The enemy only blocked Brian's two strikes before his weapons were knocked down.
[They're more like a bunch of hooligans than members of the patrol team.] Brian thought angrily. [Other than blackmail and extortion, what else have they done? Greyhound and I meticulously performed the tasks given by the lord, but ended up being the weird ones out of the team.]
But... it just so happened, this group of scum, in order to join Longsong Stronghold, did not care about what happened to the town, and used despicable methods to kill Greyhound.
Unforgivable!
He wielded the sword, aiming toward a frightened opponent's neck...
At this moment, a shadow emerged from the target, and swiftly stabbed close to Brian's heart. This blow was too concealed, so when he detected it, it was already too late.
In desperation, he crashed backwards to the ground, his body popping up, and felt a stabbing pain at his chest.
After rolling a few laps, Brian immediately stood up and put on a defensive stance. That sword attack only pierced his coat and skin, and there was no serious harm done. But the main point was who did the attack! He did not know any guy in the patrol team with such a fencing skill.
"Huh? You actually dodged the attack." The man pushed away his teammate and came forward.
By the firelight, Brian found he did not know that person—he was not tall, and yet his hands were very long, hanging down almost to the knees. His face was unfamiliar, and Brian vowed he had never seen this face before.
"You're not from the patrol team... Who're you exactly?"
Despite having few dealings with the five people next door, but at least he recognized them. This guy obviously replaced one of them, followed the team in and infiltrated the castle. It was not surprising that he did not discover him in the middle of the night, but it was impossible that Fierce Scar did not notice as well. Since they did not seem surprised, then there was only one explanation that this guy was deliberately arranged by Fierce Scar.
"You already know the answer, so why asking me?" He smiled indifferently. "Anyway, you're going to die."
"Damn, he's injured me!" Fierce Scar shouted hatefully. "Viper, chop off his hands and feet, and I want to slowly drain his blood!"
"Unfortunately, Mr. Kihls, I have to first complete the tasks of the earl."
Without much pause, the guy known as Viper continued attacking. His movement was swift and mysterious, plus his abnormally long arms, forcing Brian into a bitter struggle. Brian was forced to retreat, and simply could not find an opportunity to counterattack.
[Too careless!] Brian began to feel anxious. [We've fought for so long, surely the people above would have noticed, right?]
He wanted to personally revenge Greyhound's death, but yet now he only wished he could hold on a little longer, till the guards of His Royal Highness came to ambush this group of villains.
"You seem to be expecting something." Viper suddenly paused attacking. "I guess you're waiting for the prince's men to save you? Unfortunately, this stone castle is different from your usual pubs and hotels. In those wooden houses, the floors would creak when people were entertaining. But here, as long as the door was closed, you could shout at the top of your lungs, and no one would hear any movement upstairs."
After Brian's thoughts had been exposed, he could not help but hesitate, and Viper was waiting exactly for this opportunity. He kept the sword pointing down to dull the opponent while slightly raised the other hand to trigger the hand crossbow in the sleeve.
A bolt with just a finger's length was shot from the cuff, and once Brian heard the light buzzing of the machine, the bolt was already thrust in his lung.
Unbearable pain suddenly exploded in his chest. Brian threw the sword at Viper, and turned back to run. But the blood from the lung exuded quickly into the trachea, making it difficult for him to breathe. He did not run far, before he tripped over the threshold, with a staggering heavy fall to the ground.
Viper caught up with him, and wanted to terminate his opponent, but was stopped by Fierce Scar.
"Let me do it," he said gnashing his teeth. "I want this guy to know what happens to those who stab me!"
A trace of cool flashed across Viper's face, but he eventually moved aside. "Do it efficiently, and don't forget our main business."
Fierce Scar grabbed Brian's hair and shouted at him, "Believe me, you'll die a very painful death."
Brian wanted to spit some blood on his face, but his whole body's strength was draining away, and he knew he did not have long to live. Past regrets surged to his heart, such as the wife he had not yet met, and the dream to be a knight. But the most regrettable was... being unable to avenge Greyhound.
Wait, what was that?
He blinked, and there was a woman sitting on top of a box. Although under the dim light, her look was not clear, that exquisite body proved clearly that she was without doubt a woman.
Hell, was this an illusion... When he fell into the room, he did not see anyone inside. Did the deities in heaven hear his complaints, and deliberately created a fantasy to comfort him?
"Hey, you guys are not only fighting in other people's territory, and even intend to kill right in front of me. Don't you think that's inappropriate?"
Brian could feel Fierce Scar's hand tremble, and let loose his hair. He could hear sounds of weapons bursting out of the sheath, and some shouts. "Who are you!?"
[Their reaction is just too... Wait!] Brian was thinking hazily. [Isn't this an illusion?]
"Of course I'm from here." The woman jumped from the barrel, and patted the dust from her robe. In the dim firelight, Brian saw her gown was embroidered with a strange pattern—three juxtaposed triangles, and a huge eye in the center. The silhouette of the eye shone golden bright under the firelight.
"What about you guys? Rats that come from the gutter?" Her voice was crisp and sweet, yet without any emotion. This was unreasonable... Anyone who saw a murder scene would not behave so calm.
Viper was also aware of this. He looked somber, walked slowly around the other's side, and suddenly stabbed her.
The woman did not even turn her head, but casually waved her hand. Viper did not even see her weapon, but just felt a burst of cold wind blowing through his body.
There was a scream. Fierce Scar stared incredulously, and he saw Viper rush forward and retreat quickly. But the original site of the sword was now an empty space.
His arms fell to the ground, as well as the sword.
Fear suddenly strangled Fierce Scar's throat. The others might not know, but he was very clear about Viper's bottom line—vicious, dangerous and cunning when attacks. This was the earl's evaluation of this person. Someone who could be chosen and recruited by the earl, only meant his strength should not be underestimated. Even Brian would have difficulty in resisting his attack for more than half a quarter. But now, he was nonchalantly attacked by a woman, and his whole arm severed.
"What're you guys waiting for, hurry and kill her!" Viper shouted, holding his wound.
After having lost a lot of blood, Brian's vision began to blur. He heard chaotic sounds of footsteps, weapons, collision, and muffled sounds when bodies fell to the ground. What had happened exactly? He tried to turn his eyes, looking forward...
And then the patrol leader saw an image he could not understand.
That woman's figure was like a ghost, and she strolled amongst the crowd, disappearing and appearing at times. Every attack would penetrate the enemy's vital point. It did not seem like a fight, and it looked more like a dance. He had never seen anyone use weapons with such a sense of rhythm. The sword shadow was flying up and down, and drawing an incredible orbit. The people around seemed like clumsy clowns, compared to her. They futilely counterattacked, and then fell in vain... In the end, she was the only person proudly standing.
That was also the last sight Brian saw before losing consciousness.
