“Told you it would work.”

“Fine, I lost the bet. I’ll be nice to the next idiot we encounter.”

****

They found themselves staring at a young child embroiled in conversation with a… was that a cat? Let’s call it a cat.

“You!” The Enforcement Elder recognised Long Di from earlier today.

“You are a pretty person!” Pebbles the Wondercat said out of nowhere.

The Enforcement Elder was thrown off kilter by that comment. He was pretty? When did that happen!?

Then, when the enlightenment brought on by the words that Pebbles and Long Di spoke earlier dawned, rage took over in an instant.

“You piece of-”

“You can’t lie. That’s cheating.” Long Di didn’t even care about the Enforcement Elder at this point.

Pebbles defended his point, stating. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is it not?”

“Yeah, but are you beholding what I’m beholding?”

“Okay, you’re right. I may have been reaching a little bit there.”

“Ack!” The Enforcement Elder coughed up blood in anger and fainted due to the rage he felt from dealing with Long Di.

Once again, he suffered again at the hands of Long Di’s verbal barbs. This time, it wasn’t even aimed directly at him. It was more like the remnant shockwaves of it slapped him in his face again and again.

“Y-You, can you do that again!?” Violet Flame Noble couldn’t be bothered with the Enforcement Elder’s mental well-being since he saw a light of hope in what was sure death.

Long Di’s impassive gaze slid in his direction. “A good thing to say right now would be there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”

“Oh! Good one Long Di!”

“Thank you Pebbles! Those novels are a treasure trove of comebacks I swear.” Long Di replied to the companion on his shoulder.

“Please! I’ll do anything!” Violet Flame Noble begged, shocking everyone.

They could understand well his need to live, but to beg someone for help like this was unbecoming of his station as one of the Five Nobles.

Seeing his position, people actually began sneering at him for it. Though they didn’t actively say anything, as they were nowhere near his status, they still looked down on him now in their hearts.

However, Violet Flame Noble didn’t care for their stares and just looked at Long Di.

“What if I wanted you to die? Would you do it then?” Long Di asked half-jokingly.

“Yes!” Violet Flame Noble said without hesitation, shocking everyone even more.

Long Di didn’t expect this answer and actually stared at Violet Flame Noble with new curiosity.

“You wouldn’t die immediately, but only after a goal.”

“I-I won’t lie! I have a goal. After f-fulfilling it… my life is yours!” Violet Flame Noble found it hard to speak but still struggled to answer Long Di. He didn’t know why, but he felt this person to be truly unfathomable.

Maybe, just maybe, this person could help him.

“What if I wanted a general?” Long Di asked him with his head cocked.

“Then you have my sword!”

This shook many people’s hearts. He was willing to go this far!?

“And if I wanted a servant?” Long Di felt like he wanted to push it a bit. How far would this person go?

Many in the crowd frowned, thinking he was going too far. Obviously, Violet Flame Noble was a heavenly genius, yet Long Di wanted him as a servant? This was too much!

“Then you shall have a sword-calloused hand pouring you tea,” Violet Flame Noble replied, causing many people to gasp in astonishment.

His response moved the crowd. He was willing to be a servant!?

What was going on!?

His expression told them he meant it. This was no joke. For a heavenly genius like him, for him to be living as someone else’s servant pouring them tea should be worse than killing him. So then, why?

“It must be true then,” one person said after a while.

“What’s true?” Another person was curious and asked.

“I heard rumours that Violet Flame Noble’s master was inflicted with a dao injury during a breakthrough session. Vitality, dao, physique and energy were all damaged as a result. Violet Flame Noble is the pride of his master and the young noble regards his master as his parent. Violet Flame Noble’s attitude shows that he wishes to live no matter the cost. Mostly because he is looking for a way to save his master.”

“Isn’t his master-”

“Yes. His master, the sect master of Dao Flame Mansion,” another answered.

“I guess they didn’t want anyone to know,” one expert stated.

Another then shook their head. “This is all mere speculation from our end. Dao Flame Mansion never came out to say anything.”

“Would you expect them to?” One famous expert asked. “Dao Flame Mansion is one of the ten great sects with countless territories and tributaries under its rule. If a powerhouse on the level of the sect master was injured, this news could incite the greed of those looking to replace it.”

Despite all that was taking place around him, Violet Flame Noble didn’t say a thing and only looked towards Long Di, waiting for his answer.

“Then your life is mine,” Long Di responded.

“Thank you, young noble!” Violet Flame Noble bowed to Long Di, and the latter accepted the grand gesture.

He remembered from the countless cultivation novels he read how the MC would always stop others from bowing to them in a show of magnanimity.

Did Long Di have any of that? Well, we can’t be sure. But he didn’t mind others bowing down to him.

Got a problem with that? Tough. Cuz no damns were given this day.

Rumble!

A powerful tremor shook the land, seizing everyone’s attention once more.

Looking over, they saw a shooting star rocketing from beyond the horizon!

Boom!

The shooting star crashed into the city wall, sending cracks spiralling in all directions. The tremor was so intense that it nearly shook off all the weaker cultivators.

Once the dust cleared, people saw a beautiful golden-haired woman wearing golden armour embedded in the wall.

Many paid attention to the armour she wore. The pauldrons and breastplate all had crystal orbs that shone like the sun. The armour was form-fitting and sat upon her curves perfectly, as if it was made for her.

Of course, many sections of it were broken and/or shattered due to the battle.

“H-Heavenly Sun Noble!” Mad Sword Haoran was aghast at the identity of this ‘shooting star.’

Shu!

He rushed down the wall in an instant before appearing by her side, followed by Jingyi Yu.

“H-Haoran Jian?” Heavenly Sun Noble stuttered as she spoke. Blood leaked from the side of her mouth.

‘Master’s Heavenly Golden Sun Armor is damaged!’ Mad Sword Haoran tried his best to remove his Master from the wall.

“L-Leave Haora…” Heavenly Sun Noble lost consciousness before she could tell him to run.

“Master? Master!?” Mad Sword Haoran Jian panicked when she fainted.

Kakakakaka…

The sound of bones rattling rang out, and a chill ran down everyone’s spine.

They all looked over to see a black-armoured entity hobbling over. A dark aura enveloped it, and the armour it wore was of an archaic era, further evidenced by some parts of it that were eaten out by the maws of time.

Bones were visible in whatever opening was revealed, letting anyone know that whatever it was that wore this thing was not alive.

“What the hell is that thing!?” Someone screamed.

The Grand Elder announced. “Death Armour Archaic Soldier.”