Chapter 26: The Hunter's Hunted

Xiao Kuangyun's group was resting on the nearby waterfall as night approached. As for the great young master of the Xiao Sect, he was still imagining what he would do once he found Yun Che, including what the scum of a young master would do to those beauties they captured the latter. After recruiting this mysterious expert, he might be able to track Yun Che using his connections. So far, he has managed to recruit a few mid-stage experts to bolster this strength. He did so because of the rumour that Xiao Che was the emperor terrorizing the Floating Cloud City. It was horse dung to him that he could have that kind of power, so he must have a backer instead.

In the cover of the night, the mid-stage experts are standing guard as Xiao Kuangyun sleeps in his tent. Most of them were complaining that the prestigious young master wouldn't let them sleep, but the pay was as good as his mouth was. Who else paid almost three hundred gold profound coins daily to hunt crippled trash? However, they couldn't shake the feeling of being watched constantly.

"Why do I have a bad feeling?" One of the experts said to the others. Not wanting to bother, the others simply replied, "It must be the night. Maybe you're starting to go crazy."

"Yeah. It must be." The expert thought as the drowsiness from lack of sleep started to get to him. Suddenly, a red light passed through him. Shocked, his eyes darted through the area and thought it was a tired illusion, "Hmm, it must be the wind."

All he wanted was little sleep, but he didn't know that the sleep would soon become permanent.

Suddenly, one of the guarding experts started to fall to the ground. The others rushed immediately to his location, and when they examined him, his heart was pierced by some arrow, but it was nowhere to be found, as if the arrow had disappeared into the air. Sensing danger, they started to draw their weapons. Eyes were sharp like a hawk and ears like a fox as they looked at their surroundings.

Shoooo…. Another red light passed.

"Where is he?!??!" They looked at one another, but before they could react, one started to fall to the ground as another red arrow pierced the other. Then, just like before, the arrow dissipates into thin air. One by one, the experts were hunted. One of them had a fearful expression before he shouted, "Assassins… Sound the…" The speaker was next to fall to the ground as the red glowing arrow pierced his head. As for the other two, they started to run for their own lives. As they were running, a black figure started to appear before them. Before they could react, the figure was already behind them, and then.

Splash…

Blood started to flow from their neck as the assailant slit their throats, and they were dead before they realized it. "Four to go," The figure said silently before disappearing.

"It's quiet. Where are those fools?" Xiao Moshan came out of the tent murmuring to one of the attendants who stood guard.

The two attendants shook their heads before one of them spoke, "I don't know, they were here a moment ago, and I don't hear anything from them." Xiao Moshan nodded but couldn't shake the feeling that they were surrounded by the shadows of the night. Suddenly, they felt suppression surrounding them, and it was powerful enough to paralyze every one of them. Xiao Kuangyun and his attendant, Xiao Moshan, weren't spared either. Xiao Moshan was suppressed and couldn't move like the other two attendants.

Xiao Kuangyun was jolted from his sleep as he felt the suppression around him and instantly descended to the tent's door. Like his attendants, they immediately saw a black shadow suddenly materialize before them. To be able to use this kind of suppression, the black shadow must be the mysterious expert they were looking for.

"Senior, this junior is humbled to meet such an expert like yourself. This junior is humbled if senior wishes to meet us." Xiao Kuangyun uses his boot-licking skill to rope the expert. The other three attendants also bowed their heads in the expert's presence. Xiao Moshan was at the First Level of Spirit Profound Realm, but the shadow could suppress him as if he was a mere ant. The other two attendants were merely at the eighth and ninth Levels of the True Profound Realm.

"This junior is currently hunting a deserter of our clan. This junior will repay anything if the senior is willing to help this junior." As Xiao Kuangyun said that, he immediately prostrated himself before the black shadow.

"Anything? Then, if I want you to cripple yourself. Are you willing to do it?" the black shadow spoke to him with a deep, croaked voice, creating a threatening situation around them.

