As Lin Shu and Yan Qing vanished beneath the raging waters, several Jiang Clan members moved as if to chase after them, but were stopped by a calm voice.
"Leave it. We're done here. Head to the destination—we don't need to bother with those two. I already left them both with a little gift," the speaker said, smiling faintly.
"Yes, Young Master," the guards replied in unison.
The one who had given the order strolled back toward the carriages at a leisurely pace. His name was Jiang Liechen, heir to the Jiang Clan.
It's not even worth hunting them down, he thought. "Anyone with a brain can guess who attacked them. If the Stone Path Hall higher-ups were smart, they wouldn't dare bring up this incident—they're the ones who tried to raid us, after all."
He stepped into the carriage, relaxed despite the chaos that had just unfolded.
"Besides, I don't have time for small annoyances. The Venomheart Sect's recruitment is only months away, and I still need to prepare for the coming war against Stone Path Hall."
With Jiang Liechen inside, the carriages rumbled to life and soon crossed the river, continuing their journey westward.
Back at the river, Lin Shu fought desperately against the violent current. Every moment was a struggle to stay conscious, his armor cracking and reforming under the constant barrage of rocks and debris. His breath was ragged, limbs heavy, and his Qi reserves were depleting fast.
Behind him, Yan Qing clung on with tenacity. Though bruised and battered, he was in a far better position—Lin Shu was taking the brunt of the river's fury, acting as both shield and raft.
Yan Qing helped occasionally, pushing aside large rocks when he could, not out of kindness but survival. If Lin Shu loses consciousness, I'm dead too.
I swear I'm going to kill this bastard, Lin Shu thought, teeth clenched. The moment I can breathe, I'll break every bone in his miserable body.
Then, after what felt like an eternity of punishment, Lin Shu spotted something—a fork in the river.
From memory, he knew what this was. The right path continued westward, a long stretch of violent rapids. But the left... the left ended in a waterfall. And beyond that, the river would calm.
That's my only shot, Lin Shu thought. I don't have enough Qi left to last much longer. If I go right, we're dead.
Yan Qing didn't notice the fork. Lin Shu's body blocked his view, and he was too focused on holding on and not dying.
He'll probably try to kill me once we reach shore, Yan Qing thought grimly. I've been using him like a meat shield this whole time... He won't just let that go.
He considered his options—run, fight, maybe talk his way out of it. But what happened next shattered all planning.
Suddenly, Yan Qing felt the current disappear beneath him—felt air rushing past his body.
"Wha—?!"
They were falling.
In that moment, he looked up—and saw Lin Shu. The mask was gone. His face was bloodied and scarred, eyes wide with rage and madness.
And in that split second, the unspoken message was clear:
You should've let go.
Yan Qing released him in terror—but Lin Shu grabbed him mid-air.
Then, with a roar, Lin Shu slammed his forehead into Yan Qing's face.
CRACK.
Stars burst behind Yan Qing's eyes as pain shot through his skull.
Both bodies crashed into the water below, vanishing into the churning foam.
Yan Qing burst out of the deep water, gasping for air. Clutching his head with one hand, he began swimming toward the shore. Stroke after stroke, he pushed forward—until he suddenly felt a strong tug on his leg.
"What?!"
He was yanked beneath the surface once more. Eyes wide open, he tried to see what had grabbed him, but the night's darkness made the water pitch black. Still, he didn't need to guess.
It was Lin Shu.
Underwater, Lin Shu glared at Yan Qing with murderous intent, his hand reaching for Yan Qing's throat. He was determined to drown him. Yan Qing panicked, kicking violently at Lin Shu's face again and again until the other finally lost his grip and drifted back.
Yan Qing bolted upward, breaking through the surface with a desperate gasp for air. Moments later, Lin Shu emerged too, lungs heaving. They locked eyes—both half-drowned, both battered.
Lin Shu's armor was shattered, his clothes torn to ribbons, his chest and face marked with fresh scars. But his gaze was sharp and burning with fury.
"Listen, Lin Shu—calm down. We need to work together to get back to the mine," Yan Qing said quickly, keeping his distance. "The Jiang clansmen might still be after us. Fighting now is pointless."
Lin Shu didn't respond at first. He was petty—infamously so—and being used as a raft and shield wasn't something he'd ever forget. But even he had to admit that Yan Qing was right.
"Fine," he finally growled, swimming toward the shore—but purposefully landing a fair distance away from Yan Qing in case of betrayal.
As they both staggered out of the river, Lin Shu caught a glimpse of something on Yan Qing's back: a black mark, small but slowly spreading.
Poison.
He must've been hit by a needle during the chaos.
Lin Shu didn't say a word. He simply smiled to himself and let the poison do its work. Yan Qing, unaware, was slowly backing away while keeping one wary eye on Lin Shu.
But then Lin Shu felt a familiar burning sensation on his own back. He glanced down toward the water's reflection.
Another black mark.
"I was poisoned too, huh…" he muttered.
The river had likely dislodged a hidden needle from both of them. He could only think of one suspect: that smiling young master from the Jiang Clan.
Without hesitation, Lin Shu retrieved a small wooden box from his spatial ring and pulled out a single pill. "Knew you'd come in handy… a shame I have to waste you now." He swallowed the Venombane Pill, feeling its power begin to course through him. "I'll wait for the poison to fade."
Then he looked at Yan Qing, who had just discovered the black mark on his own back.
"And I'll wait for it to kill you."
Yan Qing had just begun changing his tattered shirt when he noticed the poison. His eyes went wide in alarm as he scanned his body. Lin Shu chuckled internally. A little late, aren't you?
Should I strike now? he considered. The poison will weaken him—and if I attack, he won't be able to use the pill…
But just as Lin Shu was calculating, he saw Yan Qing pull out a pill from his pouch. Lin Shu's eyes narrowed.
With no hesitation, he raised his hand. "Thunderbolt Arc."
A blast of lightning shot toward Yan Qing, who barely dodged it—at the cost of dropping the pill.
Seeing his chance, Lin Shu bolted forward, ignoring his exhaustion. He couldn't use Lightning Steps with so little Qi left, but neither could Yan Qing, who was steadily weakening from the poison.
Yan Qing dove for the fallen pill, but Lin Shu came in with a powerful kick, forcing him to raise his arms to defend. Lin Shu followed with a feint punch, forcing Yan Qing to step back—just enough space for Lin Shu to stomp on the pill.
But Yan Qing wasn't done.
"Force Palm!"
His hand surged with raw strength. Lin Shu backed away just in time, but not before launching a spray of dirt into Yan Qing's eyes with his foot. As Yan Qing staggered back, blinded, Lin Shu grabbed a rock and hurled it at the pill.
Yan Qing, bleeding from his hand, caught the rock midair, groaning from the pain. Without another word, he snatched the pill and shoved it into his mouth.
Lin Shu stared, frustrated. His attacks had failed.
Still, he didn't move. He watched closely. If the pill worked, he would stop. If it didn't, he would finish it.
Slowly, he saw the black marks on Yan Qing's back begin to fade. The color returned to his face. The poison was retreating.
"Tch…" Lin Shu clicked his tongue, annoyed. A waste of time.
Yan Qing glared at him but didn't press the fight. He, too, knew they were being hunted. Neither could afford to waste more energy.
They started moving again, side by side but keeping their distance. Lin Shu was noticeably faster and pulled ahead quickly.
"Damn lunatic…" Yan Qing muttered under his breath, nursing his wounds. He couldn't believe Lin Shu had actually tried to kill him while they were both being hunted.
But then again… it's Lin Shu he saw how ruthless and unpredictable that boy is.