Yet the man remained perfectly calm, slamming a fist into the chest of the foremost thug.
The thug shrieked as he was sent flying, crashing heavily into two others behind him, sending all three sprawling to the ground together.
Immediately after, he delivered a swift kick, sending another thug flying.
The man slammed into a nearby wooden crate, which shattered with a loud crack, spilling its contents all over the ground.
Another thug tried to ambush him from the side.
He sidestepped effortlessly, grabbed the man's arm, and with a casual flick of his wrist, tossed him aside to crash heavily onto the dirt.
In just a few breaths, a crowd of thugs lay sprawled across the ground, some groaning in agony while others lay completely still.
The remaining thugs stood frozen, their legs trembling violently and their eyes filled with terror. Not a single one dared to take another step forward.
Standing at the back of the crowd, Carson felt a chill run down his spine. Cold sweat trickled down his back, soaking through his clothes.
He stared intently at the dust-covered figure. Such strength was definitely not something an ordinary person could possess.
His first thought was that the Cross family had come. To claim the bounty on him, they had finally tracked him down.
Carson did not dare to linger. He quietly shrank back into the crowd, using the others as a shield.
Then, while everyone's attention was focused on the mysterious man, he turned, slipped into a side alley, and bolted.
He didn't dare pause for even a second, his only thought being to escape this dangerous place as quickly as possible.
The man's gaze slowly swept over the fallen thugs on the ground, finally pausing for a brief moment in the direction Carson had vanished.
He stood there, waiting quietly for a moment before taking a step forward to follow at a leisurely pace.
His figure quickly vanished into the shadows of the alley entrance.
This person was, of course, Bai Xuan.
With too many eyes around, it wasn't wise to approach Carson directly. It was better to wait for him to flee first and then seek him out.
He knew exactly where Carson was heading.
There were very few places in the slums where Carson could hide.
The underground passage from before was undoubtedly the most secure and hidden spot.
Without any hesitation, Bai Xuan immediately gave chase in that direction.
The alley was narrow, bordered on both sides by pitch-black, crumbling walls, with only a thin sliver of sky visible overhead.
Bai Xuan quickened his pace, his boots crunching over the loose gravel on the ground with a soft, distinct sound.
After rounding a corner, Carson's back came faintly into view ahead.
The thin figure was hurrying along the base of the wall, every step betraying his panic and urgency.
Sure enough, he was running toward the underground passage.
After running a few steps, Carson seemed to sense something behind him and whipped his head around to look.
But the alley was pitch-black, and he couldn't see a thing.
Even so, his heart tightened, and he immediately quickened his pace.
As long as... as long as I can reach that place.
He quickly veered into an even narrower side path.
Bai Xuan followed him around the corner, but Carson was nowhere to be seen.
He shook his head slightly, thinking to himself that the guy was certainly cautious enough to use his stealth skill again.
The alley was empty, save for a few rats scurrying along the base of the walls, making faint rustling noises.
But this stealth art was completely useless against Bai Xuan.
On his status panel, Carson's position was clearly marked, a tiny dot rapidly moving further away.
Bai Xuan immediately picked up his pace and gave chase.
After dozens of steps, guided by the panel, he reached out his hand.
His palm landed precisely on an invisible shoulder, and a warm, stiff sensation was instantly transmitted to his hand.
Carson's stealth was instantly broken, revealing his original form.
His body stiffened violently, and then he jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, struggling desperately.
He swung his fists wildly backward, screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Let go of me! You've got the wrong person! I didn't do anything! I'm just a peasant!”
Bai Xuan didn't let go. He simply pressed down hard on Carson's shoulder, forcing him to the ground.
Carson's strength was far inferior to his, and after a few futile struggles, he was pinned flat against the ground.
Yet he still refused to give up, driving his elbows backward and kicking his legs wildly.
“Stop shouting, it's me,” Bai Xuan said in a low voice, a hint of helplessness in his tone.
Carson's struggling came to an abrupt halt. His body remained tense as he slowly turned his head.
The alley was too dark. He squinted for several seconds before finally making out the dust-covered face.
Though smeared with grime, the familiar features were still recognizable.
“...You are?” his voice asked, still laced with lingering panic.
