"Xiaoya, I can only take you into the city after some time," said Ye Han, sitting by the fire, constantly rolling the roast meat on the fire. The aroma from the roast meat was diffused in the surrounding air.
"It's okay. It's much better here than there," Xiaoya replied with a calm smile on her face, illuminated by the firelight. It wasn't the seductive beauty like that of Cecilia, but a youthful and pretty one that brought a refreshing feeling to one's heart, pleasing to the eyes.
"Have you enjoyed the past few days?" Ye Han asked, appearing nothing like the ruthless and ferocious person he was a few days ago, but more like a boy-next-door.
"Hehe, it's all the same with Brother Ye Han accompanying me," Xiaoya said, blushing. The firelight made her look even more beautiful and charming.
Ye Han sighed slightly. These days, accompanying Xiaoya around the Transverse Mountain Range and seeing her lively nature, he couldn't help but feel envious of the happiness that was long away from him.
"Sighing in the distance, the letters are hard to send, when will the lonely smoke clouds fall,
The plum blossoms are gone, time is in chaos, a few points of starlight, a hundred years of laughter. Yearning,
The moon is out, you're not here, sorrow turns into tears that are hard to break.
The end of the world, the mandarin duck shares, we meet in this life, don't ask about the rest of the years. Hate,
The night is like water, the dew is thick, last year's boudoir bridal dress was red,
The river slaps the bank, looking in the snow, the green silk against the window, tearful makeup removal. Chaos,
A long-sleeved song, with whom, alone in the dream when the night is cold.
At the edge of the sea, the butterflies scatter, dance together in the next life, raise the case eyebrows. Thinking,"
Sitting by the fire, Ye Han looked at the bright moon in the sky and recited this verse that he once loved the most. Love, friendship, happiness, and sadness were all far away from him now, and all this world had left him was killing, endless killing.
"Brother Ye Han, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly say such sad words?" Xiaoya also felt Ye Han's gloomy mood as if she was infected by his words.
"Ha... It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of some things from the past and felt a bit down," Ye Han said, turning the roast meat in his hands. The roast meat gradually turned golden, and its aroma was absolutely appetizing.
"Alright, it's ready to eat. I really don't understand how a skinny girl like you can eat so much," Ye Han said, tearing off the golden roast meat and handing it to Xiaoya.
"Brother Ye Han, you..." Xiaoya was immediately unhappy when she heard Ye Han comment about how much she could eat. It wasn't her fault, who told him to roast it so deliciously?
Seeing Xiaoya's unhappy face, Ye Han quickly said, "Alright, I was wrong, eat up. If you don't eat, you won't be able to play tomorrow."
Hearing Ye Han say that he would take her out to play tomorrow, Xiaoya immediately took the roast meat from Ye Han and started eating. Every time Ye Han would only agree to take Xiaoya out after she pestered him persistently, otherwise, he would always be practicing on the side.
Soon, the two of them finished eating, with Xiaoya eating twice as much as Ye Han. Seeing Ye Han's surprised look after she finished eating, Xiaoya shyly lowered her delicate face.
"Alright, I'll take you back first, and pick you up tomorrow," Ye Han said, and with a movement of his spirit, his mental power covered Xiaoya, and she disappeared from sight.
After using it a few times, Ye Han was becoming more and more proficient in controlling the semi-living domain. After sending Xiaoya back, Ye Han got up, extinguished the fire in front of him, and gazed deeply into the depths of the forest. A gray light instantly covered his whole body, and his eyes burst out with bright light.
"Roar," he howled towards the sky. The sound seemed to penetrate through space, and it traveled far and wide.
Tonight, the slaughter begins.
Ever since the battle with Gregory five days ago, many more people had come to the Transverse Mountain Range, their strength at least at the eighth rank, conducting a carpet-style search to find Ye Han.
However, in the past few days, no one who had seen Ye Han had left the Transverse Mountain Range alive. Ye Han no longer confronted them directly, but attacked and killed them at night, with no mercy and leaving no survivors.
