Chapter 008: The Sword Saint of Silver Sheaths

Du Fan was stunned and couldn’t help but glance at Prince Fischer beside him.
Prince Fischer shook his head slightly and whispered, “Du Fan… it’s better if you leave. In Francis’s presence, having one more person won’t make any difference.”
Du Fan’s heart skipped a beat. He almost turned to leave right away, but having lived two lives, he was cautious by nature and quickly saw the problem.
If he ran away today…
He and Prince Fischer had left together at the entrance of the Holy Church. There were likely many who knew this. But if he stayed alive while Prince Fischer lost his life, his troubles would only grow…
By then, no matter how strong his backing or how much power he had, he would end up in a miserable fate.
Even if Prince Fischer’s life was spared, wouldn’t he seek revenge on Du Fan later?
So, no matter how you looked at it, he couldn’t leave today…
With these thoughts, Du Fan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He never expected he would end up in a situation where he had to share life and death with a prince. It seemed the imperial capital truly wasn’t a place for ordinary people!
With that in mind, Du Fan took a deep breath, shook his head firmly, glanced at Francis, and sneered, “What if I refuse to leave?”
Francis seemed unprepared for Du Fan’s refusal. He was momentarily stunned before nodding and saying calmly, “Interesting. You still have the courage to stand before me, Francis. No matter who you are, I’ll ensure you die intact… Lord Du Fan, rest assured… when I kill someone, I don’t let them feel pain. Besides, dying under my ‘Blood Rose’ is an honor for you!”
Prince Fischer also didn’t expect such a reaction from Du Fan. He glanced at Du Fan, intending to persuade him further, but seeing Du Fan shake his head, he sighed and said, “Lord Du Fan, you probably don’t know who this Lord Francis is… If it were anyone else, they would have fled long ago. Yet you stay and seek death…”
Du Fan didn’t say much. He just stared at Francis and asked, “Who exactly is this Lord Francis?”
Prince Fischer, anticipating this question, gave a bitter smile, glanced at Francis, and continued, “Du Fan, haven’t you heard of the Sword Saint of Silver Sheaths?”
Du Fan’s brows furrowed as he suddenly remembered.

That day, he and Joshua traveled south together. Although they couldn’t find out the Holy See’s stance, he gained some understanding of the local customs and the political situation of the various countries on the continent. Once, Du Fan suddenly thought of the deceased Ordas and Bruce and couldn’t help asking, “Ordas was a rare genius, and Bruce was said to be the warrior closest to the sacred rank. Now that both of them are dead, I suppose Lord Joshua is now the strongest person on the continent?” Joshua remained silent for a moment before forcing a wry smile and saying, “The Roland Continent isn’t as simple as you think. It’s true that Bruce was said to be the warrior closest to the sacred rank… and it’s also true that Ordas was a genius. Both of them could be considered the pinnacle figures on the continent. But even though they’re dead now, I, an eighth-level warrior, am not much of anything. Not to mention the three remaining grand knights of the Temple Knights are all stronger than me. Even outside the Holy See, there are countless formidable individuals. Many of them don’t care about empty titles, so we don’t know exactly how many strong people there are on the continent. However, if we’re to mention the most notable among the well-known strongmen, it would be the Silver Sheath Sword Saint, Francis.” It is said that Francis was an orphan who was captured by a band of bandits as a child and forced to work as a slave in the mountains. But Francis was a man of firm resolve. While alone in the mountains, taking advantage of the bandits’ absence, he stole a combat energy manual left behind by one of them. What could such a manual from a bandit possibly contain? It was just the kind of book that could be bought for a gold coin in the bookstores of the Roland Continent. Yet, relying solely on that manual, Francis spent ten years mastering combat energy. Then, one dusk, with just his sword, he wiped out all the bandits in the stronghold and left the mountains on his own. By then, he already had the strength of a fifth-level warrior after taking the tests at the Warrior Association. After that, besides practicing combat energy, Francis mostly worked as a mercenary, taking on various tasks. Over the course of ten years, he could be said to have explored every corner of the continent. Ten years later, in his twenties, when he took the tests again, he already had the strength of a ninth-level warrior. From then on, Francis stopped being a mercenary and instead became a warrior, constantly challenging strongmen from all directions.

