Xu Huo smiled. "You were pretty well prepared."
The four knives flew at him again. As he dodged, he said, "When you run into someone you absolutely can't beat, if they don't kill you right away, wait for an opportunity. Escaping is best. If you can't escape and have to risk everything, don't think about weakening your opponent. Go straight for the kill."
"The odds of success are the same for you either way. If the first approach works, you'll only make them angrier. The second might just create a miracle."
"I don't believe in miracles." Tan Qi was starting to run out of stamina. Breathing hard, he said, "Ordinary people can't possibly beat Players. Killing a Player is harder than reaching the heavens."
Tan Qi still wanted to become a Player. He'd hoped to learn from Xu Huo, but after Xu Huo clearly refused, he'd tried working toward other goals. At the very least, fighting skills would be useful when he first became a Player.
"Ordinary people can kill Players," Xu Huo said, rejecting his claim. "Otherwise, why do you think Players from more developed Sub-districts have to keep their heads down when they come here?"
"Weapons are crucial."
"Ordinary people can't use Items, but they can use devices."
"So after all that, you still want me to learn how to make devices with Xiao Yuan." Tan Qi couldn't accept it. "If you don't have the strength yourself, even the most powerful device won't stop you from being at someone else's mercy."
"You don't understand what I mean," Xu Huo said. "I mean you can rely on outside help. If you were a member of the Black Shoulder Badge right now, would you still be trying to take me on alone?"
Tan Qi stopped moving. "You mean having someone