Chapter Thirty-One: The Night Watchman, White Knight

In the corner of the city, darkness enveloped the world, as if a monstrous beast had opened its maw, poised to devour everything.

“Sinners, prepare to be judged!”

With an angry cry, a blaze of dazzling white light flashed, followed by a shriek—then all was silent.

A series of metallic clanks echoed in the night.

“Sir!”

The soldiers stationed at the alley’s entrance bowed their heads respectfully.

“Hm. The blood fiends have been purified. Go reassure the nearby residents.”

With a brief command, the figure clad entirely in armor turned and departed.

“Hm?”

As she walked, the armored figure suddenly paused, casting a puzzled glance to the side. Yet, apart from darkness, nothing met her gaze. Shaking her head, she dismissed her own sensitivity and continued onward.

Only when the area was deserted did someone emerge from a shadowy corner.

Mu Rongxun’s expression remained composed. He hadn’t expected to leave Modo’s little shop so late and witness such a scene.

He recalled how the woman radiated blazing white light—even from a distance, he felt the searing heat.

“White Knight.”

The identity was obvious; the gleaming silver armor was a clear emblem. Moreover, the group had lately been keeping an eye on the Nightwatchers.

Although he hadn’t witnessed the battle itself, Mu Rongxun knew she could easily dispatch him if she wished.

He walked into the alley where the victim had been reduced to ash beneath the white light. The soldiers hadn’t bothered to clean up, since the kill was confirmed; powder lay scattered across the ground.

Squatting, Mu Rongxun touched some with his fingertip.

[Contaminated Bone Powder: The remains left behind by those corrupted by darkness and blood poison.]

[Star Level: None]

[Effect: An excellent alchemical ingredient, possibly useful in certain potions.]

Suddenly, Mu Rongxun’s body stiffened.

“Who are you?”

A cool, crisp voice spoke behind him.

The bright silver figure had returned.

“I’m just passing through,” Mu Rongxun replied, striving for calm. “I’m an apprentice alchemist, and I’m curious about these materials.”

“Sinner! To covet materials harvested from human bodies is profane!”

The voice trembled with repressed anger.

“Everyone knows an alchemist would never use such things, not even a mere apprentice!”

As she spoke, a sudden gust swept toward him.

Mu Rongxun rolled aside, a knife appearing in his hand.

A sharp clang rang out as blade met sword.

“Hmph!”

The female White Knight withdrew her greatsword, then charged at him with even greater speed.

Knights excel most atop horseback, their usual weapons being lances and swords. Yet, though the White Knights wielded knight’s swords and bore the title, they were unlike traditional knights.

Seeing her rush forward, Mu Rongxun dared not be careless. The force behind her blow had nearly wrenched the knife from his grasp—even though she was a woman, her strength was prodigious. Now, as she gathered momentum, she became even more formidable.

He activated the reinforcement function of the Primordial Gauntlet. Though it didn’t add much strength, it was better than nothing.

Noya, a White Knight among the Nightwatchers, was born attuned to the power of light and harbored deep hatred for darkness. Yet, upon seeing the young man, she felt a strange irritation and a sudden, inexplicable hostility, prompting her to act out of character and attack.

She had sensed someone’s gaze in the shadows earlier, but couldn’t confirm it. Her lingering suspicion eventually drove her to return, only to find someone fiddling with the bone powder—a crime she could not forgive.

Mu Rongxun understood none of this, nor had he time to ponder.

Her presence pressed upon him like a flood or a wild beast, making each movement arduous.

Yet, one advantage was their location: the alley was narrow, and Noya’s greatsword was more than two meters long—taller than herself—making it difficult to wield. In contrast, Mu Rongxun’s Tang blade was far more manageable.

Unable to swing horizontally, Noya opted for a downward strike.

Her speed was overwhelming; dodging was impossible, so he had no choice but to raise his blade in defense.

The Tang blade, sharpened on only one side, was pressed against his shoulder by the greatsword, and the immense force bent him downward.

Yet, with all his strength, he managed to withstand the blow, though he staggered back several paces.

Noya, encased in armor, was surprised. She could see Mu Rongxun was no mage and possessed no supernatural power, yet his strength was remarkable.

“Who are you?” she demanded again.

“I’m merely an apprentice alchemist,” Mu Rongxun replied, suppressing the ache in his arm. “I work at Modo’s Apothecary. I was just passing through. If you doubt me, you’re welcome to ask.”

“Modo’s Apothecary?”

The pressure around Noya eased; she seemed somewhat convinced.

“Hmph. I’ll send someone to verify your claim—but your interest in bone powder deserves a lesson!”

With that, her knight’s sword glowed with white light, and she brought it down in a fierce slash.

Mu Rongxun could only instinctively raise his blade to block, but the powerful impact sent him flying.

“Remember the law: never covet forbidden materials!”

With a cold warning, Noya turned and left.

In this city, the Nightwatchers could easily uncover any truth, or locate any person, so she had no concern about him fleeing or deceiving her.

If his existence was unknown, it would be overlooked—but once discovered, none could escape the Nightwatchers’ pursuit.

“Cough, cough.”

Leaning on the wall to stand, Mu Rongxun couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Her attack was perfectly controlled; his health barely diminished, no blood was coughed up. He merely felt a tightness in his chest and unsettled energies within, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.

The moment he was knocked back, he lost his breath—a true lesson, as she intended.

His supposedly skilled swordsmanship proved useless in the face of absolute power; he was overwhelmed from start to finish, unable to retaliate.

Judging by her attire, this was only a standard White Knight. If he encountered one of higher rank?

No wonder Wen Feng and the others had plotted so long, unwilling to act without knowing the enemy’s true strength.

The Saints must be even more terrifying.

Mu Rongxun felt fortunate that the White Knight he met was relatively reasonable; had it been someone else, he might have been erased.