# Chapter 15: The Supply Depot
The river flowed fast. The water was cold. It rushed over rocks. It made a roaring sound. Lin Yu walked along the bank. He stayed in the shadows of the trees. He did not walk on the open path. Paths were for travelers. Travelers were seen. Lin Yu did not want to be seen. He was a fugitive. He was a ghost.
Two days had passed. He had not stopped. He had walked through the night. He had slept for only four hours each day. His body was tired. His legs were heavy. His feet were sore. But he did not complain. Pain was weakness. Weakness was death. He pushed through the pain. He used Qi to numb his muscles. He kept moving.
The sun was high. It was noon. The light was bright. It reflected off the water. It hurt his eyes. Lin Yu pulled his hood down. It covered his face. The gray cloak was dirty. It was torn. It smelled of smoke and blood. It was better than the blue sect robes. The blue robes marked him as a disciple. The gray cloak marked him as no one. No one cared about no one.
[Distance Traveled: Fifty Miles.] The Sword Box voice spoke. It was calm. It was mechanical. [Target Ahead. One Mile. Energy Signature Detected.]
Lin Yu stopped. He stood behind a large tree. He looked forward. The river curved. Behind the curve was a building. It was made of stone. It was square. It had high walls. There were guards at the gate. They wore black armor. They held spears. They looked bored. They leaned on their weapons. They talked to each other.
"The depot," Lin Yu said. He whispered.
[Yes. Beast Tamer Guild Supply Depot. Level: Low. Security: Moderate. Contents: Pills, Weapons, Scrolls.]
Lin Yu watched them. He used his new skill. Sword Sense. It was like a sixth sense. He could feel the metal around him. He could feel the swords on the guards' hips. He could feel the spears in their hands. He could feel the distance. Ten feet. Twenty feet. Thirty feet. It was clear in his mind. It was like a map.
"Guards," Lin Yu thought. "How many?"
[Visible: Four. Hidden: Two. On the roof. Archers.]
"Six total," Lin Yu thought. "What level?"
[Guards: Level 2. Archers: Level 3. Manager: Level 4. Inside.]
Lin Yu calculated. He was Level 3. He could beat the guards. He could beat the archers. The manager was a problem. Level 4 was stronger. But Lin Yu had surprise. He had stealth. He had the Silent Edge.
"Plan," Lin Yu said. "Stealth. No alarms."
[Probability of Success: 70%. Risk: Detection.]
"Acceptable," Lin Yu thought.
Lin Yu moved. He did not walk on the grass. He walked on the rocks. Rocks did not crunch. He moved down the river. The water masked his sound. He got closer. Fifty feet. Forty feet. Thirty feet. He stopped. He was behind a bush. He looked at the wall. It was ten feet high. It had spikes on top.
He took a rope from his bag. It was thin. It was strong. He tied a hook to the end. He swung it. He threw it over the wall. It caught on the spikes. He pulled. It was secure. He climbed. He moved slowly. He did not shake the rope. He reached the top. He lay flat. He looked down.
The courtyard was empty. There were crates stacked near the warehouse. There was a well. There were no people outside. The guards were at the gate. The archers were on the roof corners. Lin Yu could see one. He was hiding behind a chimney. He had a bow. He was looking at the gate. He was not looking inside.
Lin Yu dropped down. He landed silently. He crouched. He waited. One minute. Two minutes. No alarm. He moved to the warehouse. The door was locked. It was made of wood. It was thick. Lin Yu took out a lockpick. He inserted it. He turned it. It clicked. He opened the door. He slipped inside. He closed the door.
It was dark inside. The smell was strong. It smelled of herbs. It smelled of leather. It smelled of old wood. Lin Yu lit a small flame. It was in his hand. It was made of Qi. It did not smoke. It did not smell. He looked around.
There were shelves. They were full of boxes. He opened one. It had pills. Green pills. Healing pills. He took ten. He put them in his bag. He opened another box. It had weapons. Daggers. Swords. They were low quality. Steel. Not iron. He took two daggers. He could throw them. He opened a third box. It had scrolls. Technique scrolls. He took them all. He would read them later.
[Energy Gained: 50. Items Acquired.] The Sword Box said.
"Find the intel," Lin Yu thought. "Maps. Letters. Records."
[Scanning... Back Room. Energy Signature: High.]
Lin Yu blew out the flame. He walked to the back. There was a door. It was locked. He did not pick it. He used the Silent Edge. He stabbed the lock. It broke. He opened the door. It was an office. There was a desk. There was a chair. There was a safe.
