Chapter 1297: Clash of Blades
There could be no mistake; this man carried his sister's aura.
Ji Shanqing stood frozen in place, his gaze fixed on the unexpected guest in front of him, feeling a mixture of confusion and a desire to cry. It had only been a short while since he parted with his sister, yet he felt like he was running a continuous low-grade fever, his mind clouded. Just as he sensed the aura of his sister from this man, he almost wanted to approach and take a deep breath, allowing that presence to penetrate his being—but at the same time, an overwhelming sense of repulsion surged within him.
"Who are you?" He managed to suppress the trembling in his voice, "What's your name?"
The newcomer was quite courteous, never showing any intention of launching a surprise attack while Ji Shanqing was off guard—perhaps he was overly confident in his abilities.
"Silvan," he replied, his tone even somewhat cheerful, as if there were no significant events happening. His shoulder-length golden hair hadn't been trimmed for a while and casually hung behind his head, with strands of flowing gold scattered messily around his ears. If one looked closely, they could see a hint of weariness beneath his faint green eyes and the just-grown stubble—as if this man had traveled a long distance just to appear before Ji Shanqing, demonstrating his firm resolve to oppose this world.
Silvan rubbed his neck and casually scanned the courtyard. He appeared at ease, and to an uninformed observer, it might seem like two friends chatting casually. "Are you the owner of this house?"
Ji Shanqing thought of the nameplate at the entrance. "Yes, I'm Lin Shanqing," he whispered. "Why did you come here? Unlike others, you actively sought this place out, right?"
Raising an eyebrow, Silvan's emerald-green eyes sparkled with surprise, resembling rays of morning sunlight shining through a forest. Fortunately, Ji Shanqing didn't have a gender; otherwise, anyone might find it challenging to maintain a composed facade when faced with this man. "How did you know?" Silvan asked with keen interest. "Is it your ability?"
Saying that Ji Shanqing sensed the aura of his sister might not be entirely accurate. In fact, he owed thanks to Bohemia for this discovery. If it weren't for her memories, he wouldn't have found those two intriguing posthuman brothers and traced one of their whereabouts, analyzing the data of that hairy man. Perhaps, only through their encounter could Ji Shanqing sense the ripples of connection between this man and his sister, intersecting in the vast river of fate.
Thinking this way, maybe seeing this person was a good thing. Ji Shanqing couldn't help but smile faintly.
At this moment, his sister was completely isolated from the outside world. Before she regained consciousness and emerged from the water tank, this was a perfect opportunity for him to sever the connection between this man and his sister.
"You're not alone," he said, not answering Silvan's question. "Mr. Ito was tripped up by your companion, right? Why don't I hear their voices?"
Silvan sighed; even though it was light, it still gave the illusion of feeling the warmth in his breath.
"I have to go in," he said calmly and gently. "I mean no harm to you. Once I find the person I'm looking for, if you're still alive, I'll return your house to you."
The fighting capabilities of the grand prize's body were inadequate, while Silvan's strength appeared particularly formidable. Before Ji Shanqing's words could even fall, he preemptively stepped aside, quickly avoiding a few steps to the side, raising both hands toward Silvan; this move was almost foolproof, yet just at this moment, before his fingers could touch and form the shape of a frame, Silvan's shadow suddenly closed in, and his arm reached out, firmly grabbing Ji Shanqing's wrist.
Ji Shanqing hadn't even had time to react before he was seized.
"It might hurt a bit." Silvan smiled, like sunlight falling on white snow, and gently took a breath. "I'm sorry."
As his hand swept downwards, there was a crisp sound, and Ji Shanqing's forearm was broken in half; excruciating pain instantly stabbed into his mind.
The opponent's strength could hardly be described as powerful—it was as if an ordinary person suddenly encountered an entirely new physical law. Ji Shanqing had almost no resistance to bow down and comply. In the blink of an eye, he was pulled forward, bending over at the waist. Just as his heart pounded in his chest, a heavy, fierce force struck his back. His spine couldn't withstand such strength, and it broke like a string of beads, shattering one segment after another. He fell heavily to the ground.
However, the moment Ji Shanqing fell, Silvan seemed to hear an alarm and instantly leaped backward. Unlike many others with formidable skills, when others exerted their strength to jump or engage in combat, they were simply doing that—exerting strength to jump or engage in combat. But when Silvan acted, it always seemed like everything around him was deferentially accommodating him. When he leaped, the air carried him; when he dodged, the world moved aside to make room for him.
"Your skills aren't enough to take over this house," Silvan said and stood up straight, finally exhaling that breath. His breath and expression remained as calm as if he had never moved. "Your killing spree belongs somewhere else."
The pain wasn't much compared to the days of suffering he had endured in endless darkness; physical pain felt lively and full of vitality. Ji Shanqing moved his broken arm over and placed it on the ground. As he used it to support himself and slowly climbed back up, the fractured bones in his body gradually healed and reconnected. Silvan just raised an eyebrow slightly, showing only a mild surprise.
"You mentioned... you're looking for someone? Who?" Ji Shanqing asked softly, raising his head. The connection between this guy and his sister seemed much deeper than he had imagined. When the two were too close, he would even feel disoriented due to the aura on his body related to his sister. Moreover, the opponent's skills and speed were extremely swift, making it as difficult as putting one's hand into molten lava to find an opportunity to act against him.
Silvan paused and replied, "An old acquaintance."
'Then I definitely won't let you find her.'
"I'm no match for you. I can hand this villa over to you." Ji Shanqing wiped his mouth with his sleeve and smiled. "Alright, you can go inside."
Silvan remained rooted in place.
"What's wrong? You're so much stronger than me. Are you afraid of me attacking you from behind?" Ji Shanqing tilted his head and smiled, snapping his fingers; the villa's main door opened, sliding open a crack. "Don't you need this villa?"
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