The moment the shadow fell across the entrance, Lin Mo moved.
He didn't wait for the figure to step inside. Hesitation would only trap them. Gripping the branch tightly, he shifted his weight and struck toward the opening just as the first man pushed through.
The blow wasn't strong, but it was sudden.
It landed against the man's shoulder, forcing him off balance as he stumbled into the narrow entrance instead of advancing cleanly. The confined space worked in Lin Mo's favor—there was no room for wide movements, no space for coordinated attacks.
"Someone's inside!" the man shouted.
Too late.
Lin Mo stepped forward immediately, using the narrow passage to limit the second person's entry. He shoved the first man back, not trying to overpower him but to block the path.
"Stay behind me," he said quietly.
Shi Yue didn't argue. She had already moved, keeping close, one hand gripping the back of his sleeve—not pulling, but anchoring herself there.
The second man forced his way in, crouching slightly to fit through the gap. He carried a short blade, his movements quicker, more controlled than the first.
Not villagers.
Not bandits either.
Lin Mo saw it instantly.
These were people who knew how to fight.
The second man lunged.
Fast.
Direct.
Lin Mo reacted on instinct, raising the branch to intercept. The blade struck wood with a sharp crack, splintering part of it on impact. The force pushed Lin Mo back half a step, his grip tightening as he held his ground.
Too strong.
He couldn't block like that again.
The man adjusted immediately, angling for another strike, this time lower.
Lin Mo shifted to the side.
Not faster—
just earlier.
That same faint sense from before returned, subtle but enough. The movement wasn't slowed, but he could read it better—the direction, the timing.
He avoided the blade by a narrow margin and drove his shoulder forward, forcing the man back into the entrance.
The confined space worked again.
The first man tried to recover, but there was no room for both of them to move properly. They bumped into each other, disrupting their rhythm.
"Move!" one snapped.
Lin Mo didn't give them the chance.
He stepped forward again, pressing them toward the exit. Not attacking blindly, but not retreating either. Every step he took reduced their advantage.
A strike came from the side.
He turned just enough for it to graze past him, then brought the branch down hard against the man's wrist. The blade slipped, clattering against the stone floor.
A brief opening.
Lin Mo used it.
He shoved forward with everything he had, forcing both men back through the narrow entrance and out into the clearing.
Fresh air hit him as he followed, not giving them time to recover.
Outside, there were three of them.
One already stepping forward.
Lin Mo stopped.
His advantage was gone.
The open space changed everything.
The third man was different. He hadn't rushed in earlier. He stood a few steps back, watching, his posture steady.
Assessing.
"…You're not supposed to be here," the man said.
Same words.
Different tone.
Lin Mo didn't answer.
Shi Yue stepped out behind him, closer than before. He could feel her presence at his back—not hidden, not retreating.
The man's gaze flicked briefly toward her, then to Lin An'an.
Then back to Lin Mo.
"…Leave the item," he said. "And go."
So they knew.
Lin Mo's grip tightened slightly on the branch.
"…No."
The answer was simple.
There was no room for negotiation.
The man exhaled slowly, as if that was expected.
"Then don't blame us."
He moved.
Not rushing.
Not reckless.
Just… fast.
Faster than the others.
Lin Mo reacted immediately, but this time the pressure was different. The man didn't waste movement, didn't overextend. Each step had purpose.
A strike came.
Lin Mo blocked—
barely.
The impact numbed his arm, forcing him back.
Another followed.
Closer.
More precise.
Lin Mo dodged, but not cleanly. The edge of the strike clipped his side, sending a sharp jolt of pain through him.
Too controlled.
Too efficient.
He couldn't match that directly.
Behind him, Shi Yue's grip tightened slightly on his sleeve.
Not panic.
Just presence.
Lin Mo adjusted.
If he couldn't match skill—
he would control distance.
He stepped back deliberately, drawing the man forward. The uneven ground worked slightly in his favor. Roots and loose soil disrupted stable footing.
The man advanced anyway.
Confident.
That was his mistake.
Lin Mo shifted suddenly, not away—but sideways, forcing the man to step onto a softer patch of ground. His footing slipped—just slightly.
But enough.
Lin Mo moved instantly.
Not thinking.
Just acting.
He struck low, aiming not to injure—but to break balance.
The hit landed.
The man staggered half a step.
Lin Mo followed immediately, pushing forward with everything he had, forcing space between them.
For a brief moment—
the rhythm broke.
Both of them stopped.
Breathing steady.
Watching.
The other two men hesitated, waiting for direction.
The leader straightened slowly, his gaze sharper now.
"…You're learning," he said.
Lin Mo didn't respond.
But he felt it.
Not strength.
Not skill.
But something changing.
The way he moved.
The way he reacted.
It wasn't random anymore.
The man took a step back.
Then another.
The others followed.
Lin Mo didn't relax.
"…We'll meet again," the man said.
Not a threat.
A statement.
Then they turned—and left.
Just like that.
No chase.
No final strike.
They disappeared into the forest, their presence fading as quickly as it had come.
—
Silence returned.
Real silence this time.
Lin Mo stood still for a few seconds, making sure they were truly gone.
Then he exhaled.
Slowly.
The branch in his hand lowered slightly.
Behind him, Shi Yue's grip loosened—but didn't fully leave.
"…You're hurt," she said quietly.
Lin Mo glanced down. The cut at his side wasn't deep, but it bled through the fabric.
"…It's fine," he said.
She didn't respond to that.
Instead, she stepped slightly closer, her hand shifting from his sleeve to his arm, steadying him more deliberately this time.
"Sit," she said.
He hesitated.
Then did.
Not because he had to.
But because she asked.
She tore a small strip from her sleeve and pressed it against the wound, her movements careful but not uncertain.
"You should have told me earlier," she murmured.
Lin Mo gave a faint, tired exhale. "Didn't seem important."
"It is," she said quietly.
He didn't argue.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Lin An'an stirred slightly, letting out a soft sound before settling again against him.
Lin Mo adjusted her instinctively, making sure she was secure.
Shi Yue watched that.
Then looked away slightly.
"…We can't stay here," Lin Mo said after a while.
She nodded.
"…No."
He looked back toward the shrine.
Then at the path ahead.
"…Then we keep moving."
This time, there was no uncertainty.
No hesitation.
They had crossed that point already.
Whatever this was—
they were part of it now.
And there was no going back.