A dull thud echoed as the thug was sent flying, his body twisting in mid-air before slamming heavily into the shack behind him.
Half of the shack collapsed instantly, burying him under a heap of scattered wooden planks and tattered rags. The boards shifted a few times before everything went deathly still.
After that, no one dared to move. The remaining lackeys stood frozen in place, not even daring to breathe too loudly. Their eyes were wide with shock and terror as they stared at Bai Xuan.
None of them had expected this seemingly frail man to be so violently powerful with just a casual movement.
The bald man also stumbled back a step, cold sweat beading on his forehead. His palms were slick with perspiration as he gripped his blade tightly, the tension in his eyes growing more intense by the second.
Bai Xuan simply stood there, his gaze calm as he watched him.
He made no further move, but his white robes fluttered slightly from the force of his previous strike. He exuded a powerful aura of pressure that made it difficult for the bald man to even catch his breath.
The bald man gritted his teeth, his face turning various shades of pale and blue. He knew that if he backed down today, he would never be able to hold his head up in front of his men again, and the reputation of the Grimy Hand Gang would be completely destroyed by his cowardice.
He tightened his grip on his long blade and took a deep breath to suppress the fear in his heart. With a sudden burst of power from his legs, he lunged toward Bai Xuan like a rabid dog.
The long blade whistled through the air, aimed directly at Bai Xuan’s face. The angle was tricky, the speed was incredibly fast, and the force behind it was staggering.
With his Level 4 strength, he was usually able to act with impunity within these slums.
Facing this certain-kill strike, Bai Xuan remained indifferent. He raised his hand unhurriedly, his staff meeting the blade with precise, effortless composure.
“Clang—!” A piercing metallic ring erupted as the long blade slammed into the tip of the staff, sending sparks flying in all directions.
The bald man felt a massive surge of force rebound through his blade. His entire arm went numb instantly, and the webbing of his thumb throbbed with pain as the blade nearly flew from his grasp.
However, he gritted his teeth and endured, his feet planted firmly on the ground as he refused to retreat. He clearly intended to use brute force to suppress this seemingly delicate Healer.
Seeing his first strike fail, the murderous glint in the bald man’s eyes intensified. He twisted his wrist sharply, changing the overhead hack into a horizontal sweep. The blade hissed through the air, aimed straight for Bai Xuan’s waist in a ruthless, lethal maneuver.
Bai Xuan shifted his feet slightly, stepping back half a pace. His staff parried the blow with pinpoint accuracy once again. With another “clang,” he blocked the strike steadily, his movements as fluid as water and devoid of any haste.
After several exchanges, the bald man saw that Bai Xuan was only passively parrying and hadn't launched a single counterattack. The fear in his heart began to dissipate, replaced by a growing sense of arrogance.
He concluded that this man simply had a bit more strength than usual. From the looks of it, he might actually be able to win.
With that thought, he grew bolder. The speed of his swings increased, and his strikes became heavier. The fear completely vanished from his face, replaced once again by that overbearing, arrogant sneer.
“Is this all you’ve got?” he mocked through gritted teeth, swinging his blade frantically. The edge cut through the air with a series of sharp whistles.
“Damn it, you actually managed to startle me earlier, but you’re nothing special! I’m going to cripple you today and show you what happens when you mess with the Grimy Hand Gang!”
Before he could finish his sentence, he lowered his center of gravity and poured all his strength into his blade, bringing it down toward Bai Xuan’s head in a massive overhead strike. It was a heavy, ruthless blow intended to end the fight in one go.
But in the next second, the bald man’s vision blurred. Bai Xuan’s figure seemed to teleport; he couldn't even track the man's movements. A blur flashed before his eyes, moving faster than he could comprehend.
He didn't even see how the staff in Bai Xuan’s hand moved. He only felt a sharp, powerful shadow sweep upward from below.
Immediately following that, an excruciating, bone-deep pain shot up from his legs. The sensation surged through his entire body, instantly draining him of all strength.
“Crack—crack!” Two distinct sounds of bone snapping rang out in quick succession. The sharp, jarring noise was exceptionally gruesome in the silent room, making the hair on the necks of the surrounding thugs stand on end.
