Chapter 20, Mistake

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Behind the inn

A lady was leaning beside the wall as she observes the gem on her hand.

She clenched on it before releasing a sigh.

The lady was wearing a white dress with red rose patterns. Eyeing the gem, she then uttered out after shaking it, "Can you hear me, Master?"

After a moment of silence, a voice replied back, "Yes, perfectly clear. So, has the preparation for the contest gone smoothly?"

"So far in deed. Though there were some issues with the labors encountering that guild."

"No matter what don't mess with them, Meixue. I believe the Krehorian King will deal with them"

Her raven black hair moved from the sudden breeze, "I understood."

"Your sister will also be there with her fiance. She wanted to meet you after so long."

Li Meixiu remained silent before asking, "Can't you tell her to not even bother?"

"Well, it's too late. By now she's already near the Swallow's Bridge and should arriving in about a day."

Li Meixiu knitted her eyebrow before saying, "It can't be helped then. Anyhow, I'll be going now."

"Oh Meixie, one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"Your father's health is stabilizing. It was worth asking those sorcerrers for help."

When she heard that, a sense of relief filled her before she replied back, "Thank you for informing me about it."

The gem light diminished.

She sighed before laying on the grass ground. Looking at her ring made her think, 'The amount of trouble I had to go through to get my hands on this ring was actually.worth it.'

This ring has been made by compressing an inscription inside the jewel which can be used a set amount of times. Though the space varies depending on the quality.

As she was going to remove a scroll, the lady cancelled that action as she heard someone approaching.

Meixiu unsheathed the dagger that was strapped on her thigh before pointing it at the intruder.

It was Huan who yawned before stretching his body.

"You... What are you doing here?" She said before eyeing the tired young man.

The tired young man turned to where the voice originate and found her.

Huan was calm as he rolled his eyes before replying back, "Is this how you repay someone who gave something that costed his whole fortune to you? By pointing that thing at his neck?"

His once hazy eyes turned sharp and cold as he surveyed her.

"You might have fooled me before. But, I have inquired with people and found your current façade to be now laughable." She said with eyes filled with disgust.

He tilted his head slightly before questioning, "Which is truly fake is the question."

She kept back her dagger before walking past by him. Meixiu heard him while passing by, "I wonder how your past was like being able to kill with ease."

Meixiu ignored him before disappearing.

'Heh , my acting is getting better... And the more I talk with her, the more intrigued I become.' Thought Huan.

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Outside of Taesu near Swallow's Bridge

"Sir, how tough are they?" A man riding on a horse approached his commander.

"I don't know, but we have to finish our first mission first." Replied the cladded armored knight holding his helmet.

"Why would we need to go to that small part of a sect?"

The commander clicked his tongue before angrily replying back, "You ask too much questions! Get back to duty!"

"Sir!" The soldier complied before slowing down his horse.

A woman wearing a black robe and a matching pointy wizard hat hastened her horse in order to make it beside the commander's horse.

She then asked after blowing away her bangs, "What's with the foul mood, Faren?"

"When we're not alone, you must address me as Commander Farengoth. Sheirl." Replied the man.

The lady childishly showed a raspberry before replying back, "Aye, Commander~"

She then removed her hat before letting her blonde hair feel the incoming breeze. Sheirl, the lady, then continued, "I never would've guessed way back then that both of us would be in this type of positions."

The commander remained silent for a while before replying back, "...Never expected you to be a sorceress."

"And I didn't saw you as a leader and skilled Knight~" Replied the sorceress with a teasing tone.

The commander nodded before saying, "It was hard."

"I know but we shared the burden, didn't we?" She showed a warm smile.

Farengoth turned to look at her eyes for a moment before saying, "Now that you mentioned it, I never repaid you back."

"Oh... that." She then made a thinking gesture before replying, "I know! Why not you purchase a set of dress in that newly opened shop."

The knight sighed before replying back, "Fine, but you should know I have a limit to how much to spend."

Sheirl happily smiled. She then narrowed her eyes before saying, "Just make sure you stick with your promise, kay?"

He nodded before saying, "Now go back before the other soldiers get angry-"

"From unfair treatment?" Sheirl finished his sentence before continuing, "This can be avoided if you see them as actual comrades and not some rodents or pawns."

The knight didn't utter a word but instead just heard her. He knows very well that he can't rebuke her or else the consequences would be dire.

Noting the knight heard her, she then asked, "I thought we're heading to Taesu? The trail is completely off."

"Remember that wanted man the King told us about long ago?"

"The one who ran away after killing three sorceress and drowning a village in blood? Then clear as day."

"Well... just recently one of my trusted informants found his location. Since we're nearby to it, why not we just grab the sucker. It'll only you and I to lead the newbies. The other knights are busy finishing up that bandit hideout." Said the Knight.

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Later

Entering inside the sect, the knight noticed the smell of blood, with the sense of insecurity. Like he's being haunted by the wails and cries of spirits.

