Chapter 91: When Patience Breaks

The next attack came with more force than precision. Lin Yuan barely blocked it, but the difference was becoming obvious.

Earlier, the saber wielder had fought patiently, controlling distance and waiting for openings. Now he seemed determined to end the fight through sheer force.

Lin Yuan had spent much of the night making mistakes because he lacked experience. He was beginning to suspect that experience could create its own mistakes when pride became involved.

The saber came high, forcing him to duck. A second cut swept low, and Lin Yuan stepped over it so awkwardly that he nearly tripped.

The masked man pressed forward, driving him toward one of the western formation posts.

Unlike the damaged warning node farther along the boundary, this one remained intact. Faint carved markings ran along its surface, though most of the exposed support was ordinary wood.

The formation itself couldn’t stop either of them. Its purpose was to warn of intruders, not defend against attacks.

But Lin Yuan knew exactly where the post stood.

He moved around it, forcing the masked cultivator to adjust his approach. The man followed, apparently unconcerned by the wooden obstacle.

Another saber strike came, and Lin Yuan shifted aside, placing the post briefly between them.

The blade struck its unmarked wooden edge.

A sharp crack sounded as the saber bit into the support, missing the carved markings but becoming lodged deeply enough to interrupt the attack.

The masked man pulled at his weapon.

For an instant, it refused to move.

Lin Yuan seized the opportunity.

His artifact struck the man’s left wrist. Before the saber wielder could fully recover, Lin Yuan followed with another blow to the same forearm.

The saber came free of the wood, but the masked man’s grip had already weakened. His fingers opened, and the weapon fell into the dirt.

Both men looked down, then moved at the same time.

The saber wielder struck Lin Yuan’s wounded shoulder with his free hand, sending a burst of pain through his body. Lin Yuan managed to land a blow against the man’s chest, but neither went down.

The saber remained between them.

When the masked cultivator tried to kick it toward himself, Lin Yuan stepped onto the flat of the blade. His opponent’s foot struck his ankle instead, nearly making him lose his balance.

Lin Yuan recovered just enough to bring his artifact down. The man raised both arms and caught the strike against his forearm guards, but the impact forced him lower.

Lin Yuan pressed down with what little strength remained in his left arm. His right hand was nearly useless, and he couldn’t afford to let the weapon slip away again.

For several breaths, neither moved.

Then the masked man smiled.

"You really think taking my saber will make me surrender?"

Lin Yuan’s arm trembled.

"No. You’ve made it fairly clear that you don’t know when to stop."

He glanced toward the weapon beneath his foot.

"But I can make things more inconvenient for you."

Before the man could understand his intention, Lin Yuan kicked the saber away.

The weapon slid across the dirt, traveling several paces before dropping over the shallow edge of a drainage rut beside the road. It disappeared into the darkness below.

The masked cultivator stared after it.

Lin Yuan had never seen someone look so offended by a kick. Under different circumstances, he might have enjoyed the expression.

Unfortunately, his entire body hurt too much.

The masked man shoved him backward and immediately attacked with his fists.

Apparently, he didn’t need a saber to be dangerous.

A fist struck Lin Yuan’s guard, followed by another blow to his ribs. He twisted away from the next attack, but his opponent stepped closer and drove an elbow toward his face.

Lin Yuan raised his artifact.

The man stopped before bringing his arm into its edge.

For the first time, he hesitated.

Lin Yuan took advantage of the opening and kicked him in the stomach, forcing him back several steps.

The masked cultivator recovered his balance but didn’t immediately attack again. Both men stood facing each other, breathing heavily.

Blood stained Lin Yuan’s shoulder, and his swollen right hand could barely close. Across from him, the saber wielder’s injured forearm hung lower than before, while one side of his robe had darkened with blood.

Neither looked capable of enduring another long fight.

The difference was that Lin Yuan still had a weapon.

The masked man glanced toward the drainage rut.

"You got lucky."

Lin Yuan considered arguing, then decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

"Several times, actually."

His opponent’s expression darkened.

"You think this is amusing?"

"Not particularly. I’d rather have spent tonight sleeping."

The masked cultivator took another step forward, but this time he slowed before entering the artifact’s reach.

Lin Yuan noticed the hesitation. For most of the night, he had been the one forced to approach cautiously. Now his opponent was considering the danger before closing the distance.

It was a welcome change.

Before either moved again, a familiar voice called from behind them.

"Lin Yuan!"

Qiao Ren.

Lin Yuan kept his eyes on the masked man, but his opponent instinctively glanced toward the voice.

Only for a moment.

Lin Yuan didn’t waste it.

He stepped forward, extending his artifact toward the man’s throat. By the time the masked cultivator looked back, the weapon’s edge was already waiting for him.

Lin Yuan stopped just short of touching his skin.

The man froze.

His left arm trembled from exhaustion, and he could only hope his opponent hadn’t noticed.

Qiao Ren approached from behind, stopping several paces away.

"The others have left Blackstone. I checked the market before coming after you."

The masked cultivator kept his eyes on Lin Yuan.

"All of them?" Lin Yuan asked.

"As far as I could tell. The caravan traders are still guarding their wagons, and nobody has gone near the restricted site again."

Lin Yuan felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. The raid had ended everywhere except here.

He kept his artifact raised.

"Your men have already withdrawn. There’s nothing left for you to gain by fighting us tonight."

The masked cultivator stared at him.

"You think you’ve won?"

Lin Yuan glanced at his torn clothing, the blood soaking his shoulder, and his swollen wrist. Then he looked toward the distant tavern.

"No."

The man frowned.

Lin Yuan met his gaze again.

