It was the seventh day.
Zhang Rongfang opened his eyes on the sturdy hardwood bed.
He had just had a dream, dreaming of returning to the modern society of his previous life.
He was still a small copywriter responsible for drafting speeches for the leaders at his unit. Unfortunately, once he opened his eyes...
"It's time to get up. Otherwise, that Xiao Qingying guy will disappear again."
He took a deep breath, drawing in the cool air into his lungs to wake himself up quickly.
If Xiao Qingying got into trouble, he would certainly be in for a disaster, so whether he wanted to or not, he had to keep a close eye on this guy.
Turning over, Zhang Rongfang quickly dressed, washed up, and went out.
He walked to the house where Xiao Qingying was staying temporarily in the village and waited.
He bought some scallion oil pancakes as breakfast from a villager at a nearby house.
Zhang Rongfang didn't wait long before seeing Xiao Qingying leave the house, dressed neatly and moving swiftly, running towards the village exit.
His heart skipped a beat; after so many days without any trouble, he thought this guy had settled down, frightened by the last incident.
Now it seems that he was waiting here?
Watching Xiao Qingying run farther and farther, Zhang Rongfang ignored everything and quickly followed.
If Xiao Qingying really got into trouble, Xiao Rong might actually kill him when he returned.
A master killing a disciple for some reason, even if outsiders or officials came, would at most draw a few reproaches; no one would interfere.
This was also a source of Zhang Rongfang's frustration.
Although he was very grateful to Xiao Rong for promoting him to a cultivation disciple, breaking free from his previous role as a menial worker, his current situation, where he was totally tied to Xiao Qingying, also made him suffocate.
Especially since Xiao Qingying was not someone who would keep things in order.
Zhang Rongfang put aside his thoughts and followed the chase.
Following Xiao Qingying, who was clearly aware of being followed, but didn't care.
Before long, the two left the village and stopped in a small forest behind it.
Someone was already waiting there.
Zhang Rongfang glanced over and his heart sank immediately.
The person waiting was Chen Wuyou!
This guy's surveillance point must be nearby, otherwise he wouldn't dare come over so directly.
Xiao Qingying and Chen Wuyou quickly got close, becoming increasingly intimate.
Zhang Rongfang noticed people following behind Chen Wuyou as well, clearly there for protection like himself.
Speechlessly, he simply hid behind a tree trunk, moved a stone, and sat down to wait for the two to finish their amorous interaction.
While Zhang Rongfang was waiting.
A figure draped in a straw raincoat was stealthily, with minimal movement, creeping up from behind him.
This person held a dagger, his eyes cold and cruel, as if Zhang Rongfang was no more than ordinary prey.
The distance was closing quickly.
As the man drew nearer to Zhang Rongfang, his movements became increasingly quiet and careful.
Though the target was merely an ordinary Daoist with no rank.
Though he had previously worked with teammates even to kill capable, ranked individuals.
But if he could accomplish the task quietly without alerting the authorities, that would be perfect.
If discovered, he could still drive the target forward, allowing the surrounding bandits to encircle, solving it within ten breaths.
This time the leader had said, whoever got the first hit would get half the bounty!
Thinking of this, a glint of greed flashed in the bandit's eyes.
With his skills.... Hmm!? Where is he!?
In just an instant of distraction, his target had disappeared from sight?
The bandit was startled, worrying he had been discovered, but looked around.
The target was cautiously moving his body, shifting to a different position.
'This guy....' The bandit smirked.
Watching Zhang Rongfang moving while cautiously looking around, the bandit avoided being discovered and quickly crouched down.
After waiting a while, he looked up again, finding himself further from the target.
Taking a deep breath, the bandit resolved to continue lurking, slowly edging closer to the target again.
After a while, just as he was about to close in, Zhang Rongfang started moving again.
This guy changed places, looking around sneakily, moving to a further location, squatting down.
The bandit struggled to approach, only to find the distance had grown again, feeling a pang in his heart.
This time he decided to stand still, to see what was going on with this guy.
So he lay there motionlessly.
Sure enough, as he had speculated, Zhang Rongfang started running again before long.
This time moving even further, seemingly circling around the couple chatting intimately at the center.
Feeling like this guy was simply cowardly, changing his position periodically? Never staying in one place for long?
"I....." The bandit was stifled, unsure how to relieve his frustration.
But he was not willing to give up, seeing success so close, with half the bounty dangling imminently, refusing to try, he felt discontent!
Back when following the big brother in uprising, wasn't it also for the money, unable to survive otherwise?
Now the opportunity was here, a gamble might....
Suddenly!!
An abrupt pain exploded from the bandit's hand.
He glanced down to find a bamboo-made animal trap the size of a fist deeply embedded in his forearm.
The massive power of the rubber band, combined with the sharp teeth, had nearly severed his right hand.
Aaaahhh!!!
The bandit let out a scream, erupting suddenly, startling flocks of wild birds into chaotic flight.
Zhang Rongfang was startled by the shriek ahead.
He hastily turned around, spotting a figure jumping out of the bushes, trying to run, but pulled down by the trap rope, crashing to the ground.
Suddenly!
Landing face-first onto a second trap....
"Tragic!...." Zhang Rongfang looked away with pity; previously, out of fear, he had sought out villagers, hunters in the area, buying many homemade traps.
Each time he entered the woods, he would place one along the way.
These bamboo traps were commonly used by village hunters, something everyone could make.
Moreover, this mountain village, deep in the mountains, was least short of such things.
Thus, Zhang Rongfang quite fortunately bought dozens, stuffed them in a bag, ever ready.
Since the traumatic outing last, now stepping into forests, he felt as though everywhere was occupied.
