The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 102 Night Wanderer, Mimicry Skin

With a single finger, peace was instantly restored.

Hong Yuan landed gracefully, scrutinizing the ghostly assassin from Ghost Fanlou with great interest.

The jungle was dark and gloomy, but even now, with his transformed appearance, he could still see the night as if it were daytime, even before, thanks to his initial talent of "Clear Vision".

An ordinary male face came into view, appearing to be around thirty years old.

Hong Yuan scrutinized the face for a moment and felt that it looked a little strange, like it had been over-filtered in a short video.

A wisp of condensed energy shot through the air from his fingertip, slicing a narrow slit in the other's face with a 'whoosh' sound, yet no blood seeped out.

Through the feedback of the force, he felt a slight resistance, which also made him realize something.

This face is authentic; it's not wearing a human skin mask or anything like that.

Hong Yuan's gaze sharpened immediately, and he saw the other person's facial features gradually become blurred from solid to indistinct, with a subtle ripple spreading across the skin and enveloping the entire body.

The person was wearing a black bodysuit, but as the ripples spread, the surrounding light seemed to be drawn to their skin, and even the color of their clothes gradually blended into the withered branches, fallen leaves, and night around them.

Hong Yuan watched this scene. The other party was not actually invisible or transparent, but rather had a skin ability to sense or distort light, thereby simulating the surrounding environment.

"A chameleon? And it's a passive effect?"

According to Hong Yuanluo's perception, this person was still unconscious, but quickly disappeared after being injured on the face.

"Pure magic, or physical body?"

After a moment's thought, Hong Yuan felt that the possibility of a Gang Body was still higher.

This person's martial arts skills are only at the level of Qing Lingzi, a step or two short of reaching the level of subtle internal strength.

This body must have been modified with magic to enhance the skin's toughness, but it's still far from being as impervious to swords and spears as Song Yinglong.

The goal is not defense, but concealment.

Not only can it conceal its form, but it can also hide its aura fluctuations.

In other words, Hong Yuan's exceptional spiritual sense, combined with his ability to perceive the net, enabled him to see through all of their actions.

Gui Fanlou, known as one of the three major assassin organizations in the world, is indeed astonishing.

With this person's methods, concealing their aura and lying in wait, even a master of the罡体 (罡体 is a type of internal energy cultivation) like Song Yinglong would be severely injured if they didn't die from a sudden attack.

Although Song Yinglong was physically strong, he could only withstand the sword strikes of ordinary martial artists.

Of course, the boost from the added power will be significant.

However, Song Yinglong could not remain vigilant and exert his strength at all times.

This assassin had almost reached the pinnacle of the second level of power transformation, 'the balance of hardness and softness'. With a sudden sneak attack, his true power erupted, capable of breaking even metal.

First, four assassins skilled in hidden weapons, magic, poison powder, and fast swords were used as a cover, and then a powerful and cunning assassin was added as the main assassination force. In fact, Gui Fanlou attached great importance to Hong Yuan.

"Ghost Fanlou..."

Hong Yuan spread his five fingers and suddenly grabbed the other's shoulder. An invisible force penetrated the body, swirling through like sharp blades in a whirlwind.

The assassin felt as if his insides were being torn apart by a thousand knives. The intense pain made him groan, regain his senses, and then his body floated up as if riding on clouds.

Hong Yuan seemed to be holding a chick in his hand. He leaped up and headed straight for the prefectural city, asking questions repeatedly.

"What's your name?"

"What is your position in the Ghost Fanlou?"

"What's your method of stealth?"

"How are the assassins from Ghost Fanlou classified? How many experts like you are there?"

Who are your upline users?

A fierce wind swept around, carrying with it cold raindrops and snowflakes. There were no lights in the dark night, and the world was utterly desolate.

With each step, Hong Yuan covered four zhang (approximately 13 meters), moving with the speed of a ghost, as swift as lightning.

When encountering a mountain peak, we soar upwards, passing through forests and over cliffs as if walking on flat ground.

When you encounter a river, just step across it.

His martial arts skills have reached such a level that he no longer needs to use trees or anything like that for leverage. Even across a river tens of feet wide, he can leap out with explosive force, stirring up the undercurrents and crossing the water.

Even if you're holding someone in your hand, there's no hindrance whatsoever.

As he swiftly traversed mountains and rivers, he asked questions while simultaneously gripping the assassin's hand, his five fingers digging into the flesh like eagle claws, releasing force with each fingertip.

Under the onslaught of the sharp force, the Ghost Fanlou assassin felt as if his body was being slashed by a knife, burned by fire, and pierced by countless sharp needles.

Beneath his skin and flesh lay intense itching and pain, which even seeped into his bone marrow, causing him unbearable agony, yet he could not die.

He would faint from the pain for a moment, and then be tormented awake again in the blink of an eye.

