Chapter 4

As dawn broke, Alan had been thinking all night and had fallen into a drowsy sleep just before daybreak. He suddenly woke up, drenched in cold sweat, and saw that it was already bright outside. He hurriedly got up.

The servants had already risen and were standing by the dining table. When Wang Qianian saw Alan come in, he glanced at him and said, "Eat breakfast first. I have something to discuss with you later."

Alan, with dark circles under his eyes, responded somewhat nervously, lowered his head, and started eating. The servants had prepared oatmeal and eggs. Wang Qianian sat there, wearing a hood and a long black robe, hiding himself in the darkness. Alan knew he was facing a lich, and it seemed the transformation had been successful.

Wang Qianian's hood was not surprising, as liches were almost skin and bones, and he probably didn't want to scare people. Wang Qianian didn't suspect Alan's ulterior motives, as he was still too young. The servants, standing nearby, watched the two of them with no expression, while Wang Qianian also ate his breakfast.

In the eyes of the servant behind him, a deep hatred flashed, but it quickly returned to normal, as if what had just happened was an illusion.

Wang Qianian felt strange. Liches didn't need to eat, as they didn't rely on food for survival, but he clearly felt hungry. He felt his stomach moving as he ate, and he realized something was different about him as a lich. Perhaps it was a compensation from the heavens for losing his phylactery.

He didn't notice that as the food went down, the energy flowing through his organs seemed stronger, like a withered tree coming back to life, quickly breaking down the food. His heart also became stronger, pumping nutrients throughout his body, making him feel more robust.

After they finished eating, Wang Qianian instructed, "Tao De, you and Tony, along with the others, are not to enter here without my permission. You may go now."

Tao De respectfully agreed and left. Wang Qianian played with his cane and asked Alan, "Alan, how many years have you been with me?"

"Five years, Master," Alan replied cautiously.

"Five years, that's not short!" Wang Qianian continued to play with the cane, saying casually, "I've gotten into some trouble recently, and there might be a great calamity. You should leave to avoid the storm."

Alan was taken aback, but inwardly overjoyed. He had thought of many reasons to escape last night, even considering joining the Creator Church, but he never expected Wang Qianian to let him go. For a moment, he felt a twinge of gratitude, but Nicholas Andrew had already become a heretic the Creator Church wanted to eliminate, and that moment of gratitude quickly faded.

On the surface, he stubbornly said, "Master, I won't leave. I want to face everything with you."

Wang Qianian, unaware of his true thoughts, was somewhat moved. But he knew this was his last battle, and he would abandon this place and flee westward. His soul was that of an Earth human, and his heart wasn't cruel. Many of his habits were still from Earth, and he didn't want to involve innocent people.

Wang Qianian said with a hint of relief, "Alright, I appreciate your loyalty. I know what I'm doing. The Inquisition can't do anything to me. We'll meet again when the time is right."

Still uneasy, Wang Qianian had Alan select some materials and gold coins. He didn't realize that by doing so, he was actually aiding an enemy.

After settling the matter with his apprentice, Wang Qianian called in the servants, gave them gold coins, and dismissed them. He did this partly because he didn't want them to be implicated, and partly to make his arrangements easier.

He had three servants leave with Alan. Within a hundred miles, there was no human settlement, and there were many monsters. Although they were walking along the edge of the forest, the servants would be safe with Alan's care.

What he didn't know was that after they had walked only twenty to thirty miles, Alan had already made his move. A Shadow Arrow killed Tony instantly, and Tao De and another servant fled into the forest in different directions.

Alan chased after the other servant and killed him, then turned to hunt down Tao De. Tao De knew he couldn't escape, but he was unwilling, thinking it was all part of Wang Qianian's plan.

He hid in the bushes, holding his breath. Alan approached with a cold smile, having already spotted Tao De but pretending not to. He held his magic staff, pointing it away from the bushes.

The staff moved back and forth, and Tao De was on the verge of panic, praying to the Creator that he wouldn't be found.

Suddenly, the staff pointed at the bushes, and a cold voice chanted, "Kawaburosha, Soul Suck!" A green light shot from the staff, forming a grayish-white skull with a wide-open mouth, rushing toward Tao De.

