Inside the inn, a single oil lamp flickered. The oil, rendered from the fat of a beast known as the Hasa, burned slowly with a bright, steady light. Most importantly, it was nearly odorless, giving off only the faintest wisp of smoke.
Liu Weian stood upright, his body motionless. Only his right hand moved like a blur—his brush dancing across the surface, as if dragons and serpents flowed from its tip. From the first stroke to the last, there was no pause, no hesitation. As the brush lifted, a faint glow pulsed from the symbol he had drawn—an intricate blend of rune and script. A flash, and it vanished, merging into the arrowhead. Another corpse-dispelling talisman was complete.
Fifty-two arrows lay neatly in a row, gleaming faintly in the lamplight. The difference between Black Iron-grade arrows and the inferior kind was night and day. He could now inscribe up to sixty talismans in one go, with only eight failures—both his quantity and success rate had improved drastically.
After packing up, he stepped outside. It was around ten at night. Instead of logging off, he headed toward the cemetery. About three li away, he suddenly heard sounds of a skirmish. Alarmed, he dove into the tall grass and crept forward cautiously.
Out on the desolate plains, several dozen men had surrounded a lone girl—warriors, hunters, archers, spearmen—all moving in formation, their encirclement tight and disciplined. The girl made several attempts to break through, but each time she was forced back. Sweat trickled from her brow, and an arrow lodged in her left thigh hampered her movements. Her short sword swung desperately, fending off attacks from every direction.
Liu Weian's heart sank when he saw her. A surge of anger followed. The girl was none other than Lu Yan.
"Surrender," said a cocky young man, his tone icy. A longsword was strapped across his back, and a sharp aura radiated from him. Four men flanked him closely, underscoring his status. "If it weren't for our young master taking a fancy to you, you'd already be dead ten times over. Still resisting?"
Lu Yan didn't reply. Instead, she suddenly lunged forward. A flash of her blade, a burst of blood—one of the warriors let out a scream, staggered, then collapsed. A gaping wound had opened where his heart used to be.
"Kill her!" the sword-bearing youth roared in fury. Just as he was about to order the archers to fire indiscriminately—
Thud!
One of his men toppled backward, an arrow buried in the back of his skull, still trembling.
Then came a storm.
Arrows rained down like lightning. In the blink of an eye, seven or eight men collapsed, some without even making a sound. The others spun around in panic—two more were struck before they could react, their screams punctuating the chaos.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three warriors with shields advanced swiftly, zigzagging to avoid the incoming fire. But it was no use. The one on the left took an arrow to the leg and collapsed. As his shield fell away, an arrow pierced his heart. The one on the right met the same fate.
The sword-bearing youth raised his hand, sending five more warriors forward—shields in one hand, blades in the other. A clash of metal echoed ahead. Then, another fell.
Whoosh—
A chilling gleam sliced through the air, hurtling toward the sword-wielder. The sheer force of the arrow distorted the very air around it.
He snorted coldly and moved. His sword was in hand—no one even saw him draw it. A dazzling flash of light erupted.
Clang!
The arrow split in two, but the impact made his arm go numb. His eyes widened in shock as he saw it—behind the broken shaft, another arrow surged forth even faster.
Another flash of his blade—he managed to deflect it just in time.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Four arrows followed in tight formation, whistling through the air.
The youth's face changed. By the time the sound reached his ears, the arrows were already upon him. He couldn't dodge. A brilliant burst of sword light exploded.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang!
Six arrows shattered under his blade—but the seventh strike was a feint.
This time, the pattern changed.
The first arrow became the second. The second became the first.
Predicting based on the previous volley, the youth swung at the wrong one. The real arrow accelerated midair, arriving too fast to stop. Just as death loomed, a shield interposed itself.
Clang!
A guard had arrived just in time. The arrow struck the shield with a deafening crash.
Relief surged through the youth's pale face. Hope returned.
Then—CRACK!
The shield shattered into fragments. The second arrow, carrying a corpse-dispelling rune, burst through and tore into his chest.
BOOM!
The arrowhead exploded. His upper body was shredded into pulp.
He was dead before he hit the ground.
The others stood in stunned silence. Their leader had been slain in an instant.
