"So, he is most likely hiding somewhere deeper in the forest. Added to his disguise skills, it will be difficult to find him," the shorter one continued.
Ye Yuan kept listening to their talk but didn't hear anything new or useful.
Step step step
Suddenly, another sound of footsteps came closer, causing all three of them to tense up.
Knock knock knock
A polite female voice came from outside.
"I saw the firelight from outside. Fellow travelers, may I come in to take shelter from the rain and night?"
Hearing the voice, the two brothers first looked at each other, then turned toward Ye Yuan, who gave a small nod.
"Yes, you can," the short one replied, and the door opened with a soft creak.
A young woman stepped inside, dressed in white robes with a mask covering her face. A sword hung at her waist, and her steps were light yet cautious.
"Thank you, fellow travelers," she said politely before moving toward a corner of the temple, sitting down quietly – the three now forming a rough triangle around the small fire.
Ignoring her, the two brothers continued eating and chatting, while Ye Yuan's gaze lingered on her for a moment.
It wasn't out of attraction, but curiosity. He could clearly feel her breathing – heavy and uneven beneath the mask, revealing weakness. The edges of her robe were stained with dirt, showing signs of a recent struggle.
Cough Cough Cough
And as if to confirm his thoughts, she suddenly coughed several times, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Miss, are you alright?" the burly brother asked, looking at her with concern.
"Ahem… it's nothing, just a little cold," she replied in the same polite tone, though her voice was faint.
When no one spoke further, she closed her eyes and began to meditate, trying to steady her breathing once again.
Time passed for a few more minutes as the only sound in the temple was that of the wood crackling in the fire.
"She's probably here!" a loud shout suddenly came from outside, followed by the sound of many footsteps approaching.
Baam!
With a loud crash, the already old door of the temple was kicked down, and a group of people rushed in.
At the front was a man wearing leather armor, a huge broadsword strapped to his back. His hair was messy and unkempt, and his sharp eyes instantly locked onto the masked woman as soon as he entered.
"Haha, she's really here," he laughed, as the woman in question quickly stood up and unsheathed her sword.
He licked his lips and glanced around the temple, his gaze falling on Ye Yuan and the two brothers.
"It's your bad luck that you all got caught in my view. Forget about leaving alive today," he said coldly.
With a wave of his hand, his followers charged forward, while he himself lunged toward the woman.
"Who do you think you are, huh?" the burly man shouted, pulling out the huge stick from his back and taking a fighting stance. His brother followed beside him, his hands turning slightly darker as he too readied himself for combat.
But the attackers didn't care about their words. They charged in, led by two men who looked almost identical – one with a scar on the right side of his face and the other on the left – followed by three more behind them.
While the brothers fought fiercely on one side, three of the remaining attackers rushed toward Ye Yuan, led by a slim man with pockmarks on his face.
"Hehe, how lucky am I today to get the chance to ruin another good-looking face," the pockmarked man sneered, pulling out a pair of daggers. His eyes flashed with jealousy as he lunged at Ye Yuan.
The other two followed closely behind, their eyes showing a mix of mockery and pity — they clearly believed Ye Yuan was about to die a miserable death.
As the pockmarked man rushed in, Ye Yuan's expression didn't change.
'Slow. Too slow,' he thought calmly.
In the next instant, the attacker appeared right in front of him, his dagger aimed precisely at Ye Yuan's wrist, intending to cripple him.
"Are you scared silly? Don't worry, I won't kill you so easi–"
Before he could finish, a powerful force struck his chest. His words cut off as his body was thrown backward, flying faster than he had charged, crashing into the two men behind him.
"It's too slow," Ye Yuan said quietly, lowering his raised leg.
"You–You… gurgle…" The pockmarked man tried to speak, but no words came out as a stream of blood spilled from his mouth. His chest had caved in from the impact of the kick.
The two men behind him also stopped breathing, their bodies collapsing lifelessly to the ground, landing just behind the Buddha statue. Blood splattered across its stone surface, smearing the statue's faint smile in red.
[Killed a Quasi–Skin Refining Criminal: 13 Evil Slaying Points]
[Killed Two Ordinary Criminals: 3 Evil Slaying Points]
With those two notifications, the system went silent.
A light flashed in Ye Yuan's eyes as he turned his head toward the other fights.
On the side of the two brothers, the situation was dire. The twin enemies had engaged them with precise, coordinated movements, their exquisite teamwork making it difficult for the brothers to counter. Added with the support of three helpers, they were being overwhelmed.
On the woman's side, she was faring slightly better — her lightness skills allowed her to evade the giant broadsword that swung toward her again and again.
"Hahaha, how long will you keep running?"
"Hmph." The woman snorted coldly, a thin trail of blood flowing from beneath her mask as she continued to dodge his relentless attacks.
Suddenly, the man pulled something from his belt and threw a handful of white powder toward her. The powder burst into the air, causing her eyes to sting sharply. She winced in pain and turned her face away.
Taking advantage of the moment, the man freed one hand and swung his fist forward, striking her squarely in the chest. The impact sent her body flying backward, crashing hard against the temple wall.
"Cough… cough… You shameless bas*rd… using lime…" her weak voice trembled between coughs as her mask fell off, revealing a face covered in scars and streaked with blood from her nose and mouth.
"What do you mean, shameless? It's called strategy, you know? Hahaha!" he laughed with a wide grin, slowly stepping toward her.
Raising his massive broadsword high above his head, he brought it down toward her with full force.
The woman closed her eyes weakly, though her trembling eyelashes showed she couldn't accept the outcome.
But after a moment passed, the impact she expected never came. Instead, she heard a sharp cry of pain from in front of her.
"Y-You bastard–!" The man's voice, filled with both pain and fear, echoed through the temple. He was clutching his shoulder, blood gushing between his fingers – his arm had been severed cleanly from the root, lying on the ground beside his fallen broadsword.
"And what kind of strategy would you use to defeat me?"
Ye Yuan was now standing in front of him, his left hand shaped like claws, fresh blood dripping from his fingertips.
"Y-You… do you know who I am? My brother's the leader of the Black Forest Bandit Group! Let me go, otherwise he won't let you–"
"Oh? And what will he do to me?" Ye Yuan asked calmly, taking a slow step toward him.
"He will— DIE FOR ME, BAST*RD!"
With a desperate roar, the man yanked up his sleeve, revealing a small knife with a darkened edge hidden beneath it. He slashed it toward Ye Yuan from barely a meter away.
Swish!
With another casual swipe of his claw, Ye Yuan severed the attacking hand in mid-air. The knife clattered to the ground, spinning before coming to rest beside the other arm.
"Boring," Ye Yuan muttered quietly, and with one final swing of his claw, the man's head flew from his shoulders – his wide, terrified eyes and open mouth frozen in a silent plea.
Looking at the headless and armless corpse lying on the ground, Ye Yuan flicked his hand, a few drops of blood falling from his clawed fingers, making the body look even more pitiful.
[Killed a early skin-refining Criminal : 56 evil slaying points]