A chill ran through Owen's body as he felt a surge of determination, his uncle's lifetime of experience deeply shocking his heart. Unconsciously, he made up his mind that no matter what, he would avenge his uncle. "Uncle, can the four moves behind the Nine-Death Seal be practiced?"

  Owen said solemnly, "No way, absolutely not. The last four moves contain too much evil energy. If the evil energy enters your body, you will be controlled by the sword, lose your heart and become its puppet, a killing devil. So, you absolutely cannot use the next move in advance. Ah-Dai, has Uncle's eyes turned gray?"

  A'Dai's eyes widened as he stared into Owen's eyes. Sure enough, his eyes had been completely replaced with a gray color, looking extremely eerie.

  Owen sighed, "This is the backlash of using the Ming Wang sword technique beyond my level. Fortunately, I'm about to die, so I won't become a killing demon after all. But you must be careful and not use the next moves lightly. Although I have the ability to use the fourth move of the Ming Wang sword technique, my power is not enough to continuously use Ming Flash, Ming Lian Flash, Ming Jian, and Ming Ying. The evil energy has completely assimilated into my meridians. If it weren't for many years of bitter cultivation, I'm afraid I would have lost my mind long ago. Child, nothing in the world is absolute. When used for good, it's good; when used for evil, it's evil. You must understand this principle." Just as he finished speaking, the blue light on Owen's face suddenly intensified. His expression changed, and with a "wa" sound, he spat out a mouthful of red blood mixed with blue.

  A'Doh's heart was racing, he hastily accelerated the remaining True Qi in his body into Owen's body. Owen's whole body trembled as if struggling with the severe toxicity of the Wuhuang Sacred Water. After a long while, his chest finally calmed down, but his eyes had dimmed significantly. Weakly, he said: "A'Doh, tie the Meng Wang sword to your chest, quickly."

  He was stunned, how could the kind-hearted Owen bear to fulfill his last wish? He tore open his outer garment, hung the pouch slanting on himself with his right hand, tightened the belt, and the hilt of the Ming Wang sword was just stuck in the chest position. The cool energy entered his body, Ah-Dai couldn't help but refresh his spirit, and the true energy inside his body seemed to be stimulated, circulating rapidly.

  Under Ah-Dai's pure and true energy support, Owen barely held back his urge to cough up blood again. He knew that the severe poison inside him was about to overwhelm him, and death was getting closer and closer. "Ah-Dai, you...you must...promise Uncle, absolutely cannot...abandon...Ming Wang Sword, learn its first move as soon as possible...so that you can survive in this world of ours. As for the last four moves of Ming Zi Jue...if your life force and sacred energy can reach beyond the ninth level of rebirth...you can try it out, but be careful, don't let the evil energy backlash. The Killer's Guild...don't ever provoke them lightly, their power is too great, with your kind heart, you can't defeat them. Ah yes, when you helped me refine the silver ball to suppress the Wu Er Sheng Shui...you must keep it safe, although it can't cure the Wu Er Sheng Shui, but if you're poisoned by some other severe toxin, you can use the same method to force the poison out of your body. What a pity! My powers are not enough, if I could reach the ninth level of rebirth...perhaps I could have completely contained the Wu Er Sheng Shui's scattered toxic energy within the silver ball. After Uncle dies, burn this house and Uncle's corpse together using that fire technique you've been practicing, so as to prevent the toxic liquid inside Uncle's body from flowing out and harming others. Uncle was born here, died here, and it can be said that he returned to his roots. Good child, don't cry...Uncle doesn't like seeing you cry, you're a man, you must be strong...Uncle won't be able to take care of you anymore, you have to take care of yourself, understand?" After saying these words, Owen couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood. His face was already covered in blue energy, and the excessive consumption of true energy combined with the severe poison invading his body and the evil energy backlashing...even a heavenly god might not be able to save his life. As he spat out the blood, Owen's spirit seemed to improve slightly, and a hint of red flush appeared on his pale blue face.

