The afterglow of the setting sun thickened the stench of blood. Three cold corpses lay sprawled on the ground, dark red blood seeping into the withered grass, exuding a nauseating reek.
Lin Chen stood with his back to the carnage, his one‑armed figure sharp and solitary like a blade against the dying light. The killing intent around him had not yet fully dissipated; his cold aura was tangible, lingering a few feet around him and chilling the air to the bone.
Behind him, the young girl he had saved slowly rose to her feet.
She brushed the dust off her clothes. The tears on her face had long dried, replaced by an eerie calm that belied her age. The eyes that had just brimmed with terror and hope now shed all pretense, leaving only cold calculation and indifference—as if the slaughter she had witnessed and her father's tragic death were nothing more than a meaningless farce.
She walked toward Lin Chen step by step, her steps light and silent, like a venomous snake creeping in the dark, closing in on its prey without a sound.
Lin Chen did not turn around.
Having survived the fall of the Canglan Academy and the loss of his arm, he was already wary of everything around him. Yet he never imagined that the helpless girl he had just saved would be the fangs hidden in the dark.
"Thank you for saving me, sir."
The girl's voice was still soft, with just the right amount of gratitude and timidity, no different from the trembling girl moments ago. She stopped three steps away from Lin Chen, bowed slightly, her long lashes lowered to hide the dark malice in her eyes, appearing gentle and respectful.
Lin Chen let out a faint hum, his voice hoarse with exhaustion from surviving the ordeal. He wanted nothing more than to leave this place of trouble and heal his wounds.
Seeing that he was not on guard, a flash of cold light flickered in the girl's eyes.
She slowly lifted her head, a weak smile on her face. Her right hand casually stroked her chest, but her fingers quietly clenched a tiny dagger hidden in her sleeve, its blade glinting with a faint blue light. The dagger was barely an inch long, its edge slender—clearly poisoned.
"You killed these villains to save me, sir. I have nothing to repay you with."
The girl's voice grew softer as she stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them. Her gaze fell on Lin Chen's empty left shoulder, and a faint, mocking curve tugged at her lips, too quick to catch.
"Except… to repay you with my life."
In the instant the last word fell, all weakness shattered in the girl's eyes!
Without warning, she suddenly twisted sideways. Her right arm shot out like a viper striking, the dagger in her sleeve flaring with cold light. It sliced through the air with a sharp hiss, stabbing straight for Lin Chen's back!
Fast, ruthless, and precise—no hesitation, no delay. She had planned this all along.
Lin Chen's pupils constricted violently!
A deadly sense of crisis swept over him, far more dangerous than facing the three black‑robed cultivators earlier. He instinctively channeled his true essence and darted sideways, trying to dodge the fatal strike.
But he had just fought a life‑or‑death battle. The pain in his severed arm lingered, his true essence was nearly exhausted, and his movements were just a fraction too slow.
Pfft!
The icy dagger, piercing cold, sank deep into Lin Chen's chest!
The sharp blade easily tore through his clothes and flesh, burying itself into his body, inches from his heart!
Agony exploded through him. Lin Chen froze, then spun around sharply.
He looked down at the dagger protruding from his chest. Dark blue poison spread rapidly along the blade, staining the surrounding flesh an eerie blue‑black. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking his robes.
He lifted his gaze to the girl before him.
Gone was any trace of weakness or fear.
The girl stood there, her right hand still in the stabbing motion, a cold, cruel smile on her face. Her eyes were pitch‑black, devoid of warmth—only triumphant pleasure and unbridled malice, like a poisoned blade piercing straight into Lin Chen's soul.
"Why?"
Lin Chen's voice was low and hoarse. The searing pain in his chest disrupted his breathing, his true essence raging chaotically inside him as he fought to suppress the spreading poison. He stared at the girl, his eyes filled with cold disbelief.
He could accept the law of the jungle. He could face his enemies' killing intent. But he could not accept that the girl he had saved out of kindness would turn around and strike him down.
The girl slowly pulled the dagger free. Blood dripped from the tip, splattering tiny spots on the ground. She licked her lips, her movements eerily cruel, her voice icy and sharp, no longer soft:
"Why?"
She let out a sharp, mocking laugh, like an owl's shriek in the night.
"Lin Chen, survivor of the Canglan Academy. Did you really think I was some helpless weakling? Did you really think my father was an innocent traveler?"
The girl stepped back, putting distance between herself and Lin Chen, her sneer growing colder. "You killed my men, ruined my plan, and thought you could leave unharmed? If I didn't strike first, once you recover, I'd be the one dead."
"As for gratitude?"
She scoffed, her eyes filled with contempt, as if staring at a ridiculous joke. "In this world, gratitude is the most useless thing. Only strength matters. Only staying alive matters. Saving me was just your stupidity. Killing you is how I survive."
As her voice fell, the girl flipped her wrist. The dagger spun between her fingers, its faint blue light glinting in the dying sun, radiating deadly danger.
She watched Lin Chen's pale face, the blood pouring from his chest, no pity in her eyes—only cold resolve.
"Die peacefully, survivor of Canglan. You were meant to die. Your life will buy me wealth and glory."