If he were to go against Chen Jian again, Li Hao felt that he might be able to avoid that slap now. But it was still impossible to have even a hope of winning against the man.
Chen Jian was a Slayer of Tensâwhether it was one ten or nine tens? That was difficult to tell. Based on what Li Hao knew, there was a vast difference between Slayers of Tens and Sunderers of Hundreds.
Apart from Liu Long, all of the Demon Hunters seemed to be Slayers. However, there were differences of strength among them as well. Liu Yan looked to be the strongest, but she said that Yun Yao was not to be provoked.
âIâm probably not a Slayer yet, so I need to work hard. I need to keep myself alive at least!â
Ensuring his safety was key in the danger yet to come. The scarlet shadow was not something to run afoul of.
âLetâs keep training!â Li Hao didnât use the breathing method this time since there was still mysterious power lingering in his body. He was in fine fettle and able to continue practicing the New Book of Five Styles.
He had to make good use of time! Since there was a way to increase his strength, there was no reason to slack off.
â¦â¦
At the same time.
Openlight, sixth floor of Building 5.
Liu Long stood on the balcony with his arms crossed, looking across to a certain apartment in Building 6. The windows were shut tight and the curtains drawn. Still, one could vaguely make out a figure jumping around inside.
It was Li Haoâs house.
The tall and skinny Wu Chao stood next to his captain, likewise watching the apartment. He shook his head after a while. âThe guy drew the curtains before the sky got darkâheâs exercising vigilance. Heâs probably suspected for a while that Zhang Yuanâs death is a murder. Chief, do we just watch him like this? Is someone coming?â
âI donât know,â Liu Long responded calmly. âJust keep watching!â
Wu Chao swept his gaze in another direction and said lowly, âChief, our position is the best for a stakeout! I also briefly circled the perimeter and found that no strangers have come to Building 5.â He paused, then continued, âIs there no one watching him, or are they using supernatural means to keep an eye on Li Hao?â
The enemy might not be here in person even if they were following the young man. Some supernatural methods could be utilized with none the wiser. It was just rare for a supernatural to personally keep an eye on a mundane.
Liu Long didnât rebuff his subordinate, but neither did he think there really was a supernatural tailing Li Hao at the moment. It was more likely that they were secretly observing the young man while they waited for the right moment to arrive. Perhaps it was the rainy days that Li Hao spoke of.
The young man was right here and wouldnât run for safety. If that was his considered course of action, he wouldâve done so long ago. If that occurred, it didnât matter to the enemy whether or not they followed him.
After brief contemplation, Liu Long changed the topic. âHow much mysterious power do we have right now?â
âTwelve cubes,â Wu Chao answered. âTen with attributes, two without.â
The deputy chief seemed to be weighing something up. âHave the boy come see me when he reports for work tomorrow. Retrieve the two unattributed cubes. Let him absorb them and letâs see what happens.â
Wu Chao wasnât too surprised by the command, just envious. âChief, we donât have many and unattributed ones are more valuable. Why donât we try the attributed ones first?â
Attributed mysterious power came with certain energyâfire, thunder and lightning, as well as others. They werenât necessarily a match for the one absorbing it, but they would be the preferred choice if they were a right fit. It all depended on the person!
For martial masters yet to ascend to the supernatural domain like Wu Chao and the others, unattributed energy was more precious. They strengthened the person without risk of rejection or danger. Thus, everyone on the team treasured unattributed cubes of energy.
âHeâs too weak!â Liu Long replied calmly. âWeâre not the Night Watchers with their trove of powerhouses who can yank out energy at any time. If he absorbs the attributed power and his body rejects it, there wonât be much we can do to suppress the reaction. Heâll explode and die. Do you want to go back to being bait after that?â
Fine then, Wu Chao had nothing else to say. Li Hao was indeed too weak and it was right and proper to give the lad a welcome gift after joining the team. But the man still had his doubts.
âChief, did you recruit him for one time use⦠or do you really plan to nurture him further?â he whispered. This was something he'd been wondering for a while.
Liu Long flicked a glance at him and smiled. âHe is our teammate so long as heâs alive! He is our comrade-in-arms and whatâs his is his, what should be protected should be protected, and what should be taught is taught. If he dies⦠Well, need I say more?â
Wu Chao understood. This was how heâd reached his current stage in life. Survival of the fittest!
Only when alive was one part of the team. Nothing mattered anymore if one died. Everyone understood on their first day of joining the Demon Hunters just how dangerous it was to hunt supernaturals. No one would be here if they didnât have their own story to tell or specific motivation driving them.
âItâs nice being new!â Wu Chao sighed. Newbies didnât have to do anything to receive benefits, how lucky!
Granted, this was also the team rule. Newcomers were so weak that without protective measures, the team would consistently bleed its fresh blood and weaken until it died. It was just⦠theyâd only been given one square of mysterious power when they joined. The founding members hadnât even received that because they hadnât had a treasury then. What reserves they possessed now were produced through the skin of their teeth.
Expectation crept into Wu Chaoâs voice as he thought about it further. âI wonder if weâll be able to kill them this time, how much mysterious power they can provide, and if itâll be attributed or not. Chief, will you be able to cross over if you absorb some more?â
Liu Long shook his head wordlessly. Cross over? Too hard!
