Opening his eyes, Ye Yuan placed his hand on the handle of the old Tangdao (a sword similar to a katana) hanging at his waist. He suddenly felt an urge to perform the moves of the Swift Saber Technique.
"Haah…" he exhaled slowly, suppressing the restless feeling within him.
"You–"
Suddenly, Xiao Yan, sitting across from him, spoke in shock. His single eye was wide open as he looked at Ye Yuan.
"What happened?" Ye Yuan tilted his head slightly and asked.
"N-nothing. I just got this strange feeling… like a blade was placed right on my neck. Must've been my imagination," Xiao Yan said awkwardly, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead.
"Hum."
Ye Yuan simply nodded. He knew it wasn't a misunderstanding – it was the aura he had unconsciously released while gripping the hilt of his saber.
For people weaker than him, it would feel suffocating. For those stronger, perhaps only a faint pressure.
Thinking that, he slowly leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, falling into a quiet sleep unknowingly.
---
Chirp Chirp Chirp
With the sound of chirping birds and a faint ray of sunlight falling on his face, Ye Yuan's eyelashes trembled as he opened his eyes, looking around, the scarred women and Xiao Yan were in deep sleep but Xiao Ba was nowhere to be seen, similar to the corpses from yesterday which they had placed in a corner.
"Hii–Haah."
Swish Swish
Stepping out of the temple, he was greeted by the sight of Xiao Ba swinging the large stick from his back in a practiced rhythm – each motion firm, controlled, and precise.
It was clear he was training in a martial art.
Just as Ye Yuan was about to see the steps in it, Xiao Ba stopped, as he had noticed Ye Yuan who had appeared nearby.
"Haah, Haah.... Good Morning, Little brother"
Xiao Ba greeted him as he put the large stick down and took out a water bag as he started gulping down water in it.
"Good morning to you too," Ye Yuan replied, then asked, "Have you seen the bodies of those bandits?"
"Oh, I almost forgot about them," Xiao Ba said, putting away his water bag in an instant as he tapped his forehead.
"The bodies were already starting to attract flies and smell bad, so after I woke up, I decided to carry and throw them into the forest – at least they'll do one good deed by filling the stomachs of wild animals," he said with a small chuckle.
"And little brother, I've taken everything useful from their bodies. Since you dealt with all of them, I left the items for you."
He pointed toward a corner where several objects were placed.
With his sharp eyes, Ye Yuan could see a few silver ingots, some silver notes, and several small bottles containing pills.
"Thanks," Ye Yuan nodded and made his way toward the pile.
"As for their weapons – whether old or damaged – most have the marks of the Black Forest Bandits. People in Blackwood City won't dare to take them. But if you still want them, I can bring them over," Xiao Ba said.
"No need. I wouldn't know where to sell them if they have those marks anyway. It's better to just bury them here," Ye Yuan replied as he picked up the silver ingots and three silver notes, each worth a hundred ingots and issued by the Yue Business Alliance – one of the largest and most trustworthy merchant groups in the Jin Kingdom.
As for the bottles containing pills, he simply tossed them to Xiao Ba.
"Here. These are useless to me," he said. He had recognized them as common pills used by those in the quasi–skin refining realm to speed up their progress – completely useless for him.
"Thank you, little brother," Xiao Ba said, bowing slightly as he accepted the pills without hesitation. After witnessing Ye Yuan's strength yesterday, he had already realized that the young man before him was most likely above the skin refining realm.
Ye Yuan simply nodded and moved to the other side of the temple to begin his morning practice.
The martial art he practiced wasn't the Iron Claws or the Swift Saber Technique, but a common one – the Angry Bear Fist – which he had learned at the Black Bear Dojo.
Although it wasn't even a Low Yellow Rank martial art, it had been part of his daily routine for years. And even after obtaining his system, he had no intention of abandoning it.
Practicing it daily helped him maintain his discipline – and reminded him of who he was – ensuring he wouldn't lose himself to power as he grew stronger in the future.
Thinking so, he began punching straight, following the ten basic moves of the technique.
Bear Punching Tree
Bear Fighting Bees
Bear Smashing Stones…
He repeated the names of the moves silently in his mind as he executed them with precision, his fists cutting through the air with sharp gusts of wind.
Gradually, as if watching himself from a higher perspective, he began perfecting each motion. His form grew smoother, faster, and more powerful compared to his already decent level achieved after years of practice — almost improving his proficiency in this martial art by another five percent.
'Is this the advantage of a higher realm and two of the perfected martial arts?' he thought, continuing to repeat the moves again and again.
After about half an hour of practice, Ye Yuan finally stopped. He turned toward the temple gate, where Xiao Yan and the scarred woman were stepping out, with Xiao Ba following behind and chatting softly with his brother.
As they came closer, the scarred woman approached Ye Yuan and gave a slight bow.
"Thank you again for your help yesterday, but I must now set off toward Blackwood City to complete my mission. I won't be able to follow you to where Ji Yao and the third leader are hiding," she said politely.
"But your injuries?" Ye Yuan asked, frowning slightly as he noticed the tremor in her steps and how she struggled to stand properly.
"Don't worry, little brother. Although we can't involve ourselves in official matters, we've decided to escort her safely to Blackwood City," Xiao Ba chimed in, while Xiao Yan nodded in agreement behind him.
"Is that so? Then I wish you all a safe journey," Ye Yuan said, knowing it was best for them to go and escort the scarred woman to Blackwood City to report the affairs here.
"Yes, you too, little brother. May you be victorious," Xiao Yan said, gesturing for Xiao Ba to kneel down so the scarred woman could climb onto his back without hesitation.
"Then, see you again."
The Xiao brothers and the scarred woman bid their farewells before setting off toward Blackwood City.
Watching their figures slowly fade into the distance, Ye Yuan also turned to leave, setting out on his own path – to hunt down Ji Yao and the third leader of the Black Forest Bandits.
Whether for revenge or for a better future, he was determined to grow more stronger.