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墨書 Inktalez
The Innkeeper was already exhausted and ready to give up, but upon hearing Ye Tian's words, he immediately reconsidered.
He had lived a life on the edge, unafraid of death, yet he understood the value of life. He would be willing to trade anything, even his limbs, for the chance to survive, let alone a mere piece of protective armor.
However, he was not a fool. Ye Tian's offer to let him go if he left the protective armor behind made him wary; if Ye Tian were to go back on his word, he would have no recourse. Besides, he still had his last resort technique that he hadn't used yet.
"How can I trust you?" the Innkeeper scoffed. Despite his defeat, his tone remained defiant, showing no signs of the humility or despair that often followed a loss.
"Because I know you can self-destruct your powers," Ye Tian replied with a cold smile.
Previously, the Second Son had self-destructed his powers, and that kind of power was certainly formidable. Ye Tian understood its significance and did not want to force the Innkeeper into such an act. Moreover, they had won through a group attack; even though they emerged victorious, it was not a glorious win.
These two points were the main reasons why Ye Tian wanted to let the Innkeeper go.
Of course, Ye Tian was not some benevolent figure; he felt that the group attack was unfair because both he and the Innkeeper had sensed each other's spiritual energy during their initial duel, which had created an unspoken rivalry. However, this was ultimately disrupted by Yun'er and others who arrived later.
Upon hearing this, a trace of sorrow appeared in the Innkeeper's eyes. The self-destruction technique was something he had personally taught the Second Son; only they knew how to perform it. If Ye Tian mentioned it, it meant that the Second Son had already self-destructed under pressure.
Sadness quickly turned into hatred. As long as there was still hope for survival, he would not fear losing everything. The Innkeeper gritted his teeth and vowed, "Fine, but remember this: it won't be long before I take your head to avenge the Second Son!"
Ye Tian chuckled lightly in response; the Innkeeper was indeed a man who dared to make threats even in such dire circumstances.
After making his statement, the Innkeeper stopped talking and removed his outer robe to reveal the darkly shimmering protective armor underneath.
"Let him come over," the Innkeeper said as he pointed towards the Wine Kid.
"No!" Cold Moon quickly intervened, as the Innkeeper seemed to intend to use Wine Kid as a hostage to ensure his safety after handing over the treasure armor.
"It's fine." Ye Tian waved to reassure Cold Moon, then turned his gaze back to Wine Kid.
Wine Kid was bold and trusted Ye Tian immensely. Initially, he felt a bit anxious, but upon seeing Ye Tian's calming gaze, all hesitation vanished.
Seeing this, the others tried to persuade again, but were pacified by Ye Tian's composed expression.
Wine Kid stood beside Ye Tian, and then Ye Tian looked directly at the Innkeeper and said, "Is this acceptable?"
The Innkeeper nodded; he only wanted Wine Kid to come over for his own assurance. If Ye Tian were to go back on his word later, he would decisively self-destruct his martial power. However, he did not have confidence in defeating Ye Tian, so he could only bring Wine Kid over. Self-destruction was no trivial matter; while Ye Tian might be able to protect himself, he certainly could not ensure Wine Kid's safety. With Wine Kid's meager strength, there was no chance of survival against the Innkeeper's self-destruction.
Only in this way could it be guaranteed that Ye Tian would not play tricks; otherwise, Wine Kid would undoubtedly die.
After nodding, the Innkeeper began to channel his Martial Origin Power, startling everyone present. But Ye Tian knew he was releasing his protective treasure armor.
Sure enough, after circulating the Martial Origin Power for a round, the dark light of the protective armor quickly dimmed and transformed into an ordinary inner garment in the blink of an eye.
The Innkeeper tossed aside his inner garment and then donned his outer robe again, glaring maliciously at Ye Tian.
"Ah, it's a treasure. I'll keep it for you; remember to come find me for it," Ye Tian said with a smile, signaling that the Innkeeper could leave now.
The Innkeeper gritted his teeth in frustration, wishing he could strike Ye Tian dead with a single blow. However, given the current situation, he could only endure for now and seek revenge another day.
"You brat, be alert while you sleep tonight. Who knows when I might show up at your bedside and twist off your head," the Innkeeper said with a furious laugh, mimicking Ye Tian's tone before turning to leave.
He had sustained many injuries and walked with a limp, but his speed remained swift. Before long, he completely disappeared into the night.
Everyone withdrew their gazes and approached to admire the protective armor that even the Azure Moon Autumn Light Sword could not break through.
However, Ye Tian showed little interest. After a brief contemplation, he handed the armor to Wine Kid. He already had Phantom Cloud equipped, and since Wine Kid's strength was too low, it was quite dangerous for him to join everyone on missions. Thus, giving it to him was the most reasonable choice.
Wine Kid was initially taken aback by receiving the treasure, but then he was filled with joy. With his childlike nature, he particularly loved such treasures. He had wanted that long sword last time but did not succeed; this time, he was finally satisfied.
Naturally, everyone had no objections to Ye Tian's decision and teased Wine Kid about sharing it. Wine Kid refused, acting stingy, and everyone laughed and joked around, feeling very happy.
