Chapter 425: A Lone Demon Hunter
Before entering the Underworld, Yang Haoran had put his phone into his independent space. In the Underworld, a phone from the mortal realm had no signal and was just cumbersome to carry. Even in his independent space, the phone had no signal, which was why it continuously vibrated when he took it out, bombarded with a string of messages. This wasn't the first time Yang Haoran had encountered such a situation, and with the New Year approaching, a few extra text messages were perfectly normal. Thus, he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. However, when he habitually opened his messages, the information he saw left him quite surprised.
Of course, New Year's greetings from friends wouldn't cause his expression to change. What truly altered his demeanor was a message from Old Master Wu. The message was simple: the Demon Hunter from before had appeared, right outside the villa. "See message, return immediately. " Old Master Wu must have called him before sending this message, but since his phone had no signal in the independent space, the call couldn't connect, which was why he resorted to sending a text message.
The message had few words, but the information contained within was significant. Yang Haoran didn't need to think to know who "the Demon Hunter from before" referred to—it was precisely the Demon Hunter he had encountered in the Ancient Tomb of Stone Forest Town. In that great battle, Yang Haoran had used every trick in his arsenal, not only consuming a Soul Pill but also forcibly summoning the Death God's Law Aspect. Although he had emerged victorious, he had also suffered severe injuries, and it was Old Master Wu who eventually brought people to pick him up. Bai Xue had been even more disgraced, beaten back to her original form and left with only a sliver of life remaining, almost dying. If Yang Haoran hadn't asked Old Master Wu to bring a large truck, they wouldn't have known how to get her down from the mountain.
Afterward, Yang Haoran, worried that this person would seek revenge, prepared to strike first, asking Old Master Wu to find a way to locate the Demon Hunter. However, the Demon Hunter seemed to have vanished into thin air. From that night on, there was no more news of him, nor did he actively seek trouble with Yang Haoran. Later, Yang Haoran became busy with refining the Soul-Refining Cauldron, so he temporarily put the matter out of his mind. Old Master Wu, however, hadn't stopped searching for the man, but still without any progress, even up until Yang Haoran's recent trip to the Underworld. What surprised him was that immediately after returning from the Underworld, this person had not only appeared but had even come to his doorstep.
Yang Haoran couldn't be certain if Bai Xue was currently a match for this Demon Hunter. While Bai Xue's strength had increased significantly compared to before, who could say whether the Demon Hunter's strength had also improved? If the Demon Hunter had also experienced some fortuitous encounter that led to a surge in power, it was possible that Bai Xue would still not be his opponent. And if even Bai Xue wasn't the Demon Hunter's match, then Old Master Wu and the other Night Watchers would be no match at all—they would simply be "delivering food" to him.
It was precisely this consideration that filled Yang Haoran with surprise and urgency. After hastily greeting Xu Meijing, he tore space and departed. As for why he refused Xu Meijing's kind offer, it was because he felt he could handle the matter himself and didn't want to trouble her.
Outside Yang Haoran's villa in Lecheng, Old Master Wu's expression was grave. Beside him stood a woman whose figure and appearance were absolutely exquisite. However, she was not a living person, but the Evil Spirit Xiujuan, wearing a Skin. This Skin was not custom-made, nor did its appearance and figure perfectly match her original form, but since she liked this particular Skin very much, Yang Haoran hadn't included her in his custom-made Skin order when he went to the Underworld this time.
No smile was visible on Xiujuan's face; like Old Master Wu, her expression was also extremely serious. Not far in front of them stood a man with long, disheveled hair, a face covered in stubble, and a dirty trench coat. He looked incredibly unkempt. The man held a can of beer in his left hand and a longsword in his right. As if he hadn't noticed Old Master Wu and Xiujuan, he continued to drink his beer. This disheveled man was precisely the Demon Hunter who had battled Yang Haoran in the Ancient Tomb of Stone Forest Town.
Today, Bai Xue was out on a mission and not at home, so only Old Master Wu and Xiujuan and her son were at the villa. Upon discovering the Demon Hunter's presence, Old Master Wu immediately called Yang Haoran. When the call couldn't connect, he didn't try again but quickly sent Yang Haoran a text message. Afterward, he mass-messaged a few other people, then instantly appeared outside the villa, blocking the Demon Hunter's path to prevent him from entering. Xiujuan also sensed the powerful energy fluctuations emanating from the Demon Hunter. She knew that Old Master Wu might not be his opponent, so after giving Xiao Kang a few instructions, she too appeared outside the villa. As for Xiao Kang, he was, of course, left inside the villa. After all, his meager strength was only enough to deal with ordinary people; against a Demon Hunter like the disheveled man, he would undoubtedly be instantly killed. As a mother, Xiujuan certainly wouldn't let her child go to his death.
