The Orchid Teahouse was located on a high terrace overlooking Jingyun City’s beautiful rooftops, surrounded by gardens of rare orchids and flowering plum trees.
It was a refined establishnt known for both its exclusivity and elegant atmosphere.
The group from the Baihua Sect sat by a window that gave them a breathtaking vista of the city. Bai Ge looked out of the window, her eyes distant. For so reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about the strange masked man from earlier.
I couldn’t sense him at all, she thought.
It’s like...
It’s like he was a—
Her thoughts ca to a halt when one of Elder Xu Zhenren’s disciples called out to her:
"Elder Ge, you look lost. Are you perhaps thinking about your future husband?"
Having said that, Bai Rou Yun couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle.
"Rou Yun, is that a way to talk to an Elder of the sect?" Elder Xu Zhenren lightly reprimanded.
Bai ge, however, didn’t take offense. Instead, she found it slightly amusing. "You must always rember this, Rou Yun. You must dedicate everything to honing your sword. Everything else is just noise."
In the traditional sects of Yen-Lu, it was common for disciples to adopt the surna of the sect as a sign of belonging, respect, or lineage. This symbolized the chosen sect family rather than actual blood relations that people have in clans.
Therefore, at Baihua Sect, it was normal for Elders and disciples to have "Bai" as their surna even if they weren’t biologically related.
"Yes, yes!" Rou Yun nodded, sticking out her tongue in a playful manner.
She, along with her fellow disciples, Bai Yi Chen and Bai Yao Hang, were in their mid-twenties and already at the Mana Liquefaction Rank. This was a given since they were Elder Zhen Ren’s personal disciples.
As for the Sword Phoenix, Bai Ge, she was the disciple of Elder Zhen Ren’s close friend. Unfortunately, he died when Bai Ge was young. So, ever since then, Elder Zhen Ren had been responsible for her upbringing and arcane studies.
Needless to say, Elder Zhenren was very proud of Bai Ge’s progress, considering she had beco a Mana Vortex Magus before the age of forty.
The four of them, though not bound by blood, were family in every way that mattered. Their bond was stronger than blood, for it was made by choice.
Of course, despite being close to one another, Elder Zhenren had still not disclosed the fact that he was part of a secret organization known as the Shadow Sect, even though he was an Elder of the Baihua Sect. And he probably never will...
"Master, how co the sudden change in heart?" Bai Yi Chen said with a light pout. "It has been years since you last ca to the city with us."
Elder Zhen Ren flashed a gentle smile as he said, "Well, it’s not always nice to be cooped up in the mountains and swing your sword. Sotis, it is nice to relax, is it not?"
"Yes, Master." Bai Yao Hang nodded eagerly as he munched on fried dumplings. "Rest is also important to the warrior spirit. And so is food!"
Elder Zhen Ren chuckled, his eyes flashing with warmth. He then turned to Bai Ge and asked gently, "And what’s the matter with you? Rou Yun was right. You do look lost. Is everything okay?"
"Yes, of course, Elder." Bai Ge nodded with a faint smile. She took a sip from the teacup, her manners elegant and flawless.
Then, she turned to the three children and said with a warm smile, "Since we are here, do you three wish to shop for new clothes?"
"Yes! Of course!"
"You’re buying!"
"You’re the best!"
The three disciples bead with joy. Elder Zhen Ren smiled warmly, seeing this interaction. Although Bai Ge had advanced to the Mana Vortex Rank and beco the Elder of the sect, to his three disciples, she would always be the kind and gentle senior sister.
Elder Zhen Ren’s heart was filled with warmth. As the group continued to chat over food and tea, a familiar face suddenly approached them. His posture was upright, and he displayed a respectful deanor.
This was none other than the Captain of the guards who had interrogated Adam the previous day!
"Greetings, Elder." The man cupped his fists and offered a bow.
Elder Zhen Ren nodded. "Did you get what I asked?"
"Yes, Elder." The Captain presented the register that contained the personal information of all those people who entered the city in the past week.
"Good, you may leave." The elderly man nodded.
The Captain cupped his fist once again, bowed, then silently left.
"Is sothing the matter, Elder?" Bai Ge asked, curious.
"Ah, it’s nothing." Elder Zhen Ren waved his hand casually. "Since I’m already here, I might as well do sothing productive."
The others thought it was completely normal for an Elder of the Baihua Sect to go through information relating to the security of the city. So, they didn’t find it strange.
Sipping from the teacup, Elder Zhen Ren nonchalantly flipped through the pages of the register, looking for anyone who matched the description Hisaki ntioned in the letter.
But considering the man Hisaki suspected to be the Ghost was a Mana Vortex Magus—and a very powerful one at that—it would be very difficult for Elder Zhen Ren to find him.
After all, as a Magus of such level, the Ghost would have an arsenal of spells at his disposal. It would be very easy for him to alter his appearance and move unnoticed.
Elder Zhen Ren wasn’t hoping for much when he asked for the register. He figured he had to utilize vast resources to locate this man. If fortune was on his side, he might even find the Ghost before the latter left the city.
Hisaki ntioned that the Ghost went by the na of Adam Constantine, he wondered.
This man is an outsider, so he can’t speak the local language. He has a propensity to laugh out loud every minute, and the most noticeable feature about this man is his heavily charred skin.
As if finding him in such a crowded city would be so ea...sy... eh???
Elder Zhen Ren’s pupils constricted when he ca across an entry from just the previous day.
It described a tall man who was mute and blind. The guards had listed his na as Auh and noted him as a wanderer. In the description section, there was one small detail that shocked the Elder.
The description stated the following:
"Heavy burn marks across his body, including the face..."
As he read that statent, Elder Zhen Ren scread internally:
How... how can it be so easy?!
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