C22 Comparing Goods!

Unable to escape, Wang Han had no choice but to engage in combat with his opponent. As an assassin known for his explosive attacks, he wasn't intimidated by the prospect of a direct confrontation.

His hands were a blur, his twin daggers dancing around Bai Ya's arms like fluttering butterflies, occasionally leaving trails of blood. His feet, akin to slithering serpents, moved with agility, dodging Bai Ya's swift attacks that he found challenging to adapt to.

Their struggle continued until Bai Ya landed a solid punch on Wang Han, sending him reeling as if struck by a heavy bell. Wang Han's chest collapsed inward, and blood erupted from his mouth as he was hurled backward into a large tree.

Bai Ya's eyes gleamed with determination; he wouldn't allow Wang Han to escape as long as he was still alive. He extended the very fist that had struck Wang Han, stepping forward and transforming his fist into an open palm, reaching out to grasp him.

Bai Ya was confident he could finish Wang Han after the latter had coughed up blood. Yet, Wang Han's luck was extraordinary, having acquired a unique bloodline in the world of shadow warriors. Bai Ya suspected that his opponent's hidden attribute of luck was quite high, which could easily lead to unexpected outcomes. He knew that if there was a chance to kill him outright, he should take it.

But as Bai Ya's palm made contact with Wang Han's clothing, his face twisted in confusion, his eyes clouded with doubt. "What's happened? When did he escape?" With a push of his palm, a section of a wooden post fell to the ground, and Wang Han's figure had vanished.

Suddenly, a faint whistling sound came from behind. Bai Ya spun around, his blade slicing through the air, but even his formidable skills couldn't block all the incoming shurikens. Several were deflected, but his body was struck by six or seven tiny darts.

"Well, well, it looks like your blade work has slipped," Wang Han's voice taunted from the mist. Normally, Wang Han would refrain from talking during combat, knowing that it could slow him down and lead to complacency. But now, it didn't matter. The sound enveloped Bai Ya from all directions, and Wang Han, still feeling the tightness in his chest from the earlier punch, seized the moment to mock his adversary.

"Your biggest mistake was not using poison, and this is your only chance," Bai Ya stated icily.

...

Emerging from the dense fog, Lee Kai glanced back at the area still shrouded in mist. He had managed to find his way out thanks to the lack of interest from the two deities and the guidance of the mastiff, which kept him from wandering aimlessly in the fog.

Yet, as soon as he stepped clear, he hesitated for a moment before darting back into the fog without a second thought. He had spotted a squad of seven, and quickly realized they were the last remaining from the two platforms. "Looks like they've teamed up, probably from the same camp. Now, the question is which one? And even if I knew, would they spare me?"

"Holy smokes! There's someone coming out of the fog!" exclaimed a somewhat portly man, pointing excitedly at the figure who had just re-entered the mist.

"Quiet down, you fool! Do you want to give us away? Don't you realize we're being hunted?" his companion chastised, slapping the back of the man's head before turning to where he had pointed, now seeing only a vague silhouette.

"I thought we were trapped for sure this time, but this fog is different from the poison we encountered earlier. It's safe. So let's move, unless you fancy being hunted down," Yu Li bellowed to the others, pausing before adding, "Stay sharp, and don't get outsmarted by that kid. I've got a feeling we're close to victory. Let's not screw it up at the last minute and end up looking like fools, got it?"

"Pfft, boss, you're overthinking it. Don't you have a count of how many are left? We're seven strong; we're probably the largest group left. There won't be any issues," Yu Li Po sneered at the woman, thinking to himself, "Is this what they mean by 'long hair, short on sense'? But her hair's only shoulder-length, not even that long. Is it a case of beauty without brains? But then, it doesn't seem all that different from my own robust chest. Does she even make an A cup?"

Lee Kai, once again enveloped by the dense fog, started to call back his mastiffs that had been previously dispersed. The persistent rustling behind him was a clear sign that his pursuers had no intention of parleying; they were not planning to leave him alive. The meticulous sound of their footsteps indicated they had likely all entered the fog, or at least a significant number had.