  Ah-Dai's tears had already moistened his front lapel, he clearly felt that the life of his uncle, who had lived with him for five years, was slowly disappearing. He could only nod repeatedly, responding to Owen's final reminders.

  Owen coughed out another mouthful of blood, stretched out his hand which had turned blue, and gently stroked Ah-Dai's hair. The last glimmer of light made his spirit perk up a bit, and he smiled: "Kid, do you know? The five years I spent living with you were the most peaceful and fulfilling five years of my life. After leaving here, don't run too far away immediately. Take all the food from home and go to the rocky outcropping over there to hide for ten days before leaving. The organization won't let me off easy, so be careful in the future too. Ah! Right, you've learned magic, at least reaching the level of a novice magician. If you head west from here, you'll reach the territory of the Red Storm tribe. There, find a branch of the Magician's Guild and register yourself as a magician. Wear their loose-fitting robes, and they won't easily discover you. Plus, magicians receive stipends, which should be enough for your daily life. I was in too much of a hurry when I left the Assassin's Guild, so I didn't have time to bring any assets with me. From now on, it's all up to you. When you return to your teacher Goris' place, cultivate in secret for a while and try to master more moves from the Nine Decisions of the Underworld. Then, go out into the world and make a name for yourself. That way, you'll be safer. The people I owe the most apologies to are my fellow disciple and our master who raised me. If you have the chance in the future, go visit the Tian-Gang Sword Sect. Whenever you meet someone using the same giant sword as you, show them respect."

  His face was gradually losing its red glow, and his blue-colored blood continued to flow from his seven orifices. The reflected light consumed the last of his energy, and he could no longer hold on. His body trembling, he said: "Remember... on the continent... try not to come into contact with three types of people. One is... divine occupation personnel... most divine occupation personnel are too upright... if they discover the Requiem Sword on you... I'm also unclear what the consequences will be... Also, there's the Assassin Guild and the Thief Guild... Tell your senior brother Ris good luck for me, and apologize to him in my place. He must have hated me for stealing his student for several years. Ah, stupid, Brother Ris isn't a bad person, but his reputation on the continent also isn't very good. You need to be careful around him a bit... don't tell him about the Requiem Sword's matters... Uncle can't hold on anymore... withdraw your true energy... burn this place down... definitely burn it down... throw those few corpses outside into the fire as well... then hurry and leave quickly... you must hurry and leave! I wanted to live with you a bit longer... but Uncle has to go... You absolutely must take care of yourself..." The last word 'self' wasn't spoken, and the "Requiem" Owen who had traversed the continent for decades finally passed away. His face still maintained an expression of concern, even in death he was still worried about the youth before him.

  Owen's hand slowly fell from Ah-Dai's face, and Ah-Dai was completely stunned. His heart felt like it was being pressed down by a huge stone, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Tears had been flowing for who knows how long, his heart had already turned to ice. Only now did he realize just how deep his feelings for Owen were. This uncle, who had shown him such meticulous care and taught him everything he knew, was gone.

  In the year 994 of the Sacred Calendar, the King of Assassins, who had dominated the continent for decades, left with a belly full of hatred and resentment.

  Owen's body cooled rapidly, the toxicity of the holy water fully taking effect. His body had gradually turned a deep blue color, his face already beginning to rot from the seven orifices, without any sign of life. Ah-Dai stood up, wiping away tears from his face. Although he was reluctant to leave Owen's corpse, his mind remained clear under the stimulation of the cold energy of the Meng Wang sword. He knew that Uncle had been most worried about him before his death, and he couldn't let Owen down. He must live on, only by living on did he have hope to avenge his uncle.

  Thinking of this, Ah-Dai ran back to his own room, wrapped the silver ball and a few clothes he had refined in a package, and packed the food from the kitchen together. Only then did he return to Owen's side. All of this, he did with tears streaming down his face. His dearest person was leaving, how could this seventeen-year-old child bear it?

