Eddie and the female swordsman exchanged glances, both of them involuntarily uttering a surprised 'huh,' their faces simultaneously revealing shock.
Eddie was astonished because, in the vast land of Dragon-Territory, he had never seen anyone who, like him, mainly focused on mastering battle techniques.
This was particularly rare among the nobles, who usually prioritized summoning.
Yet here was this tall female swordsman, who seemed to defy the norm by concentrating on battle techniques over summoning.
The female swordsman, with her sharp eyebrows, deep black eyes, and piercing gaze, stood out strikingly.
Her tall stature was unusual for a woman, easily matching Eddie's height.
Despite being clad in heavy armor, her elegant figure was unmistakable. Her long legs moved with a grace and lightness reminiscent of a crane walking through snow.
Eddie thought if the Falling-Flower Master used her summoned beasts to fight this swordswoman from a distance, she might win.
However, in close combat, this swordswoman gave the impression of being an invincible force, perhaps even surpassing Qeathon, known for his unmatched prowess in melee battles.
Eddie could tell from her aura, manner of walking, breathing, and other subtle signs that she was a warrior who excelled in combat techniques.
The huge dark sword on her back was made of unknown material, so advanced that even Eddie's Level 2 Insightful Eyes couldn't discern its level or quality.
It was undoubtedly a treasure of at least the golden level. Eddie sensed that the woman had a unique physical constitution and a hidden beast that was highly suitable for combat techniques.
Moreover, her skills seemed to be of a higher level than the Yue Family Spear Technique, although Eddie was unable to identify which technique she practiced.
The swordswoman also found Eddie peculiar. She saw in him a man who was unusually strange.
Although it's common to encounter all sorts of people in the world, the female swordsman was truly surprised to meet someone like herself, who primarily focused on combat techniques.
What shocked her was the sense of threat she felt from Eddie, which was the first time she experienced such a feeling from someone of her generation.
Without her "Sixth Sense Talent," she might have been deceived by this man, who appeared to be a mere thief.
Observing further, she noticed he was holding an uncontracted little nine-headed monster, intending to exchange it with Forlen. Her curiosity was piqued - where had he acquired such a creature?
"Yes, I gave the Wisdom Fruit to Sister Cecily," Forlen spoke with the timidity of a bullied housewife, almost on the verge of tears.
"I'm not robbing you. You owed me a Wisdom Fruit before, and now I'm just taking it back. Is that a problem?" The female swordsman raised her eyebrows and stared at Forlen with a piercing gaze.
Frightened, Forlen shrank into a corner like a scared cat, unable to utter another word.
Eddie realized this woman was no ordinary individual. Her ability to intimidate a member of one of the four great families to such an extent indicated her extraordinary background.
"What's your name?" the female swordsman asked Eddie directly, ignoring Forlen.
"Titan," Eddie replied effortlessly, as if that had been his name all along.
"Hmm, no, you're not telling me the truth. Well, it doesn't matter. What do you want the Wisdom Fruit for?" The female swordsman, with her exceptional senses, could easily discern Eddie's lie.
Eddie internally panicked, realizing she might have the ability to discern truth from lies. This made him apprehensive, as his strength lay in deceit and trickery.
"The Wisdom Fruit is obviously for eating, to increase wisdom," Eddie responded, trying to mask his nervousness.
"Nonsense, I can tell you're a fool who can't even lie properly!" the female swordsman glared at him with her imposing eyes. "The Wisdom Fruit is only for feeding battle beasts.
If a normal warrior eats it, they'll become as dumb as a beast. Don't you know that, or are you just spouting nonsense?"
"The Wisdom Fruit can only be fed to battle beasts?" Eddie was startled, realizing he had misunderstood the use of the Wisdom Fruit.
"You haven't turned your brain into pure muscle from all that combat training, have you?" The female swordsman, realizing Eddie was serious, felt exasperated at his lack of basic knowledge. How could he not know something even an eight-year-old would be aware of? It seemed he was so engrossed in combat techniques that he paid no attention to battle beasts, hence his ignorance. Yet, what puzzled her was that someone capable of mastering combat techniques to her level should be rare in Longteng Continent. Someone as "dangerous" as Eddie couldn't just be an ordinary person. It was strange that he seemed unaware of common knowledge, which made her suspect he wasn't from a regular family.
"My Wisdom Fruit is yours, but you'll have to do me a favor," the female swordsman said, turning to glare at Forlen.
