Lan Rui stood silently on the rooftop, eyes locked on the chaos unfolding in the distance. The sounds of battle echoed faintly, shouts, clashes, and distant screams carried by the night wind.
The sky above the Cloud Market had lost its serenity, now streaked with spiritual flares and shadowy trails of demonic energy.
In his heart, Lan Rui struggled with indecision.
"The chaos outside… it's spreading quickly. It's only a matter of time before it reaches us."
He furrowed his brow. 'What if we just stayed here? The chance of being attacked might only be fifty-fifty. If we're lucky, the patrol guard could arrive in time to rescue us.'
But then he shook his head, pushing the thought away.
'No, even if the odds are only fifty-fifty… what if they do come? If even one of the attackers is a late stage Qi Refining cultivator, the array protecting this place won't last long. Once it's breached, we'll be powerless to resist. Our lives would be forfeit.'
'As for the patrol guards...'
He glanced toward the smoke-covered horizon.
'There's no guarantee they'll make it here. What if they're overwhelmed on the other side of the market?'
He considered another possibility.
'What about that cave mansion in Nightmare Forest? The one left behind by a Foundation Establishment cultivator…'
His thoughts quickened.
'It's protected by a Second Rank Array. Unless they bring someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm, it would be impossible to break through. That place could be a safe haven.'
But just as quickly, he dismissed the idea.
'No. Getting there means crossing the entire market. We'd be risking running straight into enemy patrols. Not to mention the Nightmare Forest itself...'
'With all this spiritual turbulence, the demonic beasts will surely be stirred up. Even if there are no Second-Order beasts near the edges, Late First-Order beasts could still pose a serious threat.'
He sighed deeply. 'Haaah… is there any other option?'
Wei Xin, who had been quietly observing him, suddenly spoke, her voice calm and steady.
"Don't worry, Xiao Lan. I already have a place in mind."
Lan Rui blinked, her voice cutting through the fog of his thoughts. He turned toward her, startled.
Before he could ask, she continued, "Do you have anything at your house you want to retrieve? If so, we can make a quick stop."
He paused to consider. Most of his belongings were already stored in his storage pouch, only a few pieces of furniture and old utensils remained at his residence, none of which were worth a single spirit stone.
He shook his head. "No need. Everything important is already with me."
Wei Xin nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. Then I'll pack my things, and we'll leave right after."
Without another word, she disappeared into her home. A few moments later, she returned, carrying nothing but a small pouch and her usual calm.
"Let's go. We can't afford to delay."
Lan Rui gave a final glance toward the skyline of the inner market then followed her.
.....
As they made their way through the dim streets, the true horror of the invasion became clearer.
Several bodies lay cold and twisted on the cobblestone paths. Their lifeless eyes stared at the heavens, frozen in expressions of terror. Blood ran in rivulets from wounds that spoke of cruelty rather than necessity.
They passed homes that had clearly been broken into. Protective arrays had been forcefully shattered, their runes still flickering in defiance. Furniture lay overturned, walls scorched by magical residue clear signs of battle.
Some families had believed their arrays could shield them from the chaos outside. That false hope had cost them their lives.
Lan Rui's chest tightened. He tried to steady his breath.
"Sis Wei… where are we going? Is there really a safe place left in the inner market?"
His voice trembled ever so slightly, betraying the storm in his heart.
Wei Xin answered softly, but with certainty. "Don't worry. We're heading toward the Willow Leaf Teahouse."
Lan Rui froze, eyes wide. "The teahouse?"
Before he could ask more, fate intervened.
Ahead of them, down a side street, a commotion drew their attention.
A group of five black robed demonic disciples had surrounded a residence. Within the array shielding the small house, a man stood defensively in front of a woman and a young girl, his wife and daughter.
One of the demonic disciples stepped forward, sneering as he raised his voice.
"Open the array now if you want to live. We'll just take your valuables. Cooperate, and you might walk away with your lives."
But the murderous glint in his eyes made it clear that mercy was a lie.
The father stepped forward, fists clenched.
"Humph. Do you take me for a fool? The moment I lower the array, you'll slaughter us."
The group burst into cruel laughter.
"Hehehe… So you're not completely stupid," one of them grinned. "Open the barrier, and I might let your wife and daughter live."
He licked his lips. "Be a shame not to enjoy that body before it's wasted."
The others jeered, their laughter twisted with lust and bloodlust. Their eyes glinted with greed, their presence foul and oppressive.
The man's body tensed. He was at the seventh layer of Qi Refining a respectable level but two of the attackers were late-stage, and the others weren't weak either.
'Alone… maybe I could break through and escape. But with my family…'
Despair clouded his expression as he looked toward his wife and daughter, who clung to him in silent fear.
.....
From a nearby building, Lan Rui and Wei Xin watched the scene unfold.
Lan Rui gritted his teeth, hands trembling in rage.
He was furious, furious at the cruelty of the demonic sect disciples… and at his own helplessness. The pit in his chest only grew deeper.
Wei Xin broke the silence. "Do you want to help them?"
Lan Rui hesitated.
If they intervened, the family would surely cling to them for safety. They might beg to be escorted somewhere safe an added burden. Every extra life would increase the risk to Sis Wei.
In his eyes, Sis Wei alone is more important than the three strangers at the house. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the decision.
Finally, he asked, "Sis Wei… what are the odds of winning? Can we end it quickly?"
Wei Xin assessed the battlefield with narrowed eyes.
"If I can land a clean sneak attack on one of the late-stage cultivators, and you handle one of the mid-stage ones, we'll reduce their numbers fast. With the help of the father inside, we should be able to end the fight in just over a hundred breaths."
She looked at him, voice serious. "But only if everything goes right."
Lan Rui nodded, expression resolute.
"Alright. Then here's the plan…"
.....