Chapter 146: The Name of the Outsider

“Wait a moment… let me sort this out…”

Ignoring the curious glances from the marching Temple Knights, Miss White Fox pressed her hand against her forehead and glanced at the Gray-clothed Swordsman, who had just raised his head, looking utterly sincere amidst the flickering torchlight.

“First and foremost, why do you think… I am a master swordsman?”

After pondering for a moment, the Soul nodded and countered with a question.

“Well… during the Faceless One’s turmoil, Miss Xī intervened in the Merchant Association to heal me from the poison, which I believe you remember, right?”

Suddenly, Someone’s heart skipped a beat, and an unsettling premonition emerged, but on the surface, he feigned indifference and nonchalance.

“Ah, yes, so what of it?”

Mentioning this, the Gray-clothed Swordsman couldn’t help but express some nostalgia, chuckling lightly.

“At that time, although my mind was a bit hazy, I later heard my mentor and the Ferryman mention it, but as the person involved, my experience was much richer than theirs.”

“Occasionally, in my dreams, I see blurred flashes of imagery, with a radiant figure floating in the air, and behind her, countless shining swords fly like birds, soaring through the sky to form a grand sword formation that pierces the heavens.”

“I don’t know what that formation was, but it was definitely the most profound and mysterious sight I’ve ever witnessed, completely breaking through my imagination of the sword.”

“Using the sword as a weapon, ten create lines, a hundred form an army, and ten thousand become a formation; this… is exactly the supreme sword path I have dreamt of since childhood!”

“In that moment, I was sure that my life, everything up to now, must have been extended just to witness such a scene!!!”

As his tone became abruptly high-pitched and fervent, he awkwardly touched the seven swords hanging at his waist.

“However, there are limits to human effort. After more than a decade of hard practice, I can only barely manage seven treasured swords, which is my limit. I’ve struggled for quite a while, hoping to find an opportunity for a breakthrough in this vast world, but traveling through various countries, the Wind Blade Master cultivates only one eye of the storm, and the Ten Thousand Swords Sovereign is elusive… Though there are strong ones in Demon Town, they all follow the path of blades. All this time, I couldn’t find someone truly capable of instructing me in the way of the sword, until…”

“Alright… I understand.”

Is it fortunate, perhaps?

It seems that the commotion caused when I entered his mindscape back then, clearing out those Faceless One pests, left such a profound impression on him that it manifested some important scenes as dreams.

This Soul’s mental resolve is indeed extraordinary; he even noticed things happening in his subconscious. No wonder he could resist the Faceless One’s invasion with his mortal body.

Fortunately, the vague memories aren’t enough for him to distinguish the differences in Miss White Fox’s appearance, only allowing him to vaguely guess that the figure who annihilated the masked army with a rain of swords was Xī, who was treating him at the time.

But the problem is…

Even without discussing willingness to teach, “Purifying Rain” is just an 8th-tier holy magic, what does it have to do with swordsmanship?!

Glancing at the Gray-clothed Swordsman, whose anxious yet hopeful gaze was directed towards her in the darkness, Miss White Fox suddenly felt at a loss.

If the Soul only seeks to learn and improve his skills, Miss Vilyric wouldn’t mind assisting him; after all, she doesn’t have any sect or teacher concepts, and many truly powerful things cannot be learned just by teaching.

However, if she said straightforwardly, “I’m just a priestess and have no idea how to wield a sword!” it might make him feel dismissed.

Given this guy’s serious attitude when coming to her repeatedly, he probably wouldn’t give up easily and would find a way to make Xī accept him as her disciple, which would definitely become an enormous hassle afterward.

So ultimately, what on earth is the way of the sword? Can’t it be described in less abstract terms?

Fine, let’s give him a glimmer of hope; I’ll try a little. If it doesn’t work out, I can just take off my mask and flee.

