Chapter 4: No Path of Return ??

  The night in Fogging Forest was darker than ink. Thick mist coiled around the towering trees, reducing visibility to almost nothing. The air was cold, carrying the scent of damp earth… and blood.

  Ji Yang sat cross-legged on a moss-covered rock, his breath steady but his body aching with exhaustion. Today’s battle had drained him completely. The Yin Yang Flame burned fiercely inside him, but his current strength wasn't enough to control it.

  This flame… wasn’t just a power—it was a curse bound to his very soul.

  A long time ago, when his body was weak, the flame had been forcibly sealed. If it were to break free now, it wouldn’t just destroy his enemies—

  It would consume everything. Including him.

  Yet today, he had no choice but to use a fraction of it.

  And now… it was trying to break loose.

  Ji Yang clenched his jaw, his fingers digging into his palm. He could feel the seal weakening—the uncontrollable flame surging, struggling to burn its way out.

  If he failed to suppress it… then only ashes would remain.

  Silence in the Mist

  Not far away, Ji Ru sat with her back against a tree. Her wounds were deep, but the Healing Pill was slowly mending them.

  She had been watching Ji Yang ever since he lost consciousness. Now, as his breathing steadied, she finally spoke—

  "Why did you risk your life to save me?"

  Ji Yang opened his eyes, his gaze cold and distant.

  "I didn’t do it for you."

  Ji Ru flinched but said nothing. She felt as if Ji Yang had become… someone else. This wasn’t the Ji Yang she once knew.

  After a moment, she reached into her storage ring and took out a Second Grade Healing Pill, handing it to him.

  Ji Yang stared at it for a second before accepting it. He knew his body needed to recover.

  The moment he swallowed the pill, a burning energy surged through his veins. His charred wounds began closing, and his muscles regained strength.

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  A while later, he opened his eyes completely.

  Ji Ru was staring at him.

  Not with fear.

  Not with gratitude.

  But with an expression he couldn’t quite understand.

  When their eyes met, she quickly looked away, her voice quiet—

  "I don’t think you’re the same Ji Yang I used to know."

  Ji Yang’s heart skipped a beat.

  For a brief moment, an unsettling feeling crept into him.

  Had Ji Ru figured something out?

  But before he could respond, she gave a small smile and continued—

  "I was just joking. Maybe you changed for a good reason, but I won’t ask why."

  Ji Yang said nothing.

  After a short pause, Ji Ru’s voice turned serious—

  "What exactly happened in the jungle? Did those three from the Gu Family escape, or did they see you?"

  Ji Yang’s expression turned cold. His voice was calm— too calm.

  "I killed them."

  Ji Ru stared at him for a moment, then laughed.

  "Really? You must be joking."

  Ji Yang remained expressionless.

  "Believe what you want."

  Ji Ru puffed her cheeks in annoyance but didn’t press further.

  After a moment, she took a deep breath and said—

  "We need to get out of here."

  Ji Yang nodded. But deep inside, he knew—

  It wouldn’t be that simple.

  ---

  Gu Family Meeting Hall ??

  News of the Fogging Forest incident had already spread. The Gu Family Elders gathered in the grand hall, their expressions grim.

  At the head of the room, Gu Riyaz, the Patriarch of the Gu Family, sat on his throne. His face was dark with rage.

  Before him, Elder Gu Feng bowed slightly and spoke—

  "We searched the entire forest but only found Gu Fang’s broken locket and two corpses. Both of them belonged to our people."

  Gu Riyaz’s fingers tightened on the armrest of his chair. His voice was like ice—

  "Did you find out who killed my son?"

  Gu Feng’s head lowered.

  "No, but… we have clues."

  Gu Riyaz’s eyes narrowed.

  "Speak."

  Gu Feng continued—

  "The two corpses belonged to our Gu Family’s Sixth Level Body Tempering Realm cultivators. Killing them wouldn’t have been easy. But the most important detail is…"

  He hesitated for a moment before finishing—

  "They were slain with a blade."

  The hall fell into dead silence.

  Gu Riyaz turned to the Third Elder and asked—

  "Does the Ji Family have anyone capable of this?"

  The Third Elder stroked his beard.

  "The only one strong enough in the Ji Family is Ji Ru, but she’s a sword cultivator, not a blade user. Besides, she isn’t strong enough to take down three of our elite men."

  Gu Riyaz’s face twisted with anger.

  Who else could have done this?

  Suddenly, another elder spoke—

  "Patriarch, the body of Young Master Gu Fang… was burned with an extremely powerful flame. This wasn’t an ordinary fire."

  Gu Riyaz’s eyes narrowed.

  A powerful flame user?

  Gu Feng spoke again—

  "If the Ji Family had a powerful Alchemist, we would have known. And the Lu Family—though skilled in alchemy—lacks such a flame."

  Then… who killed Gu Fang?

  The room fell into silence.

  Until—

  A low chuckle broke through the tension.

  The Great Elder smirked slightly and said—

  "However, Patriarch, we are not completely blind."

  Gu Riyaz raised an eyebrow.

  "What do you mean?"

  The Great Elder bowed slightly before revealing—

  "I have already sent someone to track the killer—A Shadow from the Assistant Division."

  The entire hall went silent.

  A moment later—

  A slow, dark smile spread across Gu Riyaz’s face.

  "A Shadow, huh…?"

  "Then it’s already over."

  Once the Shadow Division was involved, there was no escape.

  He leaned back on his throne, his rage slightly soothed.

  "Good. Let them hunt."

  Gu Feng bowed.

  "The Shadow has already begun tracking the killer’s scent. Soon… we’ll have our answer."

  Gu Riyaz’s murderous intent surged.

  "Whoever dared to kill my son…"

  "Will not see another sunrise."

  ---

  Fogging Forest’s Outskirts ??

  Ji Yang and Ji Ru had finally reached the edge of Fogging Forest.

  Just as they were about to leave—

  Ji Yang suddenly grabbed Ji Ru and covered her mouth.

  Ji Ru’s face turned slightly red from embarrassment, but Ji Yang ignored it.

  Leaning close to her ear, his voice was barely a whisper—

  "Gu Family cultivators are nearby."

  Ji Ru’s eyes widened as she immediately became alert.

  A short distance away, several Gu Family Cultivators stood together.

  Ji Yang’s expression remained calm—but deep inside, he knew—

  He didn’t have much time.

  The Yin Yang Flame Seal was weakening.

  If he didn’t control it soon…

  Then… ?

  Would he even survive to make his next move?

  ---

  ?? To be continued… ??