Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Lu the Third listened intently for a moment, and his expression shifted.

This wasn’t the wind picking up out of nowhere. It was the sound of someone slicing through the air as they rapidly approached!

’Just from the sound, they’re incredibly fast! Their Body Technique is no slower than my own!’

He hesitated for a moment, then tossed Xie Yuan to the ground. Gripping his horse-chopping saber with both hands, he stared warily in the direction of the sound.

Within moments, a fierce wind tore through the woods, sending fallen leaves scattering into the air. The undergrowth parted to either side as if the trees themselves had spirits and were clearing a path for the newcomers.

An ordinary-looking middle-aged man appeared in the middle of the woods, accompanied by a young woman carrying a long case. They came to a stop.

Lu the Third took one look, and his expression changed again.

Just before, judging by the sound of the wind, he had thought the newcomer’s Body Technique was about on par with his own.

But now he saw that the middle-aged man had been carrying someone and *still* moved at the same speed!

And he wasn’t carrying the girl on his back or by her clothes; he was supporting her by the arm as if simply helping her walk, yet they had crossed the woods and hills as if traversing flat ground.

If Lu the Third had to use such a cumbersome method, his own speed would be cut in half, at least. Yet this man was still so fast!

’His strength must be...’

Lu the Third’s face darkened. He tightened his grip on the horse-chopping saber and asked gravely:

"Who might you be?"

The man didn’t answer, but the young woman’s eyes darted to the ground. Seeing Xie Yuan, she asked with a hint of anxiety:

"Master Xie, Master Xie, are you alright?"

A ring of purple bruises circled Xie Yuan’s neck. He lay on the ground, gagging repeatedly, unable to speak.

He lifted his head slightly, and upon seeing who it was, he froze for a second before just managing a nod.

Seeing that Xie Yuan could still move, the young woman breathed a sigh of relief. She shook the case in her hand, her voice crisp and clear:

"It’s good you’re okay. Why’d you just toss the axe I gave you on the ground? If you do that again, I won’t give you any more gifts."

Xie Yuan saw it was the axe he had dropped while dodging the saber glint from Lu the Third that had wiped out the caravan. In his desperate flight afterward, he hadn’t had time to bring something so cumbersome.

’This young miss... to think she’s worried about something like this at a time like this...’

He wanted to force a wry smile, but his windpipe had been nearly crushed. He could only gasp for air, unable to form any expression.

Lu the Third saw Situ Qin acting as if he weren’t even there, completely ignoring him. But the man of unfathomable strength just stood quietly to the side, not saying a word.

His expression flickered, and he quietly took a step toward Xie Yuan, whom he had thrown aside.

"If I were you, I wouldn’t take a second step."

Tai Bo said faintly, standing his ground.

His face was ordinary, his build was ordinary, and he wore simple gray clothes, looking like nothing more than a common family servant.

But the moment he spoke, Lu the Third felt as if he’d been targeted by a ferocious beast. He immediately froze, not daring to move an inch.

Lu the Third studied Tai Bo for a few more moments, then started in shock. He asked cautiously:

"Could you be the twenty-ninth on the Flying Dragon List, the Flying General, Li Tai?"

"Leader Lu has sharp eyes."

Tai Bo said calmly.

Seeing Li Tai admit his identity and directly call him out, Lu the Third lost all other thoughts. His voice was hoarse as he said:

"I was blind and failed to recognize a great man. I’ve offended a friend of the Flying General. I hope Your Excellency can overlook the transgressions of a lesser man. I will leave at once."

He tentatively took a few steps back. Seeing no reaction from Li Tai, he turned and fled.

As he left, Lu the Third shot Xie Yuan a glare, thinking to himself:

’Damn it, you brat! You actually had powerful backing! You should’ve just said so. Did you have to make a fool out of me?’

Although he had just boasted that even if a master from the Flying Dragon List came, he could just hide in the desert where no one could find him, there was a fair bit of bravado in that statement.

Besides, while that might be true for other masters, if it was the man standing before him, he could pursue him for seven days and seven nights in the desert and still manage to drag him out in the end.

He glared at Xie Yuan again, only to see Xie Yuan’s gaze was deep and calm as he watched him. An inexplicable feeling of discomfort welled up inside him.

But with the thought of the man behind him, Lu the Third pretended he hadn’t seen it and just focused on running for his life.

Situ Qin walked over to Xie Yuan in a few steps, helped him up, and examined the injury on his neck. Then she turned her head and called out:

"Tai Bo! Could I trouble you to take a look at him?"

The young woman’s shapely brows furrowed slightly, a hint of anxiety on her exquisite little face. Her black hair was tied in a bun, with two strands falling over her shoulders. Today, she wore a moon-white long dress with a sash at her waist, making her look exceptionally slender.

The young woman was so close that the faint fragrance of her hair drifted into Xie Yuan’s nose. Her face, fairer than frost and snow, was just inches away, her flawless features visible in perfect detail, causing Xie Yuan’s heart to skip a beat.

Fortunately, he was already injured, so it was perfectly normal for his complexion to be off.

Li Tai walked over, carefully examined Xie Yuan’s injuries for a moment, and reached out to grab his wrist.

Xie Yuan felt a warm current flow from his wrist, travel up his meridians to his neck, and circle the area a few times. The pain immediately subsided.

He gasped for breath a few times, finally able to speak. He cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and said in an extremely hoarse voice:

"Thank you, Senior."

Li Tai waved his hand.

"This is a serious injury. A Grandmaster’s energy has invaded your windpipe and the blood vessels in your neck. Although I’ve treated it for now, you still need to find a doctor to properly recuperate, or there could be lasting consequences."

Xie Yuan nodded, but before he could speak, Situ Qin said:

"That serious? That man named Lu is truly vicious. Master Xie, how did you end up offending a Grandmaster?"

Xie Yuan coughed, then briefly explained the story of the escort mission from beginning to end. However, he only said that the target seemed to have been replaced by someone who had a grudge against Lu the Third, which got him involved. He didn’t mention that he actually knew the woman, and certainly didn’t bring up the matter of the Black Celestial Book.

He himself was still confused about the whole affair, and the Black Celestial Book seemed to be the source of the conflict. Even though Situ Qin had saved his life, it wasn’t something to be discussed with outsiders.