"So it really is a Mage," Li Chunfeng murmured, his expression astonished. After a moment's contemplation, he ventured, "Could it be related to the story Granny Wang told us?"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
"In Granny Wang's tale, the Mage was Squire Zhao's hired help, the one who subdued the heart-devouring demoness. Logically, the Mage would be a more powerful figure than both the Blacksmith and Squire Zhao.
"The Instance wouldn't pit the Evil Faction against the final boss right from the start, would it?"
Granny Wang's story and Xu Xiuer's account corroborated each other.
In Granny Wang's version, the demoness dug out hearts and livers, prompting Squire Zhao to hire a Mage to exorcise her. Xu Xiuer's account revealed that Granny Wang's son and Squire Zhao had conspired to kill the descendants of the Yin-Yang Wanderer.
The common thread was that both groups targeted the Yin-Yang Wanderer's descendants.
The difference lay in their motives.
The Mage likely existed in reality as well. If Squire Zhao and Granny Wang's son could have dealt with the poor woman themselves, they would have acted long ago. Granny Wang's story wouldn't have featured a Mage character; she would have fabricated a different narrative.
Of course, before the Spirit Realm's prompt appeared, these were merely Zhang Yuanqing's speculations.
Moreover, he finally understood the origin of the arrangements in Granny Wang's home.
"It's a Mage!"
"That Mage must be a Witchcraft Master," the Queen suddenly said.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her. The woman had finally caught on.
After confirming Xu Xiuer wasn't cursed, hearing the Spirit Realm's notification, and recalling Granny Wang's story, she would have wasted her Level 3 Water Ghost status if she hadn't figured it out by now.
Li Chunfeng remarked, "Only Witchcraft Masters can cast curses. But descendants of the Yin-Yang Wanderer also use curses. Does that mean the Yin-Yang Wanderer was an Evil Class?"
The Queen shook her head. "No one knows the Yin-Yang Wanderer's true identity. Other walkthroughs mention that the townspeople said he could summon wind and rain, and control fire to drive away bandits. The curses were likely abilities granted by an Item."
"Speaking of which, why isn't there a walkthrough for the story arc we just completed in the official database?" Huode Star General had always assumed the Five Elements Alliance's official database contained walkthroughs for every Spirit Realm Instance.
The Queen explained, "The number of Transcendent Phase Spirit Realm Instances is vast and varied. Many people advance from the Transcendent Phase to the Saint Stage having completed fewer than ten Transcendent Instances in total. Some even reach Level 2 after just two Instances."
A woman's affection for a man often manifests in subtly weaving him into her conversations. Guan Ya glanced again at her bright and confident female colleague.
As she pondered this, she turned to look at Primordial, finding him deep in thought.
The demon lord's intended storyline should align with our current path. After reviewing the Instance, he likely concluded there was a hidden quest. It's quite obvious; even I could have deduced it.
However, that lecherous fool already lost his virginity to Widow Xu and killed the Cat Corpse, thus failing to trigger the hidden quest.
Moreover, I now understand why the Yin-Yang Town Instance offers multiple "routes." The overall strength of each team varies greatly. Most teams would likely be wiped out by the Cat Corpse and Widow Xu encounters, so the different routes cater to teams of varying capabilities.
Just as he was deep in thought, Li Chunfeng spoke up:
"Before we proceed to the town center, I think we should strategize. Don't worry, I doubt a few minutes' delay will significantly impact the overall situation."
Given the Instance's difficulty, the final boss clearly couldn't be defeated by any faction in just a few minutes.
Moreover, due to the "three-way standoff" dynamic, Li Chunfeng reasoned that the Evil Faction wouldn't dare engage the boss without their presence, as no one wanted to be attacked from both sides.
His suggestion was met with Captain Zhang Yuanqing's approval. "Chi Ou is out of the fight. Guan Ya, Queen, what's your remaining combat strength?"
The Queen assessed her condition. "About seventy percent."
She was uninjured but, like Chi Ou, had suffered a severe depletion of her vital energy. The diluted Life Elixir had replenished most of the loss; otherwise, she would have been at only thirty to forty percent combat effectiveness.
Guan Ya's situation was different. The gunshot wound in her leg had stopped bleeding and was slowly healing, but the injury's real problem was the pain and restricted mobility, which severely hampered her combat abilities.
"Martial Arts at fifty percent, ranged output unchanged," she calmly reported after analyzing her condition.
