Amberbrook Township.
A quiet, deathly silence permeated the surroundings.
A massive demonic body, about five or six meters tall, its fur stained with blood and dust, lay lifeless against a crumbling earthen wall, like an enormous heavy bus.
It was slain.
A General-class Demon had fallen here.
Even at the moment of death, it stared with disbelieving, enormous eyes, its true expression a mix of cruelty and resentment, glaring at Andrew Han, unable to accept such an unfathomable reality.
Now, it lay on its back, never to have another chance.
After the fierce battle just now, the place resembled ruins after a war. The surrounding mud houses were crooked and collapsed, riddled with holes, clearly unable to withstand such intense shock, nor block the flying debris.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The morning wind blew past, carrying a trace of chill.
Andrew Han's cold face twitched twice, the gray-white color in his eyes gradually fading. He quietly gazed at the white demon fox lying before him and let out a sigh.
He sighed.
"A demon is still a demon. Its intelligence was always lacking."
Who gave it the nerve to try reasoning with a madman, talk about feelings, feign begging for mercy, and disrupt his consciousness? What a ridiculous notion.
Did it really think,
That by pretending to be pitiful, it could make him gentle and kind?
There's no communicating with lunatics and madmen, no matter how strong they are. Once the Berserker State takes over, either you die or the white fox demon dies—there is no third option.
He pondered for a moment.
Andrew Han looked at the deathly silent township around him, serene and quiet.
Not a sound could be heard, only the rustling of the wind through the trees and the occasional collapse of earth. It was as if he were the only one left in the world, utterly alone.
Tap.
Tap.
He walked over to the old white-haired man, pursed his lips, picked up the crackling old radio, and gently switched off the power.
Rest in peace.
Let nothing disturb you now.
Andrew Han felt exceptionally conflicted, staring blankly at the morning sun. Its gentle rays didn't dazzle the eyes; instead, they painted everything with a cold clarity.
He finally understood.
It turned out that, without realizing it, he had already stepped fully into the Martial Arts World.
"All demons and monsters deserve death." Andrew Han slowly exhaled, his eyes regaining their usual calm composure, though a fierce conviction burned in his heart.
Chirp, chirp.
Two or three birds flew back from afar, circling uncertainly, their cries betraying panic and confusion.
"Mm."
Andrew Han glanced up, then quickly returned to the earthen house from earlier.
On the broken wooden bed, Tanya Li was still unconscious. To be absolutely sure, he stepped forward and delivered two more edge-hand chops, sending her into an even deeper sleep.
Immediately,
Andrew picked up his phone from the bedside and dialed Miles Ning.
At this point, there was no way to hide what had happened—it would be exposed in the Martial Arts World. After all, the death of an entire township was bound to cause a huge stir.
If Andrew were already at Martial Artist rank, it would be fine.
But the problem was—
He was still only First Rank. News of a First Rank killing a General-class Demon would spread through the Martial Arts World, surely attracting endless greed and covetousness.
Just like that Martial Artist, Mr. Stone, before.
To gamble on a glorious future, he was willing to abandon years of business in Suhe City, willing to face Miles Ning's terrifying wrath, even willing to use his own kin as leverage, all to force out secrets that might only possibly exist.
He wanted to believe in the Martial Arts World.
But when life and death are at stake, Andrew Han would never hesitate to assume the worst about this world. No matter how much he believed, he had to consider the one-in-a-million accident.
Besides,
No world is purely kind.
Andrew Han was only worried about one thing... he could only turn to his Master for help. But if Miles Ning also became greedy, it would be a nine-deaths-one-life situation.
"Forget it."
"Nine deaths, one life is still better than ten deaths, no life at all."
Andrew Han's mind raced. Without further hesitation, he called Miles Ning: "Master, I'm at Amberbrook Township. I've killed what appears to be a General-class Demon."
As soon as he finished speaking,
A surprised sound came through the phone's receiver.
Even though Miles Ning had weathered many years and believed he'd seen the grandest sights this world had to offer, his face twitched in shock, unsure where to begin questioning.
Did he mishear?
Miles Ning hesitated, wanting to ask, but felt it would hurt his pride. Andrew Han, understanding, repeated: "Master, I really killed a General-class Demon. It was a pure white fox-type demon."
"How about this,"
"Should I send you a WeChat photo?"
Andrew Han secretly praised his own cleverness—after all, it's the information age; a picture is proof.
...
Suddenly,
"Shut up! You clueless fool, do you still not understand the difference between ordinary demons and General-class demons? Wait there—your Master must make you understand the consequences of careless speech." Miles Ning suddenly barked, then hung up.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The breeze brushed his face. Andrew Han tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Heaven above.
Could it be... even phone calls aren't truly private? But if that's the case, in this information age, is there any privacy left at all?
"It's truly terrifying."
Andrew Han shook his head and sighed softly.
He could only hope his Master would handle the aftermath properly—otherwise, even if he survived, peace would be forever out of reach.
After a while,
He set down his phone and quietly sat on the threshold of the earthen house, looking up at the endless blue sky. His heavy mood gradually faded, replaced by a deep calm.
After pondering for a moment, Andrew Han also came to terms with it.
Even if he hadn't come, the white fox demon wouldn't have spared Tanya Li. It would have kept luring other Martial Artists to their deaths... but he had to admit, he bore indirect responsibility.
Pain brings clarity.
Only by tasting bitterness firsthand can one truly awaken.
So as his mind turned, Andrew Han carefully examined the flaws in this incident, striving to identify the recklessness and mistakes he shouldn't have made.
"From the very beginning, I should have noticed."
This chapter isn't finished ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
"Tanya Li is a Middle Martial Artist, she must have other Martial Artist friends—so why did she seek only my help?"
That was the only irrational point, and the fatal flaw.