The bald man instinctively looked down, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
His legs were bent at an impossibly grotesque angle. The bones at his knees were completely shattered, and his pant legs were instantly soaked in blood. He had lost all control over everything below his knees.
His long blade clattered to the ground. Without any support, he collapsed heavily into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He opened his mouth and let out a heart-wrenching scream, his body twisting in agony as cold sweat drenched his clothes in an instant.
When he looked up at Bai Xuan again, his eyes were filled with absolute terror and despair—a total submission to an unknown power.
The speed of that moment and the ferocity of that strike were far beyond anything his strength could comprehend. Only now did he truly realize that from the very beginning, he had been nothing more than a clown performing before a master.
“L-Lord... m-mercy...” His voice shook uncontrollably, his words coming out in broken, humble pleas.
There wasn't a trace of his previous arrogance left, only a fear that had seeped into his very marrow.
Bai Xuan slowly looked down, staring at the bald man sprawled on the ground. His face remained devoid of emotion, and his voice was flat, without a single ripple of feeling.
“I liked you better the way you were before,” he said slowly, his voice carrying a bone-chilling coldness. “You were quite fierce. It was much easier on the eyes than this pathetic, tail-wagging begging you're doing now.”
The bald man’s entire body stiffened. It took him several seconds to process what Bai Xuan meant.
He immediately forced a smile that looked more painful than crying, his tone becoming even more subservient as he knocked his head against the ground. “The lord must be joking... I-I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness.”
“Please, lord, show mercy and spare my life! I’ll never dare do it again!”
Bai Xuan didn't waste any more time on nonsense and got straight to the point.
“The old nun’s holy crest,” he said, his gaze sweeping over the bald man. “It was stolen three days ago by that fat man from earlier. Who has it now?”
The bald man trembled violently and quickly turned to roar at the lackeys behind him, “Who did it?! Whoever stole that holy crest, get the hell out here now!”
The lackeys looked at each other, everyone keeping their heads down in fear. No one dared to move or respond. Everyone knew that stepping forward now was likely a death sentence.
“Damn it!” The bald man was sweating with anxiety, his voice full of desperation and rage. “Whoever the fuck stole some worthless holy crest, hand it over now! I promise you won’t be punished!”
“If you don’t hand it over, this lord is going to kill every single one of you!”
As soon as he said that, there was finally movement in the crowd. Two people were pushed forward by the other lackeys.
One was tall and had no eyebrows, his arm wrapped in bandages. The other was short and as thin as a dried twig. Both were deathly pale and shaking so hard they could barely stand, their eyes filled with terror.
Bai Xuan was somewhat surprised. These were the two thugs from earlier. He hadn't expected them to run back to the Grimy Hand Gang.
It seemed they had been hiding on the side to watch the show, only to be pushed out in the end.
“Where is the crest?” Bai Xuan’s gaze landed on the two. His tone was level, yet it carried an immense weight of pressure.
The eyebrowless tall man opened his mouth, his voice so raspy it was almost inaudible, thick with fear. “I-It’s lost...”
Bai Xuan’s eyes narrowed instantly, and the aura around him grew even colder. The pressure made everyone in the room shudder involuntarily.
The two thugs’ legs gave out, and they both fell to their knees with a thud, frantically kowtowing for mercy.
“Mercy, lord! We really didn't know that thing was worthless!”
The thin one pleaded with a sob, his explanation rambling and incoherent. “After we snatched it, we saw it was just a piece of scrap copper, so we just tossed it in a corner. When we were cleaning the room later, we couldn't find it anymore...”
The bald man was so anxious he was wringing his hands, cursing the two thugs. “Useless! You two useless pieces of trash! Think harder! Where the hell did you throw it?! if we can’t find it, we’re all dead!”
The thin thug’s eyes suddenly lit up as if he remembered something. He said hurriedly, “I-I remember where it is! I’ll go get it right now! Right now!”
“Then go! What are you waiting for? Are you looking to die?!” the bald man roared in desperation.
“Yes, yes! I’ll be right back!” The thin thug scrambled to his feet and ran out in a panic.
The bald man quickly forced a flattering smile and turned back to Bai Xuan, his tone humble. “Lord, please... just wait a moment. He’ll definitely find the crest. He won’t delay your business!”
