Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 87

After Huai En left Jinqi Mountain, he realized that someone was trailing him.

Initially, he didn't intend to investigate who it was, as it was highly unlikely to be the Totemic Cult. He couldn't think of any reason why Zongzheng Yuzhan would still be interested in him. Most likely, it was either Zongzheng Han or Su Yin's men. Although they merely followed him without further actions, it was quite a nuisance. Filled with grievances he had no way to vent, he finally decided to ambush them after being followed for several days.

That evening, Huai En rested briefly in an inn, ate, bathed, and slept as usual. However, once the hour of Yin passed, he suddenly jumped out of the inn's window and swiftly made his way to the stables. He mounted a horse and galloped away furiously.

This took his pursuers by surprise, and they had to use their light body skills to follow him. Huai En, with his eyes closed, sensed the fluctuations around him and concluded that these men were only second-rate in skill, struggling even to keep up with a common horse.

After rounding a corner in a wooded area, Huai En pulled a dagger from his boot and slashed the horse's tail. Then, with a tap on the horse's back, he leaped up, executed several steps in mid-air, and landed steadily on the ground. Before he could stabilize, he dashed into the forest, disappearing from sight in a flash.

The horse neighed and galloped away wildly.

However, in a moment, three figures flashed in from the way they had come, chasing after the sound of the horse's hooves.

Unexpectedly, a white figure appeared like a ghost blocking their path. Before they could even see him clearly, the leader felt a sharp pain in his chest and was kicked flying backward. The remaining two froze in place, not daring to move.

The man who was kicked managed to stand up, clutching his chest. His hair was slightly grizzled, and he appeared significantly older than the other two, likely their leader.

Huai En's face was as cold as frost as he said icily, "Who are you, and why are you following me?"

The man remained calm, bowing slightly, "We mean no harm. Please, young hero, do not be alarmed. My master wishes to meet with you. He feared that approaching you directly would make you suspicious, so we chose to follow and wait for the right moment."

Huai En glanced at the man, who didn't seem to be lying. "You've been following me for four days and you think that wouldn't make me suspicious? If I hadn't been focused on my journey and too indifferent to care, you would have been dead ten thousand times over by now. I'm not interested in knowing who your master is. If you don't want to die, stay away. Take one more step forward, and I will make sure you are decapitated." After saying this, he turned and walked away without paying any more attention to the three men.

"Young hero," the leader said urgently, "please wait. Whether you leave or kill us, my master has endless resources and can continue to bother you. Since that's the case, why not meet my master? He bears no ill will towards you, and with your martial arts skills, you surely need not fear anyone."

Huai En furrowed his brow, turned his head slightly, and after a moment of thought, he said, "Tell your master to come see me. If he doesn't appear within an hour, you three will die." Having said this, he sat down on the ground and began to meditate with his eyes closed.

The three men looked at each other, the leader nodding slightly. Another man pulled a hard paper tube from his bosom, pulled the core, and a spark shot straight into the sky. It was just beginning to get light, and the flare exploded in the sky, quite conspicuous against the dawn light.

After completing this task, the three also sat down on the ground to wait.

As soon as the hour was up, Huai En suddenly opened his eyes. The three men looked at him in fear, feeling an overwhelming pressure that made it difficult for them to breathe, hardly believing that such a murderous aura could emanate from a young man.