Completion

From the way the man holds his weapon to they way he positioned himself, I could tell this man had fought many times over. He oozes confidence and a level arrogance as he charges towards me. He doesn't even prepare in advance while attacking me, simply not even thinking of me as an opponent.

'He's fast, but it doesn't seem like he's using any movement technique. I could use the one I've been practicing and perhaps I'd gain an advantage. Maybe I should try what some protagonists do and advance during a battle. Alright, hopefully I can get some insight on the movement skill or melee combat in general.'

Entering within a meter of him, he starts winding up a horizontal strike from his right. The move was easily choreographed and I spotted an opening.

As he swung his axe I ducked under activating the movement technique at the same time. While I ducked through his attack I stuck out my sword towards his waist. After securing a bit of distance I turned back to see a fresh wound on the side of his body.

It as clear where the wound was as the robe he wore was bloodied and torn around the area. The wound itself might of been a 1 millimeter deep. Already the laceration had started to bleed soaking the robe surrounding it in his blood.

'Damn, this skill just evened the odds, though it is a little tiring to use I can manage for a while longer.'

"Ahh, you little shit what'd you just do! I'm going to get you for that. Tch! If I had just a single other man with me, you'd be dead by now!" The man's confidence seemed to crumble just a bit and his demeanor had changed from arrogance to anger.

He charged at me with a left sided swing this time. Thinking of doing the same again I once again charge at him and duck under the axe blade. Right after dodging the axe I went for another slash to his side but tripped over falling to the ground.

'Shit! I should of known! Why wouldn't he do something about that? The same trick wouldn't work twice, especially in a row. I should have just feinted that move and attacked normally!'

Looking back his left leg is extended outward, but I still managed to cause a small wound on him. It was an accidental one and it barely even broke the skin so I guess it doesn't actually count.

Pushing myself off the ground I could hear the heavy steps from behind. Jumping out of the way, sounds of him hitting the ground nearby could be heard. At this point I was back at the destroyed tent looking around for something I could use against the man.

The two I killed at the start along with the headless man's body could be seen underneath the tent coverings. Seeing a handle sticking out of the tent I quickly grabbed it and started running towards the man. If nothing else I could use it as a distraction from my true attack.

Running up to the man I threw the object I took from the tent at his face. It was a hand axe that was thrown at him, but he blocked it raising the wooden pole part horizontally. But even if he didn't block it no major harm would come to him as I saw that it was only the blunt part that would of connected.

Immediately afterward I swung down my sword in a chopping motion without him being able to recover fast enough from the throw I cleaved his axe in two. His once long felling axe was degraded to a mere hand axe and a stick.

Looking down at his weapon, he threw the now stick he has at me. Raising my sword to imminently block it from hitting my face it instead went lower than I though. Directly to the laceration on my right side, breaking my guard with a jolt of pain through my body.

Looking up I saw him once again charging at me. Just managing to recover from the pain he had already closed in on me with a wound up swing too. Hastily raising my sword to clash with his, we made contact and I had knocked his axe out of his hand using all the energy I had hastily gathered.

Not too long after though he kicked me back onto the broken tent. While I flew I felt the grip I had on my sword disappear, flying in another direction. Seeing me defenseless he slowly walked towards me picking up a nearby rock.

Just before he reaches me a sword pierces through his abdomen. A second later it's pulled out and the same sword started piercing his chest a few more times before he fell over. A figure stands over the body sheathing it's blade.

It's Yao Ya.

She quickly comes over wrapping her arms around my shoulder to pick me up. "Are you ok!? How badly were you hurt?! Where were you wounded!?"

Picking me up in one go I could feel my body lose strength as blood oozes out of my wound. Gently placing me down inside one of the remaining two tents she takes out a manual quickly flipping through the pages.

"It.. it's going t-to be alright, don't worry I-I'll heal you! Don't go-"

My eyelids had shut before I heard the rest of the sentence and my consciousness began to fade.

