I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Escape to the Dense Forest

However, the Luo Lesheng of today had a completely different air about him than when Yu Changsheng first met him.

He was no longer weak, fawning, or servile. Instead, he was cold, sinister, and brimming with killing intent!

"Why are you attacking me? This is the Fish Market! Aren’t you afraid of the Wanxiang Sect hunting you down?" Yu Changsheng demanded, his brows furrowed.

"The Wanxiang Sect? Heh. Once I finish this job, I’m gone. I’ll just slip into the dense forest, and who’s going to find me then!"

"Besides, dead men tell no tales. The Wanxiang Sect isn’t going to raise a fuss over a mere servant disciple!"

Luo Lesheng sneered as he stepped out from the shadows of the alley. He then charged forward, and the Soul-Breaking Nail floating beside his hand shot out with a WHOOSH.

Yu Changsheng’s expression faltered, but inwardly he remained calm. He had already mentally prepared himself for danger when he came to collect the rent.

He just hadn’t expected his opponent to be a Loose Cultivator instead of Huang Li.

BANG! The Soul-Breaking Nail was deflected, the Wooden Shield holding firm to protect Yu Changsheng.

But the impact was far stronger than he’d anticipated. He was thrown back several meters, tumbling off the roof. Fortunately, he managed to cast his Wind Travel Skill and land safely on the ground.

’Something’s wrong. This isn’t the kind of power someone at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer should possess. He’s hiding his Realm!’

Yu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed, the realization dawning on him in an instant.

’To think that his personality was an act, and his Realm was, too!’

There are many ways to conceal one’s Realm—Magical Artifacts, Magical Treasures, Cultivation Techniques, and Talismans could all do the trick, with varying degrees of effectiveness.

’He’s at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer!’

The Soul-Breaking Nail struck the Wooden Shield once more, and this time, Yu Changsheng discerned his opponent’s true Realm.

The gap between the Qi Refining Third Layer and the Qi Refining Sixth Layer was enormous. Yu Changsheng couldn’t even begin to compare in terms of the quality of his Magical Power.

’We’re still inside the Fish Market. I don’t have to fight him to the death. If I can just run back a ways, the commotion is sure to attract other servant disciples. They’ll deal with him then!’

After making his split-second decision, Yu Changsheng’s figure flickered and he dashed toward the street.

His rent-collection route had led him to the edge of the shantytown. A two or three-minute run was all it would take to reach a more populated area! fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

But Luo Lesheng saw his intention and sneered. "A futile effort. Since I dared to make a move, I naturally made sure someone was here to prevent your escape!"

As the words left his mouth, Yu Changsheng’s Divine Sense detected three other auras.

’This is bad!’

Yu Changsheng’s pupils contracted. He hadn’t expected his opponent to have accomplices.

A beam of Sword Qi slashed at him from thirty meters away. Luckily, his Divine Sense had a long enough range to detect it, giving him time to turn and dodge!

FWOOSH!

The Sword Qi carved a gash in the dirt ground. Three figures stood at the mouth of a nearby alley, each holding a Sword Artifact.

Yu Changsheng shouted, his voice laced with shock and fury, "Huang Li! You dare conspire with an outsider to harm a fellow disciple!"

The three were none other than Huang Li, the very disciple he had a conflict with, and his two cronies.

Hearing this, Huang Li showed no fear. Instead, he burst into delighted laughter.

"Junior Yu, so you do know what fear is!"

After he finished laughing, Huang Li’s gaze turned vicious. "If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for not knowing your place," he snarled. "It would have been one thing if you, a new servant disciple, just failed to keep your head down. But you dared to show off in front of me and suck up to Steward Chang to get at me!"

"To be honest, I don’t really care about losing the Spirit Chicken Garden job. After all my years in the Outer Peak, I have enough resources to reach the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. I can afford to lose the job, but I can’t afford to lose face!"

"Before, every servant in the Outer Peak had to grovel before me. But now, because of you... heheh... they’ve all gotten guts. They think they can stand up straight!"

