Suddenly, he stopped.
Through the leaves of a Camellia bush, he saw a courtyard. It was a private garden for the female relatives of the branch families.
Standing by a pond was a young woman. She wore a simple pink robe that clung to her figure. Her hair was disheveled, falling over her shoulders in a way that Jin Hao found instantly appealing. She was weeping softly, her hands clutching a handkerchief.
Jin Hao paused. His eyes roved over her. She wasn't Su Lian but she was... vulnerable.
A damsel in distress, his mind supplied the trope. The hero saves her, and she falls into his arms. Maybe I can take her with me. A protagonist needs a companion on the road.
His lust spiked. He imagined grabbing her, the feel of her skin, the gratitude in her eyes. He took a step toward the clearing, his danger forgotten for a split second.
"Hey there," he whispered, preparing to step out and reveal his 'heroic' self.
[Alert: High-Level Threat approaching from East. Range: 20 meters. Resonance Talisman active. Host is strongly advised to terminate reproductive instincts and initiate rapid relocation.]
The System's voice cut through his fantasy like a knife.
Jin Hao flinched. "Right. Running. Running is good."
He pulled back into the bushes just as a group of guards burst into the garden.
"You there! Girl!" the lead guard shouted. "Stand still! Scan her!"
Jin Hao turned and sprinted, his heart hammering. He had almost thrown it all away for a pretty face. Stupid, he chided himself. Get the power first. Then get the women. That's the order.
He reached the eastern perimeter. The outer wall loomed above him, thirty feet of white stone. Shimmering waves of golden light rippled across its surface, it was the defensive formation.
"System," he panted, hiding behind a stack of firewood. "How do I get out? Can I devour the wall?"
[Scanning... Barrier density is high. Devouring the formation node is possible, but will trigger an immediate location alert to the controller. Host will have approximately 30 seconds before interception.]
"Thirty seconds," Jin Hao muttered. "I can run a lot in thirty seconds."
"HEY! YOU THERE!"
The shout came from behind him.
Jin Hao froze. He turned slowly.
Standing at the entrance to the alleyway was a Guard Captain. He was holding a heavy spear. On his other hand, a yellow talisman was glowing.
Not just glowing. It was pulsing a deep crimson.
The Captain stared at the talisman, then at Jin Hao. His eyes went wide.
"It's red," the Captain whispered, disbelief coloring his voice. "It's... it's him."
He looked at Jin Hao, taking in the cheap robes and the messy hair. "The trash from the branch family? You?"
Jin Hao straightened up. There was no point in hiding now.
"Trash?" Jin Hao said, a dangerous smirk touching his lips. He let his aura flare. The suppressed energy of the Late Stage Foundation Establishment exploded outward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The Captain staggered back, his spear wavering. "Foundation Establishment? Late Stage?! But... the registry says you are Third Layer Qi Condensation!"
"The registry is outdated," Jin Hao said. "Just like you."
"IT'S HIM!" the Captain screamed, his voice booming over the walls. "I FOUND HIM! SECTOR 4! THE THIEF IS JIN HAO!"
"Oh, shut up," Jin Hao growled.
He lunged. He didn't know any martial arts. He didn't have a technique. He just pushed off the ground with all the strength in his stolen muscles.
He closed the distance in a blink. The Captain tried to bring his spear up, but he was too slow. Jin Hao was fighting with stats not with skill.
Jin Hao threw a punch. It was clumsy that telegraphed its intent a mile away. But it was backed by the weight of a Late Stage cultivator.
His fist connected with the Captain's breastplate.
CRUNCH.
The metal caved in like wet parchment. The Captain was launched backward, flying through the air like a ragdoll. He smashed into the wall of a nearby building, embedding himself in the brickwork, then slid down, unmoving.
Jin Hao looked at his fist. It was throbbing.
"Weak," he scoffed. "Is that the best the elite guard has?"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The alarm bells changed their rhythm. They were faster now.
"THERE HE IS!"
"SURROUND HIM!"
"DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!"
Voices erupted from every direction. Footsteps thundered on the roofs. Jin Hao looked up. Dozens of figures were leaping across the tiles, converging on his location.
"System!" Jin Hao yelled. "The wall! Now!"
[Targeting Formulation Node B-7.]
A blue guiding line appeared in Jin Hao's vision, pointing to a specific stone in the base of the wall, slightly discolored compared to the others.
Jin Hao turned and ran at the wall.
"Stop him!" a voice roared from the roof. A bolt of fire shot down, scorching the ground inches from Jin Hao's heels.
"Missed me!" Jin Hao cackled, adrenaline making him manic.
He reached the wall. He drew back his fist, channeling every drop of Qi he could muster.
"OPEN SESAME!"
He punched the node.
But as his fist connected, he also screamed in his mind: Devour!
The Treasure Devourer System latched onto the spiritual structure of the formation node and ripped it apart. The energy was violently destabilized.
BOOOOM!
The section of the wall exploded outward. Stone shrapnel sprayed into the street outside. The golden shimmer of the barrier flickered and died in a ten meter radius.
Jin Hao leaped through the hole, tumbling onto the dirt road outside the estate.
He scrambled to his feet, coughing. He was out. He was free.
"After him!"
"The Patriarch is coming! Hold him!"
Jin Hao looked back. Guards were pouring through the breach.
"Catch me if you can, losers!" he shouted, giving them a rude gesture.
He turned and ran. He ran into the labyrinthine streets of Clearwater City, his speed blurring his figure. He knew he had to put distance between himself and the Jin Family to escape.
He wove through the morning market, knocking over fruit stalls and sending chickens scattering. He leaped over carts. He ducked under washing lines.
"System! Hide my trail! Mask my aura!"
[Cultivation Concealment engaged. Suppressing energy signature.]
He kept running until his lungs burned and his legs felt like lead. He reached the slums near the river where the smells were foul enough to mask any scent.
He ducked into an abandoned shack and collapsed against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting in the dirt.
He gasped for air, his chest heaving. He was covered in sweat. He was a fugitive. His family would hunt him. The entire city would be looking for him.
But then, a laugh started in his chest. It bubbled up, shaky at first, then growing louder.
He held up his hand. A small ball of blue flame ignited in his palm, that was a simple trick, but one he couldn't do yesterday.
"I did it," he whispered. "I stole their foundation. I broke their wall. And I walked away."
He looked back in the direction of the Jin Estate. He could see smoke rising into the sky.
"You called me trash," he said, his voice hardening into steel. "You put me in the stable. You greedy bastards. This is just the beginning."
He clenched his fist, extinguishing the flame.
"Patriarch Jin Bolin," he murmured, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You think you rule this family? You're about to find out who the true master of wealth is."
He closed his eyes, resting his head against the rotting wood of the shack.
"System," he murmured. "Find me a place to sleep. Somewhere with no rats."
[Scanning...]
Jin Hao smirked. He was homeless. He was hunted. But he had never felt more like the main character.