I glanced at him nervously. Zijing’s gaze flickered as though he was contemplating my words. His expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of light in his eyes, like moonlight shimmering over a still pond, quietly conveying an emotion I couldn’t quite grasp.
He eventually spoke, “I don’t have a name to pass down, and I don’t teach disciples. You don’t need to call me ‘Master’ anymore.”
Startled, I immediately replied, “Alright, Master!”
The inn quieted down as night fell. Zijing sat cross-legged by the window, meditating while I gradually fell asleep, clutching my sword. When I finally awoke, startled from my dreams, I realized we were no longer in the safety of the inn. My flying sword had taken us to a completely different location at an astonishing speed. I instinctively held onto Zijing, who was standing before me.
“What’s going on?” I asked anxiously.
“Enemies.” Zijing’s response consisted of only two words, but the weight behind them sent a chill through me. It was only then that I noticed the faint lights flickering in the distance, far too many for comfort. I gasped, “That many?!”
Could Zijing really have so many people after him?
Zijing didn’t reply. With a flick of his hand, his sword shifted direction. Suddenly, a shadowy figure lunged toward him, their weapon glinting in the moonlight. Zijing reacted with precision, his body spinning midair to parry the attack. Within moments, the fight ended as Zijing’s blade sliced cleanly through the opponent.
I was left clutching my sword, still dazed by the sudden assault. Zijing didn’t stop moving, quickly flying us deeper into the dense forest. The sword’s glow illuminated the path as he dodged incoming projectiles and moved with calculated grace.
As we landed, I finally had the courage to glance back. The faint glimmer of light from the pursuing enemies was growing dimmer, but I knew they were far from giving up. Zijing’s expression remained calm as he instructed, “Stay close.”
The faint sound of “enemies” rang in my ears like a quiet warning. The moonlight above cast eerie shadows over the ground, its light reflecting off the cold steel of swords.
Escape seemed impossible.
At that moment, I truly understood what it meant to follow someone like Zijing.
“Master…” I turned my head, wanting to check on Zijing. Ahead of us was a dense forest, shrouded in darkness, with the mountain mist hanging heavy in the air. The enemy’s torches flickered faintly in the distance, drawing nearer. But before I could say more, I noticed the blood on Zijing’s shoulder—his white robes stained dark. Alarmed, I exclaimed, “Master, are you hurt? Didn’t you say you’d already dealt with them?”
“Did you see three arms growing out of my back?” Zijing’s voice was cold, laced with irritation.
I swallowed hard and refrained from replying further. Instead, I tried to steady my breath, suppressing the surge of panic that had risen in my chest. Turning my head to glance behind us, I saw the pursuers growing closer. I tried to push myself to move faster, but I could barely keep up with Zijing’s speed.
“Master, I can’t keep up anymore!” I called out.
“Do you want to die?”
“You said, if I can’t keep up, you’ll abandon me! I’ll hold them off for you!”
At that, Zijing’s expression turned even colder. Without looking at me, he replied, “Quickly shut up and follow me. I’ll handle them.”
I had no choice but to grit my teeth and push on, refusing to let fear paralyze me.
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