The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 133 - 115: A Painful Experience

Chapter 133: Chapter 115: A Painful Experience

Facing Zhao Qian, who flung herself onto him, crying her heart out, Li Yi was somewhat taken aback for a moment.

He hadn’t expected Zhao Qian’s emotional fluctuations to be so intense that she couldn’t control herself even on the perilous Ghost Street, bursting into tears upon seeing him, and her emotions seemed off-kilter. It wasn’t the joy of reunion, but rather a sorrow as deep as a silent acceptance of death.

What had happened during this period to cause Zhao Qian such grief?

Li Yi wanted to ask.

But he quickly noticed that Zhao Qian’s behavior had attracted the attention of nearby ghosts. Several unsettling stares turned their way, and some figures were even slowly closing in. It was fortunate that both were in disguise, concealing most of their living presence; otherwise, they would have been in even more trouble.

"Miss Zhao, this is not the place to talk, we need to leave quickly."

With a sense of impending danger, Li Yi urgently pulled Zhao Qian, who was still crying, and quickly ran deeper into the alley.

Avoiding most of the figures on Ghost Street significantly reduced the danger.

Then, in a quiet corner of the alley, Li Yi stopped to make sure nothing had followed them before he asked in a hushed voice, "Miss Zhao, I saw you in my dream while I was sleeping today, and someone explained to me that you were contacting me through the Dream Implanting Technique. So I immediately rushed to Ghost Street, but why are you so heartbroken upon seeing me? What has happened?"

"Calm down, don’t be afraid, I’m here for you," he reassured Zhao Qian, helping her steady her emotions.

Zhao Qian’s eyes were red from crying, and she wiped her tears away: "Brother Yi, father... father, he’s in trouble. So many people are after us, many of my fellow disciples are dead. We’re surrounded by corpses and have nowhere to flee. In the end, father decided to let me enter Ghost Street again to seek your help..."

As she spoke, her tears once again uncontrollably fell.

"Master is in trouble? How could this have happened, he was fine when we last met. Don’t panic, tell me slowly," Li Yi said, his face suddenly paled as he realized the gravity of the situation.

Zhao Qian wiped her tears again, calming her emotions slightly, then recounted the ordeal bit by bit, "After parting with you in Ghost Street, father and I brought back the Coffin Ganoderma to Xingzhou, returned to our martial arts hall, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. But while preparing medicine for father, we unintentionally let word slip, revealing that father’s divine soul was wounded and his strength had decreased... Later, that despicable beast betrayed father and stole the Coffin Ganoderma."

At this point, her teeth clenched in rage, fury blazing in her eyes, wishing she could tear that traitor to pieces.

"Without the Coffin Ganoderma, father couldn’t heal. So many of us, sisters and brothers, scoured the city in search of the traitor... But somehow, many people in the city suddenly turned on us. Some of my brothers were surrounded and killed in the streets, some of my junior brothers were beheaded at night, and some sisters were taken to the cattle pens and played to death. It seemed like everyone was targeting me; they wanted to eradicate Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall."

Recalling the deaths of her fellow disciples, Zhao Qian began to cry again.

Listening to her, Li Yi clenched his fists tightly, feeling the anguish and despair in her few words.

"What happened next?" He took a deep breath to calm himself and continued asking.

Zhao Qian continued with eyes filled with sadness and grief, "Father, powerless to fight, was only able to take the few remaining junior brothers and sisters along with me and escape the city, planning to leave Xingzhou to find another way to survive... But the pursuers were too many, wave after wave kept coming. Several junior brothers died, and two sisters as well. In the end, only eldest sister Rong Niang and junior brother Shou Hou were left. Even father was gravely injured, falling unconscious several times. In his last moment of lucidity, he chose to lead Rong Niang and Shou Hou away to draw away the enemies, telling me to find a Spiritual Woman in a village to use the Dream Implanting Technique to seek Brother Yi in Ghost Street."

"I see, that’s how it is," rage burned in Li Yi’s eyes.

He hadn’t realized that in such a short span, master and Zhao Qian had suffered such tragedy—betrayed by their own, hunted throughout the city, and fleeing for their lives... In the end, their large martial arts hall, nearly everyone dead or injured with only Zhao Qian escaping into Ghost Street, barely surviving.

If he hadn’t come to Ghost Street to meet her, Zhao Qian would have been dead as well.

Either she would have perished in Ghost Street or on the run in Xingzhou.

But... Xingzhou of the Four Seas and Eight Continents, just what kind of place was it really? The master was merely injured, and yet the entire city came after them, killing people to silence them like sharks drawn to the scent of blood, decimating a once-thriving martial arts hall.

Having grown up in the old district of Tianchang City, where life was tough but there was at least some semblance of order and a guarantee for survival, Li Yi had felt secure.

In Xingzhou, however, it seemed to be a world that literally devoured humans.

Law of the jungle, devoid of any sense or reason.

Although Li Yi hadn’t experienced the customs there, he could sense the cruelty and darkness from Zhao Qian’s words alone.

