Chapter 4: Frantic Flight (Part 1)

The expressions on Luo Zhan and the others changed instantly. They rushed forward at high speed and whispered, “Back off! It’s dangerous—probably a large wild beast. You can’t handle it!” His experience was vast; just by the sound, he could tell the beast was extremely fierce. Wild beasts that could move freely through the dense forest were all exceptionally brutal.

Roar!
Not only was Luo Zhan shocked, but everyone else paled as well. Guo Shier whispered, “Wandering Wildmen!” He had seen captured Wandering Wildmen on the road and heard their roars before.

Luo Zhan smiled bitterly inwardly. He never expected to encounter Wandering Wildmen outside Ye Guan City—this was troublesome. He wasn’t afraid of them himself, but he was with a group of kids. If they got hurt, things would get difficult. That was the dilemma—he didn’t dare flee even if he won.

Guo Shier said softly, “The Wildmen might not notice us. Let’s retreat slowly first…”

Luo Zhan stopped him, “Don’t move. Wandering Wildmen are extremely dangerous in the forest. Wait until it passes… Shh!” He raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to be silent.

Boom!
A loud noise—trees crashing down—followed by a shrill tiger roar.

“Retreat!”
Guo Shier ordered decisively, and the five children retreated. Luo Zhan and one Martial Artist stayed put, while the other two joined Guo Shier’s group. One of them said, “Once the battle starts, just harass them. We two will take care of the main attack!”

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the right behind them. Even Luo Zhan was shocked—there was a second Wandering Wildman.

Luo Zhan realized the severity of the situation. Since they were over a hundred miles from Ye Guan City, encountering two Wandering Wildmen meant more of them had infiltrated the area.

“Protect Shier. Hurry back to Ye Guan City, report what’s happening here, and ask for reinforcements. Have the people in the city come out to clear them out immediately.”

Luo Zhan added, “I’ll draw that Wandering Wildman away… Don’t worry, I can get away.”

“Roar!”
“Damn, it’s spotted!”

Luo Zhan knew how powerful Wandering Wildmen were in the forest—not only were they incredibly strong, but they were also ferocious. He shouted, “Go!” and charged toward the Wandering Wildman. One of the Martial Artists picked up Guo Shier, while the other two each took a child and tucked them under their arms, then rushed back toward Ye Guan City.

Guo Shier finally witnessed the power of the Symbol Warriors. Even while carrying someone, they could take steps of seven or eight meters at a time, and they would charge straight through the slightly thinner trees ahead. A faint glow of symbolic patterns appeared on their bodies, and whenever those tree trunks or branches touched the glow, they would instantly shatter and scatter.

The three Symbol Warriors managed to create three separate paths as they ran through the dense forest. Guo Shier felt as if he were riding on clouds, hearing only crackling noises in his ears, and struggling to breathe due to the strong wind blowing towards him. He was extremely shocked—in his past life, he had never seen such astonishing skills. And these were only Symbol Warriors; his previous slight disdain for this profession vanished instantly. The combat prowess here was countless times stronger than anything he had seen before.

In the distance, thunderous booms and angry shouts could be heard, along with various roars. Guo Shier knew that Luo Zhan had already encountered the wildlings and couldn’t help but worry about him. During this time, Luo Zhan had followed him wholeheartedly, and he had come to regard this honest uncle Luo as an elder. Seeing him risk his life to stop the wildlings made Guo Shier feel uneasy.

The three Symbol Warriors were moving very fast, and in the blink of an eye, the sounds of the battle behind them became indistinct. Their heavy breathing grew faster, and their speed gradually slowed down. Symbol Warriors had far less endurance than Symbol Masters. Running this fast already required all their strength; if they continued, they might encounter enemies and be in trouble.

Guo Shier said in a low voice, “Stop! Stop!”

The three of them were indeed exhausted and stopped immediately upon hearing him. Guo Shier climbed down and said, “Uncles, take some time to rest.” He then added, “Chen Bing, Baozi, and Shitou, you three stay vigilant. Chen Hong, give me the Symbol Storage Bag and take out the marinated meat inside. Give it to the uncles so they can regain their strength quickly.”

Since all the supplies were stored in the Symbol Storage Bag, which was with Chen Hong, she handed it over. The marinated meat was prepared by Aunt Xin in the kitchen following Guo Shier’s instructions—after braising it, the surface was dried before it was collected. Its flavor was much better than local marinated meat.

Each person received four pieces of marinated meat the size of a fist, including Chen Hong. Everyone ate quickly. Replenishing strength here meant food was the most important thing.

For drinking water, there were water Symbol bladders—each one foot long could hold one cubic meter of water. Based on his past-life experience, Guo Shier knew this kind of water bag could hold a ton of water, but when held in hand, it only weighed as much as the bag itself. The secret lay in the symbols added during its creation. Such a water bag was very expensive, mainly because the animal skins used to make them were rare.

