Chapter Twelve: Conspiracy

Chapter Twelve: A Conspiracy—An Unexpected Turn on the Journey Home

Li Hao and Lu Yao were once again setting out for home. After leaving the Beast Arena, they went straight to the inn where their Seven-Colored Cloud Eagle was kept. Li Hao greeted the innkeeper with courtesy, paid the fee for the eagle’s care, and set off on the road home, accompanied by Miss Lu Yao, who was brimming with excitement.

They had just left Lishui City, heading toward the Sacred Healer’s Hall.

“They went this way. Their mount doesn’t fly very fast,” said a shifty-eyed youth, pointing in the direction Li Hao and Lu Yao had gone. He addressed three other youths, each about seventeen or eighteen, who had just emerged from the shadows.

“Let’s go,” said the eldest of the three to the others.

“What do you think, gentlemen?” The shifty youth plastered a sycophantic grin on his face, clearly fishing for a reward.

It was obvious to everyone what he wanted—a tip for his trouble. The three young men looked at him with nothing but contempt and disdain. Nevertheless, each tossed him ten copper soul coins.

One even spat, “Get lost.”

“Right away, sirs, I’ll be out of your sight in no time,” the shifty youth replied obsequiously.

Without another glance, the three mounted their birds and flew off in pursuit of Li Hao and Lu Yao.

After they left, the shifty youth spat viciously in their direction, cursing them under his breath. The likes of him only dared to vent his spleen when backs were turned, never to their faces. He felt not the slightest guilt for betraying Li Hao and Lu Yao’s whereabouts—his mind was full of nothing but the thirty copper soul coins he’d earned.

The old saying goes: “Good is rewarded with good, evil grinds evil; why hasn’t retribution come? The time’s not yet arrived.” This youth, worth only thirty copper soul coins, would one day betray the wrong person—a true fiend—and be discovered. His life ended there and then.

“I’d like to see you gossip again,” the fiend had sneered, dragging a knife slowly from the corner of the youth’s mouth to his ear, destroying his tongue for good measure.

“I’d like to see you point the way again,” he said, severing all ten of the youth’s fingers.

“I’d like to see you appraise another’s face again,” he finished, gouging out both eyes.

And so, the wretch died a lingering, hideous death.

When Li Hao had won ten thousand silver soul coins in the Beast Arena, these three reckless young men had coveted his winnings ever since. At first, they’d mistaken Li Hao and Lu Yao for scions of Lishui City’s nobility and dared not act. But soon, they’d found this local ne’er-do-well—whose days were spent loafing, stealing, and extorting travelers—and learned that Li Hao and Lu Yao were outsiders. The three were overjoyed; with ten thousand silver soul coins, they could live in luxury for quite some time.

They schemed together, deciding to relieve Li Hao of his one hundred gold soul coins. Upon discovering he was not a local noble but a young boy who’d apparently snuck out to play, their delight was boundless. They resolved to ambush him on the road.

“Tiger, do you really trust that sneaky guy’s word?” asked the youngest, glancing at the eldest. He was questioning whether Li Hao and Lu Yao might have guards or elders with them.

“He wouldn’t dare lie. If he did, he’d suffer for it when we returned,” replied the one they called Tiger—whose real name was Kui Hu. The questioner was Qin Zhen, and the third was Li Zhan. All three were in Lishui City for the Gathering of Heroes selection that year.

Setting aside all else, their cultivation alone was formidable. Kui Hu was at the pinnacle of the Foundation-Building Realm. Li Zhan, about the same age, was also at the pinnacle, though his mastery of the laws was somewhat weaker. Qin Zhen, two years younger, was at the lesser peak of Foundation-Building.

They were all prodigies among the younger generation—rising stars of the Battle Palace, the youngest and most talented of their peers. Their families doted on them, indulging their every whim, and rarely taught them the ways of the world. Other people’s advice bored them, and their rebellious natures made them tune it all out.

Human nature is close at birth, but habits drive us apart. Without proper guidance, even the greatest talent and brightest future can be squandered.

These three young geniuses, whose prospects were once brilliant, now stooped to robbing Li Hao and Lu Yao.

Their actions were shaped by their environment. In a world where the strong prey on the weak, softness meant extinction. But being strong does not mean preying on the defenseless.

