Chapter 439: Every Circle Has Its Dark Side
To rescue the target, and then personally kill them—the scruffy man’s answer truly astonished both Yang Haoran and Bai Xue.
Yang Haoran was not one to be easily surprised; most of the time, even if astonished inwardly, he would never show it on his face. Yet, in just this short period, the scruffy man’s words had caught him off guard repeatedly. Practically every answer from the scruffy man left him stunned.
Of course, the most astonishing revelation was the scruffy man’s latest answer.
Rescue her, then personally kill her—the statement was profoundly contradictory. Yet, with but a moment’s thought, Yang Haoran understood that the matter was not as straightforward as it seemed.
When Yang Haoran had discussed this transaction with the scruffy man yesterday, the anxiety that gleamed in the scruffy man’s eyes had been absolutely genuine, not at all feigned.
From this, it was clear that the "her" the scruffy man spoke of was profoundly important to him, occupying a significant place in his heart. That was why he intended to rescue her.
Yet, the scruffy man had now spoken with such lethal intent, indicating that while this person held an exceptionally important place in his heart, for reasons unknown, he harbored a profound hatred and an extremely deep-seated resentment, driving him to desire her death by his own hand.
That the scruffy man spoke such a highly contradictory statement revealed his own internal conflict regarding the matter. As for why he harbored such contradictory feelings, there was undoubtedly another story at play.
As for the precise nature of this story, Yang Haoran couldn’t be certain, but he could generally surmise some details.
His mission was to rescue the target. As for how the scruffy man would deal with her after the rescue, that was the scruffy man’s business; Yang Haoran couldn’t control it, nor did he wish to.
As for any past grievances or romantic entanglements between the scruffy man and the woman, Yang Haoran neither wanted to know nor was interested in knowing, so he did not wish to press the question further.
Besides, even if he asked, the scruffy man might not necessarily reveal such a thing. What Yang Haoran truly wanted to know now was, on the contrary, another question.
"Since the target you intend to rescue is a demon, and she has fallen into the hands of Demon Hunters, how can you guarantee she is still alive? " Yang Haoran asked.
He hadn’t posed this question to the scruffy man before coming because he had never conceived that a Demon Hunter would choose to move against other Demon Hunters, let alone to rescue a demon.
Now that he knew the truth, he felt it necessary to inquire further; perhaps he could still uncover something significant.
"Demons possess the ability to transform. This is a unique gift bestowed upon them by the heavens. Freely altering their appearance, whether beautiful or ugly, is but one facet of their transformative power."
The scruffy man’s answer seemed to skirt the question, but Yang Haoran wasn’t anxious. He followed closely behind, quietly awaiting the scruffy man’s continuation.
After a slight pause, the scruffy man continued, "Some Demon Hunters, upon discovering a demon’s trace, won’t consider its appearance. They’ll simply use thunderous means to eradicate it. Whether for the sake of eliminating a menace for the people or to acquire profit, it makes no difference. If a demon crosses their path, regardless of beauty or ugliness, and if their skill proves inferior, then only death awaits."
"However, there’s another category of Demon Hunters whose methods differ. After capturing a demon, they won’t immediately kill it. Instead, they’ll categorize demons into various ranks based on their true appearance. Ugly or ordinary-looking demons will be slaughtered, their Demon Pills extracted, and every last bit of value squeezed from them. Demons with appealing looks, regardless of gender, will become their playthings for amusement, only to be disposed of once they’ve grown tired of them. If a demon possesses an exceptionally striking appearance, it will become a superb gift in the eyes of these Demon Hunters, presented to those they wish to impress, thereby securing profit."
The scruffy man’s words certainly delivered a lesson to both Yang Haoran and Bai Xue. While both possessed a certain understanding of Demon Hunters, this particular aspect, as described by the scruffy man, was truly new to them.
Although Yang Haoran’s facial expression remained largely unchanged, he harbored a degree of astonishment inwardly.
But Bai Xue, being a demon herself, felt not mere surprise after hearing the scruffy man’s words, but a surge of indignation.
"You Demon Hunters operate under the guise of purging demons for the world," Bai Xue couldn’t help but say coldly, "Ignorant people might believe you to be so noble, so magnificent, yet the deeds you commit in secret are truly repulsive."
"Our circle of Demon Hunters has its dark side," the scruffy man responded in a deep voice, "and your circle of demons is no exception. Every circle, in fact, possesses its own shadowed aspect; the only difference lies in the depth of that darkness."
Yang Haoran largely agreed with the scruffy man’s statement. Every circle has its shadowy aspects; outsiders usually can’t discern them because the darkness shies away from the light, hidden so effectively that it remains unseen.
However, what remains unseen does not cease to exist; seasoned insiders are undoubtedly acutely aware.
Bai Xue let out a cold snort. Though she knew the scruffy man’s words held truth, the fury in her heart wouldn’t simply vanish with a single sentence from him.