With Chi Ou incapacitated, the team was reduced to six members. Li Chunfeng, as a Scholar, had only a negligible physical enhancement, making him practically useless in the eyes of the Evil Classes. Guan Ya was the sniper, leaving only four members truly capable of directly confronting the Evil Classes. Grass on the Plain, a Level 2 Wood Spirit, could at best provide support. Zhang Yuanqing rapidly analyzed the situation in his mind.
Li Chunfeng, fully aware of his limitations, offered:
"I can stay by Guan Ya's side. Snipers need a guardian. If necessary, I can even take over the sniping duties."
"Heh, I'm not confident in hand-to-hand combat, but I've trained with firearms. I'm proficient with most types of guns."
Zhang Yuanqing turned to the melancholy, quiet young man. "Can you shoot?"
Grass on the Plain shook his head.
As a Wild Spirit Realm Walker in a country with strict gun control, he had no access to private firearms training. Moreover, Wood Spirits lack any natural aptitude for marksmanship.
Zhang Yuanqing retrieved the Explosive Pistol and handed it to Li Chunfeng. "Take this Item. It's quite powerful. You and Guan Ya will handle ranged attacks."
All eyes immediately turned to the large-caliber pistol.
Li Chunfeng took it in astonishment, examined its Item description, and exclaimed excitedly, "What a powerful Item!"
Li Chunfeng's reaction confirmed that the Item Primordial Heavenly Venerable had given him was indeed formidable. Yet he was lending it out so casually.
The group was filled with curiosity, envy, and admiration for Primordial Heavenly Venerable's generosity.
Zhang Yuanqing gave away the Explosive Pistol because he knew he would have to confront the Evil Faction head-on, which meant close-quarters combat.
With the Brute's Gauntlets already in his possession, wielding a Fire Master's pistol might tempt him to think, "I can take on ten of them!" and recklessly charge into the Evil Faction.
That would be suicide.
Zhang Yuanqing then retrieved the Scarecrow and handed it to Chi Ou the Earth Fiend, saying, "Stay hidden and use this Item against the Evil Faction later."
The Scarecrow required a few seconds of setup time, making it impractical in close combat. Giving it to Chi Ou was a way to make use of a "useless" item.
Chi Ou took the Scarecrow, read its description, and his expression became even more exaggerated than Li Chunfeng's.
"This... this..." The little skinny guy was stunned.
Is this Item really for me? I've never even touched such a high-grade Item in my life!
He's given away another one! How rich is he? I want a few Queen and Huode Star Generals too! He stared blankly at the Captain.
"That's all I have," Zhang Yuanqing quickly waved his hand.
Right, after giving away two Items, he probably only has one left for himself. He can't possibly have any more in reserve!
The teammates nodded in understanding.
The Brute's Gauntlets grant me agility, Keen Eyes let me predict enemy attacks, the Blade of Bloodlust is a deadly close-combat weapon, and the Demon Subduing Pestle's Purification counters Seductive Demons and Illusion Masters. These four close-combat artifacts are essential and can't be lent out. The Red Dancing Shoes are a core Item, the Red Veil is for survival, the Disguise Ring has no combat function, and the Heavenly Toad Incense Burner... would it poison me or the enemy?
I really have no Items left.
Li Chunfeng gleefully stowed away his Item and said, "Primordial, Huode Star General, and the Queen will engage the enemy head-on, while Grass on the Plain provides support and looks for opportunities to strike. Guan Ya and I will provide ranged fire. Chi Ou, use the Scarecrow's abilities as you see fit."
At the town center, the river snaked through the open space, dividing it in half. This clearing was usually used by the townspeople for drying grain, public gatherings, activities, and trading. Stone platforms for washing clothes lined the slightly turbulent riverbank.
A figure draped in a black robe stood in the center of the clearing, head tilted back, basking in the sunlight, seemingly relishing the feeling of being in the open air again. He had been trapped in the town for countless years, a confinement that had driven him to madness.
In the southern clearing, Little Goofball cautiously peeked out from an alleyway, his large, dark eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
Deeper within the alley, Zhang Yuanqing and his teammates pressed their backs against the wall, whispering:
"The Mage is just standing there in the clearing, spacing out. We haven't spotted any Evil Faction members yet. Li Chunfeng was right—they're being incredibly sneaky. Hmph, trying to sit back and watch us fight? The Evil Faction is truly despicable."
But that's exactly what we were planning to do too! Huode Star General thought to himself.
"Then let's wait a bit longer," the Queen said cautiously.
Another open space, also a narrow alley.
