Chapter 160: A New Face
The chill bit harder than usual that morning as I stood with Elder Ming, the crushing weight of the Black Tortoise shell pressing down on every joint and muscle. My breath misted in the cold air, and each exhale felt heavier than the last. I’d barely managed to pull myself upright after Xiao Bao’s announcement.
When I saw them, my heart sank.
The group approaching wasn’t Feng Wu or the Whispering Wind sect disciples I’d been hoping for. Instead, it was a caravan of strangers; at least a dozen figures, many of them seedy-looking types who wouldn’t have been out of place in the darker alleys of Crescent Bay City. A handful of carts and wagons creaked behind them, weighed down with items I couldn’t make out from this distance. Leading them was a man with a sharp, angular face, dressed too well for a simple traveler but not quite polished enough to be a noble. His hair was slicked back, and even from afar, I could see the smirk curling his lips as he locked eyes with Elder Ming and me.
The kind of smirk that made my stomach churn.
"Great," I muttered under my breath, forcing my legs to move. The shell’s weight bore down on me with every step, and I had to focus just to keep my qi flowing steadily enough to reinforce my body. My limbs screamed for relief, but I straightened my back and clenched my jaw, doing my best to appear composed.
Why now? I cursed silently. Out of all the times to take on a tribulation, why did it have to be today?
The strangers continued their approach, and as they drew closer, the leader’s smirk widened. His confident gait and the rough demeanor of his companions—all of it screamed trouble. I braced myself, each step feeling like a gamble. By the time I reached the courtyard’s edge, my legs were trembling beneath the weight of the shell, but I kept my chin up.
“Are you Kai Liu?” the man called out, his voice smooth but with an edge that set my nerves on fire. His sharp eyes flicked toward Elder Ming briefly before settling on me again. “And the Village Head?”
Elder Ming nodded, and I stopped a few paces from him, fighting the urge to lean on the gate for support. “That’s me,” I said, keeping my tone steady. “Who’s asking?”