Liu Weian didn't give them time to process it. Arrow after arrow flew from the darkness. Three more fell within seconds.
Finally, five warriors reached him, shields raised.
Liu Weian bared his teeth in a chilling smile that made their blood run cold.
Thrum—
Their shields shattered. Before they could grasp what had happened, arrows pierced their hearts.
He cast a regretful glance at the ruined shields.
"Such a waste… those things are money."
With another thunderous shot, an arrow blasted through an archer's chest and lodged in the throat of the warrior behind him. The second man collapsed, clutching his neck, his expression one of utter disbelief.
Back near Lu Yan, a spearman moved in for the kill. Before he could strike, he froze. Looking down, he saw an arrowhead protruding from his chest, wet with blood. His strength faded. Consciousness slipped away.
Clang!
Lu Yan blocked a chopping blow. Another warrior lunged at her, sword aimed for her heart. Just as the blade brushed her tunic—
An arrow tore through the attacker's arm, halting his thrust. A second arrow followed—straight through his neck.
Thud!
The swordsman collapsed, an arrow in his chest. His lips moved, making a hollow rasp—then silence.
The others never even saw the shooter—only the endless hail of death.
In mere moments, fewer than ten were left.
With their leader gone, panic overtook them. They turned and fled.
But Liu Weian's arrows were faster than their legs.
His Superior-Grade Tuo Wood Bow lived up to its name. It surpassed his old bow in accuracy, recoil control, grip, and—most importantly—power. His previous bow had a draw strength of 1.5 shi (about 180 pounds). This one? Two shi—240 pounds.
That extra sixty pounds made a world of difference. The range extended another twenty meters. Before the survivors could even flee ten meters, each was struck down in turn.
"Where were you?" Lu Yan panted, glaring at Liu Weian.
"I didn't log in," he replied, confused by the emotion in her eyes—something that made him uneasy.
"You said you'd meet me at the cemetery to hunt zombies," she said coldly.
"The Pegasus Caravan took over the area," Liu Weian countered.
"You broke your promise." Lu Yan's voice trembled with a strange sense of injustice. She turned away.
"Where are you going?" Liu Weian hurried after her.
"Don't touch me!" Just as his hand reached for her shoulder, she spun around, her face cold as ice.
Liu Weian pulled back, sheepishly. After she limped ahead a few steps, he followed.
"Stop following me." She halted abruptly and glared.
He stopped. Waited. Then followed again at a distance.
Several minutes later, she turned, sword raised, her voice colder than winter wind.
"Take one more step, and I'll kill you."
"Believe me or not, I missed the time because I was cultivating. When I came out of the trance, three days had passed. I was worried about you—that's why I logged in right away. But you're right… a broken promise is a broken promise. It was my fault. Still, I hope you won't be angry." His tone was sincere.
"I don't need your explanation." Her voice was still emotionless, but the killing intent had faded.
"Where are you going, Lu Yan?" he called after her retreating figure.
"None of your business," she snapped, then staggered. Her sword dropped, and she collapsed.
Startled, Liu Weian rushed forward and caught her. Her face was deathly pale, her body covered in wounds.
A quick check confirmed none were fatal—just excessive blood loss. He sighed in relief, fed her two Power Seeds, and gently removed the arrow from her leg before bandaging the wound.
Then he went to loot the battlefield.
A fruitful harvest.
These were no ordinary thugs. They had cash—116 gold, 28 silver, and 64 copper coins. The sword-bearing youth alone had 100 gold—clearly a rich boy. With their weapons, shields, and near–Black Iron-grade gear, the total haul would fetch another 100 gold.
Once again, Liu Weian was reminded—robbery was indeed a shortcut to wealth.
From their gear and insignia, he confirmed their identities: Pegasus Caravan.
When he returned to Lu Yan, she had already woken.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings with practiced vigilance, then dropped to her own body. She paused at her thigh, then quietly grabbed her sword.
"You're awake. Good," Liu Weian said softly.
Lu Yan didn't respond. The silence between them grew unnerving. A few minutes later, he pulled out 100 Power Seeds from his ring and set them beside her.
"Half the loot. I converted it to Power Seeds—they'll help with your recovery." He hesitated, then decided against saying more. "I'll go now."
Without waiting for her reply, he vanished into the night.