"Wait, you said master led the pursuers away to help you escape. When did this happen?" Suddenly, Li Yi thought of something and abruptly asked.

"It happened last night."

Zhao Qian looked at Li Yi with her swollen eyes, but his face was hidden behind his mask. She could only see a pair of stern eyes within that hood, shining with light.

"From last night to tonight, only a day has passed, which means that at this moment, Master might not have been harmed yet. If we hurry over, there’s a complete possibility that we can save Master." Li Yi spoke seriously, "Since Miss Zhao, you can come to Ghost Street again, that means I can also go to Xingzhou."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qian’s dim eyes immediately sparkled with light, and hope surged in her heart, "Can this, can this really work?"

But then, she quickly shook her head, "No, I can’t drag Brother Yi into this mess. We’ve already lost so many senior and junior brothers. If something happens to Brother Yi as well, even if Dad were to die, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace. I cannot go against Dad’s wishes. Dad said, if I could find Brother Yi in Ghost Street, I should thereafter live well with Brother Yi, at least ensuring the bloodline of the Zhao Family and the inheritance of Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall’s boxing techniques won’t be severed."

Her life was not merely about living on, but about carrying many burdens.

It was this pressure that made Zhao Qian scrape by, otherwise, she would have chosen to face the pursuers together with her father a long time ago.

Li Yi immediately said, "You can’t think like that. Master might be on the run right now. If we head over now, there might be a chance for everything to turn around. If we do nothing, then Master and your senior and junior martial brothers and sisters will really be doomed."

Zhao Qian’s face showed conflicting emotions. On one hand, she wanted to save her father. On the other, she feared dragging Li Yi down. If the two of them failed to rescue others and got killed instead, it would be even more desperate.

"No, the pursuers are very powerful. How long have you been practicing boxing, Brother Yi? You’re no match for them. Going there won’t help. Brother Yi, I know you care about Dad and want to save people, but I can’t be childish. I can’t let Dad’s final efforts be wasted because of a momentary impulse," she said, her lips quivering, her eyes flickering with sorrow, "And now, Dad might have already been killed..."

The experiences of this period had matured Zhao Qian. She was no longer as naive as before. Having burdens to bear, she also knew to consider the big picture and understood what to give and take.

However, at this moment, Li Yi pondered for a while and then said, "I have a Yin Horse in my possession. Once blood is dripped on it, it can take the user to the side of their kin. If Master is still alive, the Yin Horse would lead us to find Master. If Master has indeed been harmed, then the Yin Horse will change its destination and take you to the side of other family members, ensuring even if we go to Xingzhou, we won’t wander into danger. At most, we will have made a wasted trip."

"Moreover, you don’t need to worry about my strength. I have a weapon with me, capable of dealing with some situations."

As he spoke, he patted the sniper rifle strapped to his back.

This thing could kill Extraordinary Creatures; he didn’t believe that mere flesh-and-blood Martial Artists could withstand a single bullet.

Persuaded by Li Yi’s words, Zhao Qian was tempted.

She too wanted to save her father in her heart, but she couldn’t bear the cost of failure. However, Li Yi’s words had now removed her concerns.

At most, it would be a wasted journey, and if it came to the worst, she could simply return to Ghost Street with Brother Yi later.

What if, just what if Dad wasn’t dead and could really be saved...

"I, I don’t know what to do. I’ll leave it all to Brother Yi’s decision. Whatever Brother Yi does, I won’t have any objections," Zhao Qian said, pursing her lips.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately said, "Since you’ll listen to me, then it’s settled. I’ll take you to save Master. There’s no time to lose. We must act at once... because I have to do one more thing on Ghost Street before that. Alright, no more talking, follow me closely."

With that, he left the alley and once again entered Ghost Street.

Zhao Qian now had a pillar of support and was no longer lost and helpless. She closely followed Li Yi, fearing that if she was careless for even a moment, she might lose this last remaining kin.

Li Yi’s sole purpose of coming to Ghost Street at this moment was one thing.

To find the old vendor and buy another Mud Horse.

Last time, when he used the Mud Horse to return to the danger zone, it shattered and was gone, potentially a one-time-use item. Thus, if he used the Mud Horse to follow Zhao Qian to Xingzhou, he would have no means of returning to Ghost Street next time; therefore, he had to buy another to keep in reserve.

Moreover, Li Yi’s steadfast desire to visit Xingzhou wasn’t just about saving his Master, he had another idea.

The second Sky Tipping event was about to occur.

Cross-border individuals are trying to flee Earth, seeking new worlds to survive. Many will become castaways, perishing alongside the fractured world.

Previously, Li Yi had no chance to come into contact with Cross-border individuals. Now that he’d found such an opportunity to cross worlds, he didn’t want to miss it.

If Master’s world was suitable for living, then after the Sky Tipping event, he could find a way to move all his relatives, friends, and acquaintances to his Master’s world.

Though it meant leaving one’s home, it was better than death.

Therefore, Li Yi wanted to lead the way and explore the situation, to understand exactly what sort of place his Master’s world was.

Even though it might involve certain risks, for the survival of everyone close to him in the future, he felt it was worth it.