Chapter 202: Cut Scene of The Two Boys Meeting

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Han Jing stepped back into the street that he had gone through but still found the world around him remained the same. It was still empty. He could only hear the silence and that defeaned him more than his own ear bleeding earlier.

But whatever had howled earlier didn't make any sound anymore.

And yet he was calm. Instead of panicking at all or doing something else—he stood in his spot and scratched the back of his head. Han Jing was pretty sure that he wasn't supposed to be here. "What had happened?" He asked.

An electrifying sensation pricked the back of his neck and he jerked away from his spot—in time to see a pink-haired figure land on the place where he had been. The concrete road was cracked, fractures in the ground like mirrors.

[ Skill - Instinctual Dodge Used ]

[ Skill - Basic Agility Active ]

[ Skill - Basic Endurance Active ]

[ Skill - Basic Reflexes Active ]

"And who are you?" Mou Gu... Mou Gu stood up and glanced at him with a glare. He had a wooden staff in his hand that was directed at him. "What did you do to my friend, shape shifter? Face eater?"

In a moment's time—the weapon was lodged against his throat.

Even his own reflexes didn't match with their speed.

Han Jing scrunched up his face, the atmosphere changed now that this guy was here, the weapon in their hand would obviously hurt if he got hit—and his mind was reeling but calm at the same time. Another ding sounded in his ear, but he focused on the man in front of him. "I am Han Jing, idiot." Was his earlier assumption right then? "Are you supposed to be some Wizard or Witch? A Magical Boy?"

The pink-haired man's green eyes were still narrowed at him, he didn't let his guard down. Their grip on the wooden staff on their hand tightened, knuckles popping. "You look like him, you even talk like him—but he wouldn't be in a place like this."

"And where exactly are we?"

Mou Gu weapon didn't lower at all, he poked it at his throat. "You know where we are."

"I don't." Han Jing remained eye contact with the person in front of them. "Actually, who's to say that you're even actually Mou Gu? The guy I know is someone who works as a cook in his diner instead of this staff wielding one."

"Don't change the conversation, I know who I am, but I don't know who you are."

"Then how the hell did you conclude that it isn't me?" Han Jing knew he was stuck in a hard spot. But this wasn't the time for him to be debating about his identity. "I know you're probably going to crack my head open like a coconut, but I assure you—that I'm the no-good former classmate that you had in university."

Mou Gu frowned at him, "If you are him, then how do you explain the energy that I sensed from earlier? It was abnormal, even for strong cultivators, or even regular qi that's in this place. You're not human."

"Energy?" Han Jing blinked. "What energy?"

"Don't play dumb with me—it was an irregular source that flashed one moment and disappeared the next. And you are the only one in this area. What are you?"

He thought he could talk his way out of here, but that was idiotic. If someone was thoroughly convinced that they weren't who they were, then it wouldn't do him any good to try and change their mind. But he was still clueless as heck—

Wait.

Peach had mentioned about big frogs, and this was what they were referring to right? It made sense. But who would have thought that his old classmate was someone involved in whatever this actually was. What term did he use? Qi? Wait… "You're telling me that you're a cultivator?" He eyed Mou Gu with a wrinkled nose.

"If only to stop your questions, yes I'm a cultivator." The pink-haired man sighed. "What are you supposed to be? How did you get here? Was that energy some kind of magical tool or something else? I don't sense anything from you now..."

Mana. Qi. Energy.

Han Jing tried to sense it—and not unlike his friend, he soon enough found it. Unlike the stray energy he had noticed before in the diner, this time it actually enshrouded the man and even his staff to some extent. Were they all the same then? Of similar substance? Did it come from one source?

He had ignored Mou Gu saying that he didn't sense anything from him.

Was he supposed to have no amount of mana, qi or whatever energy was in this world too?

Mou Gu lowered his staff and narrowed his eyes at him, "If you're really Han Jing, then say something that only he would know." The guy was willing to believe him now that they realized that the energy hadn't come from him?

Han Jing wasn't sure if he was supposed to be relieved about this.

Now really would have been a good thing if truth jewels existed here. What was he supposed to say? "You gave me your number the last time we met and I bested you in our sparring match?" That was the most recent thing that had happened.

"You didn't!"

Seriously?

Mou Gu raised back his staff against him, "You took advantage of my one moment of weakness!"

"...You really do make it sound weird." Han Jing rubbed his face. "It might have been underhanded, but yes, I did trick you to win." He still hadn't got the complete hang of his [ Mana Sense ] nor could he use [ Mana Control ] right now. His other useful Skill involved in fighting was still locked and he doubted that he could go gung ho on this guy when Mou Gu could keep his distance and whack him with the staff.

He really should be more wary, and he was.

This new environment that they were in right now was creepy, he looked up at the sky and still found darkness instead of light. But seeing a familiar face was still enough to relieve him. Or maybe it was because of the notification that had popped up from earlier.

[ Mental Fortitude Active ]

He should be freaking out but he wasn't.