The forest did not forgive hesitation.
Wei Liang understood that now.
Not from theory.Not from observation.
From certainty.
They stood in a loose circle.
No one spoke immediately after his words.
"Then we hunt him."
It lingered in the air—heavy, almost absurd.
Because everyone here knew the truth.
They weren't hunters.
They were being hunted.
A branch cracked in the distance.
Every head turned.
Weapons shifted.
Breathing tightened.
Then—nothing.
Only silence again.
Fear.
It had already taken root.
Wei Liang observed them one by one.
Not their strength.
Their state.
One was gripping his weapon too tightly.Another kept glancing behind.One hadn't stopped trembling since the last body.
Unstable.
All of them.
Even Shen Jinhai.
He hid it better.
But Wei Liang could see the signs.
His stance was too rigid.
His attention too divided.
He wasn't just watching the forest.
He was watching everyone.
Good.
That meant he understood the danger.
"You speak easily," Shen Jinhai finally said.
His voice was calm—but not relaxed.
"Do you even know what you're facing?"
Wei Liang met his gaze.
"No," he said.
A pause.
Then:
"But I know what happens if we don't act."
Silence.
No one argued.
Because they all knew.
Another disappearance.Another throat cut in the dark.
And eventually—
Them.
Wei Liang stepped forward.
Not commanding.
Not leading.
Just moving.
"We don't chase him," he said.
A few frowned.
"We make him come to us."
Now they reacted.
"…How?" someone asked.
Wei Liang didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the ground.
Then the trees.
Then the spacing between them.
The forest wasn't random.
Nothing ever was.
"He moves silently," Wei Liang continued."Fast. Clean. No wasted motion."
He crouched slightly, pressing his fingers into the soil.
"He watches before he kills."
Shen Linyue tilted her head slightly.
"…Like you."
Wei Liang ignored that.
"So we give him something to watch."
Now—
They were listening.
"We act divided," Wei Liang said."Exposed. Weak."
"…We already are," someone muttered.
Wei Liang shook his head slightly.
"No. You're afraid."
A pause.
"That's different."
The words landed.
Hard.
Fear made people react.
Weakness made people predictable.
Wei Liang stood.
"We control the movement.We control the spacing.We control the moment."
"And when he attacks—"
Wei Liang's eyes sharpened slightly.
"—we don't let him leave."
Silence followed.
Long.
Heavy.
Then—
Shen Jinhai spoke.
"…And you think he'll take the bait?"
Wei Liang looked at him.
"He already has."
That ended the discussion.
Not because they trusted him.
But because they had no better option.
The plan was simple.
That made it dangerous.
They split.
Not far.
Never out of sight.
But enough to create gaps.
Enough to invite attack.
Wei Liang positioned himself near the edge again.
Same as before.
But this time—
It wasn't passive.
It was deliberate.
His breathing slowed.
His awareness spread outward.
Every sound.
Every shift.
Every disturbance.
The forest responded.
Time passed.
Nothing happened.
That was expected.
The hunter wouldn't rush.
He would watch.
Measure.
Choose.
Wei Liang didn't move.
But inside—
Everything was moving.
The fragments from the pagoda.
The combat patterns.
The flow of motion.
He wasn't waiting.
He was preparing.
Then—
It came.
A shift.
Too slight for most.
But not for him.
Left side.
Behind the second tree.
Low movement.
Wei Liang's eyes opened.
Not fully.
Just enough.
He didn't turn.
Didn't react.
Because that would ruin everything.
The target—
Was not him.
Not this time.
The attacker chose someone else.
A weaker one.
Isolated.
Predictable.
The shadow moved.
Fast.
Silent.
The blade—
Already descending.
And—
Wei Liang moved.
Not toward the attacker.
Toward the victim.
He stepped in—
Cutting the distance.
The moment—
Collapsed.
The blade—
Almost landed.
Almost.
Wei Liang struck.
Not the attacker.
The space between.
His hand deflected the angle.
Just enough.
The blade missed the throat.
Instead—
Cut shallow.
The victim stumbled.
Alive.
The shadow reacted instantly.
Changed direction.
Retreated.
Perfect.
As expected.
But—
Not this time.
Shen Jinhai moved.
Fast.
Intercepting.
Forcing the attacker back.
Shen Linyue appeared—
From the other side.
Cutting off escape.
The trap—
Closed.
The shadow stopped.
For the first time—
Still.
Surrounded.
Wei Liang stepped forward slowly.
Now—
He could see clearly.
Not just movement.
Form.
Breathing.
Control.
"…You're not part of the group," Wei Liang said.
The shadow didn't respond.
Of course not.
Then—
It moved again.
Desperation.
Faster.
Sharper.
But—
Too late.
Wei Liang's perception sharpened.
The fragment—
Activated.
Every motion—
Clear.
Every flaw—
Visible.
There.
He stepped forward.
Struck.
Precise.
The attacker staggered.
Shen Jinhai followed.
Heavy strike.
Impact.
The shadow fell.
Still.
This time—
Not getting up.
Silence.
Real silence.
The forest seemed to exhale.
Wei Liang stood still.
Breathing steady.
No excitement.
No relief.
Just—
Completion.
Shen Linyue looked at him.
Long.
"…You predicted it."
Wei Liang didn't answer.
Because—
He didn't predict.
He understood.
Shen Jinhai stepped closer.
Looking down at the body.
Then—
At Wei Liang.
"…You're dangerous."
Not accusation.
Recognition.
Wei Liang met his gaze.
Calm.
"Yes."
This time—
No one laughed.
Because now—
Everyone understood.
The hunt—
Had ended.
But something else—
Had begun.
Deep within—
The pagoda trembled.
The third floor—
Opened further.
And beyond it—
Something deeper stirred.
Wei Liang exhaled slowly.
"…Next."