  Owen's body had already melted into a pool of blue water, his handsome face turned blue and corroded by the toxicity of the holy water. Ah-Dai let out a loud roar, "No—" Uncle was dead, he absolutely did not want Uncle's body to be destroyed by the toxic liquid again. With great difficulty, he began to chant the incantation for the flame technique, "Fire elements that fill the heavens and earth! Grant me the power of burning flames, in my name, with your power, appear, scorching flames!" As Ah-Dai chanted with a choked voice, deep blue flames appeared in his hands. Ah-Dai closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and the flames spewed out, completely engulfing Owen's body. Under the extremely high temperature of the blue flames, in just a moment, Owen's body had turned into a pile of blue ash.

  Ah-Dai crouched on the ground, wailing in grief. As he cried, he carefully scooped up the small amount of blue ashes from the ground with a small shovel and filled a small ceramic urn. He covered it with a lid and gently placed the urn into his bundle. With determination, he turned around, shouldered two bundles, and ran out the door. The three desiccated corpses remained on the ground. Ah-Dai took one last, deep look at the home where he had lived for five years, gritted his teeth, and performed another fire spell. A large sheet of blue flames erupted under his urging, engulfing the roof of the house. In an instant, the small courtyard became a sea of fire. Ah-Dai used his toes to lightly nudge the three corpses into the inferno, then ran towards the distance with a heart full of hatred and sorrow.

  Xier is sulking at home, Ah-Dai's blatant refusal has made him, the town head, lose face. No matter what, his own daughter Fei is more than qualified to marry that foolish boy! He had never heard of Owen having a fiancée before, and he really didn't know what Owen was thinking, giving up such a good marriage opportunity. Until now, Xifei is still crying non-stop in her room, making him even more annoyed.

  Bang, bang, bang! The violent knocking at the door started again. Shi Er was already annoyed and yelled out in a bad mood: "Who is it? Why are you knocking so urgently? Are you trying to rush me to my death?"

  "Dad, it's me. Hurry up and open the door, something has happened." It was indeed Xi Zhong's voice.

  Xier was startled and quickly walked forward, opening the door to see Xizhong's anxious face, panting as he said: "Dad, you'd better go take a look, something big has happened."

  Xier furrowed her brow and said, "What's all the fuss about? In a small town like ours, what big deal could possibly happen?"

  "It's Uncle Owen, Uncle Owen's house suddenly caught on fire for some reason. My second and third brothers and I were returning from fishing when we saw it, they've already gone to mobilize the villagers to put out the fire."

  Xier was shocked and exclaimed: "What did you say? Brother Owen's house is on fire, hurry up, let's go take a look."

  When they arrived at Owen's house, the big fire had already burned to its end. In this seaside town, the sea breeze was strong and continuous all year round. With Ah-Dai's deep flame technique, the house had long been reduced to only broken walls and rubble, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

  Xier stared blankly at everything in front of her, pulled over her second son Xifa who was busy putting out the fire, and asked: "Where are they? Your Uncle Owen and Ahdai, have they come out?"

  Xue Fa shook his head and said, "I didn't see them, Dad. The fire is so big, if they're inside, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it's unlikely they'll be okay."

  Just as the Sheer family was mourning for Owen and Ah-Dai, several pairs of cold eyes in the crowd beside them kept staring.

  "Vice President, we've already gone in and taken a look. Apart from the few brothers who died and were burned to ashes, we didn't find any bodies of 'King Yan' or that little kid you mentioned."

  The voice was filled with hatred, "I'm so angry, I didn't think the 'King of Hell' had such a strong life force. Even after being poisoned by the No. 2 Holy Water, he could still use the King of Hell Sword Technique. If only I had brought you all together back then, no matter what, we would have been able to take care of him. The 'King of Hell' might be dead, but the child who was with him must still be alive. Quick, scatter and search for them. Even if it's just a corpse, bring it back to me. The King of Hell Sword must not fall into someone else's hands."

  "Yes, Vice President." Several figures quietly disappeared into the crowd, and the fire in the yard also gradually weakened.