“Still don't recognize me?”
Bai Xuan released his grip, took half a step back, and casually wiped his face with his sleeve.
The dried mud flaked off, revealing the clean, fair skin beneath.
Carson stared at him for a long time before his tense body finally relaxed, and he slumped onto the ground.
“It's you!”
He panted slowly, taking quite a while to catch his breath, his voice still trembling with lingering fear.
“You scared the life out of me... I thought the Cross family's people had caught up.”
Bai Xuan squatted down, looking at his disheveled state, and teased,
“Isn't this all thanks to you? I got wanted too after delivering the intel, so I had to disguise myself like this. We're brothers in misfortune now.”
Carson was in no mood for joking. He grabbed Bai Xuan's sleeve, his voice still tight.
“What about the intel? Was it delivered to the White family? What did they say?”
Bai Xuan nodded slightly.
“It was delivered, and the matter has been settled.” He paused, then added,
“I didn't just deliver the intel; I also personally took care of the source of the problem.”
Carson didn't press for details. He simply let out a long sigh of relief, the tension finally leaving his face as he muttered repeatedly,
“That's good... That's good...”
Bai Xuan stood up, brushed the dust off his trousers, and his tone grew urgent.
“Enough talk. The Cross family's elites have all been deployed today, leaving the town's defenses empty.”
“While it's still dark, come with me. We're leaving town tonight.”
Carson's eyes lit up instantly, the gloom on his face vanishing as his voice rose in disbelief.
“Really? We can leave tonight?”
“Yes,” Bai Xuan replied laconically.
“How? Is there a secret passage? Or is someone meeting us?” Carson asked hurriedly, his eyes full of anticipation.
Bai Xuan looked at him.
“We're walking straight through the main gate.”
The smile on Carson's face froze instantly. He stared at Bai Xuan, trying to find any sign of a joke.
But Bai Xuan's expression remained serious, without the slightest hint of amusement.
“Directly through the main gate?” his voice wavered with panic.
“There really isn't a secret passage? No backup?”
Bai Xuan shook his head and explained patiently,
“The elites are gone. No one can stop us.”
“Your stealth skill will also come in handy. Even if they have detection tools, they are understaffed right now and won't have the time to screen you.”
Carson fell silent, slowly lowering his head as his fingers traced idle circles on the ground.
After a few turns, he looked up, the joy on his face completely gone, and said in a low voice,
“I... I can't leave yet. You should go ahead without me.”
Bai Xuan's brow furrowed instantly, his tone laced with confusion.
“You've delivered the intel, and your identity has been exposed. Staying here is suicide. What could possibly be more important than your life?”
Carson shook his head. “It's not about the Cross family, and it has nothing to do with the White family. It's my own business.”
“And this matter can't be delayed any longer. The longer it drags on, the more dangerous it becomes.”
Bai Xuan stared at him for a few seconds. He hadn't intended to pry,
but Carson's hesitant, troubled expression made him realize that things were not so simple.
“What is it? Tell me clearly,” Bai Xuan's tone softened slightly.
Carson opened his mouth, but swallowed his words back down.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. Only after a long moment did he seem to make up his mind, speaking slowly.
“Children have been disappearing from the slums lately. They're all young girls, and several have gone missing already.”
“Today, I saw those children's parents begging the Grimy Hand Gang with my own eyes, only to be kicked right out.”
Bai Xuan was taken aback and asked instinctively,
“Do you know those children?”
“I don't know most of them,” Carson shook his head, his tone hesitant.
“But I... Forget it, you should go first. I'll find a way on my own.”
Bai Xuan stood his ground, staring straight at him.
Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Carson instinctively looked away.
Bai Xuan said helplessly, “Are you stupid? You can barely protect yourself, yet you're worrying about other people's children?”
Carson remained silent, but the grip of his clenched fists tightened even further.
Bai Xuan sighed softly.
“Just tell me what's going on. Don't keep hiding it, speaking in riddles.”
Carson didn't understand what he meant, but he knew Bai Xuan was pressing him.
He grit his teeth and finally revealed the truth.
“You've seen what this slum is like. It's full of ruined families and the helpless dependents of deceased adventurers.”
