Chapter 62: The Fall

A certain town.

It was nearing noon.

Crane Among the Clouds pulled on the reins, and with a piercing neigh, his horse abruptly halted from its gallop, circling in place.

He gazed into the distance and, spotting a town not far ahead, decided to rest there before continuing his journey.

With a squeeze of his legs against the horse's flanks, the steed moved forward at a leisurely pace.

As he drew closer, Crane Among the Clouds felt a flicker of suspicion. In broad daylight, why was the street utterly deserted?

Such an anomaly could only mean trouble.

He heightened his vigilance, letting his inner energy circulate gently across the surface of his body—ready to react to danger at the first sign.

Soon, faint sounds drifted from ahead.

His senses sharpened, Crane Among the Clouds pressed on, his horse advancing at a steady, unhurried pace.

Before long, a man appeared in his path—clothes in tatters, hair disheveled, his face obscured.

The beggar, crawling on the ground, seemed to be searching for something.

Dog Bastard?

Stonebreaker?

Crane Among the Clouds had just recognized the beggar’s identity when Dog Bastard, after rummaging for some time, finally found a meat pie the size of a human face.

His gaze fell upon the pie in Dog Bastard’s hand, and his eyes brightened. Hidden within was the Mysterious Iron Token, which could compel Xie Smoke Guest to fulfill any request unconditionally.

There were three of these tokens in total; this was the final one.

“Stop!”

Crane Among the Clouds shouted urgently.

But he was too late.

Dog Bastard, who hadn’t eaten a grain of rice in three days and was famished, bit down hard on the pie just as Crane Among the Clouds’ cry rang out.

Crunch!

A sharp crack echoed as Dog Bastard clutched his aching jaw and examined the pie.

To his surprise, embedded within was a black iron token—the culprit behind his pain.

He pulled out the metal token with a puzzled look.

Crane Among the Clouds fixed his gaze on the token, his eyes glinting, his voice taking on a persuasive tone.

“Dog Bastard, how about I trade you ten meat pies for that token in your hand?”

Hearing his name, Dog Bastard broke into a delighted smile.

He glanced at the token, then stepped forward to hand it to Crane Among the Clouds.

Feeling the cold touch against his fingertip, a smile slowly spread across Crane Among the Clouds’ lips.

The Mysterious Iron Token was his at last.

Crane Among the Clouds watched Dog Bastard, a thought passing silently through his mind.

Just as he closed his fingers around the token, a sharp voice exploded in his ear.

“Wait!”

At the sound, Crane Among the Clouds cursed inwardly and lunged swiftly for the token.

But Dog Bastard, startled, instantly snatched his hand back—faster even than Crane Among the Clouds.

Damn!

“Who the hell is ruining my plans?!”

Having lost the token at the last moment, and with a newcomer present, Crane Among the Clouds couldn’t snatch it by force.

He looked ahead and saw a couple approaching.

The man wore black, his features stern and composed. The woman dressed in white, her face exquisite and her brow marked with heroic spirit—no less formidable than any man.

These two were the famed Black-and-White Knights of the martial world.

As he thought this, Crane Among the Clouds unconsciously glanced at Dog Bastard beside him.

Dog Bastard stared blankly at the couple, confusion clouding his eyes, unaware that these two were his own parents.

“Young man, would you please hand the Mysterious Iron Token to me?” Stone Pure asked, reaching out.

Damn!

Crane Among the Clouds cursed inwardly.

Relying on their kinship, he just asks for it outright—doesn’t he know anything about first come, first served?

While Crane Among the Clouds glared, Dog Bastard shook his head and pointed at Crane Among the Clouds. “No, this brother promised to trade me ten meat pies for it.”

At these words, Crane Among the Clouds’ expression eased, and he seized the chance. “Dog Bastard, give me the token and I’ll give you twenty meat pies.”

“Oh!” Dog Bastard turned to hand the token over once more.

Stone Pure’s brow furrowed. If the token fell into Crane Among the Clouds’ hands, trouble would erupt across the martial world.

He sighed inwardly.

He couldn’t bring himself to snatch the token from a powerless beggar.

While Stone Pure hesitated, others harbored no such scruples.

“Boy, hand over your Mysterious Iron Token!”

With the token revealed, martial artists appeared from everywhere.

In an instant, the once-empty street was packed, layer upon layer, sealing off all escape.

Their objective was one and the same: Dog Bastard’s token.

Crane Among the Clouds regarded Dog Bastard with a resentful gaze. Just moments ago, he’d finally gotten his hands on the token, and now Dog Bastard had snatched it back.

Dog Bastard knew nothing of martial arts, yet time and again managed to reclaim the token from him.

Was the aura of a protagonist truly so mystical?

While Crane Among the Clouds was lost in thought, Dog Bastard, overwhelmed by the crowd’s hunger for the token, looked utterly terrified and uneasy.

Clutching the token tightly, he refused to relax his grip.

Seeing his reluctance, murderous intent flashed in the eyes of the crowd. Blades were raised, and a broadsword swung viciously down at his head.

The blade’s cold edge sliced through the air, stirring Dog Bastard’s tangled hair and revealing a pair of eyes brimming with terror, and a face smeared with dirt.

Confronted with impending doom, Dog Bastard stood frozen in shock, unable to move.

Stone Pure, unwilling to see an innocent life lost, leapt to save him.

With a light tap of his toe, his figure shot forward like a flying wild goose.

But the distance was too great; even at full speed, he couldn’t reach Dog Bastard before the blade descended.

At that moment, the closest person to Dog Bastard was Crane Among the Clouds. He could have intervened and saved him.

But he stood motionless, quietly watching, showing no intention of helping.

His gaze lingered on Dog Bastard, curious to see how the protagonist would escape certain death this time.

As he pondered, the broadsword hovered above Dog Bastard’s skull.

The next instant, his head would be split like a shattered watermelon.

At that critical moment, a powerful aura erupted from Dog Bastard.

The falling broadsword seemed gripped by an invisible force, unable to move an inch, no matter how its wielder strained.

Crane Among the Clouds’ eyes narrowed, marveling at the protagonist’s luck.

In every dire crisis, some mysterious power intervened.

As he thought this, the burly man swinging the blade was struck by a tremendous counterforce, flung backward through the air, and crashed to the ground—his fate uncertain.

Stone Pure halted mid-charge, his eyes darting suspiciously around.

Who was the expert who’d intervened to save this young man?

The crowd’s gaze turned to Dog Bastard, their eyes now tinged with fear.

With nothing but a surge of inner energy, he had rendered an attacker unconscious.

Could he be a hidden master, merely playing the fool?

While the crowd hesitated, an overwhelming, suffocating pressure swept over them.

Sensing the shift, Crane Among the Clouds looked up.

A dark shadow plummeted swiftly from the sky.