Section 115: Reunion

Ye Chong carefully hid in a tree, keeping watch for Shang. From the forest behind him, a series of shrill, harrowing screams echoed periodically, making his skin crawl despite his familiarity with life and death. Such miserable sounds still chilled him to the bone.

He began to recall every detail of the encounter. The fact that the old man had been able to detect his stealthy entry was truly incredible. Even with his own hearing, if he were inside a room with the interference of so many wind chimes outside, he might not have noticed. Yet, the old man had managed it!

What was even more terrifying was what happened afterward; Ye Chong had been suppressed instantly, without any chance to react. It was the first time he had ever encountered such a situation. Worse, he had not only lost his ability to move but his vision as well!

It was horrifying.

How had the old man attacked? Ye Chong had not seen him make a single movement, a mystery that left him completely baffled.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound reached his ears. Ye Chong’s heart tightened—someone was there!

While mentally signaling Shang to speed up, Ye Chong swung through the trees like a mutated ape, searching for the old man’s visitor. Back on the garbage planet, Ye Chong had often navigated the crisscrossing metal pipes of the scrapyards to evade mutated predators. Tree branches were softer and more resilient than metal, and he maneuvered nimbly, taking a circuitous route and using the dense forest as his cover.

In such a complex environment, holographic scanners were unreliable; no matter how advanced the system, one could not fully depend on them. Instead, one’s innate senses were far more trustworthy. As for Shang, Ye Chong wasn't certain what his limits were.

If his judgment was correct, the rustling was heading toward the old man’s dwelling, and it seemed to be the only residence in the vicinity. Ye Chong crept forward cautiously.

A woman in purple robes and a purple veil was walking slowly along the path leading to the old man’s home. The rustling sound came from her footsteps on the fallen leaves.

Ye Chong paused in surprise. Wasn't this the same woman he had asked for directions earlier? He quickly relayed the situation to Shang, whose reply was that he would be done shortly; he was currently repeating non-sequential questions to verify the authenticity of all the information he had extracted from the old man.

Ye Chong followed Feng Su carefully, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. Who was this woman? Did she know the old man—or rather, Mr. Yin, as Jia Zhuo had called him? She was a celebrity; how could she possibly know a master of the Art of Inheritance like Mr. Yin?

Although Ye Chong knew little about the nature of a celebrity's work, he believed the chances of that profession intersecting with a master of the Art of Inheritance were slim to none. The fact that she could enter the Orbit Circle also surprised him.

However, Ye Chong had no intention of dwelling on it; these matters had little to do with him, did they? All he needed to do was buy time for Shang.

Feng Su’s pace on the path was slow, and she looked delicate and frail. Ye Chong considered knocking her unconscious to avoid any complications. As for killing her, he might have considered it had it not been for Shang, but given Shang’s fondness for her, Ye Chong did not want to cause him any distress.

To Ye Chong, Mu and Shang were his best friends—the people he cared about most. In his heart, they were living beings, his most cherished treasures.

Yes, knocking her out was the most appropriate course of action. Ye Chong was quite confident in his control over his own strength.

He approached the walking woman silently and prepared to strike the back of her neck to render her unconscious.

Suddenly, Feng Su stopped, turned around, and shouted sharply, "Who’s there? Come out!" Her gaze locked onto the treetop where Ye Chong was hiding.

Ye Chong was stunned. How had she discovered him? He hadn't made a sound!

Feng Su braced herself, legs slightly apart, hands ready for combat. Though he didn't understand how she had spotted him, Ye Chong was not afraid of her. In his eyes, her physical capabilities were far inferior to his own.

Feng Su stared coldly at the treetop. Someone was hiding there, and while she didn't know who, she knew they were an enemy, not a friend. Was it some pervert who had been tailing her, waiting until they reached this secluded spot to make a move? A flicker of murderous intent crossed her eyes.

The leaves in the canopy rustled loudly. A green blur shot out from the hiding spot with lightning speed.

Feng Su snorted, dodged the blur with a slight tilt of her body, and lowered her head, kicking backward silently with her heel. The green blur struck the ground—it was a branch as thick as an arm, embedded deep into the earth with only the end exposed.

