The Unyielding Instructor

Like a deadly spider, a vast web unfurled, patiently awaiting its prey.

In that perilous instant, Ming Yu shifted subtly, as if possessing eyes in the back of her head, and effortlessly evaded the grasp.

Using oneself as bait was a common tactic among sea beast hunters.

Ming Yu’s gaze turned terrifyingly cold, as if a venomous serpent lay coiled within, ready to strike and devour at any moment.

Instead, she merely shifted her body, transforming her palm into a blade. With precise aim, she struck Fujiwara Yūkawa’s inner wrist, and a crisp, shattering sound immediately echoed.

Fujiwara Yūkawa’s expression abruptly contorted.

His earlier arrogant demeanor vanished completely. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and veins pulsed violently across his forehead and the sides of his neck.

With eyes blazing, Fujiwara Yūkawa decisively pulled out a gene stimulant syringe he carried, injecting it without hesitation.

Once genetically enhanced, his undamaged hand shot out again, attempting a second grab.

However…

Ming Yu’s expression remained unchanged. With a light tap of her toes, she vanished from her spot, leaving only a lingering silver-white afterimage that slowly dissipated.

A flash of light cannot be caught.

Neither the enforcers nor any hunter below A-rank could discern how Fujiwara Yūkawa had appeared, nor how Ming Yu had vanished. The speed of their movements had already surpassed the limits of standard dynamic vision.

This was not merely due to exceptional muscular explosive power and endurance; it was primarily because their neural reflexes far exceeded those of ordinary individuals.

Even reacting to bullets was no longer a mere fantasy.

Ming Yu increasingly found her physical capabilities to be truly absurd.

At this very moment, without any prior injections, her reaction speed surpassed even her past self after receiving stimulants. No, it wasn’t just her reaction speed; her overall physical attributes were vastly superior to anything she’d possessed before, making her akin to a superhero.

No wonder she had effortlessly dealt with the S-rank Steam Squid.

Ming Yu dodged Fujiwara Yūkawa’s grab once more. With a swift counter, she unleashed a spinning rising elbow strike that connected squarely with his jaw, sending him flying.

In a flash of lightning, the close-quarters combat reached its conclusion.

The onlookers, a crowd of hunters, stared dumbfounded, unable to believe the scene unfolding before their eyes.

Fujiwara Yūkawa, who boasted of being able to ‘single-handedly suppress S-rank hunters,’ had actually been sent flying by Instructor Silver Kite?

What kind of joke was this?!

“Holy shit…”

“Fujiwara Yūkawa got blasted away…”

“There’s no way to deny it now. To beat Fujiwara Yūkawa like that, she’s undoubtedly S-rank…”

“So the rumors were true; Instructor Silver Kite really is an S-rank hunter…”

“But didn’t Fujiwara Yūkawa also handle the S-rank ‘Demonic Blade’?”

“One can only say that there are differences even among S-ranks…”

“…”

On the other side, Fujiwara Yūka’s face was pale. She wanted to rush forward to help her father, but Fujiwara Tachima held her back.

She glanced at her grandfather, then at her father sprawled on the ground, her mind a complete blank.

“Yūka, don’t be impulsive,” Fujiwara Tachima said in a low voice, his brows tightly furrowed.

Upon hearing this, Fujiwara Yūka anxiously said:

“Grandpa, she’s just a minor hunter instructor! Whatever the charges, quickly have someone arrest her!”

“She’s breaking the rules, ‘provoking trouble,’ and ‘intentionally causing harm,’ isn’t she?”

“Yūka, leave everything to me. Calm down first.”

Fujiwara Tachima was pondering the identity of their opponent, and his granddaughter’s words, ‘hunter instructor,’ sparked a faint recollection.

He was well aware of Yūkawa’s capabilities.

Even if he didn’t reach S-rank standards, after genetic enhancement, his strength was at the pinnacle of A-rank.

Throughout all of Pharos, there were only a dozen or so individuals not to be provoked, and he had personally warned each of his three sons about them. Among them, S-rank hunters, particularly those who were lucid, undoubtedly held the highest position.

For they were all madmen—powerful madmen.

Coincidentally, the Association had recently gained a new S-rank hunter, rumored to be one of Jiang Chen’s people, currently serving as an instructor at the Inner City Training Camp.

If there were no surprises, it should be the person standing before them.

If he recalled correctly, the designation in the archives should be…

“Madam Silver Kite, I am Fujiwara Tachima, Vice-President of the Association… There might be some misunderstanding between us.”

Fujiwara Tachima subtly sucked in his stomach, suppressing the gloom in his eyes and putting on a benevolent smile.

Having learned a lesson, one must know when to temporarily retreat and settle accounts later. This was always his modus operandi.

Rules were established by the strong and maintained through violence. Calculations within the rules were utterly meaningless to an S-rank hunter. Rules could not restrain a madman, but bonds could.

“How about we both take a step back and stop here… After all, you wouldn’t want your family to be exiled, would you?”

This was both a proposition and a threat.

Ming Yu naturally discerned the underlying threat. Her gaze, akin to one reserved for the dead, settled directly on Fujiwara Tachima’s face. She kicked Fujiwara Yūkawa, who lay at her feet, and slowly approached the man.

Had she just returned, she might have nonchalantly declared, ‘I have no family and not many days left to live.’ But now, things were different.

Little Nightingale was still waiting for her at home.

Ming Yu suddenly let out a sneer.

“Exile my family? No problem. But before that, I’ll send your entire family down to reunite.”

“How does that sound?”

Fujiwara Tachima’s expression shifted drastically. Pointing at Ming Yu, he spoke with a slight tremor:

“You, you… We’ve never provoked you.”

“First, understand this: your people occupied the spot first, and I retaliated later… Never mind.”

Ming Yu sighed.

“Old man, rein in your children.”

****

The Fujiwara family and the enforcers slunk away from the training ground, tails between their legs.

In front of Yun Mo and the others, Ming Yu hastily completed the remaining tests, and predictably, ended up damaging several pieces of equipment.

Among the onlookers, gasps of shock rose in continuous waves.

Ming Yu was about to finish up and head home when she encountered Jiang Chen, who had arrived late. She pretended not to see him and walked straight past.

“That’s odd, where are they? I don’t see them?”

Jiang Chen, clutching an old-fashioned camera, looked around bewildered.

****

Returning home in the dark, Ming Yu took a quick bath. As she emerged from the washroom, she heard a familiar meow by her feet.

“Meoww~ (⊙ω⊙)”

“Not asleep yet?”

Ming Yu was busy drying the water from her hair, unable to free her hands. She could only use the arch of her foot to gently stroke Luna’s head.

Her full, glistening toes moved with perfect control, much to Luna’s enjoyment, causing the cat’s purrs to shift subtly.

Ming Yu walked into her bedroom, untied her bathrobe, and changed into comfortable, form-fitting pajamas.

At that moment, Luna leisurely padded into the room as well, continuing to rub affectionately against Ming Yu’s bare feet.

Seeing this, Ming Yu had no choice. She picked Luna up, gave her a satisfying rub, then tossed her onto the bed before burrowing into her own comfortable covers.

Gazing at the dimly lit ceiling, Ming Yu drifted into thought.

‘Some things, how can you know without trying?’

‘At least, Little Nightingale still has hope for a cure.’

She turned over, drawing the small white cat into her embrace, and murmured,

“Luna, if one day I disappear, then Little Nightingale will be in your care.”