Chapter Fourteen: Zhao Hu’s Assessment (Part Two)

"Presumably, everyone understands now. Enter the mountain," the scar-faced man announced, his gaze sweeping over the group. Seeing no one else speak, he made a broad gesture, and a shaft of light appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the gathered youths. Their vision went black, and when it returned, they found themselves standing in an endless, verdant forest.

After steadying himself, Zhao Hu carefully surveyed his surroundings. He saw no one else nearby; clearly, all the candidates had been scattered to different locations. Without lingering, he oriented himself, then strode forward.

Though the mountain's peak was just over seven kilometers away in a straight line, the actual distance to traverse was no less than a hundred kilometers. For someone whose body refinement had reached the fifth tier, climbing the mountain in three days was no great challenge. But with countless wild beasts roaming among these mountains, the outcome was less certain.

Sure enough, Zhao Hu had only covered about three kilometers when a spotted leopard barred his path. The creature was nearly two meters long, sixty centimeters tall, its violet-green eyes flashing with a hint of bloodlust. It sprawled boldly across the trail, fixing Zhao Hu with a cold, hostile glare.

Zhao Hu halted and, with a backward motion, drew the long spear slung across his back. The leopard seemed to take this as a provocation. The very instant Zhao Hu gripped his spear, the leopard let out a roar, pressed its forepaws to the earth, and in a blur, leapt at him. The five or six meters between them vanished in a heartbeat—the beast was upon him.

But Zhao Hu did not panic. As the leopard lunged, he sidestepped half a pace, shifted his body, and his long spear became a flickering shadow, stabbing up at the leopard’s jaw from an angle. There was a dull thud as the spear tip pierced through. The beast let out a shriek, blood gushing from its neck like a fountain. Zhao Hu darted back several steps, narrowly avoiding a soaking in the leopard’s blood.

The leopard crashed to the ground, its limbs twitching, then lay still. The spear quivered where it had lodged in the beast’s neck. Zhao Hu stepped forward, yanked the weapon free, then quickly drew a dagger from his breast. With expert efficiency, he flayed the skin from the foreleg and removed the entire limb, storing it in a sack before moving on. During this trial, the candidates were required not only to reach the summit within three days, but also to subsist off what they could find. Leopards might not be the fiercest, but their meat was quite delicious—Zhao Hu knew this well from frequent hunting trips with his father.

Barely a few minutes after Zhao Hu left, two Split-Toothed Hounds, drawn by the scent of blood, arrived. In no time, they stripped the leopard’s carcass clean. Each of these mutated beasts possessed the combat power of a fifth-tier human; had Zhao Hu lingered, facing both at once would have been a grave challenge.

After the leopard, Zhao Hu encountered two vicious wolves and a wild boar with black hide. Each of these creatures matched a fifth-tier human in strength. Dispatching them cost him significant energy, and as noon approached, Zhao Hu chose a spot to rest and roast some meat. He cleaned the two leopard legs, sliced them into strips, and set them over the fire.

As the fat sizzled and the aroma of roasting meat spread, Zhao Hu picked out a well-cooked piece and, not minding the heat, bit off a large chunk, chewing with relish. After one piece, still unsatisfied, he reached for a second—when suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He instantly halted, turning to see two unfamiliar boys standing some ten meters away, their eyes unfriendly and intent. Both looked about thirteen or fourteen. One was small and wiry, with shifty features; the other was tall, lean, and well-dressed in a blue martial suit, his face clear-cut and handsome.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Zhao Hu demanded, alarmed. The sect's trial had not explicitly stated whether candidates could attack one another, but neither had it forbidden it. Usually, everyone focused on reaching the summit as quickly as possible and avoided pointless conflict, but these two clearly had other intentions.

"Nothing much," sneered the smaller youth, his gaze cold. "I just don’t like the look of you. You have two choices: first, crush your jade token and give up the trial; second, die."

Zhao Hu had no patience for such threats. Gripping his spear, he rose to his feet. "If you’ve come looking for trouble, spare me the nonsense. Let’s settle this with our skills." One of his opponents was at the fifth tier, the other had reached the sixth. Facing them both would not be easy, but Zhao Hu felt no fear—on the contrary, fighting spirit blazed in his eyes.

"Heh, this one’s got backbone," chuckled the tall youth, signaling his companion. One drew a saber, the other a sword, and together they lunged at Zhao Hu. He swept his spear to meet them, and the three clashed fiercely. After exchanging a dozen blows, they broke apart, each catching his breath. Zhao Hu’s clothing was slashed in several places, his breathing labored, and he looked somewhat battered; but his opponents were equally disheveled and short of breath—no one had gained the upper hand.

They hadn’t expected him to be so tough. The tall youth frowned, a hint of retreat in his heart. They’d only come after Zhao Hu at someone else’s instigation, having been offered a reward. They’d assumed that, working together, they could easily overwhelm a ten-year-old who’d just reached the fifth tier. But Zhao Hu had proven far harder to handle.

Almost everyone taking the trial had the same goal: to join the Moonwatching Sect. Both youths were talented and unwilling to risk their chances for a little extra profit. Exchanging a glance, they said nothing, but abruptly withdrew and vanished into the forest.

Zhao Hu made no move to pursue. He’d already fought them to a draw with all his strength; chasing them would only force them into a corner, which might end poorly for him. As their figures disappeared into the woods, he finally let out a deep breath, his tense nerves relaxing at last.

He wondered who had targeted him. Glancing at the now-charred meat, he muttered to himself. Though just ten years old, he understood that no one would pick a fight without reason, especially during the trial.

But the answer was unlikely to reveal itself any time soon. Unable to puzzle it out, Zhao Hu pushed the thought aside. He packed the remaining roasted meat into his bag and continued on his way.