“Shit!” Gray yelled.

He immediately abandoned all thoughts of stealth and leaped out of the tunnel entrance. He landed on the rocky riverbank and exploded into a full sprint, heading away from the bandits, directly upriver.

“There’s another one!”

“Chase after him!”

Angry shouts erupted.

They were coming after him but he didn’t have time to look back. He was solely focused on running. His spiritual sea opened and spiritual energy surged out, filling his body and especially his legs, giving them speed and power like a galloping horse.

His speed increased and the noise of his pursuers drifted away as he left them farther and farther behind. They were still chasing, but it seemed he would be able to get away.

Just as he was starting to feel safe, he felt a sudden chill of extreme danger. It was the same sensation he had in the past when there was a deadly beast nearby that was about to attack!

Gray made a huge jump forward and twisted his body around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black-robed figure approach at an unreasonable speed.

The man covered twenty strides in a single leap like a soaring bird. The sword held in his hand flashed under the moonlight in a deadly downward strike.

Gray extended his pickaxe with two hands and thrust the head forward. The aim was true and the horizontal pickaxe head clashed against the vertical sword blade.

Ping!

The collision caused both men to be knocked back several steps. There was a momentary pause as the assailant, Tang, seemed amazed by the result.

Gray stood there alertly, waiting for the next attack. He saw nobody else around so Tang was the only pursuer. This was good but the situation was dubious. His opponent was strong and quick, with a sword that was seriously bad news.

“I know you…” Tang finally said, his tone completely different from when he was attacking the head miner, “You’re that Gray.”

“And I know you, too. Murdering bandit, Tang Duanmu!” Gray replied.

“How did you get so strong! Stupid fatass… Tell me and I might spare your life!” Tang spat.

Gray laughed mockingly but started to carefully retreat, still facing his enemy. “Cultivation is quite easy if you have enough money. Don’t call others stupid and then ask stupid questions!”

Tang didn’t say anything but a swirl of cyan-colored energy pooled in his feet.

Woosh!

The bandit leaped at Gray, closing the distance rapidly. His sword extended in an arcing strike, a threatening attack that showed no mercy.

Gray rapidly retreated but the sword kept following him. He held out his pickaxe once more to block but the blade seemed to shift with the wind. There was a burst of cyan energy within the bandit’s hand and the attack morphed into a stab instead of a slash and slipped past Gray’s guard.

The sword tip headed straight for Gray’s neck but, in a burst of desperation, he managed to twist his arms and bring the shaft of the pickaxe up barely in time.

Clang!

“Aarrgg!” Gray screamed in pain.

He managed to force the sword away but suffered a deep gash along his left forearm.

That had been close!

This opponent was too dangerous, this fight couldn’t go on like this. He was at a disadvantage as a pickaxe was too heavy and slow against a sword that was fast and flexible. He also didn’t know how to fight properly and merely relied on his speed and his strength to overpower opponents and his tough body to absorb blows in return.

He was now facing a completely different fight. Even if his body was tough, it was still nothing against a sword and Tang obviously knew how to use it well.

This was a similar situation to the ones Gray experienced with deadly beasts in the mountains. Back then, he could match up to earth bears and timber lions in terms of speed and strength but he could not handle their sharp fangs and claws. Instincts from those times resurfaced and he already knew what he had to do… flee!

Gray kicked the ground forcefully, sending a cloud of dirt at the approaching enemy. While the bandit was distracted, Gray fled away at a full sprint.

“Come back here!” Tang shouted and gave chase.

Gray ran as fast as he could but this time, kept a close watch on the much faster enemy. When he got a little too close for comfort, Gray turned and threw a spiritual stone as hard as he could.

“Ahhh!” Tang screamed and stumbled, clutching his face.

The throw had been perfect and caught him completely off guard. It even left a bloody mark across his nose. Although there was a bit of moonlight, it was still very dark. It was hard to see the exact trajectory of the projectiles for anyone except Gray.

“Here, take this!” Gray yelled, raising another spiritual stone.

Tang raised his guard and saw what was being thrown. “What the… you’re throwing spiritual stones at me? Are you crazy?”

Gray didn’t respond and the second missile didn’t come. Instead, he turned and ran off again.

“You! Come back!”

“This guy…” Gray shook his head and continued to flee.

The two men continued along the river bank, one chasing the other, heading steadily northwest. The river twisted and turned but Gray kept his course. They were on the western bank because that was where the mines were. He wanted to cross the river and head back towards Jade Hill Town but he couldn’t find the right opportunity.

The river, not Tang Duanmu, was the biggest obstacle. The widest parts were over a hundred strides across and very deep. The narrowest parts were still too wide for a single leap and mostly likely even deeper. If Gray went into the water, he would be slowed down and left defenseless. He wouldn’t be able to dodge the attack that would inevitably follow. The only choice was to keep going upriver even though he was heading farther and farther away in the wrong direction.

The only good thing going for Gray was that his escaping tactics were effective at keeping Tang at bay. Aside from the leaping sword attack, the bandit’s pace wasn’t much faster than Gray’s. Gray’s night vision allowed him to expend less effort to run at full speed while Tang had to be careful not to trip over the uneven terrain.

Gray also had plenty of spiritual stones, more than enough to turn the bandit into a bloody mess. They were just the right size to throw as well. Tang had no way to respond and could only throw insults back at him. Just like the deadly beasts at home, a few well-timed and well-aimed stones were all it took to keep them a safe distance away.

The bandit leader became increasingly frustrated. His shouts became furious and sometimes incoherent. Gray ignored it all and simply responded with more spiritual stones.

Gray eventually got bored and called out his pursuer, “Hey, Tang! Stop chasing me and go back to your bandits. What if the miners escape?”

“Peh!” The bandit spat, “They are all tied up, with the tenth elder guarding them. what are they going to do, fly away? You’re the only loose end. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see you here. If you obediently surrender and let me tie you up, I’ll spare your life!”

“Do you think I’m stupid? Why did you kill the foreman?” Gray asked as he continued to run. “He surrendered too but you killed him just like that!”

"I didn't want to kill him!" Tang retorted hotly, "But it was the tenth elder's decision!"

"Bison shit! You could have stopped him if you are so righteous."

Tang gripped his sword tight, hands shaking from either anger or frustration, “Don’t be naïve. Don't speak of things you don't understand. This is war. He may have surrendered for his miners but his life was already forfeit.”

Gray laughed mockingly, “Oh, I understand. You’re despicable. You're elder is despicable too. That’s why you people are bandits and you’ll never be anything but bandits. We sat in the same carriage for many days, I didn’t think you were such a person!”

“The Duanmu Clan are not bandits! Jade Hill Town is home to the real bandits. You would believe me if you knew the truth!”

Gray threw an especially jagged spiritual stone which caused the bandit to trip while trying to dodge. He wasn't about to let somebody like Tang call Alisha a bandit. It was utterly ridiculous.

“What was that for? I thought we were talking!” Tang yelled.

“Your mouth is too foul. You bared talked the last time. I didn’t know you had such a big mouth. Be careful, with a mouth like that, you won’t find a good wife.” Gray said.

“That’s it, we’re done talking. I’ll kill you!” Tang said.

He then stamped his feed on the ground and leaped forward.