In the shadows at the end of the alley, three men were cornering a young woman.
The leader appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, while the other two were slightly younger.
All three were dressed in the tight-fitting, short-robed attire common among martial artists in the area, their clothes a dingy gray, washed so many times they had become stiff. Thick leather bracers were wrapped around their wrists, and their waists bulged, revealing the cloth-wrapped hilts of hardwood sabers.
It was the typical getup of a local martial artist.
However, their steps were unsteady, their postures slack, their cheekbones prominent, and their eyes sunken.
One glance was enough to tell they were just street thugs who knew a few moves, the kind who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
But even if they were just thugs, they were more than Bai Chen could handle at the moment.
Bai Chen shrank back, lightening his steps as he quietly retreated along the edge of the wall.
Less trouble was better than more. Other people's business had nothing to do with him.
As he slowly turned to leave, the young woman trapped in the corner spoke.
"You were the ones blocking the way, and you dare blame me for bumping into you?"
The lead thug sneered, "You bump into us and don't even offer an apology? You've got some nerve, little girl."
"Apologize?"
The young woman sounded as if she had just heard a joke. She tilted her chin high and raised her voice.
"You think you're worthy of my apology? Do you have any idea who I am?"
The three thugs burst into laughter.
"I don't care who you are. You bumped into us, so either pay up—hand over all your valuables—or keep us company for a while, and we'll call it even."
The young woman's face flushed with anger, her tone turning vicious.
"Shameless! How dare you harass me? I've memorized all three of your faces! My uncle is Feng Yang, an elder of the Hexu Sect's Dan Peak! Just wait until I go back and tell him. I'll have him skin you alive, pull out your tendons, and feed you to the beasts in the demon territory!"
Bai Chen, who had already slipped away to the street corner, couldn't help but grimace when he heard this.
Was this girl's brain waterlogged?
Thugs like these feared nothing more than retaliation from sect cultivators.
They had no background, no backing. Once a celestial sect set its sights on them, there was no escape.
If she had just obediently offered some money, they might have taken advantage of her a bit, but they would have been wary of causing too much trouble within Shunhe Square.
But now, she had come right out and said she'd memorized their faces and would have her uncle come after them.
It seemed she wasn't going to make it out of here alive today.
Hiding behind the street corner, Bai Chen couldn't resist his curiosity and peeked back for another look.
Sure enough, the playful expressions on the three thugs' faces had vanished.
The greed in the leader's eyes faded, replaced by a ruthless, cold glint.
His voice dropped, a hint of killing intent already seeping through. "Your uncle is Feng Yang, an elder of the Hexu Sect's Dan Peak?"
The young woman, still oblivious to the danger, raised her chin arrogantly. "That's right!"
"No matter how skilled you three are in martial arts, you're still just mortals. How dare you block my path? If you kneel and kowtow three times right now, I might still spare your lives!"
Her words undoubtedly solidified the three thugs' resolve to silence her for good.
It was clear this girl hadn't officially begun her cultivation journey. Otherwise, with her temper, she would have put them in their place the moment they met.
Her lack of cultivation was a good thing for them.
As long as they were quick, they could finish her off and escape before the Shunhe Square patrol arrived.
Once they were gone, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Who would ever know they were the ones responsible?
Killing intent flickered in the three men's eyes as they gripped the iron swords at their waists.
Meanwhile, a war was raging in Bai Chen's mind.
To save her, or not to save her?
He hadn't officially started cultivating yet; he was just an ordinary person.
Against three martial arts-practicing thugs, he stood no chance.
The first rule of survival in a cultivation world was to mind your own business.
Only by lying low could one hope to live to see the grand finale.
According to his personality, he should just pretend he hadn't seen a thing.
But the girl had said her uncle was Elder Feng Yang of the Hexu Sect's Dan Peak.
Although he didn't know what her talent was, her uncle was a Hexu Sect elder, and she was here at the foot of the Hexu Sect's mountain at this time. As a close blood relative, her talent couldn't be poor.
She should at least have a Green Quality Talent Entry.
The Hexu Sect's Mountain Gate was opening the day after tomorrow, and he still hadn't managed to copy a suitable entry.
If this girl had just one suitable entry for him to copy, it would be a huge win.
There were only three of them, and none were cultivators.
Even if he couldn't beat them, he could probably escape.
Besides, he had a secret weapon.
Bai Chen felt the cloth sack on his back.
Inside was a giant "firecracker" he had made before leaving home, a single stick as long as his forearm.
After transmigrating, he had secretly tinkered with gunpowder for his own safety.
Perhaps due to issues with the formula or his technique, the best he could produce was something more akin to a firecracker, with insufficient killing power.
But what it lacked in lethality, it made up for in volume.
He had no other skills. A lone traveler needed something for self-defense.
If it couldn't kill them, it could scare them to death. And if it created enough smoke, it could serve as a perfect tool for escape.
Those three weren't cultivators. If he could bluff them for just a few seconds, he'd have a chance to grab the girl and run.
And the massive bang from the firecracker would surely attract the Shunhe Square patrol.
He just needed to run with the girl for one minute.
One minute...
Bai Chen glanced at the road behind him.
The first thing he had done upon arriving at Shunhe Square was to memorize all the streets. He might not be able to navigate them with his eyes closed, but he was confident he could run around for a few minutes without getting caught.
If worst came to worst, he could just throw the girl at them. His chances of success were at least eighty percent.
That should be enough.
While Bai Chen's mind was racing, the three thugs had closed in on the young woman.
She, however, still hadn't grasped the urgency of the situation and was still berating them.
"I'm warning you, don't try anything funny! Or you'll regret it!"
A savage grin spread across the lead thug's face as he suddenly drew his sword and lunged at her.
In the nick of time, a figure shot out from the shadows of the alley corner!
Bai Chen had already torn a strip from his robes and tied it around his face, leaving only a pair of clear eyes exposed.
He kicked off the wall, launching himself into the air with a powerful leap, and roared, "Halt! Behold my Thunderous Firecracker!"
A lit firecracker, the size of a man's arm, whistled through the air toward the three men.
The thugs' nerves were already stretched taut. The words "Thunderous Firecracker" made their hearts clench!
They saw a thick, stick-like object, as wide as a child's arm, hissing as it flew straight for their heads!
The Shunhe Square patrol is here?
So soon?!
This stick flying at them, is it some kind of magical artifact from the Hexu Sect?!
The Hexu Sect people are using artifacts on mortals like us right from the start?!
Have they no shame?!
In that split second, a thousand chaotic thoughts flashed through their minds.
The lead thug reacted fastest, letting out a low growl as he swung his iron sword at the incoming "Thunderous Firecracker."
Whatever this artifact was, whether he could block it or not, he had to try!
But before his sword could connect, the "Thunderous Firecracker" exploded in mid-air.
Proofreader: Peter Pan