Chapter 11: Ambush |
[Precept Updated]
[Identity 1 Main Precept: Oath-keeping]
[Precept Feedback: New Addition — (Toughness Growth): The durability of Qi Instruments is enhanced.]
[Identity 2 Main Rule: Absolution]
[Precept Feedback: New Addition — (Purr): Essence of Suffering - You can grant the essence of suffering to other entities, manipulating their perception of pain.]
As the two streams of precept information flowed through his mind, Nemus raised an eyebrow and lifted his hand.
The Oath Rope wrapped around Purr''s wound shifted, radiating a pulse of power. Immediately, the young man''s trembling body stilled.
Because the pain had vanished.
The newly acquired feedback from the Precept of Forgiveness granted Nemus the ability to manipulate pain perception.
Under normal circumstances, one could use a weapon to harm others, and the resulting pain could be multiplied exponentially under his control.
Naturally, a Qi Instrument, being an artifact so closely linked to oneself, could also serve as this medium.
Using this connection, Nemus adjusted Purr''s sensory perception, completely dulling his pain.
"Stand up. I have a few questions for you," Nemus commanded.
He actually thought rather highly of Purr. The boy was an excellent seedling to become a demon.
Of course, he was still just a seedling.
If the boy failed to grow and acquire enough power in the short term, his usefulness would be strictly limited to gathering intelligence, making him even less valuable than Downs.
Downs, at the very least, was possessed by a demon. In critical moments, he could be treated as a peak Black Iron Rank entity possessing supernatural traits.
"My lord must be asking for information about the Watchman!" Purr volunteered, taking the initiative.
As a preparatory village guardian, his desperate desire to escape that very fate naturally led him to closely observe the only official Watchman currently in the village.
While he hadn''t dared to track the man openly, it wasn''t particularly difficult to keep an eye on his movements while carrying out his daily chores.
Thus, Purr had indeed gathered a decent amount of intelligence regarding the Watchman.
"I noticed that he occasionally heads out at night carrying food, and stays out very late before returning." Purr''s own living quarters were not far from the Watchman''s residence.
After noticing something off about the Watchman''s routine, he had monitored the man''s activities, using the faint flicker of candlelight to glean bits of information.
"Therefore, I suspect he still has family hidden away somewhere!" Purr deduced boldly.
People in their position were typically solitary individuals who had severely botched their past duties. Most of them had no relatives, or their families had perished long ago.
Otherwise, they would never have been selected to become a Watchman.
Purr himself was a prime example. His father had ruined a job and fled with stolen money, dragging Purr along with him.
During the subsequent pursuit, his father was killed, but Purr miraculously survived. Because he was still young and largely useless for heavy labor, he was forced to become a preparatory village guardian.
If the Watchman was bringing food out every night, it was highly probable that he had living relatives unknown to anyone else.
Taking himself as an example, if his own father hadn''t been killed and had successfully escaped to hide in the wilderness...
Purr would have almost certainly sneaked food out to feed him, because a close family member like that represented his only possible lifeline to escape the doomed fate of a Watchman!
That was the basis for Purr''s conjecture.
"Is that so?" Nemus nodded, quickly reaching a decision.
"Go home as usual. I will use the Oath Rope to signal you when it''s time to come out. We will regroup here and ambush the Watchman!"
Ambushing the Watchman directly was the best course of action; sometimes, raw violence was simply the most effective solution.
Nemus naturally understood this, which was why he made the decision the moment he learned the Watchman ventured out alone at night.
After making arrangements with Purr, Nemus sought out Downs, instructing the shepherd to accompany him later that night.
Only then did Nemus return home. He choked down some dry bread and immediately went to sleep.
When it came to material comforts, Nemus held a very pragmatic view: it was nice to have them, but lacking them didn''t hinder him in the slightest.
This current body only had a lifespan of two or three years. He had to secure the maximum possible benefits within this narrow timeframe to pave his way into the upper echelons of the Precept Church. As the sun gradually dipped below the horizon, Nemus, having slept the entire afternoon, opened his eyes.
He then met up with Downs and began their nighttime excursion.
By this hour, the village was completely devoid of activity. Everyone had retreated into the safety of their homes.
The lingering twilight cast faint shadows, making their surroundings appear even gloomier.
Soon enough, Nemus arrived at the edge of the village with Downs, successfully regrouping with Purr.
Suddenly, several lengths of the Oath Rope shot out from behind Nemus, coiling snugly around the three of them.
The moment the ropes bound them, any sounds they made and any scents they carried completely vanished.
This was the application of the newly enhanced sealing properties and silence control of the Oath Rope.
The seal was originally designed to restrict a target''s power. While using it to mask scents wasn''t its primary function, it served the purpose adequately enough.
Purr led them to a concealed thicket, where they settled in and began their wait.
The last traces of the sunset faded away, replaced by a sliver of moonlight creeping over the tree branches.
Then, an unnatural rustling sound broke the quiet. Nemus, whose stomach wasn''t completely full, even caught a faint whiff of roasted meat.
The Watchman had appeared.
He carried no torch. Instead, with a basket in hand, he was walking straight toward the forest on the village outskirts.
Nemus was in no rush to make a move. They had already formulated a tactical plan beforehand.
The three of them trailed the Watchman from a distance, with Purr and Downs gradually flanking him from both sides.
If the Watchman didn''t notice them, they would tail him all the way to his destination.
But if they were discovered, they would strike immediately.
Under the cover of night, the trio formed a loose net, slowly tightening their encirclement around the man trekking through the woods.
However, the man truly lived up to his title as the official Watchman, despite not hearing a single sound.
He gradually sensed that something was dreadfully wrong.
It wasn''t that he had actively spotted anything; rather, his battle-honed instincts were blaring a warning.
The Watchman trusted this premonition, an instinct that had saved his life countless times in combat.
Without any prior warning, the Watchman suddenly lunged forward, accelerating to his absolute maximum speed in a heartbeat.
He stomped heavily on a tree trunk, using the momentum to agilely vault upward and land squarely on a thick branch.
His eyes immediately flared with an eerie, luminescent green glow.
The bow and arrows slung across his back were drawn in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, he nocked an arrow and pulled the bowstring taut, his piercing gaze locking firmly onto his target.
His target was none other than Downs, who severely lacked experience in wilderness traversal.
Without a single shred of hesitation, the arrow was released, tearing through the air.
However, the situation did not unfold as the Watchman anticipated. The arrow struck dead center, yet it failed to inflict any substantial damage.
A swirling aura of black mist clung to Downs''s body as the demonic power took full effect.
Simultaneously, a sharp swoosh pierced the air. The Watchman''s ears twitched, and he immediately threw himself to the side.
On the opposite flank, seeing that Downs had been exposed, Purr launched a direct assault of his own.
Unfortunately, the moment the arrow left the bowstring, it escaped the area of effect of the silence control, allowing the Watchman to instantly perceive the incoming threat.