Chapter 24: Sweeping Away the Shadows, Sheathing the Blade at Dawn

As the five men led by the Vulture approached Su Yi, a sudden wind swept across the riverbank. At Su Yi’s feet, tiny grains of sand began to float weightlessly, lifted by the gusts, and this phenomenon persisted until it reached the Vulture and his men, finally making them aware that something was amiss.

A wild gale arose!

The furious wind howled in their ears, as if the gods themselves were roaring in rage. For a fleeting moment, the Vulture felt as though he had returned to the open sea, powerless against the wrath of the crashing waves. The violent wind wrinkled their faces and brought their advance to a halt. Then, a barrage of sand struck them with unrelenting force!

There was simply too much sand, so much that under the dim night sky, it blotted out all vision, leaving the Vulture and his men both blind and deaf.

Su Yi was a bit surprised; the power of his “Dancing Sand and Flying Stones” technique seemed to have grown significantly since he last used it. He did not linger on this thought, however, but seized the perfect opportunity the sandstorm afforded and charged forward.

His sharp blade drew a flawless arc in the air. The Vulture’s hands were severed at the wrists in a single stroke. In a flash, Su Yi leapt aside, his right leg exploding with force as he stomped on the man’s ribs. The Vulture felt as though countless bones shattered under the blow, and he was sent flying sideways like a ragdoll.

Using the momentum from the recoil, Su Yi targeted the next most dangerous bandit. With an upward flick of his long blade, he sent the enemy’s broadsword spinning away. Changing his angle, the blade’s edge swept up from the man’s right hip to his shoulder in a diagonal slash, instantly painting a crimson line that burst into a spray of blood.

Su Yi showed no mercy, pressing the attack while his sandstorm technique still raged. In a single bound, he caught up with the retreating foe and unleashed a punch. Already gravely wounded, the bandit could not withstand Su Yi’s overwhelming strength; his finger joints snapped one by one, his entire arm twisting at an unnatural angle, rendered useless for combat.

The outcome was now certain. Su Yi rushed at the remaining three opponents. His “Dancing Sand and Flying Stones” technique, now greatly enhanced, also demanded much more energy, so with a thought, he dispelled the gale.

After such a bewildering sandstorm, the three were all but broken in spirit. Within three moves, Su Yi defeated them one by one.

Employing the “Whale Devourer Method,” Su Yi slew the trio and absorbed their inner energy. He then caught up with another bandit whose arm he had previously crippled. The man fled, trailing blood, but Su Yi drove his palm into the fugitive’s back. Surging true energy shattered all defenses, ravenous as a starved beast, stripping the bandit of his lifetime of cultivation before ending his life in terror and despair.

After slaying the bandit who had been reduced to a wretched state, Su Yi strode step by step to stand before the Vulture. The man could not stand, his ribs shattered. Su Yi gazed down with icy, murderous intent.

“Are you even human?” the Vulture demanded, still defiant even as death loomed, though now his eyes were clouded with confusion. Su Yi did not answer; instead, he drew a blade across the man’s skin.

One cut, two cuts, three, four, five, six...

With each slice, the Vulture’s expression changed—from defiance and disdain to terror and agony, his face twisting in pain.

As the Vulture’s mind began to fade, Su Yi finally crouched and pressed a palm to the man’s forehead.

As he absorbed the last remnants of energy, the man’s dying body convulsed. His eyes widened, clarity returning for a brief moment, and with his final breath, he whispered, “Origin... Demon...”

At last, he went to meet his fate.

Su Yi returned to the carriage and freed the two girls from the sacks. As soon as they were safe, they collapsed into each other’s arms, weeping uncontrollably.

“My lady!” “Xiaoyu!”

“Poor Young Master Mingcheng!” “And Uncle Fu, and Brother Yuan!”

...

Su Yi stood quietly nearby, letting them release their grief. They were, after all, two sheltered girls, and the terror they had endured was unimaginable.

After a time, their sobbing subsided. They composed themselves and came forward to thank him.

They bowed deeply, kneeling before him.

“I am Lu Xiangling, and this is my maid Lin Yu. We owe you our lives. Your great kindness will never be forgotten. We swear to repay you with all we have.”

“Get up, there’s no need for this,” Su Yi sighed, deciding to learn more before departing.

After some conversation, Su Yi learned that the two hailed from Shanzhou in the north. Lu Xiangling’s parents had both died of illness, leaving her and her maid alone and forced to seek refuge with an aunt in Yuanyang. But along the way, their boat was attacked by bandits. Loyal servants who had accompanied them for years were killed, and even her young brother did not survive.

Su Yi pondered. According to his knowledge of this world’s geography, Yuanyang was still some three hundred li from Jiangting. For two young women to travel alone was fraught with dangers yet unknown. Having rescued them from the jaws of death, he decided he might as well see the good deed through and help them as best he could.

Having made up his mind, Su Yi instructed them to tidy up. Lin Yu, the maid, was able to drive, so she took charge of the bandits’ abandoned carriage. Su Yi gave them directions to Zhou Kuian’s residence and advised them on what to watch out for along the way.

Fortunately, Jiangting City did not enforce a curfew, and every district was patrolled for basic security. The route to Zhou Kuian’s home was along broad, well-traveled roads, so the two girls would likely encounter little trouble.

They were sensible enough to bury Lu Xiangling’s young brother, which brought another bout of tears.

Su Yi also disposed of the bandits’ bodies to avoid future complications.

He bid them farewell.

The long night was not yet over; how could he sheath his blade so soon?

He was not of this world, and though he could not right every wrong, he wished only to remain true to himself, at least for tonight.

--------------------------------------

Dawn’s light crept over the city, which was about to awaken.

At the Guanglong Inn, Su Yi returned to his room.

He did not bring his sword back. After a night of relentless battle, the blade he had taken from the bandits was nicked and notched, on the verge of breaking, and stained with the blood of many foes. On his way back, he passed a pond and cast the ruined weapon into its depths.

He had not slept all night, fighting until now when he could finally rest, yet both body and spirit were utterly exhausted. Still, within him, his true energy surged like the tide—hundreds of different inner forces rampaged through his meridians, making them ache with strain.

The sea accepts a hundred rivers, and so attains its vastness.

Having fully mastered the essence of the “Whale Devourer Method,” Su Yi knew that a breakthrough was near. This opportunity could not be missed. Forcing himself to focus, he sat cross-legged on his bed and began to cultivate.

The third stage of the “Whale Devourer Method”—breakthrough!