Shang Yanting traveled this journey with extreme caution.
Food was tested for poison, wherever they rested was thoroughly scouted first, surrounded constantly by the protection of students and guards, as if aware of someone plotting against him.
Perhaps... he truly knew.
"Yanting."
A slender, middle-aged man dressed in academy teacher's attire walked in, with a kind smile on his face, "How have you been getting along these days, eating in the wind and sleeping under the dew?"
This was none other than Cheng He, one of the teachers escorting them this time.
As a direct disciple about to join the dean's tutelage, Cheng He took great care of Shang Yanting throughout the journey, expressing concern for him before leaving with the others.
Unfortunately, Jia Xitong couldn't recall such a teacher from the original story, suggesting that he later had no interactions with the protagonist.
——
Night falls
Tents appeared one after another on the flat grassland. The students were already resting, leaving only a few teachers awake, while guards patrolled the surroundings.
Snap—
A guard passing by the fire quickly tossed something into the flames. The wood crackled and splintered in the fire, unnoticed by anyone.
Before long, a colorless and odorless gas drifted across the camp. Those originally asleep slept sounder, and those on night duty collectively fell unconscious.
The camp fell into a deathly silence until two sharp whistles pierced the air.
The turf not far away was suddenly upturned, revealing a group of assassins who had long lain in wait, charging into the camp.
Target—Shang Yanting.
They rushed at the tent, unleashing a barrage of stabs onto the bulging bedding. Cotton and fabric blocks flew, with candlelight reflecting the orange glow of blades.
"He's not here?"
The assassins were momentarily stunned as the tent collapsed with a crash.
A sword pierced in from outside the tent, cleanly slicing two assassins' throats.
There was no one inside the tent; Shang Yanting was outside.
His careful and cautious behavior these few days made it unlikely he'd fall for such a trap so easily.
Unaware of the situation, Jia Xitong could only remark in the Sea of Consciousness—The Host is impressive.
The remaining assassins, seeing their plan fail, swiftly cut open the tent, and both sides engaged in close quarters. The assassins were of late stage Martial Realm strength, making Shang Yanting struggle to cope.
Just then, footsteps echoed as someone else, besides Shang Yanting, remained unaffected by the sleeping gas.
An anxiously arriving Cheng He raised his weapon, "Young Master Shang Mou, fear not, I will help you!"
Jia Xitong, looking at Cheng He's deliberately concerned expression on his skinny face, felt something amiss. Shang Yanting had evaded the gas due to constant caution and preparation; how did the teacher avoid it?
Shang Yanting reacted even faster.
Seeing a weapon flying toward him, he quickly turned to dodge. A sharp blade sliced past his head, cutting off a lock of hair.
The mastermind behind this had bribed the academy teacher!
Realizing his cover was blown, Cheng He felt there was no need to keep pretending.
He was already at the middle stage of the Martial Spirit Realm, one realm higher than Shang Yanting, making it an easy task to kill him.
Cheng He immediately retrieved an Iron Claw Chain, throwing it at Shang Yanting's Life Gate.
Shang Yanting summoned a silver long sword to entangle the Iron Claw Chain, making Cheng He narrow his eyes slightly.
Radiant Gold Magical Artifact.
As the Young Master, he indeed had life-saving treasures.
Unfortunately, Cheng He's Protective Body Armor was also a Radiant Gold Magical Artifact. Shang Yanting didn't have a more powerful Magic Treasure to make up for the cultivation gap, as there was a natural chasm between the Martial Spirit Realm and the Martial Master Realm.
He smirked disdainfully, flipping his wrist as the Iron Claw detached from the chain, aiming for Shang Yanting's chest.
A loud explosion erupted at Cheng He's feet.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Shang Yanting distanced himself by throwing two Exploding Talismans. He then focused his True Qi into the sword blade, transforming it into Sword Qi and slashing at Cheng He.
Cheng He hurriedly gathered his Qi to block, yet was still pushed back half a meter by Shang Yanting's Sword Qi, feeling chest pain and a metallic taste rising in his throat.
Shang Yanting not only cultivated rapidly but could also injure opponents above his rank, making it hard to imagine the heights he could reach if left to grow.
But there would be no chance.
Haf in Cheng He's eyes hardened. Now that enmity had formed, he must eliminate this threat sooner rather than later!
He unleashed his Lifebound Magic Treasure, attacking relentlessly with every move deadly. Although Shang Yanting had excellent swordsmanship and talisman support, he couldn't withstand several assaults.
In Shang Yanting's Sea of Consciousness, Jia Xitong watched the two closely, more certain than ever—this was it!
The pivotal turning point in the protagonist's ruined life!
"Host, lure him to a less populated area."
Jia Xitong shouted in his Sea of Consciousness, then looked at the frenzied attacking Cheng He. She seized the opportunity, grabbing the freshly drawn Exploding Talismans nearby and threw them all out.
As the saying goes, when desperate, use tactical maneuvering; when flourishing, use overwhelming firepower.
Nearly a hundred Exploding Talismans used simultaneously, with deafening blasts nearly toppling half the camp.
Faced with such intense firepower, even someone at the late stage Martial Spirit level had to bow.
At the center of the blast, after the smoke cleared, Cheng He was nowhere to be found. His limbs lay scattered, while the chain and Iron Claw of his Lifebound Weapon were severed.
Shang Yanting, closest to the explosion, was also left with ringing ears, his clothes hanging in tatters.
Though he had witnessed many grand scenes, he was momentarily dumbfounded before retrieving spare clothes from his Mixu Talisman.
Changed, he fled into the night.
##
The aftermath of the overwhelming firepower was that Jia Xitong's pretense of being poor was exposed.
Now the protagonist, in a rush to travel, had no time for interrogation, but the fluctuating trust level was enough to reveal the richness of his mental state at this moment.
The key was, he neither asked nor spoke.
"Ahem, Host..."
Jia Xitong prepared to break the ice naturally, "Why don't you stay in the camp and wait for the other teachers and students to wake up?"
Having more people should be safer than being alone.
"Those people must have other plans, staying there would be more dangerous."
Shang Yanting pulled out a pre-marked map, quickly making his way through the wilderness.
This calm demeanor made Jia Xitong feel as though he had prepared long before.
"Host..."
"I have more important things right now, we'll talk when we get back."
Shang Yanting had always known that someone would attempt to assassinate him on this journey to study.
The Eight Great Families collaborated for their standing, but their relations weren't as peaceful as they appeared. Entwined interests and power struggles, each striving to overtake the other, each aiming to become the leader of the Eight Great Families.
Shang Yanting's existence had already threatened the other families, stopping him from becoming the dean's disciple was their goal, and killing him would be the perfect solution.
But as the other families plotted against him, he too schemed against them.
The academy's group included not only him; the elites of the other families were also among them.
He took this risk to draw everyone's attention, and in such an opportunity, dispatched assassins to wipe out those opposing him, leaving only the supporters of the Shangmou Family.
If successful, the Shangmou Family would secure its place as the leader of the Eight Great Families.
The families wanted Shang Yanting dead; Shang Yanting aimed to destroy the families at their roots!