However, this time she did not speak again.
"The Demon Hunters I intend to confront this time belong to the second category. The demon I’m going to rescue is, in their eyes, an excellent gift to present to others. For such a rare and highly sought-after offering, they would never slaughter it, because this gift holds even greater value."
This statement from the scruffy man effectively answered Yang Haoran’s earlier question.
Perhaps it was because he had suppressed too many things in his heart and wished to unburden himself, or perhaps he wanted Yang Haoran, the costly helper he had hired, to understand the situation more thoroughly before they acted. The scruffy man seemed to have opened a floodgate, continuing to speak.
"Lecheng is merely a small city, and we don’t have a branch of the Demon Hunter Association there. But New Sun City is different; a branch of the Demon Hunter Association exists in New Sun City. And precisely because New Sun City hosts a branch of the Demon Hunter Association, the number of Demon Hunters there is quite substantial."
"Within the Demon Hunter Association, the branch holds considerable power. The Demon Hunters in charge of the branch are strong and high-ranking; if they so desire, they can effortlessly manipulate ordinary Demon Hunters. And precisely because of their immense authority, many Demon Hunters scramble, even breaking their heads, to curry favor with them, to ingratiate themselves, all to secure greater advantages."
"The Demon Hunters we are going to confront this time have banded together, drawn by their shared nature. The target I intend to rescue—they plan to present her as a gift to the New Sun City Demon Hunter Association branch. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and this gift is their New Year’s offering to the branch. According to the information I managed to obtain, they will personally deliver this gift tonight at the earliest, or tomorrow morning at the latest."
After the scruffy man finished speaking, Yang Haoran hesitated for a moment, then interjected.
"I won’t ask for now what your relationship with this demon is," Yang Haoran said, "However, I want to know if others are aware of your connection to this demon, especially the individuals we’re targeting this time."
Yang Haoran asked this precisely because he considered the possibility of a trap. If the other party knew about the scruffy man’s connection to the demon and had deliberately orchestrated such a scheme, then matters would become complicated. He had to consider it with extreme caution, for he certainly didn’t want to foolishly follow the scruffy man into a pre-set snare, which would not only endanger himself but might also cost Bai Xue her life.
"They won’t know," the scruffy man replied.
"You’re so certain? " Yang Haoran asked.
The scruffy man fell silent, seemingly deliberating whether to reveal certain details. Yet, after a moment’s consideration, he nodded, giving an affirmative reply, and then spoke again.
"Initially, I didn't know she was a demon. By the time I learned of her true nature, she had already vanished from my world. I longed to find her, but at that time, I was merely an ordinary person; I simply lacked the means to locate her. By chance, an opportunity to become a Demon Hunter presented itself before me. To find her, I became a Demon Hunter and joined the Demon Hunter Association."
"If there’s any profession in this world that understands demons best, it has to be us Demon Hunters. So, I decisively chose to become one. This way, I gained the power to slay demons. And I chose to join the Demon Hunter Association because it could provide me with more information and data about demons, making it easier for me to find her."
"However, things didn’t go as planned. Ultimately, I had greatly oversimplified the matter. The New Beginning Realm is too vast, and there are far too many demons. Trying to find one demon among so many is no different from searching for a needle in a haystack."
"In the blink of an eye, over ten years passed. I slew many demons, and my strength greatly improved as a result, but there was never any news about her. Yet, I did not give up; I continued to search for her with all my might, until two days ago, when I finally received news of her."
"After inquiring through various channels, I confirmed the authenticity of the news: she had appeared, but she had been captured. I want to rescue her, but I have no friends. I do know a few Demon Hunters, but they would absolutely never help me with something like this."
"So, I thought of you. Although you and I are not friends, and even harbor past grievances, I found ways to inquire about you. How others evaluate you, I won’t say; I trust you are well aware yourself. After gaining a certain understanding of you, and based on the information I gathered, I felt that if I approached you for cooperation, you would likely agree. That’s why I took the risk to come to you."
"Aside from the two of you, no one else knows about these matters. The woman I am going to rescue also doesn’t know, and the five Demon Hunters are naturally no exception. So you don’t need to worry about a trap."
After listening to the scruffy man’s words, Yang Haoran gained a deeper understanding of the matter, and many of the doubts in his heart were consequently resolved.
As for the scruffy man’s comment about how outsiders evaluated Yang Haoran, he had no interest in the matter, not even a fleeting thought of inquiring.
Although Yang Haoran understood many things inwardly, it didn’t mean Bai Xue had grasped them completely.
"Since you went to such great lengths to find her, and are even risking rescuing her, why do you still want to personally kill her? Aren’t you insane? " Bai Xue said coldly.
"I want to save her because I don’t want her to die at someone else’s hands. I want to kill her because she deserves to die. Not only does she deserve to die, but all demons under heaven deserve to die!"
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