Mist shrouded the jungle, where hazy light filtered through the leaves.
Andrew Han glanced at the trembling Jason Jiang and his companion, sighing, "Is possession truly a death sentence?"
Hmph.
Tanya Li let out a low hum.
Her right palm brimmed with inner power, faintly glowing like the edge of a blade. "If an ordinary person is possessed by a Specter, death is inevitable."
The midsummer night breeze swept by, carrying a hint of chill.
Tanya Li's concise explanation sent a chill deep into Andrew Han's heart.
A Specter's consciousness is too strong. Once possessed, an ordinary person's mind cannot withstand it and shatters instantly. Regardless of whether the Specter transfers to another host, it's nearly impossible to save the possessed.
In other words—
The moment a Specter possesses someone, that person is already dead.
"Are they doomed?" Andrew Han pressed his lips together.
"Yes, there's no doubt." Tanya Li said softly. "But if I withdraw my inner power and touch them, the Specter might choose to possess me, or transfer to another body, eventually targeting me. If it's a normal Specter, it's not a problem—I could try to save another innocent person."
But today is different.
This Specter has begun to develop intelligence. If possessed, I can't be certain I'll be able to withstand its consciousness. If I do, it dies. If I can't, I die.
With those words—
A murderous glint intensified in her eyes; clearly, she was unwilling to risk her own life.
This method is a gamble with one's own life. Whether you survive depends entirely on luck. To risk death for a stranger, when you might not even succeed... Tanya Li was not prepared for such sacrifice.
She doesn't have it now, and she never will.
All was silent, as if awaiting final judgment. Only the rustling of the jungle and the despairing cries of Jason Jiang and his companion remained.
"Wh-what is that thing?"
Jason Jiang's voice trembled with a hint of sobbing, utterly lost.
Tanya Li shook her head and stepped forward, "You brought this upon yourselves. Who else is to blame?"
As she spoke.
She narrowed her eyes, turned to the silent Andrew Han, and said sternly, "Andrew Han, don't be foolish. Better to kill by mistake than let it escape. If it gets away, more innocents will die."
Tanya Li was a little worried.
The two pale-faced figures before her were Andrew Han's classmates. If Andrew Han blindly acted out of foolish kindness, he could at least hold her back for half a minute—enough for it to escape.
The next moment.
Andrew Han shook his head and said calmly, "I understand the logic—I won't stop you. But I can't bring myself to kill, at least not yet."
You do it.
Don't let that Specter escape. I'll wait for you up ahead.
Andrew Han said, then leaped ahead, stopping in a thicket about thirty meters away. He looked up at the bright moon hanging in the dark sky, lost in thought, his temperament growing ever more calm and composed.
No matter what.
At least he now possessed the strength to slay demons and Specters—a cause for celebration and reflection.
——
The next day.
Inside the bedroom of that suite.
Andrew Han was practicing the complete version of Yang Pole Stance. As for Feng Weiqi and the other classmates, they had long since moved out of the hotel, and with Jason Jiang's disappearance, none were in the mood for sightseeing.
In utter confusion, they sought help everywhere.
Buzz buzz.
The phone vibrated.
Feng Weiqi sent Andrew Han four or five QQ messages in succession, asking what happened last night and whether he had seen Jason Jiang.
Andrew Han couldn't be bothered to reply and continued his stance training.
In truth, he was puzzled. If Jason Jiang had returned to the hotel immediately, he wouldn't have been possessed by the Specter... Andrew Han simply couldn't understand why he didn't go back, but instead reentered the jungle and happened to encounter the Specter head-on.
Huff.
Huff.
With each even breath, Andrew Han's mind became as calm as a mirror lake, ripples fading away.
Time passed. After practicing the Yang Pole Stance for about an hour, the doorbell rang. He opened the heavy, soundproof wooden door to see Tanya Li, the martial artist.
"Oh, you're practicing your stance, and so early?"
A trace of surprise flashed in Tanya Li's eyes, her smile radiant.
To verify that neither was possessed by a Specter, she and Andrew Han stared at each other for at least two hours. Not until midnight did they finally relax and breathe easy.
