Chapter Six: The Villain

After traveling several dozen miles, Ye Xin abandoned the carriage, untied one of the horses, mounted it, and sped off in a different direction. Finding a place to rest in this vast expanse of wetlands was no easy task, but Ye Xin had wandered these parts for two years and was intimately familiar with the terrain. An hour later, he spotted a massive fallen tree ahead.

The trunk rose over two meters tall, and someone or something had hollowed out its core, creating a tree cavity. Ye Xin glanced around, led his horse inside, and tied the reins to a branch near the entrance. He continued deeper into the hollow. Within, it was warm, shielded from wind and rain. The cavity had vents, allowing for light and air, and more importantly, they let him observe the outside.

Ye Xin sat down and exhaled a long, slow breath. Releasing his Soul-Sealing Thrusts back in Destiny City had drained nearly all his vital energy. Until he recovered, he dared not venture further into the wetlands, for the wild beasts here were as terrifying as any pursuers who might appear.

He began to regulate his breathing. It was unclear how much time passed before he suddenly opened his eyes, first listening intently for any sound outside, then peering through the vents.

Some seven or eight hundred meters away, four figures appeared. Leading the group was a burly man, followed by a youth and a middle-aged man walking side by side, and finally a short, squat fellow at the rear.

Ye Xin’s gaze was sharp as a blade, swiftly gathering all the information he could and making his judgment.

The big man in front wore tattered clothes, but the vital parts of his body were well protected—a ring of iron at his neck, boots made from stone bear hide to guard against snakes and scorpions. When he turned to speak to the others, Ye Xin saw a shield of iron plates across his back.

The man was likely a hunter from Destiny City, experienced and well-versed in survival. He wore only a basic hide coat in front because he could defend himself in open conflict and understood that the beasts charging head-on were less dangerous than the lurking threats.

The others looked dejected. The little man at the end seemed wounded, with bloodstains on his clothes. Judging by their attire, they were clearly outsiders, recently arrived and ignorant of the wetlands and ancient forests’ perils. Tiptoeing through marshes to avoid mud, they were clearly accustomed to comfort and cleanliness, unlike the hunter, who moved at ease, conserving strength for dangers that could appear at any moment.

Curiously, they had no horses, which seemed odd. Many warriors could run faster than horses by channeling energy into their legs, but it was unsustainable and drained their strength—horses were essential here.

In the big man’s eyes, Ye Xin caught a glimmer of resentment, though he suppressed it with great effort.

Ye Xin understood: the hunter had likely been hired as their guide. They had encountered danger—he must have warned them, but the others, overconfident, ignored him and suffered for it. Forced to abandon their horses, they had to flee on foot.

That meant they weren’t pursuers. Ye Xin relaxed. If Fei Qi had returned to Destiny City and sent trackers, they would have been veteran local warriors.

In his past life, Ye Xin had become a top negotiator thanks to his keen powers of observation, his greatest asset for survival in recent years. If he had depended on strength alone, he would have died hundreds of times over.

Soon, the four entered the tree hollow in turn. The big man, in front, spotted Ye Xin’s back and immediately tensed, holding his breath and gripping his battle-axe tightly.

Though Ye Xin faced away from the entrance, he sensed the hunter’s tension and knew the man recognized the black cloak. Few warriors ventured this deep into the wetlands—the cloak’s distinctiveness would have given him away.

The other three, however, remained nonchalant. They brushed past the hunter, heading for the clean, inner part of the hollow. The young man in red leather armor barked, “Kid, we’re using this place. Get out.”

The hunter let out a quiet, almost beast-like hiss, his hands twisting the axe handle.

Ye Xin rose, slowly turning. Hidden in the darkness, his eyes took in every detail of the four.

Perhaps because his hands had been steeped in blood and the aura of death clung to him, he did not respond, but the strangers all sensed danger. The youth in red reached for his sword, the middle-aged man’s eyes flashed, and the little man at the back quietly raised his hand, revealing a metal tube aimed at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin walked calmly toward the entrance. Though unafraid, there was no reason to risk conflict over such a trifling matter.

As he passed, a small purple mink suddenly poked its head from the young man’s shoulder and screeched at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin paid it no mind, but the youth was startled and snapped, “Quiet!” The mink obeyed at once. Ye Xin continued to his horse and sat down.

Seeing Ye Xin yield, the newcomers glanced at one another and gave self-deprecating smiles, realizing how tense their reaction had been.

The big man leaned against the wall, staring unblinkingly at his axe, lost in thought. The other three began whispering and laughing quietly.

After a moment, the youth glanced at Ye Xin, then sidled up to his companions and spoke in a near whisper: “That kid has finished vital crystals on him!”

“How can you tell?” the middle-aged man asked, unable to hide his excitement.

“My purple mink’s specialty is detecting treasures. It can’t be wrong,” the youth replied.

The middle-aged man pondered, then called to the hunter: “Big guy, come here!”

“What is it?” the hunter frowned.

“Just come!” the middle-aged man said impatiently.

The big man had no choice but to stand, hefting his axe, and walked over.

“Big guy, that kid has finished vital crystals. Go talk to him—see if he’ll sell them,” the man whispered.

“I’m only here to guide you. That’s not my business,” the big man replied flatly.

“Damn you—” the youth burst out, angry.

The middle-aged man raised a hand to stop him, then gave the hunter a long look and walked toward Ye Xin. The youth and the little man exchanged glances and stood as well, fanning out to either side and ready for trouble.

The middle-aged man approached Ye Xin, paused, then smiled, crouching down to meet his gaze. “Brother, let’s have a word.”

When he first saw Ye Xin, he had sensed trouble and tensed up. But when Ye Xin yielded and gave up the spot, he realized it was a false alarm—now, his confidence returned.

“What is it?” Ye Xin’s tone was curt.

“You have finished vital crystals, don’t you? Sell them to us. I won’t hide it—we are from the Chen family of Zheng Prefecture, the Grand Summoning State. We’ve run into bad luck on this trip, and if we return empty-handed, it will be hard to explain. If you sell the crystals to us, you’ll be doing us a great favor. In the future, if you come to Zheng Prefecture, seek us out—Chen Tianhao will see you well rewarded.”

Ye Xin could hardly believe his ears, nor could he fathom where their confidence came from. There were few top mercenaries in Destiny City, and their ways were much like the wild beasts: they didn’t seek trouble unless provoked, and conflict was rare.

The terrifying beasts of the forest and wetlands were the same. They marked their territory and would not attack without reason. If an intruder entered, they would roar to intimidate and drive them off before resorting to violence.

Those who truly understood battle used it only as a last resort.

Victory always came at a price—an injury often meant death.

For a moment, Ye Xin didn’t know how to respond. The atmosphere grew tense and silent. The youth and the little man stared daggers at him, while the big man’s cheek twitched violently—perhaps only he understood the danger they were courting.

“You mean this?” Ye Xin took a wooden box from his belt and opened it, revealing several irregular oval crystals, each containing a swirling glow like living energy.

“That’s right,” the middle-aged man’s eyes shone.

“What’s your price?” Ye Xin poured the crystals onto the dirt. Even now, he tried to treat this as a fair trade between warriors.

“One hundred gold coins for each,” the man said.

Ye Xin laughed. In Destiny City, finished vital crystals sold for anywhere from a thousand to ten thousand gold coins apiece. The price offered was an insult—it was outright robbery.

“Brother, we’re being reasonable. Don’t force our hand,” the man said coldly.

“Have you ever been to Destiny City before?” Ye Xin asked.

“No. Why?” the man replied.

“That explains it,” Ye Xin said. “Take the crystals—they’re yours.”