Chapter 50: The Hunter and the Prey
She sighed and said: Alright, we will wait for you.
Then she slowly raised her hand… and waved it lightly toward Jiang Chan.
A gentle energy moved from the tips of her fingers.
It was not completely visible, yet it could be felt in the air, like a faint ripple cutting through the stillness.
Jiang Chan's body gradually lifted from the ground.
Very slowly…
As if the air itself had decided to carry her.
She paused for a moment at the level of her gaze, floating beside her.
Jiang Chan's clothes fluttered softly in the cold air, a light movement… yet it was enough to break the silence of the forest for a brief moment.
Jiang Chan did not say anything, but she bowed in respect.
A silent bow… empty of words, yet clear in meaning.
Then the two of them dashed away.
Their bodies rose higher and higher into the sky, piercing through the calm layers of air.
Little by little…
They turned into two small distant dots.
In a vast expanse.
And after a few moments—
The clouds swallowed them.
They disappeared completely from sight.
Nothing remained in the sky except emptiness.
And silence.
I sighed quietly.
Then I began to walk between the trees, heading toward the place where Han Yang was.
The time had come.
The ground beneath my feet was covered with dry leaves.
Every step I took produced a faint whisper…
A fragile sound, as if the forest itself were watching my passage.
Cold air slipped between the long trunks of the trees.
It passed slowly between the branches…
As if it were a hidden eye silently following my movement.
I did not stop.
I did not slow down.
The deeper I moved between the shadows of the trees, the stronger the certainty inside me grew.
The time had come.
The time to hunt Han Yang.
I raised my gaze forward.
Between the trees…
And beside a large rock near a narrow stream of water, the shadow of a standing figure appeared.
He was still.
He did not move.
Even after he sensed my presence.
I recognized him…
Before I could see his face clearly.
Han Yang.
I approached slowly.
I did not reach for my weapon.
But I did not lower my guard either.
Every step was calculated.
And every breath I breathed was calm… yet vigilant.
And when I was only a few steps away from him—
He finally opened his eyes.
Our gazes met.
He was not surprised.
No confusion appeared on his face.
As if he had already known…
That I would come.
Calmly, his voice came out:
You are late.
I stopped directly in front of him.
I did not smile.
I did not show any expression.
Then I answered him with equal calm:
I was making sure… that you were still alive.
A short silence settled between us.
But this silence…
Was not the silence of the forest.
It was not the silence of the night.
It was something different.
A heavy silence.
A silence that precedes something great.
Something that cannot be turned back from.
Han Yang sighed.
Then he spoke in a sarcastic voice:
Alright, have you confirmed that I am alive?
Well… as you can see, I am alive and in good health.
He shook his head slightly, then looked at me with a long gaze:
You can leave now…
Unless you have another purpose.
He paused for a brief moment.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips, carrying a cold sarcasm.
Like you want to kill me.
Am I right?
I looked into his eyes for a moment…
Then I burst out laughing.
Hahahahaha…
The sound of my laughter echoed between the trees, its reverberation spreading deep into the forest. Several startled birds rose from the nearby branches, beating their wings hastily before disappearing into the shadows.
I raised my hand slightly to my forehead, and my shoulder leaned back as the laughter gradually faded.
After a short moment, my gaze settled on him once again.
The smile was still on my face.
Han Yang…
You truly deserve to be among the chosen.
You really surprised me.
I took a step forward slowly.
My foot brushed against the dry leaves, and a faint rustling rose, slipping through the heavy silence between us.
I moved a little closer.
Tell me…
How did you know that I wanted to kill you?
A brief moment of stillness settled.
In any case…
There was no longer any point in hiding it.
At that moment, Han Yang's gaze changed.
His center of gravity lowered slightly.
His foot moved half a step backward, while his shoulders angled slightly. One of his hands slowly rose in front of his chest, and the other settled near his waist.
A clear killing stance.
The voice that came from him was steady:
At first, I was not certain…
But the way you looked at me was like someone looking at prey.
And even the tone of your voice when you speak to me…
It was the tone of a predator playing with its prey.
His fingers slowly tightened.
The air around him trembled slightly, like a faint ripple of spiritual energy.
In short…
From the very first moment, you were looking at me as if I were a dead man.
He fell silent for a brief moment.
And yet…
I do not remember ever meeting someone like you before.
There is no enmity between us…
So why do you want to kill me?
I sighed lightly.
