Chapter 438: Never Expected
Xinyang City was Ancheng’s neighboring city, but Xinyang City was significantly larger than Ancheng, with a land area exceeding Ancheng’s by more than half. Its urban development was also far beyond what Ancheng could compare to.
Compared to Lecheng, Ancheng was considerably larger, and its population significantly exceeded Lecheng’s. In such a comparison, Lecheng appeared as a small town before Xinyang City.
Of course, Lecheng was already just a small city. Looking across the entire New Beginning Realm, small cities like Lecheng were at the very bottom tier.
Unsure of the exact destination, Yang Haoran had the disheveled man tear space and lead the way.
The disheveled man’s strength was not weak; each spatial tear allowed for a considerable transfer distance. However, because Lecheng and Xinyang City were quite far apart, they couldn't reach their destination in a single jump.
After multiple spatial tears, the trio finally stepped into Xinyang City's territory, revealing themselves in a secluded dense forest.
Stepping out of the spatial rift, Yang Haoran's gaze instinctively swept the surroundings. It seemed casual, but he was actually checking for anything amiss nearby. Only then did he turn his attention to the disheveled man.
"Where are we? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"The Xinyang Mountain Range," the disheveled man replied in a low voice. "Our destination is at the foot of the mountain, near Xinyang City."
"Another five kilometers," the disheveled man answered.
Yang Haoran nodded with a smile, acknowledging his understanding, then cast his gaze towards Bai Xue.
Before he could speak, the corner of Bai Xue's mouth, hidden beneath her mask, curved slightly upward.
"Brother Underworld Official, no need to remind me. I know what to do."
As she spoke, Bai Xue completely sealed her power fluctuations. Not a single ripple of energy could be detected from her.
Yang Haoran chuckled, swallowing the words he was about to say. He then likewise sealed his own power fluctuations, the protective Yin Qi around him dissipated, and the unique chill that Yin Qi brought also vanished.
The disheveled man also sealed his power fluctuations. The reason he chose to exit the spatial rift five kilometers from their destination was his concern that getting too close would allow their presence to be sensed by the other party.
Such caution clearly indicated that their opponent was not simple; otherwise, the disheveled man would not have emerged from the spatial rift at this spot.
Having successfully sealed their power fluctuations, the disheveled man took the lead, walking towards their destination.
The dense forest was difficult to traverse, teeming with snakes, insects, rats, and ants. If ordinary people were in such an environment, they would constantly need to keep their nerves taut and be wary, lest they walk themselves to their deaths.
Of course, Yang Haoran and his two companions wouldn't fall to such a state. Even with their power fluctuations sealed and without actively using the power within their bodies, their physical bodies and reaction capabilities were incomparable to those of ordinary people. Traversing such a dense forest didn't put much strain on them.
Especially Bai Xue, who was inherently a snake demon, found herself in such an environment like a fish returning to water. It brought her immense enjoyment and a sense of familiarity.
"There's still some distance to go anyway. Tell me the specifics so I can have a clearer idea," Yang Haoran said, walking behind the disheveled man.
The disheveled man's steps remained steady. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, "What do you want to know?"
"For example, is the target you're saving male or female? What are their characteristics? Are they a Demon Hunter or an ordinary person? It's good to have an idea, so I don't accidentally kill the wrong person later," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
Yang Haoran didn't actually care about the disheveled man's target, which was why he hadn't asked about it before coming.
However, the reason he was asking now was that they were almost at their destination, and since he was idle anyway, he figured there was no harm in knowing more.
At the mention of the target, a complicated expression flickered across the disheveled man's face. However, since he was leading the way, his back was to Yang Haoran and Bai Xue, so neither of them noticed his change in expression.
After another moment of silence, the disheveled man said in a low voice, "The target to be saved is a woman. She's not a Demon Hunter. Once we reach the destination, all Demon Hunters will be enemies. As long as you have the ability, you can kill as many as you want."
