Unaware of the impending danger, Shen Feng spent an hour in the hot spring. His skin turned pale and wrinkled, and only then did he slowly emerge from the pool, feeling his muscles relaxed after the long soak.
Upon reaching the shore, Shen Feng immediately began searching for a yukata. However, he had overlooked one detail: customs varied from place to place. Here, following tradition, Shen Feng was provided with a one-piece yukata, which, when worn, resembled ancient attire. Having never worn one before, Shen Feng simply tied the belt, ensuring the yukata wouldn't fall off.
The yukata was made of silk, feeling smooth and comfortable against his skin. Such an expensive garment was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"I still prefer a normal yukata. I'm not used to this one," Shen Feng muttered to himself.
Just then, Shen Feng sensed a killing intent. He quickly activated his "Wind King Barrier." With a "ding" sound, he turned to see a dagger materialize out of thin air, piercing the transparent barrier and causing fine cracks to appear.
"Damn it, who dares to stab me from behind! Show yourself!" Shen Feng instantly activated "Swift Wind" and became a blur, grabbing the basket of potions and retreating, giving his attacker no chance for a second strike.
Unable to see his assailant, Shen Feng retreated to a distance to observe carefully. The enemy seemed to appear out of nowhere. Could the assassin be an esper with light abilities, employing invisibility? Shen Feng was perplexed, unable to figure out who was attacking him. While he was contemplating, he heard the sound of wind and quickly dodged. A samurai sword shot past his ear. If not for his sharp instincts, he would have been backstabbed for the second time.
"Who's hiding behind me, get out, or I won't be polite!" Shen Feng shouted. Dozens of wind blades condensed in the air, ready to attack, but they remained suspended.
"Swish," at that moment, a dagger emerged from the darkness again. Shen Feng's eyes caught a glimpse of a slender hand, most likely a woman's, given its fairness and length. Strangely, he could see nothing else apart from the hand.
However, Shen Feng knew that was enough. The dozens of wind blades in the air descended, preparing to sever the hand instantly.
But as the wind blades fell, they seemed to strike something, emitting a series of "clanging" sounds before vanishing as if they had hit a wall.
The dagger was already close to stabbing Shen Feng. With no other option, Shen Feng dodged again. Fortunately, Shen Feng's speed gave him a significant advantage. Another attack wouldn't come so quickly. Shen Feng weaved and dodged, managing to avoid injury, but the enemy's elusive attacks were a constant headache.
"Where is the enemy hiding? Why can't I see them?" Shen Feng scanned the area around the hot spring. The lighting was dim, but he could still make out his surroundings, yet he saw nothing.
At that moment, Shen Feng felt his feet being ensnared by something. Looking down, he saw his ankles wrapped in white, fibrous material. Above him, a scythe suddenly appeared. The hand holding the scythe was thick, confirming it was a man's hand.
With his feet bound, Shen Feng gritted his teeth and activated his "Wind King Barrier." The transparent shield appeared before him, successfully blocking the scythe's attack from above.
Shen Feng breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the enemy was using cold weapons, and his barrier would hold for a while. As long as he maintained the barrier, he could protect himself.
However, at that moment, a massive hammer swung from the side. "Bang," the hammer was heavy, and its swing would undoubtedly be an armor-piercing weapon. The moment the hammer made contact with the barrier, it was covered in dense cracks, and the barrier instantly shattered.
The scythe, now unimpeded, plunged downwards. A scythe was a tricky weapon; ordinary means of blocking were ineffective. Compared to swords, a scythe had the added functions of hooking and piercing. While its thrusting capability was limited, its hooking ability made it significantly more lethal.
Shen Feng looked up. The scythe was about to fall. If it landed on his head, he would surely be split open.
In desperation, Shen Feng abandoned all pretense of dignity and, clutching the basket of esper potions, performed a "rolling dodge." The scythe missed him. Shen Feng was covered in dust but had managed to evade the attack.
Suddenly, during his roll, Shen Feng grabbed a cold object. Picking it up, he saw it was the meteorite longsword he had just acquired. Without hesitation, Shen Feng drew the sword, its blade vibrating rapidly and emitting a clear sound.
"Swish," Shen Feng swung the sword, severing the white fibrous threads binding his ankles. With his feet free, Shen Feng began to survey his surroundings. The weapons that had been attacking him had vanished.
"Who's ambushing me? Come out if you have the guts, stop being sneaky!" Shen Feng called out.
If he could provoke the enemy into revealing themselves, that would be ideal. However, Shen Feng was destined to be disappointed. No one appeared. It was as if the previous attacks were all in his imagination. Shen Feng looked around. This was an open-air hot spring, with mist rising from the water. The area was enclosed by a wooden fence.
"I don't know how many assassins there are, but they are definitely espers. Perhaps I'm already surrounded by espers!" Shen Feng thought to himself.
Recalling the attacks he had just endured, Shen Feng felt a chill. If he hadn't reacted in time, he would likely be dead by now. Moreover, the enemy seemed to know him intimately, specifically using a hammer to break his defenses. His sturdy barrier had been shattered in a single blow, a feat beyond the capabilities of ordinary individuals.
