On the shattered, devastated earth, dusk spread out, the afterglow stretching wide, and the sky was painted with the glorious hues of the setting sun.
"You killed it?"
Andrew Han's mind was a little dazed.
Come on, the Martial Lord-class Demon had already been dead for six or seven minutes—completely lifeless. To just slap it three times and claim the credit, all for a mere official merit—was it really worth it?
Isn't that just a bit too outrageous?
But...
Instinctive thoughts spun through his mind, but what replaced them was a wordless silence.
A Peerless Martial General at the peak, with the advantage of timing, terrain, and countless other factors, might just barely manage to slay an ordinary Martial Lord-class Demon given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But I—
As a lower-tier Peerless Martial General, I had killed a Martial Lord-class Demon with my own hands. If word got out, it would shake the world to its core; the entire Martial Arts World would be moved.
Could it be that this red-robed elder wanted to help me?
The unfamiliar red-robed elder, Jin Qiyu, was helping him conceal this earth-shattering truth. Andrew Han, who had always viewed the world with maximal suspicion, could hardly believe it.
"Hmph."
"I used the Frost River Art and killed this Demon with three palm strikes! As for you, Andrew Han—remember this: you fought with everything you had and barely managed to hold it off!"
Jin Qiyu's voice was low and deliberate, each word distinct.
He had to admit, he was truly tempted. Whatever Andrew Han relied on, it was absolutely unimaginable—possibly even a legendary treasure from ancient times.
It was easy to foresee what would happen.
If this news got out, the entire Martial Arts World would be thrown into chaos—even those above Martial Lords would come to interrogate him, driven by curiosity.
Sigh.
He really wanted to know the truth.
A trace of struggle flashed in his eyes. Jin Qiyu glanced indifferently at Andrew Han, then checked the injuries of Warren Wang and the other six. Finally, he confirmed the situation of another unit—luckily, one person had survived.
Off to the side.
Andrew Han remained silent.
He had witnessed Mr. Stone’s greed and seen what it meant for brute force to run rampant. He truly couldn’t trust anyone—just as his master, Miles Ning, had always emphasized.
Is it wrong to be wary of everything?
No, it’s not.
If Mr. Stone had reached the Martial General Realm back then, Andrew would have died long ago! That’s why he stayed on guard day and night, always speaking and acting with utmost caution, as if walking on thin ice.
He had always believed—
The sheer amount of malice in this world was terrifying!
Not to mention the darkness of the Martial Arts World—even in ordinary society, how many horrific news stories are there, some revealing the truth, others hiding it. It’s truly appalling.
But...
Was he actually wrong?
Andrew Han took a deep breath and couldn’t help but ask, "Why?"
The red-robed elder shook his sleeves, his gaze drifting toward the horizon. Two or three helicopters were approaching in the distance—clearly other units arriving late.
"Why?"
He asked Andrew Han in return, as if questioning himself as well.
The next moment—
The red-robed elder Jin Qiyu answered, "Peerless Andrew Han, do you want to know the answer? Then become stronger—strong enough to stand at the top of the world, strong enough to slay every Demon and Specter. Then come and ask me again."
With that,
He flicked his sleeve and stepped forward, his voice booming: "I have slain the Demon here. There are many wounded in the unit—descend at once!"