“Everyone is crammed in here, neglected and ignored, while those maggots from the Grimy Hand Gang suck our blood day in and day out.”
Bai Xuan didn't interrupt. He simply watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
“They collect protection fees every month, but when something actually happens, they don't do a damn thing,” Carson's voice was thick with exhaustion and anger.
“So many children have gone missing recently. Those parents had nowhere else to turn, yet they were kicked out without mercy.”
Bai Xuan's brow twitched slightly.
“Do you suspect the Grimy Hand Gang did it?”
“I did suspect them at first.”
Carson shook his head.
“But I've been in the slums long enough to see right through them.”
“Those guys are cowardly and greedy. They're great at bullying civilians, but they're too lazy to bother with something as troublesome as kidnapping children.”
“Besides, I've been watching them for days and haven't noticed anything unusual.” He paused, then added,
“Then I wondered if it might be the slave traders, but their caravan left for the dungeon long ago. The timing doesn't match.”
Bai Xuan looked at him, a trace of understanding in his eyes.
“Why do you care so much about what happens in the slums?”
Carson fell silent for a few seconds, slowly lowering his head as his voice dropped to a whisper.
“There's a family that was very kind to me. Her husband was an adventurer when he was alive, and we knew each other. We could barely be called friends.”
He clenched his fists, his voice filled with guilt and determination.
“Their youngest daughter is missing too. She cried and begged me to find her child. Since I promised her, I must do it.”
Bai Xuan nodded slightly, asking no more questions. He understood that feeling.
“Any clues?” Bai Xuan asked.
Carson shook his head, his tone helpless.
“No clues. I don't have the slightest lead.”
Just then, he suddenly looked up, his eyes brightening. He stared at Bai Xuan for a few seconds as if suddenly remembering something.
“Though, there is one strange thing.”
“What is it?” Bai Xuan pressed immediately.
“There's an adventurer, a Mage, who has been hanging around the slums lately,” Carson recalled carefully.
“He wears gold-rimmed glasses and looks quite refined, but there's a sinister glint in his eyes that makes him deeply unsettling.”
“Seeing your disguise just now suddenly reminded me that I saw him once from afar in an alley a few days ago.”
“At first, I thought he was after me to claim the bounty. But after watching him for a few days, I realized he didn't seem to have any idea who I was. I've just been avoiding him ever since, not daring to get close.”
Bai Xuan's expression shifted slightly. He knew exactly who Carson was talking about—Ronid, the Mage of the Silver Heart Adventure Team, whom he had just encountered.
But he didn't point it out, only nodding slightly.
“That is indeed a useful clue.” Pausing, he asked,
“Do you know where he usually hangs out?”
Carson shook his head, his tone apologetic.
“I was always afraid he was here to capture me, so I kept my distance and didn't dare get close. I don't know his specific whereabouts.”
Bai Xuan sighed softly, thinking to himself that this was going to be troublesome.
Without concrete clues, finding the Mage's hideout would be very difficult, not to mention his strength.
He stood up straight, brushed the dust off his trousers, and his tone returned to its previous urgency.
“Then you'd better be extra careful. I'm leaving.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Carson froze for a second, then quickly stepped forward, calling out in a hurry.
“You're not going to help? After hearing all this, are you just going to stand by and watch those children suffer?”
Bai Xuan paused but did not turn around. His voice was cold, almost cruel.
“Time is extremely tight. The Cross family's elites could return at any moment, and Zane himself might even double back. Once he's back, neither of us will be able to leave.”
He paused, his tone softening slightly.
“It's not that I don't want to help, but the situation is critical, and I can barely protect myself.”
“To put it bluntly, the lives of those children have nothing to do with me.”
Carson opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back down. In the end, he could say nothing, remaining frozen in place.
“If you want to live and get out of here, find me at The Fire God’s Forge before midnight,” Bai Xuan's voice drifted back.
“Once that time passes, I won't wait for you.”
With that, he lingered no longer, continuing on his way. His footsteps gradually faded, finally vanishing into the darkness at the end of the alley.
Carson stood where he was, his hands clenched tightly into fists.
On one hand was an easily obtainable chance of escape; on the other was a heavy promise and innocent children.
He did not know how to choose.
Rate on N.U.