  …………

  "Ah——” Ah-Dai stood on the wooden stake, desperately chopping at one wave head after another that rushed up. Half a year ago, Owen had split the wooden stake in half and let Ah-Dai stand on it to bear the impact of the tide, to practice his stability. One by one, the waves were constantly divided into two sides by Ah-Dai's Tian-Gan sword in his hand. Ah-Dai's body had long been soaked through by the seawater, he kept venting, but the sadness in his heart couldn't be dispelled no matter what.

  Boom, a huge wave crashed into the exhausted A'Dai and swept him into the sea. A'Dai didn't struggle, allowing one wave after another to wash away his body and the resentment in his heart.

  "Why? Why did you want to kill Uncle Owen, why?" Ah Tong cried out to the sky, but except for the surging waves, no one came to answer his question.

  Ten days later, Ah-Dai gradually came out of the sorrow of Owen's death. Owen's death had a profound impact on him, and his stupid face added a hint of resentment. After eating a piece of dry rations, Ah-Dai tied the bundle and Tian-Gang sword to his body, touched the Ming-Wang sword at his chest, left the reef group, identified the direction, and headed towards the western border of the Red Whirlwind tribe. Perhaps it was Owen's death that had too great an impact on him, every word Owen said before he died, Ah-Dai remembered clearly in his foolish brain, it was his uncle's last order, and he would do whatever it took to follow his uncle's orders.

  Ah-Dai didn't know that Owen's last words saved his life, the assassin guild people were searching for him in vain the day before and left.

  Three days, it's been three days already. Ah-Dai finally arrived at the border of the Red Swirling Tribe, but all the dry rations he brought from home had been eaten up. Having gone a whole day without drinking a drop of water, his lips were parched and cracked, and in a daze, he entered the city before him.

  On the main street, people wearing mercenary attire could be seen everywhere. Owen had once described to him the uniforms of various professions, and he knew that Red Vortex was the birthplace of the Mercenary Guild, where a large number of mercenaries and mercenary groups gathered. His goal was to find the Magician's Guild, at which point he would have enough money to buy food.

  The city was very prosperous, much larger than Nino City where he lived when he was a child. Without walking a few steps, a fragrant aroma of buns wafted over, Ah-Dai's whole body shook, and he couldn't help but look over.

  "Baozi, selling baozi, fragrant and sweet baozi, two for a copper coin. Selling baozi..."

  The loud hawking made Ah-Dai walk over unconsciously. The one selling the buns was a man in his forties, short and stout, with red hair that had gone bald except for the iron-wire-like strands around the edges. Every time he shouted, the fatty flesh on his face would quiver continuously. In front of him, the steamer basket was emitting waves of hot air, obviously freshly cooked buns. Seeing Ah-Dai approaching, he smiled and said: "Young brother, want to try some buns? My buns are famous far and wide, fragrant and sweet, eating one will make you think of two."

  Looking at the plump steamed bun boss, Ah-Dai thought to himself that his buns must be delicious, or else he wouldn't have such a physique. Steamed buns had always been Ah-Dai's favorite, and it had been a long time since he last ate something, but he didn't even have a single copper coin in his pocket, so how could he buy the delicious food in front of him?

  He swallowed hard and shook his head stupidly.

  The owner of the steamed bun shop had just opened his stall and hadn't sold many buns yet. Although the young man in front of him was dressed simply, one glance at the large sword on his back revealed that he was a martial artist. Which martial artist doesn't have some money? Moreover, it's just the price of a few steamed buns. So when he saw the young man shake his head, he hastily said: "What? Young brother, are you not satisfied with my steamed buns? Buy two, they're only one copper coin, perfect as breakfast. Or, try one first, I won't charge you."

  Ah-Dai's eyes lit up as soon as he heard that it was free, and he hastily nodded his head. The steamed bun boss picked out a steamed bun from the steamer emitting hot air and handed it to Ah-Dai. Ah-Dai took it with both hands and bit off one-third of the steamed bun in one mouthful. It had been half a month since he last ate such a good steamed bun, and he wolfed it down, almost finishing it in just a few seconds. The aroma of the steamed bun filled his whole body, and having something in his stomach, Ah-Dai's spirits lifted considerably. "Uncle, your steamed buns are really well-made, soft and fragrant, too delicious!"

