Vampire Progenitor of the Immortal World

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: The Road Beyond

The notice was still pinned to the board when Ethan returned the following morning. He read it once more before taking it down. The task was simple enough on paper: investigate a disturbance along an old road outside the settlement and report what he found. No demand for combat. No requirement to confront anyone. The person who posted it wanted information, not a hero. The reward was what caught Ethan’s attention. It was enough to make the journey worthwhile. After accounting for food, lodging, transportation, and the small expenses that came with traveling, there would still be something left for him. Not a fortune, but enough to justify spending several days away from his current work. Ethan folded the notice and slipped it into his pocket. He had already made his decision.

By late morning, he had rented a horse. It was an ordinary brown horse with a quiet temperament. Nothing about it suggested speed, strength, or value. That suited Ethan perfectly. He had no reason to attract attention with an expensive animal when all he needed was something that could carry him along the road. He checked the saddle himself before mounting. The horse shifted beneath him. Ethan waited until it settled. Then he looked back once at the settlement. The streets were already becoming familiar to him. The market, the inn, the places where he worked, the people he had begun recognizing without knowing their names. It was a routine he had built because routine was useful. But routine could also become a cage if he never stepped outside it. He turned the horse toward the eastern road.

The journey began without ceremony. For the first few hours, there was little to see. The road stretched between patches of grass and scattered trees. Small carts passed occasionally, their drivers giving him little more than a glance. The farther he traveled, the less crowded the road became. Ethan kept his pace steady. He didn’t hurry. There was no reason to exhaust the horse simply to arrive earlier. The sun climbed overhead before slowly beginning its descent. Ethan stopped twice along the way, giving the horse water and allowing himself to eat something simple. He kept his eyes moving even while resting. The habit had become automatic.

Road.

Trees.

Hills.

People.

Possible places to hide.

Possible paths away from the main road.

Nothing unusual.

By evening, the settlement behind him was no longer visible. Ethan found a small roadside lodging place and paid for a room. It was plain, but that was enough. He secured the horse and spent the night without incident.

The following morning, he continued. The road became narrower. The trees grew closer together. There were fewer travelers now. Ethan slowed the horse. Something about the area bothered him. He couldn’t immediately explain why. There were no bodies on the road. No broken carts. No obvious signs of violence. That was precisely what made him pay attention. The notice had mentioned disturbances. Yet the road looked almost untouched.

Ethan dismounted. He crouched beside the edge of the road. The ground was dry, but several patches of grass had been pressed down recently. He followed them with his eyes. The marks disappeared near the trees. He stood. The horse gave a quiet snort behind him. Ethan looked toward the forest. Nothing moved. He waited. Still nothing.

He walked a few steps closer. There were marks on one of the trees. Not deep enough to be an axe wound. Perhaps from a blade. He touched the damaged bark. Fresh. Ethan withdrew his hand. The investigation was beginning to make more sense. Someone had been here. Recently. And whoever had come through had taken care not to leave obvious signs. That alone told him something. The person who posted the notice might not know the full situation. Or perhaps they knew more than they had written. Ethan didn’t like either possibility.

He returned to the horse and continued along the road instead of entering the forest. There was no reason to walk blindly into unfamiliar territory. The road eventually divided. One path continued toward a small village marked on the map he had been given. The other disappeared between the trees. Ethan stopped. He studied the two roads for several moments. The village was the obvious destination. The forest path was not. That made it interesting.

He dismounted again. This time, he secured the horse beneath the shade of a large tree and left it with enough water to remain comfortable for some time. Ethan checked his belongings. Rope. Fire starter. Food. Water. Short Dao. Everything was where it should be. He looked at the forest once more. If something happened, he didn’t want the horse anywhere near it.

He stepped onto the narrow path. The change was immediate. The road noise disappeared behind him. Leaves covered most of the ground, softening his footsteps. The air beneath the trees was cooler. Ethan moved slowly. He wasn’t searching for a fight. He was searching for information.

A broken branch caught his attention. Then another. Someone had passed through here. He followed the signs carefully. The farther he went, the more obvious they became. Footprints. Dragged earth. A piece of torn cloth caught on a thorn. Ethan stopped. He didn’t touch it. He simply looked. The cloth was dark and plain. Not enough to tell him who had worn it. But it confirmed that the disturbance wasn’t imaginary.

He continued. A faint sound reached him. Voices. Ethan immediately lowered his pace. He moved toward a large tree and stopped behind it. The voices became clearer. Three people. Maybe four. He couldn’t see them yet. Ethan stayed still. He listened. One voice sounded irritated. Another was quieter. Then he heard a sentence that made him narrow his eyes. They were not discussing the disturbance. They were waiting for someone.

Ethan remained motionless. He had already learned something useful. The investigation was not what it first appeared to be. He slowly shifted his position until he could see between the trees. Four men stood in a clearing. None of them looked like ordinary travelers. Their weapons were visible, but they weren’t holding them aggressively. They were waiting.

For whom?

Ethan watched. One of them suddenly looked toward the path. Ethan instinctively stepped backward. A branch cracked beneath his heel. The clearing went silent. Four heads turned toward him.

Ethan’s hand moved toward the short dao.

He didn’t draw it.

Not yet.

One of the men stared at him for several seconds. Then his expression changed.

"You’re late."

Ethan said nothing.

The man frowned. Another stepped closer.

"Where’s the rest?"

Ethan finally understood. They had mistaken him for someone else. He looked from one man to the next. Four opponents. Unknown skill. Unknown purpose. And, apparently, they had been expecting someone.

"I think you’ve mistaken me for someone," Ethan said.

The men exchanged looks. For a moment, nobody moved. Then the oldest-looking man spoke.

"Who are you?"

Ethan considered his answer.

That was when the man behind him quietly drew his weapon. Ethan heard the sound of steel leaving its sheath. His eyes shifted.

Too late.

The blade came toward him.

He twisted aside.

The first strike missed his body by inches. Ethan’s dao came free. The forest suddenly became very small. Four men. One narrow path behind him. Trees on both sides. No easy escape. And somewhere behind them, his horse was waiting.

Ethan tightened his grip. He had never fought a real battle before. But he understood one thing immediately.

These men had already decided that letting him leave was not an option.

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