Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter Six: The Dust Stirs

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…

The hardships Yu Ye had endured were etched in his memory with painful clarity.

Within the crevice of the cave, not only had a giant serpent nearly cost him his life, but the fissure also served as the only path back—a narrow escape route leading to the original cavern he had come from.

Though the gap was tight, its walls were smooth, so climbing down was not particularly difficult. Yet his right arm refused to obey, his shoulder throbbed with unbearable pain, and all around him was pitch black. Yu Ye could only writhe and twist like a fish out of water, struggling to squeeze his way through.

As if the struggle to survive were not enough, he was beset now by dizziness and waves of hot and cold. It felt as though a fire had been lit in his belly, scorching his organs from within, while his limbs were icy as if submerged in a frozen lake—an agony that knew no relief.

What was happening to him?

Could it be the bead, the so-called Flood Dragon Pearl? When he had swallowed it, he’d thought it impossible to get down. To his surprise, as soon as he opened his mouth, the egg-sized pearl had slipped straight into his stomach. At first, nothing happened—but that was only the beginning of his ordeal.

And that voice he’d heard—who was it? Why had he heard the words but seen no one? Was she sincerely trying to help, or deliberately trying to harm him?

Crack! Crack!

As Yu Ye shifted, several broken stones tumbled down.

Bai Zhi’s senior brother had caught up.

That ruthless man seemed to have already reached his heels. The blade in his hand not only emitted light but could easily split through solid rock.

Yu Ye pushed his body with all his might.

In the darkness, a faint glimmer of light appeared ahead.

He flung himself toward it with every last ounce of strength…

…

Within the cave, the torches flickered.

A father and his son were still searching every corner.

Yu Shitou stopped, stabbed his iron fork heavily into the ground, and sighed, “Yu Ye was clearly right here, but now he’s nowhere to be found. Just last year, his father disappeared the same way, and now…”

Yu Ye’s reckless venture into the mountain cave left him deeply worried. After Yu Ergou had returned, the two of them had come together to search.

All that remained was a scattering of stones and a broken hunting knife. The one they sought was gone.

Yu Ergou, the younger man, was sharp and quick-witted. He lifted the torch, looked upward, and said, “Father, could he have climbed up there?”

High up on the cavern ceiling, some two or three zhang from the ground, was a crevice. It was just wide enough to conceal a person.

Yu Shitou shook his head. “Nonsense! It’s so high up—without a ladder, who could reach it?”

But before he finished speaking, a figure plummeted down…

Boom!

Yu Ye crashed to the ground.

It was as if his soul had slammed into his body—a torment at once impossible to escape and unbearable to endure, plunging him into a haze. Suddenly, his nose and mouth burned as hot blood poured out.

Yu Ye forced his eyes open.

In the flickering torchlight, he seemed to be back in the original cave. There were Yu Shitou and Yu Ergou, shouting his name.

“Yu Ye, what happened…?”

“Father, there’s someone else above!”

The father and son were stunned to see Yu Ye, and before they could react, another shadow leapt from the crevice overhead.

Yu Ye, coughing up blood, managed to shout, “He… he wants to kill me! Uncle Wu, run!”

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Yu Shitou, an old hunter with keen instincts, immediately barked, “Gouzi!”

Father and son moved as one. Yu Ergou did not hesitate—he threw down the torch, hoisted Yu Ye onto his back, and ran for their lives.

Yu Shitou raised his iron fork, his expression wary. “Brother, why are you trying to kill someone?”

The newcomer, Bai Zhi’s senior brother, had barely landed before he was confronted. He grew furious. “Out of my way!”

“Let’s talk this out—”

Yu Shitou stood his ground, but before he could finish, a flash of light burst before his eyes; his arm jolted with a bang as the iron fork was split in two and sent flying. Terrified, he turned and fled toward the cave exit.

Bai Zhi’s senior brother gave chase.

That boy was only alive by sheer luck. If he thought two hunters could save him, he was deluding himself.

Panting, he rushed out of the cave.

Snowflakes clung to him as he emerged. With deliberate ease and an air of confidence, he brushed them off and prepared to pursue his prey further. But he suddenly paused, frowning.

Outside the cave, a dozen or so men stood in the snow, wielding knives and clubs, eyeing him with hostility. His quarry, Yu Ye, was now surrounded by the crowd.

A middle-aged man stepped forward and said, “I am Yu Youcai. May I ask your name, brother?”

A young man behind him raised a hunting knife and growled, “How dare you try to kill someone from Yu Family Village? You’ve got some nerve!”

Bai Zhi’s senior brother squinted, a mocking smile on his lips.

Within the crowd, Yu Ye sat on the ground, his face flushed, blood at the corners of his mouth, utterly drained. His robe had fallen from one shoulder, revealing a right arm and shoulder bound with cloth and willow branches. Yu Ergou knelt beside him, tending his wounds. According to Uncle Wu, his wrist was broken and his shoulder blade shattered in several places. If not for the timely arrival of his clansmen, he would not have escaped death this time.

But what he had not expected was that not only had all the uncles and brothers of the village rushed to the scene, but even Yu Youcai and his son had put aside past grievances to stand with him.

Yet Bai Zhi’s senior brother was greedy, ruthless, and versed in mystical arts. Even with their numbers, they might not be a match for him.