Those who didnât ascend on their first try ended up enhancing their martial dao, constitution, and strength. That in turn made metamorphoses even more difficult. For a Sunderer like him, many more attempts were required and ideally, mysterious power that was matched to him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
As useful as unattributed energy was, it enhanced his physique more than anything. Thus, it wasnât necessarily a good thing to absorb too much as it made crossing over that much harder.
Liu Long sighed inwardly and looked at the window across from them again. âStay here and notify me of anything that happens!â
âUnderstood!â
The captain left without another word. It didnât seem like anything would happen to Li Hao over the next couple of days, but it was another story once the rainy season began. The young man might be in danger at any second then.
â¦â¦
The sky darkened soon after Liu Long left and night was swift upon them. Li Hao continued practicing the ape style inside the house, maintaining his form longer each time. Sweat spattered over the floor until it grew slick with sweat. Just when he was about to go through another runthrough, Panther started growling from its sprawled out position on the ground.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow at the little black dog. Was someone here?
His heart skipped a beat and his breathing stuttered when he looked up. The young man quickly settled into the opening stance and began the ape style again, albeit at a much weaker level than before. He was shocked and terrified out of his mind!
The corner of his eye caught a smear of red outside his window. It was pressed against the glass! The scarlet shadow was here! It was his first time seeing it in his house!
Was Liu Long nearby?
Did he see it?
Could he see it?
Damn it!
Li Haoâs heart raced with panic and worry. Was the shadow here to keep him under surveillance? What could he do other than remain composed and pretend he didnât see it?
He was extremely tired after another round of the ape style and halted for the night. The scarlet shadow still floated outsideâon the window. It was like itâd pierced through the window and was perching on the glass.
Did this mean that the supernatural behind it was close by? Would they attack tonight? They were too bold! Zhang Yuanâs house was dismantled just yesterday and here they were today. This was blatant disregard of Liu Long and his team!
What do I do now? Li Hao grew more uneasy the longer the shadow stayed. In order to conceal his anxiety, he walked into the bathroom to take a shower.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when water hit his face. He forced himself to stay still and look at his toes. He couldnât let the scarlet shadow realize he could see itâit was right next to him!
The two were nearly cheek to cheek in the small bathroom!
Donât worry! Itâs just here to keep an eye on me! It didnât attack the second it appeared, so it doesnât want to kill me right now. Based on teacherâs deductions, this isnât the time. So relax, relax! I donât see anything, training is sweet, Liu Yanâs boobs are so bigâdo they make fights difficult?
Li Hao shifted his gaze and wrenched his thoughts around, concerned that heâd work himself into a frenzy if he continued to dwell on the situation. The jade sword around his neck remained inert, appearing to be any regular pendant. He didnât know if the scarlet shadow could see it and what it would make of the necklace. He didnât have the capacity to think anymore, much less be shy that his naked self was on full display.
Who would think about that at a time like this?
My circumstances are getting more and more dangerous! Time passed in the throes of his wild thoughts; the shadow disappeared when he finished showering.
Panther sprawled in the living room, quiet as a mouse the entire time. It wasnât until the scarlet shadow disappeared that it heaved a sigh of relief. Li Hao also breathed out more easily as well. Dog and human looked at each other in complete silenceâthere was also some confusion in the dogâs eyes.
You saw it too? I thought you were blind! Youâre so good, I thought you couldnât see it! Youâre better at this acting business than I am!
â¦â¦
Inside the apartment.
Li Hao had the distinct sensation of surviving a calamity. This was the second time in two days that the scarlet shadow had approached him! Did this mean that the enemy was about to make their move? Was this why the shadow kept him under observation, to see if their pig was fat enough for the slaughter and assess how much meat heâd produce?
Indeed, that was Li Haoâs current takeaway from the situation. The scarlet shadow seemed to be repeatedly admiring whether or not its crops had matured.
âDamn you!â the young man cursed lowly. What do you take me for?!
He wouldâve bowed his head to fate, but still tried for a desperate gamble if things had been as if before. But now⦠he refused to acquiesce!
The jade sword was a supernatural object and heâd learned his teacherâs breathing method. Heâd come in contact with the supernatural domain and could absorb mysterious power! Why should he blindly accept what fate had in store for him??
âNo matter how strong they are, theyâre not invincible!â Li Hao set his jaw. Why would they exercise such caution if they were that domineering?
The truth was, they were afraid!
Of what?
Of the Night Watchers!
There must be someone even more powerful than the scarlet shadow among the Night Watchers. Thus, the shadowâs faction didnât dare raise too much of a disturbance.
âWhat am I scaring myself for?â Li Hao reassured himself and cursed at Panther, âDamn, youâre trash. Youâre always the first to cry whenever you see it.â
Wounded innocence filled the dogâs eyes. Iâm just a dog and very weak. If youâre afraid, then of course I am too!
The little black dog felt that it was still young, that it was normal for it to be afraid.
A young man and a dog slumped in the living room, staying quiet for a very long time. After a while, Li Hao picked up his communicator and dialed a number. It wasnât his teacher for once.
Liu Longâs coldly arrogant voice traveled through it after a while. âSpeak!â
There was no greeting or pleasantry, just that one word.
âI feel like someoneâs watching me!â
âUh huh!â Liu Long responded, unperturbed.