Your Acting Is Terrible. Go Home and Practice Again

The journey from Tristram to Wortham took even longer than Fang Zheng had imagined. By the time the ferryman woke him in the cabin and he stepped onto Wortham's Dock, five hours had already passed.

So five hours had been wasted just like that?

Watching the ferryman's retreating figure, Fang Zheng frowned. He had not expected Wortham to be so far from Tristram, and it was a one-way trip at that—the ferryman had told him he was only responsible for taking passengers there, not bringing them back. Fang Zheng had been somewhat puzzled at first, but then he understood. Wasn't there a teleportation array beneath the chapel in Wortham? That thing was much faster than traveling back and forth by boat.

Forget it. He should find the fragment first.

With that thought, Fang Zheng headed into Wortham.

At this time, Wortham had not yet suffered the Cultists' attack as it had in the game. People still lived peaceful, tranquil lives. Fishing boats passed by from time to time, and children played in the fields and countryside. Seeing this, Fang Zheng could not help feeling melancholy. He could imagine that once the Cultists attacked, almost nothing here would escape disaster.

Unfortunately, Fang Zheng was in no position to save others when he could barely save himself. All he hoped was to take the fragment away as quickly as possible. Perhaps then the Cultists would have no reason to strike at Wortham, diverting their attention and preserving this peaceful little village.

Fang Zheng, an outsider, did not attract much attention in town. Perhaps most people were busy working, because the entire town seemed calm and peaceful. Fang Zheng had no intention of stirring up trouble either. He quickly found the church in town and knocked on its doors. Soon, a man dressed as a priest emerged from inside and looked at Fang Zheng curiously.

"Hello, stranger. What brings you to Wortham?"

"Hello, Father."

Looking at the priest before him, Fang Zheng nodded and pulled Captain Rumford's letter from his clothes, handing it over.

"I am a Militia member from Tristram. A Falling Star landed there earlier, and I heard that some fragments fell in Wortham, so I came to see whether there were any clues."

"A Falling Star?"

Hearing Fang Zheng's reply, the priest froze for a moment, then nodded as if suddenly enlightened.

"I know what you mean. As it happens, we did find something very unusual. Please, follow me..."

As he spoke, the priest stepped aside and gestured for Fang Zheng to enter. Hearing this, Fang Zheng gave him a meaningful look before walking into the church.

The entire church was dim. Only the scattered glow of candlelight made it barely possible to see anything.

"What exactly is it?"

As Fang Zheng walked deeper into the church, he asked casually. Just then, the church doors creaked shut behind him. The priest's voice rang out again.

"Oh, our fishermen hauled it up while fishing. It occasionally gives off a very strange power. The fishermen did not know what it was, so they brought it to the church. I had intended to keep it safe, but I never expected it to be related to that Falling Star..."

As he spoke, the priest stared fixedly at Fang Zheng's back. Then he reached into his robes and silently drew a dagger. Fang Zheng seemed completely unaware. He merely looked around with curiosity and asked casually.

"So, where is the fragment?"

"Up ahead..."

As he spoke, the priest secretly quickened his pace. He quietly moved behind Fang Zheng, gripped his dagger tightly, and drove it toward him with all his strength!

At that very moment, a flash of cold light streaked through the darkness!

Splat!

"How... can this be..."

The priest's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the icy blade buried in his body. Frostmourne's chill spread through him, making him feel a terror as though even his soul were about to freeze.

"How did you... find out..."

"Your acting is terrible. Go home and practice again."

Looking at the dumbfounded priest, Fang Zheng sneered. In truth, he had sensed that something was wrong with the priest the moment they met. At first, the priest's eyes had been full of concern, but when he heard why Fang Zheng had come, a trace of anxiety had clearly appeared on his face. What made Fang Zheng most suspicious was that the priest had not examined Captain Rumford's letter carefully at all. He had merely opened it, glanced over it hastily, and immediately invited Fang Zheng into the church.

Fang Zheng had always been good at reading people's expressions and behavior. It helped him gather information, and now it had allowed him to judge that something was wrong.

What confirmed his suspicions even more was that after entering the church, the priest had walked behind him rather than in front. Normally, since the priest had hidden the fragment, he should have been leading the way. Yet he had used closing the door as an excuse to fall behind Fang Zheng. If that was not suspicious, then what was?

More importantly, when the priest made his move, Fang Zheng had clearly heard his breathing grow heavier in an instant. It was an instinctive human reaction, meaning he was either excited or nervous. Thus, Fang Zheng had summoned Frostmourne without hesitation and slashed directly behind him.

The facts proved that Fang Zheng's judgment had been correct.

This priest was also a Cultist!

With a scream, the Cultist's soul was forcibly ripped from his body and sucked into Frostmourne. At the same time, another line of information appeared before Fang Zheng.

Soul Power +45

Sure enough, the souls of the living were stronger than those of the Undead.

Looking at the system prompt before him, Fang Zheng curled his lip. Then he put away Frostmourne and began searching for the Holy Sword fragment. Since this priest was a Cultist, Maghda had likely already learned of the Holy Sword fragment. Thinking further, perhaps she had deliberately stalled for time and led the Nephalem in circles! It was highly possible that in the game, Maghda had already taken the Holy Sword fragment before the Nephalem reached Wortham!

The more Fang Zheng thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was the truth. Otherwise, why had the Nephalem encountered Maghda's illusion when he descended into the cellar in the game? And why had she seemed so unhurried, as though she had been waiting for him all along? Wasn't that obviously a trap?

"It's not here after all."

Fang Zheng quickly searched the church but found nothing. Yet this did not worry him. Instead, it reinforced his judgment: the priest had never placed the fragment in the church first before moving it to the cellar, as the game had claimed. It had been hidden in the cellar all along!

Perhaps this Cultist believed his arrangements were foolproof, but he clearly did not know that Fang Zheng had already learned the cellar's location from the game. After finding nothing in the church, Fang Zheng immediately left through the back door and headed for the cellar beside it. Naturally, it was locked tight, but Fang Zheng did not care about such trivial matters now. Thinking that the Cultists and their leader might appear at any time, he became more alert, sliced open the cellar door with a single stroke, and walked straight inside.

The cellar looked no different from the one in the game. When Fang Zheng passed through the corridor and reached its center, he quickly spotted a sword hilt resting on the central platform, radiating a soft glow.

This was the Holy Sword fragment! Good, it was still here!

Seeing the fragment, Fang Zheng finally let out the breath he had been holding. He walked to the platform and cautiously checked the surroundings. Only after finding no traps did he reach out, take the sword hilt, and place it in his pocket. Only then did Fang Zheng finally feel at ease.

"Good, everything's settled. That was even easier than I expected. Next, I just need to return to Tristram..."

Whoosh!!

But before Fang Zheng could finish speaking, a flash of light suddenly burst behind the platform before him. Immediately afterward, several figures dressed in yellow robes, clearly Cultists, stepped out from it. They froze when they saw Fang Zheng, and Fang Zheng was stunned for a moment upon seeing these suddenly appearing Cultists. Then he immediately understood.

These Cultists had used a teleportation array to get here!