Yun Ling handed the Lion King Cub in his arms to the wolf as he looked at the newcomer coldly.

“Courting death,” Yun Ling said as he gripped his sword tightly.

That person’s attack was filled with killing intent. Had he not dodged or parried that sword on time, he would have been injured grievously or worse, died. Yun Ling didn’t take too kindly to that.

During his fight with the Riverspan Sect disciples back then, there was also a disciple who sneakily attacked him by launching a sword to his face. Yun Ling wasn’t pleased with that but he didn’t do anything to the disciple since he was the one who attacked them first. It was only natural that they would fight back. Not to mention, his life wasn’t actually in danger. Even if that disciple’s sword hit his face, it wouldn’t have harmed him since he didn’t have enough strength to do that.

The person before him was different though. His attack could have truly severely injured him.

The wolf took his son from Yun Ling, and quickly went to the side, getting out of their way. The Lion King Cub woke up from all the commotion but promptly went back to sleep after it was told by his father to go back to sleep.

After handing the Lion King Cub over to the wolf, Yun Ling immediately launched himself forward with sword in hand.

The newcomer’s eyes widened.

‘Fast!’ he thought as he evaded Yun Ling’s sword at the last second. He then leaped backward, trying to make a distance between him and Yun Ling. However, the latter didn’t give him much leeway as he was suddenly upon him in the next second.

Yun Ling rapidly thrust his sword towards the newcomer. The newcomer was unluckily not able to dodge the sword. He was stabbed three times in his body. Two on each side of his shoulder, and one in his left bicep. When he saw Yun Ling’s fourth stab heading towards his throat, the newcomer gritted his teeth and suddenly vanished from Yun Ling’s sight.

Yun Ling’s pupils constricted.

‘Where did he go?’

When he thought that, he heard a loud rumble of thunder coming from the place where the newcomer had disappeared travel to his back.

Yun Ling turned around and saw the newcomer making a hacking motion with his sword as he aimed towards his body. Seeing this, Yun Ling quickly put up his sword to block the newcomer’s attack.

Just as their swords were about to make contact with each other, the newcomer disappeared once again from Yun Ling’s vision.

‘Not good!’ Yun Ling’s eyes widened. He quickly tilted his body to the side, barely dodging the newcomer’s sword which passed just beside his face. Yun Ling then took a few steps backward, making a distance between him and the newcomer.

He then heard a rumble of thunder coming from the newcomer’s direction.

The newcomer didn’t follow up his attack. He merely remained standing, watching Yun Ling cautiously as blood dripped down his shoulders and his bicep. It was the wound he got from Yun Ling’s sword. His wounds were hurting but it was nothing he couldn’t endure.

Yun Ling felt a warm and wet sensation flowing down his right cheek. He kept a tight grip of his sword on his right hand as his left hand touched his right cheek. He looked at his left hand afterward and saw blood on it.

It turns out he wasn’t able to completely dodge it.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding here,” the newcomer said to Yun Ling. He was hoping to end this conflict as soon as he could.

“Misunderstanding? Are you telling me you were about to kill me just because of a misunderstanding?” Yun Ling asked mockingly. This guy suddenly attacked him out of the blue without any provocation whatsoever. There was no way Yun Ling would just let him get away with that easily.

The newcomer was a bit sheepish as he answered, “That… I thought you were an enemy.”

“Well, you’ve just made me your enemy.”

The next thing the newcomer knew, Yun Ling suddenly disappeared from his sight and then reappear right in front of him.

“Wha?!” he was caught off guard at the sudden increase of Yun Ling’s speed. He didn’t even see him move!

Yun Ling stabbed his sword forward, aiming its tip towards the newcomer’s throat.

The newcomer’s eyes widened. Yun Ling was too fast. Unlike earlier, he could no longer react to his moves. It looks like he’s doomed this time.

When Yun Ling’s sword was mere millimeters away from the newcomer’s throat, it instantly stopped mid-air. A deafening rumble of thunder followed seconds after Yun Ling stopped.

The newcomer looked at Yun Ling in surprise once again. That was the same supreme art he used.

“Why did you stop?” he asked.

Yun Ling scoffed as he kicked the newcomer in the gut, making him fly a few meters away.

“Ugh!”

Yun Ling kept his sword back to his storage ring as he looked at the newcomer groaning on the ground.

“Wen Baishi, why did you attack me?”

“Y-You knew it was me?” Wen Baishi clutched his stomach as he asked. How did he know? He didn’t have the same appearance as he did the first time they met.

“Would I be calling your name if I didn’t?” Yun Ling asked sarcastically.

“Ugh, since when?” Wen Baishi ignored his sarcasm as he slowly got up from the ground.

“Answer me first.”

Wen Baishi saw the cold look on Yun Ling’s eyes and shivered a little.

“I thought you were one of the disciples chasing me onto this place so I struck first. Do forgive me for attacking you so suddenly,” Wen Baishi answered honestly and didn’t dare lie. Back in Shenlan City, although he was amazed that Yun Ling was the little brother of Yun Hui, he didn’t think too highly of him. It was only after this fight that he realized how strong and terrifying he was.

“So”—Yun Ling narrowed his eyes at him—“what are you even doing here in the Thousand Mountain Valley, Wen Baishi? Or should I call you, Mr. Fugitive?”