The disheveled man made no effort to conceal his power fluctuations. Based on the powerful energy emanating from him, Old Master Wu knew he was no match for him. Even with the addition of the Evil Spirit Xiujuan, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Therefore, the most rational course of action in this situation was to buy time until reinforcements arrived, only then would they have a chance of winning. He had called Yang Haoran earlier, but the call didn't connect. Then he sent Yang Haoran a text message, but he knew that the probability of Yang Haoran returning to provide support was small, as Yang Haoran had gone to the Underworld and there was no telling when he would return. However, besides Yang Haoran, he had also sent messages to other people, Bai Xue being one of them. As long as Bai Xue, that great Demon, received the message and rushed back, the disparity in their strengths wouldn't be so vast.
The disheveled man did not immediately answer Old Master Wu's question. He gulped down all the beer in the bottle, finishing it in one continuous swallow, then crushed the can in one hand and casually tossed the crumpled beer can onto the ground. The beer can clanged as it hit the ground. Afterward, he took another can of beer from his independent space. He plunged the longsword in his right hand into the ground, and the thick stone slab, fragile as tofu beneath the blade, easily sank a foot deep into the earth. With a slight shake of the longsword, the disheveled man leisurely opened the beer with both hands, then tilted his head back and took another large swig before finally turning his gaze to Old Master Wu.
"I'm not here for you. I'm here for Yang Haoran, the Emissary of Death of the Lecheng Underworld Division. " Swallowing the beer in his mouth, the disheveled man spoke faintly, a slight hint of drunkenness in his voice.
To buy time, Old Master Wu likewise didn't immediately respond to the disheveled man. He deliberately furrowed his brow, appearing deep in thought. After a moment, he finally spoke. "What business do you have with him? " Old Master Wu asked.
"You don't need to know, nor are you qualified to know. Tell him to come out and see me, or I'll go in and see him myself," the disheveled man said indifferently. The disheveled man's words left Old Master Wu no face; in fact, they implied that he held Old Master Wu in complete contempt. His strength was far superior to Old Master Wu's, and this immense disparity made him feel that he and Old Master Wu were simply not on the same level of existence.
The disheveled man's attitude did not cause Old Master Wu's expression to change. As before, he remained merely serious, with no hint of anger on his face. However, upon hearing the man's words, Xiujuan's complexion instantly turned grim. A visible black Yin Qi began to rise from her body, and her eyes, normally colored, shifted to a milky white. Xiujuan was originally an Evil Spirit, filled with profound resentment. Her experiences after meeting Yang Haoran had somewhat reduced the resentment she carried, but compared to ordinary Wánglíng, her resentment was still very strong. The fact that she usually didn't show it in front of Yang Haoran and others didn't mean her resentment had dissipated. The disheveled man's words weren't directed at her, but in her heart, Old Master Wu held a very important position. Her respect for Old Master Wu was second only to Yang Haoran's, so when the disheveled man spoke, she immediately reacted as if stimulated, revealing her ferocious side. Sensing Xiujuan's change, Old Master Wu frowned, looked at Xiujuan, and then stopped her with a look. Although he said nothing, Xiujuan understood Old Master Wu's gaze. She abandoned her intention to immediately attack the disheveled man, but the rising Yin Qi did not recede, and her milky white eyes stared at the disheveled man, filled with icy coldness.
The disheveled man's gaze was drawn to Xiujuan. His eyes landed on her, and he couldn't help but frown. "Neither an Evil Spirit nor a human, not very strong but somewhat interesting. Yang Haoran truly lives up to his name as an Emissary of Death; he's quite adept at concocting these neither-human-nor-ghost things. " The disheveled man saw the issues with Xiujuan, but he seemed unaware of the existence of Skins in the Underworld, which sparked some interest in Xiujuan. After hearing the disheveled man's words, Xiujuan was provoked once more. She could no longer control the ferocity in her heart. Her facial expression suddenly became distorted and ferocious, and a flash of light passed through her milky white eyes as she cast an Illusion upon the disheveled man.
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