novelraw Chapter 28 : Unrecognized Upon Meeting
Chapter 28 : Unrecognized Upon Meeting
Chapter 28: Unrecognized Upon Meeting
A fierce sense of danger surged in Lin Xiaowan’s heart.
Looking across the entirety of Luoxia Valley, the Lin Chan’er before her could be called the most troublesome existence!
Upon seeing a member of the Lin Family, Zhang Fan instinctively stepped forward, blocking in front of Lin Xiaowan.
Unexpectedly, Lin Chan’er only let out a chilling smile. “Mere trash dares to play the hero?”
Before her words even fell, her figure vanished from where she stood. In the next instant, she appeared ghost-like before the two of them, throwing a punch!
“Bang!”
Zhang Fan couldn’t even manage to block. His chest took the blow head-on, and he was sent flying backward, crashing into the lotus pedestal of a distant Buddha statue. Dust billowed into the air as his life or death became unknown!
“You die too!”
Almost at the same moment, Lin Chan’er spun around, her right leg sweeping out like a steel whip, carrying a sharp tearing sound through the air as it struck heavily into Lin Xiaowan’s waist and abdomen!
“Pfft—!”
Lin Xiaowan felt as if her internal organs had shifted. A sweetness rose in her throat as she was flung like a kite with a snapped string, smashing through the temple wall and plummeting rapidly toward the deep valley below!
“Hm? Strange…”
Lin Chan’er’s brows furrowed slightly, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.
That kick just now should have shattered the spine of an ordinary early-stage Qi Refinement cultivator and torn their body apart. Yet this person had not been ripped to pieces on the spot?
“Interesting.”
A cold glint flashed in her eyes. Without hesitation, she moved to give chase.
Out of habit, she reached toward her waist for her Teleportation Talisman—only to grasp empty air!
There was nothing there!
Lin Chan’er’s movements froze abruptly, her pupils shrinking.
The Teleportation Talisman… was gone!
In a flash, she recalled that just before the black-clad girl had been kicked away, there seemed to have been an almost imperceptible flicker of blue light.
“She stole… my Teleportation Talisman?”
Lin Chan’er murmured to herself. Then, the corners of her lips slowly curved into a cold arc. “I’m becoming more and more interested in this one.”
She no longer hesitated. With a powerful step, her figure became like a streak of azure light, shooting straight toward the direction Lin Xiaowan had fallen!
On the other side, as Lin Xiaowan plummeted toward the depths of the valley, amid intense weightlessness and pain, she forcibly gathered a sliver of consciousness.
“Wah—!”
She spat out another mouthful of blood, her awareness teetering on the edge of collapse.
At this moment, her body was enveloped in a faint crimson glow. The light came from the Heart-Guarding Lotus in her chest, continuously emitting a gentle yet resilient life force, protecting her heart meridians and vital points.
If not for the Heart-Guarding Lotus automatically protecting its master at the critical moment, dispersing nearly all the lethal impact, Lin Chan’er’s kick would have already ended her life!
Wrapped in crimson radiance, she fell like a meteor toward the valley floor.
“Boom—!!!”
With a heavy crash, Lin Xiaowan slammed into a dense forest. After snapping several branches, she struck the ground heavily, sending dead leaves and dust flying everywhere.
“Cough… cough cough…”
She struggled to prop up her upper body, coughing out several more mouthfuls of clotted blood, wiping the blood from her lips with the back of her hand.
In her chest, the Heart-Guarding Lotus—once flowing with crimson light and warm as jade—
had now completely lost its radiance, turning entirely transparent, like the most fragile crystal.
Then, with a soft “crack,” the lotus completely shattered, turning into a faint stream of cool light that sank into her Qi Sea and lay dormant.
Its protective power was exhausted.
It could no longer block the next fatal attack.
“Fourth layer of Qi Refinement… to think it’s this terrifying! Is this what it means to be called a ‘Martial Grandmaster’…”
Lin Xiaowan raised her eyes toward the mountain. Through the opening created by her fall, she could vaguely see a streak of azure descending along the rock face and vines.