Xiao Kuangyun was sweating bullets, and Xiao Moshan stood before him despite being suppressed and cupped his hands. "Senior, we are only passing this area. This junior begs for your forgiveness for trespassing in your area. Please, anything aside from crippling ourselves. Wealth or females? Our young master here can satisfy them." Xiao Kuangyun said as he was scared in his mind. He never thought that this expert wanted him to cripple himself. Being a cripple puts him in the same place as that trash.

"Well, that's too bad? Honestly, it saves me the trouble looking for you lots myself." The shadow expert spoke before slowly stepping into the light.

"That deserter you are looking for? You're looking at him." The figure removes his shadow aura and shows them his red eyes and handsome face. Cloak in some kind of black outfit and a Khyber shape sword behind his back, he removes the suppression skill and stands in full glory before them.

Xiao Kuangyun's face was coloured with shock. It was the man they had been looking for for the past three months. The trash who married the city's swan. "Xiao Che? No, no, no, it's impossible. You're a crippled trash. It's impossible." Xiao Kuangyun was shock. His description matched the stories the people of Floating Cloud City were telling him. It is no doubt it is him.

"Let's agree to disagree." The figure was Yun Che himself. He gave them a grin and continued, "Impossible? You're foolish, aren't you? Hats off to you for seeing potential."

"Young master, his aura is like the aura of a normal mortal. He may be using a treasure to suppress us. If we can get him, I can kill him with a flick of my finger and take that treasure." His attendant, Xiao Moshan, secretly told him.

Hearing this, Xiao Kuangyun suddenly had a grin before he laughed. "Hahaha… Even if you could cultivate, you are still trash in my eyes. Trash like you didn't have a speck of aura on your body. You aren't even qualified to make me talk. Now obediently come with me, and give me that treasure you use to suppress us."

Yun Che just chuckled. "Oh man, the young master of the Xiao Clan is an idiot. You didn't realize that I was the one who told my grandfather about you. Looks like he did well in tricking you into looking for me."

"You what?" Xiao Kuangyun widen his eyes.

"It was all according to my plan. I assumed you had already seen that blue barrier I left my grandfather and aunt. I knew you would try to find me to get that treasure off their hands, so I had my grandfather play with your elephant size ego to find me."

The young master gritted his teeth as he realized what the trash meant. "Tricked? So, that Xia Qingyue was in on this as well?"

"Xia Qingyue? Didn't she leave that night? Why is she staying?" Yun Che spoke in his heart. Xiao Kuangyun's reaction means Xia Qingyue somehow played alongside his grandfather and aunt and sent this bastard here. It looks like she coincidentally plays along.

"Not bad, Qingyue, not bad at all, kid." He smirks despite knowing that this timeline's Xia Qingyue is younger than him by a year. Initially, he was supposed to be the same age as her. Could it be training with Zangetsu for a year has aged him compared to the original sixteen years old from the main storyline? In other words, the system inserts him into a timeline where Yun Che is seventeen years old and Xia Qingyue is sixteen.

Xiao Kuangyun gritted his teeth as he shouted, "You bastard!!! Do you dare trick this young master into looking for you?"

"Hey, you're falling for it, and I just found you here. Coincidence? I think not." Yun Che spoke while mimicking a particular meme from his world. He only told bits about Xiao Kuangyun to his grandfather before he left that night about his plans of luring him out to look for him. He read enough that Xiao Kuangyun would come after Xiao Lingxi and his grandfather, so he gave them the Quincy Blutz necklace to spite them. Somehow, Xia Qingyue stayed behind and somehow played a part in tricking him into finding him. Looking at them, Yun Che just smirks. It looks like they took the bait. He moved forward slowly, and the two attendant guards instantly jumped before him.

"Haha, a non-cultivator like you wanted to show off here. We'll kill you and save the young master some trouble." One of them spoke as he casually walked towards them. Both Xiao attendants immediately launched an attack on him. They still think they could quickly kill him with their True Profound Realm strength.