That was three years ago. By now, no one knows exactly what kind of strength Francis possesses, but the reputation of the Sword Saint of Silver Scabbard has grown even louder. Du Fan then asked rashly, “So if Lord Joshua were to encounter this Francis, what would be his chances of winning?” Joshua sighed and gave a bitter smile, saying, “It depends on the circumstances.” He continued, “Francis is already extremely strong, but what’s truly remarkable is the weapon in his hands—it’s recognized as one of the divine weapons in the continent. The Blood Rose! It’s said to be a divine weapon left behind in the world during the War of the Gods. It’s unmatched in sharpness and power. Especially the dragon eye on the Blood Rose—when Francis channels his combat energy to its fullest, it can have earth-shattering effects. It’s truly terrifying!” Added to this is a set of combat techniques developed by Francis over the years, which are also incredibly powerful. Back then, Joshua said, “If Francis doesn’t use his Blood Rose or his unique combat techniques, I still have a 30% chance of winning against him. If he uses his unique techniques, I might have a 50% chance. But if he uses the Blood Rose, unless I also have a divine weapon, I have no other choice but to flee!” … Such a person actually acting indifferent in front of him—presumably, he must rarely encounter someone like him over the years… No wonder… Thinking of this, Du Fan couldn’t help but give a bitter smile and sigh, “Sir Francis, the Sword Saint of Silver Scabbard, although I’m not very knowledgeable, I’ve long heard of your fame… So, is that the Blood Rose in your hands?” As he spoke, Du Fan shook his head and looked at Prince Fisher, sighing, “My prince, it’s rare to see you still able to smile. In this situation, you must use every trick you have… Otherwise, we’re really done this time.” Prince Fisher nodded. Although Francis exuded immense pressure, the prince clearly remained calm to some extent. This made Du Fan secretly glad about his choice. Surely, if the prince could stay so calm, he must have some backup plans!

Prince Fischer glanced at Du Fan, then at Francis with a cold expression, before suddenly saying in a grave tone, “Du Fan… Of course, since you managed to deal with Bruce in that way, why can’t you use the same method on Francis?”
Du Fan felt a surge in his heart, but he quickly realized that with his current strength, even if he used his mental powers, he wouldn’t be able to control Francis. Doing so would only anger him, which wouldn’t be good.
With that thought, Du Fan forced a wry smile and said, “My prince, let me be honest with you. That method works against ordinary people, but against a strong warrior like Francis, there’s not even a chance… It wasn’t me who attacked Bruce back then… If I could do such a thing, I wouldn’t be standing here smiling bitterly now.”
Prince Fischer finally sighed and said, “If that’s the case, leave Francis to me. As for that Master Ampere, you’ll have to rely on yourself… We’ve already delayed things for so long. Soon, my men will arrive! Du Fan, you must not die!”
Du Fan sighed, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and said in a low voice, “I hope so!”
Prince Fischer nodded but stepped forward.
Seeing this, Francis’s expression shifted slightly as he smiled faintly and said, “Have you two already made up your minds? Very well… Ampere, let’s get started. Remember, leave both of them alive!”
Earlier, when Francis saw Du Fan and Prince Fischer talking, he remained motionless, clearly too proud to act without proper preparation. It seemed Ampere understood his mindset and also just watched.
Now, hearing Francis’s words, Ampere sneered and stared at Du Fan, laughing coldly, “My dear Lord Du Fan, does that mean it’s time for us to start too?”
Du Fan forced another wry smile and turned toward Ampere…
A warrior determined by a continent, a powerful mage on par with the current head of the Magic Guild…
No matter how you look at it, this is a huge problem!