Chapter 30: You Are My Faith (XI)

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Chapter 30: You Are My Faith (XI)

When the members of the other group heard their companion shout “King-level Apostle,” terror appeared on all their faces. They quickly drew their weapons and stared warily at Shang Ke’s group.

Seeing that Tylor and the others remained unmoved, the man who had identified Shang Ke shouted again, “You don’t believe me? I saw it with my own eyes! This man killed fourteen of my companions in the Red Cloud Wasteland. I barely escaped with my life!”

Red Cloud Wasteland? Shang Ke searched through Osari’s memories. There did seem to have been such an incident. The only difference was that this guy hadn’t exactly “risked his life” to escape. He had run away before there was any need to.

Everyone glanced at Shang Ke. His complexion was pale, his expression peaceful. There was some weariness between his brows, but his eyes were gentle and completely untroubled.

Tylor stood beside him, his gaze cold and sharp.

The others were equally indifferent, showing no reaction whatsoever to the man’s accusation.

“You must have mistaken him for someone else.” Kaiser wore a smile, but there was no humor in his eyes. “He’s our companion. There’s no possibility he’s some King-level Apostle.”

“Even if you don’t believe me, you should at least verify it!”

“Verify it?” Youri laughed. “Rather than suspecting him of being a King-level Apostle, I think you people look far more suspicious.”

Every member of the other group had unfocused eyes and looked mentally exhausted, obvious signs of demonic invasion. By comparison, most of Shang Ke’s companions were alert and clearheaded. Shang Ke alone had borne the negative effects of their demonic contamination, leaving his body exceptionally weak. They had spent enough time with him to know whether that weakness was an act.

The man stared at them in disbelief. He couldn’t comprehend how they could show absolutely no suspicion toward someone who had just been identified as a dangerous King-level Apostle.

“Have you all been brainwashed? You actually trust a King-level Apostle?” the man shouted hysterically. “Be careful, or you won’t even know how you died!”

“That needn’t concern you. You may leave.” Tylor coldly dismissed them, clearly having no intention of continuing the discussion.

“No!” the man shouted angrily. “He murdered my companions! I can’t just let him go!”

“What do you intend to do?” Tylor asked.

“Kill him and avenge my companions!” The man brandished his weapon, vicious light flashing in his eyes.

The people beside him immediately assumed fighting stances as well.

Shang Ke very much wanted to remind them not to forget the purpose of this expedition—or where they were. In the Abyssal Marsh, surrounded on all sides by demonic energy, every weakness in the heart could be magnified without limit. Without steadfast faith to support them, they could be swallowed by darkness at any moment.

“Don’t fight them.” Shang Ke caught Tylor’s hand and said quietly, “Most of them have already been invaded by demonic energy. Any further provocation could drive them mad. If we could remove the demonic energy inside them…”

“You stay right where you are.” Tylor gave him a stern look. “You are not allowed to casually absorb demonic energy for anyone else again.”

“Shang Ke, just take care of Pupu. Leave everything else to us,” Kaiser added.

“That’s right, Shang Ke. Get some rest. People who slander you like this aren’t worth saving,” the others agreed one after another.

Shang Ke: “…”

For a “villain” to somehow convince everyone that he was a living saint… that was an impressive achievement in its own way.

In reality, Shang Ke had no intention of saving people without restraint. His energy was limited, and his body couldn’t withstand endlessly absorbing demonic energy for others. At the very least, he needed to preserve one last breath until the end so he could help Kaiser and the others seal the Devil’s Tree.

Unfortunately, Tylor and the others had apparently become convinced that Shang Ke would risk his life to save anyone with a pulse.

After arguing for a while, the two sides eventually came to blows.

Holding Pupu, Shang Ke quietly stood off to the side under his companions’ protection and watched the fight.

At that moment, an arrow suddenly shot out from the darkness, flying straight toward Shang Ke’s vital point.

“Shang Ke!” Tylor and Kaiser shouted at the same time.

Shang Ke possessed Osari’s memories. Although his body was no longer agile enough to respond properly, it still instinctively tried to dodge. He narrowly avoided taking the arrow in a vital spot. Instead, it pierced his arm, and blood immediately soaked through his sleeve.

Shang Ke cursed inwardly. I’m literally standing off to the side as decoration and I still get attacked. Just which god did I offend?!

