Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Isn’t It Good to Be Alive? Not Watching the Excitement

Night fell.

Yang Chan was sleeping lightly when his body suddenly jolted, and he was instantly awake.

Someone was approaching his door.

’I can’t believe some fool of a thief has set their sights on me.’ At the thought, Yang Chan tensed for a moment before relaxing again.

This was because another set of footsteps approached—unconcealed and deliberate.

These new footsteps grew louder, and the person lurking by Yang Chan’s door had no choice but to retreat. Yet, the heavy steps didn’t stop; they continued through the inn, as if on patrol.

’He’s actually quite responsible. No wonder this place has good reviews.’

Yang Chan recognized the footsteps; they were very similar to those of Shopkeeper Hu from the Youjian Inn. It was almost certainly him, or at least someone who practiced the same Cultivation Technique.

His senses were sharp. Arriving at the unfamiliar Youjian Inn, he naturally observed his surroundings meticulously. This was a chance to identify his own weaknesses while traveling alone.

Identifying and correcting these gaps was a form of self-improvement for Yang Chan. Besides, shoring up these weaknesses while he was in Qing State would only benefit him.

The rest of the night passed without incident. The petty thief had been merely an interlude; after the Youjian Inn’s patrol made its rounds, no one else approached his door.

After waking and washing up, Yang Chan went directly to Shopkeeper Hu to check out. While the previous night’s incident had been unpleasant, it ultimately hadn’t affected him, so he found it acceptable.

He had no intention of seeking retribution. It just wasn’t worth it. A few petty thieves weren’t worth his time.

He went to the stables and found his Qing State Horse full of spirit. Yang Chan unfastened its chain; by the look of it, the horse had rested very well.

He swung himself onto the horse and resumed his journey along Huayun Dao. Morning was the perfect time for travel—the sun wasn’t scorching, and a pleasant breeze was blowing.

He rode at a brisk pace, and before long, the Youjian Inn had vanished from sight. But as he continued, Yang Chan suddenly pulled his horse to a halt. It seemed there were still fools about.

When he had traveled with the people from the Cyan Yuan Sect, their large and imposing group had deterred any petty thieves from even thinking about causing trouble. To do so would have been suicide.

Between their sheer numbers and the Cyan Yuan Sect’s reputation, no one had dared to cross them. He hadn’t expected all the ghouls and goblins to crawl out of the woodwork the moment he traveled alone.

’Sigh... Why throw your life away?’

Yang Chan sighed. The thieves were hiding on both sides of the road. They had even stretched a rope across it, intending to knock him off his horse and perhaps even kill him in the fall. It was a truly vicious scheme.

However, Yang Chan’s senses were exceptionally sharp. He not only detected the thieves’ presences but also saw the conspicuous rope. He even had a sixth sense for danger, which was now screaming at him.

An expert of his Level couldn’t be dealt with by such a simple trick. If he could, he wouldn’t be called an Inner Master.

He raised his arm, and three Flying Needles shot out in three directions. After a few muffled grunts, the taut rope went slack.

Yang Chan urged his horse forward again. Upon reaching the rope, he executed the Wind-Stepping Technique, instantly leaping from the saddle. He flickered between several positions before landing back on his Qing State Horse.

He wiped the blood from his Sharp Sword, sheathed it, and rode on.

Though the three malicious thieves had been struck by Yang Chan’s poison-laced Silver Needles, he maintained his usual caution and still delivered a final slash to each of their throats with his sword.

This was to guard against the slim possibility of someone having a Physique that was immune to Poison. Though unlikely, Yang Chan preferred to be thorough. When he decided to kill someone, he left no loose ends, lest some "Bandit King" or other figure emerge seeking revenge.

He aimed for the throat to negate the minuscule chance of someone having their heart on the right side. Before departing, he confirmed that all three had completely stopped breathing.

Ideally, he would have burned the bodies to be even safer, but Yang Chan had no interest in staying behind to watch them turn to ash. Since he hadn’t left many traces, he skipped that final step.

Of course, it was also a matter of not wanting to waste time. If he burned all three corpses, it would disrupt his schedule for the day, which was not something Yang Chan wanted. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Petty thieves weren’t worth his time.

Whether they died with their eyes open was none of his concern. Everyone must pay the price for the choices they make.

Those thieves should thank the Youjian Inn for surviving the previous night. Otherwise, they would have died then and there. Yang Chan’s policy toward anyone with ill intentions was simple: kill them.

He rode on until he reached a small stream, where he finally stopped to let his horse rest. He took shelter from the scorching sun in the woods. The heat didn’t bother him much, but his Qing State Horse was clearly exhausted.

Yang Chan had no desire to continue on foot, so he had to let his Qing State Horse recover and rehydrate. After all, the animal was drenched in sweat.

Only after watching the horse drink without issue did Yang Chan fetch his own water and check it. The horse served not only as transportation but also as a poison tester.

A multi-purpose horse, indeed. None of its talents were going to waste.

"HYAH! HYAH! HYAH!"

As Yang Chan rested, the sound of galloping horses approached from the distance. From the noise, there were at least three riders.

At the sound, Yang Chan pulled back his Qing State Horse, which had started to wander off to graze, and watched from behind a tree.

When encountering other travelers on the road, it’s best to avoid them. Don’t interact more than necessary; just treat them as strangers passing by.

’This is one of my rules for navigating the Jianghu,’ he thought. ’When you travel alone, you have to be extra careful.’

"You can’t escape! Give up!"

"Come back with me, and you might just survive!"

The riders in pursuit shouted, their voices a mixture of confidence and urgency.

The person being chased paid them no heed, simply urging their horse onward.

Listening from behind the tree, Yang Chan was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected to stumble upon a Jianghu blood feud. Back in the Cyan Yuan Sect, he’d often heard disciples talk about epic pursuits that spanned a thousand li. In those stories, the heroes were usually Sect members, and their kills were added to their list of achievements.

He just never thought he’d witness something like it firsthand.

’In a situation like this, I can’t get close, and I certainly can’t intervene,’ Yang Chan reasoned. ’This is trouble—a matter of life and death. Best not to get involved. I’ll just watch from the sidelines.’

’Actually, it would be best to just leave now,’ he thought. ’But they’re too close. Getting up and riding away would be too conspicuous. I’ll wait until they’re all gone.’

With that in mind, Yang Chan pressed himself against the side of the tree, concealing his figure and making his intention to stay out of it clear.

’Gawking isn’t a good idea,’ he reminded himself. ’You’re likely to become part of the spectacle. Better not to meddle.’

Yang Chan also gave his Qing State Horse a tug, pulling it further back so it too was hidden from the riders’ view.