In his previous life on Earth, the legendary "Shadow's Monarch," Tang Han had a flawless assassination record.
However, his only failure occurred during his final mission—the very incident that brought him to this world. What caused that failure? An unexpected variable, white light that defied logic.
And now, another variable, which served as a trump card for its owner, was the unpredictable factor that caused Tang Han's assassination to fail, when he tried to take Guan Yin's life.
Tang Han hadn't taken it personally. Failure didn't bother him as much as the fact that he hadn't anticipated such a twist.
'Ah, silly me...damn these variables!'
He smirked bitterly, replaying the scene in his mind as he surveyed the mending wound around Guan Yin's neck.
'This bastard, why didn't he use this when Yu Qin attacked him?'
He recalculated his odds, sighed, and cursed his momentary complacency.
'Who would've thought he had a life-saving trump card like this? He doesn't seem any different from a low-level disciple to me, hmm is he that important to his sect?'
'No. You're nowhere near someone like Yu Chen; the two of you are in entirely different leagues.'
'Does every cultivator have such trump cards? What kind of standards do sects even use to judge their disciples?'
Tang Han had many questions but little time to answer them. Still, one thought stood out:
'I don't believe he has another card like this.'
He had felt it—he had severed Guan Yin's throat cleanly. His claws had ripped through the man's flesh, and warm blood had coated his paws. Yet now, Guan Yin's neck glowed faintly, encased in a yellowish-green aura, rapidly healing before his eyes.
Tang Han narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.
'That necklace... It's healing him faster than I expected. Five seconds, at most.'
Tang Han's assassination had not failed; he calmly analyzed the situation and devised another plan.
'This man seems proud and overconfident. I doubt he'll hesitate to kill me if it means exposing his wounds again—or even destroying half the creatures in this forest just to prove a point.'
Tang Han's golden eyes glimmered coldly. His instincts, honed by countless missions on Earth, kicked in.
'No matter what... he has to die.'
Without hesitation, Tang Han activated [Instant Agility] and darted toward Guan Yin like a streak of deadly shadow. His body moved in complete silence, his claws gleaming like knives under the dim moonlight.
[Cat's Claw!]
"Swoosh!"
Guan Yin's eyes fluttered open just as the blood hit his face. His brain barely registered what was happening before pain exploded through his throat and chest.
It felt like thousands of swords were tearing him apart, as if he were naked in a sea of swords. He immediately panicked.
The first thought that crossed his mind was: Yu Qin!
'Yu Qin... It has to be him!'
Guan Yin couldn't even consider the possibility that the little black cat he had been petting just moments ago was responsible for his suffering. He immediately assumed this was all some cruel game orchestrated by Yu Qin.
Humiliation and fear coiled around his heart like a serpent. Was this how he would die?
[Cat's Claw!]
[Cat's Claw!]
[Cat's Claw!]
After tearing through him dozens of times, Tang Han couldn't help but frown. The injuries weren't severe enough. If he were one of the forest's beasts, he would've been sliced into pieces by now. His skills were that powerful!
But these injuries on Guan Yin were, at best, moderate, and didn't threaten his life.
'If this were any other beast in the forest, they'd be reduced to ribbons by now.'
His frustration grew as he analyzed the situation.
'His blood... It's too thick. It's acting like a natural barrier!'
Tang Han's gaze locked onto the wound on Guan Yin's chest—the place where the healing process seemed to struggle the most. A dangerous glint sparked in his eyes.
'Let's see how much you can take.'
He activated another skill.
[Ignition!]
"Ahhh!"
Flames erupted, engulfing Guan Yin's body in an inferno of searing heat. The fire crackled and hissed, hungrily devouring everything in its path.
Tang Han's fur tingled with heat as he stood close to the flames. He narrowed his eyes, sensing that even this wouldn't be enough to kill Guan Yin.
"Aghh!"
'...Looks like I pushed my luck and was fooled by a limited gain.'
'But so be it! The pressure from his presence will make me grow stronger quickly!'
'I need this kind of motivation!'
Tang Han's lips curled into a determined smile.
'Why doesn't he resist?'
Tang Han frowned. He had thought that Guan Yin would use some form of defensive technique. But he didn't move; he only trembled in fear and took all of Tang Han's attacks, including the - ignition!
If Tang Han had to use [Resistance] skill just to fend off Guan Yin's aura, how could he possibly fight evenly? That was impossible!
Tang Han was not lacking in courage, but he wasn't reckless either.
'Strange...the Qi around him is stagnant, he doesn't seem to be preparing for anything either...'
'For safety, I'll escape!'
With a final glance at the burning figure of Guan Yin, Tang Han activated [Instant Agility] and disappeared quietly, into the night like a shadow returning to its origin.
Behind him, Guan Yin writhed in agony, consumed by the flames, but Tang Han didn't look back.
...
The night was quiet, but not silent.
"Bzz..."
The sound of the wind passing through the trees was enough to create an atmosphere of dark awe, mixed with the lingering scent of blood and burnt smoke that hadn't yet dissipated.
On the ground, Guan Yin's burning body had finally calmed. His clothes were completely burned away, and his skin was disfigured.
Tang Han had shamelessly focused his fire on Guan Yin's chest, where he had been injured by Yu Qin. Therefore, his wound worsened and caught fire again, producing the smell of burning flesh. Some fragments of the pendant mixed with his melted flesh and thick blood.
Guan Yin's eyes glowed with a dark gleam. He had survived, but barely. He had never faced such humiliation in his life!
'It wasn't Yu Qin!'
He struggled to sit up, breathing heavily as if on the verge of collapse. His eyes scanned his surroundings quickly, moving cautiously, but the small black cat was nowhere in sight.
He felt shame wash over him completely. He had always been strong, a disciple with a notorious reputation in the Blood Moon Sect, yet now... he trembled violently, clenching his burned hand until it bled.
That little cat had played him completely. If not for the life-saving treasure from his master, he would have died without even knowing how!
He pressed on the wound in his chest with pain, feeling an indescribable exhaustion, and then let out a long sigh. He had exhausted most of his chi while healing his chest wound. If not for his desperate effort to stabilize it, the injury would have left a permanent effect, hindering his future cultivation.
Remembering that cat and how he had played with it...
In fact, he had been the one who got played with.
As Guan Yin, could he remain calm after such a humiliation?
"Woosh!"
In an instant, his evil and vengeful aura spread like a wave of massive wind across the forest!