The aura of death followed like a shadow, cold and suffocating.
Horror appeared in Lin Xiaowan’s eyes. She knew she had to escape immediately!
Escape Luoxia Valley!
At that critical moment just now, successfully stealing Lin Chan’er’s Teleportation Talisman seemed to have caused a subtle reaction in the dormant Path of Theft jade book within her dantian.
But now, she had neither the time nor the focus to investigate.
Recalling the scene of Lin Chan’er using the talisman at the valley entrance, Lin Xiaowan infused her remaining spiritual power into the talisman in her hand and slapped it.
“Whoosh!”
Her figure was wrapped in flowing light, shooting toward the outside of the valley like an arrow released from a bow!
At almost the same instant, a sharp azure sword qi grazed the edge of her escape light, slicing a towering ancient tree cleanly in half!
It was Lin Chan’er!
Lin Xiaowan glanced back, her heart tightening. Using the talisman to widen the distance, she landed and, without hesitation, suppressed her injuries and plunged into the densest part of the forest.
She concealed all her aura and shrank into a crevice half-covered by vines, holding her breath.
However, after barely a dozen breaths—
“Tap.”
The sound of a boot lightly stepping on gravel echoed just outside the crevice, less than three feet away.
Lin Xiaowan’s blood turned cold.
Through the gaps in the vines, she saw the hem of an azure robe pause. Then, a pale hand shot out, reaching directly for the concealing vines!
“Damn it!”
Lin Xiaowan’s pupils contracted sharply. At the moment the vines were torn away, instead of retreating deeper, she unleashed the prepared killing move!
A pale blue infant-like arm shot out from the narrow space at extreme speed, striking toward Lin Chan’er’s vital points!
“Petty tricks.”
Lin Chan’er’s cold voice sounded, but her motion of parting the vines was indeed halted for an instant by the sudden sneak attack.
She retreated sharply, drawing the long sword at her waist to block the pale blue hand!
“Clang clang—!”
At the same time, she inhaled sharply and spat out dozens of streaks of azure light, blasting toward Lin Xiaowan!
Relying on her keen spiritual sense and the talisman, Lin Xiaowan barely dodged.
She tumbled out from the other side of the crevice in a miserable state. A burning pain spread across her back—whether from the azure light or scraped rock, she did not know. Without looking back, she fled again.
To widen the distance, she activated the talisman repeatedly.
Finally, she plunged into an icy, rushing stream, drifting downstream for several miles before climbing out from behind a waterfall into a hidden cave. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, the taste of blood filling her throat.
“This time… it should…”
Before the thought could finish—“shing!”
A thread-thin streak of azure sword light pierced through the heavy curtain of water, leaving a deep, bottomless hole in the rock wall beside her face!
Fragments of stone struck her face painfully!
“Missed? You won’t be so lucky next time!”
Lin Chan’er’s figure appeared ghost-like outside the waterfall, her gaze piercing through the water curtain, locking onto her.
There was no escape!
Gritting her teeth, Lin Xiaowan unleashed her sneak attack again—not toward Lin Chan’er, but at the top of the cave!
“Boom!”
The pale blue infant-like hand burst forth, sending countless rocks crashing down, blocking most of the cave entrance and temporarily obscuring the view.
At the same time, she activated the now-dim Teleportation Talisman once more and rushed out from the other side.
“Trying to run? Impossible!”
Lin Chan’er swung her sword to strike. This time, her spiritual sense locked onto Lin Xiaowan—there was no way she would miss!
“Where is my sword?”
Lin Chan’er suddenly froze. At some unknown moment, her sword had disappeared!
Looking around, she saw the sword in the stream, being carried away rapidly by the current!
"I will definitely kill you!”
Having been toyed with twice, Lin Chan’er clenched her fists, fury blazing in her eyes. Yet she was not worried about Lin Xiaowan escaping. She turned and chased after her azure sword.
Seizing this brief gap, Lin Xiaowan slipped into a group of scattered cultivators who had just suffered a demonic beast attack. Keeping her head low and shoulders hunched, she tried to conceal herself within the crowd’s aura.