Recalling the events afterward, Tanya Li was even more shocked.
A second-grade martial artist, repeatedly using real techniques, killed a Specter with sheer force—likely at the second-grade limit of ten thousand pounds of strength. No wonder Miles Ning accepted Andrew Han as a disciple.
Such talent is truly outstanding.
Andrew Han extended his right arm, inviting Tanya Li inside for a detailed conversation. "I woke up late today, otherwise I would have finished my practice. So, is this task considered complete? If there's no problem, I'm planning to return to Riverdale today."
"Just a bit more." Tanya Li replied with a mysterious smile.
......
Half an hour later.
Andrew Han changed into a brand-new short-sleeved shirt he'd prepared in advance. He and Tanya Li left the hotel and found a bank, where he opened a personal bank account.
They left the bank and got into a regular car.
The next moment.
"You're transferring money to me?" Andrew Han's eyes lit up.
"Of course, this is your rightful reward." Tanya Li pulled out her phone, deftly tapping away, a faint smile on her lips.
A moment later.
Buzz buzz... buzz buzz... buzz buzz.
Bank transfer notifications arrived one after another, almost frantically.
Andrew Han checked twice in confusion, noticing that each transfer from Tanya Li was fifty thousand, and his newly opened bank account balance kept increasing.
First one hundred thousand, then two hundred thousand.
By now, the balance had reached seven hundred thousand.
"Wait, did you transfer too much?" Andrew Han asked hesitantly.
"No, this is what you deserve. You killed one and held back another, which counts as assisting in a kill." Tanya Li glanced at Andrew Han.
If it were an ordinary first-grade martial artist, even if they happened to kill a Specter, Tanya Li wouldn't bother to increase the reward.
But Andrew Han was different. As Miles Ning's disciple and a second-grade martial artist with ten thousand pounds of strength, he had to be treated with care.
Increasing the reward was inevitable.
Tanya Li continued transferring for five minutes, then pocketed her phone. "For online transfers over fifty thousand Huaguo dollars, there's a delay. So I made multiple transfers to ensure instant arrival."
Check it yourself.
"I transferred a total of twenty times—one million Huaguo dollars. Don't be shy; if you hadn't killed that Specter, I might have been in danger too."
With those words—
She and Andrew Han added each other on WeChat, exchanged a few pleasantries, and she told him more about the Martial Arts World.
The car was quiet, with only Tanya Li's voice remaining.
Andrew Han listened carefully to the details—his master had never told him these things. He wondered if it was forgetfulness or simply too much faith in him.
If it were an ordinary second-grade martial artist, they would have died on the spot in yesterday's situation.
"So, according to what you said, once a Specter develops intelligence, it becomes much stronger—possibly even rivaling those above martial artists?" Andrew Han asked hesitantly.
"More accurately, it has greater potential." Tanya Li corrected.
Andrew Han pondered, sometimes voicing his doubts, sometimes falling silent.
For example, yesterday the white-shadowed Specter disrupted the qi and blood in his right arm, using its chilling aura to attack and cause internal collapse.
An ordinary second-grade martial artist couldn't possibly withstand such a blow.
Fortunately, his internal strength and qi were far stronger than average, allowing him to survive the disruption.
So.
To harm a Specter, you must either unleash the intent of a technique, or use the combined power of first-grade strength and qi, or martial inner force.
Thinking of this, Andrew Han shuddered.
If that Specter had tried to possess him during his lapse in technique, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Although possession takes time, if he happened not to unleash the intent of a technique, he could only watch as the Specter possessed him.
Better safe than sorry.
Andrew Han made up his mind, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Once I return to Riverdale, I must break through to first-grade as soon as possible."
On the other side.
Tanya Li glanced at Andrew Han, drove the car, and parked by the side entrance of the bus station.
She rolled down the window, took out a lady's cigarette, and smoked quietly, not disturbing Andrew Han's contemplation. Clearly, her attitude had undergone a dramatic change.
All of this was due to Andrew Han's strength.
Sss.
"I left their bodies intact and handed them over to the authorities of Xuanyang Township. In the Martial Arts World, life and death are commonplace—don't feel meaningless guilt."