Chapter 12｜Black Market Dealings, Human Hunters Emerge

Night had completely swallowed the mountains and forests.

The wind had died down.

Even the chirping of insects grew intermittent, as if deliberately stifled by something.

Li Xing lay prone behind an earthen slope, his eyes fixed on the clearing ahead.

The hunting dog's corpse had been disposed of, but the feeling of being watched remained.

“Not just one person,”

Li Xing murmured.

The system interface slowly materialized:

“Hostile units detected.”

“Number: 3–5 individuals.”

“Threat Level: Human Hunters.”

Zhao Yun exhaled softly, the Desert Eagle pressed against his palm. “Finally decided to send someone out.”

Li Yu adjusted the buttstock of his Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, his voice steady. “They're flanking us.”

Black Market Hunters

The first footsteps came without snapping a twig.

The second set landed on loose soil but halted instantly.

These were trained men.

Three figures approached slowly from different directions, maintaining cover angles at all times.

They spoke not a word, made no hand signals—communicating solely through experience and shifting positions.

One carried an old rifle, muzzle perpetually lowered;

another wore a pistol holstered at the waist, a knife at his hip;

the third lurked in shadow, motionless as a specter.

“Veteran black market hunters,” Zhao Yun murmured. “Not amateurs.”

The First Shot

Li Xing held his fire.

He waited.

Waited for their true intent to reveal itself.

Sure enough—

The hunter on the left suddenly accelerated, his footsteps betraying his position. But it wasn't a charge; it was a forced maneuver.

Simultaneously, the grass on the right stirred slightly.

“Sniper position.”

Li Xing pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The hunting rifle's shot was short and crisp.

The dark figure on the right jerked backward, crashing into the bushes.

Not a kill.

Suppression.

A system prompt flashed:

“Tactical Hit: Suppression Successful.”

Desert Eagle, Breaking the Stalemate

The gunshot instantly tore open the stalemate.

Zhao Yun moved.

He didn't retreat; instead, he charged in the opposite direction.

The Desert Eagle rose, firing almost flush against his body.

Bang! Bang!

Two rapid shots erupted with fierce recoil in the night.

Close-range suppression forced the opponent to roll for cover.

The black market hunter cursed, “He's insane?!”

Zhao Yun smiled.

It wasn't him who was mad—it was them, still relying on old tactics against new strategies.

Li Yu's Line of Fire

“Center route sealed.”

Li Yu's voice was quiet yet crystal clear.

The Type 56 semi-automatic rifle roared.

Tap-tap-tap!

Not a burst.

Precision single shots.

Bullets skimmed the ground and tree trunks, pinning down every possible advance route.

One hunter was forced to drop, breathing visibly labored.

System prompt appeared:

“Team coordination activated.”

“Combat Mode: Triangular Suppression.”

The Black Market's Assessment

In less than a minute.

The Black Market hunters realized something was wrong.

These weren't ordinary mountain dwellers.

They weren't acting alone.

This was organized, coordinated firepower.

The hunter who had remained motionless in the shadows finally whistled softly.

Retreat.

No hesitation.

No stubborn defiance.

They came to verify;

Now, the answer was clear enough.

The Cost of Staying

Retreat didn't mean unscathed.

As the last hunter turned, Li Xing fired again.

Bang.

The bullet struck his calf.

He grunted, dragged away by his comrades.

The woods fell silent once more.

After the Battle

The three didn't pursue.

It was one of their father's rules:

Never pursue retreating foes, never cross into unknown forest lines.

Zhao Yun leaned against a tree, catching his breath. “This time, we're truly on the table.”

Li Yu checked the magazine. “They won't underestimate us again.”

Li Xing watched the data slowly update on the system interface, his voice low:

“Nor will they give us any breathing room.”

The system finally prompted:

“First human confrontation completed.”

“Black Market hostility level increased.”

“Next phase: Full-scale hunt.”

The night wind blew.

The mountains and forests were no longer just the world of prey.

And they, too, had officially stepped into—

The hunting ground between humans.