Born Almighty Warrior
Chapter 603 Is It An Invitation To Goodwill

"Speak, Edward. Don't try my patience! I'm telling you, any falsehood you utter will mean your death. This is my final warning," Ricky said with a snarl. His face contorted with distaste as he pushed Edward aside. Gingerly, he patted his hands together as if to shake off the other man's filth. The sight of his displeasure filled Edward with alarm and fear.

His mouth opened and then promptly closed, his mind cast about for the words that would save him from further admonishment. Edward cleared his throat to start over, a play for time as he struggled to catch his breath

"Hey, what are you waiting for? Just tell us straight. How did you know our exact location?" Soar barked the question at Edward through gritted teeth.

"We knew your location through Samson and Carley!" Edward confessed, his mouth tripped over his words in his haste. His words ended in a high-pitched squeak as fear got the better of him.

"What? What are you talking about? You mean we signaled our location to you?" Samson's and Carley's eyes widened at the accusation, heads snapped towards Edward's location as they ran his words over and over in their heads. Incredulous, they instinctively launched their enlightening power to detect any suspicious energy or activity inside their bodies, but they found none.

"Express yourself clearly!" Ricky bellowed at Edward.

"We produced a special tracking powder using the blood of the Golden Leopard Valley members to form the guiding constituent. When it was finished, we stealthily planted the tracking powder on their bodies. With the aid of this tracking powder, all the disciples from the Golden Leopard Valley can sense Samson and Carley from far away." Even as he cowered under Ricky's gaze, Edward managed to murmur a minute explanation.

"How dare you guys!" Samson bellowed. He stood rigid as he stared down hard at Edward. Seething, he clenched his trembling fist at his side. He willed himself to stand still lest he made another mistake.

All warriors hated to be watched and tracked, and Samson was no exception.

Samson wasn't the only one feeling sick at that hour though. Edward cursed himself for having taken the initiation to come here. He shouldn't have come to see Ricky and his companions.

His foolishness led him here, short of a secret trump card and with his life at risk. He swallowed thickly, pushing down words that might make the whole situation even worse.

"I'm going to kill you!" Samson roared with anger as he lunged toward Edward. Instantly, he held a knife against the other's neck. A drop of blood trickled from the sharp point to the smooth, shining edge of the blade.

Just as quickly, Madeline stood beside him, close enough to grab him by the collar and pull him back. She chopped at his wrist, loosening his hold on the handle. The knife dropped to her waiting hand.

Samson let her. He stood limp at her side, calming himself with quick, quivering breaths. Fully aware he had nothing to gain from Edward dying then and there, he sighed. He held his wrist with his other hand, rubbing at the point of impact. The real enemy was Martin; his death alone was essential for his victory and true inner peace. Anything beyond that was unnecessary.

"Do you have an antidote for the tracking powder?" Despite the commotion, Ricky's sharp and aggressive eyes focused squarely on Edward.

"It doesn't need an antidote. The tracking powder will lose its effectiveness in three months or so,” Edward told Ricky. The truth came quickly as he touched a hand to his neck, the red marking his fingertips a clear reminder of his dangerous position.

"Can't you think of a faster way to remove its effectiveness?”

"I don't know anything about it. Maybe the young master will know how to immediately remove its effectiveness. Why don't you go and ask him for help?" Edward rubbed his chin as though in thought. He intentionally named Martin in the hopes of deterring Ricky and the others.

"Oh, so Martin is your young master. Now, I'm determined to ferret him out and kill him," Ricky sniggered at Edward as his eyes flashed with a murderous light.

That look caused a chill to run down Edward's spine and he had to lower his eyes to hide the fear there. The way his body shook with horror betrayed him though.

"Now, make a full confession of your crimes. What's Martin's real purpose for sending you out here? Did he already find an arena for our final battle?" Ricky continued to needle information out of him. "No! No! You're wrong about that. Our young master's real purpose is to invite you all to a certain place. There's a golden opportunity for our cultivation there, which must be seized. I'm telling the truth. I'm not lying." With wild eyes and sweat dripping between his brows, Edward spoke hurriedly. His arms flailed around to focus their attention on the truth of his words.

