Where were these people going? Had the theft of the Gemstone been discovered already?
That was incredibly fast.
He had only just finished off the caravan, yet they were already marching out of town.
He could only pray that the White family would evacuate the battlefield quickly and avoid running into this troop.
Still, this worked to his advantage. With their elites fully deployed, sneaking in now would be much less dangerous.
Even if he was exposed, escaping would be much easier.
He looked down at Phoebe beside him, her silver hair hidden beneath her hood.
The loose, coarse clothing also concealed her figure. As long as no one inspected her too closely, she shouldn't draw any attention.
He squeezed Phoebe's hand and followed the refugees ahead, shuffling step by step toward the town gate.
When their turn came, Bai Xuan kept his head down and slouched his shoulders slightly.
Mimicking the timid, fearful demeanor of the commoners in front of him, he stepped forward with trembling steps.
The gate guard glanced at him without asking much, but his gaze drifted past him to land on Phoebe, his brow furrowing slightly.
Bai Xuan's heart skipped a beat, but he could only steel himself and keep walking.
But just as he took a step, a harsh shout came from behind.
“Wait! You two, stop right there!”
Bai Xuan stopped dead in his tracks, cold sweat instantly breaking out in his palms.
He turned around slowly to see a gate guard walking toward them, staring intently at Phoebe and sizing her up from head to toe.
“You there, something's not right with you,” the gate guard said, pointing at Phoebe's hood with a firm tone.
“Take off that hood and let me see.”
Bai Xuan's heart sank, and he quickly stole a glance at Phoebe.
Although the hood covered her silver hair and most of her face, her upright posture was completely different from the hunched backs and exhausted faces of the surrounding refugees.
The gate guard was clearly suspicious.
“My lord, this... this is really not something you want to see,”
Bai Xuan said, immediately stepping in front of Phoebe. A flattering smile broke out on his face as he took a step closer, keeping his voice extremely low.
“This is my younger sister. She has a strange disease, and her face is covered in pustules. It's ugly and terrifying, so I brought her to town specifically to see a doctor.”
He paused, lowering his voice even further. “This disease is highly contagious. If you accidentally touch her and catch it, it would be a disaster.”
The gate guard's brow furrowed even deeper, and he instinctively took half a step back.
Seizing the opportunity, Bai Xuan leaned in closer and slipped two silver coins from his breast pocket.
Using his words as cover, he swiftly and gently pressed them into the gate guard's hand. The movement was so discreet that none of the surrounding people noticed.
The gate guard squeezed his fingers, immediately recognizing the feel of the silver coins.
He glanced down at his palm, and the suspicion on his face vanished instantly. With a beaming smile, he slipped the silver coins into his sleeve.
“Ah, so that's how it is,” he said, waving his hand as his tone softened considerably.
“Hurry on in, then. Get your sister treated properly, and don't let her infect anyone else.”
“Thank you, my lord! Thank you so much!” Bai Xuan nodded repeatedly, quickly pulling Phoebe along as they hurried inside.
The surrounding refugees had already overheard the words “strange disease” and “contagious.”
Seeing Bai Xuan leading Phoebe past them, they instinctively backed away to either side.
Some covered their noses and mouths, some turned their faces away, and others muttered in hushed tones.
“Stay away from them. Don't get infected.”
Keeping his head down, Bai Xuan pulled Phoebe quickly through the town gates.
He immediately ducked into a side alley and wound through two more streets. Only after confirming they weren't being followed did he slowly ease his pace.
The few silver coins had been well spent; they had finally entered Blackcreek Town smoothly.
The streets looked exactly as they did in his memory.
Vendors calling out at their vegetable stalls and pedestrians hurrying along with goods on their shoulders made the scene look almost identical to when he had arrived half a month ago.
Yet Bai Xuan dared not let his guard down in the slightest, quietly spreading out his mental power.
He carefully scanned the street corners, rooftops, and every nook where someone might be hiding.
Fortunately, he didn't find anyone watching them.
Occasionally, some people would look in their direction, but they would only steal a curious glance before quickly looking away.
Phoebe walked by his side, her hood still pulled very low, revealing only a small sliver of her smooth chin.
However, her head turned slightly as she curiously observed everything around them.
The roadside candy stalls, the swords hanging at the entrance of blacksmith shops...
...and even a cat-eared demi-human passing by. Her gaze followed the demi-human for a long distance before finally turning away.
Her face remained expressionless, but Bai Xuan could clearly sense her curiosity.
This was likely her first time seeing a human town, and everything seemed entirely novel to her.
The storefront of The Fire God's Forge soon appeared at the corner of the street.