"I think you failed."

The masked cultivator’s jaw tightened.

For several breaths, neither moved. Lin Yuan half expected another desperate attack, though he sincerely hoped the man wouldn’t try it. His left arm was beginning to feel like it belonged to someone else.

Finally, the masked cultivator stepped backward.

Lin Yuan allowed him to create some distance, keeping his artifact ready until the man was no longer within easy striking range. Qiao Ren adjusted his grip on his blade but made no attempt to interfere.

The masked man glanced toward the western road. Lin Yuan shifted aside, making it clear that he wouldn’t block a retreat.

Near the edge of the road, the man stopped.

"You have no idea what you’re sitting on."

Lin Yuan glanced toward the restricted site.

"You’re right. The Association hasn’t exactly been eager to explain it."

The answer seemed to surprise the man.

"You really don’t know what they found beneath this place?"

"Not enough to understand why you’re willing to risk your life for it."

The masked cultivator studied him for several moments, then gave a quiet laugh.

There was no humor in it.

"Then perhaps you should start asking better questions."

With that, he turned and walked west.

Qiao Ren watched the man disappear farther down the road before speaking.

"Should we follow him? We might find out where the others went."

Lin Yuan slowly lowered his artifact. His exhausted left arm immediately sagged.

"I can barely hold this thing. If we follow him into the wasteland and he turns around, what do you expect me to fight with?"

Qiao Ren looked at his swollen wrist and bloodstained shoulder.

"Fair point. He might still come back, though."

"He probably will. But he knows the wasteland better than we do, and he could have people waiting farther out. I’m not interested in discovering that while I’m in this condition."

Qiao Ren nodded.

"Those are better reasons than I was expecting."

They waited until the masked figure had completely disappeared into the darkness. Only then did Lin Yuan turn toward the drainage rut.

Qiao Ren followed his gaze.

"Don’t tell me you’re looking for his saber."

"I’d rather find it now than leave it here for him to collect later."

"You’re barely standing, and you’re worried about his weapon?"

"If he comes back tomorrow, I’d prefer he didn’t pick it up on the way."

Qiao Ren considered that before shaking his head.

"Move aside. I’ll look for it. You’ve done enough fighting for one night."

Lin Yuan stepped back without arguing.

Qiao Ren crouched beside the rut and began searching among the loose stones. After a short while, he found the saber caught between two rocks.

He picked it up carefully, testing its weight before examining the blade.

"This isn’t something an ordinary traveler could afford. Whoever that man is, he doesn’t seem short of spirit stones."

"Then he’s fortunate he didn’t leave with nothing," Lin Yuan replied. "He still has his life."

Qiao Ren gave him a sideways look.

"You sound surprisingly pleased with yourself for someone who nearly got killed."

"I threw dirt in his face, kicked his weapon into a ditch, and somehow convinced him to leave. Considering how the night started, I’m willing to call that progress."

Qiao Ren laughed quietly.

"You really don’t care how you win, do you?"

"Would you prefer I lost politely?"

"No. I suppose not."

Qiao Ren looked at the saber again.

"What should we do with this?"

"Keep it for now. The Association might want to see it when we report what happened."

"Or we could sell it."

Lin Yuan considered the suggestion. After everything Blackstone had suffered tonight, the thought was tempting.

"Let’s hear what the Association has to say first."

Qiao Ren nodded and carried the weapon with him.

They started toward Blackstone, but Lin Yuan had taken only a few steps when his legs suddenly felt strangely light. He slowed, trying to steady himself, and Qiao Ren reached out to catch his shoulder.

Unfortunately, it was the injured one.

Lin Yuan hissed, and Qiao Ren released him at once.

"Sorry. I forgot about that shoulder."

"You picked the worst possible place."

"Would you rather I let you fall?"

Lin Yuan considered the question.

"Next time, try the other side."

Qiao Ren moved to support him beneath his uninjured arm.

"Better?"

"Much."

They continued slowly until the dizziness passed.

The tavern lights looked much farther away than they had a few minutes earlier. Lin Yuan had spent the night defending Blackstone, yet the settlement seemed determined to make the journey home as difficult as possible.

As they approached, the damage became increasingly obvious.

The tavern entrance had been battered, one western formation node was broken, and several market stalls had been overturned or damaged during the fighting. Another post bore a fresh saber mark, though its formation markings appeared intact.

The restricted site had also been disturbed again.

Lin Yuan stared at the settlement for a while.

All he had wanted was a quiet tavern and a steady income. Instead, he had spent the night fighting masked cultivators while strangers tried to dig up something beneath Blackstone.

There would be reports to send, questions to answer, and repairs that would probably cost more than he wanted to know.

Qiao Ren followed his gaze across the damaged market.

"We’ll have to inspect everything properly in the morning. Some of those stalls might need to be rebuilt."

"I know."

"And the western warning formation needs repairing before another group tries the same trick."

"I know that too."

Qiao Ren glanced at him.

"You’re unusually agreeable."

Lin Yuan shifted his weight, immediately regretting it when pain shot through his ribs.

"I’m deciding which problem hurts the least."

"Have you found one?"

"Not yet."

Qiao Ren shook his head, though a faint smile appeared on his face.

Lin Yuan looked toward the tavern, where a little light still showed through the windows. Su Mei and Xiao Lan would undoubtedly have questions, and he suspected neither would be impressed by his explanation of how everything had gone.

He would deal with that when he reached the door.

For now, he had survived, the raiders were gone, and whatever lay beneath the restricted site was still there.

That was enough for one night.

Repairs could wait until morning.

With Qiao Ren walking beside him, Lin Yuan continued toward the tavern.