Without martial arts or physical strength, his only advantages were the complex terrain of the forest and the assassin's innate underestimation of a "mortal boy."
"A-Shi! Keep running forward! Don't look back! Don't slow down!" Lin Yan shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice piercing through the rustling pines.
Hearing the cry, A-Shi gritted his teeth and pushed the very last ounce of his strength into his legs, sprinting wildly up the incline.
Hearing Lin Yan's shout, the assassin's brow furrowed, and his steps faltered for a fraction of a second. He had originally planned to prioritize chasing A-Shi, who carried the token. But this inexplicable youth had repeatedly sabotaged his plans. If he let him linger on the sidelines, causing endless trouble, unforeseen complications could arise. Weighing his options, the assassin abruptly changed direction and lunged straight for Lin Yan, his short knife flashing with cold light as it thrust toward Lin Yan's chest and abdomen.
The instant the blade reached him, Lin Yan pushed off hard with his foot and rolled sideways into the dirt. Decaying leaves coated his entire body as the short knife plunged viciously into the mud, the blade wedging itself into the crevice of a tree root. In the brief moment it took the assassin to yank his weapon free, Lin Yan quickly scrambled backward to create distance, his eyes darting frantically around, searching for anything he could use.
Between two ancient pines spaced about a yard apart, several wild vines hung down, grown over many years. The vines were as thick as a thumb, their dark brown bark incredibly tough, tightly wrapped around the trunks. Even an adult pulling with all their strength would struggle to snap them.
A plan rapidly formed in his mind.
Lin Yan darted left and right, constantly shifting his position, deliberately baiting the assassin into chasing him back and forth. Dragged along by Lin Yan's movements, the assassin had to constantly watch out for protruding roots and hidden thorns. His speed was forced to slow, and his stamina silently drained. The assassin's fury grew, his patience rapidly eroding as he was toyed with by the evasive youth.
"You cowardly rat! Hiding and dodging! Dare to face me head-on!" the assassin roared. Dropping his center of gravity, he surged forward with full speed, intending to finish off this annoying boy in a single strike.
The time was right.
Lin Yan pivoted sharply, slipping behind the trunk of a pine tree. He grabbed the loose end of a wild vine with both hands and yanked downward with all his might, pulling it taut horizontally. He pressed it down to the height of a knee, hiding it beneath the thick layer of decaying leaves. Only a tiny sliver of dark bark was visible, impossible to spot without a careful look.
The assassin sprinted forward at full tilt, his gaze locked entirely on Lin Yan behind the tree. His attention was completely fixed on his target; he never noticed the hidden tripwire on the ground. A second later, his shin slammed violently into the taut vine.
THUD!
The massive momentum instantly shattered the assassin's center of gravity. Completely off balance, he flew forward and crashed face-first into a pile of decaying leaves and gravel. His short knife slipped from his hand, rolling far away through the forest before wedging into a tree root. His forehead smashed against a sharp, jagged rock. The flesh tore open instantly, and hot blood gushed forth, streaming down his cheek and blinding his vision.
Groaning in agonizing pain, the assassin struggled to flip over and get back on his feet. Even after taking a brutal fall, years of combat instinct remained. His left hand quickly reached for the backup dagger at his waist.
Lin Yan didn't dare give him any chance to counterattack. He rushed forward, hoisted a medium-sized stone with both hands, held his breath, and brought it crashing down onto the assassin's right wrist—the hand reaching for the dagger!
"Ah—!"
A piercing scream echoed through the pine forest. The wrist bone shattered under the heavy blow, the joint dislocating and deforming. The assassin's right hand instantly went limp, collapsing lifelessly into the mud. Agony washed over his entire body, making him tremble violently. Yet, he still refused to give up. Gritting his teeth, he planted his left hand on the ground, desperately trying to force himself up.
Seeing this, Lin Yan raised the stone again and brought it down heavily onto the assassin's shoulder. After this blow, the assassin's entire left side went numb. Unable to support his own weight, he collapsed back into the decaying leaves, panting heavily and emitting low, pained groans. He was completely incapacitated, unable to pursue anyone.
Lin Yan stood there, his chest heaving violently as he sucked in massive gulps of air. His muscles trembled uncontrollably. The brief exchange had completely emptied his tank. The internal injuries from the assassin's kick earlier continued to throb dully, making every deep breath feel like tearing flesh. He glanced down at the defeated assassin on the ground. Not daring to linger, he simply confirmed the man could no longer give chase, then immediately turned his gaze toward the direction A-Shi had fled.
A-Shi was already halfway up the uphill path, drawing closer to the wooden fence of the distant outpost. But his swaying, unsteady gait made it obvious he was on the verge of collapse.
Lin Yan lifted his leg, about to sprint forward to support A-Shi.
Rustle...
