Chapter 62: The Failed Tutelage

These three were extremely seasoned assassins. One of them instantly launched an attack, lunging towards Qian Ye. The other two swiftly retreated in different directions.

The leader’s assault was merely a feint; mid-air, he released a nearly transparent filament from his hand that latched onto a nearby tree, and then he abruptly changed direction, fleeing deeper into the forest. This turn was exceptionally fierce. The filament, as fine as a hair, was made of an unknown material capable of withstanding such intense force. Using this filament, the leader moved through the air faster and more agilely than by relying on his origin power alone.

Just as the leader thought he had left Qian Ye behind, a dark shadow suddenly appeared before him, striking him from above. In the instant he was knocked out by Dongyue, his mind screamed, “How could he be so fast!”

The other two assassins had already completely blended into the forest, invisible to the naked eye even at close range. However, in Qian Ye’s true vision, their origin power fluctuations outlined two figures, slowly moving.

In their fully concealed state, they couldn’t move very quickly. Qian Ye silently followed, taking them down one by one.

In the blink of an eye, the three assassins were sprawled on a clearing at the edge of the forest. They were formidable, and if it were a direct confrontation, Qian Ye would have had to work hard. But his true vision was the nemesis of their stealth techniques, allowing him to take them down effortlessly.

Nighteye appeared from another direction, looking at the three assassins. “These three seem quite famous.”

While searching them, Qian Ye said, “Judging by their possessions, they’ve done well. Fifty pieces of high-purity black crystal and plenty of other valuable items.”

“What do we do with them?”

“Same as with the predatory birds. After dealing with these guys, there shouldn’t be many left who dare cause us trouble.” Qian Ye’s voice was calm but tinged with a lethal edge.

“Mm, I’ll go prepare some wood.” With that, Nighteye headed deeper into the forest.

She had just passed an ancient tree when the scenery suddenly blurred, and a figure appeared, leaping at her from above!

Even during the attack, he gave off no aura or sound, like a natural-born hunter who only bared his fangs for the final, fatal blow.

Just as the attack seemed about to land, Nighteye’s figure flickered, vanishing.

Void Flash!

This sudden move caught the fourth, hidden assassin off guard, causing him to clumsily crash to the ground, becoming slightly more visible. A sense of indescribable danger washed over him, and he turned to see Nighteye standing a hundred meters away, pointing Shadow Hymn directly at him.

Before the assassin could react, Shadow Hymn roared, and a mass of swirling black energy surged towards him.

Unable to dodge, he wrapped himself in his cloak, bracing for the impact. Using the force of the shot, he accelerated and fled deeper into the forest. In the Neutral Lands, the power of guns like Shadow Hymn was greatly diminished, and unless it struck a vital point, it wouldn’t be fatal. Now, between life and death, he unleashed his full fourteen-level origin power, running as fast as lightning.

In the forest, his speed of movement was unmatched, even by those of the sixteenth or seventeenth level. This was his greatest assurance as an assassin—strike and retreat. It was how he earned the reputation for the “Impossible Triangle” organization, though few knew it wasn’t just a trio, but a quartet. As the hidden fourth member, he was the strongest and the key.

In moments, the unnamed assassin had run a kilometer, finally feeling a slight sense of relief. At this speed, the two young people couldn’t possibly catch up. He prepared to change direction and leave the Black Forest.

Those two young people were unusually adept, almost more at home in the Black Forest than he was.

But before he could slow down, he heard a rumbling behind him, and the ancient trees began to sway violently. The shaking trees formed a straight line, heading straight for him!

He turned to see a small figure emerge in the forest. She stomped on one tree and was launched like a cannonball, smashing into another tree, then rebounding to the next.

The ancient trees in the Black Forest were massive, requiring great effort to cut down, yet each step of the small girl bent the trees backward, nearly breaking them in half.

The little girl moved like a cannonball, her crude and violent method of propulsion faster than his own!

Terrified, the assassin abandoned all attempts to hide, sprinting at full speed. But the rumbling continued, the little girl relentless in her pursuit, showing no signs of tiring.

