Chapter 41 – Blood on the Road
Setting Out
The gates of Cloudsky closed behind them with a deep groan, the ancient wood and iron shuddering as if reluctant to release them. Lin Xuan, Bai Liang, Mu, Wen, and the handful of other disciples chosen for the expedition stepped into the wilderness together. Their packs were heavy with rations and supplies, weapons newly honed, spirits taut as bowstrings.
For the first two days, travel was uneventful. They hunted game, practiced coordination, and spoke little, each still adjusting to their new roles. But on the third day, the silence of the forest broke.
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The Bandit Ambush
They were crossing a narrow stretch of road cut between two ridges when it happened. Arrows hissed from above, clattering against hastily raised qi barriers. Shadows dropped from the trees, blades flashing with cruel familiarity.
"Bandits," Bai spat, already lunging forward, saber ringing free.
But these weren't starving peasants. Their movements were disciplined, their weapons sharp and well-maintained. These men had killed cultivators before.
The disciples formed a circle instinctively. Lin Xuan's spear blurred in arcs of lightning, intercepting three attackers at once. Bai Liang cut another down with a slash that split his armor. Wen's swordsmanship was a storm, parrying arrows out of the air. Mu hurled a talisman into the dirt, fire erupting in a wall that forced half the bandits to split their formation.
The battle was brutal, short, and bloody. By the end, nearly two dozen bandits lay scattered across the road, their discipline broken by the disciples' coordination and superior arts.
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Scavenging the Fallen
When the last man fell, the group exhaled as one. Their hands shook, not from fear but from adrenaline. They had won—and they had won well.
They stripped the bodies methodically, and the haul surprised them:
Well-crafted blades and light armor, the kind mercenaries favored.
Pouches of mid-grade spirit stones, far more than common thieves should have carried.
A handful of talismans, sharp-edged and potent.
And then, something more.
Wen pulled a lacquered jade slip from the leader's robes, inscribed with the crest of a phoenix in flight. His brows drew tight.
"This isn't a bandit's trinket," he said grimly. "This is the seal of the Red Phoenix Auction House."
Gasps rippled through the group. The Red Phoenix House was one of the most powerful and wealthy auction networks in the region. Their name opened doors—and started wars.
"What are bandits doing with this?" Mu whispered.
"Either they robbed the wrong caravan…" Bai's tone was sharp, "…or they weren't bandits at all."
Lin Xuan turned the slip over in his hand, his eyes narrowing. "Either way, it means someone will come looking for it."
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The Road Ahead
They buried the bodies by the roadside to keep scavengers away, but none of them felt ease. The jade slip burned like a secret in Wen's pack, and even Mu's cheer faltered.
"First it's demonic sects, now auction houses?" she muttered. "The heavens don't want to give us peace, do they?"
Lin Xuan only gripped his spear tighter, his gaze sweeping the tree line.
"No," he said softly. "But peace was never promised."
The road stretched before them, winding toward danger.