Chapter 1244: Ong Falos 3.3 (285)

"Not a single thing missed, as expected of you. I know your power, Miss Sai Fei'er: swift as lightning, disguise, unseen in and out… and the most inscrutable, the authority of 'deception.' Please feel free to use your methods, even if it blinds us as well. I have only one request: protect KefaLe's fire seed."

"Hmm… I ask, Savior Kid, do you truly feel… that I have no possibility of refusing you?" Sai Fei'er shifts her gaze elsewhere, "If I don't intend to handle this troublesome matter, what backup plan do you have?"

Bai E's corner of the mouth lifts slightly: "As a Demigod of 'Trickery,' I fear there is no more powerful trump card in this world than you—what do you think, Miss Sai Fei'er?"

Facing Bai E's provocation, Sai Fei'er merely smiles lightly and slowly turns her back: "Such confidence in controlling the whole situation… you have at least picked up a sliver of her essence."

"Then let me tell you something you don't know. The 'Fire Thief Walker'—from my observation, that fellow has been eyeing Aohema."

Bai E's expression instantly hardens: "You mean …"

"You can't guess, can you? I've been tracking that fellow's movements. My conclusion… that creature has gone insane like a mad dog, yet it's certainly not a fool. Why do you think it hasn't attacked Aohema yet?"

Bai E speculates: "Teacher Ke Xia analyzed this. The conclusion then… was probably that KefaLe's fire seed is protected by a secret Senate technique?"

Sai Fei'er lets out a cold laugh: "Ha! What straw‑bag secret technique, I can snap its mechanism with a flick of my finger. Let me tell you, the reason that fellow hasn't rashly attacked Aohema—most likely because the seamstress‑woven defense net is sturdier than you imagined."

"Now she's gone, and you plan to launch the Eye of Dawn and Dusk when the city defenses are riddled with holes… tsk."

A bitter expression surfaces on Bai E's face: "…truly a dilemma. But since you voluntarily raised the topic… I guess you've already thought of a countermeasure?"

"You're oddly calm right now…" Sai Fei'er nods approvingly, "But you guessed right—consider this a buy‑one‑get‑one special service. Besides protecting KefaLe's fire seed… I'll also sell you a favor, and casually play with that mad dog."

"Much appreciated. That Fire Thief Walker's strength is unpredictable; please be careful."

"Remember, Savior Kid, there is a truth in this world: 'Sai Falie Ya always laughs in the end.' No need to worry about a Demigod; I will do what I must, so—"

Sai Fei'er turns her face toward him: "Before you pay an equivalent reward, don't die first."

——

One Punch Man.

"Sure enough… the Fire Thief Walker has been coveting Aohema."

Tong Di clasped his hands, looking as if facing a great enemy; after learning the Fire Thief Walker's current whereabouts from Sai Fei'er, his complexion unusually hardened.

"Hehe… Tong Di, there's no need to be so tense."

Bang Gu extended two fingers, speaking slowly: "To be honest, after hearing news of the Fire Thief Walker, my heart is both glad and worried."

"Glad and worried?"

Super Alloy Blacklight cast a puzzled glance at the old hero. He could understand the 'worry,' since the Fire Thief Walker is the greatest foe the Bai E party has encountered on the Fire Pursuit Journey, constantly pressuring them… but where does the 'glad' come from?

"Indeed, at least from Sai Fei'er's words we obtain crucial intel: the Fire Thief Walker does have weaknesses, things it fears." Bang Gu kept his hands behind his back, "Now the Golden‑blooded fear the Walker because they lack understanding; the lack of information is the biggest gap between Bai E's group and the Walker."

"But Aglaea is already gone…" Super Alloy Blacklight's voice sounded hoarse.

"Right, but this at least shows the Walker has weaknesses, which is enough. It fears Aglaea's golden thread; could it also fear other things? Like the power of Dan Heng Long Zun? Or Bai E's new weapon?"

Yuanzǐ Wushi stroked his chin, seeming to understand: "You mean… as long as we fight the Walker as often as possible, we can gradually discover a way to kill it?"

"Exactly. As a monster linked to Heichi, the Walker must harbor many related secrets. Its descent into madness may be because, like Nicadoli, it was polluted by Heichi and usurped its mind. Before Heichi's contamination, it was probably a tremendously powerful hero from the legend of Ong Falos."

——

Meanwhile, at the Divine Insight Tree Courtyard…

"I'm back…"

"Feng Jin has returned once more to this land she has long been apart from, raising her hand to stroke the massive vines before her. 'Since the Tree Courtyard was ravaged by Heichi, I've tried to stay away, away from potentially sorrowful memories. Yet the wind keeps blowing me back… perhaps that is the purpose of the Dim Light Courtyard.'"

Xiao Ika: "Doo doo… doo."

"I understand, Xiao Ika—I also miss the days of attending class together. However, our current visit carries an even more important mission. Lord Bai E has already set the date to campaign against Ai Gele; as a descendant of the Sky Tribe…"

"Doo! Doo!"

"Hmm…" a faint smile appears on Feng Jin's face, "You're right, a brief walk in the gods' time is still possible." She looks up at the sky, "Ancestors, please wait a moment. The memories I left in the Tree Courtyard… deserve some time to reminisce."

Feng Jin walks to a classroom covered in moss, and for a moment the past comes vividly to mind.

"I still remember, it was right here that Teacher Ke Xia gave us 'that lesson.' The scene back then… is still vivid."

…

"…That concludes your final lesson in the Tree Courtyard. From now on, each of you has your own path. How much the knowledge learned here helps depends on each one's insight." Teacher Ke Xia crossed his arms, speaking sternly, "However, I warn you—if in the future you commit any disqualifying act, never proclaim publicly that you are one of the Seven Sages, one of the Seven Worthies, a student of Anaxagoras…"