The assassin opened his mouth wide, trying to speak again and again, but each time the strong wind either forced his mouth shut or the force tormented him so that he could not utter a sound.

After running for about an hour, Hong Yuan suddenly slowed down, his body evaporating a large amount of blood energy, which he quickly gathered back under the influence of the Six Void Force, restoring his strength.

In that short hour, he traveled nearly 300 li (approximately 150 kilometers), all the way from the outskirts of Qingxu County to Heitie Town, which is only about 30 li (approximately 15 kilometers) from the prefectural city.

This is not even his full strength right now.

If you let go of the assassin you're holding, your speed can increase slightly.

Of course, such rapid progress was indeed very taxing, and even Hong Yuan, with his strong physique, felt somewhat fatigued.

As for the assassin, he had been tortured to the point where his mouth opened and closed, making low 'abba aba' noises, and his expression had broken down.

Even at night, Black Iron Town remained bustling with activity. The streets and alleys were brightly lit, and the occasional clanging of armor could be heard as patrol teams passed by.

Hong Yuan silently crossed the city wall and landed in the direction of a patrol team.

"Who?"

Black Iron Town had been attacked by Song Yinglong's Black Armor Battalion a little over a month ago. Although Hong Yuan had saved their business, they were still somewhat paranoid.

The guards raised their weapons, and their leader looked on warily.

Hong Yuan stepped forward and recognized the guard leader as someone who was the same carefree cousin he had met when he came to Black Iron Town to forge the "Deadly Throat-Locking Gun".

The firelight illuminated Hong Yuan's face. The head of the guard rubbed his eyes, his expression changed, and he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Alliance Leader."

"No need for formalities." Hong Yuan waved his hand, glanced at him, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Xu Feng, a petty scoundrel."

"You're quite composed and have potential. Would you be interested in working under me?"

Generally speaking, when a boss asks this question, his underlings, regardless of their true feelings, should never refuse if they are sensible enough.

Of course, Xu Feng didn't intend to refuse, and his face lit up with joy: "This humble one thanks the Alliance Leader for his guidance."

Hong Yuan has risen to prominence in just a few months, single-handedly subduing major powerful clans and intimidating Song Yinglong, and has already become famous throughout Mingzhou.

As for Linjiang Prefecture, it was like a thunderbolt, already becoming a legend among many wealthy gentry, powerful families, and wandering knights.

The other guards all looked envious when they saw Xu Feng being appreciated. "I'll give you three days to hand over the mission, then go to the prefectural city and start practicing martial arts with Qing Lingzi."

Hong Yuan changed the subject: "Go and call the two head managers here for me."

Seeing that Hong Yuan had captured someone, Xu Feng did not question it and immediately accepted the order, leaving in a hurry.

Hong Yuan casually tossed the assassin to the ground, a look of admiration on his face: "Indeed, a cold-blooded and ruthless killer, his heart is as hard as iron, and his bones are even harder. He didn't utter a word even under such torture. What a hero!"

The assassin gasped for breath, his body twitching, looking utterly exhausted.

After catching her breath for a moment, she finally regained some strength, looked up at the night sky, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Damn it, did I even give him a chance to speak?
It's not some top secret, why should he insist on denying it?
The process of cultivating the罡体 (罡体 is a type of internal energy cultivation technique) he was in was extremely painful, but there were also techniques and elixirs to alleviate the pain during the cultivation.

Moreover, the pain was only on the surface of the skin, but the hour that Hong Yuan tortured him was like being tormented from the inside out, like being cut into a thousand pieces, like being plunged into boiling oil.

He doesn't even know how he got through it.

It feels like after going through this round, we can look forward to an even more intense and mysterious physical body.

Also, where did this stereotype come from that they think these killers have no feelings?

Being a hitman is just a job; it's not like you're killing people all the time. You still have to live your life when you're not killing.

The martial arts of this world emphasize the changes in force. Those who can manipulate force must have a quick mind and be able to calm their restless mind.

They are as cold and indifferent as blocks of wood or stones, and can't cultivate any strength at all. Such people can only be lowly henchmen.

A moment later, Ou Zhenyun and Xu Jingren, their clothes disheveled, rushed over anxiously.

It was clear that the two of them had been woken up from their beds, and Hong Yuan could only hope that they had been sleeping and hadn't done anything else.

"Meet the leader!"

Upon their arrival, the two immediately performed a grand ceremony of worship.

"Mr. Xu, Mr. Ou, please rise!"

As Ou Zhenyun stood still, he thought to himself, "Even though he and the Alliance Leader met first, the Alliance Leader called me Old Xu first. It must be because of that girl Qingjing that the Xu family is closer to the Alliance Leader and their status is elevated."

The Ou and Xu families have been friends for centuries, and Ou Zhenyun and Xu Jingren are also very close friends, but they have to consider the next generation.

My thoughts were momentarily unsettled.

Xu Jingren spoke first: "I wonder what orders the Alliance Leader has given us?"

