Bamboo Chest Chapter Eight: Bi Lu

"Uncle, why didn't you agree to them? I feel like that was a deal worth making," Yuan Bai said, looking curiously at Lu Yun, who was standing by the window.

Lu Yun shook his head and replied, "I don't like them."

In truth, there was no such thing as "liking" or "disliking" here. This was the Wilderness, where the law of the jungle—the strong preying upon the weak—was the only rule; there was no room for such subtleties. Lu Yun knew that if he wanted to enter the game, he would have to convince Xiao Zhai to join the ambush in Qianjing City. Xiao Zhai might have agreed, but Lu Yun did not want to owe him any more favors.

"Where are they heading?" Lu Yun looked out the window. Down below, at the Deyue Pavilion, Chang Qi was leading seven other city lords away toward an unknown destination.

Yuan Bai hopped down from the bed and scrambled up to the window with some effort, watching Chang Qi's party. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. With that kind of momentum, they're either going to kill someone or beg someone for help."

Lu Yun frowned and said, "Let's leave this place while we can."

Yuan Bai let out an "ah" of reluctance. "But the hotpot is really delicious..."

"There are plenty of hotpots in Qianjing City." Lu Yun began to pack, determined to use this opportunity to flee this place of trouble.

"The hotpot in Qianjing City lacks a certain flavor; it's not as good as the one here," Yuan Bai sighed.

Lu Yun narrowed his eyes. So, Yuan Bai had been to Qianjing City before. But there was no need to dwell on that now; reaching Qianjing City was the top priority.

"You just said the hotpot in Qianjing City isn't as good as this one?" Lu Yun suddenly asked.

"Yeah." Yuan Bai nodded, but then, as if realizing something, he quickly threw aside the parcel in his hand and sat cross-legged on the bed. After a long moment, his face turned pale. He looked at Lu Yun and said, "There's a problem."

As expected, that group was no good. Lu Yun had been on guard and had not touched the hotpot, nor had he touched the wine Chang Qi had offered.

"What do we do?" Yuan Bai asked with a bitter face. "Uncle, save me!"

Lu Yun was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's make a deal."

"Deal!" Yuan Bai agreed instantly.

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want to ask what my terms are?"

Yuan Bai seemed to have resigned himself to his fate. He lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Whatever. My life is what matters most."

Lu Yun nodded and said, "After this, I want to know your true identity."

"Fair enough!" Yuan Bai gave Lu Yun a thumbs up.

...

Meanwhile, Chang Qi and his party arrived at the base of a city gate.

"Chang Qi, aren't you afraid that kid will escape?" someone asked.

Chang Qi chuckled. "Escape? Not a chance."

Just then, the city gate swung wide open. A man walked out slowly. He wore a bamboo hat that obscured his face, and one could only see the long sword he held in his arms.

"He's finally here! With him, our trip to Qianjing City will be twice as successful with half the effort!" Chang Qi said, his expression filled with excitement.

The man walked up to Chang Qi. "A bunch of brats with rather grand ambitions, aren't they?"

Facing the man's provocative tone, Chang Qi did not grow angry. Instead, he flashed a smile and said obsequiously, "Thank you for the praise, senior. Might you need us to procure a sword specifically for you?"

"The swords you provide are no good." The man took off his hat, revealing an ordinary-looking face. He looked into the distance. "His sword, however, is not bad."

Chang Qi was stunned, then immediately turned around. Using a family secret technique, he detected two familiar auras hiding in the distance.

"Since you desire it, senior, I shall retrieve that sword for you right now!" Gritting his teeth, Chang Qi dashed off, followed by the other city lords.

The man dusted off his hat with a look of boredom, seemingly indifferent to Chang Qi and the others.

...

In the distance, Lu Yun’s expression shifted, and he grabbed Yuan Bai to run. Yuan Bai nearly burst into tears. "Again? Uncle, why are we always on the run?"

Lu Yun looked back. In his vision, the man in the bamboo hat remained motionless. "Don't worry. As long as he doesn't make a move, we don't have to run." Lu Yun moved at high speed, trying to put distance between them and Chang Qi’s group.

"Another condition is, can you hold off three of the people besides Chang Qi?" Lu Yun asked.

Yuan Bai looked troubled and hesitated, counting on his fingers. "Three..."

"Hurry up!" Lu Yun urged. Among the eight, only Chang Qi had just entered the Mid-Five Realm; Lu Yun felt he could still put up a fight. It wasn't arrogance—he truly believed he could do it. As for who gave him this confidence? In a thatched cottage north of Zhicui City, there sat a schoolteacher.

...

Chang Qi, holding a curved blade, stared intensely at Lu Yun and Yuan Bai ahead. He shouted from a distance, "Logically, you both should die, but I'm feeling merciful today. Hand over that sword, and I'll spare your lives!"

Yuan Bai let out a scoff, stopped in his tracks, and made a face at Chang Qi. "Who do you think you are, showing such 'mercy'?"

Chang Qi’s eyes turned blood-red. He crouched, drew his blade, and swung. A flash of cold light erupted. Yuan Bai leaped into the air and bolted in another direction. Several city lords behind Chang Qi snorted and gave chase.

Just as Chang Qi was about to pursue Lu Yun, he didn't expect the youth to stop running and charge straight at him instead.

"Good, very good!" Chang Qi laughed hideously. "Do you really think I'm afraid of that schoolteacher in Zhicui City? He’s at most in the Nascent Soul Realm; the incident in Zhicui City certainly wasn't caused by him! You probably don't know yet, but the big shots in Qianjing City already know that man visited Zhicui City!"

Lu Yun’s expression remained unchanged. He bent his left leg, exerted force with his right, and lashed out with a kick. They were very close; Chang Qi had no choice but to block the kick with his arm. Chang Qi raised his blade with his right hand, intending to strike the youth down.

A glimmer of light flashed from Lu Yun’s sleeve. With a crisp metallic ring, the miniature dagger named "Not Hidden" collided violently with Chang Qi’s curved blade. Both pushed with all their might before separating.

Chang Qi looked toward his companions and cursed, "Why aren't you attacking? What are you waiting for? That man from the Sword Qi Great Wall has been to Zhicui City. He and his sister are traitors to the demon race—there are no consequences for killing him!"

The murderous intent in Lu Yun’s eyes deepened. Four people—it would be difficult, but...

The youth slowly exhaled, adopting a strange stance. "Let's give it a try!"

Chang Qi sneered, "No wonder you dared to come back. What? A Fifth Realm Qi practitioner and a Fourth Realm martial artist, you really think you can take four on one?"

Lu Yun smiled slightly and asked, "Since when has the Wilderness allowed people to become city lords just by running their mouths? Are the elders in your families all blind?"

"You will pay for your arrogance soon. And your sister, too. Once that man dies and the martial tournament ends, there won't be a single living soul left in Zhicui City!" Chang Qi said coldly, his blade trembling.

A memory flashed in Lu Yun’s mind—something Xiao Zhai had once told him: "Lu Yun, in this world, there are actually far more bad people than you imagine. So, it is fine to be kind-hearted, but you must have a sharp edge."

The youth’s other sleeve fluttered gently, catching the sunlight with a cold glint. One must be able to hide one's strength, but one must also be able to reveal one's edge.

Back at the City Lord’s mansion, Lu Cui had once trimmed the lamp to sharpen a blade in the dead of night. That blade had been crafted by her own hands for Lu Yun. It was also a small, delicate dagger, but sharper than "Not Hidden."

The dagger was named "Revealed"—the "Revealed" of showing one's sharp edge.