Turning around for a moment to spot Sheirl having a worried look while hearing their steps echo around.

They traverse across countless corpses. Beheaded, unclothed, gutted, with wretched expressions. A massacre at its finest.

The sorceress tried her best to withstood the urge to throw up. A stop was called out by the Knight's gesture with his hand before he put on his helmet.

Before he entered the area, he made sure to make his units block every exit path. As the remaining search the other areas, seeking for survivors or enemies.

He then yelled out after removing his sword out of its scabbard, "Ming Lu! You're surrounded. Come out or else you'll force me to leave this place with your head dragged behind my horse!!."

A black mist emerged out of one door way before he appeared.

The man called Ming Lu had a sour expression while having fresh wounds on his body. He then replied back, "Can't I take a break? Now I have a knight chasing after me. So, what do I owe you and your comrades a visit?"

"Under the command of my Liege, King Elric. He want's your head on a platter to set amends for the village you personally drowned in blood. Not to forget the three higher sorceress who you mercilessly killed with underhand methods. Come quietly and your sentence will be lightened."

"Oh, I remember them! Those were the beauties that I loved to taste. Yes! I enjoyed their dead bodies... it's a shame I can't repeat what had happened though I can currently spot one." Ming Lu's eyes trailed onto Sheirl.

She felt a shiver through her spine before unknowingly backing away.

Though Farengoth looked at her before asking, "Keep it together! Tell me how many charges?!"

"Judging by the color of the gem... about fourteen tops." Replied the sorceress before pointing her wand while affirming a fencer like stance.

The knight nodded before running towards the man with his cross shaped sword engraved with runic inscriptions.

Ming Lu's arm started glowing with animosity. If you see closely, tattoos could be seen around both of his arms. He raised his hand towards them before clenching it. Dark small holes appeared facing towards the Knight's comrades. It then released spears like being fired from a cannon towards them in large amount.

The Knight easily dodged or parried them while the sorceress conjured an earth pillar in front of her.

Alas, some of the soldier couldn't raise their anti-magic shields in time. Horribly piercing through the leather parts of their armor or causing a dent that fractured their bones.

Sheirl, after focusing her mana into her wand, she then made a gesture of pushing away something while her other free hand flowed around.

Her once earth pillar became filled with spikes before rushing towards Ming Lu. Though it was easily destroyed by his materialized war hammer made from the darkness itself.

He thought it was a simple childish trick but he didn't foresee the Knight emerging after the pillar got destroyed. Farengoth raised his blade before aiming to cut his head in half.

Luckily, since the hammer was projected from his energy, it didn't weigh as much. He then prepared to intercept the attack but... the feint surprised him.

The knight skillfully changed the trajectory of his swing and aimed to make his guts spilled.

Ming Lu quickly hardened his torso with his energy while backing off. The sword thorn through it before scrapping off his skin.

The dark clothed man cursed before thinking, 'He warned me about their swords... Though his feint puzzled me, why not directly attack if his blade was...'

They then engaged in a battle of parries, half-pirouettes, ripostes, feints and predictions.

Ming Lu grew tired before kicking away the Knight after he faked his swing. He then made distance before pointing his finger at the sorceress. A beam shot out after concentrating which was the same as the move that knocked out Lihua back then.

This time, instead of the same outcome as before, the sorceress self-barrier coming from her necklace was the only thing that shattered. Though this caused her to fall from the strong force.

The Knight gritted his teeth with anger before thrusting his blade towards him.

Ming Lu dodged to the side but the blade horizontally followed him. He panickily blocked it with both his weapon. Farengoth, with all his strength, pushed forward. His blade slowly cuts through the projected weapon.

Ming Lu gave up on this exchange before rolling back while throwing away his weapon. The Knight knew he would do this and so unleashed a howling emerging slash from concentrating his mana on his blade.

The man tried to block the enormous sharp wind towards him but failed. Though the purpose of the attack was not to kill but instead disable the opponent from movement. Ming Lu fell to the ground before coughing out blood. When he could finally focus his sight, all he could see was a blade pointing at him.

"It seems like you've lost." The knight mockingly said.

Ming lu smirked before saying "That is four."

"Four?" The knight asked with a puzzled look.

"The amount of sorceress fallen by me... Heh"

The knight turned urgently to find his childhood friend was getting munched by a large bear sized dog.

"Sheirl!" The knight ran before brandishing his blade and focused all his reserve mana into this one move.

"Vanquish those who taint this land with their vile claws!" His sword glowed in bright light before releasing a large wave of beam which pierced and incinerated the mutt.

When the Knight reached the sorceress, he raised her with his arm before eyeing the torn flesh on her stomach area. The large bite on the arm that exposed the bone. A missing foot with a part of her face disfigured and hard to explain...

He swore badly before removing his helmet. He looked around to find that the dog did work. Around him was his once trusted units who are now something which could be seen on a butcher's shop.

Sheirl's eyes were hazy as she raises her hands to caress the Knight's face.

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