'Well damn... I didn't expect to die so soon after coming here... Is this what it's like for the average background cultivator in novels?... Maybe if I get reborn I'll get some kind of golden finger like them.'

…

…

…

Slowly I opened my eyes for what felt like the first time in forever. I looked around only to find the top of a white tent. Trying to lift my body I could feel something atop me. Lifting my head I only saw Yao Ya peacefully sleeping atop my chest.

She had decided to sleep directly above me not allowing me to move an inch without disturbing her. She had positioned her body almost one to one with mine. I could move my arms, but what was the use when I couldn't move anything else.

Lowering my head back down I realized her hands were just behind my head the whole time. It was almost like she fell asleep hugging me or something.

*Mmh...*

She adjusted her body a bit around mine rubbing something soft against my chest. I knew exactly what it was, I lifted my head to get a better view, her robes were a bit loose and I could see a reverse valley formed by two mountains. Every few moments they seemed to shift a bit, almost like it was deliberate, but she wouldn't do that! Right?

After a minute or two of staring voice could be heard "So... what are you looking at?" A cheeky smile could be seen plastered on her face.

Scared of the sudden noise my body trembled a bit which immediately turned into embarrassment knowing knowing that my little assumption was actually right. I didn't want to look away from her so instead I looked right into her emerald eyes. But what came out of my mouth still sounded like what I thought inside.

"I-I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's okay, as long as you're fine everything's okay!" She said sitting on top of me.

"Huh? What did you-"

"Here, I have a gift for you!"

She brings something out from behind her laying it on top of me.

"Here's a sword to replace the one you lost, it should be better too."

"Oh! Thank you but could you get off me so we can go back? We should also see if they had anything good." I asked on the ground while just keeping what she said moments ago in the back of my mind.

"Don't worry I got everything of value they had. You only just recovered so you should be careful if anything happens tell me, okay?" She said getting off me to stand up.

Standing up and going outside I could see a huge pile of people covered by a tent sheet.

"How did you heal me anyway?"

Pulling out a manual she says, "Remember this book I showed you? I learned to use it."

'Huh? Was that the book she pulled out at the end? She couldn't possibly of just learned that just now right? No, she couldn't of! That seems a little too difficult, no?'

While walking back home She had been hugging me from the side the entire time saying that it was to help me back or just to make sure that I was fully healed and didn't need her to help. I also sewed some black cloth onto the area of the robe I was slashed at. The patch work was a little shoddy, but got the job done.

Making it over mission board to turn in the mission the person at the counter was in shock.

Placing her hand over her mouth "Oh my god, what happened to you?"

"We completed the mission" Yao Ya said handing over the paper, completely ignoring the woman's shock.

"You two.. actually did it!? Well, good job umm.. please hand over your sect ID tokens so I could give your points to you." She asked extending her hand out.

Digging around my robe I finally found it to hand over.

Giving them back she tells us "50 Contribution points have been added on each token now. Have a good day and make sure you two get plenty of rest, this mission must have been hard on the both of you."

"Thank you" Both Yao Ya and I said at the same time

…

"Alright, I'll see you later I got to go back to my room. I'm still pretty tired from earlier." I said as I was about to exit her grip.

"Why don't I walk you there instead." She responded by pulling me back into her arms.

"Um... alright, but won't it be a little weird walking me through the men's section?"

"No! Not at all as long as I'm with you that is. Who cares what others think about us? After all I was just helping out my fellow disciple! I'm doing a good deed for the sect as well. Just don't worry too much about it."

After walking me back to my room we bid our goodbyes and I went in my home straight to my room to fall asleep. I'm sure there were numerous gazes towards us, I felt it, but I couldn't spend the energy to think about it at this time.

'That was a tiring fight I even almost died from that. If Yao Ya hadn't been there to save my life, I don't know what I'd do.'

Closing my eyes slowly falling asleep for those 20 seconds of peace in my head.

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