Shen Feng continued to observe his surroundings. Since the assassins had appeared, they wouldn't leave easily. He didn't know when the next attack would come, so Shen Feng had to remain vigilant.
Shen Feng realized that staying in this confined space would only lead to continuous ambushes. With the enemy hidden and possibly possessing invisibility, he was at a disadvantage as a lone individual.
"Of the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is the best!" Shen Feng quickly made his decision. Since the enemy remained hidden, he should make a swift escape.
Shen Feng immediately activated "Swift Wind," shielding the esper potions with one hand and gripping his sword with the other, he charged towards the wooden fence on the side. Just then, a dagger appeared before Shen Feng's eyes. The enemy had ambushed his path and suddenly attacked.
Shen Feng was fast, but it was precisely his speed that almost caused him to collide with the enemy's dagger. Fortunately, at that moment, Shen Feng altered his trajectory, dodging the dagger's attack, and then leaped towards the other side of the wooden fence.
"Thud," as Shen Feng leaped, he suddenly felt an intense headache, as if he had hit something hard. A large bump swelled on his forehead.
"Damn it, what is this? How can there be an invisible wall?" Shen Feng landed back on the ground, completely surprised to find himself in a sealed room without realizing it. He had been deceived by the moonlight and starlight. Shen Feng's subconscious had led him to believe the sky above was his escape route, but now, hitting the invisible wall, he realized the danger.
"My friends, you are all espers too. It's not good to fight and damage our harmony. How about I give you one esper potion, and we go our separate ways?" Shen Feng said, shaking the bamboo basket in his hand, which contained the esper potions that ordinary people dreamed of!
The assassins remained unresponsive, retreating into hiding, seemingly unhurried. They were completely unfazed by the single esper potion in Shen Feng's hand. For them, obtaining all the esper potions was the goal; a single potion meant nothing.
"If only Lu Xian or Lin Yue were here. I wouldn't be so passive!" Shen Feng didn't know the enemy's location or where they would attack from, feeling a sense of helplessness. If Lin Yue were present, he could hear the enemy's footsteps and heartbeats, allowing him to pinpoint their movements. Lu Xian would be even simpler; he could sense every action of the enemy, preventing Shen Feng from being in this predicament.
Time ticked by, and Shen Feng dared not relax. However, at that moment, weapons appeared from all directions. A large hammer directly smashed towards him from the front, while daggers from both sides converged on him. Shen Feng also felt a chill from behind; undoubtedly, someone with a scythe was preparing to attack him from his rear.
As Shen Feng prepared to dodge, his feet were once again ensnared by the white fibrous material, rendering him completely immobile.
"Hurricane Eye!" Facing the encirclement, Shen Feng did not dare to underestimate his opponents. He instantly unleashed his whirlwind, a technique he had learned early on. He rarely used it, and in battles, he primarily relied on "Swift Wind" and "Furious Wind" to evade attacks and deal damage with wind blades. However, Shen Feng had not forgotten his earliest techniques; in critical moments, "Hurricane Eye" proved useful.
Under the raging wind, the surrounding assassins were blown away. However, the enemy in front took the opportunity to throw the heavy hammer. Shen Feng quickly dodged to the side. The hammer, with its immense kinetic energy, struck the wooden fence, shattering a section of it. The other side of the hot spring appeared in Shen Feng's sight.
Nearby, in another hot spring, were the women who were supposed to attend to Shen Feng. They were now looking over with confused expressions. Some bolder women even stood up from the pool, beckoning Shen Feng to come over with open arms.
"I advise you to run quickly. Be careful not to die an untimely death!" Shen Feng said coldly. At a time like this, these women were still soaking in the hot spring. Had they heard nothing at all?
As he spoke, Shen Feng lowered his sword and flicked it, cutting through the white fibrous material on both his ankles.
At this moment, the women also noticed the large iron hammer lying on the ground. After a moment of thought, they abandoned all pretense of decorum, scrambled out of the pool, and began to flee.
Shen Feng also prepared to escape through the gap in the fence. However, just as he stepped forward, vines suddenly grew from the ground, encircling him. The vines then began to twine around Shen Feng.
Shen Feng was familiar with this type of attack. After all, Chang Jianyi's esper ability was plant control, which included accelerating plant growth and using plants to entangle enemies. However, while the area of effect was large, the attack's impact was not significant.
"I won't play with you anymore! I'm leaving!" Shen Feng, taking advantage of the vines not yet ensnaring him, turned to leave. However, the moment he took a step, he felt his body become heavy, forcing him to kneel. Sounds of people falling to the ground echoed around him. This was caused by the gravity directly affecting him.
"Damn it, Yue Hengyi, you scoundrel, you've set me up!" Shen Feng, caught off guard, slowed down. In that instant, the surrounding vines surged forward, tightly binding Shen Feng's legs. Worse, some of the vines were thorny. Shen Feng wasn't wearing pants, and his legs were immediately scratched, drawing blood. Although it didn't cause serious injury, it temporarily immobilized him.