There were seven or eight people in that group, including two at the second layer of Qi Refinement—seemingly somewhat capable.
“Let’s see where you run!”
Lin Chan’er’s figure appeared at the edge of the forest clearing.
She didn’t look at the scattered cultivators, who stood on guard with weapons drawn. Her gaze went straight to Lin Xiaowan, who was trying to hide behind others.
“You worthless trash, move aside!”
Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable cold authority, completely disregarding the group.
The leading man among the scattered cultivators at the second layer of Qi Refinement had a changing expression. Feeling his pride slighted, he drew his blade, about to speak—
“You—”
Lin Chan’er moved.
A flash of azure.
No dazzling sword light, no violent burst of spiritual power.
Everyone only felt a blur before their eyes. The man let out a muffled groan, his steel blade flying from his hand as he was sent flying backward. A clear fist imprint caved into his chest, blood flowing from his mouth and nose—he was dead in a single strike!
The other scattered cultivators turned pale in terror and scattered like birds and beasts, no longer daring to stand in the way.
The moment she attacked, Lin Xiaowan had already fled again.
Lin Chan’er’s strength lay not only in her cultivation, but in her precision, efficiency, and extreme ruthlessness.
She did not care about others, nor whether she caused a disturbance. Her target was terrifyingly clear—Lin Xiaowan.
During her frantic escape, Lin Xiaowan encountered three Black Wind Stronghold bandits resting by a stream.
She could no longer afford to care. Activating the now-dimming talisman again, she turned into a streak of light and flew over their heads, fleeing.
The three bandits were momentarily stunned. Then, seeing Lin Chan’er chasing alone shortly behind—and noticing her delicate appearance—a vicious glint appeared in their eyes.
“Little lady, chasing someone so urgently? Why not stay and have some fun with us?”
The leader licked his blade, grinning lewdly as the three formed a triangular formation around her, their bodies emanating a murderous aura.
Lin Chan’er stopped, her cold gaze sweeping over them as if looking at corpses. “Black Wind Stronghold trash? Good. Saves me the trouble of seeking you out later. Your stronghold will soon be uprooted.”
The bandits flew into a rage. “Courting death! Kill her!”
Lin Xiaowan, fleeing desperately, glanced back. These three were not weak—perhaps they could delay her for a moment?
However, what followed completely chilled her heart.
Facing three simultaneous ferocious attacks from different angles, Lin Chan’er did not even draw her sword.
Her figure swayed slightly, slipping through the gaps of the blades like a ghost. Her pale fist lightly struck the chest of the first bandit to arrive.
“Crack!” The clear sound of bones breaking.
The bandit’s eyes bulged as all his forward momentum was instantly shattered. His back bulged outward as he collapsed lifelessly.
The second blade had already reached above her head. Lin Chan’er turned sideways, her left hand shooting out to precisely seize the wrist holding the blade. With a twist and snap, the wrist bone shattered. The blade changed hands, and with a reverse slash, the second bandit’s throat split open as he fell.
The third bandit, slightly slower, was terrified out of his wits. His attack faltered.
Lin Chan’er lifted her leg and delivered a simple side kick, striking his temple.
His head twisted at an unnatural angle. Without even a sound, he flew sideways into a tree trunk and slid down.
The entire process took no more than two or three breaths.
A few drops of blood stained the hem of Lin Chan’er’s robe. She frowned slightly, seemingly displeased by the filth, and casually tossed the seized blade beside the corpses.
Her gaze once again locked onto the direction Lin Xiaowan had fled. With a step, she continued the pursuit without pause.
The three seemingly fierce Black Wind Stronghold bandits had all been killed, failing to delay her even for a single breath.
“Useless trash!” Lin Xiaowan cursed inwardly!
The chase continued for an unknown length of time. Finally, Lin Xiaowan sensed the surrounding spiritual energy thinning, and the forest becoming sparse and familiar—the outskirts of Luoxia Valley.
