70 The First Blooding

Van walked until he could no longer see the camp and found a convenient tree. As he reached for his pants, he felt a sense of foreboding. HIs body tensed.

[Something is wrong!]

Van turned around. Immediately, his skin broke out in goose bumps.

A cloaked figure wearing a bone-white mask appeared. They were perched atop a tall tree, a slender shadow in the darkness. If Van had not instinctively turned around, he would never have noticed him.

Van's heart thumped rapidly. The person in the tree was in the 6th level of Qi Distillation!

The shadow with the bone-white mask stood silently in the darkness of the chilling winter night. They did not seem in a hurry. In fact, their eyes were fixed eerily onto Van the entire time.

For them, victory against a measly 4th level Qi Distillation cultivator was completely assured.

Van's body was tense -he was ready to take flight at any moment. However, he knew if he did, they would instantly take action.

Van secretly prepared to use Scattering Smoke Steps in an instant.

However, time passed. Van became wary.

[Why are they not making a move?]

At that moment, Van heard rapid and light thumping noises behind him. He turned around to see two bone-white masks staring back at him with gaping black holes where the eyes and mouth should be.

"Hehe!" One masked figure laughed. The other pressed closer.

[Shit. There were two more of them. No wonder they waited!]

"Who are you guys!?" Van took several steps back.

"Who are we? Who are we…?" One of the two masked figures asked. They laughed once more, "There's no need for a dead person to find out…hehehe!"

Their eyes flashed behind their mask. Their hands came out of their sleeves.

Van felt – rather than saw – two hidden blades heading straight for his heart!

[Not good!]

At that moment, Van senses turned sharp and time slowed as adrenaline burst through him.

[Scattering Smoke Steps!]

His body faded into the winter night.

The two assassins' blows hit the empty air. They cursed, "The client wasn't exaggerating. The target is highly skilled in a high level evasion art. Not only that, the target's battle senses are very good – he was able to sense us drawing our daggers!"

At that moment, Van's vision was filled with smoky shadows that vaguely represented the assassins before him. His body flitted about the area, his speed and place of appearance varied wildly.

Sou!

Van's blood froze. There was a murderous intent piercing straight towards him.

Van paled; the man atop the tree had finally acted!

Through the smoky haze, he seemed to see a razor-sharp arrowhead shooting straight towards him. Just as Van thought he might be able to dodge the arrow, it seemed to sniff out his location and changed directions.

Van grit his teeth and cancelled Scattering Smoke Steps. The world lost its smoky appearance. A murderous arrow was flying straight towards him!

[Searing Snake Strikes!]

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

Snakes made of burning flame flew out of Van's fists at an extremely fast speed and hit the head of the arrow. With each hit, the speed of the arrow dropped. However, Van was still unable to avoid it!

BANG!

The arrowhead drove with immense force into Van's body. The arrow drove five centimetres deep into Van's flesh! It was enough to do serious damage!

Van winced.

[So this is the power of the 6th level of Qi Distillation!]

He gripped the arrow tightly with one hand and pulled it out. A burst of blood splattered onto the white ground below.

Van's eyes glowed with anger.

At that moment, the two other masked figures arrived and surrounded Van. The figure atop the tree drew another arrow. The gleaming arrow tip pointed straight at Van.

Van felt an immense feeling of danger well up from within him. He could really die tonight.

Van roared.

From a tiny speck, an immense whirlpool of icy water suddenly formed around the three figures.

The cold air became even colder – even the masked figure standing atop the tree was affected. His fingers on the bow felt slightly numb.

[This kid is scary… his affinity with the fire and water elements are no joke. Despite the level difference between us and him, his moves are still able to affect us! The longer he stays alive, the more chances he has of escaping…]

[However, even if he does run away…. My arrows will find him soon enough… there's not many places to hide in a frozen wasteland like this!]

The masked figure on top of the tree calmed down. However, when he looked down he realised he had been outplayed. The whirlpool had obscured them all from sight!

[If I shoot carelessly, I might kill Two and Three… I will not sacrifice two teammates just for a brat I can easily kill. Plus, Two and Three will be able to kill him in there easily. After all, the brat's movement skill will be less effective in such a small space.]

