Chapter 1368: Mystic Woman
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The geno core Scissor Slash was controlled by the owner's mind. Without delay, it flew over to the tightening cords and attempted to snap down and cut the Gold Dragon Lock.
Old Man Ji felt awful watching this unfold. He had hoped Han Sen would call back his geno core, and he expected the phantom scissors to cut through and break the item with ease. He thought it was a great waste.
But when the teeth-laden maw of the scissors bit down on the rope, all that occurred was a flurry of sparks. The rope was unbroken.
Green's eyes opened wide, unsure if he was seeing things correctly. He could not believe the Gold Dragon Lock was able to withstand the chomp of those scissors.
Those in the group had known each other for a number of decades, so they were well aware of how powerful Jia Shidao was. He had possessed Scissor Slash for the longest time, and they all knew how terrifying its cutting power was, too. The fact it could not break Han Sen's rope was shocking.
Jia Shidao's face turned grim. He kept chomping down on his bindings madly, but it achieved nothing. The ferocity of his cutting generated a blinding firework show, but still, it was all to no avail.
There was still ten minutes on the timer, and even with all that time, Han Sen did not think his opponent would break free. Even if he gave him an additional half an hour, Han Sen thought there'd be no threat.
"Do you know what Han Sen's geno core is called? It's not a bronze geno core, is it? Surely it can't be," Zhu Donglai asked Old Man Ji, having been perplexed.
Zhu Donglai knew it was poor form to ask what the power of someone's geno core was, so he only asked for its name.
Old Man Ji stroked his beard and with a stuttered chuckle, balked. "How am I supposed to know? Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Zhu Donglai believed Old Man Ji was lying. He thought the old man did know what it was, but had chosen to hide it for some reason he could not even guess. But Old Man Ji wasn't telling a falsehood; he was as clueless as everyone else in the room, for the most part. Old Man Ji knew that Han Sen owned a crystal egg, but that was it.
For the next three minutes, Jia Shidao frantically hacked, clamped, and cut at the ropes that had ensnared him, but no progress was made. As he realized the direness of his situation, his reddened face began to lose color and go pale.
When Han Sen saw him stop resisting, he relaxed the lock's grip on him.
Jia Shidao's face then turned green, and with a stiff jaw said, "You have passed the test."
Jia Shidao quickly left the arena, and then left the area completely. He was far too embarrassed to remain.
Old Man Ji quickly ran out and proudly pulled at Han Sen's arms, dragging him over to meet his peers.
Green and Zhu Donglai were very friendly to Han Sen, which was nice to see. And Han Sen was glad not all were as spiteful towards him as Jia Shidao, who had obviously been harboring a grudge of sorts. The last thing he wanted was to make enemies, especially amongst the demi-gods.
The woman didn't say anything, though. She was as stone-cold and silent as she had ever been. Han Sen thought it was strange to see her just there, and for the others to care about her so much, despite the lack of interaction.
The woman continued to sit where she was without saying a word, like little more than a sculpture.
After they left, Han Sen asked Old Man Ji, "Who was that woman? Is she one of the originals?"
Old Man Ji responded, saying, "Yes, she's an OG! But to be completely honest with you, even I have never heard her speak before."
Old Man Ji then had a thought that seemed to brighten his mind. With raised eyebrows and sly eyes, he said, "Ah! Ah! Don't you try anything. I know she's pretty, but you need to keep that thing holstered. Don't you think about doing anything to her that would hurt Ji Yanran. If you upset her, I'll kill you with my old bones."
Han Sen gave a wry smile and said, "What are you talking about? I was genuinely curious why Old Man Zhu and Mister Green seemed to admire her so much, despite her... not really doing much of anything."
Old Man Ji said, "She is a mystery, I'll give you that. I know she was one of the very first demi-gods, but beyond that? Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps Zhu Donglai and Green know more about who she is?"
Han Sen was surprised to hear this, and he thought to himself, "She cannot be the woman Uncle Bug mentioned, can she?"
"I now need to visit West-South System. Take the airship and return." Old Man Ji walked away then, but after a few steps, stopped in his tracks. Then, he left a few more parting words. "Again, don't do anything to upset Ji Yanran. That woman is the age of your grandmother, anyway."
