Seven or eight days passed. Lu Zhiyuan's thin, undersized body slowly filled out, with muscles beginning to develop. He no longer looked quite so frail or easy to bully.
Just as he was looking forward to breaking through to the Skin Tempering stage, the clinic announced another trip into the mountains outside the city to gather medicinal herbs.
Early the next morning, a group of menials left the city with baskets on their backs and arrived at Mount Stillshade.
Things had been unsettled outside the city lately, but the clinic was short of medicinal herbs. The menials could not refuse its orders to go out. Each had a quota to gather. Once they met it, they could leave the mountain.
If they failed, they still had to return after three days, but a beating would be unavoidable.
The group scattered across the vast Mount Stillshade and soon disappeared from sight.
After walking for the time it took an incense stick to burn, Lu Zhiyuan spotted a medicinal herb and eagerly approached to pick it. As his cultivation advanced, not only had his stamina improved, but his senses had become much sharper.
Even as he gathered herbs, his eyes and ears kept checking his surroundings. He did not want danger to arrive without his noticing.
There were no large wild beasts on Mount Stillshade, but venomous snakes and insects were plentiful. Every herb-gathering trip left many menials injured. Quite a few even died.
Lu Zhiyuan had only half-finished picking the herb when his expression suddenly changed. He lunged forward.
The next instant, an arrow struck the spot where he had just been. It still quivered, driven in with considerable force. Had he failed to dodge, it might have pierced his internal organs.
He took cover behind a large tree and tightened his grip on his woodcutting knife, anger surging through him. One slower movement, and he could have been helpless at someone's mercy.
"Quick on his feet, isn't he?" Someone laughed.
"He's had some martial training at Highpeak Martial School, so he's a bit quick on his feet," Deng Li said.
"He does have a little skill. Get around the other side. Today, he won't... Damn it, he's running! After him!" Tian Xiao raised his eyebrows. He was about to lift his bow when he saw Lu Zhiyuan weaving between the trees, making him difficult to aim at.
Tian Xiao was a hunter with some skill in archery, but he was still only an ordinary man. On the verge of a breakthrough, Lu Zhiyuan already had stamina and senses far beyond those of an ordinary person.
As he ran, Tian Xiao could do nothing to stop him.
"Lu Zhiyuan, why are you as cowardly as a woman? Why run? Come hit me! Come kill me!" Deng Li shouted.
Lu Zhiyuan did not answer. He ran hard, and in only fifteen minutes, he shook off both pursuers. His expression was cold. This was not something he could let go. But Tian Xiao had a bow, and with his current strength, he could not charge the hunter head-on. His cultivation would have to advance first.
He looked at his panel.
[Name: Lu Zhiyuan]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Techniques: Highpeak Fist (Uninitiated), Highpeak Breathing Method (Perfected)]
[Realm: Martial Novice (99/100)]
"I'm almost ready to break through!"
His spirits lifted a little. He had originally estimated ten days, but it seemed he would reach it sooner. All that hard running and breathing appeared to be raising his realm progress a little faster.
He recalled Tian Xiao's clothing. The hunter might be from Mount Stillshade and might be able to track him. Rather than stay where he was, Lu Zhiyuan ran in another direction.
He ran for a while, then rested, repeating the process. An hour later, he stopped. He could feel drastic changes taking place in his body.
The next instant, a ringing sound rose from his tendons and bones. His head rose involuntarily as pain welled up inside his body, followed by an itching tingle that traveled through his skin and flesh.
Fortunately, the sensation lasted only a moment. Physical strength surged through him, and he instinctively clenched his fists.
[Realm: Skin Tempering (1/1000)]
The panel clearly displayed his current cultivation stage. Looking around, he heard faint sounds drifting into his ears. He could see farther, too.
He jumped a few times on the spot. Was it because of the panel, or because his proficiency in the breathing method was at Perfected? He had only just broken through, yet already he had perfect control of his strength.
He could exert himself and change direction exactly as he wished. Against his former self, a single punch would suffice. As for Tian Xiao's arrows, they had only an ordinary man's strength and archery behind them.
Several hundred meters away.
"That brat can really run. When we catch him, I'm going to make him suffer first!" Deng Li said through gritted teeth, his voice cold.
"Making someone suffer is easy. Cut his skin and pour some honey into the wounds. That'll give him a lovely time." Tian Xiao laughed loudly.
"Thank you for your help, Uncle Tian," Deng Li said ingratiatingly.
"You paid me. It's only fair I do the work."
Unconcerned, Tian Xiao looked ahead. "He may be a good runner, but he'll be on edge right now. We can follow at our own pace. Sooner or later, we'll wear him down until he dies."
"I'm worried he'll run back to the clinic."
"I'd rather he headed down the mountain. He'd be easier to cut off." To Tian Xiao, killing a person was much simpler than killing a wild animal.
"You really know your business, Uncle Tian!" Deng Li gave a fawning smile.
"Hahaha! Next time something like this comes up, just come to..."
Whoosh!
Before he finished, Tian Xiao's expression changed. He rolled to one side, and a stone as wide as a bowl's opening flew over his head.
He got up and was about to raise his bow when a figure appeared right in front of him. A kick sent the bow flying from his hand. The tremendous force knocked Tian Xiao over as well, throwing him backward.
"Lu Zhiyuan!"
Before Deng Li could understand what had happened, Lu Zhiyuan was there, kicking Tian Xiao away. Deng Li instinctively slashed at him with his woodcutting knife.
Thump!
Lu Zhiyuan kicked him in the chest. Deng Li grunted, spat blood, and flew several meters backward. He struck a large tree and slid down to sit against it.
"Young hero, this is a misunderstanding!"
The situation had reversed in an instant. Tian Xiao shouted, but Lu Zhiyuan said nothing. He stepped up to the hunter and swept his woodcutting knife toward him.
When Tian Xiao saw Lu Zhiyuan's resolve, a vicious gleam flashed in his eyes. A handful of lime powder appeared in one hand, and he flung it at Lu Zhiyuan. A dagger appeared in his other hand, and he thrust it at Lu Zhiyuan.
Slice!
Both hands flew into the air. Tian Xiao stared blankly at his arms. Then pain struck his neck, the world tumbled upside down, and everything went dark.
Expressionless, Lu Zhiyuan turned and walked toward Deng Li.
"Murderer! Lu Zhiyuan, you'll die a horrible death!" Perhaps knowing he would not survive, Deng Li hurled abuse at him.
Lu Zhiyuan swung his knife and drew it back. Deng Li slumped to one side.