Legend of the Divine Archer

Additionally, the little girl behind him would be an unfortunate victim.

"Tsk! Useless." The leader turned to his men, "Spread out. She should not be far. If we let her reach the city, it's over for us." On cue, they spread out in multiple directions, the leader following after them.

After making sure they were out of his range, Yan Jin said, "They are gone, you can come down." A hand with claws swiftly dropped from the tree, aiming straight at Yan Jin's neck. He instantly moved to the side as the claw grazed his face. He immediately countered by grabbing the assailant's arm, executing an over-the-shoulder judo throw, and slamming them to the ground.

He then stepped on her head, pinning her to the ground. "Who are you?" he asked. The following series of grunts proved he was not going to get an answer to his first question, so he stepped harder while pulling at the trapped arm. "You have three sentences to convince me not to snap your neck right here," he said, using the carrot and stick method to fish for information during interrogation.

A bright and delicate voice came from the captive. "I am Meng Xiao, daughter of the Meng patriarch of Pine City—ugh, let go."

"Two sentences left."

"I am being hunted by the Yan family because I kicked their young master. Aghhh—"

"I found a celestial ore…"

"Tell me exactly what happened," he said while relaxing his grip a little bit.

"We saw the birth of treasure phenomenon from the city. By the time we arrived, the Golden Warriors had taken custody of the scene. We could only rummage through the outskirts of the perimeter for scraps. That's where I found this piece of celestial ore. We have been fighting with the Yan and Fu families ever since.

My escort died so I could take the ore back home." By the time she was finished telling her story, Yan Jin had released her.

Right now, he was busy packing his stuff and getting moving with his journey. Meng Xiao immediately sat up and sized up her pseudo-savior, surprised that he was blind and that she could not find a trace of bloodline energy in him. He appeared totally mortal. "Please help me make it to Pine City. My family will reward you."

Yan Jin ignored her and continued his journey while dragging Xiao Xiao along. The poor girl had been terrified by the whole ordeal. "She is following us," Xiao Xiao murmured to Yan Jin.

"I know. Ignore her," he replied, focusing on the journey.

At least now, he had somewhat of an idea of what had happened to the Little Creek Village. If a force like the Golden Warriors was involved, the chance of the villagers making it out alive was very low. Expending his soul force Yan Jin had managed to navigate around pursuer and obstacles until the night fell.

Meng Xiao was incredibly puzzled by Yan Jin. Too many inconsistencies around his being made the maiden more curious about him. Yan Jin found a safe spot to spend the night. With Xiao Xiao's help, he set up the bedding and started a fire. He took out some preserved meat to roast.

Xiao Xiao had regained some complexion; her face was a bit livelier, and she was reading her little book to pass time before sleep. For the first time, Yan Jin took out the black hammer gifted by the old blacksmith. He caressed the hammer, feeling out its shape and design. It was very light, much smaller than any hammer he had used at the workshop.

He grazed the insignia on the hilt, making out the shape of a flame with a harp at the center.

Entranced by the little treasure and exhausted from using his soul power, he failed to notice Meng Xiao's intrusion into their camp until she asked, "Are you a BloodSmith?" Yan Jin raised his head as if to look at her before refocusing on the hammer, completely ignoring her. "It's a blood tool. You need to bind it with blood and use blood energy to activate it," she continued.

"Have you contacted your family?" asked Yan Jin while tucking away his hammer.

"Yes!" She answered enthusiastically, "they should be picking me up soon."

"Tell me about Pine City," he added, extending a piece of roasted meat.

"Pine City? Well, it's a grade 5 city with 50,000 residents. Trade is the main activity controlled by three main families: the Yan family for blood tools, the Fu family for transport escorts, and the Meng family for resources…..*munch*…. Of course, there is a branch of the Golden Warriors and the City Lord appointed by the Emperor…. *This is so good!*"

The information she provided was consistent with what he knew. Much hadn't changed in the past 10 years, he mused. As the cogs spun in his mind, a creepy smile formed on his face.

Sensing the killing intent, Meng Xiao backed up a little bit but not enough to avoid the kick delivered by Yan Jin. It was so abrupt she could only block while being pushed back a couple of meters. By the time she regained her balance, a large spear was planted on the spot where she had been sitting.

Immediately she circulated her bloodline, displaying a peak awakened-level cultivation. Claws grew out of her fingertips, and the aura around her turned baleful as she faced the five incoming figures from the opposite side.

They were the same Yan bloodline warriors from earlier. "I finally found you, Meng Bitch," the leader said, extending his hand and attracting the spear he had thrown before.

Unexpectedly, the spear did not budge. In the cloud of dust created earlier, he could see the blind beggar firmly holding the spear down, stopping it from moving. His face was half-covered by his disheveled hair. "I let you leave earlier, but it seems you don't value your life," Yan Jin said.

A loud roar resonated, similar to a thunderclap shaking the forest. By the time it was over, Yan Jin was seen dragging the leader of the Yan warriors with a lariat move.

The remaining Yan warriors froze for a moment, startled by the unexpected development. Meng Xiao, sensing an opportunity, lunged at the nearest one with her claws extended, catching him off guard. Her attack was swift and precise, snapping her opponent's neck before he could react.

It was a three vs one she felt much more comfortable dealing with the situation.