Ame looked at Jiang Chen. "You are very strong."
Of course, I am. If I weren’t this strong, could I have killed them so easily? From what I can sense, The Fallen aren’t actually that strong, especially against Heroes. Outside of ambushes, they’d struggle to gain an advantage in a direct confrontation. My Thundering Sword Art increases speed and adds attribute damage. The Fallen are different; their only attack method is True Qi.
"The innkeeper is probably no match for you. The Fallen’s strength truly is weak," Jiang Chen said, breaking the silence.
Ame lowered her head. "It’s not that The Fallen’s strength is weak, but rather, we are weak."
"I remember the innkeeper was a Swordsman; how did he become one of The Fallen?"
Ame shook her head. "I’m not sure about that. Only Elder Bai Yun would know, as the innkeeper was his disciple."
Jiang Chen stopped in his tracks. "Bai Yun?"
"Yes."
"Is he still around?"
"He is."
"Where is he?"
Ame looked wary. "What are you asking this for?"
"Don’t be nervous. I’m just trying to understand. How did he turn the innkeeper into one of The Fallen?"
Ame said, "Elder Bai Yun has always been looking for a place where we can grow, a place where we don’t have to hide and can live openly in the world."
Jiang Chen pondered.
"Don’t call him ’innkeeper’ anymore. His name is Ba Jie."
"Ba Jie? I might as well be Sun Wukong!"
"Who is Sun Wukong?"
"Never mind, you wouldn’t know even if I told you. Do you all have this mark on your foreheads from birth?"
Ame nodded. "Yes. We weren’t originally like this. It’s just that we were subjected to a curse, one that etched this mark on us from birth."
"If we want to live under the Alliance of All-Gods, we must wear a mask."
"What kind of mask?"
"A Human Skin Mask."
Well...
Jiang Chen voiced his doubts. "Can I learn your True Qi then?"
"Impossible. A Hero can’t cultivate our type of strength. It’s not possible for two different kinds of power to exist in one body. The people from the Alliance of All-Gods’ continent have tried many times and have never succeeded."
"But Ba Jie succeeded," Jiang Chen persisted.
"No, you might not realize he’s no longer a Swordsman. He abandoned the power of a Swordsman and, with Elder Bai Yun’s help, became a Wanderer. If you wish, and if you ever meet Elder Bai Yun, I can tell him you want to become a Wanderer."
"I have a question. How many years have you been practicing?"
"Twenty years."
Twenty years, and he’s only this capable? Alright, I’d better give up on that idea. He’s a Wanderer, and it took him twenty years of practice to reach this level. As an outsider, I probably wouldn’t even know what True Qi is after twenty years. I’d better just stick to being a Hero under the Alliance of All-Gods. As for True Qi, I should forget about it.
Jiang Chen declined, "No, thank you. I think it’s better for me to remain with the Alliance of All-Gods. Life there suits me better."
Ame didn’t say anything; after all, who would abandon happiness to wander aimlessly.
The two continued on their way. If only we had an Array Master. It would be great to teleport from one Space to another. Unfortunately, The Fallen didn’t have such strength.
Ame sighed. "I wonder how Ba Jie is doing now?"
"He should be fine."
「.....」
Ba Jie lay on the ground, looking at the teammate before him, and said with a wry smile, "I should have known it was you."
Patrick quickly approached, injected Ba Jie with something from a syringe, and only then did he feel reassured. "Alright, tie him up. He won’t be running away now."
A few people behind Patrick swiftly took out ropes and bound Ba Jie tightly.
Patrick turned and said, "Alright, you all go back. The mission is over."
The remaining people looked at each other.
The mission truly ended; the leader was captured.
Patrick disappeared with a group of people, quickly heading in a certain direction, where five hundred heads were waiting for him to slay!
Reaching a certain place, he frowned deeply.
The ground was covered with corpses—all of them Patrick’s men.
Patrick’s expression darkened. "Ji Hui, didn’t you say there were only two people escorting them? Can’t this many men handle two of The Fallen?"
Ji Hui was at a loss as well. "It truly was two people."
"So what exactly happened? Why are they all dead? I can’t believe one of The Fallen could kill all of them! They were my most valued subordinates."
Patrick was so angry he could spit blood. What happened to the five hundred heads I was promised? Not a single one? My subordinates are dead, and the five hundred Fallen are gone! Killing five hundred of The Fallen this time would have been a major military achievement. With that, I could have been promoted to the [Cataclysm] Sequence and become one of its powerhouses!
Patrick desperately wanted to cut down the man before him with a single strike.
But Patrick held back. He still needed Ji Hui; he needed this traitor to lead him to the five hundred people. Patrick said darkly, "You still have one chance: lead me to your kinsmen. You should understand this is your last opportunity."
Ji Hui nodded without hesitation. "Okay."
Ji Hui sprinted ahead, with Patrick swiftly following.
They continued their journey, though for ordinary people, their pace would be very slow. If Ba Jie had failed, Patrick would definitely catch up.
Jiang Chen’s guess proved to be correct.
Just then, Jiang Chen sensed about a dozen people in hot pursuit.
One person was leading them; that person had to be one of The Fallen. The rest are Heroes. The leader is undoubtedly Patrick.
Jiang Chen stopped, and Ame stopped as well, asking, "What’s wrong?"
"It’s very likely that Ba Jie is already dead."
"How do you know?"
"Patrick and his men are catching up."
Ame fell silent. She knew Ba Jie had stayed behind to delay their pursuers, allowing them to escape. Now that Patrick was catching up, the outcome was all too clear.
"There’s a traitor among you. That’s the reason for the failure."
Ame shook her head in disbelief. "That can’t be. How could this happen?"
"Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. Traitors are everywhere, but in this case, there’s only one."
"Who is it?"
"I don’t know; I’ve never seen him. Now he’s leading Patrick here. Get ready; I’m going to make my move."
Ame clenched her teeth in anger. "I will kill him."
"No, that kill is mine."
"Why?"
"I need the military exploits."
Ame: .....
「.....」
Ji Hui sprinted forward. Just then, he sensed danger. He quickly dodged to the left as, simultaneously, Three Hundred Sword Auras surged past him.
Patrick’s face turned pale with fright.
Damn it, a powerful Fallen expert has appeared!
The Sword Qi was too fast. Patrick and his men had no time to defend. They could only watch as their legs were severed, copious amounts of blood gushing from the wounds.
In an instant, the dozen or so men lost their ability to fight.
Patrick gritted his teeth, cautiously scanning the surroundings. Who exactly is this expert?