# 1635
Chapter 1635
The deafening explosion echoed across the dark city. The cowering citizens inside their homes trembled, peeking through door cracks to witness countless "mysteries" descending toward the tavern's rooftop, only to be ruthlessly slashed down by two figures.
"Marquis brought reinforcements! Marquis is here to protect us!"
Upon seeing this, one homeowner beamed with joy, yet dared not speak loudly, whispering instead.
"Thank you, Marquis… thank you, Marquis for avenging my little son who was eaten…" The woman beside him dropped to her knees, bowing repeatedly toward the tavern, tears streaming down her face.
"Father, there seems to be someone on the road?" A little boy peered through the crack, blinking uncertainly.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could there be anyone out there at a time like this? That would be suicide!"
"But I really see someone…"
The man peeked through another crack and indeed spotted a cloaked figure with a conical hat walking toward the tavern along the road.
"Is he insane?!" The man's pupils constricted.
"Father, there's a monster descending from the sky toward him!" The boy cried out again.
A creature that had been heading toward the tavern suddenly spotted the figure below. It veered sharply and lunged downward with terrifying speed!
By the dim starlight, they could see it was a bat-like fierce monster. Its gaping maw could swallow their entire house whole. Upon seeing the bat charge toward them, the woman let out a sharp shriek.
Just as the bat was about to devour the figure along with their house, the figure suddenly raised its head and threw a punch!
Boom—!!
His fist struck the bat's lower jaw, tearing a gruesome bloody hole through its body. Then a flash of broken sword light sliced through like cutting tofu, severing its head.
It all happened too fast. In the man's eyes, the figure merely flickered, and then blood rained down the entire street. A grotesque head rolled to their doorstep.
Seeing the monster's head so close, the man was scared out of his wits and tumbled backward onto the floor!
The cloaked figure glanced at them, hesitated briefly, then picked up the bat's head with one hand, muttering to himself:
"I'll just use this as a gift for meeting the Marquis…"
The figure glanced at the door behind them and walked straight toward the tavern.
Before taking many steps, a massive wolf lunged from the street corner, bloodthirst blazing in its eyes. It glared at the figure and charged with a snarl… A thunderous crash later, the figure was holding another wolf's head.
"Two gifts…" The fading voice drifted on the wind.
...
Chaotic battle cries rang from the tavern rooftop. Huo Qubing withdrew his gaze and returned to the dinner table, sitting down leisurely.
He picked up his chopsticks and tapped them lightly against the table corner, unhurriedly beginning to eat the leftover dishes. As if the outside slaughter and chaos had nothing to do with him—he was simply a devoted diner.
"Your men are fighting outside, yet you eat so leisurely?" The female prisoner spoke with a sigh.
"They still need training." Huo Qubing ate while speaking calmly.
"And you don't need it anymore?"
"I do, but these enemies won't benefit me much."
"What arrogance." The female prisoner couldn't help but laugh. "Tell me, how strong are you now? Unbeatable under heaven?"
"Unbeatable? Hardly." Huo Qubing replied unhurriedly. In those young, sharp features, a pair of deep eyes reflected the land and starry sky beyond the window. "But in this era, I, Huo Qubing, am the highest pillar of humanity."
"The highest pillar of humanity?"
Hearing this description, the female prisoner froze momentarily, then coldly laughed. "I thought the legendary Marquis of Champion was some heroic figure, but it seems he's just an arrogant, self-centered young man."
Huo Qubing made no retort. He lowered his head and picked out a piece of fish, chewing it carefully.
Seeing Huo Qubing's nonchalant response, a glimmer of light flickered in the female prisoner's eyes. "Since you're the highest of humanity, why do you need these specially-made shackles to bind me? With your strength, are you still afraid I'd escape from right in front of you? Being so timid—how can you call yourself humanity's strongest?"
Huo Qubing's chopsticks paused. He glanced at the female prisoner, a smile tugging at his lips:
"A provocation? You're not stupid, but this provocation technique of yours still needs work."
The female prisoner's expression stiffened. She冷哼一声 and turned her head away.
"However, if you truly wish to try, I can give you a chance." Huo Qubing's voice came again.
"What chance?"
"I'll remove your shackles. Use everything you have and try to escape this city… If you succeed, I'll let you run for three days before hunting you down."
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in the female prisoner's eyes. "And if I fail to escape?"
"If you fail, until you're drawn apart by chariots in Chang'an, you must obey my every command."
The female prisoner's brow furrowed tightly, as if calculating something.
"If you're thinking that even if you fail to escape you can just renege and not follow my orders, you'd best abandon that notion now." As if seeing through the female prisoner's thoughts, Huo Qubing beckoned casually. From the void behind him, a purple crawling creature suddenly flew out, landing in his palm.
"This is called the【Heart-Returning Gu】. It's one of the 'mysteries' under my control. If you fail to escape, you'll have to consume it… Then whether you obey commands or not won't be up to you anymore."
The female prisoner stared at the purple crawling creature, her complexion turning ugly.
But upon seeing the heavy shackles on her shoulders, a conflicted look still flickered in her eyes. After a long while, as if having made a decision, she nodded decisively:
"Fine, I accept!"
Huo Qubing slowly set down his chopsticks and walked before the female prisoner. A smile crept across that young general's face.
"Then, the bet begins."
He flicked his fingers lightly, and the heavy shackles on the female prisoner's shoulders broke apart from the center. Spiritual power surged back into her body, and a familiar sense of strength flooded through every fiber!
The female prisoner's eyes brightened instantly. A robust aura comparable to the Human Apex realm erupted outward. She moved like a nimble leopard, darting out the window in an instant and vanishing into the night sky.
He actually let me go?!
Ecstasy flooded the female prisoner's heart. Her form steadied as she landed two streets away. The city gate was merely a hundred meters ahead—nothing insurmountable for her!
"Arrogant fool."
She snorted lightly. Just as she was about to dash toward the city gate, a cloaked figure with a conical hat, dragging a trail of unknown monster heads behind him, suddenly emerged from the street corner.
"Oh?" Lin Qiye spotted the female prisoner in the middle of the road, startled. "Isn't this that prisoner?"
He glanced toward the tavern and a smile likewise appeared on his lips:
"This gift should carry more weight…"