Pillar of Yita

Countless stone shards rained down on the ground with a continuous crisp sound, a plume of rising dust instantly enveloped the ravine above, but the ”Bloodstained Raven” Nightingale had not been forced to reveal himself just then.

Between the flying shards and the spreading dust, there were still gaps and passages. Fang Hong knew that the other party had some tricks up his sleeve too. With a slight shift in his gaze, he suddenly turned his head, flipped his palm, and gently hooked in his direction.

Suddenly, a Clockwork Fairy flashed in the darkness from afar and swiftly flew back, nimbly threading through the gaps between the rocks and dust like a streak of golden light.

Then, under the extremely shocked gaze of that Nightingale, it forcefully knocked him out of invisibility.

He stumbled forward—

And when he stopped, the shining dagger in his hand was but an arm’s length away from Fang Hong. The faintly glowing blue light of the poison on the sharp blade was clearly visible, as if a slight forward thrust would end the latter’s life.

Unfortunately, he had lost that opportunity forever.

Because when that Nightingale looked up, he saw only the black muzzle of the 1477 ”Mark Three” Lion Handgun and the crisp sound of the firing hammer being cocked bit by bit by the alchemist boy’s thumb.

The latter answered pointedly:

”In a battle, Nightingales have over an eighty percent chance of opting for a back attack, regardless of whether they will be discovered, merely as a professional habit.”

”Moreover—”

”You are too slow.”

”That is...” The Nightingale froze for a moment, but responding to him was the flame that spread from deep within his pupils, spiraling from the handgun, enlarging and swallowing everything within his vision. After a loud bang, the body of the latter heavily fell to the ground.

Xiangzi watched the scene with his eyes shining brightly from behind: ”That is the word of the King of Assassins, Griel Field, I just happened to hear that part, people often say he is a Mage Killer, but actually, his win rate in the internal conflicts among Nightingales has always been the highest.”

But Fang Hong paid him no heed.

He turned the gun muzzle, and wisps of smoke rose from the gilded carved barrel of the ”Mark Three” Lion Handgun, while its dark muzzle now pointed toward the priest who had fallen to the ground, and just then, the approaching Shadow Beasts suddenly halted in unison.

The priest’s face turned pale, and he shouted somewhat frantically: ”You can’t kill me.”

”The reason?”

”I am a member of the Blood Oath Alliance, we are on a secret mission for the Super Competitive League, this concerns the entire League’s interests in the China Competition Region, and, moreover, I have immunity.”

”Then your mission has failed.”

Fang Hong pulled the trigger, and the firelight flashed in the darkness once more; the priest jumped backward from the massive impact, then fell to the ground like a heavy stone.

Those Shadow Beasts nearby let out a sharp cry, their faces fearsome as they rushed in this direction, but before they could take a step, they turned to dust in midair and disappeared.

Fang Hong simply watched this scene, then retracted his handgun and pulled out a handkerchief to lightly wipe it.

”Ah, why did you kill him?” Xiangzi was slightly surprised. Although he was not a formal member of the Rain Listener, as a reserve of the Storm, he naturally knew some secrets of the Grand Guilds: ”What he said might be true, if he was on an internal mission for the Super Competitive League, then we are in big trouble!”

Fang Hong rolled his eyes: ”What do you mean, the official Super Competitive League is colluding with the Dragon Worship Sect?”

”The, the Dragon Worship Sect?”

Fang Hong looked in the direction where the Shadow Beasts had disappeared: ”Those smoke-like monsters are Dragon’s Servants; you know what Dragon’s Servants are, right?”

Xiangzi was mildly shocked: ”How could the people from the Bloodstained Crows be related to these things?” But he shook his head, trying to explain to himself: ”Still, it could be a secret arrangement of the League; I’ve heard that since the Battle of Bain, the military has been trying to infiltrate these cultists...”

”That’s the military’s business in such sensitive domains; the Super Competitive League would be clearer about it than you or I, and they would never cross the line recklessly.” Fang Hong interrupted him: ”To believe these groundless matters is the same as believing those street rumors claiming that the Commercial Goddess Roman is actually a Dark Giant Dragon.”

Xiangzi coughed awkwardly, regarding the rumor that Goddess Roman was a Dark Giant Dragon, it purely originated because her mortal incarnation was often a small black female dragon.

But a Black Dragon is not a Dark Giant Dragon, a fact well known to most sensible people.

And spreading this rumor the widest were actually those Cloud Summoners who had never been to Eteliria on the internet forums, among them, an ID named ’LuoHao’ was one of the most renowned and infamous proponents.

This rumor, among the real Invokers, was mostly treated as a joke, hence Fang Hong’s hint of mockery was clearly understood by Xiangzi.

Moreover, on the internet forums, there were even more absurd rumors, like the Little Princess of Silver Weslan actually being a man, and Queen Fosha of Colin Ishurian being the mysterious lover of the Goddess Roman’s Elect; and absurd things like Dwarven women having beards and Elves not needing sleep were plentiful.

Fang Hong shook his head: ”He was just stalling for time. That priest had used a Communication Crystal earlier, which means there are more of their people nearby, keeping him was not safe.”