"Ye Tian, I really didn't expect you to give this to me. From what you said earlier, I thought you were going to keep it for yourself," Wine Kid remarked. He never spoke politely; clearly wanting to express gratitude, he ended up saying something rather annoying.
Hearing this, Ye Tian chuckled lightly. He certainly wasn't angry; however, the reason he had said that earlier was to make Innkeeper think he would keep the armor for himself. This way, when the latter sought revenge, there would be a higher chance he would come after Ye Tian first.
Although they had thwarted the enemy's plans again, experiencing two ambushes within a day and night left everyone physically and mentally exhausted. Now that the major battle had ended, their tense nerves could finally relax, leaving them somewhat drained.
"Let's hurry and find an inn to rest," Wine Kid said as he began to recover from his excitement over receiving the treasure but was soon overwhelmed by fatigue.
"No way; we need to travel through the night," Duan Liu said seriously.
"Why not?" Wine Kid pouted in displeasure. Although he hadn't exerted much effort, he was indeed quite tired.
"Because Huanggang Ridge likely has already received information; there are probably people heading this way right now," Duan Liu analyzed.
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian patted Duan Liu's shoulder in approval. Duan Liu was usually carefree and absent-minded; it was impressive that he could analyze things patiently today.
"Brother Duan is right; we need to leave here as soon as possible," Ye Tian stated.
"Oh... I'm so exhausted..." Wine Kid wanted to protest since the enemy hadn't arrived yet, and he didn't feel any sense of urgency.
"Get up." Cold Moon coldly shouted, pretending to strike the Wine Kid who was lying on the ground.
"We shouldn't delay any longer; let's hurry up and go," Duan Liu added, his tone urgent.
Ye Tian raised an eyebrow at him, starting to suspect that he was worried about Luo Shanshan and wanted to rush to catch up with her.
The Wine Kid grumbled as he was subdued by Cold Moon, and after a moment, everyone prepared to set off.
"Wait." After taking just two steps, Ye Tian suddenly waved his hand to signal everyone to stop. "We can't go any further."
Everyone looked at him in confusion, especially the Wine Kid, whose expression clearly said: whether we go or not, it's still you...
"I just suddenly remembered something." Ye Tian frowned and then began to ask everyone about their physical condition and current strength.
After hearing their responses, Ye Tian fell into deep thought. A moment later, he said, "Let's not go; we should find a place to rest for the night."
"Why?" Cold Moon was quite surprised. In her eyes, Ye Tian had always been cautious and calm. Why was he suddenly eager for a fight after not having enough bloodshed tonight? Did he want to take on the next wave of bandits from Huanggang Ridge?
"We've been ambushed for two consecutive days with very little time to rest. Our strength is nearly exhausted right now. If we recklessly move forward, the result will definitely be that they catch up with us," Ye Tian explained.
"Exactly. By then, we will be too weak to face the vengeful forces they have gathered," Yun'er guessed Ye Tian's thoughts when he asked about everyone's condition.
Upon hearing this, everyone pondered for a moment and then realized what Ye Tian meant, praising his caution. However, while they praised him, Duan Liu appeared visibly worried. It was clear that he feared Luo Shanshan would be caught by the bandits from Huanggang Ridge. Luo Shanshan was quite attractive; if she fell into the hands of bandits, Duan Liu couldn't even bear to think about what might happen.
"Don't worry; she left early this morning. Even if the people from Huanggang Ridge are fast, they won't catch up with her. Unless something unexpected happens, she should have already entered the territory of Chuiyun Town by now."
Seeing Duan Liu's concern, Ye Tian spoke to reassure him but did not mention names or look directly at Duan Liu, as a way to give him some face.
Cold Moon and Wine Kid were puzzled, while Duan Liu felt a slight relief in his heart, and Yun'er smiled lightly as she looked at Ye Tian.
Soon, the group avoided the main road and headed towards a remote mountain village. They chose to avoid the streets to be cautious, as it was clear from the Innkeeper and others that they were still within the influence of Huanggang Ridge.
After crossing two small ridges and navigating several rugged mountain paths, a village finally appeared in their sight about an hour later.
It was summer, and the crops in the fields had already grown. Although it was just dawn, many houses were already emitting wisps of smoke, and several farmers were seen teaming up with their hoes, looking ready to start their work.
"Let's stay in the village for a while. We'll set off again once everyone is fully prepared," Ye Tian said, pointing towards the village. Seeing the dilapidated thatched houses reminded him of the place where he once lived with his mother, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
"Why not stay at an inn?" Wine Kid asked. Although he wasn't spoiled, they had money in their pockets. Naturally, he was reluctant to stay in a thatched house when they could afford an inn.
"Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten why we were ambushed last night?" Cold Moon gave Wine Kid a sharp slap on the back of his head. Though it hurt, Wine Kid could only grunt in protest.
The group entered the village and quickly found a place to stay. The reason was not because they were particularly charming but because they paid three times more than what they would have at an inn...
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