Although the “Grim Reaper’s Scythe” has previously seen her and her companions in Demon Town, making it easy to guess the connection between Xī and Vilyric, the effect of “Mask of the God Fox” ensures they won’t connect the dots that they are actually the same person.

Moreover, it’s not the Soul’s fault for getting overly entangled in matters like this; if she runs away, she can’t be blamed for it—after all, one shouldn’t forcefully teach and mislead the youth, right?

Eh… thinking about it this way, doesn’t this feel a bit heartless?

Peh peh peh! Regardless!

With her mind made up, the girl cleared her throat dramatically.

“Alright, in light of the Lingyin Merchant Association and… this basket of pastries, I’ll give you a chance. But I must clarify, I cannot guarantee any results, and I will not be your teacher—just passing on knowledge. Before that, I need to test your determination and aptitude. Is that… acceptable?”

Hearing this, the Soul beamed with joy instead of being worried, nodding eagerly.

“Of course! This is completely reasonable! With Miss Xī’s identity and strength, having the chance for a test is already a tremendous honor! So when will it be…”

Miss White Fox raised her hand, interrupting his increasingly excited chatter.

“Don’t rush it; haste makes waste… How about this, come back tomorrow morning. I’ll give you your first test then.”

“Yes! I will follow… uh, Miss Xī’s wishes!”

He instinctively nearly blurted out “teacher’s orders” but quickly remembered how she emphasized not being his teacher, so he hurriedly corrected himself.

“Alright, if that’s all, you can head back… By the way, just out of curiosity, did you make those pastries yourself? Where did you learn to make them?”

“Uh…”

The Gray-clothed Swordsman hesitated slightly, awkwardly scratching his head, and could only answer honestly.

“To be honest, these were made by Dark Spirit and Dark Lotus, as they brought this technique from their hometown. I hope it doesn’t embarrass Miss Xī.”

“From their hometown, huh…”

…

After sending off the overjoyed Soul, Miss Vilyric didn’t linger outside for long. She caught up with the line that had moved a distance and returned to the carriage.

The youngest, Little Eudora, who should still be growing, was already lightly snoring in the bed that Tilysha had made. The other girls had also tidied up, looking ready to rest as soon as Miss White Fox returned.

After all, it was nearly eleven o’clock at night.

Not wanting to waste too much time and considering the possible attacks Yuna mentioned, Miss Vilyric briefly explained the happenings outside. The lights went out, and they each got into their clothes to sleep.

But truth be told, the priestess couldn’t fall asleep lying next to the Little Dragon Daughter.

It wasn’t because of the heavy pressure from that large tail resting on her stomach, but rather because of her thoughts.

The pastries brought by the Soul, which she had temporarily stashed in her backpack, and also… how to approach tomorrow’s so-called test.

She vaguely sensed that the four from the Grim Reaper’s Scythe, or rather, a considerable number of members in the Lingyin Merchant Association…

Were not like the native residents of this world.

From the moment she first encountered this legendary adventurer squad in Demon Town, Miss Vilyric had felt there was an uncanny familiarity in their behavior and mannerisms, but at the time, she couldn’t quite grasp what it was.

Later, when she saw the two gatekeepers, Mo Sang and Gao Da Qiang from the Lingyin Merchant Association, and even including the Oracle, their abilities, styles, habits, and commonly used terms felt rather strange.

Especially after realizing that the “Grim Reaper’s Scythe” were members of the Lingyin Merchant Association, that strange familiarity became even more pronounced.

With tonight’s unexpected encounter, the priestess finally dared to reach a conclusion.

If she were to find a reference with a similar style and feeling, the only person that came to her mind was—

Or rather, probably not a human at all.

The priestess had once encountered the demon god during her time in the Valley of Magical Power in the Illusory Realm, the one who called himself “Wen Qu,” a young man in white.

Since “Oracle,” “Soul,” and “Ferryman” are all codenames, could it be possible…

That “Wen Qu” is also a kind of “codename”?

   

---