Regret overwhelmed him, realizing too late the folly of accepting this bounty. Everyone knew werewolves couldn’t venture deep into the Black Forest, and the huge reward had blinded him, leading him to believe the two young people were only safe because of the environment.

There was an old saying in the Neutral Lands: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. For the Wolf King to offer such a large bounty, these two must be worth it. The Black Forest was only one factor, and finding strong outsiders to enter it should not be difficult for the Wolf King.

The little girl, not listed on the bounty, displayed terrifying power and speed. His only hope was that her stamina would give out.

Just then, his vision blurred, and both Qian Ye and Nighteye appeared, blocking his path.

Nighteye stood tens of meters away, while Qian Ye was mere meters from him. At such close range and in full sprint, they almost collided immediately.

Gritting his teeth, the assassin barreled into Qian Ye. Despite not being known for physical strength, he hoped to overpower Qian Ye, who looked somewhat slender.

With a dull thud, they collided, and the assassin felt like he had hit a mountain, dazed and disoriented, tumbling back several meters. Qian Ye, however, remained firmly planted, his feet sinking into the ground.

The assassin staggered to his feet, still reeling from the collision, and saw the little girl rocketing towards him again!

Before he could dodge, Zhu Ji slammed into his stomach, making him feel as if he’d been hit by an eighth-level origin gun at close range. His remaining protective origin power shattered, and his body contorted unnaturally. A clear snap resounded from his spine.

“My spine is broken?” Disbelieving, the assassin drew his dagger and stabbed Zhu Ji’s back, intent on severing her spine as well.

The dagger pierced through her armor and into her flesh, but touching her skin felt like stabbing the finest armor. Each inch was excruciatingly difficult, and her origin power, though weak, was incredibly potent, counteracting his with ease.

The dagger finally penetrated her flesh, reaching her spine, but the blade met resistance, making a metallic clink, unable to progress further.

Horrified, the assassin realized, “Her bones are harder than my dagger?”

Zhu Ji had already knocked him to the ground. Lifting her head, she delivered another headbutt, caving in his chest.

Zhu Ji lifted her head for another blow, but Qian Ye stopped her, saying, “Enough, he won’t survive another hit. Any more, and it won’t look good.” He picked up Zhu Ji and handed her to Nighteye. “Is this the result of your combat training?”

Nighteye took Zhu Ji, tapping her head. “This is a vital area; you must protect it, not use it as a weapon. Understand?”

Zhu Ji pouted. “But isn’t the head the hardest part? There aren’t many things I can’t break with it.”

Nighteye tapped her head again, pointing at Dongyue. “Can you break this?”

Zhu Ji examined Dongyue, uncertain. “Maybe? I haven’t tried, so I don’t know.”

The unnamed assassin, still breathing, watched, utterly baffled by this girl.

On the brink of death, he would have been even more astounded to know that Zhu Ji had once withstood a divine general’s full-force blow, even if it was only a remnant.

Qian Ye, indifferent to the assassin’s demise, focused on the spoils. The items the leader carried were worth more than the other three combined, indicating the organization’s resources were concentrated on him.

The most significant find was a spool of thin, resilient, transparent filament, a hundred meters long. Though Qian Ye didn’t know its properties, the quality alone indicated its value.

Meanwhile, Nighteye’s attempt to teach Zhu Ji was failing. Her battle style, based on elegance, didn’t mesh with Zhu Ji’s instinctive approach, which aligned more with Qian Ye’s brute force tactics.

As Qian Ye finished cataloging the loot, Nighteye was still trying to educate Zhu Ji. Finally, Qian Ye couldn’t watch any longer and said, “Once we reach Lingang City, we’ll get her a weapon.”

“A weapon?” Nighteye pondered, realizing that Zhamu also used weapons. Zhu Ji’s physical strength usually rendered them unnecessary.

“We’re going to Lingang City?”

“Yes, to check on the old man. I’m worried. But we need to wait a few days and teach these greedy bounty hunters a lesson, or they’ll never learn.”