"Such good stuff.... Cheap and effective, perfect for mountain and dense forest environments, defends while providing meals. Besides the short duration, no drawbacks at all."
Zhang Rongfang gazed as the person rolled about on the ground, bleeding all over, feeling pity.
He then picked up a fist-sized stone and walked closer, aiming it fiercely at the person.
Pff.
The stone luckily hit the person's neck directly.
The person immediately fell, neck twisted grotesquely, twitching on the ground, unclear if merely unconscious or...
Zhang Rongfang sighed inwardly; since witnessing a corpse last time, he had developed a much grimmer disposition.
Not so tense about blood or anything like that anymore.
He slowly approached, searching the nearby ground for stones, but unfortunately couldn't find a suitable one.
So, he bent down and picked up the only one, a white millstone-sized stone.
"Let's go!"
He threw it forcefully.
Bang!!
A heavy thud on the ground, accompanied by the sound of bone breaking.
"Too miserable...." Zhang Rongfang couldn't bear to watch anymore.
He felt he was still too kind-hearted. That person was sneakily following him, even wearing a disguise of dry grass cape, obviously suspicious.
Yet he dared not strike hard.
This time, he approached again, the millstone-sized stone hit the person's back, bending them into a strange curve.
Zhang Rongfang got closer, and could clearly see the bloody and mangled appearance, his heart churned.
He wasn't disgusted, but afraid, terrified.
There isn't the stable social environment of the previous life here, no cameras everywhere, and no tight and powerful national forces.
Here, human life is like this person before him, two animal traps, two stones, gone.
"Such a big stone, hitting the body, must be very painful...?" Zhang Rongfang squatted down and whispered.
"And such sharp animal traps...." He reached out to pry open the bandit's hand, but with the flesh and blood mangled, couldn't even find where the hand was, only found a rusty short dagger.
"Sigh, just looking at this is really painful!"
Zhang Rongfang let go, watching the bandit's body convulsing continually.
He gritted his teeth, quickly tore open the bandit's clothes, searched pockets, and looked for the waist pouch.
Found a brown leather pouch, tied to the opponent's waist with a rope.
He stuffed it into his own carrying hemp sack, then quickly stood up and left. Going to retrieve his other animal traps.
In this kind of forest, where trees are dense, bows and arrows aren't handy, rather traps are very useful.
The bamboo animal traps are green by nature, making them easy to camouflage.
After finishing these, Zhang Rongfang's heart still felt uneasy. What if the opponent wasn't caught by the trap?
Although he placed over twenty traps around, what if the person was lucky, cautious by nature, noticed the traps?
Then he....
Once again realizing the danger of this world, Zhang Rongfang looked up at Xiao Qingying.
The scream just now was so loud, Xiao Qingying and Chen Wuyou not far away.... hmm? Where are the people?
Zhang Rongfang suddenly realized, the two people who were in view just now, are now unexpectedly gone.
"Not good! Something's going to happen!" Zhang Rongfang's heart tightened, immediately took out a military signaling tube from his clothes, ignited it, and sprayed it upwards.
Biu!
The fireworks exploded above the forest.
The bright fireworks instantly illuminated the shadows of this section of the forest.
Great Spirit officers in the village saw the fireworks, the leading Namu Stone twitched his mouth, had to take another Daoist male together and rush over.
About ten soldiers also rushed to the fireworks explosion site.
The captain of the soldiers, Yang Xuanchao, fully equipped, drew his waist knife and dashed, showcasing the prowess of a third-grade expert in his prime, faster than the others.
At this moment beside Zhang Rongfang, several other mountain bandits ready to rush out and attack were stunned.
They hadn't had time to rush out yet?!
How could this target be so afraid of death?!
Several mountain bandits turned back to escape into the mountains, but one left glanced at Zhang Rongfang, a large bounty so close!
He gritted his teeth, hurriedly charged at Zhang Rongfang.
As long as he kills this person within ten breaths....
"There's still time!"
This bandit, grimacing, holding a dagger, rapidly approached Zhang Rongfang.
He could see the other's hand trembling from fear.
He could win!
With money, who the hell would still want to be a bandit!?
The distance between the two closed rapidly.
Ten meters.
Five meters!
Two meters!!
Zhang Rongfang gasped sharply, he could also see the rusty dagger in the opponent's hand.
That is a rusty knife!
What if he gets wounded and gets tetanus??!
What if his first strike hits my head?!
What if he's stronger than me??
What if he's an expert??
What if he throws out the dagger!?
What if he suddenly throws sand!?
What if....
What if...
Countless worries, fears, anxieties flickered through Zhang Rongfang's mind swiftly.
His face slightly twisted, lips slightly parted. Fixedly watching the figure rushing towards him.
This is his first time about to fight with someone, and a life-or-death battle!
'Body couldn't move....!'
'What should I do now?'
'Block it?!'
'Use the dagger?'
'Use arm or leg?'
'No! Even if I can block the first, there'll be second, third strikes!'
'If I only block, there's no way to predict what moves he'll use!!'
'So....only kill him first!'
'He's dead! Can't move!'
'Only then I can survive!!'
Zhang Rongfang's pupils dilated.
Countless Qi and Blood surged rapidly, he felt his arms tingling, blood flowing into both arms.
The heartbeat like the sound of drums.
"Who wants me dead..."
"I'll kill him first!!!"
Whish! A sack full of animal traps hurled out, crashing toward the attacker.
Zhang Rongfang's arms like a giant python, instinctively fully bursting out, a Guan Yang Needle strike directly delivering!
No holding back, Qi force of blood cultivation level, wholly infused in this strike.