klisemfg Chapter 698 Long-haired Woman
Chapter 698 Long-haired Woman
Zhang Hai looked at the long-haired woman before him, a hint of seriousness in his eyes. He knew he might be in trouble. Instead of attacking immediately, he asked in a low voice, "Are you an Ice Release ninja?"
The long-haired woman remained silent, only staring coldly at Zhang Hai, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She swung her arm again, and dozens of thin needles, imbued with icy chakra, whistled towards Zhang Hai.
Zhang Hai dodged the attack with a swift movement. He noticed that as the needles flew, the surrounding air temperature plummeted, even condensing into tiny ice crystals. This further confirmed his suspicion that the woman was indeed a user of Ice Release.
"Bloodline Limit Ice Release, such a powerful ninjutsu is extremely rare in the Land of Water." Zhang Hai spoke again, trying to extract information from the woman. "Are you Haku's comrade, or a member of his family?"
Upon hearing the name "Bai," the woman's body stiffened abruptly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She didn't answer Zhang Hai's question, but merely snorted coldly, the fine needles in her hand once again condensing into even more powerful Ice Release chakra.
Seeing the woman's reaction to the name "Bai," Zhang Hai was already somewhat certain. He knew this woman must be connected to Bai in some way. But he didn't have time to dwell on this; he had a more important task to complete.
"Since you're unwilling to talk, then forget it," Zhang Hai said calmly, then vanished from the woman's sight in a flash. He didn't choose to fight her, because he knew that wasting time here would only delay his mission.
The long-haired woman stared in the direction Zhang Hai had disappeared, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. She didn't understand why Zhang Hai had suddenly left, nor did she continue to pursue him.
In fact, earlier, when Zhang Hai cast the illusion on the young man, he had already subtly released a deeper, more complex illusion, planting the seeds of illusion in the consciousness of the surrounding villagers. This illusion did not directly control their actions, but rather subtly altered their emotions and perceptions, causing them to develop aversion and hostility towards certain individuals.
When the long-haired woman returned to the village, she found the atmosphere strangely eerie. The villagers, who were usually so kind, now looked at her with disgust and hostility.
"That devil is back!"
"She will bring us disaster!"
"Get out! You're not welcome in our village!"
A cacophony of curses rose and fell, and the villagers avoided her as if she were a plague.
The long-haired woman was taken aback. She didn't understand why the villagers suddenly harbored such hostility towards her. Although she was usually aloof, she had never done anything to harm the villagers.
Just then, the young man who had been illusionized by Zhang Hai suddenly picked up the kitchen knife in his hand and threw it at the long-haired woman!
"You devil! Get out of the village!" the man shouted hoarsely, his eyes filled with hatred.
The long-haired woman easily dodged the cleaver, but her heart was filled with shock and pain. She couldn't understand why even the man who was usually quite friendly to her would harbor such strong hostility towards her.
However, her shock was not over yet. As if provoked by something, the surrounding villagers suddenly swarmed forward, raising their hoes, sticks, sickles, and other weapons, and attacked the long-haired woman fiercely!
"Kill her!"
"Drive her out of the village!"
"She's a bad omen!"
The villagers, their eyes burning with fervor, as if controlled by some unseen force, launched a frenzied attack on the long-haired woman.
The long-haired woman looked at the scene before her, her heart filled with despair. She couldn't understand why she had suddenly been scorned and attacked by all the villagers. Although the fine needles in her hand could attack enemies, she couldn't bring herself to harm these innocent villagers.
Just as she was about to be overwhelmed by the villagers, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique!"
Zhang Hai's voice rang out in the air. He quickly formed hand seals and spat out dozens of fireballs, which shot towards the villagers who were besieging the long-haired woman like meteors.
The incendiary bomb exploded in front of the villagers, creating a scorching shockwave that forced them back. Startled by the sudden flames, the villagers stopped attacking, their eyes filled with fear.
Zhang Hai appeared before the long-haired woman, wearing a mask, his cold gaze sweeping over the surrounding villagers. He knew that the villagers were behaving this way because of the illusion he had cast earlier.
He did this for two reasons: first, to stop the long-haired woman from further obstructing his journey; and second, to observe her, to see who she was and why she had provoked such a strong reaction from the villagers. Now, he had had enough of this drama.
"Stop it, all of you!" Zhang Hai's voice carried a hint of authority, intimidating the villagers who were besieging him.
The villagers were terrified by Zhang Hai's sudden burst of flames and authoritative voice, and they all stopped their attack, their eyes filled with astonishment and fear. They couldn't understand why this stranger who had suddenly appeared would help the "devil."
The long-haired woman stared at the masked man before her, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She couldn't understand why this man had suddenly saved her. Her heart was now ashen, devoid of any will to live. Being scorned and attacked by the entire village filled her with an unprecedented sense of despair.
Zhang Hai ignored the villagers' reactions and turned to look at the long-haired woman. Her face was stained with mud and blood, and her eyes were empty and filled with despair.
"What's your name?" Zhang Hai asked in a deep voice.
The long-haired woman did not answer, but just stared at him blankly.
Zhang Hai knew that the woman was now utterly heartbroken. He had no time to waste here; he had a more important task to complete.
"Are you willing to come with me?" Zhang Hai suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, a faint glint flashed in the long-haired woman's eyes. She looked at Zhang Hai with a hint of doubt and confusion in her gaze.
“Follow me, and you can escape this kind of life,” Zhang Hai continued. “I can give you strength, and I can give you a reason to exist.”
The long-haired woman was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. She had no choice, nor any reason to refuse. At this moment, she had nothing left, and being with anyone would be better than her current hopeless life.
Seeing the woman nod in agreement, Zhang Hai breathed a sigh of relief. He bent down and gently lifted her up. Her body was very light, as if it had no weight at all.