About fifteen minutes later, the thin thug ran back, panting heavily. He held a dirty object in both hands and offered it carefully to Bai Xuan, not even daring to lift his head.
Bai Xuan reached out and took it. It was a copper-colored holy crest with blackened edges. The patterns on the front were worn and blurry. It looked ordinary and cheap, truly not worth much money.
He habitually scanned the crest, and a notification immediately appeared on his status panel.
【Old Holy Crest: A common cleric badge; there may be other secrets hidden within.】
Bai Xuan’s gaze paused for a moment on the words “other secrets hidden within.” A flicker of doubt passed through his eyes before he calmly stowed the crest away.
Seeing Bai Xuan take the crest, the bald man’s face was instantly flooded with relief. He said tentatively, “L-Lord, the item has been found. Do you think... perhaps you could...”
He didn't finish the sentence, but his meaning was clear: he was begging Bai Xuan to leave and stop making things difficult for them.
Bai Xuan looked down at the bald man sprawled on the ground, his expression as calm as still water.
“No rush,” he said slowly. His tone was flat, but it made the bald man’s heart sink instantly.
The smile on the bald man’s face froze, and the fear in his eyes resurfaced. Even his breathing slowed down.
Bai Xuan glanced at the bald man on the floor, then looked at the crowd of tense, silent lackeys at the door.
“Have them all leave,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I have questions for you in private.”
The bald man was stunned for a moment before he reacted, frantically waving at the door with a sense of urgency.
“Get out! All of you, get out! Take these half-dead idiots on the floor with you!”
The lackeys felt as if they had been granted a divine pardon. They rushed forward, scrambling to carry out the moaning wounded and the silent corpses before gently closing the door behind them.
In an instant, only Bai Xuan and the immobilized bald man remained in the room.
Bai Xuan slowly crouched down in front of him, looking down with a cold gaze.
“The Cross family,” he said, getting straight to the point in a tone that allowed no refusal. “Tell me everything you know.”
The bald man’s eyes flickered rapidly, a hint of hesitation appearing in his gaze. He didn't speak immediately, clearly weighing the pros and cons.
“W-Who are you?” he asked boldly, his voice filled with a hint of testing. “Why are you asking about the Cross family? What are you planning to do?”
Bai Xuan didn't answer. He simply raised his staff and slammed it heavily onto the ground.
A dull thud echoed as dust billowed. Several fine cracks spread out from the base of the staff across the floor, radiating a heart-stopping power.
The bald man’s eyelids twitched violently, and a chill ran through his heart, causing his breath to hitch.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if that staff were to come down on him; he would surely be crushed to pieces.
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” he cried out hurriedly, his voice softening instantly into a tone of fawning fear.
“Blackcreek Town is managed by the Cross family, but they aren't the only nobles on the Inner Wall. There are many outside noble factions here too. To put it simply, they’re all here for the Glay Dungeon.”
“I heard recently that they seem to be forming a secret alliance, preparing to make a move on the dungeon. They’re even bringing in a group of powerful experts.”
Bai Xuan’s expression didn't change as he continued to press, “Why move now? Why didn't they do it before?”
“I really don’t know that!” the bald man defended himself hurriedly, his tone becoming even more sycophantic.
“I only heard some rumors because I have a distant relative over by the Inner Wall. The noble lords would never tell a small fry like me the specific reasons.”
Bai Xuan didn't press further, knowing he wouldn't get much more out of the man. He changed the subject.
“Do you know Zane Cross?”
At the mention of that name, the bald man’s expression changed instantly, a hint of deep-seated fear flashing in his eyes.
“He came from the Great City. He’s from the main branch of the Cross family, and his status is incredibly high.”
His voice grew quieter, filled with apprehension. “He rarely shows his face, and no one knows what he’s busy with. I saw him once from a distance at the Inner Wall...”
He paused, a look of lingering fear on his face. “The way that man looks at people... it’s like he’s looking at a corpse. I never want to see him again for as long as I live.”
Bai Xuan nodded slightly, committing the information to memory, and then asked one last question.
“Does the Cross family have many enemies?”
“Many! So many!”
The bald man answered quickly. “The ones they’re most at odds with are the White family of Calais Town.”
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