Lin Yu went to the desk. He opened the drawers. He found papers. He read them. They were supply records. They listed shipments. They listed destinations. One name appeared often. *Azure Sect. Elder Chen.*
"Proof," Lin Yu said. He took the papers. He put them in his bag. It was more evidence. He already had the contracts. This was confirmation. Chen was buying weapons. Chen was buying poison. Chen was preparing for a coup.
Lin Yu went to the safe. It was made of iron. It was heavy. He could not open it quietly. He needed power. He put his hand on the lock. He poured Qi into it. He used the Sword Sense. He felt the mechanism inside. The tumblers. The springs. He manipulated them with his Qi. It was hard. It required precision. He sweated. His hand shook.
*Click.*
The safe opened. Lin Yu let out a breath. He looked inside. There were spirit stones. There was a book. The book was black. It had no title. He opened it. It was a cultivation manual. *Blood Beast Technique.* It was dark. It required blood to cultivate. It was forbidden.
"Tamers," Lin Yu said. "They use dark arts."
[Warning. Presence Detected. Behind the door.]
Lin Yu closed the safe. He turned. He drew the Silent Edge. The door opened. A man stood there. He wore black robes. He was fat. He had a beard. He held a staff. It was made of bone. He looked angry. He looked surprised.
"Who are you?" the man shouted. His voice was loud. "Thief!"
Lin Yu did not speak. He charged. He could not let the man scream. The man raised his staff. He blocked the sword. *Clang.* The sound was loud. It echoed in the room.
"Alarm!" the man shouted. "Intruder!"
Lin Yu frowned. He stepped back. He kicked the man. The man fell. He was fat. He was slow. Lin Yu raised the sword. He stabbed. The man rolled. The sword hit the floor. Sparks flew. The man stood up. He ran to the window. He jumped out. He landed in the courtyard.
He blew a whistle. *Weeeeee.* The sound was sharp. It went everywhere. The guards at the gate heard it. The archers on the roof heard it. They moved. They ran to the warehouse.
"Plan failed," Lin Yu thought. "Combat mode."
[Updated. Eliminate all witnesses. Escape.]
Lin Yu ran out of the door. He was in the courtyard. The guards were coming. Four guards. They held spears. They surrounded him. The archers were on the roof. They drew their bows. They aimed at him.
"Kill him!" the fat man shouted. He stood behind the guards. He was safe. "Do not let him escape!"
Lin Yu stood in the center. He held the Silent Edge. He was calm. He was not scared. Fear made hands shake. Fear made moves slow. He had no fear. He had only focus.
The guards charged. They thrust their spears. Four spears. Four angles. Lin Yu could not block all. He did not block. He moved. He used the Wind Dancer technique. He stepped sideways. He was like wind. The spears missed. They hit each other. *Clash.*
Lin Yu swung. Shadow Slash. The black slash flew. It cut the first guard. He fell. It cut the second guard. He fell. Two guards remained. They stopped. They were scared. They looked at their friends. They looked at the black sword.
"Fight!" the fat man shouted. "Or you die too!"
The guards attacked again. They were careful. They moved together. Lin Yu waited. He used Sword Sense. He felt their Qi. He felt their intent. One was weak. One was strong. Lin Yu targeted the weak one. He stepped in. He blocked the strong spear. He stabbed the weak guard. The guard died.
The last guard ran. He dropped his spear. He ran to the gate. Lin Yu did not chase. He looked at the roof. The archers fired. Arrows flew. They were fast. Lin Yu spun the sword. It was like a shield. The arrows hit the blade. They bounced off. *Ting. Ting. Ting.*
Lin Yu threw a dagger. It flew straight. It hit the first archer. The archer fell from the roof. The second archer hid. He did not shoot. He was scared.
Lin Yu looked at the fat man. The manager. He was trying to run. He was going to the gate. Lin Yu moved. He was faster. He cut off the path. The man stopped. He trembled. He held his staff. His hands shook.
"Please," the man said. "I have money. I have pills. Take them. Let me go."
"No," Lin Yu said. His voice was cold. "You work for the Guild. You work for the killer."
"I do not know," the man said. "I just sell supplies. I do not know anything."
"You know Chen," Lin Yu said. "You send him poison. You send him weapons."
The man's eyes widened. "You... you are from the sect. You are the disciple."
"I am the judgment," Lin Yu said.
Lin Yu swung. The Silent Edge cut the air. It cut the man's neck. The man fell. He did not move. The courtyard was quiet. The bodies lay on the ground. The blood flowed. It went to the drain. It went to the earth.
