Hua Yan slowly unsheathed his knife.

It was the one that he had been using to chop away at the Truewood Trees. It was by no means as long or as sharp as the bandit’s blade that looked like it was already quite attuned to the texture of blood.

It was but an ordinary knife that was used for carving wood. By no means was it a weapon of war.

Seeing Hua Yan’s action of taking it out, the bandit snickered.

“Hehe, boy, if you think you can harm me with that, you’re 100 years too early. Just leave your belongings behind, and I’ll let you off for today? How about it?”

If the bandit were anyone else, Hua Yan would’ve simply ignored his words. But since this man was after his life, and since he wasn’t in the best of moods, Hua Yan decided to say some words in response.

“Let me tell you something, fellow. You see this blade here? It looks dull and edgeless right?”

Hua Yan brandished his dagger as he spoke. Then, out of nowhere, he charged the bandit. The bandit was taken aback by the sudden attack, but quickly regained his senses and blocked the incoming knife with his blade.

Hearing the painful screech of metal on metal, the bandit grit his teeth.

He thought his attack would destroy that little knife in one shot.

Contrary to his expectations, however, it was his own sword that appeared to be a little… chipped around the edges.

“This blade may look ordinary and weak...”

Hua Yin continued his attack. There was a dangerous glimmer in his eyes.

The bandit was forced onto the retreat. A trace of fear appeared on his sweating face.

“But within it lies my hopes, my dreams, and my ambitions.”

Hua Yan never paused in his relentless assault. Wounds were quickly covering up the bandit’s body.

“It contains the fruits of my labour.”

Shraa!

The bandit’s mask was shredded off and his ugly mug within was exposed.

“The proof of my hardships.”

The bearded man let out a howl as one of his fingers was cut off cleanly.

“The records of my deeds.”

The man’s sword was too late to parry the knife that was coming for his thighs, and ended up being brought to his knees.

“This blade is heavy. It carries both your life and mine.”

Hua Yin managed to get through the bandit’s guard and brush off his sword to some faraway shrub in the distance, leaving the bandit unarmed.

“So you’d best not look down it.”

A flash of light appeared on his knife’s edge as he struck it towards the bandit’s throat.

“That would be… unhealthy.”

And just like that, the bandit left the mortal world without another sound. His death was meaningless. He was hungry and desperate, and his haste got the better of him as he chose a stronger opponent for a target. His downfall was not an uncommon one in this world. Many often overestimated themselves, thinking they were different from the rest.

Unfortunately for the bandit, he was no one special.

“I wonder if I… can be special,” Hua Yan murmured to himself while staring into the distance.