“My name need not concern you!” As expected, Bai Zhi’s senior brother ignored Yu Youcai and Yu Baoshan, instead striding toward the crowd with arrogant menace. “Yu Ye of Yu Family Village has stolen my treasured possession. I will take him away and make him answer for it!”

“What proof do you have?” Yu Youcai asked hurriedly, caught off guard.

“Hmph!” Bai Zhi’s senior brother grunted, raising his short sword. “This enchanted blade is all the proof I need!”

With a flick of his wrist, the sword gleamed with a dazzling light, visible even in broad daylight.

Yu Youcai, Yu Baoshan, and the rest were stunned.

Men of the mountains had never seen such supernatural displays.

Yu Youcai took two steps back, still blocking the way, but with more caution in his voice. “Brother, this concerns the reputation of my kin and the honor of Yu Family Village. We must not act rashly!”

Though simple folk, mountain people cared deeply about their name and were quick to protest—

“Show us the real evidence.”

“No matter how big the world, justice is bigger.”

“Our boys from Yu Family Village would never stoop to thievery!”

“You have your magic, but so what? Bai Family Village has its own experts, and Miss Bai is on her way…”

Bai Zhi’s senior brother had revealed his powers to intimidate, but these ragged, coarse hunters insisted on reason. Angered, his eyes flashed with cold fury.

“Senior brother—”

A clear voice called out.

It was a slender, veiled woman, rushing over with two or three dozen men in tow.

It was Miss Bai herself, Bai Zhi. She moved as if floating above the ground, swift as the wind, and in just a few leaps landed gracefully before the crowd.

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Yu Youcai, Yu Baoshan, and the others exchanged uneasy glances.

So this overbearing man was Miss Bai’s senior brother? No wonder he was so formidable—he was one of the legendary cultivators. But as fellow disciples, what would Miss Bai do?

“Miss Bai!” “Brother Bai, Brother Feng…”

Yu Youcai greeted Bai Zhi and hurried to meet the group behind her. The two or three dozen men accompanying her were hunters from Bai Family Village and He Family Village, including their leaders Bai Xuan and Feng Shuanzhi. After explaining the situation to his two old friends, Yu Youcai quickly returned.

On the snow-covered hillside, some forty or fifty men had gathered.

Yu Youcai, Bai Xuan, Feng Shuanzhi, and the other hunters kept silent, listening to the exchange between the newly reunited senior brother and junior sister.

“This is my senior brother, called Dust Rises. He was sent down the mountain and came here on orders. If there’s any misunderstanding, I apologize to all our fellow villagers on his behalf,” Bai Zhi said.

“Junior sister, you do not understand—”

Yu Ye still sat on the ground, watching silently through the crowd.

“Yu Ye stole my treasured possession. I cannot forgive him. Help me restrain him and bring him back to the sect for judgment!”

“My treasure…”

After a brief exchange, it seemed the two had reached an understanding.

Bai Zhi turned to the crowd. “Fellow villagers, you all know Yu Ye did in fact steal something. Please have him return it, or my senior brother and I cannot answer to our sect!”

Bai Xuan waved generously. “If he took it, just give it back.”

Feng Shuanzhi nodded in agreement.

Yu Youcai looked stricken, unable to argue. If Yu Ye had truly taken something, as an elder, he could not protect him.

“Yu Ye, hand over what you stole!”

With Bai Zhi’s words, all eyes turned to Yu Ye.

Yu Ergou muttered, “Brother, did you really take something?”

Yu Ye shook his head weakly. “I didn’t…”

“He’s lying!” Dust Rises declared, turning to Bai Zhi. “Junior sister, there’s no point in talking—let me handle this!”

“I…”

Yu Ye’s gaze flickered, but he watched Dust Rises intently through the crowd. He knew if he didn’t speak now, he’d lose his chance forever. Gripping Yu Ergou’s arm, he struggled to his feet and retorted, “I didn’t steal anything! It’s you who covered up your crimes…”

He was about to reveal the truth when a harsh voice cut him off—

“Silence!” Dust Rises’ face twisted with rage as he strode forward.

Yu Youcai and the others looked at each other in confusion, unsure what to do.

Yu Ye’s face twitched; suddenly, he shoved Yu Ergou aside, tore off his robe, and bared his chest, shouting, “You slander and humiliate me without cause—where is justice?”

His thin body, naked chest exposed for all to see, could clearly not be hiding anything. Blood seeped from his wounded wrist and shoulder, lending his angry words an air of desperate tragedy.

Dust Rises was unmoved, advancing with his cold, gleaming sword.

Yu Youcai could restrain himself no longer. With a shout, he and a dozen men brandished their weapons and blocked the way. The men from the Bai and Feng families also showed their displeasure.

Perhaps, in their eyes, Yu Ye was just a boy, and since there was no proof of theft, he did not deserve such treatment.

Bai Zhi took in the tense scene and spoke, “Senior brother, perhaps we should reconsider.”

At that moment, Yu Ye could see nothing, hear nothing. He could only roar hoarsely, “Dust Rises, I’m not afraid of you—come on!”

But before he could finish, a mouthful of hot blood gushed out, and he fell backward, unconscious…