'A pretense?' Zhihui thought, his eyes honed in on Silas. 'He's holding back... why?' The fox-like young man was stronger than he initially thought, and many things had piqued his interest—the object Silas had brought out that released the barrier and the mysterious Pill.
Meanwhile, Silas stared at the strange beggar, thoughts running through his mind. '...Where did this monster come from?' His heartbeat rose. 'What was that palm? An ancient technique? Why was it so powerful, and why is he so powerful? This is a beggar?'
It was true that Silas held back, but the damage from the exchange surprised him. What had shocked him to his core, though, was the ghastly palm that broke his defensive trump card. 'You know how much effort it took to get that? And my bone-building pill too...'
'From his movements in the Inn, I knew he was a bit talented, but to think he'd be at the peak of the ninth-level.' Silas clenched the sword tightly. Being at the peak of the eighth level of Qi condensation at his age, he was a genius.
This was his first time seeing someone as young and even more talented. While Silas had used resources to pave his way, the beggar seemed to have ventured along naturally.
The young man let out a bitter sigh.
Silas knew he couldn't win, and whether he could escape successfully or not was another question. He was aware that the beggar held back.
Silence grew in the area, but the tension in the air was palpable. The surroundings themselves seemed to hold their breath in anticipation.
Moments passed, the two figures remained still, eyes locked. Then, abruptly, with a speed neither had displayed in the previous encounter, they concealed their weapons.
Silas heaved a sigh of relief, and Zhihui smirked mischievously.
"The opportunity you spoke of..." The beggar rubbed his chin slightly, eyes twinkling with thoughts. "...I'm interested."
"You should be; this kind of opportunity doesn't come every day," Silas replied proudly, revealing pearly white teeth with his fox smile.
"But what makes you think I'd help... participate in this 'opportunity' with you?" Zhihui asked, brows creased slightly.
"Well, for one, you owe me," Silas revealed, eliciting a raised brow from the beggar.
"I owe you?" Zhihui asked, wearing a puzzled expression as he narrowed his eyes.
"Back at the Inn, you wanted to kill those sect disciples, right? An untrained eye won't notice, but I can see it," Silas said, a knowing smile across his face.
"A tiger with the appearance of a beggar. I saw it in your eyes. In your mind, you had already thought of killing them—when to do it, how to do it. Not just them, but everyone; the minute you walked into the inn, your eyes had already seen blood."
"Ah, and it was so interesting seeing you instigate the two groups. Tsk, Why did you suddenly decide to ruin it by trying to harm one?" Silas lamented, clicking his tongue.
Zhihui frowned, glaring at the young man.
"T-that leads me to my main point and the reason you owe me." Silas raised his hands open in surrender. "If you had actually attacked and killed the Bloodlust Sect disciples, you would've died soon after!
The hefty fine he spoke about only applies to them; the Crow City higher-ups have deep connections with the Bloodlust Sect, though on the surface, they claim only business relations.
Even if they didn't kill you, it would be extremely troublesome. Trust me. But most of all, you would have ruined the opportunity."
Hearing this, Zhihui felt a bead of sweat run down his face, inwardly glad he hadn't made a move prematurely. "Then tell me, what is this opportunity you speak of? I'm guessing it involves those disciples."
"Of course, it'll take some time to explain. Let's move to somewhere more suitable," Silas suggested, holding his arm out in a certain direction. After a slight nod from the beggar, they began to walk toward the heart of Crow City.
Surprised that the beggar chose to walk beside him, Silas squinted slightly.
"Tell me about the Bloodlust Sect," Zhihui said, the side of his mouth curled upward.
Silas squinted slightly when he heard the question. Did this beggar have no idea about just the Bloodlust Sect? Yet he wanted to pick fights with them. He initially thought there was more to the reason, but uncertainty now sparkled in his vision.
"Well, it is a big sect built upon blood and war," Silas recounted. "All I've heard are rumors, but they say it was started by one man who carved his way from a mortal through war. The Bloodlust Sect believes that the battlefield is the best teacher, and to climb higher, one must step on the heads of others in their path.
But while they are classified as a demonic sect and have quite the reputation for carnage, they aren't as 'evil' as one may think."
Silas narrowed his eyes slightly. "Of course, these are all rumors, and they may actually be a bunch of war maniacs, but I'd prefer them over the hypocritical righteous sects." The last few words were said with hints of disgust behind them.
"Is there a reason for your interest in them?" Silas questioned, eyes expectant.
"I plan to join them," Zhihui said nonchalantly.
"Oh! You're here for the entrance exams as well? Good, good. We'll be seeing each other often then. Let's get along." A wide smile drew across his face.
"You're joining too?" Zhihui asked in an uninterested tone.
"Of course, why wouldn't I? The Bloodlust Sect is a great option; the rules are lax, and there are many battles for us to take part in. Resources are just waiting for us to seize them.
Although most who join the Bloodlust Sect are really just cannon fodder, for us, advancing through the realms will be as easy as making a gold digger smile."
Zhihui raised a brow, and Silas brought out a gold coin, flipping it. "Because we, have this—strength," he said.
"I see.." Zhihui muttered then placed his arm around Silas's shoulder and smiled widely."I think me and you will be very good friends!" He declared in a warm tone, but one that made Silas tremble slightly.