"Find me a chain, the kind used to leash a dog."

Shortly after.

The Ghost Fanlou assassin looked at the iron ring around his neck, with a chain as thick as a child's arm and three zhang long at the other end, and finally couldn't hold on any longer.

It's unknown which generation of talent in Black Iron Town forged this iron chain, which was even made of cloud-patterned iron. It had been stored away for decades before being unearthed by Ou Zhenyun and Xu Jingren from the inventory.

Click!

"Oh no, the key is broken!" Hong Yuan held half of the key between his fingers, while the other half was stuck in the collar's keyhole. He then grabbed it with his five fingers, and the keyhole quickly shrank inward.

The assassin from Guifanlou's lips twitched, and he took a deep breath: "What do you want to ask? Ask away, and I will tell you everything I can."

Hong Yuan stroked his chin and pondered, "Assassins like you are all ruthless, vicious, and cunning. How could you possibly give in so easily? You clearly don't take me, Hong Yuan, seriously. Are you still lying?"

You're much fiercer than us!

As the assassin's expression changed drastically, Hong Yuan's five fingers once again injected force into his body.

About half an hour later.

Hong Yuan interrogated him repeatedly, occasionally inflicting physical torture, until he finally gained some understanding of Gui Fanlou.

Gui Fanlou's power was extremely vast, with strongholds in almost all thirty-six states of the land.

In bustling prefectures with diverse political forces, there are more outposts, while in some remote and impoverished areas, a few contact persons are left behind.

The assassins in Ghost Fanlou are divided into four levels.

The first level consists mostly of 'wandering souls'. These assassins haven't even entered the true gates of Ghost Fanlou; they simply accept the missions issued by the higher-ups.

Some were just beginning to grasp the essence of qi and blood, some were martial artists just entering the realm of mastery, and some were even ordinary people.

The second level is the 'Death-Taking Ghost,' which consists mainly of martial artists who have reached the level of subtlety and strength.

The third level is the 'Soul Reaper'. Although it is below the level of the Subtle Realm, almost every assassin at this level has one or two unique skills, and there is no shortage of talented individuals who are proficient in strange weapons, magic, incantations, and poisons.

In the snowy forest, those four assassins were the 'Soul Reapers'.

Above these three levels are the true leaders of Ghost Fanlou, assassins with their own code names.

Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the Day and Night Wanderers...

And above the six codenamed assassins are the two leaders, Blood Rakshasa and Netherworld Judge.

The one captured by Hong Yuan is none other than the 'Night Wanderer' of Ghost Fanlou!
According to the Night Wanderer, this code name was established from the day Ghost Fanlou was born. Over the centuries, it has been changed time and again, but the code name has never changed.

At the level of codename assassins, almost all of them possess the strength to threaten top-tier experts.

Like this Night Wanderer, although his strength is not yet profound, he relies on his own accomplished body to conceal his form and assassinate others with unparalleled success.

The number of powerful cultivators who died at his hands was not just one or two.

The body of the Night Wanderer is the outer body [mimicry skin], the core of which lies in simulating the surrounding environment and concealing one's vital energy.

While the direct combat boost is minimal, it is the most suitable method for assassins, allowing them to acquire codenames without ever making a subtle move. Such individuals are rare even in the centuries-long history of Ghost Fanlou.

The reason the Night Wanderer revealed these secrets was not only because he couldn't withstand the punishment, but also because these secrets were nothing to the higher-ups.

After all, for an organization that has existed for hundreds of years, even someone as shady as an assassin would be doing well to keep its core secrets.

"I never imagined you were such a rare genius, one in a century. My apologies for my overestimation."

Hong Yuan's expression turned serious. While admiring him, he didn't slow down either. With a burst of energy, he knocked the Night Wanderer unconscious.

Such a rare and unusual species is so precious that he must keep it securely tied up.

Ou Zhenyun and Xu Jingren had been sent aside while Hong Yuan was questioning them, but now that Hong Yuan had finished his interrogation, they came forward.

Ou Zhenyun said, "Alliance Leader, it's getting late. Why don't you rest at my humble abode for the night?"

Hong Yuan has no problem with it.

A banquet had already been prepared in the Ou family mansion. Hong Yuan was inevitably tired after traveling three hundred miles, so he immediately ate heartily and then took a bath and changed his clothes.

After washing up, he arrived at the private room arranged by Ou Zhenyun. Before even entering, he raised an eyebrow.

With a creak, the door was pushed open and the room was brightly lit, filled with a strange fragrance, a mixture of sandalwood and the delicate scent of a young girl.

On the embroidered bed, the quilt was already spread out, and a figure was huddled under the quilt, her cloud-like hair spread out on the pillow.

Do the same with me?
As everyone knows, Mr. Hong is a gentleman, upright and honest, and never gets close to women. Could he not withstand this test?

(End of this chapter)