pertwk Chapter 4 The Mentor in the Shadows, A Victory That Belongs to Himself
Chapter 4 The Mentor in the Shadows, A Victory That Belongs to Himself
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A cold, lonely, yet all-encompassing aura suddenly erupted from Cai'er's petite body!
The girl, who had been panicking, froze instantly. She slightly raised her head, and her clear eyes once again transformed into an unfathomable abyss of death.
Faced with three daggers thrusting at her, "Cai'er" did not retreat but advanced.
With an unbelievable, bizarre twist, she slid into an opponent's arms, the wooden dagger in her hand barely glancing at him before she precisely struck his carotid artery with a backhand.
Thump! A second-tier assassin instantly rolled his eyes back and fainted.
The situation completely reversed the moment Bai Ye took over the body.
There are no unnecessary movements, no fancy skills.
Bai Ye manipulated Cai'er's body, moving through the gaps in the attacks as if strolling leisurely.
Each swing of the wooden dagger would precisely strike the opponent's pressure points, joints, or nerve nodes.
A single, decisive strike, without any hesitation!
boom! boom! boom!
In just half a minute, the remaining nine assassins fell to the ground one after another, like harvested wheat, and lost their fighting ability.
Cai'er gently rotated her wrist, twirled the knife, and sheathed the wooden dagger at her waist without even pausing for breath.
On the high platform, Sheng Yue's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and her eyes burst forth with a light of wild joy.
"Great! Excellent! That's the absolute control over timing!"
Within the sea of her spirit, Cai'er looked at the fallen opponents outside and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Bai Ye," she murmured sincerely in her heart. If it weren't for Bai Ye, she would definitely have received a severe beating today.
"It's nothing. Watch carefully, learn well, this is the art of an assassin." Bai Ye replied with a light laugh, then relinquished control.
Cai'er regained control of her body, but before she could even relax her sore muscles, Sheng Yue's cold voice rang out from the high platform:
"Good performance. Rest for half an hour, then the second round begins."
Half an hour of rest time is pitifully short for a seven-year-old girl who has just experienced a life-or-death escape and engaged in a high-intensity combat exercise.
Cai'er leaned against the cold stone wall, panting heavily.
Although the wounds on my body have been healed, the soreness deep in my muscles and the mental exhaustion come in waves.
For the next two matches, I will no longer take over your body.
Just then, Bai Ye's gentle yet stern voice rang out in the sea of consciousness.
Cai'er suddenly opened her eyes, her heart filled with panic: "Why? Did I do something wrong just now? Or... has your power weakened again?"
"Neither," Bai Ye said softly, trying to soothe him. "The power of death is ultimately external. If you get used to being manipulated by me, you'll forever remain a puppet. You possess unparalleled talent; you need to learn to control the rhythm of your killings yourself. Don't be afraid; I will be your eyes, your brain, guiding you from the sidelines."
Hearing that Bai Ye wasn't going to abandon her, Cai'er's tense nerves relaxed a little.
She bit her pale lips and silently murmured an "Mmm" to herself.
Since he says he can do it, then he definitely can!
"Time's up. Second act, begin!"
On the high platform, Saint Moon's cold voice rang out precisely on time.
Ten more second-tier assassins, like ten black phantoms, pounced on Cai'er from different blind spots.
Without Bai Ye's direct control, Cai'er could only rely on her instincts to cope.
Faced with wooden daggers thrusting from all directions, she instinctively tried to create distance, taking a sudden, large step back.
[Wrong! Your dodge was too wide, leaving your lower body exposed and vulnerable to attack from your left rear!]
Bai Ye's voice exploded in my mind like a thunderclap.
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a man in black seized the opportunity when Cai'er retreated, and stabbed her left rib with a wooden dagger like a viper's tongue.
Cai'er was shocked and realized it was too late to defend herself.
Don't panic! Lower your shoulder, slide your left foot half an inch to the outside, and use the side of your dagger to brush against his blade!
Under the pressure of a life-or-death crisis, Cai'er's mind went blank, but her body instinctively reacted to Bai Ye's instructions.
Instead of blocking it head-on, she subtly lowered her shoulder and moved her left foot by an extremely small half-inch.
At that mere half-inch distance, the dagger, which was destined to hit, grazed past her clothes!