From the entrance of the pine forest came the sound of unhurried footsteps.
It wasn't the frantic rush of a pursuit, but a calm, steady walk. The steps pressed into the decaying leaves, creating a rhythmic, faint friction. The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet of the pine forest, it pierced Lin Yan's nerves like an icy needle.
Lin Yan's entire body went rigid. Slowly, he turned his head.
Green Face walked calmly into the pine forest.
The bronze mask was firmly fixed to his face. Through the gaps between the layered tree trunks, his pitch-black, hollow eye sockets locked onto Lin Yan from afar. The hem of his ink-colored robe brushed against the fallen leaves. His sword tip pointed downward, a single drop of blood slowly sliding down the blade and falling silently onto the decaying leaves. He was in no rush to sprint. As he walked, he slowly scanned the ground for traces: the trampled leaves, the vine that had been pulled taut and then released, the depression in the ground where his assassin had fallen.
With just a few glances, he had deduced everything that had just transpired.
"I underestimated you." Green Face's voice came through the bronze mask, flat and emotionless, yet carrying a suffocating pressure. "A mortal with absolutely no internal or external martial arts. Without a weapon, you used only the forest's flora to cripple one of my carefully trained fanatics."
Lin Yan pressed his back hard against the rough bark of a pine tree, his palms instantly slick with cold sweat. He knew that his victory over the ordinary assassin relied on ambushes and terrain traps. But Green Face was entirely different. This man possessed terrifying insight and meticulous calculation. Even if Lin Yan set a trap, it would be seen through instantly. In a direct confrontation, he had absolutely zero chance of winning.
"How do you know I don't belong to this world?" Lin Yan steadied his mind, speaking to buy time as his eyes subtly darted toward A-Shi's figure on the uphill path. A-Shi was only a hundred paces from the outpost.
Green Face took a slow step forward, the forest breeze gently stirring the hem of his robe.
"Your aura is different." Green Face replied faintly, his gaze beneath the mask never leaving Lin Yan. "The people of this land are born and raised here; their flesh and souls are rooted in this soil. Your aura feels as though it has drifted from an impossibly distant place, without roots or anchor. I cannot see its origin, but I can sense the anomaly."
He paused, raising his long sword slightly, the tip aimed directly at Lin Yan. "You didn't have to involve yourself in this Jianghu dispute. Hand over the token, and I will spare your life, sparing you a meaningless death."
"The token isn't in my hands," Lin Yan replied, his mind racing frantically to calculate a way out, doing everything he could to stall Green Face.
Green Face's peripheral vision swept past Lin Yan, looking up the distant hillside path. In an instant, he spotted A-Shi desperately sprinting toward the outpost, and in the distance, the escort guards who had heard the commotion, grabbing their spears and rushing out of the outpost.
A flicker of emotion finally crossed his demeanor.
Once A-Shi stepped into the outpost and the token was handed over to the Zhenyue Escort Agency, this meticulously planned ambush would be a complete failure.
Green Face stopped wasting words on Lin Yan. His figure blurred as he suddenly moved. Pushing off the ground, he swept directly past Lin Yan's side. He had no intention of wasting time on this boy; his target had always been A-Shi and the token in his arms.
Seeing him rush past to intercept A-Shi, Lin Yan didn't have time to think. He reached out, grabbed a cluster of dry pine branches beside him, and yanked down with all his might. A massive cascade of dry pine needles and broken branches rained down, momentarily obscuring Green Face's forward vision in a cloud of debris.
This move couldn't hurt Green Face; it could only delay him for half a breath.
Green Face flicked his sleeve. A gust of force swept away the incoming pine needles and branches. His pace merely faltered for a fraction of a second before he accelerated again, darting up the incline in pursuit.
In the distance, the guards at the outpost had clearly spotted A-Shi fleeing up the slope, with the black-clad, masked pursuer hot on his heels.
"It's A-Shi! He's back with the token!" the lead guard shouted, raising his spear high. "Everyone, form up! Prepare to receive him! Block the pursuer!"
Four or five guards, armed with spears and steel blades, quickly rushed out of the wooden fence, sprinting toward A-Shi to meet him.
Seeing his companions rushing to meet him, A-Shi's eyes welled with tears. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the absolute last shred of his strength into his legs.
A hundred paces. Eighty paces. Fifty paces.
The distance between Green Face and A-Shi was still closing at a terrifying speed.
Lin Yan immediately sprinted after them. He had no way to stop Green Face, but he had to create as many obstacles as possible, buying A-Shi just a fraction more time.
The uphill wind swept pine needles past everyone. On one side was A-Shi, desperately sprinting toward his reinforcements. On the other was Green Face, hunting him down at breakneck speed. The outpost guards were closing in, and Lin Yan was right behind them.
The final hundred meters would decide the success or failure of this dimensional mission.