Chapter Sixteen: The Page

Compared to his earlier slow pace, upon hearing the old woman’s words, Cui Xiu did not hesitate in the slightest. He gripped the item in his hand, his body tensed, and in an instant he burst forth at his fastest speed, darting out of the forest. His mind was clear as a polished mirror; he understood that for the old woman to utter such a threat, she must possess further tricks. Though his previous schemes had bought him a few chances, he was not foolish enough to challenge her again.

After all, the two were not of the same world. No one could say what other means the old woman, a sinister spirit with strange ways, might employ. She was momentarily stunned by his reaction, then could no longer maintain her cold demeanor; her eyes widened in furious anger. She had expected Cui Xiu to be a little proud after outmaneuvering her once, and hoped to seize the opportunity to teach him the consequences of a wrong choice—never imagining he would be so cunning.

“Damn you! You won’t escape!” she snarled.

Wary of the short staff’s power, the old woman followed, but did not act directly—she had other methods. After a piercing, uncanny scream, Cui Xiu faced her next move.

As he sprinted, several skeletal hands burst from the earth, clawing for his feet! Such bizarre sorcery startled him, but thanks to the source energy, his physical reflexes had greatly improved. He leapt into the air, rolled upon landing, narrowly dodging the sudden assault.

However, once he steadied himself, he found it difficult to press forward: something blocked his path. Cui Xiu’s expression grew grave. The skeletons now barring his way made him uneasy. Though they appeared ordinary, the fact they moved like living men was extraordinary enough—let alone the weapons clutched in their hands...

With danger ahead and peril behind, Cui Xiu gritted his teeth and threw caution to the wind. He spun around and hurled the item in his hand toward the old woman.

“Here! Take it!” he shouted.

The object arced through the air, heading for her. Without hesitation, Cui Xiu seized the moment—while her attention was drawn to what he’d thrown and the skeletons faltered—he sprang forward.

He snatched a rusty longsword from one skeleton, and with a swift stroke, decapitated two others. Wasting not a single breath, he dashed out of the woods.

As he escaped, a furious howl echoed behind him—the old woman’s rage.

Cui Xiu did not look back. Before dawn, there would be yet another flight.

He had thrown away the wooden token, unsure if it bore any hidden traps from the old woman. Though the short staff could suppress it, keeping it was a liability; better to use it to distract her.

Clearly, his plan had worked.

...

Cui Xiu felt his luck was rather poor. Transported to this world and made a scholar—surely, he had some status. Yet he’d not enjoyed a single benefit of his learned station; instead, he’d been forced into the life of a wanderer, a fate that no one would envy.

Fortunately, his luck was not entirely abysmal. When daylight grew strong, the lingering pressure behind him finally dissipated.

Though he felt safer, Cui Xiu dared not relax. The strange events he’d witnessed still haunted him.

Perhaps because he had taken the short staff, or due to some change in the environment, the old woman had pursued him—and her methods grew ever more bizarre. He had barely survived.

It was only the staff’s threat that kept her at bay.

“I must’ve run a marathon these past two days,” he mused.

After a long while, Cui Xiu slowed his pace, finally allowing himself to catch his breath in great, heavy gulps.

A bitter smile crept to his lips, tinged with self-mockery—and relief at having survived.

After a brief rest, Cui Xiu tried to determine his location; he had no idea where he’d ended up. Judging by the direction he’d fled and the hour, he reckoned he must be close to Anyuan County.

After his harrowing experience, he dared not rest in any village; once he felt recovered, he resolved to walk straight back to Anyuan County.

Despite the misfortune of this ordeal, it had not been without gain.

He glanced down—the short staff was still in his left hand.

On the gray mist panel, his source energy had increased greatly.

Seeing the abundant source energy, Cui Xiu pondered and maxed out his basic swordsmanship skill.

His body trembled slightly; basic swordsmanship could be improved no further.

Previously, with the old woman in pursuit, he hadn’t dared pause for even a moment. He’d wanted to use source energy to restore his stamina, but had no chance; now, he could finally put it to use.

He felt himself recover—not as dramatic as the first time, but he regained enough strength that the walk to Anyuan County posed no difficulty.

...

“Master Cui! Is that you, Master Cui?”

Walking along the official road, Cui Xiu—once bitten, twice shy—preferred open spaces after all the shadows left on his mind. Especially the main road, which carried the breath of people and gave him a sense of security.

The sudden voice made him tense instantly.

“In broad daylight… someone’s following me?” he thought. The encounter reminded him too much of the night he’d met Little Grass.

Afraid of falling into another trap, Cui Xiu just glanced around and, seeing a small dark figure, quickened his pace.

“Master Cui, wait for me! It’s me!” the voice called, more urgent now. Cui Xiu was even less inclined to stop.

“The other day at the old woman’s! I was with my young master when we met you! Master Cui, please wait, help me!” As Cui Xiu walked faster and the figure struggled to keep up, the voice grew tearful.

Hearing this, Cui Xiu finally slowed his steps.

He thought over the words—the speaker must be Wu Yu’s pageboy. He turned to look at the small, indistinct figure.

Wu Yu’s page? Why was he here? Wasn’t he captured?

No, wait—these were things told to him by ‘Little Grass,’ or rather, the old woman...

But the boy looked utterly disheveled.

Cui Xiu grew more suspicious, and his vigilance sharpened. He tried to piece together the events of the past two days, but found them confusing; what was real and what was false, he still couldn’t say.

The only certainty was that Brother Hu did indeed want him dead, and the old woman truly meant him harm. Beyond that, it was all a fog.

Of course, Cui Xiu no longer cared to unravel it. He’d gained what he needed; since all parties sought to harm him, whatever secrets they hid, he had no desire to uncover.

Once back in Anyuan County, he planned to report to the authorities, have them investigate Liu Family Village, and thus exact revenge—he would learn more in due course.

As for the old woman...

Cui Xiu shook his head.

“Master Cui, please help—my young master is now…”

As he pondered, the figure that seemed to be Wu Yu’s page suddenly collapsed to the ground.

...