Before he could finish speaking, William Carter let out a cold laugh and said slowly, “Only the dead will keep their mouths shut forever!” He had never been a soft-hearted person. Since childhood, in order to survive, his blade had been stained with the blood of countless people. One more young man made no difference to him now, even if he was a Windman.

However, what puzzled William Carter was that this young man clearly didn’t possess any spiritual energy—in other words, he had never practiced spiritual martial arts—so how could he possibly recognize that what he was using was the Dark Flame?

He decided to ask first. Taking a deep breath and suppressing his killing intent, William Carter asked in a low voice, “Have you seen the Dark Flame before?”

The young man let out a slight sigh of relief. When William Carter’s killing intent was fully directed at him, he felt as if the air around him had solidified, an invisible yet very real pressure threatening to crush and flatten his body. He knew that was ‘spiritual pressure.’

He sighed softly and said with a bitter smile, “I’ve never seen the Dark Flame before—this is my first time.” Seeing William Carter raise his eyebrows, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes, he hurriedly explained, “But I’ve read a lot of books, knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and I’ve read quite a few books on dark-type spiritual martial arts, so I know a bit about the Dark Flame.”

William Carter stared fixedly at the young man. After a long while, he suddenly burst out laughing. He had met many arrogant people, but this young man was definitely among the best—daring to claim he was “knowledgeable in astronomy and geography.” That was some thick skin.

Noticing that his killing intent had lessened, the young man continued, “So, you can’t kill me. If I die, it won’t do you any good—only harm.”

William Carter asked with a smile, “Why?”

The young man said anxiously, “Because I’m extremely knowledgeable. If you keep me by your side, I’ll be a great help to you!”

William Carter couldn’t help it and burst out laughing, the Dark Flame in his palm vanishing as well. He thought he was crazy enough, but this young man was even crazier. He mocked, “If you’re really so knowledgeable, wouldn’t you have become an official by now? Why are you still a mere soldier?”

The young man looked at William Carter strangely and retorted, “How can a commoner become an official?”

Chapter 0010: The Haotian Empire

William Carter was taken aback and silently searched Henry Clark’s memories. Sure enough, in the Haotian Empire, commoners really couldn’t become officials. Only after obtaining a title of nobility would one be qualified and have the opportunity to gain an official rank. The Wind Kingdom was the same.

He nodded and asked leisurely, “So you chose to join the army, planning to earn merit by killing enemies to obtain a title?”

The young man didn’t hide it and replied, “Yes. It’s the easiest way to earn a title in the army.”

That was the truth. The Wind Kingdom also had a tradition of valuing martial prowess. During times of war, military merit was always measured by the number of enemy heads taken. The more enemy heads brought back, the greater the merit. Once a certain number was accumulated, one could be granted a title of nobility.

William Carter looked at the young man with amusement and said, “It seems you’ve never practiced spiritual martial arts?”

The young man replied seriously, “I’m a scholar.”

William Carter shrugged and said, “You can barely handle a weapon—how can you kill enemies? If you can’t kill enemies, how can you take their heads? Without heads, how will you earn a title?”

The young man grinned slyly and said, “That’s why I’ve always been looking for someone who can work with me. I never found one before, but…” His eyes lit up as he looked at William Carter, smiling, “Now, I’ve found one.”

William Carter narrowed his eyes, pointed at his own nose, and said, “You’re not saying you’ve found me, are you?”

The young man nodded excitedly and said urgently, “You have martial skill, I have knowledge. If we work together, we’ll be a perfect team. It won’t be long before we both earn titles.”

William Carter sneered disinterestedly and said, “I won’t carry a burden around with me.” To him, someone who hadn’t practiced spiritual martial arts was useless. “Besides, I’m not interested in titles. This war has nothing to do with me. I have my own matters to take care of first.”

Right now, he had only one thought: to go to Moon Spirit City at the foot of Sunset Peak, find Crystal and Samuel Carter, and take his revenge.

Seeing his expression turn cold in an instant, the young man asked cautiously, “Where are you going?”

“Moon Spirit City!”

“Moon Spirit City?” The young man was startled and asked, “You mean Moon Spirit City at the foot of Sunset Peak?”

“That’s right,” William Carter replied crisply.

The young man looked puzzled and suspiciously asked, “What are you going there for? Besides, Moon Spirit City became a ruin hundreds of years ago. I doubt there are many people left who even remember the name Moon Spirit City.”

“What?” William Carter was shocked. Moon Spirit City became a ruin? How was that possible? When Henry Clark left Moon Spirit City to duel Edward Harris, the city was still thriving. How could it have become a ruin, and hundreds of years ago at that? Could Henry Clark have seen a ghost? He knew that was impossible.

He let out a cold laugh and said icily, “You’re lying to me.”

“Why would I lie to you? Besides, this kind of thing can’t be faked. You can go ask around—see if anyone still remembers the name Moon Spirit City. It’s long since become history.”