Sure enough, the item Phoebe was looking for was this very thing.
Watching her cradle the Silver-Wrapped Crystal Covenant Pendant in her palm, Bai Xuan had a general idea of what was going on.
According to the description of the pendant, it was the proof of marriage between Ethan and Ramona.
But what connection did this girl named Phoebe Xi have with those two lovers?
He secretly speculated that Phoebe might be Ramona's descendant, but it was nothing more than a guess.
Phoebe raised the pendant to her eyes, turning it over and examining it for a long time.
The silver chain swayed gently between her fingers, and the two tiny names on the back of the pendant shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
She stared at it for a very long time, as if confirming something, before slowly closing her fingers and squeezing the pendant tightly in her palm.
Bai Xuan was just beginning to feel a twinge of regret over giving away such a precious pendant, comforting himself with the thought that it was simply being returned to its rightful owner.
But in the next second, Phoebe suddenly turned around and held the pendant out to him again.
Bai Xuan froze, hesitating to reach out and take it.
“Isn't this what you've been looking for?” he couldn't help but ask. “Now that you've found it, why are you giving it back to me?”
Phoebe remained silent, her face devoid of expression. She simply nudged the pendant a bit closer to him, a hint of persistence in her eyes.
Bai Xuan looked at her, finally reaching out to take the pendant and tucking it into his chest pocket.
“Alright then.” He paused, his tone turning serious. “But you can't follow me anymore. The place I'm going next is extremely dangerous.”
“Go with that team from earlier. They will get you settled.”
With that, he turned to lead the horse, swung himself into the saddle, wrapped the reins twice around his hand, and urged the horse forward a few paces.
But when he looked back, Phoebe was silently following behind.
He urged the horse forward a few more paces, yet she still quietly kept pace.
Helpless, Bai Xuan pulled the reins to stop the horse, shook his head, and dismounted.
He walked up to Phoebe, looking down into her gold-and-red eyes, and his heart ultimately softened.
“Fine. If you're absolutely set on following me, then you have to behave.”
He rummaged through his bundle to find a spare set of coarse clothing, shook it out to estimate the size, and tossed it to Phoebe.
“It's a bit big, but it should work. It'll cover your figure nicely.”
As he spoke, he retrieved a hood from his Space Ring and handed it over.
“Stuff your hair inside. Don't let it show, or it'll invite trouble.”
Phoebe took the clothes and the hood, looking down at them, but she didn't move immediately.
Bai Xuan turned around, waiting for her to change.
The rustling of fabric echoed behind him. After a moment, he turned back around.
Phoebe had already slipped on the dusty, coarse clothing. The hood hid her silver hair completely, save for a few stray strands peeking out near her ears.
Bai Xuan looked her over, reasonably satisfied.
Only then did he notice the tiny scratches and unhealed scabs on her arms.
“You're still injured,” he muttered, frowning.
“I'll heal you. Bear with it—the first time receiving this kind of treatment can be a bit painful.”
Phoebe still didn't speak, and Bai Xuan had already grown accustomed to her silence.
He raised his hand, and the golden glow of the Holy Light Catalyst descended slowly, enveloping her entire body.
The wounds healed at a visible rate, the scabs peeling away to reveal the fresh, pale skin beneath.
Phoebe's face remained expressionless. She didn't frown or grit her teeth, looking as though she felt no pain at all.
Bai Xuan almost thought the side effects of the healing magic had vanished, but as his gaze drifted downward, he saw her toes digging hard into the ground.
He realized instantly that she wasn't immune to the pain; she was just incredibly resilient.
He rummaged through his Space Ring again to pull out a spare pair of old shoes, squatting down to place them at her feet.
“Put these on. They're a bit big, but it's better than walking barefoot.”
Phoebe looked down at the shoes and slowly slipped her feet inside.
The shoes were indeed too large, making a loud clopping sound as she walked.
Bai Xuan squatted down again, scooping up a few handfuls of dirt and dust to gently smear over the hem and cuffs of Phoebe's clothes.
He then rubbed some lightly onto both sides of her cheeks, making her look just as dusty as him.
Stepping back two paces to inspect his work, he found the disguise to be just right.
The two of them now looked like siblings from an ordinary village family—unobtrusive, yet not so filthy as to draw unwanted attention.
“Alright.” Bai Xuan brushed the dust off his hands, remounted the horse, and reached down to pull Phoebe up behind him.
“Hold onto my waist so you don't fall off.”