Han Sen called after him, "What kind of person do you think I am?"
Old Man Ji laughed on his way, but his next few words were tinged with a lingering concern from long ago. He said, "That woman is too pretty to be true, and even I was once tempted. And given the strange forces that govern her mystic behavior, there's even the chance you'll never see her again."
After that, Old Man Ji embarked and his ship took off.
Han Sen understood Old Man Ji's worry. The woman was very weird, and she certainly wasn't some pretty girl you'd find at the cafe. Everyone knew to exercise caution when in her presence.
Han Sen could only take public transportation home, and since there were none available for the time being, he decided to relax in his hotel room.
Han Sen entered the sanctuary while there, to check up on Dragon Lady.
She had made a lot of friends and gathered a lot of information, which she promptly shared with him.
Green Cow was telling the truth, it seemed. Still, there was no hiding the fact there were no other survivors from the expeditions into Hidden Valley. That was cause enough for concern.
While Han Sen was chatting with Green earlier, he asked if he knew about a demi-god called Nan Litian and Shadow Shelter.
Strangely, he had never heard of either.
Han Sen spoke with his friends in the sanctuary, and after a while, he decided to once again go back to the Alliance. He went to his room, and before he took his coat off, he noticed he wasn't alone. On his sofa was a beautiful woman.
Chapter 1369: You're Different
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Han Sen saw the person sitting there, he was in shock. It was the woman from the Demi-God Association: the mystic woman. It was the woman who did not say a word.
"Why are you here?" After Han Sen said this, a thought sprang into his mind. He wondered if she might have simply been a mute, and if so, asking her a question was a little inconsiderate.
"I was looking for you." The woman spoke with a tone that was almost like that of a little girl. It was a sweet and soothing voice, a little high in pitch but incredibly friendly.
"You can talk?" Han Sen asked with surprise.
"It's not difficult," the woman responded.
"I never heard you speak before, and I thought maybe you were a mute or something... It was a misunderstanding on my part, I apologize!" Han Sen said, feeling a little awkward.
The woman now looked at Han Sen directly, and she said, "You are different than him. You're different than Han Jinzhi."
Han Sen was shocked. The formalities were over, clearly, and she was diving straight into the deep end. As for the differences she was referring to, he wasn't quite so sure what she was getting at.
Perhaps she was merely referring to his appearance, but that wasn't exactly significant, since he was three generations down.
Han Sen did not know which Han Jinzhi she was referring to, though. Was it his great-grandfather, or Teacher Han of the Blueblood Special Forces?
"Are you talking about Teacher Han of the Blueblood Special Forces?" Han Sen asked.
The woman replied, "You are different."
"Of course we are different," Han Sen said, acknowledging she must have known a great deal about Han Jinzhi. To him, this was practically a confirmation she was the woman in the seventh team; the one who did not make a wish.
The woman's attitude suddenly turned to one of disdain, and she said to him, "I cannot believe you describe your great-grandfather as if he was a stranger. You members of the Han family have always been so obscene."
Han Sen frowned and said, "What do you mean? My great-grandfather is Han Jinzhi, but he has nothing to do with the Blueblood Special Forces."
The woman, again with a frown of disdain, said, "Pah! You can try to trick others, but you can't fool me. You are his heir, and there is something coming that you'll never escape. Think about what might happen if they found out about your relationship to Han Jinzhi."
"Who? What? What are you talking about? Is this a warning? Is there someone out there looking to kill me?" Han Sen asked, bewildered by this strange conversation.
"You know what I mean. You know just as much as I do, if not more." The woman briefly paused, and then went on to say, "If you're going to talk to me with this attitude, I think we should call it quits and stop. I didn't come here to talk to you, behaving like this."
Han Sen said, "Lady, you're confusing me. I'm being honest when I tell you that I am not related to Teacher Han. My grandfather was a member of staff there, but you seem to be getting offended for no reason at all."
The woman looked at Han Sen with a different expression now.
"You... really don't know?" the woman said.
"If there's something you think I should know, then don't hold back," Han Sen said to her.
With a strange expression, the woman then said, "It doesn't matter. You are already a demi-god, and they are sure to find out sooner rather than later."
