Chapter 177: Acting on Impulse

After leaving the Star Alliance, Shi Ji casually strolled away. He felt light and carefree, without a hint of worry.

The friend Shi Ji referred to was actually the A-rank hero, the gatekeeper. He had a good impression of him, especially after seeing the Gatekeeper stand up to Divine Hunter the day before.

There were many hospitals in the area, but heroes were all assigned to one specific hospital. While visiting the gatekeeper, Shi Ji figured he might as well check in on Regular A, the C-rank hero.

Shi Ji didn’t have much planned for the day; he was basically free. Besides visiting his friends, there was something else he needed to take care of.

As that thought crossed his mind, Shi Ji suddenly stopped and slowly turned around.

At that very moment, a man dressed in leather from head to toe, with two swords strapped to his back, was striding toward him.

That’s right—the other thing Shi Ji needed to do was teach Blade a lesson.

Shi Ji had held back against Blade the last few times, considering various factors. Lin Xinyan had made it clear to him that this was a critical time and he shouldn’t act rashly. Shi Ji genuinely felt sorry for her, but after sending Divine Hunter to the hospital, there was no stopping now. Since he’d already broken his promise to Lin Xinyan, all he could offer her was his apology. Fewer eyesores might mean some things would slip through the cracks, but Shi Ji was ready to handle whatever came next. He’d patch up any gaps himself.

He felt completely at ease now, not at all tense about facing Blade. There was no reason to be. 

A smile played on his lips, and his eyes carried a subtle, dismissive look, one that spoke of his utter lack of respect for Blade.

With a casual flick of his hand, a silver-white spear appeared, resting lightly in his grip.

They had moved far enough away from the Star Alliance, and since Blade had followed him all the way out here, it was clear he had made up his mind.

Earlier at the Star Alliance, Jing Xin did give Blade a warning. While he appeared to agree, it was just for show. He didn’t want Jing Xin to get involved in this, even if it meant using his superior strength to deal with someone weaker.

Blade moved quickly, closing the distance between them in no time. He stopped about twenty meters from Shi Ji, his anger from the earlier meeting still burning strong.

From the moment they first met until now, Shi Ji had left Blade with nothing but bad impressions, and they had only gotten worse. 

Blade’s face was stern as he looked at Shi Ji with clear disdain. He didn’t take Shi Ji seriously at all.

“Kid, you were lucky Jing Xin was around before, so I let you off. But you keep pushing your luck, so don’t blame me for coming at you with all I’ve got. This time, it’s your own fault.”

Blade had intentionally avoided getting Jing Xin involved, ready to confront Shi Ji directly. But Shi Ji had the same thought. With Jing Xin and Lin Xinyan around, he might’ve held back, but without them, Blade would finally get the punishment he deserved for his arrogance.

In a way, both of their intentions aligned perfectly.

“When being a hero became just a job, the whole essence of it changed. And as for someone like you, a so-called S-rank hero, you clearly don’t understand the responsibilities of being a hero. I’m here to fix that, to correct the errors of people like you.”

As Shi Ji spoke, a smirk formed at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh right, Blade, Blade. Your name’s all about your sword, right? Let’s see just how sharp that blade of yours really is.”

With those words, the silver spear in Shi Ji’s hand suddenly broke into sparkling fragments, then reformed into a new shape—a four-foot-long, silver-white sword, intricately engraved with ornate patterns.