  The owner of the steamed bun shop heard Ah-Dai praising his buns as delicious, and immediately beamed with pride, saying: "That's right, you can ask around, among the several streets nearby, my buns are the most fragrant. Buy a few, even if they're not for a meal, my buns are still extremely tasty."

  Ah-Dai lowered his head and said dejectedly: "I, I really want to eat your mantou, but, but, I don't have any money."

  The fat boss was taken aback, muttering to himself: "No money, what are you doing in front of my stall? And you even ate one of my buns. My buns are for people who want to buy them to try, what's your intention? Are you eating for free? Ah, forget it, consider me unlucky, hurry up and leave, don't interfere with my business."

  Ah-Dai walked away with his head down, thinking to himself that once he had money, he would definitely pay back the steamed bun he ate earlier.

  "Wait a minute." The voice of the bun shop owner suddenly came from behind. Ah-Dai was startled, wondering if the boss wanted to chase him for money again? Turning around, he saw the bun shop owner waving at him with his chubby hand, gesturing for him to come over. Ah-Dai walked back to the bun shop, still with his head down, saying: "Boss, I really don't have any money, sorry about that, when I have money I'll definitely come here to buy buns."

  The owner of the steamed bun shop looked up at Ah Duan and handed him a paper package, sighing: "Young man, you're not from around here, are you? You must have fallen on hard times and ended up in this place. Here, take these few steamed buns, eat them first. It's not easy for anyone to make a living, just take it."

  He stared blankly at the steamed bun shop owner, his eyes reddening. Since Owen's death, this person in front of him was the first to show concern for him. His heart, which had been somewhat cold due to Owen's death, warmed up again. He trembled and said, "Thank you, thank you, boss. You're really a good person." He took the steamed bun and immediately opened the paper package, devouring it in big gulps. He was truly starving.

  The boss brought out a bowl of hot water from the store and said, "Young brother, eat slowly, don't choke, drink some water."

  In a short while, Ah-Dai ate all five steamed buns in the paper bag in one breath. He immediately felt invigorated and drank the hot water into his belly, warming up his whole body. He gratefully said: "Uncle, thank you, thank you, you are really a good person."

  The boss narrowed his small eyes and smiled: "I'm a good person, I've also been down on my luck before. I met a steamed bun shop owner who took me in and married his daughter to me, that's how I got where I am today. We can be considered fellow fallen people, a few steamed buns are nothing. Young man, where are you headed? Why didn't you bring any money when you left the house? You're carrying a sword, you must be a martial artist."

  As soon as he mentioned learning martial arts, Ah-Dai couldn't help but think of the late Owen, and his heart felt a pang of sadness. "Uncle, thank you for the mantou, can you tell me where the Magician's Guild is?"

  The owner of the steamed bun shop, upon hearing Ah-Dai mention the Magician's Guild, immediately showed a look of reverence on his face and said: "Magicians are all highly skilled masters, our city is big, it really has a branch of the Magician's Guild, how about you? Are you looking for someone or looking for work?"

  Ah-Dai rubbed his head and said, "Let's just go find a job." After filling his stomach, he received news from the Magician's Guild, and Ah-Dai's sorrowful mood improved greatly.

  The owner of the steamed bun shop said, "You go straight down this road, turn right at the second intersection, and then left when you reach the end. After passing one more intersection, you'll see it. The Magician's Guild and Mercenary Guild are both there. It might be hard to find work there, I think you'd be better off becoming a mercenary. There are many mercenary groups in the city recruiting people now, with relatively high pay - at least several gold coins per month. If all else fails, you can come work for me here. Although it's not ideal, at least you'll have enough to eat. My wife is at home taking care of the kids and can't help me out much, so I'm on my own here."

