Chapter 98: Coercion

Linchuan Cliff stood close to the sea. On one side, the great water roared against it.
Here, the wind screamed all year; ordinary people could not even come near, while only Limit-Breaker warriors could cross the gale and reach the cliff.
Strangely, once one passed beyond that wind, the approach to Linchuan Cliff was suddenly calm.

“It must be that the seaward face of the cliff rises so high it blocks the wind outside, leaving the inside oddly still.”
Lu Yan thought, scanning the surroundings.

Though called a cliff, Linchuan stretched wide as far as the eye could see. Jagged stone walls rose everywhere, carved by wind into many shapes, most of them sharp as blades or spears.
Dimly among the rocks he could discern ancient buildings.
Their style resembled the ones inside Longwind Mountain.

When he arrived, the Dao Manual had already responded violently, its whole form glowing with a phosphorescent sheen, radiating an unbearable longing.
It was a true relic of the Way, and it held astonishing power.
No wonder it had reacted so fiercely.
Lu Yan wondered whether it might be giving warning.
If a Dao Manual could warn, then this expedition was worth making.
He could know only by stepping closer.

Every major Wuhou-tier clan had come. They had entered separately from different points, especially the four great Grandmaster clans, clearly to avoid a struggle among themselves.
Some of the clans had already sent men inside.
Lu Yan noticed they had not committed everyone: some stood watch outside.
It was obvious—the martial lords and those with primordial martial bodies valued their lives and would not volunteer to enter recklessly.
The ones sent in were either of low rank or little more than cannon fodder.

“All right, this works in my favor,” he admitted inwardly, though he did not become careless.
How could anyone be sure no real Wuhou stepped inside?

Lu Yan had already disguised himself as a man of fifty, sword at his back, and moved forward slowly toward the stone faces.
He was not the only one careful. Everyone was.
No one could see the vow-lines with bare eyes. Who knew whether a misstep would cross one?

When he neared the ancient structures, pain prickled at his brow.
He smiled inwardly; indeed the Dao Manual gave warning.
Good—this trip could be done.

Nearby, several people pricked their fingers and let drops of blood fall.
In places where blood struck the ground, light flared and strange lines of energy crawled up in tangled clusters.
Lu Yan blinked in disbelief.
These were even more complex than those in the forbidden zone of Longwind Mountain.
He judged this relic to be more advanced—like a small city versus a large one, though in truth the Longwind field’s vow-lines barely moved from place to place.

At some blood drops, there was no reaction.
Some people released wild rabbits and rats they had prepared.
The creatures hopped through the spots with no response, but when they crossed places where the vow-lines flared, they burst apart into bloody pulp.
No lines, safe.
With lines, immediate death.

The crowd marched on, nothing unusual for those lucky enough to step only on clear ground.

“That matches the Dao Manual’s warning,” Lu Yan thought.
Where there was warning, the manual glowed; where there was none, it stayed still.

He stepped in at ease. This ruin had broad open areas without vow-lines, unlike Longwind Mountain, where the lines were packed so tightly that even veterans had to search carefully for footing.
In this exposed place, most of the lines had weathered away.
Still, their progress was slow. Every stretch required fresh blood to open a path.
It did not help to drive rabbits and rats—without human blood, the creatures were useless.

“Help… me…”
A man suddenly screamed.

Some thirty paces from Lu Yan, the ground beneath a man in his thirties bloomed with vow-lines. They wrapped him, and his body exploded into fragments.

“That area had just shown no lines! I saw him test it with blood. What happened?”
A nearby voice, pale and shaken.

“The vow-lines moved.”

A ripple of alarm passed through many.
“Don’t panic. These lines don’t move often. The chance of appearing here a moment later is small. It’s rare.”
A young man called out, oddly steady. Several gathered around him—his standing was clearly high.

“Right. The elder from the Gao clan said the same. The chance is small.”
Some relief crept through the crowd.

At that moment Lu Yan’s expression tightened. He felt pain at his brow and, without thinking, sprang sideways nearly nine meters away.
The spot where he had stood was suddenly dense with vow-lines; two elderly men near him screamed and were instantly blasted into two chunks of flesh and blood.

“They moved again. They moved again.”
“It was so unlikely to happen once, how could it happen again?”
“We’re being deceived by the Gao clan. If the odds are so small, why did they send their own warriors in at all? They needed only someone to locate the clams. No Wuhou required.”
“Exactly. They’re suffering losses and have dragged us in to search for those clams for them.”
Many began to shout, speaking of retreat.

