Wandering Swordsman |

The woods, shrouded in night, appeared exceptionally deep and secluded, with moonlight filtering through the sparse treetops and dappling the ground. The bookworm's footsteps echoed through the silent forest, each breath accompanied by a rapid heartbeat. He felt the needle poison spreading through his body, and his strength was rapidly draining away, but the instinct for survival drove him to keep running forward.

After running for an unknown amount of time, the bookworm's consciousness began to blur, and his steps became unsteady. Suddenly, his front foot missed its mark, and he lost his balance, falling into a hidden pit. With a muffled thud, the bookworm landed heavily at the bottom of the pit and immediately lost consciousness.

All around was darkness, with only a faint moonlight filtering through the pit opening, illuminating the bookworm's pale face. His breathing gradually became steady, but his body remained weak and powerless. In the distance, the faint chirping of birds and insects seemed to tell of the night's tranquility and danger.

After the smoke cleared, the bookworm had vanished without a trace. The White Tiger Saint Lord slammed his fist on the ground in anger, shouting, "Brother Azure Dragon, he actually had a backup plan! I'm going to chase after that man!"

The Azure Dragon Saint Lord shook his head thoughtfully and said in a deep voice, "Second Brother, there's no need. Let's meditate and expel the poison first."

The White Tiger Saint Lord frowned in confusion and asked, "Huh? Poison? Brother Azure Dragon, I feel fine, how could I be poisoned?"

Without saying much, the Azure Dragon Saint Lord immediately sat down cross-legged on the spot, closed his eyes, and hurriedly replied, "Quickly sit down and meditate, otherwise your power will be completely wasted in a moment."

Upon hearing this, the White Tiger Saint Lord felt a chill run down his spine, realizing the gravity of the situation. He quickly sat down and began circulating his internal energy to expel the poison. The two sat quietly on the ground, a tense atmosphere permeating the surroundings.

Just as the two entered meditation, a masked man in black emerged from the house. Seeing that Qinglong and Baihu were meditating and circulating their internal energy, he slowly approached and whispered, "Qinglong, and Baihu, you two are considered the most skilled among our Four Holy Lords. How come you still couldn't stop that person, especially since he was hit by my poisoned needle?"

Upon hearing this, the White Tiger Saint Lord, who was meditating nearby, couldn't help but open his eyes and retorted angrily, "Hmph, with the meager toxicity of your poison needles, he'd be perfectly fine even after being poisoned. No wonder he ran away!!!"

The man in black smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of confidence: "I, the Vermilion Bird Saint Lord, am from the Tang Clan, so my skill in using poison is naturally unparalleled. I only switched to using anesthetic needles to keep him alive so I could force him to reveal who sent him."

The White Tiger Saint Lord snorted coldly, saying disdainfully, "Heh, you just like to hide and use hidden weapons. I've never seen you fight openly with swords and spears more than a few times. You don't even reveal your true face to us. Who knows if you're a spy from the Tang Clan?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere became tense and volatile. Sensing the tension, the Azure Dragon Saint Lord immediately interrupted, "Enough, Second Brother."

With a shout from the Azure Dragon Saint Lord, the White Tiger Saint Lord turned his face away and fell silent. The Azure Dragon Saint Lord took a deep breath to calm himself, then turned to the Vermilion Bird Saint Lord and asked, "Vermilion Bird, how is Li Fanglin's injury?"

The Vermilion Bird Saint Lord replied, "The external injuries are not serious, but the internal injuries are a bit more severe."

Upon hearing this, the Azure Dragon Saint King coldly replied, "As long as it doesn't affect the upcoming mission, it's fine."

......

The next morning, the bookworm groggily opened his eyes. He felt dizzy and his whole body ached. Looking around, he found himself in a dark cave. The cave was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the entrance, casting a hazy glow. The bookworm tried to recall the events of the previous night, vaguely remembering that he had accidentally fallen into a large pit while fleeing, and then lost consciousness.

Realizing his predicament, the bookworm immediately stood up, his attention sharp. He warily scanned his surroundings, trying to figure out how he had ended up there. Just then, a young voice came from outside the cave: "Hey, monkey. Do you think that gentleman likes these wild fruits we picked?"

"It's okay if you don't like it. We still have some grilled fish from the other day. Maybe that gentleman prefers fish."

As the sound grew closer, the bookworm swiftly used his light-footed skill to leap to the top of the cave, grabbing onto the vines on the ceiling and cautiously peering down. A moment later, a young man in tattered clothes appeared at the cave entrance, carrying more than a dozen starfruits. Behind him followed two monkeys, leaping nimbly as if communicating with him.

Upon entering the cave, the young man found that the bookworm who had been lying there was gone, leaving only a pile of dry grass on the ground. He muttered to the monkey, "Hey, little monkey. That gentleman must have left while we were picking wild fruit. I really hope he wasn't hurt when he fell into my trap."

Upon hearing this, the bookworm immediately understood what had happened. It turned out that the large pit he had fallen into last night was actually a hunting trap set by this young man. Realizing this, the bookworm decided to reveal himself to learn more. He nimbly leaped down from the top of the cave, landing silently behind the young man.

The two monkeys beside the young man had exceptionally keen senses and immediately noticed the commotion behind him. They let out hostile screechs, alerting him. Hearing this, the young man immediately became alert and prepared to turn around to see what was happening. However, just as he was about to turn around, the bookworm had already struck his pressure points from behind.

The young man felt his body stiffen and realized he couldn't move. He was startled, but then he heard a voice behind him: "Tell me, who are you? Why am I here? If you tell me the truth, I will absolutely not hurt you."

Although the young man was unable to move, his eyes did not show much fear. He spoke slowly, his voice tinged with helplessness: "Sir, my name is Shen Mo. A couple of days ago, I set a trap to hunt some wild game, but this morning I found you lying in my trap. So I carried you back and placed you in this cave. I meant no harm; I just wanted to help you heal your wounds."

The bookworm nodded slightly, a small sense of relief washing over him. He released Shen Mo's pressure points and gestured for him to sit down. Shen Mo stretched his stiff body and sat down, the two monkeys surrounding him warily.

The bookworm carefully observed Shen Mo and noticed that although his clothes were tattered, his eyes were clear, giving him a simple and honest appearance. The bookworm thought to himself: It seems this wild boy doesn't know martial arts; he's probably an orphan abandoned in the wilderness.