C50 - Three Shadows in the Dark

The three figures remained at the edge of the clearing.

None of them stepped closer.

The darkness concealed their faces, but Ye Chen could see the faint outlines of their weapons.

One carried a saber.

Another held a spear.

The third had a short blade in each hand.

They had approached without making enough noise to be noticed from a distance.

That alone told Ye Chen they were experienced.

Lin Xu's fingers tightened around his sword.

"Three against two," he whispered.

Ye Chen kept his eyes fixed on the strangers.

"Don't move yet."

The man carrying the saber stepped forward.

Moonlight finally illuminated his face.

Ye Chen recognized him.

Gu Lie.

The strongest outer disciple.

The saber on his back was no longer sheathed.

It rested loosely in his hand.

Behind him stood two disciples Ye Chen had seen earlier in the outer court.

One was tall and thin.

The other had a scar running along his jaw.

Gu Lie looked toward the shelter.

"We're not here to kill you."

Lin Xu raised an eyebrow.

"That's reassuring."

Gu Lie ignored the sarcasm.

"We saw the glow from your trial tokens."

His eyes moved toward the corpse of the Black-Fanged Boar lying farther away.

"You killed a second-grade beast."

Ye Chen understood immediately.

They had followed them.

Gu Lie continued.

"Hand over the spirit core."

Lin Xu frowned.

"Why?"

"Because we need the points."

"You can hunt your own beasts."

The scarred disciple laughed.

"We could."

His hand rested on his blade.

"But this is easier."

Ye Chen remained silent.

He studied the three men.

Gu Lie stood in front.

The spear wielder was positioned slightly to his right.

The scarred disciple stood farther left.

They had intentionally created a triangular formation.

If a fight began, the two weaker disciples would prevent Ye Chen and Lin Xu from escaping while Gu Lie attacked directly.

They had planned this.

Ye Chen quietly shifted his footing.

Lin Xu noticed.

Neither spoke.

Gu Lie's gaze narrowed.

"You have ten breaths."

Ye Chen looked toward the forest.

The wind had changed.

It was blowing from their direction toward the three men.

He remembered something from the library.

Certain night-blooming plants released strong scents when disturbed.

The strange smell he had noticed earlier...

It was coming from the left side of the clearing.

Near the scarred disciple.

Ye Chen's eyes flickered.

"Lin Xu."

"Hm?"

"On my signal, move right."

Lin Xu understood immediately.

Gu Lie frowned.

"What are you whispering about?"

Ye Chen suddenly stepped forward.

The three strangers reacted.

Gu Lie's saber came up.

At the same instant, Ye Chen threw a small stone toward the ground near the left side of the clearing.

It struck the plants.

A cloud of pale dust exploded into the air.

The scarred disciple cursed.

"What—"

He stumbled backward.

Gu Lie immediately covered his mouth and nose.

The spear wielder retreated.

Ye Chen shouted.

"Now!"

He and Lin Xu moved.

Not toward the enemies.

Away from them.

They sprinted toward the eastern side of the forest.

Gu Lie recovered quickly.

"Don't let them escape!"

The three disciples chased.

Branches struck Ye Chen's shoulders as he moved through the darkness.

He didn't look back.

He listened.

Three sets of footsteps.

Then two.

The third was falling behind.

Lin Xu noticed as well.

"One of them stopped."

"Good."

They continued running.

The terrain suddenly dropped sharply.

Ye Chen slowed.

A cliff.

Not large.

But steep enough to cause serious injury.

He looked left.

Right.

There was no obvious path.

Behind them, footsteps grew louder.

"They're coming."

Lin Xu looked toward the slope.

"What now?"

Ye Chen pointed downward.

"There."

A narrow ledge ran along the cliff face.

It was barely wide enough for one person.

Lin Xu stared at it.

"You've got to be joking."

"Do you see another route?"

"No."

"Then that's the route."

They carefully descended.

The sound of their pursuers grew louder above.

Gu Lie appeared at the edge of the cliff.

He looked down.

His expression darkened.

"Don't bother."

His voice echoed through the night.

"We'll find you."

Ye Chen didn't answer.

He and Lin Xu disappeared around the bend.

The ledge eventually widened.

They reached a small hollow between several massive rocks.

Both stopped.

Lin Xu bent forward, breathing heavily.

"That..."

He took another breath.

"...was not part of my preparation."

Ye Chen smiled faintly.

"Neither was being chased by three disciples."

Lin Xu looked back toward the cliff.

"Do you think they'll follow?"

"Probably."

"What do we do?"

Ye Chen examined the ground.

Then the rocks.

Then the trees.

His eyes settled on a narrow opening beneath a fallen trunk.

"We hide."

Lin Xu stared.

"That's it?"

"For now."

They squeezed beneath the fallen tree.

Minutes passed.

Footsteps approached.

One.

Two.

Three.

The disciples reached the hollow.

"They came this way."

"Find them."

Branches moved.

The three searched.

Ye Chen remained completely still.

Lin Xu's breathing became slower.

The footsteps came closer.

Then stopped.

A shadow appeared on the other side of the fallen trunk.

Ye Chen could see the man's boots.

The scarred disciple.

He crouched.

His hand moved toward the opening.

Ye Chen's fingers tightened around his sword.

One more movement...

He would strike.

But then the disciple suddenly stood.

"Nothing."

Gu Lie's voice came from behind him.

"Let's go."

The three disappeared.

Their footsteps gradually faded.

Ye Chen waited another several minutes before moving.

Lin Xu released a quiet breath.

"That was too close."

Ye Chen nodded.

"They're searching for points."

"Will they keep following us?"

"Not forever."

"Why?"

"Because the forest is large."

He looked toward the darkness.

"And because there are other targets."

They emerged from beneath the fallen tree.

The night had grown colder.

Neither suggested returning to the previous shelter.

Instead, they continued deeper into the forest.

After nearly an hour, they found a small hollow surrounded by thick roots.

It was concealed from the main paths.

They decided to rest there.

Lin Xu sat down.

"Do you regret not fighting?"

Ye Chen looked at him.

"No."

"Even though Gu Lie is probably stronger than us?"

"Especially because of that."

Lin Xu was silent.

Ye Chen continued.

"We don't need to defeat everyone we meet."

"We need to survive seven days."

Lin Xu nodded slowly.

The lesson was simple.

But it was becoming increasingly important.

The trial rewarded points.

Yet points were not the only measure of success.

A disciple who earned a hundred points on the first day but was injured beyond recovery on the second had gained nothing.

A disciple who avoided unnecessary battles could remain strong until the final day.

Ye Chen leaned against the tree.

His eyes slowly closed.

The forest continued moving around them.

Leaves whispered.

Distant beasts called.

Somewhere far away, another group of disciples shouted.

The trial was unfolding across hundreds of kilometers of wilderness.

Every disciple was writing their own story.

Some would choose courage.

Some greed.

Some cooperation.

Some betrayal.

Ye Chen had made his choice.

He would not run from danger.

But neither would he chase it.

His eyes opened briefly.

Above the canopy, the moon was slowly disappearing behind clouds.

The first night was almost over.

And tomorrow...

The forest would become even more dangerous.