Chapter Forty-Three: The Scent of Water

"Idiot, use your gun!" the officer beside him couldn't help but shout.

Only then did Yang Jiekai snap back to his senses—he was now dressed in a full set of the Huaxia army’s gear, equipped with both long and short firearms.

Damn it, you think you’re tough? Let’s see how you handle a bullet!

With a single-handed motion, Yang Jiekai swung his standard-issue automatic rifle from his back into his grip, chambering a round in one fluid movement.

Though it was just a draw, the seamlessness of his action sent chills down the spines of the surrounding soldiers—including the officer—most of whom were specially trained. Such a smooth and intimidating move, even across the entire Huaxia military, could probably only be replicated by a handful of elite soldiers. He was truly the best of the best.

Bang! Bang!

Almost the instant the gun was raised, Yang Jiekai fired two precise shots, shattering both knees of the white ghoul. The creature let out a piercing shriek and collapsed. The soldiers nearby immediately surged forward with steel cables; it took considerable effort, but they finally subdued the wounded monster.

"Take it away; keep a close watch and don’t let anything go wrong. Also, everything that happened today stays here—if anyone leaks a word, they'll be charged with betraying state secrets!" After giving his orders, the officer let out a long sigh of relief.

It wasn’t until his nerves settled that he remembered the “soldier” with the extraordinary skills who clearly wasn’t one of his men. To his astonishment, the man had vanished right under the noses of so many people in just a few breaths.

"Find him! We must bring that man back!" The officer, who had just calmed down, felt his heart clench again. Whether that mysterious savior was friend or foe, an incident like tonight’s could never be allowed to leak. If word got out about the army’s operation in the mountains of Tianhai to deal with two monsters, the public panic and uncontrollable consequences would be unimaginable.

The world, as ordinary people saw it, always seemed peaceful and mundane; they believed humanity had mastered everything. But in reality, humanity’s understanding of this world was only a drop in the ocean. Countless mysteries remained unexplained, and anything that science couldn’t account for was considered top secret in any nation. If the truth about tonight’s events were exposed, his own modest rank wouldn’t protect him—he’d likely spend the rest of his life in complete isolation.

He barked several search orders into his radio, and, still uneasy, snatched an automatic rifle from a nearby soldier, intending to join the pursuit himself.

“Well, well, even Major Jiang himself is going into the field?”

Just as he was about to dash off, a cool, drawling voice floated over from the shadows.

Major Jiang turned to see five young people in black emerging from the depths of the forest. The speaker was a refined-looking young man at the head of the group, his sword-like brows arched, a playful, irreverent smile tugging at his lips. Beside him were two men and two women, all around the same age, though each with distinct features.

“You saw what happened just now?” Major Jiang’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “Why didn’t you—”

The young man waved a dismissive hand and grinned, “Don’t be angry. We just got here after receiving your call for help, so we didn’t see anything. I just guessed.”

“Guessed?” Major Jiang eyed the ever-smiling young man with disbelief.

Reading his thoughts, the young man chuckled, “No need to doubt, Major Jiang. It really was a guess. The signs of battle are everywhere—a clash between two experts, clearly. And I just saw your men take away the white-haired one, so it was easy to deduce someone had subdued the monster.”

“Well, you guessed right,” Major Jiang snorted. “But I’m afraid your director will be disappointed. This time, the army caught the white-haired one!”

The young man smiled, “Of course, the credit is yours. However…” He paused, a sly glint in his eyes. “Letting someone slip in under your nose and learn this secret—that’s a mess the army will have to handle too.”

Major Jiang’s mouth twitched. He snorted, “That’s none of your concern. I’ve already ordered a full-scale search. We’ll catch him!”

The young man burst out laughing. “Major Jiang, do you really believe your men can catch someone who fought a white ghoul in close combat and walked away unscathed?”

Major Jiang froze. As insufferable as the man seemed, he was right. He had underestimated both monsters earlier, so his troops weren’t even the best special forces. Capturing someone capable of defeating a white ghoul in single combat was, frankly, a long shot.

“Leave it to us,” the young man shrugged, turning to his companions. “Who wants to go?”

“Let me handle it, captain.” The speaker was a woman in a black, form-fitting suit, her sleek hair flowing down her back. She exuded a quiet calm, as if she were a shadow—unremarkable yet omnipresent in the dark.

Just as the young man had predicted, Major Jiang’s men searched in vain for half the night, not even glimpsing their target.

“Did he burrow underground?” one soldier muttered in disbelief. He simply couldn’t fathom how someone could vanish so quickly, leaving no trace, even surrounded by hundreds.

The forest at night was especially foreboding—every step was a struggle, not just from the threat of venomous snakes or other creatures, but from the tangled thorns and vines that made progress nearly impossible. One might wander all night, only to find at dawn that they hadn’t moved at all.

At night, the forest was a boundless maze.

Of course, Yang Jiekai hadn’t flown away, nor had he dug a tunnel like a rat. Instead, as he moved, he deliberately left behind simple but effective decoys, forging convincing false trails that sent his pursuers in the wrong direction.

As for himself, he strolled leisurely down the other side of the mountain, entirely at ease, even stopping now and then to pluck a few unknown mushrooms from the trees and chew them like a tourist on a nature walk.

He was already not far from the foot of the mountain. The city lights shimmered below. From here, looking down at Tianhai City, the view was truly unique.

In a sparser patch of trees, Yang Jiekai stopped, stretched lazily, and yawned. “No need to follow me anymore—come out. I’m alone. No accomplices, so don’t bother trying to cast a wide net.”

The forest was silent. Only the occasional breeze rustling through the leaves broke the stillness.

“This is such a bother,” Yang Jiekai sighed, shaking his head. He snapped off a branch and, without warning, spun around and threw it into the darkness.

The ordinary thumb-thick branch shot through the air like an arrow, slicing into a shadowy corner.

Simultaneously, a black silhouette flickered, darting toward Yang Jiekai with lightning speed. In the faint starlight, a glint of metal flashed.

Whoosh—

A sharp, cutting wind grazed his face; Yang Jiekai’s previously casual expression turned steely in an instant.

The speed and lethal intent far exceeded his expectations!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Missing with the first strike, the shadow twisted in midair like a snake, launching three more attacks, each more ruthless than the last.

Yang Jiekai spun back, retreating three steps, dodging the third strike before finding an opening. With a swift hand chop, he struck from an unexpected angle.

The shadow moved with uncanny agility, twisting her body in mid-descent to evade his counter, then struck back, forcing him to abandon his pursuit.

"Who are you?" Yang Jiekai asked warily during the brief lull. This was the first true expert he’d met since returning home, and it caught his full attention.

"The one sent to catch you," came a melodious, ethereal female voice—so at odds with the fierce, deadly clash moments before.

Yang Jiekai’s night vision was excellent. In the faint starlight, he made out her features, and a gentle smile curled his lips.

He’d never been one to keep a stern face when meeting a beautiful woman.

Clad in a special black suit, her dark hair drifting softly, her eyes carried an unearthly clarity and an untouchable pride. She resembled a fairy dwelling in the mountains, or perhaps more like a sprite playing in the night, her very presence as pure and refreshing as flowing water.