  Ah-Dai thanked the owner of the steamed bun shop for his kindness and headed towards the Magician's Guild in the direction he was told. Owen's last words before he died were something Ah-Dai had to fulfill, and since his uncle said he should go register as a magician at the Magician's Guild, there must be a reason for it.

  After turning several corners, Ah-Dai arrived at a major road with many pedestrians. Here, people wearing light armor and carrying weapons with mercenary badges on their chests could be seen everywhere. Not far away, a tall building appeared in front of him. On the roof of the house, there was a huge sign with a shield and two long swords engraved on it. Below the sign were four large characters - Mercenary Guild. People kept coming out or entering the house, looking extraordinary bustling.

  A'Dai curiously looked around for a few moments, just about to move forward, when suddenly a mercenary-looking man walked towards him. This person was slightly taller than A'Dai, with a head of short, fluffy red hair, wearing a suit of brown leather armor, with a long sword hanging from his waist, and the mercenary emblem on his chest was a red-haired lion's head, looking quite fierce.

  "Hey little brother, hold on a minute." The big man blocked Ah-Dai's path.

  "Ah, stupid!" he said with a start, "Me? Do you have something to say?"

  The big Han burst out laughing and said, "Little brother, looking at your attire, you must be a martial artist. Are you thinking of joining the mercenary group? Our Red Lion Mercenary Group is quite famous in the city. Join us! The basic salary is three gold coins per month, and if your mercenary level increases later, there will be corresponding increments. Each time you complete a task, you'll get a certain share. This is the best treatment!"

  Da Han spoke quickly, Ah Dai was a bit unclear about his meaning, shook his head and said: "I, I don't want to be a mercenary."

  "Huh? What's wrong? You're not from around here, but every young warrior who comes to our place wants to make a name for themselves as a mercenary. Kid, if you don't seize this great opportunity, you'll regret it later."

  The silly guy still shook his head and said: "Sorry, I really don't want to be a mercenary. Please let me go."

  The big Han snorted and muttered: "Useless little brat." After finishing speaking, he turned around and walked towards the Mercenary Guild.

  The fool couldn't help but wonder, was it really a waste of talent if he didn't join the mercenary corps? Forget it, don't think about him for now. Let's go to the magician's guild first. Thinking of this, he walked quickly forward.

  The Magician's Guild was also a tall house, next to the Mercenary Guild, but it was much quieter, with very few people entering or leaving. Ah-Dai was about to go over when he heard a voice behind him, "Wait a minute, little brother." Ah-Dai turned his head and saw that it was the red-haired big man from earlier, who had brought someone else along. This person was around 1.8 meters tall, looked like he was in his forties, with a pale face, black hair, and piercing eyes that shone brightly. He wore an air of calmness and carried a Tian-Gang Great Sword on his back, just like Ah-Dai's.

  The silly-looking man stood there, watching the two walk up to him. The red-haired giant said, "Young brother, this is our Red Lion Mercenary Team's vice-captain, and should be your senior from the same school."

  A'Dai was startled, and the senior of the sect looked at the sword hilt exposed on his opponent's shoulder. Suddenly, he remembered Owen's words and thought to himself that this deputy commander must be a member of the Tianya Sword Sect. His uncle had told him that when meeting someone from the Tianya Sword Sect, he should always show respect. Thinking of this, he hastily paid his respects, saying: "Hello, sir."

  A middle-aged man with black hair smiled slightly and said, "Young brother, I don't know which master's door you are from? My name is Feng Ping, and in terms of seniority, I should be your uncle."

  "Master?" Ah Dun shook his head and said: "I, I don't have a master, only teachers."

  He calmed down and thought to himself, "This foolish kid must be inexperienced and new to the mainland." He asked in a gentle tone, "What's your teacher's name?"

  Ah-Dai hesitated for a moment, saying: "I, I can't say." Owen had warned him that when he went out, he must be careful and not reveal anything carelessly. Uncle Owen's name was definitely not to be mentioned, let alone Mr. Goris' teacher.