After swiftly putting some distance between himself and his pursuers, Lee Kai crouched down at a safe distance and methodically stroked each mastiff, then he rescinded their earlier scouting command in favor of a new one: ambush. After nuzzling against Lee Kai's legs, the mastiffs dashed off. Lee Kai never doubted their ability to locate the enemy; unlike humans, they didn't depend on vision. In such dense fog, their sense of smell was their most formidable tracking tool.

Lee Kai wasn't one to just watch from the sidelines. Despite his confidence in the superior strength of his mastiffs and their advantage in this environment, he was ready to act. He never aspired to be a summoner; he was a warrior, or at least that's how he saw himself. Even though summoners fought more safely, he remembered the seller's warning: an overconfident individual had been taken down by an assassin. He had no intention of meeting the same fate, so maintaining a certain level of combat ability was essential.

In these conditions, a dart was of no use due to the low visibility in the fog. His only option for an attack was a metal rod. Lee Kai, concealed in the underbrush, didn't have to wait long before the footsteps approached again.

"They're close, even closer now," he thought, as his keen eyes scanned through the grass, watching each figure pass by.

"One, two... the seventh one now. They're all here." Seizing the moment was crucial. After mentally issuing the command, he held his position.

With a thunderous roar, the mastiffs charged, their formidable forms barreling towards the men. The group of seven was taken aback. The sudden appearance of such intimidating beasts would unnerve anyone. Out of the seven, three instinctively turned tail and fled.

Yu Li caught a glimpse of the scene unfolding before him and inwardly cursed "idiot" before a mastiff knocked him to the ground. A fleeting cold light sparkled in his eyes. His left hand blocked the mastiff's lunging head, and as he stared into its sharp fangs, he felt no fear. "It's just a dog," he reassured himself. His right hand seemed to clench into a fist, but it was an unconventional grip; no one clenches a fist without bending their middle finger.

In truth, Yu Li wasn't making a fist at all; he was retrieving his weapon—a compact scalpel. Back in his original world, his middle finger was longer than most, and as a troublemaker, he enjoyed flaunting the knife in front of girls. This habit honed a special skill: concealing the knife up his sleeve.

Since arriving at the platform, this technique had served him well. In just the two worlds he had traversed, it had enabled him to eliminate three foes who would have otherwise been out of his league.

Now, with too many mastiffs to contend with, Yu Li decided it was time to stop holding back. It was best to dispatch the one on top of him quickly.

The moment his blackened scalpel came into view, the mastiff that had been aiming for his head recoiled as the blade grazed its nose. Blood sprayed, and the mastiff yelped in pain.

A dog's nose is both crucial and sensitive. Wounded in such a critical spot, the mastiff couldn't bear the pain and stumbled backward, paws frantically swiping at its injured snout.

Yu Li rolled to his feet without hesitation. His legs, coiled like tightly wound springs, propelled him forward, leaving indentations in the ground. His swift acceleration and forward charge gave the impression of a frenzied rabbit hurtling towards a tree.

Despite the opponent's astonishing burst of speed, it was futile against Yu Li's agility. With an agility attribute of ten points, he was quite adept for someone who had survived two worlds, especially considering he started as a slender weakling with less physical prowess than an average person when he first entered the platform.

However, the saying "It's not about not recognizing quality, but fearing the comparison of goods" rang true. His agility of ten points paled in comparison to Lee Kai's thirteen. As a result, the surefire strike he had counted on failed to materialize. Instead, with a thud, he found himself dazed and sprawled on the ground. Lee Kai, emerging from the sidelines, spared the man a glance but promptly ignored him, rushing to aid the three individuals besieged by the four mastiffs. Observing their reactions gave Lee Kai some insight into their capabilities. Aside from Yu Li, there were no true masters among them. After all, anyone struggling that much against mastiffs likely had no aces up their sleeve.