Never Abandon a Merciful Heart

Although Huo Yuhao's casual instant kill of a Wind Baboon greatly provoked the group, the ease with which he had done it also filled them with fear.

In truth, for Huo Yuhao, let alone a Ten-Year Soul Beast, even a genuine Hundred-Year Soul Beast would not be much harder to kill than an ordinary wild animal if it had no chance to use its skills.

After all, without the ability to unleash those bizarre Soul Skills, the physical abilities of Ten-Year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts were, at best, only somewhat stronger than those of ordinary beasts. Their strength and speed might surge, and their skin might be exceptionally tough, but weak points were still weak points. They could never compare to Hundred Refined Steel. The Wind Baboon Huo Yuhao had just shot through the eye and shredded the brain with a shuriken was the finest proof.

Huo Yuhao stared intently at the Wind Baboon leader on the branch. His Spirit Eye Martial Soul activated, and the faint ripple of Mental Power, coupled with his life-disregarding eyes, was like a frigid Cold Spring. It greatly intimidated the Wind Baboon leader, leaving it temporarily afraid to make any rash move.

Even so, the Wind Baboons showed no intention of retreating. Huo Yuhao and the troop remained locked in a standoff.

What was going on?

A trace of confusion flashed through Huo Yuhao's mind. He absolutely could not retreat. The moment he did, these Wind Baboons would surely attack. Even the strongest Wind Baboon could not control the instinctive behavior of the troop. But why was this strongest Wind Baboon not retreating?

Facing the troop, Huo Yuhao backed away several steps until he reached the corpse of the Wind Baboon pierced by his shuriken. He began tormenting the corpse over and over. In the jungle, where the strong devoured the weak, only the bloodiest, most direct, and most savage methods could make these creatures—who possessed thought, though precious little of it—feel fear.

Sure enough, once Huo Yuhao began ravaging the Wind Baboon's corpse, the Wind Baboons in the treetops clearly felt immense pressure. Many became restless and unconsciously looked toward the strongest Wind Baboon. The ferocity in that strongest Wind Baboon's eyes seemed to have dimmed considerably. After it let out a long string of low cries, the dark shapes among the branches began withdrawing into the distance one after another.

So that was it.

Understanding flashed through Huo Yuhao's heart, followed by a measure of fear. This Wind Baboon leader was far too intelligent.

The confrontation between Huo Yuhao and the Wind Baboons had fallen into a delicate balance from the moment he killed the first Wind Baboon with thunderous force. Huo Yuhao was alone and unsupported. The Wind Baboons might not have been powerful, but they could still use Soul Skills. If those attacks struck Huo Yuhao's small body, he would either die or suffer grievous injuries—let alone with so many of them present.

Though the Wind Baboons had strength in numbers, they had also grown afraid after witnessing Huo Yuhao's ruthless methods. However, after Huo Yuhao made no further move, they began observing whether he truly possessed the strength for only a single strike.

Naturally, the most intelligent member of the troop was the Wind Baboon with the most robust build. Though it had realized that this hairless monkey before it was not the Soul Beast they had initially guarded against, but rather a being called a Soul Master—more dangerous and more brutal than a Soul Beast—it still could not rashly order its subordinates to retreat based on that alone.

Doing so would damage its authority, especially when several young, vigorous Wind Baboons of the new generation existed within the troop.

Although Huo Yuhao's brutal torment of the Wind Baboon's corpse brought immense pressure and fear to the entire troop, it also gave the Wind Baboon leader an opportunity to retreat. That was why, after Huo Yuhao made such a savage display, the Wind Baboons did not furiously swarm him. Instead, they receded like a tide.

In many ways, humans and Soul Beasts shared common traits. Especially when it came to the fear of death, their reactions were highly alike. Instinctive responses did not lie.

Only after seeing the Wind Baboons scatter and flee did Huo Yuhao let out a long breath. He put the remaining shurikens in his Left Hand back into the Storage Soul Guidance Device. Sweat had already seeped from his palm. Before he had even entered the Star Dou Great Forest, he had encountered a crisis. Huo Yuhao took another deep breath before lowering his gaze to the badly mangled Wind Baboon corpse at his feet.

Looking at its shattered, bloodstained body, Huo Yuhao slightly lowered his head. His Right Hand held a blade while his left formed a Buddha-Salutation Gesture. He silently offered an apology. This was not hypocrisy or affectation. It came from gratitude. It was precisely because he had used this Wind Baboon's body to display his cruelty and brutality to the other Wind Baboons that he had frightened the rest away. By both reason and sentiment, Huo Yuhao ought to be grateful.

Taking a steel shovel from the Storage Soul Guidance Device, Huo Yuhao quickly dug out a pit. He placed the Wind Baboon's incomplete corpse inside with both hands, then took out some fruit and two Grilled Fish from the Storage Soul Guidance Device and laid them inside as burial offerings. Only then did he lift the excavated earth with the shovel, intending to fill the pit back in.

Most people would find Huo Yuhao's behavior quite difficult to understand, but to him, it was perfectly natural.

Even though ninja were fated to kill, they could never abandon the last shred of mercy in their hearts. This was a ninja's precept, one that must always be remembered.

At least to Huo Yuhao, this Wind Baboon had helped him. Though having its corpse ravaged was certainly not something the Wind Baboon would have willingly accepted, Huo Yuhao had indeed used its body to resolve a troublesome situation. Therefore, he should feel gratitude toward the corpse. In truth, this was much like an old craftsman feeling grateful toward the tools that had accompanied him throughout his life, despite their eternal coldness. It was an emotional attachment.

"That's right, this old man can smell that scent again! I told you, following this old man's nose can't go wrong!"

An aged yet clearly excited voice, filled with vigor, sounded beside Huo Yuhao's ear. In the next moment, two people emerged from the dense forest one after the other. The old man was lean but not withered, with long Dark Green hair that was slightly sparse atop his head. His eyes gleamed brightly.

The young man following behind appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen. He was tall, with reddish-brown hair that shone like gemstones beneath the sunlight. Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his features were firm and sharply defined. Not only was he exceptionally handsome, but his skin was as lustrous and pale as jade. Huo Yuhao could not help but smile wryly after one glance.

This young man looked exactly like the male protagonist who had stepped out of one of those illustrated storybooks—handsome and tall, imposing and dignified, every stride as commanding as a dragon or tiger. It was as though the words "favored son of heaven" had been carved across his face.

Don't stockpile the new book, everyone. Follow-up reading is extremely important. Please recommend it and invest in it.