[Victory Achieved. Energy Gained: 300. Current Energy: 1100. Level Up Progress: 40%.]
Lin Yu sheathed the sword. He did not wipe the blood. He walked to the bodies. He searched them. He took their money. He took their weapons. He took the whistle. He broke it. He threw it away.
He went back to the office. He took the spirit stones from the safe. He took the book. He took the papers. He burned the office. He used a fire pill. He threw it on the desk. The fire started. It grew fast. It ate the wood. It ate the papers. It ate the evidence. Except the copies he had.
He walked out. The fire was hot. The smoke was black. It went into the sky. It was a signal. People would see it. Hunters would come. He needed to leave. Now.
He climbed the wall. He used the rope. He dropped down. He ran. He did not look back. He ran into the forest. He ran until his lungs burned. He ran until the depot was far behind. He stopped by the river. He washed his face. The water was red. His hands were red. He cleaned them.
He sat on a rock. He opened his bag. He counted the loot. Spirit stones: 500. Pills: 20. Scrolls: 5. Manual: 1. Papers: 1 bundle. It was a good haul. It was enough to sustain him for months. It was enough to cultivate.
[Quest Updated.] The Sword Box said. [Depot Destroyed. Guild Attention: High. Hunters Deployed.]
"Let them come," Lin Yu said. "I am not here."
"Where to?" Lin Yu thought. "The sect? No. Too soon. The Ancient Land? Yes."
[Ancient Land Distance: 100 Miles. Danger Level: High. Reward: High.]
"Set course," Lin Yu said.
Lin Yu stood up. He looked at the sky. The smoke was gone. The wind had blown it away. The sun was setting. The sky was orange. It was beautiful. It was peaceful. But Lin Yu knew the truth. The world was cruel. The peace was a lie. Only power was real.
He thought about Mei Ling. She was in the sect. She was waiting. He had promised to come back. He would keep the promise. But not yet. He was too weak. Chen was too strong. The Guild Master was too strong. He needed more power. He needed the Ancient Land.
"I will be back," Lin Yu said. "When I return, I will bring fire."
He turned away. He walked north. The forest was dark. The trees were tall. The shadows were long. He walked into the dark. He was alone. But he was not lonely. He had the Sword Box. He had the sword. He had the will.
The night came. The moon rose. It was full. It was bright. Lin Yu did not stop. He walked through the night. He ate a pill. It gave energy. He did not sleep. He meditated while walking. He circulated his Qi. He healed his muscles. He strengthened his bones.
He felt the Sword Box hum. It was happy. It had consumed energy. It had consumed metal. It was growing. The fragment from the peak was integrated. The Silent Edge was sharper. The Sword Sense was clearer. He could feel a beast a mile away. He could feel a human half a mile away.
[Detection: Human. Level 5. Distance: 2 Miles. Closing.]
Lin Yu stopped. He hid behind a tree. He suppressed his Qi. He became invisible. He waited. The presence moved past. It did not stop. It was going to the depot. It was a hunter.
"Too close," Lin Yu thought. "I need to move faster."
He ran. He used all his Qi. He was like a arrow. He flew through the trees. He did not make sound. He put distance between him and the hunter. He ran for an hour. He stopped. The presence was gone. He was safe.
He sat down. He leaned against a tree. He closed his eyes. He rested for ten minutes. He stood up. He continued. He walked until morning. The sun rose. He was at the edge of the Ancient Land. It was a forbidden zone. The sect warned disciples not to enter. Death was certain.
Lin Yu looked at the boundary. It was a mist. It was gray. It was thick. He could not see inside. He could feel the energy. It was dense. It was rich. It was dangerous.
"Ready?" Lin Yu asked.
[Yes. Protection Field Active. Duration: 24 hours.]
"Enter," Lin Yu said.
He stepped into the mist. The air changed. It was heavier. It was harder to breathe. The Qi was wild. It was not calm like outside. It was like a storm. Lin Yu circulated his Qi. He protected his meridians. He walked deeper. The trees were bigger. The beasts were louder. He heard a roar. It was close.
He drew the Silent Edge. He was ready. He was in the Ancient Land. He was on the path to power. He was on the path to revenge. He did not look back. The past was behind him. The future was in front. And Lin Yu would carve it with his sword.
The mist swallowed him. He disappeared. He was gone. The world forgot him. But he would not forget the world. He would remember every debt. Every blood drop. Every betrayal. And he would collect.
The journey continued. The exile walked on. The hunter was awake. And the prey was waiting.