A gaunt middle-aged man pressed his back against the wall, cautiously peeking out before quickly retreating.
He returned to the alley's depths, where his companions waited on a moss-covered path paved with flagstones and cobblestones.
"Those Orderly Faction bastards are crafty," the gaunt man growled. "They haven't shown their faces yet."
"Let's ignore the Mage for now," he suggested. "We should flush them out and take them down first."
The stalemate was stable, with no one willing to be cannon fodder and each hoping the others would be.
The young man with a missing left ear scoffed. "This is a test of patience. Let's hope the Orderly Faction has a Fire Master."
The man in the suit shook his head. "Even if they do, they're probably dead by now. They wouldn't have made it this far. This is all about patience."
Li Xianzong pondered for a moment before saying, "We wait. Only the most patient can be the hunter. Let me think of a plan."
Time ticked by, second by second.
"Fuck it! I can't take it anymore! Let's move!"
The Huode Star General's patience had finally snapped.
Li Chunfeng and Grass on the Plain each grabbed one of his shoulders.
"Patience, you must be patient!" Li Chunfeng warned.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered, "Let's wait a bit longer. We need to be the hunters, not the prey. If you really can't stand it, we'll retreat and search for traces of the Evil Classes."
At that moment, Guan Ya analyzed:
"Remember the strategy guide? The first team to reach the plaza gets a reward. The Spirit Realm's prompt just now instructed us to kill the Mage to trigger the final battle. In other words, whoever kills the Mage gets the reward."
Zhang Yuanqing scanned the group and said, "I have an idea."
"One-shot the Mage?" The gaunt middle-aged man stared at Li Xianzong, astonished. "Are you sure you can one-shot the final boss? Based on the Blacksmith and Squire Zhao's combat power, this Mage is likely at the Saint Stage—even if it's only Level 4, it's still the Saint Stage!"
"Have you forgotten about this?" Li Xianzong flipped his palm, revealing a steel needle stained with dried blood.
The young man with the missing left ear recalled the Item's description, his eyes lighting up.
"It can kill the Mage! Even if it doesn't, it'll severely wound him. With our combined efforts, we can quickly eliminate a heavily injured Saint. Don't forget, Li Xianzong has killed Saints before."
"I'll release Mist to obscure the Orderly Faction's vision. Stick close to me, and we'll finish this quickly," Li Xianzong said.
"But before that, give me a few minutes."
With that, he stepped aside, draped himself in a filthy, foul-smelling coat, knelt on both knees, clasped his hands in prayer, and chanted:
"Let me kill the Mage. Let the operation succeed. Let me kill the Mage. Let the operation succeed."
The gaunt middle-aged man's eyes gleamed with avarice as he gazed at the Witchcraft Master's Saint Stage Item.
"Eliminating the Mage before the Evil Faction reacts and claiming the reward..." Li Chunfeng mused. "It's a sound strategy, but extremely challenging."
Zhang Yuanqing spoke confidently, "Given Yin-Yang Town's difficulty level, the Mage is most likely a Saint. If they were merely Transcendent, we'd take turns humiliating them. At most, a Level 4 Saint. If they were too powerful, they'd be the ones humiliating both sides, which would violate the balance mechanism."
"If we combine our strengths and plan carefully, we can exploit their lack of preparation and secure a decisive advantage. I have an Item that can purify Witchcraft Master curses, though it's less effective against toxins."
Grass on the Plain immediately offered, "I have Antidote Pills that can weaken toxins."
Guan Ya pondered aloud, "I can provide covering fire. Even a Saint would be wounded by my bullets."
Chi Ou quickly added, "I can use my Scarecrow Curse on him. It might not be effective against a Witchcraft Master, but it will at least disrupt him."
Li Chunfeng chimed in, "The pistol Primordial gave me has armor-piercing rounds. I'll assist Guan Ya with her shots."
After a brief discussion, they finalized their plan. Zhang Yuanqing declared in a low voice:
"Let's move out!"
"Let's move out!"
Li Xianzong, still wearing his coat, gripped his butterfly knife in one hand and cradled the wooden box in the other as he led his team out of the alley.
Just as they emerged into the sunlight, Li Xianzong suddenly spotted another group charging out from the opposite alley.
Damn it, are those Evil Faction dogs here too?
Shit, the Orderly Faction bastards are here too?
Caught completely off guard, both sides froze, their expressions stiffening as they hastily braked to a halt.
It was the feeling of meticulously planning an ambush only to discover the enemy had been ambushing them all along.