Chapter 88: Before Dawn

No one went back to sleep.

The caravan traders moved their bedrolls closer to the wagons and kept their weapons within reach. Upstairs, the tavern guests had gathered in the corridor, asking questions until Su Mei finally convinced them to return to their rooms.

The damaged entrance was a bigger problem. One of the kicks had cracked the wood beside the latch, and although the door still closed, Lin Yuan doubted it would survive another attack. Qiao Ren found a spare board behind the kitchen, and together they dragged it across the inside of the entrance and secured it as well as they could.

The repair was ugly, but Lin Yuan didn’t care. His ribs hurt whenever he bent too far, and his right wrist had begun swelling. Su Mei noticed him favoring the injured arm.

"Sit down."

"I’m fine."

"You’re holding your arm."

Lin Yuan glanced at his wrist. That was difficult to argue with.

He sat at one of the tables while Su Mei wrapped it tightly with clean cloth. Across from him, Qiao Ren had already tied a strip of fabric around his own forearm. The merchant’s cut was shallow, while Lin Yuan’s injuries were mostly bruises, though neither of them looked particularly impressive after Blackstone’s first real fight.

Qiao Ren flexed his fingers before looking toward the entrance.

"They’ll come back."

One of the caravan traders standing near the door overheard him.

"Tonight?"

Qiao Ren glanced at Lin Yuan, who had been wondering the same thing.

The attackers had revealed themselves, and one had even been recognized. Everyone staying in Blackstone now knew that an armed group had tried to raid the settlement. Waiting several days would only give Lin Yuan more time to seek help from the east. If the attackers still wanted something here, returning soon would make sense.

"They might," Lin Yuan said.

The trader frowned. "We’re leaving at first light."

"I would too."

The man gave him a strange look, but Lin Yuan was too tired to pretend otherwise.

"I’m not asking your people to fight for Blackstone. Keep your group together and protect your wagons. If anyone comes toward your camp, shout."

The trader nodded immediately, apparently relieved that he wasn’t being asked to defend the settlement.

That arrangement suited Lin Yuan just fine. He didn’t need heroes. He needed fewer surprises.

After the trader returned to his companions, Lin Yuan checked the receiving plate. No warnings had sounded from the western boundary or the restricted site since the attackers withdrew, but the silence offered little comfort.

Their enemies already knew where the western formation operated and how to use the road without triggering it. They had also discovered that several warnings at once could divide Blackstone’s attention. Worse, they now knew Lin Yuan could be injured.

He rubbed his aching side, remembering how easily the saber wielder had forced him back.

For the next hour, nothing happened. Qiao Ren remained outside near the market while Lin Yuan stayed close to the tavern. The caravan traders kept both fires burning, and nobody complained about wasting fuel. Even the two cultivators upstairs who had spent dinner arguing about ancient ruins had stopped discussing them.

Standing beneath the tavern eaves, Lin Yuan watched the western road. His body wanted rest, but his thoughts kept returning to the fight.

The masked man had been faster and far more experienced. Every time Lin Yuan defended against one strike, another had already been coming. Exchanging blows directly with someone like that was a mistake he couldn’t afford to repeat.

He had survived partly because he managed to force the attackers into a narrower space. The caravan traders waking up had helped too. If another fight came, he would need to use whatever advantages Blackstone offered.

A soft footstep sounded to his left. Xiao Lan stood just inside the damaged doorway, still holding her wooden pole.

"You can put that down."

She glanced at it. "What if they come back?"

Lin Yuan considered the question before nodding.

"Keep it."

Xiao Lan disappeared inside again, apparently satisfied. At least someone was prepared.

A few moments later, Qiao Ren crossed the courtyard.

"Nothing near the market."

"What about your shop?"

"Still there."

"That’s encouraging."

"For now."

Lin Yuan looked toward the dark western boundary.

"You recognize any of them?"

"Not the one I fought."

"The saber man was one of the five."

Qiao Ren’s expression hardened. "So they really were scouting."

"One of them was."

"You think the others were involved?"

"Probably. But I only saw one."

Qiao Ren nodded. Neither of them wanted to treat suspicion as proof, especially when they already had enough problems.