After a long and unsettling pause unfolded between them, she spoke again. "Fortunately, you are different. Different enough that you might even live."
She had said something along the lines of that a few times now, and Han Sen still had no clue what she was getting at. Her mystic arrival in his room was no longer the pleasant and revelatory encounter he was expecting.
What concerned Han Sen the most was who she was referring to, and so he asked, "Who are they? Do you mean Blood Legion?"
The woman looked as if she had been worn out by an ignorance Han Sen was unaware he was conveying. She said, "Improve yourself. Just do it. Improve and you might live when you meet them."
After that, the woman turned to leave.
Han Sen quickly asked her, "Can you at least tell me who they are? Who are you talking about?"
The woman left the room without responding. When Han Sen decided to chase her out into the corridor, she had disappeared.
"What in the Alliance was she talking about? What did she mean? Does she think I am Teacher Han's heir? Or was this some sick game she likes playing, trying to confuse others?" Han Sen's mind was a wallow of questions.
People said Han Jinzhi could not have possibly had an heir, and many people believed Han Sen wasn't his heir. It had caused friction with quite a few individuals.
This time it was different, though. This woman was so sure he was an heir, it had caused her to storm off.
If Han Jinzhi was a member of Blood Legion, Han Sen's family should have still possessed some blue blood.
"These people are too arrogant. Can't they speak with some modicum of clarity for once?" Han Sen thought he might have gotten used to the mystique and ambivalence of these older people by now, but that clearly wasn't the case.
If that generation hadn't been dropping like flies, he would have learned everything he wanted to by now, for sure.
There was only one takeaway from his brief talk with the woman, and he understood and agreed with it. And that was the need for him to improve.
When he arrived home, he visited the Demi-God Association's virtual community. There he found an abundance of information regarding various geno cores and vast swathes of maps to peruse.
The content available for him, in terms of learning material, far exceeded the expectations set by Old Man Ji. Unfortunately, none of the maps available showcased Han Sen's region of the Fourth God's Sanctuary.
That was normal, though. The Fourth God's Sanctuary was gargantuan, and there were only one hundred humans currently living there. Han Sen had been the king of the Third God's Sanctuary, but even he had not come close to exploring that entire place.
Back in the sanctuary, Han Sen learned Dragon Lady and Cheap Sheep had gone off hunting. The red pony he had recently healed had remained behind. Han Sen brought the pony and Bao'er to the gate, seeking to go out so they could hunt, as well.
"Nan Litian is back!" As Han Sen approached the gate, someone called out, and people began to gossip amongst themselves.
Chapter 1370: A Sudden Desire to Kill
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen was curious to see who Nan Litian really was. Thus far, the man had been a complete enigma. After walking outside the gate, Han Sen looked ahead to see a human riding atop a black unicorn.
Han Sen could clearly see it was a human, and if he had to venture a guess, he would say he was around thirty years old. Of course, looks could be deceptive.
The unicorn trotted up the way at a slow, almost meandering pace. It gave Han Sen a chance to observe the man and his steed, but also vice versa. When the man caught sight of Han Sen, he brought his unicorn to a complete standstill. There, they both locked gazes.
Han Sen could at least tell this man was totally new to him, which came as a relief. He wasn't someone from long ago he'd have trouble remembering—something which was an all too common occurrence.
The man's eyes were stern, though. And their lock on Han Sen would be defined as fiery, if they weren't also so sullen. It looked as if he viewed Han Sen as a thief, slinking out of his home, and he wished to do him harm.
Han Sen picked up Bao'er and casually readied himself to leave, as if the tension manifested was just a figment of the man's imagination. There was trouble brewing, and even though Han Sen could not tell why, he knew it was best if he made himself scarce.
This was clearly Nan Litian's territory, and if Han Sen remained and made himself an enemy to the human, he'd be greatly outnumbered.
The space in Han Sen's paces began to widen, until he found himself sprinting away as fast as he could. Before he realized it, he had run a mile. The red pony was following after him, too. It looked to be struggling to keep up with Han Sen, and if one did not look closely, it almost looked as if the pony was chasing him.
