In the pitch-black, damp alley, a burst of dog barking echoed.
Two pairs of eyes, unlike those of humans, shone with beast-like cold light, staring at each other.
"He Yao, is this your doing?"
Fang Cheng’s brows furrowed deeply as he fixed his gaze on the figure in the darkness.
The odd fellow before him emitted an indescribable eerie aura, as if a malevolent spirit had taken over He Yao’s body.
Furthermore, there was an inexplicably familiar feeling.
"He Yao" lifted his head and slowly nodded:
"According to the rules of the hunt, since you know the prey has a master, you should not continue the chase. Call it off now."
He spoke deliberately and sounded quite old, like an elder who had held a high position for a long time.
Fang Cheng maintained his composure, continuing to clench his fist, taking a step forward.
He seemed to not understand, nor did he seem to care about what was being said.
"He Yao" saw this and a displeased expression appeared on his damaged visage:
"Young man, have you really thought through the consequences, planning to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth?"
As he spoke, an undeniable sense of inviolable authority prevailed.
Simultaneously, the bloodiness in the air became even more pungent, as if congealing into a tangible murderous aura, spreading outwards.
Fang Cheng’s eyes hid a sharpness as he silently channeled his True Qi.
His body was also gathering a momentum like a raging sea, ready at any moment to launch an attack like a ferocious storm and engulf his adversary.
Just when a fight was about to break out without further words.
On the distant street, the wailing of a siren pierced the night sky.
"He Yao" suddenly sighed:
"We are both of the same kind; why must we fight amongst ourselves, letting those tycoons and hunting dogs reap the benefits of fishermen."
He twisted his mouth, trying to smile, but under his swollen and deformed features, it looked rather unnerving.
Then he continued to speak:
"Speaking of which, I do enjoy nurturing the younger generation. Your Talent is quite good, but still too naïve. If you are willing to take me as your master, I can guide your cultivation. In the future, you might even overwhelm those noble scions and Special Search Team members, becoming the number one master in Xia Country."
"How about it? If you follow me, you can possess unimaginable true Strength, all the wealth, power, treasures, and beauties of the world. Whatever you want can be yours for the taking..."
He spoke tirelessly, his words full of temptation.
Only his tongue was half cut, making his voice sound strange and hoarse, extremely unpleasant to hear.
Listening to the other party attempting to entice him, Fang Cheng remained silent for a few seconds and then resolutely shook his head:
"Sorry, once I make a decision, I always stick to it, and moreover..."
Fang Cheng’s eyes blazed like a blade heated by flames, directly stabbing towards the other:
"The thing I hate most is someone who hides and shows only bits of themselves in front of me. If you want me to take you as a master, reveal your true identity first!"
"He Yao" paused at these words, then let out a cold laugh:
"Heh, originally I just wanted to retrieve as many of my kin as possible..."
His tone shifted abruptly, his eyes flaring with a green glow, intently staring at the mask on Fang Cheng’s face:
"Now, I am increasingly interested in you. I really want to peel off your human skin and see your true face. Young man, we’ll meet again..."
As he spoke, the ghostly fires in his eyes seemed to burn even more fiercely.
Then, his entire body began to decompose swiftly like weathering, with skin and muscles rotting away.
Eventually, the bones also became extremely fragile, as if burning with tiny green phosphorescent flames.
With a crash, he completely fell apart, collapsing to the ground.
Fang Cheng quickly stepped forward, looking at He Yao, who had turned into a pile of dry bones in the blink of an eye.
He couldn’t help frowning tightly and then immediately looked up at the night sky, his eyes suddenly sweeping around.
Other than the smell of burning flesh lingering in the air, he couldn’t detect any anomalies.
It seemed the guy had realized that neither threats nor temptations were effective and chose to self-destruct.
It should be through some special spiritual power that he allowed his consciousness to leave He Yao’s body and return to the original one,
Fang Cheng took a deep breath, listening to the occasional barking of dogs around him.
He quickly picked up a piece of broken brick and next to that pile of bones he wrote "He Yao" in shaky, twisted strokes.
Then, using "Scavenger’s Eye," he carefully inspected the scene once more before turning and stepping away, quickly disappearing into the dark depths of the city’s night.
Outside, the wail of sirens and flashing lights.
In the early morning, Old Factory Street was unusually noisy, taking a long time to restore its peace.
Fang Cheng lay on his side on the living room couch.
Closing his eyes, pretending to sleep, his ears perked up, listening to movement downstairs.
This was Zhou Xiumei’s home.
A terrifying murder had occurred tonight, and even the door had been kicked in and couldn’t be closed.
Zhou Xiumei was alone in the house, nervously holding a pistol aimed at the door, silently waiting.
It was not until she saw Fang Cheng return that she breathed a sigh of relief, and her whole demeanor seemed to find its pivot.
Seeing this, Fang Cheng comforted her with a few words, telling her to sleep peacefully in the bedroom.
He chose to sleep in the living room himself, standing guard outside in case another incident occurred.
At this moment, his thoughts were intertwined as he looked at the prompt messages that appeared on the panel.
[Boxing experience +18]
[Sanda experience +13]
[Jujutsu Experience +16]
[Qigong experience +9]
Tonight’s events were quite bizarre.
He Yao, a former neighbor living in the same building, had actually come back to life after death, turning into a man-eating monster.
To eliminate the danger, he had engaged in a fierce battle with this monster.
The Fighting Skills Experience he gained from this was secondary.
The key was encountering another mysterious figure who called himself a kindred.