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Chapter 4: Red Boots - Artifact
The hand of Mad Bull hovered in mid-air, not descending as he noticed Fire Lion standing still. With a cold gaze, Mad Bull asked, "Why aren't you dodging?"
Fire Lion suddenly chuckled, "You don't dare to kill me, so why should I hide?"
Mad Bull retorted aggressively, "I don't dare to kill you? What makes you think that?"
Fire Lion replied nonchalantly, "You're the one who stole the horse, not me. If someone comes to rescue us and I’m dead while you, the horse thief, are still alive, do you think those villagers will save you?"
Upon hearing this, Mad Bull laughed instead. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have thought of that. I should thank you for the reminder."
Fire Lion said amiably, "Before we see anyone coming to rescue us, it's best we don't stay too close together. Did you forget that?"
Mad Bull's expression turned listless. "Do you really believe someone will come for us?"
Fire Lion replied honestly, "I don't know; I can only choose to believe that."
Mad Bull glanced at the booklet in Fire Lion's hand. This wasn't the first time he had seen Fire Lion gazing intently at it. He asked, "What is this booklet?"
Fire Lion's eyes were like a still pond as he revealed to Mad Bull without reservation, "Wealth."
Mad Bull was taken aback. "Wealth? What do you mean?"
Fire Lion grinned, though the smile seemed painful and suffocating. "Have you ever heard of the Divine Dawn Ruins?"
As soon as the mention of the Divine Dawn Ruins was made, Mad Bull seemed to regain his strength. His eyes burned with intensity as he glared at the booklet and asked, "Does this booklet contain information about the ruins?"
Fire Lion smirked mockingly at the booklet. "Yes, it does. But with that much money, you can't even afford a bowl of plain rice now."
Mad Bull looked at Fire Lion with a half-believing gaze. "Are you joking with me? If I had information about the ruins, I wouldn't just share it with anyone."
Fire Lion casually replied, "Anyone? Right now, you're not just anyone. If no one else knows about us, we might have to head to Yama's Hall together. I understand now that wealth doesn't come with life and doesn't go with death; what does it matter to you now?"
Mad Bull fixed his gaze on Fire Lion, and after a moment, he laughed heartily. "I don't believe you actually have information about the ruins. Do you dare to show me?"
Without hesitation, Fire Lion held out the diary in front of Mad Bull. "Take a look."
Just as Mad Bull reached for it, a loud voice echoed from above. "Li Hu, are you down there?"
Fire Lion recognized Uncle Zhuo's voice and glared fiercely at Mad Bull, who was about to take the booklet. Suddenly, Fire Lion pushed toward Mad Bull with a palm strike, intending to take his life. Initially unguarded, Mad Bull became alert upon hearing the voice from above.
Before Uncle Zhuo's voice rang out, Fire Lion had little hope of survival; thus, revealing the ruins' location to Mad Bull seemed harmless. But now it was different—Uncle Zhuo's voice meant they could survive, and those who could survive would certainly covet such wealth.
Uncle Zhuo's unexpected voice caught Fire Lion off guard. He intended to eliminate Mad Bull first but realized that Mad Bull was not an easy target. As Fire Lion struck out, Mad Bull suddenly leaped out from under the tree cover. Just as Fire Lion was about to pursue him, Uncle Zhuo's delighted voice called out, "There are people down there! Quickly lower the rope!"
The two emerged from the trees, and Uncle Zhuo along with other villagers could see their figures on the cliff. Mad Bull dodged without retaliating and smiled foolishly as he said, "You wouldn't want to kill me in front of those villagers, would you?"
Fire Lion abruptly withdrew his attack. In the past, he wouldn't have cared about killing someone in front of others, but this village was different. The villagers were unaware of Fire Lion's past and had a decent impression of him. In this village, he could completely become someone else; he enjoyed the villagers' kind gazes rather than their fear.
Listening to Fire Lion's explanation, Ji Zichen thought to himself, "So he isn't completely irredeemable; Fire Lion still cares about how others perceive him."
Ji Zichen asked, "So after you were rescued by the villagers, you established this Fire Cloud Residence?"
Fire Lion took a deep breath and recounted his experiences, his breathing becoming increasingly labored. "Yes."
At that moment, Cheng Gangzhu interjected, "You haven't explained why you betrayed me, Mad Bull, and the Yellow Sand Gang."
Fire Lion weakly glanced at Cheng Gangzhu before saying, "After we reached the cliff, I told him to forget about it; otherwise, I would kill him. Mad Bull then suggested that we should cooperate. I laughed at him; I would never work with anyone from the Yellow Sand Gang. After hesitating for a moment, Mad Bull told me he could leave the Yellow Sand Gang."
Cheng Gangzhu sneered, "Isn't that betrayal for wealth?"
Fire Lion shook his head with difficulty. "It wasn't for wealth. It was about his older brother. At that time, we had both faced death. Having gone through what we did, we see many things clearly now. Mad Bull lived for himself before; he committed too many murders, and so did I. I no longer want to live a life filled with violence. Mad Bull and I have made it this far; now that we have escaped, we want to live for our fallen brothers."