"Don't kill him. You just crippled him. This young master wishes to know the secrets of that barrier." Ignoring Xiao Kuangyun's remark, Yun Che flashed-step behind the two attendant cultivators.

"Whaaa…So fast…" They were simultaneously shocked as Yun Che's speed was too fast for them to comprehend. Even Xiao Kuangyun didn't believe his eyes.

"I haven't tested this spell since I got them three months ago." Yun Che sinisterly smiled before he separated two of his right-hand index and middle fingers from his other two. In an instant, black bolts of lightning converge on his hands before he smirks as he looks at Xiao Kuangyun, whose eyes widen bigger than a saucer.

He chanted in Japanese "(Way of Destruction #90, Black Coffin). A box-like lining slowly forms around the two attendants. Yun Che directs the energy on his hands and envelops the targets with a mighty torrent of gravity before taking the form of a box of black energy. Their screams were nullified as the black box was covered in several spear-like protrusions which pierced the box, lacerating the one inside from head to toe.

It was instant death.

The black energy around the box dissipates, revealing the bloodied form of the two attendants who tried to attack him just now. They instantly fell to the ground.

Lifeless.

"Level 90 Kido, no incantation. Sca~~ry~~" Yun Che spoke, mimicking Ichimaru Gin's compliment of Sousuke Aizen's Kurohitsugi execution.

[Ding….Congratulation, Host, for defeating an eight-level True Profound Realm cultivator. Experience:…..]

[Ding….Congratulation, Host, for defeating a ninth-level True Profound Realm cultivator. Experience:…..]

Xiao Kuangyun and Xiao Moshan were shocked with their mouths open. They never saw such art in the Xiao Clan or any other clan. Even the strongest in his clan couldn't produce this kind of art before. The art was sinister and dark.

"It was all according to plan." Yun Che smiles at them.

"Dark arts!!! He's a darkness cultivator!!!" Xiao Kuangyun shouted as Xiao Moshan was preparing to evacuate him. Even if he must sacrifice himself, he must ensure the young master survives. A darkness cultivator has emerged in front of them. The young master, however, was scared shitless. Right now, he needed to preserve his life. He wanted Yun Che dead even if his attendant couldn't kill him. He could at least escape while they were fighting.

Yun Che was standing with a creepy grin. His outfit was waving in the wind, making him look dashing, like a high-level cultivator looking at them like ants.

"Xiao Moshan!! I don't want to capture him anymore. Kill him for me." Xiao Kuangyun ordered his attendant. As for the former, even if he had the First Level of Spirit Profound Realm for cultivation, he wasn't sure whether he could take on the demon in front of him.

"Xiao Moshan, Vice Leader of the Discipline Hall of the Xiao Sect. Xiao Che, it is wise for you to stand down and let us go. You don't want to offend the Xiao Sect." The middle age man, Xiao Moshan, introduced himself. Yun Che knew this man from the system trivia. This man went to Floating Cloud City to accompany, protect and oversee Xiao Kuangyun while he stayed to select a disciple to join the Xiao Sect within the original story. Xiao Moshan chastises Xiao Kuangyun for his lecherous and vile behaviour but does nothing to stop him from coveting Xiao Lingxi and Xia Qingyue. He assumed he might as well try to attack his Little Aunt and Xia Qingyue to obtain them and the Blutz barrier.

"Xiao Sect? Who cares about shitless eggheads like them? Xiao Che? I already discarded that name months ago. This one is Yun Che. Nice to meet you." Yun Che mocked, cupping his hands to the man.

"You aren't afraid of our main clan? You either stupid or too brave for his good." Xiao Moshan calmly spoke.

"Oh, please… I planned to destroy the Xiao Sect in the future. Killing this brat is only the first step of it."