The Teleportation Talisman in her hand, which had saved her multiple times, had completely lost its glow, turning dull. No matter how much of her remaining spiritual power she poured into it, it no longer responded.
“Damn it!” Under extreme pressure and despair, Lin Xiaowan hurled it to the ground in anger. The talisman shattered into pieces.
All her methods seemed exhausted. Her Qi Sea was nearly depleted, her injuries worsening with each step, and behind her, that azure figure of death clung like an inescapable nightmare.
Was she really going to die here?
Leaning against an ancient tree, she gasped violently, pain wracking her entire body.
Suddenly, her ears twitched. From not far ahead, she heard noisy voices, along with the sounds of hoes digging soil and branches rustling.
Forcing herself, she peeked out.
There was a group of about dozens of people, slowly walking along the mountain path leading out of the valley.
The group was loose. Most wore simple, worn clothing, carrying bamboo baskets of varying sizes.
Though their faces were tired, they carried the joy of harvest—clearly a group of ordinary herb gatherers who had come together to try their luck and were now leaving.
At the very end of the group was a young girl in a loose white coarse cloth dress, about the same build as her, walking unsteadily with her head lowered.
The bamboo basket on her back was light—she seemed to have gained little and was gradually falling behind.
In this desperate situation, a flash of inspiration crossed Lin Xiaowan’s nearly frozen mind.
There was no time to hesitate!
A fierce glint flashed in her eyes as she squeezed out her last bit of strength and silently approached.
“Excuse me.”
The white-clothed girl turned back in confusion, not yet seeing who it was—
Lin Xiaowan exhaled Mirage Qi, instantly clouding her mind. At the same time, her other hand clamped over the girl’s mouth and nose, twisting forcefully!
“Crack.”
A faint sound.
The girl’s body stiffened. The light in her eyes rapidly faded as she collapsed backward.
Lin Xiaowan’s heart pounded wildly, yet her movements were astonishingly swift.
Dragging the girl into nearby bushes, she stripped off the white coarse garment and matching hat, hastily putting them on herself.
She covered her bloodstained black clothes with grass.
Picking up the nearly empty bamboo basket, Lin Xiaowan lowered her head, the white hat covering most of her face, and blended into the rear of the herb-gathering group.
After only a hundred or so steps along the mountain path—
a figure flashed ahead.
Lin Chan’er was already standing in the middle of the road, blocking the group of dozens.
She held the shattered talisman in her hand, her cold gaze sweeping over the frightened herb gatherers.
“Stop.”
Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone’s ears.
The group was forced to halt.
A few bolder or impatient men muttered, “Why are you blocking us for no reason? Move aside, it’s getting dark…”
A trace of coldness flashed in Lin Chan’er’s eyes. “I don’t like killing mortals. So don’t seek death.”
“What arrogance! You—”
Before he could finish, Lin Chan’er moved slightly, as if casually waving her hand.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Several dull thuds rang out. The complaining men screamed as they were sent flying, blood spilling from their mouths and noses as they crashed to the roadside, unable to get up, their eyes filled with terror.
Seeing this, Lin Xiaowan’s thoughts raced, considering whether to flee into the forest amid the chaos.
However, someone acted before her!
Two herb gatherers closest to the forest, terrified out of their wits, shouted and bolted into the trees.
“Trying to run? Seeking death!!”
Lin Chan’er didn’t even look at them.
She simply grasped the hilt of her azure sword—
and threw it.
“Whoosh—thud!”
A streak of azure light shot forward, piercing through the backs of the two fleeing men with perfect accuracy, pinning their bodies into a thick tree trunk!
They died instantly, without even a scream. Blood slowly dripped down the blade.
The entire group fell into deathly silence. No one dared to move, faces pale, legs trembling.
A few timid women covered their mouths, suppressing sobs.
Lin Chan’er let out a soft sigh. Strangely, there was a hint of helplessness in it.
“I’m looking for someone. You need not panic. Stay where you are and let me check. Once I’m done, you may leave.”
Her calm tone was more effective than any threat.
