" What? " Dakon raised an eyebrow as he looked at Long Zhelan. Even the two elders behind her exchanged confused glances, clearly not expecting those words
She met his gaze calmly and nodded " Yes. I wish to make a deal with you. But first, you should speak with Old Yun. We can talk afterward "
Dakon frowned slightly, his expression sharpening for only a brief moment. Old Yun chuckled and patted Dakon's left shoulder, his tone light despite the tension. " The little girl here is an important figure, kid. Her deal might actually interest you "
Dakon looked at him quietly, his eyes unreadable beneath the robe. After a short pause, he nodded " Alright. I'll hear what you want to offer " Then, inwardly, his thoughts were cold and unwavering ' But nothing matters to me except getting stronger '
Old Yun turned and led Dakon toward the back of the store, closing the heavy metal door behind them. Outside, Long Zhelan and the two elders remained standing. One of the elders, Elder Tai, broke the silence
" Young Lady, may I ask why you're willing to make a deal with someone like him? " His eyes lingered on the closed door, sharp and cautious
Long Zhelan did not look away " We will need every kind of strength we can gather for what is coming "
" I understand " Elder Tai replied, his tone serious. " Still, despite his potential, there is something… unsettling about him. It feels as though he is fleeing from something. He tensed the moment I mentioned the tournament. Something significant must have occurred there "
" Let us set that aside for now, Elder Tai " Long Zhelan said calmly " We can discuss it once everything is settled "
Elder Tai inclined his head " As you wish, Young Lady "
Behind the store, Dakon and Old Yun sat at a round metal table. The room was dimly lit by a massive furnace, its embers glowing softly. Weapons in various stages of completion lay scattered across the floor alongside scraps of metal and shattered molds
Old Yun leaned back slightly, a half-smile on his weathered face " Alright, kid. What is it this time? Found another rare material you want me to mold? "
Dakon shook his head slowly, his expression serious " No. I came to tell you about the girl who went missing. I think it's the one you asked me to look for " Old Yun froze
In the next instant, he stood up so abruptly that his chair toppled backward with a clang " What?! " His voice trembled despite his effort to steady it. "Did you find her? Is she alright?! "
Dakon met the old man's gaze and shook his head slightly
The color drained from Old Yun's face. His teeth clenched, and suddenly *BANG* his fist slammed into the metal table, denting it inward. The sound echoed through the room
" It can't be… " His voice was hoarse, barely above a growl. He looked up at Dakon, eyes burning with pain " How… how did she die? "
Dakon's tone remained calm, almost detached " I don't know if it was her for certain. I found a girl inside the stomach of a Frost Cobra, not far from here "
Old Yun's fists trembled, veins bulging as he struggled to contain himself. After a long, heavy breath, his voice hardened with resolve. " Take me there, kid "
Dakon nodded and stood " Let's go "
They exited the room together. Outside, Long Zhelan and the two elders turned toward them simultaneously
" Princess " Old Yun said, his voice low but firm " You may want to come with us. I believe we have information regarding the missing young lady of the Shu Clan "
Dakon turned sharply toward Old Yun, his brows knitting together beneath the robe ' He's involving her? Why? ' He exhaled slowly and turned his gaze toward Long Zhelan
She nodded immediately " That is good news. Does Patriarch Shu already know? "
Old Yun shook his head " No. The information is fresh "
" Then we must inform him at once " Long Zhelan replied. She turned to the elder at her right " Elder Tao, please go to the Shu Clan and notify the patriarch. We will wait at the city gates "
Elder Tao bowed deeply " As you wish, Young Lady " In a flash, he vanished, leaving even the cultivators outside staring in astonishment ' A Half-step Spiritual Lord ' Dakon thought grimly
Old Yun placed a hand on Dakon's shoulder " Lead the way, kid "
Dakon nodded and began walking, the others following closely behind. As they moved through the city streets, Dakon's senses quietly expanded outward ' Old Yun is only at Half-step Spiritual Soul Formation ' Dakon assessed ' The girl is stronger. Half-step Spiritual Body Transformation, our strength didn't differ that much now. The elder beside her is the same as the one who left ' He became weary of them walking behind him, ready for anything they could try
Elder Tai noticed the subtle shift and smirked faintly ' Interesting kid '
After several minutes of silent travel, they reached the city gates. Not long after, Elder Tao returned, accompanied by three men: a middle-aged man with blond hair, green eyes, and a black hanfu, and two young men dressed in dark blue robes, one red-haired with yellow eyes, the other dark blue-haired with green eyes
" We are here, Young Lady " Elder Tao said
The middle-aged man rushed toward Long Zhelan, his face pale and strained. " Princess… you know where she is? " His voice cracked " Please tell me she's alright "
Long Zhelan lowered her gaze slightly and shook her head " I'm sorry, Uncle Fang. I was only just informed. I cannot say "
Shu Fang's expression collapsed. The pain on his face deepened into despair, his breathing uneven as his eyes trembled. Then his gaze snapped to Dakon
Raw hope and desperation flooded his features. He pointed at Dakon with shaking hands " You… you know, don't you? " His voice rose, bordering on a plea " Take me to her, please, take me there now! "
Before Dakon could respond, the red-haired youth stepped forward in fury " Didn't you hear him?! Move! "