Yun Che's strength is now at Grand Perfection of Nascent Profound Realm or Level 30. He wanted to test his kido base attacks, so he activated his Evil Soul. He unsheathes Zangetsu and immediately clashes with Xiao Moshan, who draws his sword and clashes with him, declaring war with the Xiao Sect. Xiao Kuangyun, however, took the chance and fled into the forest.

"What did you do just now?" Xiao Moshan tried to ask him. He was referring to the black coffin Yun Che had done just now. Despite being in the jaws of the demon, he was somehow curious.

"The Black Coffin, not that you're going to live to remember that." Yun Che coldly said to him. Xiao Moshan increased his strength and clashed with him once more. He refused to believe that this aura-less man managed to fight with him toe to toe. Then, is the man before him a Spirit Profound Realm cultivator just like him? Then, is the story about him being trash only a fluke? So, the emperor that terrorized the Floating Cloud City is only at Spirit Profound Realm?

"I don't know what you did just now, but even if I died, my young master managed to escape." Xiao Moshan tried to overwhelm him with his Spirit Profound Realm strength, but he was quickly matched by Yun Che's own.

"Oh, I won't be so sure about that." Yun Che increases his spirit force to his sword and waves a sword at him. He blocked the sword slash with his sword. He immediately sidesteps his step, avoiding the sword slash.

"Remember never to offend someone you can't even defeat." Yun Che flash-step in front of him and easily deflected every slash Xiao Moshan made. Yun Che increased his spirit force and slapped away Xiao Moshan's sword. In a moment, Yun Che immediately points his hand toward Xiao Moshan's stomach.

He chanted in Japanese."(Way of Destruction #1 Thrust)"

Spirit force immediately gathered around Yun Che's palm, exploding Xiao Moshan into the distance. He flew into the distance before finally hitting a large rock at the end of his flight. The spell is a primary thrust pushing the opponent away to a distance. However, every Hado spell in Yun Che's hand is destructive, even if just a thrust, depending on how much energy he channelled into it. It was enough to destroy his dantian and scatter his cultivation.

Xiao Moshan was severely injured after being sent flying by Yun Che. The impact on the rock was too much for him to handle. Even if he is in the same realm as Yun Che, the latter is even more destructive and more potent than him. It wasn't even a fair fight. He started to cough blood when Yun Che appeared in front of him.

"Finish me, Xiao Che. By the time you are done, my young master has fled. You can't even catch him." He slowly said as blood was dripping everywhere on his body.

"No, I said this before. I won't be so sure about that. So, what happened during your visit to the Xiao Clan?" Yun Che asked the heavily injured Xiao Moshan.

"Urrghhh, Young master wanted that treasure Xiao Lingxi possessed, and he wanted your wife, Xia Qingyue. She told him that if he brought you before her, she and Xiao Lingxi would happily leave you. Young master wanted to capture you because he wanted to know the secrets of that treasure and a way to obtain Xia Qingyue, so he led a team of cultivators to drag you back to the clan."

"The thing is, Xia Qingyue knew what I was capable of. She experienced my powers first-hand. Ultimately, they managed to trick all of you into finding me."

"*chuckle… Well played, Xiao Che… Well played." Xiao Moshan finally closes his eyes and succumbs to his injuries.

"*Sigh, It's Yun Che. (Way of Destruction #33, Blue Fire Crash Down.)" After placing his body on the ground, he fires a blue blast and obliterates his body on the spot. It is to prevent his body from being eaten by a demonic beast and destroy evidence that he was here. In the original story, it was his way of respecting him as a cultivator and as the one who controls Xiao Kuangyun.

[Ding…Congratulation on Spirit Profound Realm Cultivator]

Yun Che observed his experience bar at it was at 90%. Even though the 70% experience debuff was gone, the debuff experience bar was still there. The debuff experience bar was the original experience bar but was multiplied by 70 times the original amount. It is what he has been suffering for the past three months. It took him three months to level up until level 30. Just one more high-level kill, and he'll obtain enough experience to break through and restore the experience bar to the original amount. In other words, back to normal. Not that he minded, but it was terrible after killing two Spirit Profound Realm opponents and only getting the experience bar 90% full. He slowly smiles as Xiao Kuangyun's life is now at his mercy.