Bai Xuan stopped, standing beneath the eaves across the street. He stared intently at the half-open wooden door, observing it for a long time.
The wooden door was slightly ajar, with only occasional townspeople passing by. There were no suspicious characters around, and the benches along the street were empty. Everything seemed normal.
But because it was so normal, he found himself a bit uncertain.
Was Mora truly fine, or was this merely a trap laid out to lure him in?
But who would know he was coming, and who would go out of their way to set up such a trap for him in advance?
Just then, an adventurer pushed open the door and walked out of the shop.
He held a brand-new longsword in his hand, turning it over and over to inspect it, an unstoppable grin plastered across his face.
Bai Xuan quietly released his mental power to scan the man.
The status on the panel perfectly matched the man's current joy, showing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
He stepped forward a couple of paces and gently stopped the adventurer.
“Excuse me, brother, sorry to bother you. Is Master Mora inside?”
The adventurer was in an excellent mood, so he wasn't annoyed at being stopped.
Hanging the longsword at his waist, he nudged his chin toward the shop. “She is. She actually just finished forging this sword for me.”
“If you're looking for her, you'd better head inside quickly. If you're too late, she might head to the backyard to rest.”
Bai Xuan scanned the man's panel once more. Still, there was nothing unusual.
He quickly voiced his thanks, took Phoebe's hand, and pushed open the shop door to step inside.
The layout of the shop hadn't changed much, save for two newly replaced weapon racks.
The magic sword rough embryo named “Heat Tooth” that had previously been on display was gone, likely purchased by some wealthy adventurer.
Out of habit, Bai Xuan scanned the walls. The massive double-bladed axe was still hanging in its original spot.
He shook his head slightly, too lazy to wonder who would ever buy such a heavy and overbearing weapon.
“Welcome. Do you need a weapon forged or custom armor made?”
A crisp, brisk voice echoed from behind the counter.
It was exactly as he remembered, sounding completely out of place coming from Mora's stout, dwarven blacksmith face.
Mora was standing behind the counter, leaning her hands on the tabletop as she looked up at the entrance.
She looked much healthier than during their last meeting. The exhaustion on her face had faded significantly, though it was clear she hadn't fully recovered.
Their eyes met instantly. Mora froze, tilting her head up to study the person before her.
Bai Xuan knew that although he looked like a completely different person compared to the white-robed healer from before, anyone who had met him and spent time in close contact would still be able to recognize him. After all, his facial features remained the same.
Sure enough, Mora hesitated for a moment before speaking tentatively.
“...Bai Xuan?”
Bai Xuan pushed his hood back slightly to reveal his face, speaking with a smile.
“Master Mora, it's been a while.”
Mora's expression shifted slightly, though it was hard to tell if it was relief or a mix of other complex emotions.
She straightened up, her gaze sweeping over Bai Xuan as if confirming his state.
“Are you doing alright now?” Bai Xuan was the first to ask.
Mora was taken aback. She lowered her eyes, remaining silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly.
“I'm much better now.” Pausing, she looked back up at Bai Xuan.
“What about you? Why do you look like this? What happened during this time?”
Bai Xuan shook his head slightly, replying calmly, “I'm fine, nothing major.”
Mora's gaze drifted past him, landing on Phoebe behind him.
Phoebe still stood half a step behind Bai Xuan, her hood pulled low, showing only a small part of her chin.
Mora looked at her, then turned back to Bai Xuan, her eyes filled with obvious inquiry.
“A refugee I rescued on the road,” Bai Xuan said, stepping aside slightly to let Phoebe's figure show a bit more.
“She has great talent, so I'm keeping her close to look after her for now.”
Mora didn't press further, nodding gently as she focused her attention back on Bai Xuan.
A brief silence fell over the shop. After a moment, she spoke, her voice slightly lower than before.
“Barend... do you have any news of him?”
Bai Xuan fell silent.
He knew that from the moment he stepped through this door, he wouldn't be able to avoid this question.
He pondered for a long while, trying to phrase his words as gently as possible.
“According to the information I gathered, there is a high probability he was ambushed, and...”
He paused, ultimately unable to bring himself to utter the words “has been killed,” and simply lowered his gaze in silence.
The meaning was already perfectly clear.
Mora fell silent for a long time, her fingertips tightly gripping the edge of the counter. Her eyelids drooped as she stared blankly into space, as if gazing at something far away.
Bai Xuan did not rush her, merely standing there in silence.
The only sound in the shop was the rhythmic clanging of iron-hammering coming from the back room, each strike heavy and oppressive to the heart.
After a long while, she finally let out a long sigh.