Upon hearing his explanation, Ricky and the others were stunned and frozen in shock. They gazed at each other slack-jawed.

Edward's explanation seemed inconceivable. That Martin would invite them to seek a golden opportunity for their cultivation was a story that transcended belief! Doubt was the first emotion to set in. There was every possibility that this was all a plot, a trap, and Ricky would be a fool to go through with it.

"Is Martin playing tricks on us?" Ricky asked coldly as he stood in a trance.

"No. We already reached that certain place. But, we could not enter it. I'm telling the truth. I'm not lying." Edward repeated the plea. His voice grew more desperate by the second.

"Oh? It's kind of interesting,” Ricky murmured in amazement. His eyes flitted between Soar and Terrence to see if they shared the same sentiment.

"Keep talking, while I'm still willing to hear you out," Ricky ordered.

"There's a strong force of exclusivity inside that place. Together with the Golden Rhino tribe, we launched a joint attack against this strong force of exclusivity, but we failed. Young master believes it would benefit us all if we put aside our differences and work together to break that force. When we succeed and attain our respective golden opportunities, then we can go into our final battle.” Edward's eyes were hazy by the time he finished his speech. He glanced at the others, noting any obvious reactions. Any twitch of interest from them a sign that he could keep his head on his shoulders.

"Ha-ha, 1 got it!" Ricky laughed loudly. A wide smile bloomed on his face.

At the moment, two possibilities presented themselves to Ricky. First, Edward could be telling the truth.

In that case, sending Edward to beg for help was the last-ditch effort on Martin's part to solve a difficult problem.

Second, it could just as easily be a lie. Rather than the Land of Opportunity, Ricky could instead find himself in a trap, with a one-way ticket to the underworld.

It was a hit-or-miss decision. If he wasn't careful, this time, he might just rise to Martin's bait and put his head in the noose.

"So, what do you think?" Edward asked Ricky warily. He could see the gears turning in Ricky's head as his laughter dimmed into a more subtle smile.

His teeth gnawed at his lip to stop his smile from spreading. If Edward could win Ricky's confidence here, he could only imagine the hefty reward that waited for him upon his return to the Golden Leopard Valley.

"When you get back, please tell your young master that we have no interest in this so-called Land of Opportunity,” Ricky said. Any hint of joyfulness from his face disappeared completely as his mouth turned upward in a sneer.

"What? I could hardly believe my ears. This is an once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity!" Edward scratched at his head, dumbfounded. He gaped at Ricky, his mouth almost as wide as his eyes, like a fish fumbling for air.

He had been so sure that Ricky would believe his elaborate lie and accept Martin's invitation. Seconds passed, but time didn't make it easier for him to accept or even understand Ricky's decision. Edward fumbled, grasped for straws, as he came to grips with the fact that he revealed their highly guarded secret for this plan too.

"It seems that telling them the truth is the only option I have left,” Edward muttered to himself. With his mind made up, he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Edward, I told you. I have no interest in that golden opportunity. In other words, I have no more time to waste on this." Ricky flashed him a toothy smile, resembling a predator's flash of fangs. "You better leave immediately before I initiate my killing desire.

By the way, tell Martin I will look for him even if he's unwilling to see me."

Edward nodded solemnly. His eyes trained on the ground as he listened to Ricky.

"I'll let you off this time. Next time, you'll be belly-up as soon we see you," Ricky warned, his lips curling in condescension.

"Before I leave, may I have a word?" Edward asked in a small voice. He clenched his fist as he gathered enough courage to look up.

"Enough talk! Do you want me to cut off your tongue?” Soar bellowed. The pathetic sight made him angrier. He rolled up his sleeves and started kicking at Edward's shins.

Ricky grabbed him by his shirt before he could cause more damage. A single glance between them was enough to persuade Soar to keep his cool.

"Speak! I'll give you another ten seconds,” Ricky said, directing a withering glare at the man.

"The Land of Opportunity discovered by our young master is called the Birthplace of Ghosts by the Golden Leopard Valley and the Nanchao Clan.” Edward bulldozed through his story. "You might want to think twice about accepting Martin's invitation.”

With that, Edward gathered himself to his full height and fled

Ricky and the others were all too stunned to even notice his escape.