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墨書 Inktalez
The Innkeeper was already exhausted and on the verge of defeat. Initially resigned to his fate, he suddenly felt a spark of hope upon hearing Ye Tian's words.
He was someone who had lived on the edge for years; while he wasn't afraid of death, he understood the value of life. He wouldn't hesitate to trade even his limbs for survival, let alone a mere piece of protective armor.
However, he wasn't foolish either. Ye Tian's offer to let him go in exchange for the protective armor raised suspicions. If Ye Tian were to go back on his word, the Innkeeper would be left with no options. Moreover, he still had his last resort technique that he hadn't used yet.
"How can I trust you?" the Innkeeper sneered. Despite his defeat, there was still a defiant edge to his voice, showing no signs of humiliation or despair.
"Because I know you can self-destruct your power," Ye Tian replied with a cold smile.
Previously, the Second Son had self-destructed his power, and that kind of force was certainly formidable. Ye Tian understood its significance and didn't want to force the Innkeeper into such a desperate act. Besides, their victory had come from a group attack, which felt less than honorable.
These two points were the main reasons Ye Tian wanted to let the Innkeeper go.
Of course, Ye Tian wasn't 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, creating an unspoken rivalry. However, this was ultimately disrupted by Yun'er and others who arrived later.
Upon hearing this, a hint of sorrow flickered in the Innkeeper's eyes. The self-destruction technique was something he had personally taught the Second Son; only they knew how to execute it. If Ye Tian mentioned it, it meant that the Second Son had already self-destructed under pressure.
Sadness quickly turned into hatred as he thought about survival: as long as there was life, there was hope. 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.
Without further ado, the Innkeeper removed his outer robe to reveal the gleaming protective armor underneath.
"Let him come over," the Innkeeper said, stopping his movements and pointing at the Wine Kid.
"No!" Cold Moon quickly intervened, as the Innkeeper seemed to imply that he wanted to take Wine Kid 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 once more to persuade him, but Ye Tian's composed expression quelled their concerns.
Wine Kid stepped up 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 replacing Ye Tian, so he could only bring Wine Kid closer. 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 would be 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 activate his Martial Origin Power, startling everyone present. But Ye Tian knew he was removing 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 put on 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 later," Ye Tian said with a smile while signaling to the Innkeeper that he 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 time.
"Kid, be alert when you sleep tonight. If you're not careful, I might just show up at your bedside one day and twist off your head," the Innkeeper said with a forced laugh in imitation of Ye Tian's tone before turning to leave.
He was severely injured and limped as he walked, but his speed remained swift. Before long, he completely vanished into the night.
Everyone withdrew their gazes and stepped forward 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 moment of contemplation, he handed the armor to Wine Kid. He already had Phantom Cloud equipped, and since Wine Kid's strength was too low, it would be dangerous for him to undertake missions with the group. Thus, giving it to him was the most reasonable choice.
Wine Kid was initially stunned upon receiving the treasure, followed by excitement. With his childlike nature, he particularly loved such treasures. He had wanted the long sword last time but did not succeed, so this time he was finally satisfied.
The others naturally had no objections to Ye Tian's decision and teased Wine Kid to share it. Wine Kid refused, appearing rather stingy, and everyone laughed and joked around, feeling quite 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 nicely; clearly wanting to express gratitude but instead ended up saying something rather annoying.
Hearing this, Ye Tian chuckled lightly. He certainly wasn't angry; however, he had said that earlier to make Innkeeper think he would claim the armor for himself. This way, when the latter sought revenge, he would likely come after Ye Tian first.
Although they had thwarted the enemy's plans again, experiencing two ambushes in just over a day left everyone physically and mentally exhausted. With the major battle over, their tense nerves relaxed for a moment, leaving them feeling somewhat drained.
"Let's quickly find an inn to rest," Wine Kid said as he began to recover from his excitement over the treasure but was soon overtaken by fatigue.
"No way, we need to travel through the night," Duan Liu said seriously.
"Why?" Wine Kid pouted in displeasure. Although he hadn't contributed much effort, he was indeed quite tired.
"Because Huanggang Ridge likely already received information and there are probably people heading this way right now," Duan Liu explained.
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 added.
"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 said coldly, pretending to strike the Wine Kid who was lying on the ground.
"We shouldn't delay any longer; let's hurry up and leave," Duan Liu added, his tone urgent.
Ye Tian raised an eyebrow at him, beginning 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 just two steps, Ye Tian suddenly waved his hand to signal everyone to stop. "We can't keep going."
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 so eager for a fight tonight? Did he want to clash with the next wave of bandits from Huanggang Ridge?
"We've been ambushed for two consecutive days with very little time to rest. Right now, our strength is nearly exhausted. If we recklessly continue on, we'll definitely be caught by them," Ye Tian explained.
"Exactly. By then, we will be too weak to stand against their vengeful forces," Yun'er had guessed his thoughts when Ye Tian 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 would happen.
"Don't worry; she left early this morning. Even if the people from Huanggang Ridge are fast, they won't catch up. Unless something unexpected happens, she should have already entered the territory of Chuiyun Town by now."
Seeing Duan Liu's concerns, Ye Tian spoke to reassure him but did not mention names or look directly at Duan Liu, as a way to save face for him.
Cold Moon and Wine Kid were puzzled, while Duan Liu felt a slight relief, 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 street to be cautious, as it was evident 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, they finally spotted a cluster of houses in the village about an hour later.
It was summer, and the crops in the fields had already grown. Although it was only just getting light in the east, several houses were already emitting wisps of smoke, and some farmers were seen teaming up with their hoes, appearing ready to start their work.
"Let's stay in the village for a while. We will 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, and he naturally preferred not 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 knock on the head. The latter winced but could only grunt in protest.
The group entered the village and quickly found a place to stay. It wasn't because they were particularly handsome or beautiful; rather, they paid three times more than what they would have at an inn...
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