C9 Stormy

"Who's there?"

Ye Han called out, his expression stern.

In recent days, he and Jiang Xiaoxiao had kept a low profile, cautiously recuperating and evading the pursuit of the thunderstorm. They had enjoyed a brief respite, but today, danger loomed once again!

There were indeed people outside, yet they differed from Ye Han's expectations.

These individuals seemed to be in a rush, as if they were on a journey rather than searching. Upon seeing Ye Han's stern look, they too were taken aback and did not immediately engage in combat.

"Little brother, is something the matter?" inquired a middle-aged man clad in grey, who appeared to be the leader.

"Don't you recognize me?" Ye Han asked, his brow furrowed as he scrutinized the newcomers.

"May I inquire where you hail from? We've been roaming these mountains for half a year now. Haven't been home in all that time. Could it be that you're the rising young talent in these parts?" The middle-aged man's demeanor was deferential, his words laced with compliments.

"You really don't know me?" Ye Han nodded, a pleased smile crossing his lips.

"Then you can all go to hell!"

As the word "die" left his lips, Ye Han was already upon the middle-aged man, his palm slicing through the air with a fierce gust!

But this group seemed to have anticipated his move. Not only did the middle-aged man sidestep Ye Han's strike, but the others turned tail and fled!

"Think you can run without my say-so?" Ye Han pursued them, but found himself entangled by the middle-aged man, forced into another bout of combat.

The man was at the peak of the Body Refining Realm, just like Ye Han, but he had no intention of engaging in a full-on battle. He kept evading, waiting for his men to distance themselves before shaking off Ye Han. His evasive techniques were indeed sophisticated within the Body Refining Realm.

Yet, no matter how skilled the technique, it paled in comparison to sheer power!

Having condensed the Heavenly Spirit Pill, Ye Han's cultivation might not have increased, but his physical strength was now on par with the Soul Refining Realm. With the wisdom of his past life, he was an unstoppable force, even within the Soul Refining Realm, let alone against someone merely at the peak of the Body Refining Realm.

"Boom!"

With an unstoppable force, Ye Han's palm came crashing down, and with a thunderous noise, the middle-aged man leading the group was cleaved into two by Ye Han's merciless strike!

The onlookers who had not yet fled were chilled to the bone at the sight, their speed involuntarily increasing as if wishing they had been born with more legs to carry them faster. Yet, they could not outpace Ye Han. In mere moments, he had slain everyone except for two survivors.

"Please, don't kill us! We're just bystanders; we bear no grudge against you!"

Witnessing the gruesome fate of their peers, the two remaining men were petrified, crying out desperately for mercy.

"Ye Han, these two don't even know us. Can't we just let them go?"

"Let them make a blood oath promising not to seek revenge or speak of this encounter to anyone."

The weight of a warrior's blood oath was not taken lightly, bound by the fates themselves. Breaking such an oath could result in a stagnant cultivation or, worse, a destroyed foundation. Moved by compassion, Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't stand the thought of more killing and pleaded with Ye Han.

"Do you truly believe they're strangers to us?"

Ye Han questioned her.

"Ah?"

"They must be. With so many of them, and only the leader at the peak of the Body Refining Realm, the rest are also in the Body Refining Realm. If they had recognized us, surely they would have attacked!"

Jiang Xiaoxiao was initially taken aback, then she reasoned, her voice firm. Both she and Ye Han were at different stages within the Body Refining Realm, and they were clearly outmatched in strength by these men.

"The lady is correct; we honestly don't know you. Why else would we wait for you to make the first move?"

Seeing a glimmer of hope, the two captives raised their voices in protest.

"You don't recognize us?"

"You haven't been home in half a year?"

Ye Han surveyed the two men, his expression one of amusement.

"Yes, we truly don't know you."

Believing Ye Han was relenting, relief and happiness spread across the faces of the two men.

"You've been here for half a year, yet your clothes and shoes are still spotless. How is that possible?"

"Don't tell me you've managed to maintain such cleanliness while gathering herbs and hunting in these deep mountains?"

"Even if you did prioritize cleanliness, surely your clothes and shoes would have at least a hole or a patch, right?"

"And another thing..."

Ye Han paused, turning his gaze to one of them.

"When you first arrived, you slipped my portrait into your sleeve—I saw you."

The man Ye Han was scrutinizing turned pale, his body shaking like a leaf.

"Now do you believe me?" Ye Han addressed Jiang Xiaoxiao.

"But why didn't they attack you right away instead of trying to retreat?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao pressed for an answer.

"It's quite straightforward—they must have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Isn't that right?" Ye Han said, eyeing the two men with an amused smile.

Neither of them dared to speak or even lift their heads, just shivering uncontrollably.

"Speak up," Ye Han commanded, singling out one of them.

"I—I—I don't know."