Chapter 446: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

To someone like him, standing before a pinnacle Realm expert was like standing beneath a mountain that could collapse at any moment.

One careless word could cost him his life.

Leon stopped beside him.

The general’s breathing became shallow.

For several heartbeats, Leon said nothing.

The silence was almost unbearable.

Then Leon spoke calmly.

"You can get lost now."

General of Ashford City froze.

For a moment, he almost wondered if he had heard correctly.

Then relief exploded across his face.

His tightly clenched shoulders finally relaxed.

He immediately bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your magnanimity. Please forgive me."

His voice carried barely concealed excitement.

"I’ll get lost now. I’ll get lost now..."

He did not dare waste another second.

The moment Leon gave him permission to leave, General of Ashford City turned around.

He waved his hand hurriedly.

"Retreat!"

The soldiers he had brought with him quickly followed.

They had been waiting for those words.

None of them wanted to remain in this terrifying place any longer.

Their footsteps became hurried.

Armor clattered.

Weapons rattled against their belts.

Within moments, the entire group was moving away from the scene.

General of Ashford City did not even dare look back.

He was afraid Leon might suddenly change his mind.

The general had lived through countless battles.

He had faced armies.

He had stood against powerful enemies without retreating.

But today, he ran.

Not because he was cowardly.

At least, that was what he told himself.

It was because there was no shame in fleeing from someone who could kill him with a single casual movement.

With a whoosh, he disappeared into the distance.

The courtyard became quiet again.

Kai stared at the direction in which the general had vanished.

His expression slowly darkened.

That guy had actually run that fast?

He could barely believe his eyes.

"How embarrassing."

The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them.

As a Grand General, he did not even have this bit of steadiness.

When danger appeared, he ran faster than a rabbit.

Kai rubbed his forehead.

Could such a person really be trusted to guard the borders?

The thought made him suspicious.

Yet after thinking about it carefully, Kai found that he could understand the general’s reaction.

If the enemy standing before him had been a dynasty, General of Ashford City had probably never been afraid.

Thousands of soldiers?

He had faced them before.

Tens of thousands?

He had probably fought them as well.

But Leon was different.

He was a pinnacle Realm expert.

In front of such an existence, General of Ashford City was nothing more than an ant.

Even Sage realm would tremble when facing a pinnacle Realm expert.

What was strange was not that the general had fled.

What was strange was that he had dared to stay as long as he had.

Kai sighed quietly.

Then his gaze shifted.

Leon was already walking toward James.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

James’s body stiffened.

The old man’s face became even paler.

He watched Leon approaching step by step.

One step.

Two steps.

Three.

Every footfall seemed to land directly on his heart.

Leon eventually stopped in front of him.

The distance between them was not great.

James instinctively took half a step backward.

Then he realized that doing so would only make him look even more frightened.

He stopped. ℯℯ𝑙.

His hands were hidden inside his sleeves, but his fingers were already trembling.

Leon looked at him.

His purple eyes carried a strange amusement.

Then he revealed a meaningful smile.

It was not the smile of someone who had forgotten what had happened.

It was the smile of someone who remembered everything.

James swallowed.

Leon tilted his head slightly.

"Old man, I heard that you’re very brave?"

The moment those words fell, James’s expression changed.

His head immediately lowered.

He shook it so rapidly that his hair nearly came loose.

"No... no, no, no..."

His voice became increasingly flustered.

"I... I... I..."

His throat seemed to tighten.

He looked as though he desperately wanted to explain himself, but every explanation sounded useless inside his head.

Finally, he stammered,

"Just a little."

His voice was barely more than a stammer.

The moment the words left his mouth, the last trace of arrogance that had remained on his face vanished completely. His shoulders sagged, and his fingers trembled beneath his sleeves.

Just a little.

Even he knew how ridiculous that sounded.

A moment ago, he had stood among the crowd with the confidence of a powerful prince. He had spoken as though the world should bend according to his will.

Now, standing before Leon, he could barely keep his legs from giving way.

The surrounding air seemed colder than before.

No one spoke.

Even the soldiers who had remained nearby lowered their gazes, afraid that making the slightest sound might draw the attention of the terrifying Respected before them.

At this moment, James even wanted to die.

Who would have thought that Leon was actually a pinnacle expert?

Initially, James had thought he could control the situation.

He had believed that Leon was merely an arrogant cultivator who had offended him and that, with the backing of the Drake Empire, he could force Leon to bow his head.

He had even imagined that once Leon was brought under control, his household could send over enough wealth to compensate for the treasures he had lost.

It had all seemed so simple.

But now...

The entire situation had reversed in the blink of an eye.

The hunter had become the hunted.

The man who thought he was holding the reins had suddenly discovered that he had never been holding anything at all.

The clown was him.

Leon stood quietly before him.

His long, shoulder-length black hair moved gently in the evening breeze.

His purple eyes were calm, almost indifferent, while the midnight robes embroidered with thin amethyst patterns fluttered softly around his body.

There was no rage in his expression.