The herb gatherers nodded frantically. Some even took off their baskets and dumped out their ordinary herbs to prove their innocence.
“Good.”
Lin Chan’er stepped into the crowd.
She moved slowly, her sharp gaze scanning each face.
Anyone who deliberately concealed their face with hats or cloth had their covering removed by her hand.
One, two, three…
Each person revealed expressions of fear, confusion, or flattery under her cold gaze.
Lin Xiaowan crouched near the back, her heart pounding like thunder, her palms soaked with cold sweat.
She lowered her head further, her spiritual sense working frantically, her breathing nearly stopped.
At that moment, Lin Chan’er passed by her side.
One step, two steps… she moved past her.
Lin Xiaowan’s tense nerves loosened slightly.
“Wait!”
The azure figure suddenly stopped, then stepped back, stopping before the white-clothed girl.
“You,” Lin Chan’er said coldly from above, “remove your hat.”
The girl froze, not moving.
Lin Chan’er’s eyes grew colder. She had clearly lost patience.
Without waiting, she stepped forward and tore off the hat.
The covering fell away—
revealing a pale face streaked with tears.
Her hair, even her brows, were unnaturally snow-white, making her panicked amber eyes even more striking.
She looked no more than eleven or twelve, small and frail within the oversized clothing.
Startled, she lost her balance and fell to the ground with a cry, bursting into tears. “Waa… don’t, don’t kill me! Immortal sister, spare me! I… I just wanted to dig some herbs, I didn’t take anything… don’t kill me…”
Her voice was childish, filled with fear and grievance.
Lin Chan’er looked at the white-haired girl, a trace of apology flashing in her eyes.
She examined her carefully. There was no fluctuation of disguised spiritual power, and her aura was weak and ordinary—completely different from the black-clad girl in her memory.
Not her.
Lin Chan’er’s gaze darkened.
“Where did she run off to!”
Without another glance, she turned and vanished.
After a long while, the group slowly regained movement, murmuring among themselves, helping the injured, collecting the dead, and continuing out of the valley.
The white-haired girl also stopped crying, got up, dusted herself off, picked up her hat, and followed the group.
At the final checkpoint outside the valley, cultivators from the three families inspected those leaving.
When it was her turn, the cultivator, seeing her young age and pitiful appearance, spoke gently, “What’s in your basket? Show me.”
She timidly handed it over.
Inside were only a few shriveled roots—barely even herbs.
“I… didn’t find anything.”
Her eyes were still red, her lips trembling.
The cultivator sighed. “Alright, go on. Next time, be smarter. This isn’t a place for little girls.”
She nodded repeatedly, whispered “thank you,” and passed through.
Leaving the crowd and walking along a secluded path—
Suddenly, several rough arms shot out from the bushes, covering her mouth and dragging her in.
“Mmph!”
Struggling sounds and lewd laughter echoed.
After a while, silence returned.
The white-haired girl pushed aside the bushes and crawled out, brushing off her clothes.
The timid, pitiful expression vanished like a receding tide.
Her lips slowly curled upward into a grin that grew wider and wider, turning into wild laughter.
“Heh… hahaha! Hahahaha!”
At the same time, her snow-white hair darkened rapidly, returning to jet black.
Her pale brows regained their color.
Her eyes lost all trace of fear.
Her body gave a few faint cracking sounds. Her figure grew slightly taller, her chest regaining its full curves.
This “white-haired girl” was none other than Lin Xiaowan.
At the brink of death earlier, she had placed her final hope on the Path of Theft jade book within her Qi Sea.
At the burial ground of Lianxin, she had once triggered its reaction by stealing the Teleportation Talisman.
At the moment of life and death, pouring in her full spiritual sense, the jade book opened to a new page.
Recorded within was an extraordinary method—
【Unrecognized Upon Meeting】.
Its effect was not mere disguise, but the ability to distort perception, altering how others recognized her appearance and aura, turning her into a stranger others “did not recognize.”
It was precisely with this technique that she stole a sliver of life under Lin Chan’er’s very eyes and survived what should have been certain death.