Chapter 160: A Promise of a Lifetime

"Let's all take a step back and settle our differences once we leave this place! I am the son of the pope of the Moon Demon Church, Jiang Shang..."

Fang Che had already pounced onto the trio before Jiang Shangyun had a chance to finish his sentence.

"Shut your mouth! I don't care who you are!"

A streak of swordlight flashed past, and one of the Generals was rocked back with blood spraying out of his mouth, while his companion also stumbled back a few steps. Both of them were stunned and horrified.

He's using a sword! How are his attacks so heavy? That felt like a blow from a warhammer just now!

They immediately turned to flee, and out of their peripheral vision, they saw Jiang Shangyun fend off three of Fang Che's sword strikes, following which his arm and head were separated from his body in short order.

His headless body collapsed to the ground, and with that, the son of a pope had met his demise.

The two remaining Generals had tears and snot flowing down their faces as they fled in a blind panic.

Never had they encountered anyone so fearsome and ruthless.

"Please... Spare me..."

A streak of swordlight rose up from the ground like a shooting star, piercing directly through the chests of the two fleeing Generals. They were sent flying over a hundred feet through the air before being skewered to a large tree like a kebab.

All thirteen Moon Demon Church Generals had been slain, and Fang Che's Five Spirit Parasite was still feasting.

This was the most blissful period of its entire life!

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Ling Kong and the others emerged from hiding with dumbstruck expressions.

They were originally planning to assist him from the shadows, but they had only just found suitable hiding spots for themselves when the battle was already over!

All that was left for them to do was to clean up the battlefield.

Ling Kong watched as Xiao Jue and the others searched the bodies, and he remarked, "I didn't think you would kill Jiang Shangyun."

"I didn't want to," Fang Che replied with a wry smile. "He's the son of a pope, so killing him could spell trouble for me, but as you just saw, he wanted to kill me, and I killed his subordinates in retaliation. If I let him go, he'll be sure to send people after me in vengeance once we leave this place."

Ling Kong nodded in agreement.

Given Jiang Shangyun's status, he could easily send the Moon Demon Church's most powerful warriors to assassinate Night Demon.

"That's why I had to kill them all. I had to make sure that no one could survive to tell the tale."

Fang Che heaved a long sigh, then continued in a heartfelt and earnest manner, "As you're aware, I'm just a bottom-dweller in the One Heart Church with no backers. You may think that Pope Yin is my master because I learned his Seven Blood Spirit Swords, but that's not the case."

Ling Kong and the others were stunned to hear this.

"Then who's your master?" Lu Yuan asked.

"My master is a King, a mere elder of the One Heart Church," Fang Che replied with a wry smile.

Ling Kong and the others fell silent in unison.

They all knew full well what the position of elder entailed. It was a position assigned only to those who hadn't taken part in the Parasite Ascension Project. They were essentially just glorified secretaries with no hope of ever climbing up the ranks.

"You think that I'm ruthless, that I'm cruel, that I'm a heartless killing machine, but I have no choice. If I don't do this, I won't have a future. The more people I kill now, the less competition I'll have in the future. Prior to coming in here, I genuinely wanted to kill everyone in the Parasite Ascension Project! All of them have superior connections, backers, seniors...

“Everything they have is better than what I have! I don't want to just be a nobody for the rest of my life. I want to go further and climb higher so I can see what the scenery is like at the top. I have nothing and no one to rely on, so I have to be more cruel, more ruthless, and more daring than everyone else. Anyone who stands in my way must die, no matter who they are! I will keep killing until I meet the one that I am unable to kill.

“That is when my life will come to an end. Boss Ling, Brother Lu Yuan, Brother Xiao Jue, Brother Xi Yun, Brother Shangzhi, Brother Zhanmeng, I have to thank you all. I never believed in friends, and the six of you are the first friends that I've ever made in my life! I don't know where my future path lies, but I do know that my personality and bloodlust will most likely cause a lot of trouble for all of you.

“When I run into trouble, I don't go searching for connections. All I do is kill. I'm very grateful to you all for taking me in and making me a part of your group, but I must also warn you that having ties with someone like me can put you in great peril, so you have to weigh up your options carefully and make a decision.

“Whether you decide to continue down this path with me or part ways now, I can accept any outcome. I don't want to become a hindrance and a source of trouble for you all."

Everyone was moved by Fang Che's heartfelt words, and Ling Kong took a deep breath, then asked, "Do you trust me, Brother Night Demon? Do you trust us?"

