As Evan Chu stepped into the tavern, the waiter immediately came forward, beaming with a wide smile. "What would you like to eat, sir? Our tavern is the best in town, fair prices guaranteed to satisfy you!"
Evan Chu had heard this kind of sales pitch countless times before. "Just bring me a few spicy signature dishes, and a pot of wine. Make it quick."
Evan picked a secluded spot to sit down, just right for overhearing rumors without drawing attention to himself.
The people who had followed Evan in—including the peddler—also entered the tavern. Seeing Evan settle in a corner, the peddler picked a nearby seat.
Spotting the peddler, Evan Chu chuckled to himself: "Looks like he really has his eye on the Flame Dragon Sword. If he dares make a move on me, I’ll make sure he dies a miserable death."
Soon the waiter brought over Evan's wine and dishes. Evan poured himself a full cup and started eating slowly. The tavern was full of chatter, but most of it was about trivial matters.
After Evan finished his second cup of wine, a group of patrons at a nearby table started talking. "I heard something strange today—Warren Manor, three hundred li from here, was completely wiped out. Everyone in the estate died, and the way they died was bizarre."
"Who did you hear that from? Warren Manor is a famous old family in these parts—who’d have the guts to wipe them out? You’re not just making this up, are you? Spreading wild rumors can get you into serious trouble," another person retorted.
The first speaker, a grey-haired old man, took a sip of wine and replied, "It’s absolutely true. I passed by Warren Manor just this morning, and everyone around was talking about it. Over three hundred people, all dead—their blood drained, nothing left but skin. It’s terrifying."
As soon as he said this, everyone nearby turned to look at the old man, their expressions wary—no one was sure whether to believe him.
But the most shocked person was Evan Chu. He knew all about corpses drained of blood and left as skin—he’d seen it happen back in the Mermaid Kingdom. That meant this was the work of the Demon Clan, and likely the doing of a magic general.
If that was really the case, then the Azure Tide Ruins were about to get chaotic. Maybe Venerable Solus was already making his move—when that happened, a blood-soaked storm would break out across the land.
"I know you all might not believe it, but Warren Manor isn’t far from here. I’m sure it won’t be long before the news spreads everywhere," the old man insisted.
"It’s really a troubled time—word is, Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion lost dozens of disciples to a mysterious youth and still hasn’t found the killer. Now there’s a blood-sucking fiend running loose. Looks like we’ll have to watch our backs whenever we go out," another patron said.
"You’re not wrong. Word is, the Dark Sanctuary has already started targeting the Nine Great Sects. Could both these incidents be their doing?" the old man added.
"Forget it, let’s just enjoy our wine. Big events like these are way above our pay grade—if we really run into trouble, it’s just bad luck."
Evan Chu kept sipping his wine, replaying the old man’s words in his mind. He decided to check out Warren Manor himself. Besides, he wasn’t familiar with the terrain here anyway—he’d just take things one step at a time. Maybe he’d even find a chance to break through to Fifth-Layer Divine Martial Realm.
Soon Evan paid his bill and left the tavern, wandering the streets. He wanted to buy a map of the Azure Tide Ruins to make it easier to get around.
After checking several shops, Evan finally bought a map. It only marked the general locations and was pretty rough, but for now it was good enough. If he wanted a detailed one, he’d have to go to a major city.
Evan unfolded the map and studied it carefully. Once he’d fixed his direction, he shot into the sky, leaving a fading afterimage above the town.
Not long after Evan left, another figure also departed the town, speeding off in the same direction.
After flying several dozen li, Evan slowed down. He knew someone was following him—there was only one person who cared so much about the Flame Dragon Sword.
Scanning the terrain, Evan spotted a patch of woods a few li away. That would be the perfect place for a quiet kill—no witnesses, no trace. Just the way he liked it.
Soon Evan reached the woods and began walking deeper inside. The trees weren’t very thick—mostly about as wide as a bowl—and the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves.
After walking a few dozen steps, Evan stopped. He slowly took out the Flame Dragon Sword from his storage ring and called out, "Since you’re here, why not show yourself? Or are you planning a sneak attack on me?"
"Hahaha! Kid, you’ve got guts, daring to stop here. Hand over the Flame Dragon Sword and spare yourself some pain—or else…" The peddler’s voice rang out from behind Evan.
Evan turned and looked at the peddler, who was standing several dozen meters away. "You sold it to me—why try to take it back? If you really want it, you’ll have to buy it from me now."
"Don’t be ridiculous. The Flame Dragon Sword was mine to begin with, and now you want me to buy it from you? Looks like you were waiting for me here on purpose," the peddler snapped.
"That’s right. I think this place is nice and secluded—perfect for killing someone. Didn’t expect you to walk right into my trap," Evan said with a laugh.
"Cocky brat, you think you can kill me? Let’s see what you’ve got!" the peddler roared, his body blurring as he launched himself at Evan.
Evan didn’t take the peddler seriously. If he used Tyrant Cleave with the Frostbane Sword, he could probably injure or even kill the guy in one blow. But Evan preferred to play it slow—maybe he could get some useful information out of him.
Seeing the peddler charge, Evan quickly struck out with a Demon-Breaking Fist. Their fists collided, unleashing a shockwave that snapped several nearby trees and blasted a huge crater in the ground—dirt and dust flying everywhere.
Both of them were knocked back several meters before stopping. That punch had been evenly matched—the peddler really did have the Eighth-Layer Divine Martial Realm strength the Sword Spirit had mentioned.
Evan wasn’t bothered, but the peddler was secretly shocked—he hadn’t expected this young man to pack such a punch.
"Kid, you’re stronger than I thought. But if that’s all you’ve got, you’re dead meat. Let me show you what Eighth-Layer Divine Martial power looks like!" the peddler shouted.
Suddenly, a giant sword appeared in the peddler’s hands. The blade was at least half a foot wide and two meters long, gleaming with golden light. With a shout, he swung it at Evan with thunderous force…
PS: Happy Christmas Eve, dear readers! Wishing Xuan’er a speedy recovery!