When it came to taking action, as adrenaline was constantly secreted, Li Yu's attention remained in a highly concentrated state, and his mind wasn't filled with many thoughts.
However, once the battle ended and he gazed at the corpses scattered on the ground and the pungent stench of blood hit him, a wave of discomfort began to rise in Li Yu's stomach.
This felt completely different from watching movies and reading novels. No matter how limbs may fly chaotically on the screen or blood spurts, your heart always knows it's fake, simply a visual feast created by the director's use of props and filming techniques.
But Li Yu had just witnessed heads rolling and heard the dying wails of those men, inhaled the rust-like smell of blood carried by the wind—the sensory and psychological stimuli combined to create an exceptionally intense impact.
With that thought, Li Yu turned his head to look at Half-Face not far away.
That guy was a true desperado; no wonder he always got into trouble wherever he went.
And now, Half-Face was sizing up Li Yu as well, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Are you a god?"
"No, I'm just a prophet. My god is named Saturday, and I am its spokesperson in the mortal world."
"Never heard of it, but your god is much stronger than those useless figures on Holy Mountain. Does it still accept believers?" Half-Face asked.
Miss Rabbit heard someone speaking disrespectfully about the gods of her faith and felt the urge to argue, but realizing she couldn't win against either of the two men before her, she closed her mouth again, pretending not to hear.
"Why, you also want to believe in Saturday?" Li Yu asked.
"If I believe in Saturday, can it also grant me the power to wield thunder and light?"
Half-Face smirked slyly and squatted down to rifle through the corpses of those he had killed, searching for valuables and seemingly unaffected by the stench.
"That depends on how devout you are."
"Great, then count me in," Jude said cheerfully.
Li Yu glanced at the fifty centimeters on his wrist, noticing that the calendar position was still zero, unchanged from before.
He wasn't surprised by this outcome; verbal commitments had no value.
It was like most people visiting temples to worship Buddha, not out of true belief but as a last-minute grasp for luck, purely for potential benefits.
But Li Yu was not in a hurry; missionary work wasn't easy.
On his end, everything was still to be established. He had just made up a god's name, and beyond that, he had nothing. If someone set their mind to join the faith, they would discover nothing but an empty shell here.
Instead, it was better to maintain a certain distance and a sense of mystery for now.
Half-Face scavenged two gold Keons, sixteen silver Keons, a set of chain armor in decent condition, and eyed a pair of boots on one of the bodies.
Then, in front of Li Yu and Ireya, he updated his gear as if playing an RPG game.
But the biggest surprise came from Honey Bear.
He found twelve gold Keons, seven silver Keons, a string of pearl necklaces, and a pair of stockings on him—a bountiful harvest.
Upon seeing the stockings, the young girl suddenly exclaimed, "That... that's the one I lost a few days ago!"
Half-Face swiftly returned the stockings to Ireya, adding, "I've heard the name Honey Bear before; he's from the Boleslaw Family, expelled for committing a crime, and then became a mercenary in the western lands.
"Members of the Boleslaw Family have always had a keen sense of smell, and Honey Bear, being skilled in tracking, had a bit of a reputation in the nearby area. It seems you've been targeted, Miss Irelia of the Arias Family."
Miss Rabbit's face flushed red; she hadn't expected the lie she'd just told, still warm, to be so quickly exposed.
"Uh, we're being hunted, so we had to be careful before."
"I can see that," Half-Face said, picking up the Hand Half Sword that Honey Bear always carried and thrusting it into the chest of the one-legged wretch, ending his life.
"Once I take action, I try not to leave any survivors, so that neither they nor their relatives or friends will come looking for trouble later," Jude explained.
"That's... understandable," Ireya said, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible, but her teeth were still chattering.
Half-Face, who seemed to have a penchant for killing tonight, pointed to the two men Li Yu had knocked down, "Need me to do it for you? Don't worry, I'm very principled; if you've taken someone down, I won't touch their belongings."
"Thank you, but there's no need," Li Yu said. "I have a few questions to ask them."
Half-Face shrugged, "These guys are just minor characters who get paid to do the job; you won't be able to get any information out of them. But it's up to you, I'll leave them to you."
After a pause, he added, "We should find a different place to rest; the stench of blood here is too strong and might attract wild animals nearby."
Ireya couldn't wait to leave this terrible place covered in blood and bodies, and she immediately agreed, "Right, we shouldn't stay here."
In addition to giving Li Yu and his party money and equipment, Honey Bear's group also gave them seven horses.
Unfortunately, Miss Rabbit didn't know how to ride, and Li Yu, an ordinary modern person, wasn't adept at equestrianism, a noble sport of the new century.
So, in the end, it was up to Jude to load the spoils of war and the captives on the horses' backs, and then lead the two horses on foot to leave.
Jude asked the young woman, "Are you still planning to go to Duolin City?"
With an embarrassed smile, Ireya confessed, "We're planning to return to Green Field."
"Not bad, family is always a person's strongest support."
"Unfortunately, not this time."
Perhaps because she had moved away from the lands stained with slaughter, Miss Rabbit's fear abated slightly, and her mind began to work again.
Although she had luckily escaped an assassination today, that didn't mean she was safe.
On the contrary, her opponents might become even more frenzied after their plans had been exposed.
And the manpower at her disposal was too scant, only Li Yu; the guy was quite formidable, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and could control both Thunder and the Power of Light. But alas, he was elusive, absent two out of every three days, leaving her alone in the wilderness to struggle, which was truly difficult to endure.
Compared to Li Yu, Jude, a local from Bratis, seemed much more reliable.
Not to mention his superior martial arts, he could also lead horses, navigate, and carry luggage, a man of many talents. Most importantly, he didn't wander off. The only trouble was his excessively ruthless methods.
Just thinking about Half-Face's efficient and indifferent manner of killing made Miss Rabbit shiver.
Especially since once Li Yu was gone, she would only have Jude for company.
What if this murderous maniac suddenly turned on her mid-journey, turning his axe on her—where would she go to plead her case?
But the young woman also knew he was a talent, and moreover, her current predicament didn't afford her much space for choice.
Finding it hard to decide, Ireya thought it best to consult her advisor first.
She stealthily tugged on Li Yu's sleeve, signaling him to slow down his pace.