Ye Beizhi flicked his wrist and blood slid off his blade, leaving a red line on the ground.0

Lin Jiulao's head lay nearby, his eyes fixed in a blank but lifeless stare.0

Ye Beizhi sheathed his blade and left without a second glance at Lin Jiulao’s corpse. He stepped over the chaos left in his wake and proceeded along the previous path. The earlier fight had likely alerted those above, and he was only halfway up the mountain. It was best to finish the climb quickly.0

As he continued upwards, the path grew narrower, and the weeds between the stone slabs became thicker, proving this place saw few visitors. The mossy stone steps made the path slippery and even more difficult to navigate.0

Clang. Clang. Clang—0

A...0