Today, Ye Han chose the north. A different direction and place for killing every day, Ye Han adopted an old tactic from battle—guerrilla warfare.
Once the direction was chosen, he shot out quickly, drawing a gray glow in the dark forest.
"Captain, do you think that guy will come for us tonight?" The group sat around the fire, roasting beast meat, their faces showing signs of exhaustion. The continuous search and nerve-wracking tension in the past few days had significantly worn everyone down.
"I don't know. No one can predict his direction of attack. Four days, four directions. Today is the fifth day, and we don't know where he'll appear," said the strongest swordsman among the thirty-two. "I hope he won't come here." The swordsman looked at the night sky as if praying to the far-off celestial gods.
In the past four days, Ye Han had brutally killed every person he encountered. It was more apt to call it a massacre rather than just killing. Not a single corpse remained intact. The decapitated heads flying away from their bodies, the terrified eyes, all were testament to the fear before death and Ye Han's ruthless methods.Minced meat, stumps, heads split in half. The earth stained red with blood and the ruined woods all declare to everyone that Ye Han is ruthless, brutal and powerful.
Every night, nearly a hundred people were killed. In just a few days, the family guards brought by all the elite families suffered heavy casualties and their efforts were in vain.
"What kind of person are we up against? It's said that he's just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy."
"Do you want to know? Then let me introduce myself properly." A voice, seemingly from hell, penetrated directly into their brains and souls. Everyone immediately dropped the roasted meat in their hands, picked up their weapons, and formed a circle in groups of eight, defending all sides.
"Out there, come out!" the strongest ninth-rank swordsman yelled. But the only response was the howls of magical beasts.
"Fire mages, cast fireballs around to increase the lighting range. Other mages, prepare your magic. If anything approaches, attack it, regardless of what it is," the swordsman ordered. After a pause, he added, "Swordsmen, release your fighting spirit to protect your bodies. Pay close attention to the mages around you. Once the mages attack, the swordsmen should also attack, but never leave your circle." Having said that, the swordsman cautiously watched the front, trying to find where Ye Han was hiding.
Fireballs were fired in all directions like rain, instantly illuminating the area within thirty feet of the thirty-two men. Fireball, a first-level fire magic, can be cast instantly by a fourth-level fire mage or higher.
"Oh spirits dancing in the raging fire, turn your fury into a firewall, keep everything out - Flame Shield!"
A fiery wall as tall as a person formed in front of everyone, creating a barrier of raging flames that seemed to vow to reduce any intruder to ashes.
"I will let you understand me, know me, through my slaughter," the voice, like a ghost, came drifting in, carrying a bloody aura as if from hell.
"He's coming. Everyone, stay alert!"
"Ah" just as the swordsman finished speaking, a head flew up. A black shadow flashed in everyone's eyes in disbelief."Boom" several powerful attacks attacked in the direction of the black shadow, dust rose and blood flew. The pieces of flesh and limbs shattered by the powerful attack flew everywhere.
"Hehehe... not even sparing the bodies of your own companions." It was then that everyone noticed the disappearance of the body of the man who had been decapitated earlier. The torn clothes on the scattered pieces of flesh, under the light of the fire, faintly revealed their family's attire in everyone's mind.
"Ahh!" As everyone was in shock, screams continuously rang out. Yet, no one could see the assailant. It seemed that only the dead had seen him.
Ye Han was unimpeded by the firewall around them, as if it was mere decoration. A one-sided slaughter had begun.
The swordsmen attacked aimlessly, and the mages recklessly released their magic. However, the screams did not cease. In just a few moments, the original thirty-two, who had been in four circles, were now just eleven in a larger circle.
From thirty-two, only eleven remained. Twenty-one lives were lost without even seeing the face of their enemy.
Fear shook their souls. What they witnessed was far more profound than anything they could have imagined. Cold sweat broke out on everyone's foreheads. No one knew who would be the next to die, but everyone knew that they would not see the sun rise the next day.