Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: The Whetstone

The Hunter who blocked Ye Qi's path was named Tade, a Hunter who had been in the business for three years. His strength was above average in the Talin District, but he was incredibly arrogant and ruthless, even to the point of causing the death of another Hunter to steal their prey.

Despite these incidents, Tade still lived comfortably, thanks to his backing. Behind Tade stood a formidable force that ordinary Hunters could only look up to—the Deko Family.

Tade himself was not much of a threat, but the Deko Family behind him made any Hunter who wanted to take action against this poisonous tumor think twice about the consequences.

After all, one must consider the master before striking the dog!

The Deko Family, an active Hunter family in the Qiulin District, was rumored to possess three legendary holy artifacts, making them a colossal and unshakable force for ordinary Hunters, who were like rootless water plants.

"Brat, where did you find these bat wings?" Tade, who had blocked Ye Qi's path, asked rudely, "Quick, where did you get these bat wings? Why do they look so much like the ones I lost last time after a hard hunt? Speak! Did you steal these bat wings from me last time?"

Tade immediately twisted the facts and pressured Ye Qi. If it were a more timid person, they might have been too scared to speak under Tade's fierce gaze. But Ye Qi was not timid. He narrowed his eyes and sized up this "whetstone" who had jumped out—tall and muscular, but with a face like a horse, eyes as small as mung beans, a sky-high nose, and a pockmarked face. Ye Qi almost couldn't bear to look at him a second time. However, he still suppressed his discomfort and asked:

"Who are you?"

"I'm Tade!"

Because Ye Qi always came to the Old Man's Bar at night, he wasn't very familiar with the Hunters in the Talin District, knowing most only by name. Like Tade. Upon hearing that this man was the notorious Tade, Ye Qi couldn't help but sneer: "The bat wings you hunted so hard last time? Truly fitting for such a long face!"

Not just Ye Qi, but the other Hunters present were also silently despising Tade's shamelessness—If a vampire with a title could be killed by someone of your caliber, wouldn't we all be High Hunters by now!

"Tade, get lost! Don't play your tricks in front of me! I may be old, but my eyes are still sharp!" The unscrupulous merchant, Old Ward, shouted from behind the counter, throwing a plastic ashtray at Tade.

Despite the usual mutual teasing and sarcasm between Old Ward and Ye Qi, it was all in good fun. And don't forget their connection through John—one was an old friend, the other a disciple. So, when the unscrupulous merchant saw Tade trying to take Ye Qi's bat wings, he naturally wouldn't stand by and watch.

"Smack!"

The plastic ashtray hit Tade's forehead before he could react, shattering instantly. The force Old Ward used was considerable. The Hunters present, all of whom had some discernment, could imagine that if the ashtray had been made of tempered glass, Tade would likely have been brain-dead and on his way to see God.

"Old Ward! Don't think I don't know your relationship with this kid! He's John's disciple, right? Hmph, with your connection to John, of course you would protect him! But justice is in the hearts of the people. If you don't handle this properly, I will appeal to the Hunter Headquarters!"

Tade, who had been hit by the unscrupulous merchant, hesitated for a moment. Clearly, he was a bit wary of Old Ward, but the thought of the benefits the bat wings would bring him made him disregard his concerns. With the Deko Family's connections, if Tade became a High Hunter, his chances of obtaining a holy artifact at the headquarters' gathering every five years would be much higher than others.

After a brief hesitation, Tade shamelessly shouted about justice and threatened to appeal to the Hunter Headquarters to pressure the unscrupulous merchant.

"Heh, appeal to headquarters?"

The unscrupulous merchant's already narrow eyes almost closed completely, but the fleeting cold light in his eyes made all the Hunters in the bar feel a chill down their spines, as if they were being watched by a world-class predator. Tade, in particular, was drenched in cold sweat, his legs trembling. If he hadn't grabbed the bar, he might have fallen to his knees.

"What are you going to do? I'm from the Deko Family..." Tade shouted, trying to sound brave, but the unscrupulous merchant was already stepping out from behind the bar, a cold smile on his face. Just then, Ye Qi, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke: "Old unscrupulous merchant, this is between him and me..."

Ye Qi's sudden interjection immediately drew the attention of the Hunters who had been preparing to watch the show. Only then did they seem to remember that the rookie beside them was the real party involved. Immediately, the Hunters' gazes toward Ye Qi became varied—some were surprised, some were dismissive, but most were mocking.

For Hunters who lived on the edge of life and death and thrived on chaos, the only response to such a situation was to cheer them on, never to intervene or mediate. If not for the special status of the two individuals involved, the surrounding Hunters would have already fanned the flames and joined in.

Even without careful observation, Ye Qi could tell what the surrounding Hunters were thinking. If it were any other time, he would have had the same expression. But this time, not only was the situation his doing, but to demonstrate the "abilities" of an Apostle and gain the title and privileges that came with it, he had to step forward.

Though surprised by the unscrupulous merchant's sudden burst of authority, the Hunter who knew his purpose still stepped out just before the unscrupulous merchant acted. Looking at Tade, who had escaped the unscrupulous merchant's aura and was drenched in cold sweat, the Hunter said calmly: "We have different stories. Let's settle it on the life-or-death arena! The winner gets the bat wings, the loser dies!"

The life-or-death arena, another manifestation of the power-based system in a hypocritical world—when an incident occurs and both parties have conflicting stories that cannot be resolved, they settle it through their strength. The winner is deemed right, even if they were wrong, and the loser?

The dead cannot argue about right or wrong!