Sitting behind him, Phoebe's cold little hands slowly wrapped around, locking tightly onto his waist.
Bai Xuan's entire body tensed. He felt a bit self-conscious, having never been this close to a member of the opposite sex before.
Composing himself, he gently urged the horse forward.
But after only a few steps, his waist suddenly squeezed tight, as if clamped by an iron band. He could barely breathe.
“Stop, stop, stop!” Bai Xuan hastily pulled the reins, turning his head to shout behind him.
“Loosen up! You're about to snap my waist in half!”
Phoebe loosened her grip slightly but didn't let go completely, merely raising her head to look at him.
Her gold-and-red eyes remained expressionless, as if she didn't realize how much strength she had used.
Watching her drag that heavy chest earlier hadn't given him a clear sense of it, but experiencing it firsthand now, he realized her strength was terrifying.
Even though his attributes surpassed those of an average Level 7 Practitioner, he was actually left aching from the squeeze of a Level 3.
Bai Xuan gestured helplessly. “You don't need to hold on so tight. Just grab onto my clothes.”
Hearing this, Phoebe slowly shifted her hands to the hem of his shirt, gripping it gently.
Bai Xuan urged the horse forward again. His waist still felt a bit tight, but it was much better than before.
Ultimately, he pulled the horse to a halt, reached back, and hauled Phoebe to the front, letting her sit in his lap with her hands gripping the saddle.
“This should work, right?” Bai Xuan muttered under his breath as he steadied the reins.
With someone suddenly in his arms, his breathing became slightly uneven, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Squeezing his legs against the horse's flanks, the steed set off, trotting slowly down the path toward Blackcreek Town.
This time, thankfully, no further mishaps occurred.
The horse's hooves clopped rhythmically against the gravel road.
Bai Xuan fell silent, and Phoebe remained quiet as well.
She only occasionally looked down at her hands gripping the saddle or looked up at the shadows of the trees along the road.
Together, they gradually rode into the distance, heading toward Blackcreek Town.
...
Deep within the forest, an abandoned chapel stood in silence.
Half of the roof had collapsed, and emerald vines hung down from the cracks, wrapping around the mottled walls.
Faint light filtered through the ceiling cracks, splitting the room into halves of light and shadow, adding a touch of eeriness to the atmosphere.
Zane sat in a dusty, high-backed chair, his elbow resting on the armrest and his fingertips pressed against his brow, his expression dark and unreadable.
The surroundings were dead silent, save for the occasional crackle of the oil lamp in the corner, which briefly punctured the stillness.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open. His pupils contracted sharply, and his fingers dug violently into the armrests.
The curse he had set had been triggered.
He could clearly sense that the trigger was the token on Peter's person.
“Where is Peter?” His voice was quiet, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness that seemed to freeze the air in the room.
A servant emerged trembling from the shadows, his head bowed low and his voice shaking.
“Y-Young Master... Lord P-Peter... he took some elites to rendezvous early.”
“He said it was safer to bring more men just in case.”
Zane glared at him, his eyes fierce as if he wanted to devour the man alive.
“What else did he say?”
The servant had prepared an excuse, but meeting Zane's icy gaze, an invisible pressure instantly crushed down on him.
Trembling with fear, he opened his mouth in terror, taking a long time to squeeze out the words.
“L-Lord Peter said... if you didn't ask, he wouldn't mention it. But if you did, I should tell the truth.” The servant swallowed hard and forced himself to continue.
“He also said that if the young master asked, I should tell you he was worried about complications with the caravan, so he went ahead to keep watch.”
Zane's mouth twitched, and he suddenly stood up.
The chair tipped backward under his sudden movement, crashing heavily onto the floor with a dull thud.
His face was incredibly grim. The unease in his heart had finally been validated.
“That idiot,” Zane growled, his voice thick with hostility.
His previously expressionless face was now written with a fury that made everyone shudder.
“Taking men out without permission is practically broadcasting his location. With this move of his, the surrounding flies will sniff the scent and swarm over.”
Zane took a deep breath and asked, “Who else went with Peter?”
The servant stammered, unable to answer, his forehead already drenched in cold sweat.
The murderous intent in Zane's eyes flared, and he raised his hand, releasing a burst of dark shadow.
Shadows suddenly pooled beneath the servant's feet, and several skeletal white claws lunged out, clamping tightly onto his ankles.
The servant instantly shrieked in agony, struggling desperately.
But the skeletal claws only tightened, dragging him inch by inch into the darkness.
