Jungle Fierce Battle

I was very worried at first, but then I thought that Yordles are born powerful and shouldn't have any accidents, so I agreed.

Poppy changed into children's clothes and left the village carrying a small flower basket. She was already similar in height, and now she looked like a perfect fit.

I also changed into the clothes of the villagers here and patrolled around pretending to be part of the security team, actually staying not far behind Poppy.

When I arrived near the cave where Kindred was worshipped, I suddenly heard a gunshot. When I rushed over, I saw a skinny person wearing a mask. He was holding a gun and confronting Poppy, and they had clearly recognized each other.

And I recognized him too—the Deadly Master, Jhin.

So Jhin was the mastermind, a murderous demon who had lived for hundreds of years!

"Bullet in the chamber, trigger whisper, come and smell this fragrance."

"Your gun seems useless, just like your magic three hundred years ago, only good for scaring children."

"I rise from filth and mud, I am the blazing lotus, I am the one and only beauty."

"Oh, you pathetic madman, take your ghost stories to the dead children!"

Poppy was furious and charged forward, but Jhin maintained a distance, giving her no chance to get close.

This gun is called Whisper. It has immense power, and the bullets are imbued with a strong magical aura. Each explosion stirs up a cloud of smoke.

Fortunately, Poppy's body is tough and she wouldn't suffer substantial damage. Plus, her strength is ridiculously high. Her small fists hit like cannonballs, leaving clear fist imprints on the trees!

Under such a power disparity, Jhin couldn't hold on for long. Soon, Poppy hit his left leg, breaking it instantly.

Both of his legs were prosthetics. Even without pain, they would limit his movement. Poppy seized the opportunity to continue her attack. Jhin rolled to the side and suddenly fired two shots.

These two shots weren't aimed at Poppy, but at the ground beside her. The smoke kicked up by the bullets formed a cage, trapping her inside. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free!

"This is the theater I've prepared for you. The show is called Futility. Hahahaha..."

Jhin's laughter was hoarse and unpleasant, making me feel uncomfortable. I didn't want to wait any longer, so I thrust my spear forward.

"The hidden spectator finally makes their entrance. What kind of welcome ceremony should I prepare? Then let me show you my beauty. I bloom in the midst of slaughter, just like a flower in the dawn."

It turned out Jhin knew I was nearby all along. Since he didn't run, he must have some trump card. Of course, I wasn't worried. Could the mighty Zhao Xin be afraid of an ADC?

Jhin fired several shots, all of which I dodged. I also deflected his grenades. He remained unhurried until I stabbed his chest, only then did I realize that this body was also fake!

"My puppets are also beautiful things in this world, their graceful dance captivating all."

"Throw it away quickly!"

Hearing Poppy's shout, I quickly threw Jhin's fake body high into the air and watched it explode in the sky. At the same time, Poppy's confinement was also lifted.

"I was really careless. I didn't expect him to learn confinement magic, and such a powerful one. I'll have to be careful next time."

The explosion in the air drew all the villagers. Seeing the scene before them, they finally believed what the village woman had said: this had nothing to do with the god of death; it was all the work of an evil mage.

At this point, someone suggested, "Since this was all man-made, we can ask the Kinkou Order for help. Master Kusuo definitely won't stand by and do nothing."

"Yes, ask the Kinkou Order for help!"

After inquiring, I learned that the Kinkou monastery was located in Prexian, so I took on the task. It was just delivering a message, and it wouldn't affect my plans, especially since Jhin was Poppy's enemy.

Yanglin Village wasn't particularly far from Prexian, but people rarely went out, so they didn't know the way.

Fortunately, a merchant caravan heading in the direction of Prexian passed by to resupply. So, after explaining the situation, the villagers had the caravan take us with them.

I was puzzled why the caravan didn't take the main road, which would have been faster. The captain told me that this was the easiest road nearby.

It was hard to imagine that this kind of small path was the easiest road. A single carriage took up the entire width, and when oncoming traffic appeared, they had to yield to each other to pass.

"Young man, as an Ionian, you should know a proverb: If you rush, you'll miss the scenery along the way. I know your matter is important, but please calm down. I believe the scenery along the way will give you some insight."

The speaker was a young mother. Perhaps she saw that I was in a hurry and offered some advice.

She wore a half-veil, so I couldn't see her face clearly, but judging by her eyes, she was very beautiful. The little girl in her arms was sleeping soundly. The child looked about six or seven years old and was very cute.

This merchant caravan had about a dozen people. They usually made a living by transporting goods between the coast and the inland. The members of the caravan had very good relationships with each other, and their conversations were often filled with laughter. The captain was a straightforward person, and everyone trusted him.

He was very concerned about the mother and daughter on the road, always helping them out, to the point where I mistook them for a family, which led to a joke.

Although no one minded, the young mother always kept a distance from the captain. This feeling was subtle; everyone saw it but couldn't intervene.

The young mother's name was Youlan. Her husband had died a long time ago, leaving her and her daughter to fend for themselves. Later, the captain took them in to help with some accounting for the caravan. It was a relatively easy job, and they could travel, so she had been doing it ever since.

Her description was simple, but I found it unusual because, in her eyes, I saw a calm self-possession after experiencing hardships.

The little girl's name was Xiao Li. She was the joy of the caravan. Her liveliness and playfulness, typical of her age, always attracted attention and made people happy.

After Poppy and I joined the caravan, Xiao Li kept pestering me to tell her stories. However, the stories I knew didn't belong to this world, and my personal experiences were quite unpleasant. After much thought, I decided to tell her about my experiences in the arena.

I only said that the gladiators lived very hard lives, without mentioning the details of the fights or the killings. I even described the man-eating bear as a creature like a tanuki. The little girl listened intently, her eyes wide, absorbing every detail.

Looking at her innocent eyes, I always felt that those dark and bloody events shouldn't happen in this world, at least not in this world around us.

Perhaps influenced by this cheerful atmosphere, Poppy seemed less anxious and gradually blended in.

Everyone sang songs and moved forward slowly