"So, Junior Yu, why don’t you just go and die!"

Huang Li’s face twisted into a snarl as he swung his Spirit Sword at Yu Changsheng. The blade, empowered by the Sharp Blade Skill, unleashed a powerful wave of Sword Qi.

Yu Changsheng’s expression darkened. With a wave of his arm, he hastily maneuvered the Wooden Shield to block the attack.

BANG!

Huang Li might have been at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, but his strength was inflated. He couldn’t break through the Wooden Shield’s Defense Force at all.

But he had his two Qi Refining Third Layer cronies with him, who also aped his attacks, giving Yu Changsheng no room to breathe.

"Don’t even think about calling for help. I had Wu Shang clear out all the nearby Cultivators, and the other servant disciples won’t be coming this way. No one can save you!"

"It’s been over a month! Do you have any idea how much I’ve had to endure? Everyone else fears me, respects me, and kowtows to me. What makes you think you don’t have to kneel!"

Huang Li roared in fury, swinging his sword wildly.

But under the watch of Yu Changsheng’s powerful Divine Sense, only two of his Sword Qi attacks even landed, and that was only with his two cronies running interference.

WHOOSH!

A sudden sense of crisis washed over Yu Changsheng. His Divine Sense locked onto the Soul-Breaking Nail as it tore through the air, and he instantly kicked off the ground to evade it.

To him, Huang Li and his two lackeys weren’t a major threat. The only one who posed a real danger to his life was the Loose Cultivator, Luo Lesheng.

’Wu Shang is in on this too?’

’Damn it. The escape route through the Fish Market must be blocked. If I run into Wu Shang on top of this, I’ll be dead for sure, even with the Red Snake to help me.’

’I have to run out, toward the dense forest. If I can use the terrain to my advantage, I might have a chance to live!’

Yu Changsheng’s mind raced. While dodging the Soul-Breaking Nail, he sprinted toward the edge of the market. If he could just get past Luo Lesheng, he could disappear into the dense forest!

"Hmph. You want to escape? It won’t be that easy!"

A mocking smile touched Luo Lesheng’s lips. His right hand formed a seal and with a flick, the Soul-Breaking Nail transformed into a streaking beam of light that shot toward Yu Changsheng, letting out a piercing shriek.

’Add point!’

With a single thought, Yu Changsheng’s Wind Travel Skill instantly broke through to the Mastery level. He could now use it instinctively, without the need for hand seals.

His feet felt incredibly light, his body like a feather as he swept down the street. In the blink of an eye, he was dozens of feet away.

The Soul-Breaking Nail pursued him until it flew beyond the range of Luo Lesheng’s Divine Sense. Its speed plummeted, it lost its guidance, and it fell wide of the mark.

"Hm? How is that possible!"

Luo Lesheng was astonished. His opponent was moving at least twice as fast as before!

’Could his Magic have broken through mid-battle?’

He could only chalk it up to his target’s good luck. Otherwise, his last attack would have been more than enough to stop him.

"What are you waiting for? Go after him!" Huang Li yelled, seeing Luo Lesheng standing there stunned.

"Rest assured, Young Master. I smeared him with Butterfly-Chasing Powder earlier. As long as he’s within a thirty-li radius, my Magic can track him."

Luo Lesheng looked at Huang Li, knowing he was the client’s younger brother and not someone to be offended. He smiled placatingly. "If we make too big a scene in the Fish Market, we might attract the attention of that Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Isn’t him fleeing into the dense forest exactly what we want?"

At these words, much of Huang Li’s anxiety dissipated. Still, he gave a worried warning, "Just don’t let that brat escape. If he reports this to the sect’s Punishment Hall, I’m the one who’ll be in for it!"

"Heh, I’m on my way. I wouldn’t want to lose out on those thousand-some Lower Grade Spirit Stones,"

Luo Lesheng replied with a laugh, then activated his Body Technique and gave chase.

Huang Li waved for his two cronies to follow him and flank their target. Though the three of them weren’t as fast as Luo Lesheng, they weren’t much slower.