But it managed to stay with him, at least.
Nan Litian did not say a word, but he obviously seemed to have a bone to pick with Han Sen. He turned his steed around and took off after Han Sen.
The unicorn had to be a mutant creature, and its speed was greater than Han Sen's, so it had little trouble catching up. And noticing this, Han Sen knew he was in trouble. He knew fleeing wasn't going to be the solution to this sudden stand-off.
Unfortunately, he could not think of anything else to do. If Nan Litian had taken over a gold shelter, then he must have had a gold geno core, too.
This was different than what he had experienced with Jia Shidao, and Han Sen could immediately tell that this opponent was far stronger. He had taken over a shelter, after all.
Han Sen figured he could use his Gold Dragon Lock to trap and halt Jia Shidao's approach. He seemed to come for Han Sen blindly, so there should have been no trouble there.
But he wouldn't change his course or do anything else until he knew he absolutely had to. The unicorn was fast approaching, and it was almost on Han Sen's heels. The infuriated rider atop it clutched a spear in his hands, primed to skewer Han Sen.
It didn't take long for Nan Litian to let it fly, and as it brushed Han Sen's clothing, he dove out of the way like a bat.
Its speed was nothing short of frightening, though, and even with his Jadeskin activated, the spear managed to graze him in his evasion. And even that was enough to draw blood.
Han Sen realized the gulf in fitness between the two was far too great. This called for diplomacy.
"Why are you attacking me? What did I do?!" Han Sen cried aloud.
Han Sen wished to receive a response and at least delay a potential follow-up attack that might have been primed to finish him off.
"You know why! Why else do you run?" Nan Litian said, as he reached for another spear and swung it around like a loon.
Han Sen summoned his Gold Dragon Lock, and then said, "I wasn't running away from you; I'm just going for my daily sprint. I'm intense."
The rope weaved itself around the spear, then continued forward to ensnare the rider. Nan Litian was quick to react, though. He let go of his spear and dodged before he found himself tied up.
The Gold Dragon Lock had been unable to trap him, but it had managed to pin down his spear and horse.
The unicorn fell on its shadow and rolled across the ground for a dozen meters.
Nan Litian was visibly surprised by what Han Sen had managed to do, but that only fanned the flames of his hatred for Han Sen. The glint of murder that was previously residing in his eyes had now turned to one of full-on genocide.
He summoned the spear back, and it reappeared in his hands. In an instant, he brought it directly before Han Sen, almost not providing him a moment to react.
With his phoenix techniques, Han Sen was just able to muster the necessary speed to dodge the first few strikes. But the attack was relentless, and the swipes kept on coming. It was a horrifying scene, and Han Sen had rarely felt himself thrust into so much danger.
There was no competition here. Han Sen's latest nemesis was by far his superior, and try as he might to dodge, Han Sen couldn't help but gather a collection of lesions and wounds from the hounding madman on his heels.
And no matter what Han Sen pleaded, nothing would slow Nan Litian down. He had no clue why the man was lashing out at him like this, but things were taking a very disturbing turn.
Disheartened by what was going on, Han Sen felt his hope begin to sap. He silently cursed Cheap Sheep, too. Ever since he had met the wretched cotton ball, he believed, he had suffered nothing but bad luck.
Seeing the attacker not relent, Han Sen only had one choice left. So, he brought out both of his horns and tried to block the man's attack.
Boom!
The horns immediately broke, and then Han Sen was sent flying a few hundred meters.
But this was what he had hoped for. The speed at which he barreled away was what he wanted, and with this speed, he could leap an even greater distance away.
Nan Litian did not expect Han Sen to do this, and he was mildly impressed. He wasn't going to let that stop him, though. He looked at his still-trapped unicorn, and then turned back to look at Han Sen. Spear in hand, he continued his pursuit.
And the speed at which Nan Litian came was frightening. He was too fast, and nothing Han Sen did allowed him to outrun the spear-wielding maniac.
Dodging the next attack successfully, Han Sen quickly switched on his Dongxuan Aura. He hoped he could find a way in which he might leave the danger of that place for good.
"Wait a minute; I'm on the path that leads to Hidden Valley," Han Sen suddenly realized.