Dakon stared at him with complete indifference, as if the outburst hadn't even reached his ears
The red-haired youth clenched his fists, but Old Yun spoke first, his voice sharp with annoyance " Enough! Show some damn respect. That boy is helping your patriarch on his own will, so watch your mouth " The youth stiffened in shock
Long Zhelan nodded " I agree. There is no need for hostility " She turned to Dakon " Please, lead the way "
Dakon looked at her, then at Shu Fang. His voice was cold and steady " I'll take you there. But understand this, you'd better be ready " The group froze, confusion spreading across their faces
Before anyone could question him, Dakon turned around and *ZOOM* he shot forward, leaving behind a trail of blue light
For a heartbeat, everyone stood stunned. Then Shu Fang clenched his teeth and rushed after him, followed closely by the others
Dakon ran fast, but not at his full speed. If he did, Old Yun wouldn't be able to keep up, and neither would the two young men from the Shu Clan. Their strength, while respectable, was still inferior to his
After a few seconds, Dakon sensed another group not too far from them ' Three… no, four presences ' he noted ' They are keeping their distance, but they are clearly tracking us; they are weaker than these two old men behind me. If I had to guess their strength its at the same level as the woman behind me '
His expression did not change. Whoever they were, they posed no threat, and they are not his problem. Besides, speaking about it would only complicate things
After a short while, Dakon guided them to where he fought the frost cobra before the place was no longer covered in snow. It was green and lively with a few trees scattered around the place. It is amazing how the Spiritual energy could revive everything in a short amount of time
Dakon slowed to a stop, glancing at a small mound now covered with short grass " This is the place " he said flatly
The moment his words fell, Shu Fang pushed past him, his eyes locking onto the mound of earth and grass. His breath hitched, chest rising and falling violently as if the air itself refused to enter his lungs " No… " he whispered " No, no, no… "
He stumbled forward, falling to his knees before the mound. His hands trembled as they hovered over the dirt, unwilling, yet unable, not to touch it
Long Zhelan remained silent, her expression grave. Even the two elders felt a chill run down their spines
Dakon stood a few steps away, arms relaxed at his sides, gaze fixed on the forest rather than the grave " I found her here " he said calmly " She was already dead. The Frost Cobra had swallowed her whole. I buried her after retrieving the body from its insides "
Shu Fang barely heard him with a broken cry. He plunged his hands into the soil, dirt flew everywhere as he dug frantically, his cultivation forgotten, his movements clumsy and desperate. His fingernails cracked, blood mixing with earth, yet he did not stop
" Patriarch! " One of the young men shouted " Let us—! "
" Get back! " Shu Fang roared, his voice raw " Get back! " He dug faster, breath turning into sobs, until his hands struck cloth, making him freeze like a statue
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he brushed the dirt away, and a small form emerged. Torn clothing, pale skin, and familiar blond hair appeared
Shu Fang's hands shook violently as he uncovered her face, and time stopped for him " It's… It's her… " His voice broke completely. His lips trembled as he cradled her head in his hands " My daughter… Bi'er… "
A sound escaped his throat, not quite a scream, not quite a sob. It was the sound of something inside him shattering beyond repair
He pulled her against his chest, rocking back and forth as tears streamed freely down his face " I'm here… Father's here… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… " The forest remained silent, as if mourning with him. Seeing that Dakon just clenched his fists slightly and couldn't help but feel pity for the man, and after what happened to Lang Lin, he wondered if it was really his fault that she and Shu Bi were dead
The two young men stared in horror. Then their grief twisted into rage, pointed at the one who buried her " You! " The red-haired youth snapped, spinning toward Dakon " You are hiding something! You did something to her didnt you?! "
The other youth clenched his fists, as he continues " He is right, you must have done something to her! "
Dakon finally looked at them, his gaze was cold and empty when he says " She was dead when I found her " He said " Blame the beast, it was the one who took her life "
Before they could respond, something changed, and the air grew heavy, and an invisible pressure pressed down on their bodies, subtle at first, like sinking into deep water. Long Zhelan's eyes widened as her breath caught
" Is this… " Elder Tai tried to circulate his spiritual energy and failed. His legs buckled as a numbing force crept upward from the ground " Poison... A high-grade... Poison " He growled
One by one, they collapsed. The two young men fell first, their bodies hitting the earth with dull thuds, eyes wide in panic as they found themselves unable to move. Elder Tai dropped to one knee, then both, his face contorted in frustration
Even Shu Fang stiffened mid-sob. His arms locked around his daughter's body as paralysis spread through him. Tears still fell, but he could no longer move, no longer even scream
Long Zhelan struggled for a moment longer than the rest before she, too, sank to the ground, her fingers trembling helplessly
But only one remained standing, Dakon, who was frowning slightly, looking at the deepest part of the forest " So they decided to act like this right now " He muttered as he slow acts like the poison was affecting him, keeping his eyes on the forest, waiting for them to come