“Quiet! Wuhou has already given the order. Do we have any road out now? If we turn back, who will stand before Wuhou’s fist?”
The same young man spoke again.

Faces hardened, but no one argued further.
Each major clan had a Wuhou posted outside. Where could they flee?

The young man’s gaze then turned to Lu Yan. “Can you truly see the vow-lines?”
Everyone fell silent and looked at him. Only moments earlier, Lu Yan had sidestepped first by a breath; had he not, he would have become bloodied flesh.

“How could I see them with my eyes? I’m merely sensitive to danger,” Lu Yan answered.

“To turn bad fortune aside and seek what is auspicious—that is a talent. I am Zheng Zhongtian of the Zheng clan of Qingfeng Commandery.”

Qingfeng Commandery had once been Lu Yan’s home and was a great commandery with three Grandmaster-level clans.
The Zheng clan was one of them.
The four Grandmaster clans present this time were the Zheng of Qingfeng, the Li of Nanyi, the Qiu of Da’an, and the Ouyang clan.
Two farther commanderies had no arrivals: one had been struck by fiends and sat too far away, and the other was simply too distant.
As for the Wei clan of Angun, they were caught between attacks from both sides and could send no one.

“Just luck,” Lu Yan said.

“We rely on luck. You seem to have come alone; why not act with us?” Zheng Zhongtian offered.

He had marked Lu Yan’s talent for avoiding the lines and wanted him close at hand.
Some Wuhou-level clansmen nearby watched him with interest too, but none dared contest a Grandmaster clan and kept quiet.

“No, thank you. I’m used to working alone,” Lu Yan said.

Besides, there would be no share for him among Grandmasters, and they considered him merely a shield.

“We mean no insult. We are not asking you to fight as a partner—we want you to follow us. Rest assured, you will be rewarded handsomely if this succeeds.” Zheng Zhongtian’s smile cooled, his voice sharpening.
Two of his elders were signaled with a slight nod.

The two men understood and moved in. Both were retainers of the Zheng clan, each at the fifth Breakthrough beyond limits. Their qi surged; battle blades in hand, they fixated on Lu Yan.

“Why force me?” he asked quietly, blood moving faster within him as he waited for them to close.

They stood a meter apart, flanking him.
“What is your decision, guest?” Zheng asked.

A flash of killing intent crossed Lu Yan’s eyes; he was about to strike when pain jolted his brow again. He had no time to think and leapt backward.
The two elders froze, then tried to spring, but too late.

At their feet writhed line after line of vow-lines like snarled snakes.
A wet crack split the air—first their legs, then belly, chest, head burst into bloody foam.
Five times broken through the limit, and still they had no strength to resist.

A chill ran through Lu Yan. These vow-lines were far more terrifying than Longwind’s, and he could not help thinking—how could they claim such lines did not move easily?
In so short a span they had shifted three times, and twice they came right to him. What luck was that?

The others’ faces grew even darker, and their eyes, including Zheng Zhongtian’s, burned hotter than before.
Twice in a row, he had dodged.
If the first was luck, the second and third proved skill.

Whether he truly saw the lines or merely smelled danger, Lu Yan did not care. It was useful if it worked.

“Take him.”
Zheng’s order cut through the air.

Within moments, Zheng’s experts blocked every clear patch of ground and sealed him in the middle.
Though part of the clan stood outside, the number inside already exceeded fifty warriors.
That was the depth of a Grandmaster clan: they could field fifty-plus Break-limit fighters without thought.

Lu Yan’s eyes turned cold. He dashed toward a gap and charged.
“Get back.”
A giant there swung his blade down.
Lu Yan punched out, his strike catching the broad sword. It bent instantly and shattered, then the force all turned into the attacker’s chest.
Ribs caved, bones burst, and steel splinters peppered him like a hornet’s nest as his body flew ten meters.

Lu Yan tried to slip through the opening, but a massive form dropped in front of him and punched.
For one instant he felt a bone-deep dread; he raised his hand in a hurried block.
“Bam!” It sounded like a muffled thunderclap, and Lu Yan was sent skidding backward five meters.

“This Wuhou is stronger than Liu Yuanfu, the Liu clan Wuhou.”

So indeed, another Wuhou had followed them in.

P.S. Four chapters today, eleven thousand words—please send monthly votes.