“Spare me, Young Master! I was only following orders! I don't know anything—”
Before he could finish his plea, he was dragged completely into the dark, and his voice cut off.
Zane watched coldly until the pool of shadow returned to normal, only then slowly withdrawing his hand.
The other servants nearby froze in terror, not daring to move a muscle. Their eyes were glued to the ground, terrified that they would be next.
Zane closed his eyes, pressing his fingers against his throbbing forehead.
He could clearly feel the fluctuations of the curse. Someone was healing Peter.
Moreover, that person was actually capable of breaking his curse. They were definitely no ordinary individual.
His brow furrowed tightly as he slammed his fist onto the armrest of a nearby chair, sending dust billowing into the air.
“Send down the order. Gather all the elites in town here to stand by. No one is to make a move without my command,” he ordered icily.
“I will go scout ahead. If I confirm the gemstone has been stolen, I will signal immediately, and everyone will move in.”
The servants scrambled to obey, stumbling as they rushed out, terrified of staying even a second longer.
Zane turned and walked out of the chapel. A massive black panther was crouched near the entrance.
It was pitch-black all over, its amber eyes glowing in the dim forest. Its body was nearly the size of a warhorse, radiating a fierce aura.
He leaped onto the black panther's back. Reaching out with his left hand, a pitch-black staff materialized out of thin air in his palm.
In his right hand, he held a small container filled with a few drops of thick, dark-red liquid that emitted a faint, coppery scent.
He chanted a low spell, and the liquid in the container suddenly erupted with a blinding blood-red light, transforming into a red mist that slowly merged into the panther's body.
The black panther shuddered as blood-red veins gradually surfaced on its fur, spreading down to its limbs like blood vessels.
Its breathing grew heavy and hot, and its gaze turned even more savage.
Zane closed his eyes, carefully sensing the residual aura of the curse. After a moment, he pointed ahead.
The black panther let out a low growl, kicked off the ground with its paws, and lunged in that direction.
It was as fast as a bolt of black lightning, vanishing into the deep forest in an instant.
...
By the time Bai Xuan emerged from the woods leading the horse, dusk had already blanketed the sky, stretching the shadows of the forest.
The forest paths were winding and tortuous. After traveling for most of the day, they finally arrived near the main road.
He carefully helped Phoebe down from the horse, then dismounted himself.
He quickly removed the saddle and reins, stuffed them into his Space Ring, and gently patted the horse's back.
“Go on. You're free.”
The horse snorted, flicked its tail, and turned to plunge into the deep forest, quickly vanishing from sight.
Bai Xuan held Phoebe's hand as they walked along the main road toward Blackcreek Town.
The road was growing increasingly crowded, with people traveling in small groups, many dragging their entire families along.
They were dressed in tattered clothes, their faces covered in dust, looking like refugees fleeing from somewhere.
Bai Xuan quickly lowered his head, pulling his hood down a bit further as he held Phoebe's hand, blending into the slow-moving crowd.
The closer they got to the town, the denser the crowd became. The line crawled forward, and a long queue had already formed ahead.
As they neared the town gates, a sudden commotion broke out up front.
There were angry shouts, weeping, and the sound of wooden staffs striking the ground.
Bai Xuan stood on his tiptoes to steal a glance forward.
He saw several gate guards blocking a group of refugees, impatiently driving them away.
“Move along, move along! We aren't taking refugees here! Go somewhere else!”
An old man was kneeling on the ground, clinging desperately to a guard's leg, refusing to let go.
The guard kicked him off, stepped back, and said coldly,
“These are orders from above. Don't waste your breath. If you use this time to go elsewhere, you might actually find a way to survive.”
Bai Xuan quietly withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and continued to shuffle forward, not wanting to cause any trouble.
Just then, the town gates suddenly swung wide open, and squads of fully armed soldiers poured out.
Bai Xuan immediately pulled Phoebe to the side of the road, his gaze quickly scanning the passing troops.
Most of the soldiers were at Level 3, with only a few Level 4s. Occasionally, a few Level 5 experts marched at the front of the column, likely serving as squad leaders.
They wore uniform armor, with the crest of the Cross family engraved upon their breastplates.
After filing out of the gate, they turned directly onto the small forest path, quickly disappearing into the dense shadows of the trees.
Bai Xuan stood still, waiting until the soldiers had gone far before resuming his walk.
With all the elites leaving the town, its defenses would inevitably be weak. This was the perfect opportunity to sneak in.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
Rate on N.U.