They caught up with Li Hao and Lu Yao, intent on robbery. Relying on the speed of their mounts, they rammed into the Seven-Colored Cloud Eagle carrying Li Hao and Lu Yao.

Every move they made was noticed by Xiao Jiu, who resided in Li Hao’s spiritual sea. But recalling the orders of the God Sovereign Liyang, Xiao Jiu would not intervene unless Li Hao’s life was truly at stake.

At first, Li Hao, sensing someone following, thought it was another traveler and guided the eagle slightly off course. But when the three’s mounts collided with the eagle, it couldn’t withstand the impact and began plummeting from thousands of meters up.

As the attackers closed in, Li Hao’s instincts—honed by years of herb-gathering in perilous places—kicked in. Sensing danger, he immediately pulled Lu Yao into his arms.

Fortunately, their eagle was flying forward; the collision’s force was lessened. Otherwise, the bird would have been gravely injured.

The Seven-Colored Cloud Eagle barely managed to stabilize itself a few hundred meters above the ground. Li Hao, holding Lu Yao, landed safely on its back, then leaped with her into the forest below.

Xiao Jiu, watching Li Hao’s quick reflexes, was quietly impressed. After ten years together, Xiao Jiu had grown ever more satisfied with his young master, confident he would not disgrace himself by serving such a boy. He was curious to see how Li Hao would handle this crisis.

The sudden attack left Lu Yao frightened—her first time facing real danger. She turned pale. Li Hao, too, was caught off guard.

After a moment, Lu Yao found her voice. “Brother Li Hao, why are they attacking us?”

“I don’t know, but don’t be afraid, Yao’er. I’ll protect you.” Li Hao himself had no solution yet but tried to comfort her, not wanting her to panic.

Kui Hu and his friends, seeing Li Hao and Lu Yao escape into the woods, pursued relentlessly, determined to seize the ten thousand silver soul coins.

Their mount was faster—there was no escaping. Li Hao had no choice but to shield Lu Yao behind him and wait for the attackers, ready to adapt as needed.

When the three finally overtook them, they dismounted leisurely, their insolent, swaggering demeanor making it clear: “There’s nowhere to run; you won’t escape us today.”

Qin Zhen spoke first. “Hand over all your soul coins, and we’ll let you go unharmed. We’re men of our word.”

Kui Hu, full of bluster, took over: “We’re reasonable people. You have two choices: give us all your gold soul coins, or we’ll cripple you and take them ourselves. Pick whichever you like.”

Reasonable? Such choices left no room for negotiation. All escape routes were cut off. How could Li Hao surrender to such threats? If he did, what face would he have before his family? How could he hope for a future with his parents and grandfather?

Hearing this, the gentle Li Hao finally lost his temper.

“You want our soul coins? Why not just call it robbery? Oh, wait—you are robbing us. I’m reasonable too; I’ll give you two choices. I’m a man of my word. One, you leave now and I’ll overlook your assault on our mount. Two, you kill me and step over my corpse. Take your pick.”

His words turned their own back on them, making clear there would be no yielding today.

The three burst out laughing, as if they’d heard the world’s best joke.

Retreat? In front of these two children? If they backed down now, how could they show their faces in the Battle Palace again?

“So, we’ll have to take those soul coins ourselves?” Kui Hu asked, half to his companions, half to Li Hao and Lu Yao.

Negotiations had failed.

Kui Hu lunged at Li Hao, his right hand clawing for Li Hao’s throat.

“Brother Li Hao, watch out!” Lu Yao cried anxiously.

Li Hao, after years of dodging wild beasts while gathering herbs, was no stranger to danger. Though lacking formal combat skills, his agility was extraordinary. As Kui Hu’s hand shot out, Li Hao sidestepped nimbly, barely evading the attack. Seizing the moment, he leapt onto a nearby branch, momentarily forgetting Lu Yao. The attackers, focused solely on Li Hao, ignored her as well—it was he who held the soul coins.

“After him! Don’t let him get away!” Kui Hu shouted.

Only then did Qin Zhen and Li Zhan react, realizing Li Hao had slipped their grasp—a testament to his speed.

Li Hao darted through the forest, leaping and twisting among the branches, leading the three in a wild chase, like a mischievous sprite of the woods. It would have been a comical scene, but Lu Yao, watching from the sidelines, was too anxious to appreciate it. She could do nothing to help, and guilt and worry for Li Hao filled her heart.