I slowly rotated my wrist, a small movement as if I were merely loosening it.
You are smart…
But your mind is still a prisoner of the present and the past.
I raised my head slightly.
My eyes settled directly into his.
Even so…
I am curious.
How did you recognize me while I am without a mask?
The answer came out immediately.
Without any hesitation.
Your scent.
His gaze fixed on me with clear confidence.
Through your scent, I recognized you.
I do not know how to explain it…
But I am certain.
His gaze hardened even more.
And in any case…
I will not allow you to insult me.
His body lowered further toward the ground.
The muscles beneath his skin tensed, preparing to dash forward at any moment.
Enough chatter…
Let us begin the fight.
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
My head tilted slightly to the side, and my eyes remained fixed on him.
Wow…
This is the first time I have seen someone so eager to die this quickly.
I raised my palm in front of me with a calm gesture.
A small signal… yet it carried more meaning of calming than of threat.
Calm down.
What do you think about a simple offer?
I paused for a brief moment.
The silence that preceded my words was deliberate.
Then my voice came out completely calm, free of any tension:
Surrender to me…
And become my subordinate.
I promise that I will not interfere in your affairs.
But…
You will have to carry out some tasks for me from time to time.
The words settled in the air between us.
The trees did not move.
The nearby water did not move.
Even the wind seemed as if it had stopped for a moment.
Han Yang's eyes remained fixed on me.
No hesitation.
No confusion.
Only cold calmness.
Then his voice came out firm:
Sorry.
But I do not like to be restrained…
Or to be under someone's command.
His gaze hardened even more.
Therefore…
I will refuse your offer.
My gaze remained fixed on him for several seconds.
Then I sighed lightly.
What a pity…
The air suddenly trembled.
My body disappeared from where I stood.
It was not true teleportation… but a movement so fast that the eye could barely follow it.
In the next moment, my shadow appeared directly in front of Han Yang.
But Han Yang was not slow.
His foot exploded against the ground.
His body dashed to the side, leaving behind a trail of dry leaves that scattered into the air.
My fist passed through the place where he had been standing just a moment earlier.
The rock behind him—
Shattered.
A dry explosion echoed through the forest, and fragments of stone scattered in every direction.
He did not stop.
Han Yang turned in the air.
His fist shot toward me like an arrow.
A strand of spiritual energy burst around his arm.
A direct strike toward my chest.
But before it reached—
I raised my hand.
I caught his fist.
The strike froze in the air.
A short silence followed.
His eyes widened slightly.
He had not expected…
That his strike would stop so easily.
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
Weak.
My knee exploded toward his stomach.
The strike hit with force.
His body folded for a moment, then shot backward like a projectile.
He slammed into the ground and rolled several meters before stopping.
But—
He did not remain fallen.
His body rose immediately.
One foot on the ground.
One hand gripping the dirt.
His breathing became heavier.
But his eyes…
Did not fade.
Instead, something else ignited within them.
Determination.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
Then—
Spiritual energy exploded around him.
Leaves rose from the ground.
The nearby trees trembled.
A faint light flowed around his body like an invisible flame.
He stared at me steadily.
If you think…
That this will end with a single strike—
Then you are mistaken.
His body lowered suddenly.
Then—
He disappeared.
He appeared directly behind me.
His hand turned into a cutting strike toward my neck.
My foot moved only slightly.
My body shifted at a small angle.
The strike passed beside my neck by a hair's breadth.
But Han Yang did not stop.
He turned.
A horizontal kick shot toward my ribs.
I raised my arm.
The kick struck me.
The sound of the collision echoed between the trees.
The air around us trembled.
But I did not move a single step.
In contrast—
His body recoiled backward from the force of the impact.
He landed on the ground.
His feet slid several meters over the dry leaves.
He breathed slowly.
Then he tightened his fist.
His eyes remained fixed on me.
He was beginning to understand.
The gap between us…
Was not small.
I smiled.
Slowly…
I took one step toward him.
The ground cracked slightly beneath my foot.
The air around me grew heavier.
This is your problem, Han Yang.
You believe that courage…
Is enough to win.
I stopped a few meters away from him.
But in this world—
Only strength speaks.
Silence settled for a moment.
Then—
The ground trembled.
I rushed toward him at a terrifying speed.
And at the same moment—
Energy exploded around Han Yang.
He raised his arms in front of him.
The next collision—
Shook the entire forest.