At Elder Yan's words, Shen Haoran went to the window, opened a small crack, and looked down. He saw that the taverns, teahouses, and even the brothels next to the inn were filled with Martial Artists. These Martial Artists appeared to be drinking, sipping tea, and flirting with women, but their eyes kept darting toward Shen Haoran's room. Shen Haoran was certain that at the slightest sign of movement from his room, these Martial Artists would immediately grab their weapons and charge up!
Seeing this, Shen Haoran's brow furrowed. The joy of having just obtained the Soul-devouring Sword was instantly washed away. Although these Martial Artists were not very strong—Shen Haoran could take on ten of them at once—his opponents had the advantage in numbers. After all, no matter how strong a tiger is, it can't defeat a pack of jackals. Besides, who among those who frequented the Profound Spirit Mountain Range wasn't a desperate fugitive?
"Why don't they just come straight up?" Shen Haoran asked in confusion, watching the Martial Artists loitering around the inn.
"You think they haven't tried? But under the protection of that golden light from the Sealing Spirit Pearl, they lost quite a few men and still couldn't break in. That's why they've been standing guard outside the inn," Elder Yan said.
"But now that you're awake, that protective barrier should have disappeared. I imagine it won't be long before someone comes looking for you!" Elder Yan stroked his beard and reminded him.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK…
Hardly had Elder Yan finished speaking when a series of knocks sounded from outside the door.
"Friend in there, would you come out for a chat?" someone said from outside.
Hearing the voice, Elder Yan looked at Shen Haoran and said, "Whoever this is, they don't come in peace!"
"You think I need you to tell me that?!" Shen Haoran shot Elder Yan a glare, then asked, "What should I do?"
"Don't ask me. Starting now, the second phase of your Cultivation officially begins. Your first task is to escape this town. Aside from providing you with some useful information, I will not give you any substantial help, and that includes the Taotie! Everything is up to you. Good luck!" Elder Yan said.
"You can't be serious, Elder Yan! All those Martial Artists are eyeing me like tigers stalking their prey, and you want me to escape on my own? That's a bit difficult!" Shen Haoran said with a pained expression.
"If you can't even handle a small matter like this, what right do you have to be my disciple? What right do you have to save your parents? You should know that the experts in the Murong Clan are far more numerous than the ones in this town. What will you do then?" Elder Yan rebuked him sternly.
At Elder Yan's rebuke, Shen Haoran's face flushed red. He lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry, Elder Yan. I was wrong." 'It's true. Without a fearless heart, how could I ever hope to save my parents? How could I ever climb to the peak of Martial Arts!'
"Hmph. It's not too late to realize your mistake. Go open the door. Your Cultivation officially begins now!" After speaking, Elder Yan's figure slowly faded away, returning to the Sealing Spirit Pearl to rest.
Seeing that Elder Yan could enter and exit the Sealing Spirit Pearl so freely, the Gluttonous Little Beast's eyelid couldn't help but twitch. Then, under Shen Haoran's rough handling, it too was stuffed back into the Sword Spirit Space.
Just as Shen Haoran sent the Gluttonous Little Beast away, the voice from outside rang out again, "Friend, if you don't come out, we're going to have to force our way in!"
Hearing the voice, Shen Haoran composed himself, walked to the door, and opened it.
As soon as the door swung open, Shen Haoran saw six or seven burly men in black robes standing in the doorway. Their attire was uniform, and a blood-red skull was painted on their chests. They seemed to belong to an organization.
The moment the door opened, the men tightened their grip on their weapons, ready to respond to any sudden moves. 'They're well-trained!' However, when they saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth emerge from the room, they were all stunned.
But these men had seen their share of the world and quickly recovered. The black-robed man in the lead said, "Young man, are you the only one in the room?"
"That's right, just me. Is there a problem?" Shen Haoran said indifferently.
"Oh, no. It's like this. I am Xiang Tian, the Third Captain of the Blood Skull Mercenary Corps. Our Captain would like to invite you to be a guest at our headquarters. I wonder if that would be convenient for you?" Xiang Tian said, cupping his fist.
"I don't have time!" Shen Haoran replied coldly and turned to leave.
But Xiang Tian took a single, large step, blocking Shen Haoran's path. The six black-robed men behind him moved to block the other exits. Xiang Tian looked at Shen Haoran with a slight smile and said, "Please wait, young man. Our Captain insisted that we bring you back, so please, do us this favor!"
"And if I don't?" Shen Haoran said in a low voice.
"Then we'll just have to break your arms and legs and carry you back!"
"Are you threatening me?" Shen Haoran said coldly.
Xiang Tian looked at Shen Haoran but didn't answer. He simply offered a slight smile, which was as good as an admission.
Shen Haoran glanced at Xiang Tian, then at the six black-robed men behind him, and his heart sank. Elder Yan had just told him that Xiang Tian had the Cultivation of a Tier Seven Spiritualist. With him and six burly men at Spirit Tempering Tier Six, escaping would come at a high price. But even if he managed to escape from Xiang Tian, there were still countless Martial Artists blocking the way outside the inn. If he got injured, his life would truly end here.
'Forget it. I'll just take it one step at a time,' Shen Haoran thought to himself. Then, he said to Xiang Tian, "Lead the way!"
Hearing Shen Haoran agree, the smile on Xiang Tian's face grew wider. He extended his palm in a gesture of invitation and said, "This way, young man."
Shen Haoran snorted coldly and walked forward. Xiang Tian and the six members of Blood Skull immediately followed.
When they stepped out of the inn, the Martial Artists lining the road and filling the taverns and teahouses all swarmed out, surrounding them. Seeing such a large crowd, Shen Haoran was startled.
At that moment, Xiang Tian stepped forward, looked at the horde of Martial Artists, and said in a cold voice, "Everyone, this young man is an honored guest of my Blood Skull. If anyone dares to get any ideas about him, don't blame Blood Skull for being ruthless!"
Upon hearing "Blood Skull Mercenary Corps," everyone's brows furrowed. Blood Skull was the strongest Mercenary Corps in the region. It was said that anyone who opposed them would be flayed of all their flesh, leaving only a blood-soaked skeleton to be hung on the main street. It was an exceptionally cruel fate.
Seeing that everyone was intimidated by Blood Skull's reputation, Shen Haoran felt a wave of relief. 'I was lucky I chose to go with Xiang Tian. Otherwise, the moment I stepped out of the inn, I probably would've been torn to pieces by this mob! Though, following Xiang Tian might be even more dangerous!'
However, in the face of a treasure's immense temptation, there were still those unafraid of death.
A skinny Martial Artist stepped before the crowd and said, "Treasures of heaven and earth are meant to be shared by all who see them. Don't tell me you Blood Skulls plan to monopolize that kid's prize?"
Hearing this, Xiang Tian walked up to the skinny Martial Artist and said with a smile, "You're the first person to dare speak to Blood Skull like that!"
"Hmph, Blood Skull ain't shit. I—"
SHING!
Before the skinny Martial Artist could finish, a flash of Sword Light streaked past. His head flew high into the air, and he was decapitated in an instant.
After slaying the man with a single strike, Xiang Tian took a handkerchief from his robes, wiped the blood from his Sharp Sword, and said to the crowd, "Anyone else object?"
Seeing Xiang Tian take a life without a second thought, even these desperate fugitives felt a chill of fear. No one dared to voice any more objections.
Looking at the silent crowd, Xiang Tian nodded, then turned to Shen Haoran and the others. "Let's go!"
Shen Haoran was escorted in the middle of the six Blood Skull members as they headed toward the Mercenary Corps' headquarters. He smiled bitterly to himself. 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire!'