Crossing Over: The Strongest Mage

After the bloodshed, everything seemed to fall silent. Yan Huo even felt the blood on his body still warm. Perhaps it was because he had suppressed himself for so long—his hatred for his father, his guilt towards Xiu Ning, his longing for family... From the moment he was born, kindness had given him little in return, and now even the one thing he cherished, the embroidery box, was destroyed. The release of these emotions caused Yan Huo to lose his rationality. But once he regained some clarity, he was left feeling lost. His first kill, and so many of them—he couldn't accept the reality of what had just happened. Yan Huo looked at the blood covering him and asked himself, "Is this really me? Why have I become like this?" And then, he cried.

"Is this your first time killing someone? Do you think killing is a cruel thing?" The leader in white, coughing up blood, laughed mockingly. "Ha! What a joke! This world is a world where the strong survive. Today, it's either you kill us, or we kill you. As a strong person, if you had decided to kill us from the start, you wouldn't have lost what you loved, and you could have saved that person. But now, you've not only lost what you loved, you can't save him either, because he's as good as dead, just like me."

The leader in white's words left Yan Huo in silence.

"In my heart, my father's image has always represented strength. I never dared to ask him why he treated me the way he did, or to question him. I didn't dare to seek the answers I wanted because my father's powerful image always stood in front of me. I always hoped that he would care about me. I was always running away. If I hadn't been running away, I would never have thought about faking my death. Xiu Ning wouldn't have sought death for me. Before Xiu Ning died, I already had the strength to know the truth. Why did I choose to run away?" Thinking of Xiu Ning, Yan Huo couldn't help but burst into tears again.

However, he now understood one thing—anything can be fought for, as long as you have the strength. The knowledge from books could never compare to personal experience. Yan Huo had been like a blank sheet of paper, shaped by what was written on him. The words of the leader in white had completely changed his view of things.

"I finally understand why I've never been able to get what I wanted. From now on, this will never happen again. I will never allow the things or people I love to slip away from me. And the things I want to know, I will never run from again. If anyone dares to stop me, their fate will be the same as yours."

Yan Huo wiped away his tears, speaking with unwavering determination.

"Haha! Yes! Yes! That's it! That's it!" The leader in white seemed to be satisfied. Even in death, he was pleased with the fact that he had, in a way, "trained" his opponent. At least he was sure that after this, the powerful opponent before him would never be a righteous person. He laughed grimly. "I understand one thing now. I should've had my subordinates hold you back and escaped myself. Then I wouldn't have died at the hands of a monster like you."

"Hmph! You couldn't have escaped," Yan Huo's tone was now much more serious, his mind focused.

"Why not? Though you're fast, my ten subordinates are no slouches. They could've easily held you back for a while."

"My weapon ensures that you cannot escape. Do you know what my weapon is?"

"I don't know, but since I'm about to die, I guess I'll know soon enough."

"It's a needle!"

"Haha! A needle!" The leader in white chuckled, but when he saw the "Thousand Bee Needles" shoot out from Yan Huo's body and spread rapidly through the air, his smile froze. He quickly turned serious and said, "So, you really are just like those four old monsters. You're not human."

"This time, I admit my defeat willingly," the leader in white said. Yan Huo, still confused by his words, asked, "Who are those four old monsters? Are they cultivators like me?"

"You will find out... later... because... they won't spare you or..." The leader in white trailed off, his words hanging in the air. He didn't finish his sentence, for the truth was that the dead couldn't speak anymore.

As Yan Huo appeared on the official road, carrying the weak King Mang on his back, he saw a large group of riders approaching rapidly from the city gate. At the front of the group were Yang Lue and Liu De.

Yang Lue and Liu De had been chasing another person but had failed to catch them, and in their haste, Liu De had summoned a group from the Fengyuan Escort Agency to search the city. Still, their efforts were fruitless. Yang Lue was worried that the person they were chasing might have turned back to ambush them, so he rushed back to the manor.

Zhang Cheng, who had been anxiously waiting outside the manor gates, immediately reported what had happened—how Yan Huo had leaped into the fray and pursued the enemy. Yang Lue scolded him loudly. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Yang Lue would never have believed Zhang Cheng's story. Yang Lue believed it was Zhang Cheng's failure to guard properly that led to Yan Huo's capture. Fearing Yang Lue's anger, Zhang Cheng likely made up this falsehood to cover himself.

In his fury, Yang Lue ordered for Zhang Cheng to be bound. He then commanded everyone in the manor to search for Yan Huo. Simultaneously, he sent word to Liu De, who was leading a search party in the city, to come out of the city and search with him. Since the men from the Fengyuan Escort Agency were all skilled martial artists, Yang Lue wasn't afraid even if they encountered a large number of enemies. Liu De understood the gravity of the situation and quickly agreed to join Yang Lue. He knew that if something happened to Yan Huo, their friendship would be over, and he couldn't afford to let that happen.

When they arrived at the city gates, they found that the guards were on high alert, unlike usual. Upon inquiry, they learned that two men had jumped over the city walls, and the guards were not allowed to pursue them outside the city. In response, the city gate defenses had been reinforced to prevent any further "thieves" from escaping.

This confirmed Zhang Cheng's story somewhat, and Yang Lue felt slightly reassured. However, he still couldn't understand how Yan Huo could have martial arts skills. Even if Yan Huo did, how strong could he be, given his age? Yang Lue remained worried that Yan Huo's pursuit would end badly.

The city gates were already closed to prevent anyone from leaving, but Liu De's influence in Yan City was considerable, and the guards had no choice but to open the gates for them, allowing more than a hundred people to pass. According to the guards, Yan Huo had entered a forest beside the official road. Yang Lue and the others rushed to the edge of the forest, ready to enter, when they saw Yan Huo coming out from the left side of the forest, carrying someone on his back.

Though both Yan Huo and King Mang were covered in blood, making it difficult to recognize them, Yang Lue immediately recognized the mask Yan Huo was wearing. So, even though he was still some distance away, his voice reached Yan Huo first.

"Yan Brother!"

"Yan Brother, you're hurt? Why are you covered in blood?" Yang Lue, in a panic, rushed forward, pushing past everyone, and immediately reached Yan Huo, asking him urgently.

"Yang Brother! I'm fine. I have no injuries. All this blood is from someone else."

"Someone else!? Who?" Yang Lue noticed that there was still a blood-soaked person on Yan Huo's back.

"Who is this person!?" Yang Lue asked, bewildered.

"Yang Brother!" Liu De and the others quickly arrived at the scene. Upon seeing Yan Huo's appearance, Liu De was also startled.