Mo Han gave a cold laugh and spoke, "Is that so? Then why are you still wasting time here with empty talk? The city guards will arrive any moment. Do you really think your few Shadow Puppets can handle tens of thousands of guards? We are absolutely confident we can hold out until the Imperial Guard shows up."

The man in black hesitated after hearing Mo Han's words, then replied, "Fine, how do you propose we gamble? Let's see if I even agree to your terms first."

Mo Han inwardly thought that this man in black was indeed cautious, but unfortunately for him, he had run into Mo Han today, meaning he was fated to lose out.

With that thought, Mo Han smiled and said, "Naturally, but you must first order your Shadow Puppets to stand down."

The man in black didn't argue further; he blew his pipe. Upon hearing the sound, all the Shadow Puppets returned to his side. However, due to the significant damage sustained in the preceding fight, two of the Shadow Puppets were lost.

The Mad Dragon Royal Guards had also suffered the loss of nearly twenty men.

Among the members of the Church of Light, only Mora and another priest remained unharmed. The rest of the Knights of the Holy Guard, whose skills were already inferior to the Knights Inquisitor, had suffered devastating losses under the full assault of the Shadow Puppets.

Only a handful remained. Had it not been for the assistance of the Murong family, the Church of Light forces would likely have been utterly annihilated. Mora felt a pang of heartache watching the carnage.

The man in black was deeply distressed over the loss of his two Shadow Puppets. He knew how difficult they were to forge; they required living human sacrifices, and the success rate was extremely low. Furthermore, the subject material needed to possess the skill level of at least a Sword Master; otherwise, even if the forging succeeded, the resulting puppet would be useless due to low inherent power.

Then, the man in black spoke coldly, "You can present your terms now. If you are trying to stall for time, don't blame me for attacking immediately."

Mo Han chuckled, "How could I do such a thing? I am a man of utmost integrity and kindness."

Hearing Mo Han’s assertion, Murong Tian and the others shook their heads with helpless smiles. The man in black completely ignored Mo Han’s nonsense, thinking to himself, if you were truly so noble, why did you ambush me earlier? But he knew arguing with Mo Han would only result in his own disadvantage, so he decided against responding, avoiding pointless aggravation.

Noticing the man in black showing signs of growing anger, Mo Han quickly pressed on, "My proposal is very simple: If you stand still, without dodging, and allow me to strike you once, I lose, and you can do as you please with me."

Upon hearing Mo Han's suggestion, not only did the man in black freeze, but Murong Tian and the others grew frantic, "Young brother, absolutely not! Isn't this walking right into a trap?" The man in black spoke with some hesitation, "Is your condition really that simple? What trick are you pulling?" He knew his protective Battle Aura was impenetrable even to lower-tier Sword Masters who possessed Qi; how could Mo Han, a mere Priest, possibly break through his true internal energy shield?

Thinking this over, the man in black couldn't help but suspect Mo Han's motives. Unless Mo Han had lost his mind, why would he propose a condition so clearly favorable to his opponent? Mo Han maintained his roguish smile and continued, "I haven't finished. If you lose, you must treat me with the utmost respect every time you see me from now on, understand? Also, you must tell me the whereabouts of the Dark Saintess. If I lose, then I will submit to your judgment today."

The man in black considered it, seemingly finding no flaws or loopholes in Mo Han's words. He finally conceded, "While your proposal has no inherent faults, I would have to agree to two of your conditions, which makes it obviously unfair. Therefore, if you agree that if you lose, both Mora and you are at my disposal, then I will accept your terms."

Mo Han hesitated upon hearing the counteroffer. If it were just himself, it would be fine, but Mora was someone he had just met. Could he really stake his life and fortune on Mo Han's ability? While Mo Han was still deliberating, Mora spoke up from the side, "I trust Mo Han. I agree to your terms. If Mo Han loses, I will be at your disposal."

Hearing Mora’s words, a wave of emotion washed over Mo Han. Mora had only just met him, knowing practically nothing about him, yet she was willing to place her very life in his hands. This simple act of trust deeply moved Mo Han.

Mo Han smiled sincerely at Mora and said, "Thank you, High Priest, for your trust. I will certainly not disappoint you."

Mora smiled and nodded in acknowledgment to Mo Han.

Mo Han then turned back to the man in black, "Very well, we have agreed to each other's terms. But in the unlikely event that you lose and refuse to honor the debt—given your high cultivation level, I would be powerless against you—how will you guarantee your word?" The man in black scoffed at Mo Han's question, "I, Jera the Blood Killer, have always kept my word. What kind of person do you take me for?"

Upon hearing the name, Murong Tian gasped in shock, "You are Jera the Blood Killer who shook the continent twenty years ago? Weren't you already dead? How is this possible?"

Mo Han learned from Mora beside him that Jera had already been a Great Sword Master two decades prior, constantly engaged in assassination, a figure who gave headaches to the royal families of every empire. Furthermore, he was notoriously bloodthirsty, earning him the moniker 'Blood Killer Assassin.' Later, Jera clashed with the Second Prince of the Blazing Cloud Empire over a woman. In a fit of rage, Jera severely wounded the prince. This prince happened to be the favorite son of the Blazing Cloud Emperor, who became enraged. A bounty of one million gold coins was immediately placed on the Blood Killer's head, sending shockwaves across the continent.

As the saying goes: Men die for wealth, and birds die for food. Such a high reward was virtually unheard of on the Dragon Ascending Continent. Countless mercenary groups immediately began searching for the Blood Killer's whereabouts. Moreover, the Blazing Cloud Empire dispatched their National Protector Mage, the Fire Element Archmage Elifor, leading a contingent of mages and knights to hunt Jera down. The Blood Killer was forced to flee everywhere. It was rumored that he was finally chased to the sea near the Azure Water Empire by the S-Rank mercenary group, the Silver Fox Mercenaries. With nowhere left to run, he jumped into the ocean and was never seen again. Everyone assumed he had perished at sea. No one expected that he was not only alive but standing right there. It was no wonder everyone was so astonished; he was already a Great Sword Master twenty years ago, which explained his current Sword Saint level expertise.

The proud Blood Killer sneered, "To think those few mangy foxes from Silver Fox could kill me? That’s nothing but a pipe dream."

Hearing this, Mo Han spoke up, "Good, since that is settled, can our wager begin?"

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