Fire Lion trembled as he stood up, his voice resolute. "Mad Bull's older brother sacrificed his life so that he could live better. My two brothers also gave their lives for us to have a better life. I opened this Fire Cloud Residence not to make money or seek relics but to show my two brothers that I have achieved a better life; they can rest in peace now."
Cheng Gangzhu laughed heartily. "What nonsense are you spouting? If you truly didn't care about Ruins Wealth, why would you go there and end up injuring yourself?"
Fire Lion's expression turned serious. "It's true that I've been there; I wanted to enter as well, but it wasn't for wealth. I sought the Divine Tears that can cure all diseases."
Xia Zhou unexpectedly looked at Fire Lion and asked, "Are you ill?"
Fire Lion replied, "Do you see my red hair? It wasn't always this color. This is because of these Red Boots. Every time I use this artifact, the color of my scalp darkens further; it's a side effect of using these Red Boots. That's why I need the Divine Tears."
Xia Zhou remarked, "I've never heard of any side effects from using magical artifacts."
Ji Zichen listened, puzzled, but speculated, "Could it be that the artifact hasn't recognized its master yet, and you used it anyway?"
Xia Zhou questioned, "If the artifact hasn't recognized its master, how could it be used?"
Ji Zichen calmly replied, "I once heard a rumor that there are indeed some unconventional methods to use artifacts without them recognizing a master. By dripping one's own blood on the artifact, it can be used by that person. However, from then on, the artifact recognizes blood rather than a person. Some lesser artifacts can be cleansed and used by others again, but more refined artifacts possess spiritual energy and will choose their masters."
Ji Zichen looked at Fire Lion with sympathy and said, "You're looking for Divine Tears to remove the Red Boots, right? Divine Tears not only has the power to heal any ailment but can also cleanse artifacts. No wonder I've seen you using more artifacts this time."
Cheng Gangzhu appeared impatient and said darkly, "You two talk too much. What does it mean to live for a deceased brother? Living is about oneself!"
With a sudden movement, Cheng Gangzhu shifted toward Lin Chuyu. Ji Zichen immediately warned, "Lin Chuyu, watch out!"
Xia Zhou noticed Cheng Gangzhu's intentions and threw an Eight Desolation Needle at him. The needle exploded with a loud bang right in front of Cheng Gangzhu. He leaped out of the blast radius just in time. Ji Zichen had been about to rush forward to help Lin Chuyu when Fire Lion suddenly moved and grabbed Lin Chuyu, pulling her beside Ji Zichen.
After this quick exchange, Fire Lion was panting heavily as if he had exerted himself too much. He released Lin Chuyu and told Ji Zichen, " Ji Zichen, I'm not so pathetic that I need you to save me. You saved me once; now I've saved her. We're even."
Ji Zichen smiled lightly and replied, "Alright, we're even."
Her gaze fell on Fire Lion's Red Boots. He had just used them again to rescue Lin Chuyu. Ji Zichen frowned and warned him, "Don't use the Red Boots anymore; otherwise, even if you find Divine Tears to remove them..."
Fire Lion interjected forcefully, "Enough with the chatter! His target is no longer me; you should focus more on your own people."
In the distance, one of the Sand Bandits remarked, "That Fire Lion looks unsteady, yet he managed to move so quickly to save that girl."
Another voiced his concerns, "The leader is in a precarious situation. How can he handle so many opponents alone?"
A third Sand Bandit expressed confidence in Cheng Gangzhu's abilities, saying, "On the Yellow Sand Bandit Path, Cheng Gangzhu's magical artifacts are unmatched. Who could possibly be his opponent?"
The Sand Bandits all nodded in agreement.
At that moment, another member of the Yellow Sand Bandit Path added, "If I hadn't heard him speak, I wouldn't have known about his history with the Mad Bull Captain."
One of the Sand Bandits continued, "But who is the Mad Bull Captain's older brother? I've never heard him mention him before."
After dodging the explosion range of the Eight Desolation Needles, Cheng Gangzhu laughed heartily, "Hahaha... those useless explosives pose no threat to me at all. Don't listen to his nonsense about living for brothers. In this world, the victor is king; the loser isn't even considered a bandit. Achieving what you desire makes this life worthwhile."
The Fire Lion sighed and said, "Cheng Gangzhu, you have a point. I used to think similarly, but now I understand. The deaths of my two brothers were due to our excessive desires. If we hadn't left the Western Desert back then, they would still be by my side."
Cheng Gangzhu glared fiercely and said, "Since you wish to see your brothers so much, I'll send you to meet them."
The Fire Lion grimaced and replied, "You don't have that capability. Cheng Gangzhu, don't you realize that those who struggle on the brink of death are the most terrifying?"
Cheng Gangzhu's killing intent surged as he fixed his gaze on the Fire Lion and declared, "Is that so? Then let me see just how much struggle a dying person can muster. In three moves, I'll turn you into a dead lion."
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