These demonic beings are truly despicable and shameless. If they have any guts, they should fight openly and honorably, face to face. What’s the point of stabbing someone in the back?

Stabbing someone in the back is bad enough, but at least this demon had the decency to give us a heads-up. Our White Rainbow Temple has always been merciful—we could at least help collect the corpse, right?

And then there’s Samuel Brooks as well. After killing a demon, he didn’t even give us advance notice, so it could look for its own body in time.

All that silver, just gone down the drain.

After this incident, a firm belief was planted in the young heart of Little Bear Cub: anyone who hurts others from behind, ambushes in secret, or hides their face is a real scoundrel!

“Almost there.”

Samuel Brooks looked ahead and said in a deep voice, “Next time we slay a demon, if I’m too busy to handle other matters, you must remember to grab the head in the chaos.”

Little Bear nodded solemnly and firmly.

Samuel Brooks fell silent and continued on the road with his head down.

Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats came from behind.

Samuel Brooks didn’t look back, just stepped a bit to the right side of the road.

A carriage passed along the official road.

There were four martial artists in total, riding tall horses, guarding the sides.

The horses’ hooves kicked up some dust.

Samuel Brooks covered his mouth and nose with his hand, frowning slightly.

A martial artist on the right, riding his horse, glanced over from above with a cold expression.

Samuel Brooks glanced back, unconcerned.

The dust settled, and the sound of hooves faded away.

That group gradually disappeared at the end of the official road.

Meanwhile, Samuel Brooks was left with a thin layer of dust on half his body.

He let out a light breath and shook himself.

The dust fell away, leaving him spotless.

——

Half an hour later.

The convoy approached Nanquan County.

The leading martial artist, parched, took off his water pouch and drank a sip.

After putting down the pouch, he looked ahead.

In the distance on the official road, within his line of sight, there seemed to be a figure.

He didn’t pay much attention and rode on.

As he drew near, he noticed the person had a straight back, a long sword on his back, and wore a Daoist robe—turns out he was a young Daoist priest.

There were few people on the road today. Just half an hour ago, he’d seen a young Daoist, and now, half an hour later, he encountered another one, with a similar figure. It was rather surprising.

The convoy passed by this Daoist.

The horses’ hooves kicked up dust.

The martial artist turned his head to look.

The Daoist also turned his head to look back.

“……”

The middle-aged martial artist was suddenly taken aback.

For a moment, this young Daoist looked exactly like the one he’d seen half an hour earlier.

But as he tried to look more closely, they had already passed the Daoist.

After all, riding a horse is much faster than walking.

“How strange.”

The middle-aged martial artist muttered to himself, “Could it be that I’m getting old, my eyes are failing, and my mind is getting fuzzy?”

A little absent-mindedness from poor spirits is nothing unusual.

So he didn’t dwell on it.

The convoy moved farther and farther away. Looking back, the Daoist was still walking slowly behind on the road.

As the convoy continued, the Daoist’s figure disappeared from view.

Another hour passed.

The convoy entered the boundaries of Nanquan County.

And up ahead, there seemed to be another figure.

From a distance, the figure looked straight-backed, with a long sword on his back, wearing a Daoist robe, walking slowly.

“……”

The middle-aged martial artist suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

But he still rode past the young Daoist.

He turned his head to look carefully.

But the young Daoist didn’t look at him, just kept his eyes forward.

A horse’s pace is much faster than walking.

He passed the young Daoist again.

But that handsome profile just now looked exactly like the young Daoist he’d seen earlier!

“This…”

The middle-aged martial artist’s face turned a bit grim.

The first time, maybe he was just absent-minded and mistook the face.

But this was the second time—surely he couldn’t have been mistaken again?

“Uncle Grant…”

At that moment, a young martial artist behind him whispered, “That Daoist is really strange.”

The middle-aged martial artist surnamed Grant glanced back and said in a low voice, “What did you all see?”

Another martial artist beside him pondered, “Since we set out this morning until now at noon, we’ve seen three young Daoists, all dressed the same. Could they be fellow disciples from the same sect?”

The martial artist surnamed Grant was silent for a moment, then said, “Don’t provoke, don’t pay attention, don’t stir up trouble.”

He was experienced in the ways of the world. From the start, he’d met the Daoist’s gaze and seen his face.

But the other three martial artists had only noticed the Daoist’s attire, not his face.

The martial artist surnamed Grant felt uneasy.

Were there really three young Daoists on the road, all looking exactly the same?

Or were all three actually the same person?

——

At noon.

By the roadside teahouse on the official road.

“Miss, the sun is really too hot, and we’ve drunk more than half the water. Why don’t we rest here for a bit and refill our water?”

The martial artist surnamed Grant turned his head slightly and said, “It’s only noon. We won’t reach Nanquan County until evening.”

Inside the carriage, a young woman’s voice responded.

Then, two young girls were seen getting off the carriage.