Tao De's eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Just as the skull was about to reach him, a yellowish light emerged from the side, dispersing the skull. Tao De heard a rustling sound, and Alan turned his head, immediately abandoning his plan to kill Tao De.

Three forest wolves emerged. Alan was confident he could handle one, but not three. It was better to let Tao De be eaten by the wolves, saving him the trouble of disposing of the body, though he regretted the loss of the gold coins.

Alan slowly retreated, keeping an eye on the wolves. The wolves also watched him warily, knowing he was a tough opponent and not pursuing him.

Alan slowly backed away, and after half a mile, he couldn't see the wolves anymore. He turned and quickly left, hearing a distant scream followed by wolf howls. It seemed Tao De was dead. He ran far away, took a breath, and counted the gold coins. He had 140 Holy Eaton gold coins, 40 of which came from the two servants.

To Alan, he was now a wealthy man. An ordinary family's annual income was less than one gold coin, but he didn't want to be pursued by the Holy Church for the rest of his life, even though the Creator Church might not care about him.

He had to eliminate this threat. The best way was to join the Church. Though it was disloyal to his master, he was clear about his conscience. He set off toward the nearest town.

Wang Qianian was unaware of all this. He was setting up defenses, moving the bronze cannon to the entrance and placing it in a small room outside the passage. Anyone who entered would be met with a cannon blast. At such close range, no defense was foolproof. Wang Qianian didn't believe anyone could survive a cannon blast unless they were at the legendary level.

After setting up the defenses in the castle, he began practicing swordsmanship. He had obtained the Sword of the Staff but had no sword techniques. However, Wang Qianian decided not to use his necromancy unless absolutely necessary. He needed an identity and chose the rapier, a slender and precise weapon. He practiced one move: the thrust, from all angles. He remembered a swordsman from a Gu Long novel who had mastered this one move and became a top expert.

He didn't need to be a top expert, just to specialize in thrusting. He repeatedly drew and sheathed his sword, thrusting at his target with all his might. He thrust over ten thousand times in a day, which would have been impossible for a normal person.

In the end, it became an instinctive reaction. No matter the angle, he could thrust with precision, and even flies disappeared from the castle.

Besides sword practice, he also repeatedly practiced his magic, focusing on speed and accuracy rather than power. Wang Qianian didn't realize that his approach was forming his own unique path.

Wang Qianian practiced alone in the castle, turning it into a heavily fortified stronghold. He moved all his valuables into his storage ring, making the castle a standard combat fortress.

The first wave of attackers was not from the Inquisition but a mercenary group, the Wolf Fang Mercenaries. This started with Tao De.

Tao De was being pursued by Alan when three forest wolves appeared. Alan cautiously retreated, assuming Tao De would be killed by the wolves.

Tao De had fainted, and when Alan retreated, the three wolves surrounded him. In a daze, Tao De felt pain and opened his eyes to see the wolves' mouths, dripping with saliva and exhaling a foul odor.

One wolf was in front of his face, another was biting his ankle, and the third was watching him intently. As he moved, the wolf in front of him opened its mouth to bite. Tao De screamed in terror.

An arrow pierced the wolf's mouth, and it howled, falling to the ground. The other two wolves growled, released their grip, and retreated, their eyes glowing blue as they looked for the source of the arrow. Four figures emerged from behind the trees: a woman with fiery red hair, tall and slender, wearing tight clothes, her chest almost bursting out, but with rough skin. She held a bow, another arrow ready.

Three more figures followed: a mage with a magic staff, who, upon seeing the situation, chanted a spell. The two forest wolves lunged at the four, their paws glowing yellow and their mouths spitting yellow light. The mage waved his staff, and a gray-black smoke flashed, sending the wolves flying.

The wolves rolled on the ground, and before they could stand, the red-haired woman fired another arrow, its tip glowing white, aiming for the wolf's head.

The other two men also moved. One wielded a battle axe, glowing red, spinning and slicing into the wolf. The other man accelerated, leaving a trail of afterimages, his large sword flashing silver, slicing into the other wolf.

In a few moments, the three forest wolves were dead. They then turned their attention to Tao De.

Tao De, having narrowly escaped death, was bleeding from his left foot and still in shock. The man with the large sword walked over, frowned at his foot, and extended his hand.