"What are you waiting for? "
"Bring out the Resurrection Branch. I've seen foolish people, but I've never seen someone as foolish as you. Going to auction the Wisdom Fruit and Resurrection Branch, have you turned your brain into tofu dregs? "
"And that ugly beard, take it off already. It doesn't make you look better, just sillier! You're lucky you're my brother-in-law; if you were my fiancé, I'd have cut you down with two swords already!"
"Don't be angry, I'll give it to you, alright?" Forlen frantically peeled off the fake beard and took out a brocade box from his bosom.
The female swordsman snatched the box and glared at him again. "You really need to reflect on yourself. As an adult, you're not acting serious at all, creating a 'Storm Mercenary Group' like some child. If you were full, you wouldn't be fiddling around like this!"
A cute girl peeked her head from behind the door, trying to defend in a soft voice, "Sister Xixi, we formed the Storm Mercenary Group to prove ourselves!"
However, with one fierce glance from the female swordsman, she quickly shrank back into a corner like a scared kitten.
Eddie watched in amazement.
Truly, she was an invincible female swordsman!
Before he could react, the female swordsman glared at him with her sharp eyes.
"Why are you standing there like a fool? Put down the nine-headed monster and come with me!"
Eddie inwardly groaned, wondering why she was suddenly taking charge of him too.
"Where are we going?" Eddie knew following this formidable woman wouldn't be pleasant, but he had no choice since she held both the Wisdom Fruit and the Resurrection Branch.
"There's something about you that's odd, and I want to ask you a few questions. Don't worry, after I'm done, I'll give you the Wisdom Fruit and the Resurrection Branch," the female swordsman said, heading out with her giant sword and armor clanging with each step.
"Can you give me the Resurrection Branch first? Having it in hand will make me feel more at ease and help me answer your questions more smoothly!" Eddie quickly followed her, planning to grab the branch and make a run for it, escaping the dangerous woman.
"You're going to escape as soon as you get it, aren't you? I can tell you're lying. I won't give you anything unless you answer my questions honestly!" the female swordsman accused, reading Eddie's intentions.
"I promise I'll be more honest than Zhang Lao Shi from Blackstone City, who always offers a 'buy one, get one free' deal on coffins and a 20% discount," Eddie said, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead.
"You're lying again. There's no such person in Blackstone City!" the female swordsman laughed, her laughter brightening the atmosphere like the dawn's first light.
"How do you know?" Eddie asked, astonished. Could it be impossible to tell a single lie in her presence?
"Because Blackstone City doesn't have any coffin shops. Their custom is cremation, not burial," she explained. "But you're quite amusing with your lies. Do you often use these stories to charm girls? Anyway, that's not important. What I want to know is which family are you from?"
"I'm not from any noble family. I'm just a farmer, and my ancestors for eighteen generations have been humble peasants," Eddie insisted.
"Look at my pallid face, a sign of poor nutrition. And these calloused hands show how hard I've worked in the fields. If you don't believe me, I can even recite a poem to prove it....."
The female swordsman listened to Eddie's elaborate story, her expression a mix of amusement and skepticism.
The female swordsman listened silently, furrowing her brows in response to Eddie's elaborate tale.
Eddie's intention was clear: to confuse her with his storytelling, especially the poem, to disrupt her ability to discern truth through sound.
Feeling quite pleased with himself, Eddie was caught off guard .
The female swordsman bluntly brought him back to reality. "Surprisingly, I thought you might be a freeloader from some noble family, but it turns out you know about these matters concerning peasants. "
"In the four major families, there's hardly anyone I don't recognize, yet I've never seen you before. And it's impossible for a lesser family to possess high-level combat skills to train someone to your level. What's your real name?"
"Titan!" Eddie knew he couldn't reveal his true identity to her. The woman was too formidable, and it was better to keep a safe distance.
If it weren't for her proficiency in combat skills, he would have already tried to forcefully take the box containing the Resurrection Branch and make his escape.
As Eddie calculated how to snatch the box, the female swordsman seemed to read his thoughts and tucked it securely into her chest.
Just as he was contemplating how to deal with her discreetly, a girl from the Warrior's Guild ran over, excitedly wrapping her arm around Eddie's, exclaiming, "Is it really you, Eddie? How did you end up here at the Heaven-Reaching Tower?"
Eddie's mind went blank.
He had no idea who she was.
Judging by her tone and actions, she seemed to have a close relationship with the unfortunate man.
Could she be the girl who broke off the engagement, or a secret lover hidden by the man?
But the man's diary never mentioned such a woman. Who on earth was she?