Her thick fingers slowly pulled a thin chain out from her collar.
Dangling from the end of the chain was a ring-like object, its metal surface polished bright by time, clearly worn for many years.
She gently cradled the pendant in her palm, staring down at it as she spoke softly.
“He's still alive.”
Bai Xuan froze, subconsciously repeating,
“Still alive?”
The words echoed repeatedly in his mind, and he couldn't quite process them for a moment.
The news he had previously received clearly stated that Barend had been ambushed and killed by the Cross family, and then thrown down Gray Ridge Canyon.
He had personally been to that place; the cliffs were incredibly steep and completely impassable.
He stared at Mora with burning eyes, his voice carrying an urgency he hadn't even noticed himself.
“Has Barend returned? Did he come to find you?”
Mora shook her head gently, withdrawing her hand from the counter to caress the thin chain at her collar once more, her voice calm.
“He hasn't returned.”
She lifted the ring pendant before her eyes.
“These are the Linked Rings. There are two in a pair, and we each hold one. I had someone forge them specifically a long time ago, spending quite a few gold coins to have an enchanter bless them.”
Bai Xuan stared at the ring pendant, unsure of what to say, and simply listened quietly.
Mora's fingertips gently traced the edge of the pendant, her movements tender.
“The function of this item is very simple. It only allows the holder to sense whether the other person is alive or dead, but it cannot reveal their exact location.”
She tucked the thin chain back into her collar. When she looked up, though her eyes were rimmed with red, her voice remained steady.
“Earlier, I sensed that his aura was incredibly weak and he was about to give out, which is why I was so anxious to ask you for news.”
“But later, his aura slowly recovered, so I knew he was still alive.”
Hearing this, Bai Xuan stood in a daze for a long while before letting out a long, deep breath.
“It's good that he's alive.” But as soon as the words left his mouth, he frowned again.
“But the reliable information I gathered was that the Cross family ambushed him in secret and threw him into Gray Ridge Canyon.”
Mora's eyes suddenly lit up, her hand clutching the pendant tightening instinctively.
“Gray Ridge Canyon... No wonder his location has felt so faint and blurry these past few days. That place is indeed a death trap.”
She lowered her head, her voice sounding as if she were talking to herself.
“But he's still alive.”
Bai Xuan nodded, adding, “That's also what my investigation suggested.”
“I went to inspect the area. By conventional means, there is absolutely no way to descend. He is likely trapped down there.”
The light in Mora's eyes grew even brighter, her fingers squeezing tighter. When she looked up at Bai Xuan again, her voice had calmed significantly.
“I see. I've received your news.”
“Our deal ends here. You've fulfilled your promise, so you don't need to pay me the remaining thirty gold coins.”
Bai Xuan was taken aback, then quickly nodded in gratitude.
“Thank you so much. Gold coins are truly hard to come by these days.” Pausing, he added solemnly, “Once things are settled, I will also go search for Barend. After all, he ended up in this mess because of me.”
Mora waved her hand slightly, indicating that he shouldn't worry about it.
“By the way,” Bai Xuan shifted the topic, his tone turning serious.
“It seems the Cross family has already targeted you.”
Mora nodded calmly, casting a brief glance out the window.
“There were indeed people watching this little shop before, so I didn't dare move around freely.”
“But those people suddenly withdrew today, and I don't know the reason why.”
“Then we should take this chance to leave!” Bai Xuan said urgently.
“I received word from the Cross family's side that they intend to harm you.”
Mora shook her head, however, reaching out to gather the tools on the counter as the ring pendant on her chest swayed gently.
“I cannot leave this shop.”
Bai Xuan immediately frowned. “But...”
“Don't worry, they won't touch me for the time being.”
Mora looked at him, her tone softening slightly.
“I am a master craftsman of the dwarven race, registered with my clan. If not for that guy, I wouldn't have cooped myself up in this tiny place.”
Her voice grew softer, as if she were talking to herself.
“That guy is so clumsy and foolish, with mediocre talent, yet he insists on adventuring everywhere. If I leave, who will he look for when he returns?”
Watching her cradle the ring pendant with such tenderness, Bai Xuan swallowed the words of discouragement that had risen to his throat.
He understood that Mora wasn't ignorant of the danger; she simply refused to leave.
He nodded gently. “Since you have made up your mind, Master, I won't say any more.”
Mora looked up, tucking the pendant completely back into her collar. The fleeting vulnerability on her face vanished, and she returned to her usual demeanor.
Seeing that the matter had been settled, Bai Xuan was about to bid farewell.
But as his gaze swept over his side, he realized that Phoebe was no longer standing behind him.
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