After sneaking away from the abandoned building where he’d butchered the n of the Arakuro Clan, Adam found a public bathhouse to rid himself of the stench of murder.
Public bathhouses were very common in the lands of Yen-Lu. It was a place where people went to bathe, relax, and even socialize. It had large communal baths, steam rooms, and even massage areas.
When Adam entered the steam room after soaking in the pool for about thirty minutes, all who saw his scarred flesh and hollow eye sockets couldn’t help but scatter away in terror. They felt like a demon had entered the bathhouse.
Of course, the demon in question did not care. He finally had the steam room to himself. With only a small piece of cloth covering his nether region and another piece of cloth covering his head, he enjoyed the warm atmosphere with a lazy smile on his face.
I wonder why they don’t have such public bathhouses in the West, he thought to himself.
This is wonderful.
His thoughts drifted to the cloaked figure he had t in the abandoned building, his smile gradually fading away.
I wonder where he dropped the bodies. Was he serious about the sewers? That would be... a little diabolical, no?
As for the Soulmark Lantern... the Arakuro Clan must be in utter pandemonium now. First, Tensei Arakuro, a direct bloodline of the patriarch. Now, six more Mana Vortex Magi.
I wonder what they’ll do. War is inevitable.
Lao Ren’s prophecy turned out to be right, after all.
The Ghost of Hoshigane turned out to be an outsider and also the harbinger of great change.
What a splendid Magus Lao Ren must have been! To be able to divine information about , no matter how vague, despite the interference of the lotus...
If such a person were to be born in the Greater Universe, just what heights would he have reached?
Oh, the tragedy of Magi like us who tread the path of the arcane...
We are but cots, blazing brilliantly for a mont, only to fade into oblivion the next.
Being born at a ti when the planetary alignnt lies within grasp is purely up to luck...
Suddenly, there was so disturbance outside the steam room. It seed that soone was creating a ruckus in the bathhouse.
Hearing the sharp noise, Adam couldn’t help but frown.
Who the hell is disturbing my peace?
The answer soon beca clear to him.
Bam!
The door to the steam room slamd open, and a very muscular, towering man entered. His muscles rippled with vitality, and they were visible in all their glory since the man was wearing nothing but a loincloth.
He silently entered the steam room, then took a seat across from Adam.
Adam’s lips twitched. "Auhh?"
"If you’re asking how I find you, then you should know that I’m the smartest man in Yen-Lu."
It was none other than the Venom Dragon.
Adam shook his head helplessly, then reclined in his seat once again. Curling wisps of white steam drifted through the room as the temperature steadily rose.
A long ti later, Goro Tsuitsui’s calm voice echoed in the room:
"Several n from the Arakuro Clan were found dead. Their bodies turned up in the underground sewer tunnels. One was decapitated, two of them had their upper bodies blown to smithereens, one was burned alive, one had his neck snapped in half, and the last one was impaled in the chest and his head missing."
Adam remained silent, closely observing Goro’s facial expression.
"The city guards suspect that all six of them were murdered by one person, but they can’t be certain of it. They also can’t find the place where the battle took place. Apparently, the place of murder had been thoroughly cleaned up," Goro continued.
He paused, then lowered his head and looked towards Adam. "So eye witnesses claim that those six Magi from the Arakuro Clan were seen having an altercation with a masked man who was wearing bandages."
Goro’s eyes narrowed, and he continued, "You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that... would you?"
Adam’s heart sank. If there was anything that could even remotely connect him to the murder, it was just that.
There had been a small crowd of people who had seen Tensei arguing with him in front of a sake bar. They had also seen him slap the Arakuro Magus, then run away.
That was the only thing that could connect him.
Adam turned to Goro, then shrugged. "Auhh-auhh!"
Goro deeply looked at Adam, then helplessly sighed. He scratched the back of his head and murmured:
"Yeah, I figured as much. Those were so pretty high-ranking Elders of the Arakuro Clan. All six of them were guaranteed to have Soulmarks implanted in them. It’s nigh impossible to trick the Soulmark, especially when dealing with multiple opponents."
"Auhh." Adam casually remarked.
But inwardly, he was slightly nervous. If Goro could make the faint connection, what was stopping others from doing the sa? Especially soone from the Arakuro Clan. Adam was certain that they wouldn’t listen to reason and try to apprehend him.
So the only thing proving his innocence was...
"Oh, I also heard sothing from Reika," Goro muttered casually.
"Auhh?"
"Apparently, the Arakuro Clan has dispatched so of its mbers stationed within Yuanshi to... I don’t know, sowhere outside the city. The timing is very suspicious, don’t you think? I have a feeling they’ve already found the culprit. Though I can’t say for certain."
"Auhh..."
Adam tried to relax. He’d leave the rest to the cloaked figure. Hopefully, he would take out a few more Magi from the Arakuro Clan, then wander around in the territories of the Unorthodox Faction.
"Oh, by the way, there’s a grand tournant being held a week later. Reika asked if you wanted to participate in that, but I told her no. Truth be told, the participants won’t pose any difficulty to people like us, so it’s counterproductive to join the tournant. Unless, of course, you’re into vanity and stuff like that..."
"Auhh-auhh." Adam waved his hand dismisively. He didn’t wish to participate in the tournant and draw more attention to himself.
"And the week after, there’ll be a joint conference between the delegations from the Nine Great Sects and Clans at the headquarters of the Arcane Alliance," Goro continued.
"Those etings are usually to discuss policy reforms and other administrative matters. But considering what has happened with the Magi of the Arakuro Clan this ti, I believe this vicennial eting is going to be very important. You can co with us if you like."
Yes, it is going to be very important, Adam thought to himself.
They’re going to be discussing the Fourth Great War, after all...
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