Tylor’s gaze sharpened. His longsword left his hand and shot toward a certain spot in the trees. A muffled groan sounded, followed by a figure tumbling from a branch. Tylor vanished from where he stood and appeared beside the attacker an instant later. He hauled the man up, slammed him violently against a tree, then dragged him back before the others.

By then, the battle was already over. Wounded people lay scattered across the ground, groaning in pain.

Kaiser and the others had suffered little damage. They had not used lethal force against the other group, merely given them a harsh lesson.

But the moment they saw Shang Ke’s injury, everyone became furious. As soon as Tylor dragged the sneak attacker back, several people immediately rushed over and beat him soundly.

“How is he?” Tylor crouched beside Shang Ke and asked the physician.

The physician cut open Shang Ke’s sleeve with a knife as he replied, “As long as the wound is properly treated, it shouldn’t be serious.”

Tylor saw Shang Ke frowning tightly, his face pale as he leaned weakly against Kaiser’s shoulder. Several beads of sweat slid down his forehead, dampening his hairline and collar.

“Ah! What’s this?” the physician suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone followed his gaze. Above Shang Ke’s bloodstained right arm, several petal-shaped markings had faintly appeared. Their color shifted from dark to light as layer upon layer unfurled toward his chest, resembling a brilliant flame burning across his fair skin. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

“My god, I’ve never seen such a beautiful tattoo.”

“What? What is it? Let me see!”

Half naked, Shang Ke was subjected to a merciless round of gawking. Even the physician forgot what he was supposed to be doing.

What’s wrong with these bored people? It’s just a tattoo. What’s there to make such a fuss about?

Shang Ke looked up weakly at the physician. “Dr. Abe, can you remove the arrow now?”

The physician met Shang Ke’s slightly languid, misty gaze and immediately screamed inwardly: No! Don’t look at me like that! My hands are going to start shaking!

Shouldn’t an injured person look weak, pale, disheveled, dull-eyed, twisted in pain, and utterly miserable? Why can this guy still look this damn bewitching? This violates common sense, okay?!

Tylor’s expression darkened. He wished he could wrap Shang Ke up from head to toe immediately so these people would stop ogling him.

The physician finally managed to compose himself and seriously began treating Shang Ke’s wound.

The arrow was removed, the bleeding stopped, and the wound bandaged in one smooth sequence.

The instant the treatment was finished, Tylor draped an outer robe over Shang Ke, smoothly scooped him out of Kaiser’s arms, and bundled him up so completely that practically no skin remained visible.

Watching Tylor hold Shang Ke so carefully left Kaiser with an uncomfortable feeling he couldn’t quite identify.

Just then, a scream rang out behind them.

Everyone turned. One of the injured people who had been lying on the ground had suddenly lunged upright and plunged a dagger into a companion’s chest.

Several more people staggered to their feet and began frantically attacking anyone within reach.

Demonic invasion!

The same thought flashed through everyone’s minds as they watched the other group begin turning on one another.

“Big Brother!” The archer Tylor had captured shouted toward the chaotic crowd and struggled desperately to rush over.

“Fili, stay back!” a man in the crowd shouted while dodging an attack.

Tylor’s men restrained the archer, leaving him unable to break free. He could only watch helplessly as his older brother remained trapped in danger.

Fili? Shang Ke’s heart stirred. Isn’t he one of the seven warriors?

“Please… save my brother.” Fili looked pleadingly toward Kaiser and the others.

“Hmph. They brought this on themselves. Why should we save them?” Most of the group remained indifferent.

Shang Ke looked toward Tylor, but before he could speak, Tylor cut him off. “We can stop them from killing one another. But the demonic energy inside them is their own problem.”

Shang Ke was silent for a moment. “Then let’s at least stop them from killing each other.”

Tylor glanced toward Quincy. Understanding immediately, Quincy led several men into the melee.

Before long, everyone who had gone berserk was subdued.

“Brother! Brother!” Someone dragged Fili’s older brother over and dropped him in front of him.

Fili rushed to his brother’s side and was just about to check on him when the man suddenly opened his eyes and clawed at him.

“Careful!” Fili was caught completely off guard. Several bloody scratches immediately appeared across his face.

“Brother!” Fili stared at him in disbelief. His brother had seemed completely normal only moments earlier, yet in the blink of an eye, demonic energy had overwhelmed him.

Several people stepped forward and restrained Fili’s brother.

Fili stared at his brother’s crazed expression, nearly despairing. “Brother… Brother!”

His brother let out an agonized howl, his features twisted horribly.

“Tsk. Has their entire group been invaded by demonic energy?” Youri frowned.