A metallic chime sounded from inside the tavern. Both men turned toward the building as another warning followed, then a third. Three crossings had occurred along the western boundary within only a few breaths.

Qiao Ren reached for his blade, but Lin Yuan remained still.

"Wait."

The warnings stopped. Nothing sounded from the restricted site, and the road remained empty.

"Another distraction?" Qiao Ren asked quietly.

"Maybe."

They continued watching. A minute passed, then another. Several caravan traders had noticed the warnings and were standing beside their wagons, but nobody appeared at the entrance.

Lin Yuan began to feel uneasy. The first attack had used repeated warnings to hide people entering through the permitted road. Trying exactly the same trick again would be obvious.

Unless the attackers expected him to think that.

A sharp crack came from the west.

Unlike the formation’s metallic chime, this sounded like breaking wood. Qiao Ren turned toward the noise, his expression darkening.

"That was one of the posts."

They moved closer to the center of Blackstone rather than rushing toward the boundary. Before they had gone far, another warning rang, but the note cut off halfway through.

Lin Yuan stopped and stared into the darkness. One of the western formation nodes had been damaged.

The formation had never been meant to physically stop intruders. Its purpose was to warn him when someone crossed the monitored boundary. If enough nodes were destroyed, even that advantage would disappear.

Qiao Ren swore quietly.

"They’re breaking it."

"They only need one opening."

Lin Yuan glanced toward the road again, but it was still empty.

Then a shout came from the caravan camp.

"Behind the wagons!"

Two figures emerged from the darkness beyond the far side of the caravan. They appeared to have entered from the west, most likely through the section where the warning had failed.

One of the traders swung his weapon, meeting the first attacker with a loud clash of metal. The second man ignored the fight and rushed past the wagons, heading straight toward the tavern.

Lin Yuan ran after him, ignoring the pain that shot through his ribs.

The intruder carried a spear, giving him greater reach than the weapons used in the previous attack. Fighting him in open ground would be dangerous, especially with Lin Yuan’s injured wrist. Before they met, Lin Yuan changed direction and moved behind one of the empty market stalls.

The spearman followed, thrusting at him as soon as he came within reach. Lin Yuan moved aside, allowing the first attack to miss, but the second struck the stall and punched through a thin wooden board.

While the attacker pulled his weapon free, Lin Yuan circled around the opposite side. Neither rushed forward, and Lin Yuan was content to keep the stall between them.

The spearman shifted left, but Lin Yuan matched his movement, refusing to give him a clear path. Growing impatient, the attacker kicked the wooden structure toward him.

Lin Yuan stepped back as the spear came over the top. He managed to knock the point aside with his artifact, but the impact sent pain through his injured wrist and weakened his grip. The spearman noticed immediately and aimed his next thrust at the same side.

Lin Yuan was forced to retreat. A third attack followed, then a fourth, each one making it harder for him to approach.

The spearman wasn’t as fast as the saber wielder, but his weapon made getting close difficult. Lin Yuan retreated around another market stall, drawing the man after him.

An idea occurred to him. Reaching the next stall, Lin Yuan kicked one of its wooden supports.

Nothing happened.

He stared at it for half a breath. Apparently, he had overestimated how unstable his own market was.

A spear thrust nearly caught him in the chest. Lin Yuan twisted away, but the point tore through his sleeve.

The attacker laughed. "You planned that?"

"No."

There was no reason to lie.

When the spear came again, Lin Yuan grabbed the edge of the stall with his uninjured hand and pulled instead. This time, the old wooden frame tipped toward the attacker, forcing him to jump backward to avoid it.

Lin Yuan seized the opportunity and closed the distance. The spear’s greatest advantage was its reach, but up close, the long shaft became awkward to maneuver.

The attacker tried to drag the weapon across his body, but Lin Yuan struck it aside and drove an elbow into his chest. As the man staggered, another blow caught his shoulder, preventing him from retreating far enough to use the spear properly.

For once, Lin Yuan refused to give his opponent room. He drove a knee into the man’s thigh, shoved him with his shoulder, and struck the spear shaft whenever the attacker tried to bring it around.

It wasn’t elegant, but it worked.