A cold gust of wind brushed past her neck. Judging by the force, the attacker had intended to knock her out. Realizing this, her murderous intent intensified. If such a pervert fell into her hands, he would only have his own fate to blame!

Ye Chong discovered that his palm strike had missed and realized things were going wrong. Fortunately, he had only intended to incapacitate her and hadn't used full force. He pushed off with his toes and retreated rapidly, narrowly avoiding her kick.

Seeing that he had dodged, Feng Su was slightly startled, her expression growing grave. She had underestimated his speed; it seemed this guy wouldn't be so easy to handle. Still, she had absolute confidence in her own skills. While this person might be quite capable in the eyes of an average man, she believed she would only need a little more time to deal with him.

As she turned around, she finally saw his face.

Feng Su’s eyes narrowed. "Someone from Black Horn?" She was all too familiar with the mask the man wore; she knew a great deal about Black Horn’s inner workings. The number on the mask was F-58, meaning he was a member of Group F.

Strange. If she recalled correctly, Group F consisted of the outermost members of Black Horn. How could they send such a low-level member to the Orbit Circle? Did they not know the dangers of this place? She immediately dismissed the thought. Impossible! Both sides knew each other well; they wouldn't make such a basic error.

Could there be a master nearby, and this was just a lookout? If so, was their target Mr. Yin?

All these thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. The more she thought, the more likely it seemed. Her murderous intent flared. She had to take out this lookout quickly to have time to sound the alarm and save Mr. Yin. She believed that as long as it wasn't *that* person from Black Horn, she would have a chance.

Having survived countless brushes with death, Ye Chong was highly sensitive to murderous intent. Though he didn't know why she had suddenly turned hostile, he remained undaunted.

Feng Su was determined to end the fight quickly. Ye Chong watched her cautiously, not underestimating her in the slightest. However, he did not initiate an attack; for him, stalling for time was paramount.

Suddenly, an eerie light flared in Feng Su’s eyes.

Ye Chong was horrified. A master of the Art of Inheritance! He no longer held back. He pushed off with his toes, creating a flurry of afterimages that dazzled the eye, hoping to use his speed to confuse her and prevent her from tracking his movements.

The expected binding sensation did not come, and Ye Chong breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his method was working.

Just as he was rejoicing, he caught sight of her lunging toward him. Since he had a way to counter her, his heart settled slightly. He gauged her momentum and threw a punch.

Feng Su performed a strange twist, easily dodging his punch and closing the distance.

Close-quarters combat? Ye Chong thought calmly.

He had always preferred close-quarters fighting; his highly developed reflexes, exceptional strength, and speed allowed him to compensate for his lack of technique in such situations.

Ye Chong did not dare to hold back now. He believed that if one of them had to survive, even Shang would want him to be the one to live. Besides, how could he die here?

The danger of close-quarters combat meant there was no room for hesitation; it was a matter of life and death.

The two traded blows, the lethality of the exchange beyond words.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Chong went from a storm-like offensive to struggling to defend himself.

He groaned inwardly. Her attacks felt prophetic; it was as if she knew his every move before he even made it. So far, he hadn't even touched the hem of her clothes. Her counterattacks were incredibly sharp, leaving him with nowhere to hide. Even with his advanced reflexes, he had already taken several hits. Had he not been physically tough, he would have been severely injured already.

Most bizarrely, she hadn't traded a single direct punch with him. Every one of his strikes hit empty air, a frustration that made him feel like he was about to vomit blood. He had more strength and speed, yet he couldn't land a single blow.

Whenever his gaze crossed the eerie light in her eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

Ye Chong’s mind raced. If this continued, the situation would only become more unfavorable for him.

Suddenly, he nearly slapped himself. His goal wasn't to kill her—it was to buy time! The realization dawned on him, but in that moment of distraction, he took another punch and a kick.

He retreated rapidly. As long as he could put some distance between them, her speed couldn't keep up with his, and it wouldn't be so easy for her to attack him.

Feng Su clung to him like a shadow, clearly having seen through his intentions.