Shang Ke looked toward the dozens of unconscious people. The Abyssal Marsh was far more terrifying than anyone imagined. During this first sealing expedition, almost everyone who penetrated deep into its interior would be wiped out. Even the “protagonist,” Kaiser, would become contaminated by some demonic energy. It was only because his faith was exceptionally strong that he would recover quickly.

“No! My brother wouldn’t lose to demonic energy!” Fili rushed to him again and grabbed his shoulders. “Brother! Wake up! Use your own strength to drive it out! I know you can do it!”

His brother seemed not to hear him at all and continued roaring and struggling.

Tears spilled down Fili’s face. “Brother, please… don’t give up. We said we’d go home together with glory. Brother…”

His brother seemed to regain awareness for a brief moment, only to plunge back into madness almost immediately.

“Brother! Brother!”

The sight stirred sympathy in everyone watching.

Just as Fili was falling into despair, another hand suddenly reached over and rested atop the hand he had placed on his brother’s shoulder.

“Shang Ke, what are you doing?” Tylor caught him around the waist and tried to pull him back.

“It’s only one person.” Shang Ke looked at him. “I’ll be fine.”

“He’s the one who shot you!”

“It’s fine. I believe he didn’t mean it.” Like hell he didn’t! That arrow was aimed directly at my heart!

Shang Ke wore a gentle smile while screaming internally.

Tylor stared into his eyes for a long moment before finally letting go. If this was Shang Ke’s choice, he was willing to respect it. His only bottom line was that Shang Ke had to keep himself alive.

Fili looked at Shang Ke in confusion. Then he suddenly noticed the demonic energy inside his brother slowly flowing toward Shang Ke. Only then did he understand.

He’s absorbing the demonic energy from my brother?

No—not just his brother’s. His own as well!

Their hands were stacked together against Fili’s brother’s shoulder, and large quantities of demonic energy began flowing into Shang Ke.

Fili stared at the faint wisps of demonic energy leaving his own body. He had never realized that he too had already been invaded.

Fili stared at Shang Ke in shock. As he absorbed the demonic energy, Shang Ke’s face grew pale. Threads of darkness flowed through his eyes, while his lips became vividly red as blood. His outer robe slipped from one shoulder, exposing part of his bare upper body. The blooming Crimson Skyfire once again appeared before everyone, making his nearly translucent complexion look all the more bewitching. Blood began seeping through his freshly bandaged wound again, staining the white gauze red.

The sight of that blood seemed to stab directly into Tylor’s eyes. His expression became terrifyingly dark.

Didn’t he say it was only one person? How did one turn into two?!

This liar!

After a while, the last of the demonic energy was finally absorbed. Shang Ke’s body went limp, and he collapsed directly into the embrace that had already been waiting for him.

Fili stared deeply at the weakened Shang Ke, gratitude, guilt, and other complicated emotions passing through his eyes.

Supporting his brother, he whispered almost inaudibly, “Thank you. And… I’m sorry.”

Tylor immediately picked Shang Ke up and carried him into the carriage.

The group did not remain there for long. They brought Fili and his brother with them and continued toward their destination.

Fili’s brother had already returned to normal. Aside from mental exhaustion, he was physically unharmed.

No one paid much attention to the brothers. They were only allowed to travel with the group because they knew the correct route.

Along the way, people occasionally threw mocking remarks at them, but neither Fili nor his brother argued back.

They mocked Fili’s party for having such weak wills that demonic energy had supposedly invaded them with ease.

Fili remained silent for a long while before suddenly saying, “We originally had five groups, more than two hundred people altogether.”

“What?” Everyone stared at him in astonishment.

Fili continued, “After entering the Abyssal Marsh, people began succumbing to demonic invasion one after another. Some went mad, some killed themselves, and some became apostles. Among them were many famous experts from across the continent. In only four days, we went through a bloodbath. By the time we encountered you, more than two hundred people had been reduced to barely thirty still clinging to life.”

Everyone looked shocked, hardly able to believe what they were hearing.

Fili looked at them, his voice flat. “Why do you think you’ve managed to come this far so smoothly? It isn’t because you’re stronger than we were. It’s because you have someone beside you who has been taking all of your nightmares upon himself.”

Everyone fell silent. Almost unconsciously, they all turned toward the carriage where Shang Ke was resting.

While they had been congratulating themselves on how well they were doing, who knew how many disasters that person had already silently endured in their place…

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