[I also refuse to believe that the brat can maintain his skill for eternity!]

____

Inside the whirlpool, the two masked figure's teeth were chattering loudly. Because of the high walls of fast, swirling water around them, they could not see Number One. Without the protection of his arrows, they felt warier of Van. They circled around him despite their numb fingers and toes.

Van stood silently inside the whirlpool with them. His eyes were filled with gloomy anger.

[These guys… only the boss of the Blood Crow Gang would have the influence, funds and motive to send assassins after me! When I get back to Dragon City, I will make sure I deal with him properly!]

Van suddenly flashed a brilliant copper. The two white-masks were startled.

A sharp aura shot to the skies.

Van shot towards his attackers and seized one by the neck. They struggled, attempting to slice him with their blade. Unlike the man on top of the tree – who was in the 6th level of Qi Distillation – their 5th level blades did no more damage than Nathaniel's arrows had a week ago. Thin pink lines formed on his skin.

The assassin that was not in Van's grip decisively threw away his ineffectual dagger, "Ten Changes of the Tiger – Tiger's Second Claw!"

The assassin's hooked fingers came towards Van. The illusion of a vicious tiger filled the air above their heads. The illusion tiger roared.

Van did not let the assassin's skill hit him. Muscles bulging, he swung the assassin in his grasp like one would swing a bat.

The assassin saw his 'Ten Changes of the Tiger' was about to his colleague in Van's grasp. He debated whether he should pull his blow. Less than a second later, he had decided - kill or be killed!

The second assassin did not cancel his move. In fact, he channelled even more power into it!

[I might kill Number Two, but I will kill the target as well. Forgive me!]

Van's eyes flashed. He channelled all his fleshly power and swung the assassin he was holding by the neck. Hard.

BANG!

There were two screams.

The assassin being used like a bat felt all his bones break. He fell to the ground and clutched at his ribs, struggling to breathe.

The other assassin was thrown backwards into the swirling water of the whirlpool due to the impact. Instantly, the vicious qi within the water sliced his body. Red filled the water. The assassin felt their body growing colder and colder, and their breath becoming very faint.

Van yanked the assassin out of the water and delivered the killing blow. A strike to the temple was all it took. Their head lolled and they slumped to the ground.

Van turned to the remaining assassin.

Assassin Two, who had been swung like a baton, held his broken ribcage and faced Van fearfully.

[Our client gave us false information! This brat's body cultivation technique is not some trashy Copper Knight Wall… It's a much higher-level technique…!]

Van crouched down.

The next moment, the assassin fell sideways. Dead.

Van's breath echoed loudly in his ears. The winter air blasted his face – he felt he would never be warm again. Van looked down at his bloodied knuckles. The blood glistened wetly under the moonlight.

Van turned his eyes to the two assassins. The two dead bodies inside the whirlpool were still, never to move again. Killing beasts was not a big deal, but these were living people. Seeing the collapsed bodies and smelling the stench of blood and death…

Van stood in silence for some time. At length, he sighed. He knew he was not a mindlessly bloodthirsty person at heart. He did not see people as objects that should be annihilated just because they got in his way… However! Everyone had their limits – and his had been well truly reached.

[The strong prey on the weak. Kill or be killed.]

The young boy wiped his knuckles on the snow; a dark smear in pure whiteness.

[I won't go out of my way to offend or kill others, but if they offend and try to kill me – From now on, I will never hold back!]

[To be merciful to the enemy is to be cruel to myself!]

Van's eyes turned cold. He walked to the two corpses and rummaged through their pockets. They were completely empty. Van was not expecting anything anyway – assassins were people on a mission to kill anonymously, they would not carry their personal belongings on them.

Bright flames burst out of Van's fists and burned the two corpses. Plumes of smoke drifted into the winter night.

[There is still one more assassin to deal with.]

Van dismissed the whirlpool.

_____

[A few minutes ago.]

Assassin One waited quietly at the top of the three for the whirlpool to dissipate.

One minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

Four.

Six.

Nine.

The assassin standing atop the tree began to feel antsy. What was happening in there? Why was it taking so long to kill the boy?