"Not a Demon Hunter? " A hint of curiosity appeared on Yang Haoran's face. He asked, "Could she be an ordinary person? But if she's just an ordinary person, why would other Demon Hunters capture her? Is it to threaten you?"
The disheveled man shook his head, then responded in a deep voice, "She's not a Demon Hunter, nor is she an ordinary person. She's. . . she's a demon."
The smile on Yang Haoran's face froze. Bai Xue's eyes, beneath her mask, also widened in surprise.
Neither of them had expected the disheveled man to give such an unforeseen answer.
The disheveled man was a Demon Hunter. Hunting demons was his profession and his mission. To put it bluntly, as a Demon Hunter, he stood in complete opposition to demons. How could he possibly save a demon?
The disheveled man had risked his life to find Yang Haoran, even paying a huge price, all for the sake of saving a demon—saving a demon from the hands of other Demon Hunters. It was utterly unbelievable.
Yang Haoran was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he thought he had misheard. He glanced at Bai Xue beside him, and seeing the confusion in her masked eyes, he confirmed that he definitely hadn't misheard.
"Save a demon? Save a demon from your own colleagues? Even pay a high price to hire me to kill your colleagues, you, a Demon Hunter, what kind of joke is this? " Yang Haoran asked, his tone clearly showing surprise and disbelief.
"Heh heh, surprised, aren't you? There's nothing to be shocked about. Didn't you also gamble your life back then to rescue the snake demon by your side from my hands? " The disheveled man chuckled, then spoke.
However, though the disheveled man was laughing, his laughter was low and muffled, as if he was struggling to suppress something.
Upon hearing the disheveled man's words, Bai Xue glanced at Yang Haoran beside her, then instinctively moved a bit closer to him. However, at that moment, all of Yang Haoran's attention was on the disheveled man, and he didn't notice this subtle action.
"I saved Bai Xue back then because she's my friend. Of course, I wouldn't just stand by and watch her die by your hand. Moreover, her identity doesn't conflict with mine. But you're different; you're a Demon Hunter. Don't all you Demon Hunters take the hunting and killing of demons as your sacred duty? " Yang Haoran asked, a faint smile on his face, yet his tone conveyed growing confusion.
Upon hearing this, the disheveled man first gave a self-deprecating chuckle, then said, "Demons eat people, and Demon Hunters take it upon themselves to hunt and kill demons. It sounds like Demon Hunters are very noble, but very few Demon Hunters can actually achieve that. The vast majority of Demon Hunters hunt and kill demons merely for their own benefit; it has nothing to do with nobility. And the reason I chose to become a Demon Hunter was not because of some grand ambition, nor was it to gain more profits. I simply wanted to kill demons—to exterminate all demons in the world."
As these words left his mouth, the smile on Yang Haoran's face froze again. However, in just an instant, he reacted, mentally cursing, "Not good."
Bai Xue's reaction was considerably stronger than Yang Haoran's. The disheveled man's words were aimed at all demons, including her. Thus, after hearing this, a cold light burst forth from her eyes. Already intensely hostile towards the disheveled man, she was on the verge of losing control of her inner resentment.
Just then, a hand gently patted her shoulder. The owner of that hand was none other than Yang Haoran.
Bai Xue glanced at Yang Haoran, again trying her utmost to suppress her internal resentment. She forced a smile and nodded at Yang Haoran. Seeing this, he let out a sigh of relief before turning his gaze back to the disheveled man ahead.
The disheveled man seemed not to have sensed the surge of killing intent that Bai Xue had just emitted, or perhaps he had sensed it but simply didn't care, for he continued to lead the way, his steps unwavering.
"Demon Hunter," Yang Haoran continued, "your words are truly contradictory; you're only confusing me more. Since you want to exterminate all demons in the world, why would you take such a massive risk to save one?"
Upon hearing this, the disheveled man's unceasing steps finally halted. He spoke only one sentence before resuming his pace, but that single sentence once again left both Yang Haoran and Bai Xue stunned.
"I chose to save her because I intend to kill her with my own hands."
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