The hunter has become the hunted.

Then, he suddenly had an idea as his black eyes suddenly transitioned into his one tomoe Sharingan.

Xiao Kuangyun didn't know where he was going in the darkness of night. He was hoping to run as far away from Yun Che. If he ran into the forest, Yun Che would never find him. As for the latter, he found him after flash-step continuously after detecting his energy. Activating his Sharingan, the world around Xiao Kuangyun suddenly changed.

The darkness of night became darker as if he was running into a mist. Shadows of the forest were following him as he instantly changed from false brave into pure fear. He kept on running, but the darkness didn't end. The wind around him suddenly grew stronger and stronger, as if the mist had turned into a storm.

*growls

"Who is that?!? Show yourself!!!" Xiao Kuangyun shouted into the wind as the growling grew louder.

"You cannot hide." A sinister voice suddenly sounded from his back, and he slowly turned and fell towards his bottom in fear.

"I see you…" His face was covered in fear as a giant flaming red eye with a black vertical pupil stared at him. It was coming closer and closer. Xiao Kuangyun dragged his fear behind while peeing himself due to the sight of the giant eye.

"There is no life in the void." Xiao Kuangun screamed for his life as the eye spoke to him with a sinister voice, chasing him into the windy shadow.

"Ahhh!!!!!!" He screamed for who knows how long.

"Only death." The voice ended as Xiao Kuangyun was still screaming, and the windy world around him disappeared, and the red eye was gone. Once he raises his head, Yun Che's figure is right before him, still carrying his sword on his shoulder and having a cheeky grin. His red eyes reminded him of the giant red flaming eye that chased him just now. As for the latter, he merely adapted the Lord Of The Rings movie scene to scare him.

It works.

"Xiao Che, please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. I'll do anything you want. I'll be your slave, even your dog. Just please don't kill me." Xiao Kuangyun begs to him. When being cornered, the dog will do anything to escape. However, Yun Che didn't listen.

"Guess you can blame your stupidity for coming after me." Yun Che mocked.

"Xiao Che!! If you kill me, the Xiao Sect won't let you go. My father won't let you go!" Xiao Kuangyun roared, trying to use his sect to scare Yun Che—a desperate move despite being near death.

"Sigh, why do you all say the same thing? If I let you go, they will try to kill me. If I kill you, they will still kill me. So killing you might be fun." He slowly sighed as he ignored his pleas and charged his spells.

"No…no…no, please don't. I'll stay away from Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi. I'll even stay away from Xia Qingyue. Just please let me go." He begged again, and Yun Che ignored him before charging his lightning spell. One of the reasons he was going after Xiao Kuangyun was because of Xia Qingyue. Despite what happened, he felt terrible for his treatment towards her. She even stayed behind and played along with his little aunt and grandfather. Why on earth would she stay and face Xiao Kuangyun? Could it be she owes him for the gifts and decides to protect the original Yun Che's closest family?

He made a mental note to find out more about her stay and maybe form a plan to make it up to Xia Qingyue. Maybe that girl wasn't as bad as he thought she was.

"Sorry, all out of mercy." Yun Che shook his and focused on charging his lightning spell, and Xiao Kuangyun was too scared to move. Then, he felt it.

It was Spirit Pressure.

"This…Reaitsu?!" He widens his eyes as no one aside from him cultivates Spirit Energy, but this energy is genuine. Then, he heard something he didn't expect to hear since he came to this world.

"ROOOAARRR"

"What in the???" A massive creature suddenly appears behind Xiao Kuangyun, pushing down every tree on its path. The creature's body was massive, and the arms and legs were thick as a tree. The most obvious and shocking part was the creature wearing a white mask with large teeth without eyes. The last thing that shocked Yun Che was the hole at the centre of its chest.

"Hollows!?"