Chapter 38 - Slaying the old dog

Both of them locked eyes, a silent battlefield stretching between them. Wen Ran's gaze was calculating, his sharp mind working overtime. He couldn't afford to be reckless. A head-on clash was out of the question; his advantage lay in his cunning and the element of surprise. His fingers twitched slightly, ready to manipulate the blood he'd already spilled, though he'd need to time it perfectly. Every second spent observing the old man's stance, his breathing, his aura, was a second closer to forming a strategy that might lead to victory.