The figure slowly beca visible in the dim lights that reached the dark, secluded alley.
He was a tall man with a muscular build, scars covering his exposed arms. He had a receding hairline, and his brown eyes carried the weight of myriad life experiences.
"It’s been a while... Adam," the man said with a faint smile.
It was none other than the owner of the Jade Lantern Inn, Hisaki Ichinomiya!
He took another step forward, then greeted with cupped fists. "I see that you’ve learned our language."
Adam was so shocked that, for a few monts, he didn’t know what to say. He only snapped out of his daze when the panda jumped off his shoulders and sauntered towards Hisaki.
Then, the cute little creature climbed onto his back and settled down on the burly man’s shoulders.
Hiskai patted his head and gently said, "You did well, Xiao Mo."
"I know," the panda replied smugly. Then, he extended his hand.
Hiaski simply chuckled in response, then gave the little guy a small piece of bamboo to munch on.
Watching the strange scene unfold before him, Adam was utterly dumbfounded.
"Wait a minute," he muttered incredulously. "Not only did you teach that thing to speak the human tongue, but you also taught him magic?"
"Grr!" Xiao Mo was livid. He angrily threw the bamboo at Adam and roared, "I am not a thing! I am a panda! Pandas have feelings too, you know?"
Adam effortlessly caught the bamboo, but now he felt really bad about hurting the little guy’s... feelings.
"I apologise," he said as he walked towards him. Then, he handed him back the bamboo.
"Hmph!" Xiao Mo snatched the bamboo away, then began munching on it. "At least, you have so common sense. I suppose I’ll forgive you."
Adam’s lips twitched incessantly as he watched the little guy enjoy the bamboo without a care in the world.
At last, he turned towards Hisaki, who was silently observing him with a faint smile.
"So, you’re the one Elder Zhenren wanted to et?" He asked in an even voice.
Suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense to him. "I see," he murmured. "No wonder he was so friendly to when we first t."
As Adam started to connect more and more dots, he suddenly felt the urge to laugh.
And so...
He laughed and laughed and laughed.
Xiao Mo flinched at that reaction. "This man is crazy!"
"He kind of is..." Hisaki sighed.
"And you?" Adam looked at the man with a wide grin. "Did you also have an ulterior motive behind helping when we first t as well? Is that why you sneakily guided towards Jingyun? What is this? So sort of fucking test?"
"Oh, he said the f-word!" The panda’s mouth went agape. "Bad human!"
Adam ignored the little fellow, his crazed gaze boring into Hisaki.
"...I suppose you could call it a test," Hisaki replied after a few monts of deliberation.
Adam scoffed in displeasure. "Count yourself lucky. I won’t kill you since you once gave food to eat, sake to drink, and a place to stay. But if you appear before again..."
He left his words unsaid, but the threat was nothing if not obvious.
With that said, Adam turned around and walked away.
Xiao Mo remained silent, his gaze shifting between Adam and Hisaki. He knew things had gotten serious just now because he felt a very ominous feeling from the masked man.
"Don’t you wish to know the reason?" Hisaki’s words echoed in the alley.
But Adam ignored him.
A mont later, Hiaski’s words made him freeze in his footsteps.
"We have long awaited a man who would one day appear in our lands out of nowhere. He would not cross borders, nor sail across distant seas to reach us. No, he would erge at the summit of Mount Hoshigane... like a ghost."
The mont Adam heard those words, he felt as if an invisible weight had been thrust upon his shoulders.
Erge atop Mount Hoshigane like a ghost? He wondered, stunned.
Does he know about the portal? No, that should be impossible!
I made sure to alter the runic formations around the pagoda atop Mount Hoshigane, preventing anyone from entering from outside. Even a Mana Core Magus would find it difficult unless they knew the exact workings of the runic formation.
So then how?
Adam suddenly recalled telling Hisaki that he had co from Mount Hoshigane when asked where he’d co from. At the ti, he didn’t think that the man would believe him since it sounded so ludicrous.
Don’t tell ... this entire thing is based on a misunderstanding?
How can he even believe sothing so ridiculous?
Unless...
Adam slowly turned around, facing Hisaki. He deeply looked at the man, then asked in a solemn voice:
"What do you know about Mount Hoshigane?"
"Nothing," Hisaki truthfully answered, knowing full well that what he said next would likely alter the course of history.
"Mount Hoshigane has always been an enigma to the Magi of Yen-Lu. Many Mana Core Magi have ventured to the summit to uncover its secrets, but none of them have succeeded. They all speak of an ancient pagoda that they couldn’t enter."
He paused for a mont, then added, "They also spoke of a Kitsune, a creature of magic said to be the guardian of Mount Hoshigane."
Adam remained silent for a long ti, then said, "That still doesn’t explain your actions. Just because I once ntioned that I ca from Mount Hoshigane, you believed ? I could have been lying!"
"The prophecy also said that this man would be an outsider," Hisaki said with a faint smile. "And that his arrival would herald great change, a storm that would sweep across these lands."
"A prophecy?" Adam scoffed. Soon, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it was for anyone to divine his fate. The Eternal Soul Lotus rendered all prophecies concerning him null. Every attempt at divination t only nothingness.
Soon, he shook his head and turned to leave. "What a waste of ti."
Watching him leave, Hisaki clenched his fists involuntarily. Of course, he knew it all sounded ludicrous, but it was the truth.
"Our lands are in great danger from outsiders once again! We need your help, Adam!"
"Find soone else," Adam muttered coldly, almost about to exit the alley.
Hisaki gritted his teeth and finally said in an act of desperation:
"We need you! We need you to fight the Cult! Damn it!"
Adam froze in his footsteps. The aura around him changed rapidly, turning bloodthirsty and tyrannical. He turned around and coldly muttered:
"What did you just say?"
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