Then the spearman released the weapon with one hand and punched Lin Yuan in the face. His head snapped sideways as light flashed across his vision.

That worked too.

Lin Yuan stumbled, allowing the spearman to regain some distance. Blood filled his mouth where his teeth had cut the inside of his cheek.

Across the courtyard, Qiao Ren had intercepted another attacker near his shop. At the caravan camp, two traders were keeping the first intruder occupied.

That made three attackers inside Blackstone, but the saber wielder was nowhere in sight.

Before Lin Yuan could consider where he might be, the secondary warning sounded from the restricted site.

Once.

Then again.

Lin Yuan’s stomach tightened. Someone was heading north.

The spearman noticed him looking in that direction and smiled. Whoever was leading the attackers was trying to divide Blackstone’s attention again.

Lin Yuan forced himself to focus on the enemy in front of him. He couldn’t defend every part of Blackstone at once, and abandoning the tavern now would leave it exposed again.

The Association had already inspected the restricted site. Whatever lay beneath the ground had remained buried for years and could wait another few minutes.

The people came first.

The spearman attacked again, forcing Lin Yuan behind the fallen stall. He let the spear strike the wood before kicking its shaft sideways, then grabbed it with his good hand as the attacker tried to recover the weapon.

For a moment, they struggled over the spear. The man was stronger, and Lin Yuan could feel himself losing ground.

Rather than continue pulling, he suddenly released his grip. The spearman stumbled backward from the unexpected loss of resistance, giving Lin Yuan the chance to step forward and strike his wrist.

The spear dropped from the man’s hand.

Cursing, the attacker reached for a knife at his waist, but Lin Yuan hit his forearm before he could draw it properly. The knife fell, and a second blow landed against his chest, forcing him back several steps.

Lin Yuan was breathing hard now. His injured wrist throbbed, and his ribs burned whenever he drew too deep a breath. But the spearman had stopped smiling.

They faced each other across two paces of dirt, neither willing to make the next move.

Then a familiar voice came from the road.

"Enough."

Lin Yuan didn’t need to turn to recognize it.

The saber wielder had returned.

He stood just beyond the market with his face covered again. A few steps behind him was the club wielder from the earlier attack.

Five attackers were now visible inside Blackstone or near its entrance, and there might still be someone at the restricted site.

Qiao Ren began backing toward Lin Yuan with his short blade raised. The man he had been fighting didn’t follow immediately. Near the wagons, the traders also pulled back, keeping their weapons ready.

Neither side had won. The fighting had simply come to a halt.

The saber wielder surveyed Blackstone, taking in the damaged warning line, the overturned market stall, and the armed traders gathered near their wagons. Finally, his gaze settled on Lin Yuan.

"You should have taken the warning."

Lin Yuan wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You already gave me one."

The man drew his saber.

"This is the last one."

Lin Yuan tightened his grip on his artifact. Behind him, the tavern remained closed, while Qiao Ren moved into position on his left. The caravan traders stayed close to their wagons, unwilling to abandon their goods but no longer ignoring the danger.

The saber wielder took a step forward.

Before anyone attacked, another chime came from the restricted site’s secondary plate, followed by a shout from the darkness to the north.

"Over here!"

Every attacker in the courtyard reacted. The saber wielder turned his head slightly, and Lin Yuan caught the movement.

Neither the tavern nor Qiao Ren’s shop had drawn such an immediate reaction from the group. But one shout from the north had caught their attention.

"Go!" the saber wielder ordered.

Two attackers broke away and ran toward the restricted site. Qiao Ren glanced at Lin Yuan, who was already moving to intercept them.

The saber wielder stepped into his path.

Their weapons collided, sending another burst of pain through Lin Yuan’s swollen wrist. He gritted his teeth and held his ground as the masked man leaned closer.

"You’re not going anywhere."

Beyond them, two figures disappeared toward the restricted site. Lin Yuan could do nothing about them while the saber wielder blocked his path.

His wrist throbbed, and every deep breath sent pain through his ribs. Worse, the man standing before him was the same opponent he had struggled against during the first attack.

The saber shifted in the masked man’s hand.

This time, neither of them backed away.