After resting for about ten minutes, Guo Shier said, “Alright, let’s go! This isn’t a place to stay long. Don’t let Uncle carry us—let’s try to walk on our own. If we encounter danger, Uncle still has the strength to carry us away.” He analyzed things clearly, and everyone understood and agreed. The three Rune Warriors all consented, and the others had no objections either. Thus, Guo Shier naturally became the leader of the group—a nine-year-old leader.

His decision slowed down the group’s progress. By conserving energy, they would have the strength to fight if danger arose. If the three Rune Warriors ran out of strength, the five kids wouldn’t be able to do much either, as they were still children.

The three Rune Warriors greatly admired Guo Shier’s decision. This kid would surely become someone remarkable in the future. Watching him command everyone with such composure and without any panic, he already showed the demeanor of a great leader at such a young age.

Since they needed to move quickly, one of the Rune Warriors was assigned the task of scouting ahead, while the other two protected the five children on either side, with all three moving in a triangular formation.

As darkness fell, Guo Shier grew anxious. This night would be tough. After thinking for a while, he said firmly, “Let’s not rest tonight. We’ll keep moving all night!”

Traveling through the dense forest was dangerous, but staying put overnight meant who knew what could happen. The three Rune Warriors were also hesitant. Guo Shier said, “So far, Uncle Luo hasn’t caught up. We don’t know what’s happening behind us. Wandering wildlings usually act alone. It’s unusual to see two of them appear so close together. So… the safer we leave the forest sooner, the better.”

Although he could be considered the leader, there were three Rune Warriors among the group, so he had to convince them.

The three exchanged glances and nodded almost simultaneously. Traveling at night was dangerous, but it was still better than facing wildlings. If they rested overnight and were chased by wildlings, with no Rune Warriors to block them, one of the three would have to sacrifice themselves to allow the others to escape. Therefore, Guo Shier’s suggestion was wise.

Walking at night was extremely difficult, but Guo Shier didn’t suffer much—he was carried back and forth by three rune warriors. There was no other choice; he was young and small, with short legs and arms, and as a rune spell apprentice, his physical strength couldn’t compare to that of the rune warrior apprentices. A slight carelessness while walking at night could lead to a fall, so without hesitation, they carried him. The other four children didn’t have such luck; they had to walk on their own, as they had potential to become rune warriors and were physically stronger than Guo Shier.

As dawn approached, one of the rune warriors identified their location and exclaimed in delight, “We’re almost at Ye Guan City!” The surrounding forests had become sparser, and under the gray sky, the mountains on the side of Ye Guan City were visible. Although the city walls weren’t yet in sight, Guo Shier knew they would reach the city in less than two hours. Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, successive roars could be heard in the distance.

Guo Shier pricked up his ears. His expression grew increasingly grim, and he lost his composure, saying urgently, “I heard seven or eight roars, and they weren’t from the same place!” “Run! Use all your strength! We’re almost at Ye Guan City!”

The three rune warriors also heard clearly. They understood what Guo Shier meant—there were at least seven or eight wildlings behind them. If caught, none of them would survive. Fortunately, they had traveled all night the previous day; otherwise, they would have already been caught. The three of them each took a child under their arms and rushed toward Ye Guan City with all their might.

Thanks to Guo Shier’s constant attention to the rest of the group, especially the three rune warriors, they still had enough strength. With this final push, they moved at lightning speed. The trees here became sparser, and there were many paths, making it easier to walk compared to the dense forest.

Gradually, they saw many people fleeing from the forests. Some were emitting shrill warning whistles—warnings sent by the rune warriors patrolling Ye Guan City. Anyone who heard them had to retreat immediately to the city. Soon, guard squads appeared. Guo Shier secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they were temporarily out of danger. But he had no intention of stopping; they wouldn’t be safe until they entered the city.

A red light rose into the air, followed by a loud explosion. It was a flame rune launched into the sky—a more severe warning, indicating that the situation was extremely tense.

Soon, Guo Shier saw the city walls of Ye Guancheng. He shouted, “Hurry! Enter the city quickly!” His eyes were fixed on the forest, and he couldn’t help but whisper, “Why hasn’t Uncle Luo come out yet? Sigh, I hope Uncle Luo won’t fight head-on…”
A roar came from not far away, followed by a long, agonized scream. Guo Shier said, “Bad news! They’re blocking the way!” The city gates were right ahead, but wild men had already appeared. Turning back meant no way out, and to reach another gate, they would have to circle half the city, which wasn’t a good idea.
Guo Shier quickly thought it over and then decisively said, “Charge through!”