"I do!" Fang Che replied without any hesitation.

"Good! In that case, I can tell you now that we're not afraid of trouble. Our clans can handle whatever trouble you may cause us, and we're certainly not worried that you'll become a hindrance to us. We swore a vow of alliance, so we will keep one another company for as long as it benefits all of us.

“If there comes a day when you're unable to keep up, we'll tell you. You say that you don't know where your future path lies, but that's not a problem. Everyone, tell Brother Night Demon where his future path lies!"

"Leave the future to us, Brother Night Demon!" Lu Yuan and the others declared in unison. "We'll make sure to look after you!"

Tears began to well up in Fang Che's eyes as he said in a trembling voice, "But you've seen how bloodthirsty I am."

"Is that a bad thing? We're members of a demonic church! Bloodlust is a virtue!" Ling Kong chuckled.

Fang Che was unable to suppress a smile as he said, "That's what I always say to myself! I tell myself this is how I should be, and that's what's kept me going up to this point, but it's truly been an arduous, tiresome, and lonesome journey."

"That's all going to change now!" Ling Kong declared. "The path ahead may still be arduous and tiresome, but you won't be lonely anymore! You're with us now!"

Fang Che was extremely moved, and his lips were quivering as he nodded firmly in response.

"It's a pity that we don't have any wine. An occasion like this should be celebrated with a drink," Ling Kong said. "In any case, don't worry about anything. We'll face the future together, and that's a promise of a lifetime!"

Right at this moment, a sharp shrieking sound rang out as a streak of swordlight shot forth toward them from afar.

"Oh shit, it's Mistress Yan!"

The six men who had just vowed to keep Fang Che company for life instantly fled in six different directions, leaving only Fang Che behind.

Fang Che drew his sword and sprang up into the air.

A loud clang rang out, and he was sent tumbling back close to two hundred feet through the air, while the blood and spirit qi in his body churned violently.

Either Yan Beihan had grown more formidable, or she had been holding back during their previous clashes.

Yan Beihan gave a cold harrumph as she swooped down like an elegant white bird, aiming a kick directly at Fang Che's head.

In response, Fang Che ducked to the side while throwing an elbow strike at the arch of Yan Beihan's foot.

A loud thump rang out as Fang Che used the force of the clash to spin around in mid-air while thrusting his sword at Yan Beihan's throat, unleashing three sword strikes with three full pirouettes.

Yan Beihan parried the three bursts of oncoming sword qi with her sword, then reached out to make a garb for Fang Che, only for him to land on his backside on the ground before springing back up like a spinning top.

With his sword outstretched, he was like a lethal vortex of swordlight, threatening to cut down anyone who got too close.

In spite of her seething resentment for Fang Che, she couldn't help but be impressed with his reactions.

Furthermore, she could tell that even in the face of her sneak attack, he had never been truly thrown off balance, which meant that all of the tumbling and spinning that he did was fully intentional and worked to his benefit!

Through these seemingly inept actions, he was able to constantly retaliate while absorbing and dissipating the force of her attacks!

Two streaks of swordlight intertwined in mid-air like two bolts of lightning, and in the blink of an eye, the two combatants had already exchanged over a hundred blows!

All the while, Ling Kong and the others were watching with bated breath from their hiding spots in the dense forest down below.

They were astonished that Night Demon was able to take on Yan Beihan on his own, and it appeared that he was only at a slight disadvantage.

The gap in power between the two could be entirely attributed to the disparity in cultivation base. If their cultivation bases had been equal, perhaps Fang Che would be the one dictating terms in the battle!

Ling Kong and the others felt as if they had hit the jackpot!

This was Fang Che's first time going all-out in a battle in this lifetime, and the clashes of radiant swordlight made for a truly resplendent sight to behold.

Finally, after a resounding clash, both combatants flew back and descended to the ground with a gap of around a hundred feet between them.

"You've reached the pinnacle of the seventh rank?" Yan Beihan asked with a stunned look in her eyes.

Fang Che took a deep breath to steady his breathing, then replied, "That's right."

"Very impressive. What's your name?"

"I am Night Demon of the One Heart Church."

"And what is your status in the One Heart Church?"

Fang Che repeated the same spiel from earlier.

"I am the captain of Team A of Squad B of Battalion C of Regiment D of Incense Hall E of Altar F of the One Heart Church's White Cloud Prefecture branch helm!"

Yan Beihan was stunned into silence.