A pair of flying dragons swooped past the treetops, their wake turbulence palpable even in the hollows. These massive flying creatures held absolute dominion over the swamps nocturnal hours, including every warm-blooded animal in their food chain - even the buffalo-like behemoths that rivaled them in size.

  A whiff of something similar to a lizards scent wafted through the air, making the hunter feel repulsed. He didnt care about any connection between the two creatures, he just found it disgusting. If not for these nocturnal creatures that forced him to wait in the tree hole with his prey until dawn, he could have made his prey collapse from exhaustion within a day and night. If not for those stenches that almost numbed his sense of smell, he wouldnt have been delayed by that nearly successful trick, and he wouldnt be here watching the distant firelight in confusion.

  Whats the point of lighting a bonfire? To eat and replenish energy? Do you know Ive already seen through your trick? Or is this another one of your tricks?

  Are you provoking me? The hunter thought furiously. Are you telling me: youre right there, come on over and let me rip your heart out?

  But the hunter immediately warned himself not to lose his calm. In the face of such a cunning prey, losing calmness would only lead him into a trap. Without a doubt, this was absolutely a trap, or just a follow-up to that trap from daytime.

  The river is not far away, and tomorrow morning we will use all our strength to chase after it, and then end this hunt with a very comfortable method. The hunter let out an excited snort, grasped the powerful weapon in his hand tightly. The brain pulp and blood on it had formed a thin shell, which had become a part of the weapon.

  Mustnt get too excited, mustnt get too excited, stay calm, stay calm. The hunter warned himself again. Tomorrow, everything he saw had to be carefully observed and considered, couldnt be fooled by any illusions anymore. Remember to beware of illusions, beware of illusions.

  Do you think I can be easily fooled? Are you still proud of that head of yours which is about to be twisted off and savored slowly by me?

  The hunter cheered up for his calm idea and let out a loud snort.

  The blade sliced through the skin, tearing muscle and severing the trachea before cutting through the artery. The muscle tore, the skin ripped open, and from the other side of her neck, it emerged with a clear, distinct feeling that vibrated from his fingertips to his wrist to his elbow to his arm and finally directly into his heart. The layered sensation was as vivid as a beautiful poem. Then the bright red blood flowed out enthusiastically and joyfully from the womans body, allowing Asa to savor every drop.

  A few strands of black hair clung to her thin lips, which were pursed into a slightly awkward arc. Her drooping eyes narrowed, and the long eyelashes contained a vague smile. It wasnt until I got closer that I realized she was truly an extremely beautiful woman.

  Asa suddenly felt very scared. Afraid of the tenderness contained in those narrowed eyes, the thin lips pursed with stubbornness. The woman still had that expression, but Asa was completely trapped in the fear formed by this sudden discovery of gentle beauty.

  Then he found that what was cut earlier was not only the womans throat, but also his own. He stroked the wound on his neck, and in his chest, the clear and distinct feeling of cutting open this mouth lingered, wanting to use this feeling to fill the wound, but unable to do so, Asa let out a painful moan.

  Looking at the womans beautiful and gentle face and the tragic wound on her neck, he felt his own wound with his hand. Sorrow, grief, fear, and pain surrounded Asa tightly like the darkness around him, and Asa suddenly woke up.

  The white belly of the fish is already floating in the east, and the cry of the double-footed flying dragon is gradually going away. These creatures are circling back to their nests deep in the marsh from the edge of the swamp. The hunters position is closer to the depths of the marsh, so this can give Asa an earlier departure advantage.

  However, Asa didnt show much interest in this precious time, but instead squatted beside the dying bonfire, staring blankly at the woman as she crushed water mint and insect-repelling chrysanthemum with stones and applied them to her clothes and skin. Until now, the feeling left by the nightmare still lingered in his mind, like a sticky nose that couldnt be shaken off, and his brain was still muddled. Fortunately, he could also truly feel that his physical strength had almost fully recovered.

  The woman, however, seemed to have slept well. After finishing her makeup, she quickly started packing things up while chatting with him: "You had a terrible nightmare last night and woke me up. I was going to wake you up."

  Asa gazed blankly at the womans calm and radiant face. Those beautiful, hazy eyes, straight nose bridge, thin lips, and slender white neck faintly visible in her clothes. Asa suddenly had an illusion that there was a tragic bleeding going on somewhere, and she shuddered violently.

  The lady had already packed her bags and bid him farewell: "Goodbye, if you have the chance in the future, come find me at Duke Muraqs mansion in Wangdu." She bloomed into a smile that was so gentle it seemed to infect the morning mist. "My name is Xiaoyi."

  No chance left. Its either you die or I perish. Asa didnt dare to face this smile at all, staring at the ground and grunting in a low voice.

  After watching the womans back disappear into the morning fog, Asa started running along the direction of the river.

  He didnt jump into the river to hide his scent, nor did he mind leaving footprints in the soft mud that even a mouse with poor eyesight could see. He also didnt run very fast, this speed was able to use his strength most efficiently. He knew clearly that what kind of disguise would be futile under the hunters gaze, and such obvious tracks would only confuse him.

  Of course, the hunter still has a chance to follow this real footprint, but after passing through the last trap, he must have had concerns, and this possibility should be relatively small. Asa suddenly found himself looking forward to hearing the hunters footsteps behind him.

  But being bewildered is useless. This is indeed the most effective way, once the pursuer has spent his physical strength and time on chasing women, the possibility of escaping himself is very high. Even if he kills the woman and re-tracks himself, with his physical strength at an advantage, the possibility of winning increases. Asa shook her head, putting all her energy into running step by step.

  However, after running for less than half an hour, he saw a wide river in front of him. He had a feeling of being unable to cry or laugh. Everyones estimate, including the hunters, was wrong. Probably due to the rainy season, the river water flowed from the low-lying swamp and directly crossed the marshland.

  Just then, a faint cry for help came from deep within the marsh.

  After traveling such a long distance, the sound had become very weak, but it was like a huge iron hammer striking Asas heart. The scene from last nights dream suddenly appeared before his eyes, and the wound on the womans throat was extremely clear. He stood frozen in place, unable to move.