At the same time, she used the wooden dagger in her hand to press against the opponent's blade, using the force against him, and suddenly flicked it upwards.
"Bang!"
The man in black was wide open when Cai'er delivered a precise chop to his neck, and he collapsed with a muffled groan.
Cai'er's eyes lit up instantly.
He dodged it! And he countered so easily!
"Well done. Remember, a true assassin's movements are always the most concise. Any extra effort wastes energy, any less leaves an opening." Bai Ye didn't hold back his praise, his voice gentle as water. "Now, watch your right side. Three people are flanking you in a triangular formation. Don't retreat, move forward and attack the wrist of the one in the middle!"
With her first success, Cai'er's fear vanished.
She was like a dried-up sponge, frantically absorbing the combat techniques taught by Bai Ye.
If your breathing becomes erratic, adjust your rhythm. Don't let your killing intent show; hide it in your shadow.
Don't use your eyes to see, use your senses. Feel the movement of the air, feel the moment their muscles tense.
[Duck down! Stab him in the back of the knee with a backhand!]
Under Bai Ye's precise real-time guidance, Cai'er's originally chaotic steps gradually became rhythmic.
She no longer darted around like a frightened rabbit, but transformed into a true shadow.
Although I still occasionally get grazed by the wooden dagger due to slow reaction time, the situation has been completely reversed.
With her own strength, she was able to easily maneuver through the encirclement of ten people, and with each move, she inevitably took away the fighting power of one of her opponents.
When the second trial ended, Cai'er stood panting in the center of the arena, her black clothes soaked with sweat, but her eyes shone with an unprecedented brightness.
A hint of surprise flashed in Sheng Yue's eyes on the high platform, then she nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good, you adapted quickly. Take a short rest and prepare for the third match."
……
The third trial was even more difficult.
The ten assassins no longer fought individually, but formed a small killing formation.
But this time, Cai'er showed no fear whatsoever.
After the previous match, she and Bai Ye had developed a wonderful tacit understanding.
Bai Ye often only needs to say a single word or point out a direction for Cai'er to instantly understand his intention.
【Left. 】
Cai'er slid to the left like a ghost, just barely avoiding the two daggers that were thrusting at her from opposite sides.
[Break through the formation.]
Cai'er's eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, she advanced, like a sharp knife stabbing into the weakest point of the opponent's formation.
The wooden dagger in his hand transformed into two black lightning bolts, weaving through the crowd.
Without Bai Ye's substitute, Cai'er's movements may have lost some of the godlike absolute dominance, but they gained a touch of agility and ruthlessness that belong to her age.
She learned to utilize the terrain and to achieve the greatest results with the least cost.
When the last assassin was held to the throat by her dagger, the entire underground training ground fell silent.
"Slap, slap, slap..."
On the high platform, the usually strict Saint Moon surprisingly clapped.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Saint Moon looked down at Cai'er, his old face filled with fervent satisfaction. "This is what a Saintess of Reincarnation should be like! Cai'er, you have not disappointed your great-grandfather. Your talent will surely lead the Assassin's Temple to unprecedented glory!"
Hearing her great-grandfather's praise, Cai'er slowly put down the wooden dagger in her hand.
Her face remained expressionless, still cold and aloof.
Because she knew very well that what her great-grandfather praised was only her value as a "weapon".
But in the sea of the spirit, the cold girl revealed an extremely rare, even somewhat joyful, smile.
"Bai Ye, I did it! I really beat them all on my own!" Cai'er shouted in her heart, her tone full of pride and a desire for praise.
"I saw it." Bai Ye's gentle laughter echoed in my mind, filled with undisguised admiration. "You did a great job, Cai'er. You were born for the shadows; you're even more outstanding than I imagined."
Hearing Bai Ye's gentle praise, Cai'er felt a slight stinging sensation in her nose, and a warm current instantly flowed through her entire body.
Today, she not only tasted food again, but also experienced for the first time the feeling of being patiently taught and genuinely recognized. And all of this was given to her by this boy who called himself Death.
"Thank you, White Night."
Cai'er silently recited it in her heart. The coldness in her eyes, which were originally full of vigilance, had quietly faded away and been replaced by a deep reliance and trust.
In this cold and cruel family, in this world of only killing and suffering, the god who lived in her mind became her only light.