Su Jin leaned back in the raft, breathing hard.
Blood continued to flow from the hole in his shoulder.
The fight had been brief, but the strain on his mind had been immense.
Neither side understood the other well. On balance, Su Jin had suffered more for it.
Lu Mingxuan had years of fighting experience and something close to magical powers.
If Su Jin understood those arts, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state.
Following Su Jin's simple directions, Yunlian steered the raft with its control lever and kept glancing at him.
Du Wenyan knelt beside him. "Brother Wu, how are you? Have you got some cloth? I can bandage the wound."
"It'll be fine with medicine and a few days' rest. Don't worry."
Su Jin nodded and handed her medical gauze.
Then he took out a bottle of alcohol and poured it over the wound.
Pain flared through his shoulder. He gritted his teeth but made no sound.
With his current constitution, disinfection might not be necessary, but he needed to practice bearing pain.
Outside the desperation of a fight for his life, pain was harder to ignore. He needed to get used to it.
Du Wenyan steadied him and began wrapping the wound.
Her hand drew back at the first touch of his skin, then she worked faster. As if asking casually, she said, "Brother Wu, I think I saw you take out a beautiful woman. Was that a person? How many things did the immortal give you?"
"A dummy. The immortal gave me more things than I can count," Su Jin said with a strained smile.
He'd bought a great deal online. Most of it was food, but there were plenty of other odds and ends.
As for the silicone doll... That was simple. He needed a good target for archery practice.
It could also help him build resistance to seduction. A thoroughly scientific, practical purchase.
"Brother Wu, you seemed faster than Lu Mingxuan. Why was he able to put you on the defensive?" Du Wenyan asked.
"Not enough experience. I fought on instinct, and I've never dealt with anyone like him." Su Jin sighed. "You don't know much about fighting, but you know plenty of people. Is there anywhere I could learn about Tanyu Temple's arts?"
"In Suyuan, you'd have to ask Tanyu Temple. If anyone else can help you, it's probably Shen Yufeng."
"I see... Then we'll ask him when we find him."
Su Jin sighed toward the sky, closed his eyes, and sank into thought.
....
Nearly three hours later, they reached the opposite bank.
Following Su Jin's directions, Du Wenyan deflated and folded the raft and put it away.
Su Jin tested his arm despite the pain.
As he was about to take out the RV, Du Wenyan said, "Brother Wu, you have to hold that wheel to control the vehicle. With your arm injured, shouldn't we walk instead?"
"I can manage. There's no need to lose time."
"I'm afraid moving it so much will keep the wound from healing."
Hearing her concern, Su Jin looked back. "The wound is nothing I can't bear. The sooner we reach Shen Yufeng, the sooner we can make a plan, and the better our chances of surviving."
"I think... sometimes it's better not to rush," Du Wenyan said with a sigh. "But if you're set on it, don't push yourself too hard."
"It's a small wound. Get in!"
The three climbed into the RV. Su Jin switched on its optical camouflage and drove off slowly.
Not long after, a figure with disheveled hair emerged from the river like a water ghost.
Lu Mingxuan's chest heaved. He stared fearfully after the departing RV.
What was that now? Would Su Jin's strange objects never end?
A little house on wheels that could turn invisible and drive away?
Lu Mingxuan caught his breath and got to his feet, his expression hardening.
Whatever it was, he had to kill those rebels.
That brat had no real strength. He'd been afraid to fight head-on. Why should Lu Mingxuan fear him?
The house's invisibility wasn't perfect, but following it would take keen eyes, especially at night.
Once he lost it, catching them again would be all but impossible.
Kill the bastard, take his things, and study them later.
Lu Mingxuan pulled a vial from his clothes and tipped its pills into his mouth.
....
Back on the road, the sisters ate behind Su Jin to recover their strength.
Su Jin swallowed an energy gel and thought over the fight.
Lu Mingxuan was unusual. Until now, the searchers had all belonged to the Xuanjia Army.
He was from Tanyu Temple and shouldn't have been here, yet he was the first to catch them.
Tanyu Temple might have some special way to find people. That would be troublesome.
And Su Jin had dodged Lu Mingxuan's air slash. Why had that made Lu Mingxuan so confident he could kill him in three moves?
Su Jin must have shown some weakness without realizing it.
He couldn't work out what it was.
What mattered now was how to deal with another expert like him. They couldn't always count on luck.
For now, all he could do was gather as much information as possible.
"Wenyan, you know Lu Mingxuan. How strong is he?"
"One of the best among Four-Vein masters. He's as famous as Shen Yufeng, and they're about evenly matched," Du Wenyan answered from the living area.
Su Jin frowned more deeply.
He couldn't beat Lu Mingxuan even with Multiplication. Did that put him at about the Three-Vein level?
Perhaps a little higher. If he could get close enough, one knife stroke might kill the man.
Without Multiplication, though, was he only at the Two-Vein level? Or even One-Vein?
That would put him among the weakest fighters.
Lost in thought, Su Jin glanced at the rearview mirror, and his scalp prickled.
The RV followed the edge of the woods. In the mirror, a figure leapt from treetop to treetop, staying close behind them.
Su Jin eased off the accelerator. The RV slowed, and so did the figure.
He watched the distant shape, frowning.
Was that Lu Mingxuan? It looked like him. If so, they were in trouble.
Su Jin had underestimated his stamina. He'd crossed twenty kilometers of river and could still chase the RV through the trees.
Even if it wasn't him, a pursuer this capable was dangerous. Su Jin could be robbed easily.
With one arm injured, he would have an even harder time defending himself.
"Both of you, get ready," Su Jin said. "Someone's following us. It may be Lu Mingxuan. The ground's too rough to drive fast without rolling the RV over. We can't outrun him."
"What is it, Brother Wu?" Du Wenyan hurried forward.
"Someone's caught up. I can't see clearly, but Lu Mingxuan is the likeliest. He's hanging back for now."
"What do we do?" Du Wenyan asked helplessly.
"Into the mountains. There's a turn ahead." Su Jin sped up. "Wenyan, do experts in martial arts and those other arts eat much?"
"A great deal, much more than ordinary people. They usually eat a large meal before bed."
"Good." Su Jin turned into the woods. After a dozen meters, the trees blocked the RV's path.
He got out. Du Wenyan hurried out the other side with Yunlian.
Su Jin put away the RV and took out two ghillie suits.
He lifted Yunlian onto his back. "Put this on. It'll take him a while to find us in the woods. We need to delay him while I find a chance to deal with him."