Chapter 254
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Chapter 254
While many might have wished for a fire to warm their food, it was simply not a luxury that they could have. Cecilia sat with one arm wrapped around her legs, happy that they even had food. It had just appeared in the morning, with no idea where it came from. Some of their group thought it might be poisoned, but that didnt dissuade anyone from trying it. If it was poisoned, they would just die. Probably better than living in the sewers, hungry. Though both were better than being a slave. At least, in the opinions of everyone present.
The sewers were warm enough. For the most part, the temperature rarely rose or fell by that much throughout the year. Along with the hidden nature, that was what caused the group to try to live in the sewers despite the massive unpleasantness.
Cecilia munched on a bit of bread, still held in the small cloth wrapping it came in. She didnt want to get her dirty hands on the food and ruin the taste, even if it was a bit stale. A bit stale was the best thing shed had in months. The best any of them had, unless someone wasnt sharing. Though nobody in their group had enough meat on their bones to have gotten much they didnt share.
Hello there, a loud, confident voice announced itself. Cecilia immediately wrapped up the morsel of food in her hand and leapt to her feet, keeping her back against the wall. She would have moved to flee, but the figure was standing in the only entrance. The others glanced around as well. Bit dark down here.
Of course it was dark. They couldnt exactly light a torch, even if they had one. The air was already bad enough without burning away all the good bits and filling the rooms with smoke. And there was always the chance of a gas explosion.
Then suddenly there was light, as the figure held out his hand. Streaks of light lit up a wrinkled face, with eyes that seemed to have no end to their depth. Cecilia felt like she was falling into them as she pressed against the wall.
Hmm, that didnt go as well as I wanted. The light brightened, and the mans face was revealed more clearly. It was just an old man. Except for the fact that he could make light from nothing, he might have been ignored up above. How is everyone doing today? He looked around the room. His tone was kind. But there was no way he was here for anything good.
Martin stepped forward. He was the oldest among them. The first to find this place, at least of those still alive. Sometimes there wasnt enough food, and those with the weakest bodies faded away first. What do you want sir? Martins voice was clearly trying to be firm, but he was tired and weak. And obviously afraid. Why wouldnt he be? This was a cultivator, come to take them back.
I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Did you eat well? the intruder asked.
That voice was trying to lull them into letting their guards down. Cecilia bit her lip, trying to ignore the feelings coming over her. The thought of safety. Something they could never have.
I promise you sir, Martin continued. We have nothing of value that you might want.
I know, the wrinkled man answered straightforwardly.
Rhys was one of the founding members, so he very clearly knew their origins. Tearing up backstreets, ambushing people on the road, and dealing in the drug trade were all things theyd had as their roots. As they grew in size they added on more legitimate business, including working for slaving groups to help with acquisitions.
Sometimes that was purely on the up-and-up. Even if someone was being enslaved for debt or a crime they wouldnt usually just give themselves up. Someone had to bring them in in that case. But of course enough people were enslaved without trouble that it was hard to be employed full time that way. Especially when someone with lower cultivation would do the job for half the price.
That was where people like Rhys came in, people who were willing to find extra bodies that could be sold for a decent price. Where they found them didnt matter, as long as it wasnt easily traceable. A few people going missing from the slums or a village wouldnt be missed, and people died on the roads all the time.
The young woman that was Rhys target would definitely be missed, but they werent planning to try to make her a slave. The final member of the group was a young woman in mid Spirit Building, which was a pretty impressive accomplishment. That meant she would be important, so capturing her would provide a significant amount of leverage. Ultimately it would probably result in a bloodbath to retrieve her, but Rhys wasnt going to be around for that. He was going to capture her, turn her over, get paid, and leave the country. Unless they made him another deal for being involved in the fighting, which would also require convincing him they had a good chance to win.
Versus a handful of Essence Collection cultivators, it could be done but Rhys wanted more than a simple assurance on their side. Theyd need more.
But first he had a job to do.
The young woman was very alert to her surroundings, just like the rest of the troublesome group. She was an archer, but that wouldnt matter if she didnt know there were enemies until they got close. The problematic part was that damn wolf. She liked to ride it around the city, and the aura it produced indicated it matched her in strength. The pair of them together would be hard for Rhys to deal with quickly, and if he was discovered the whole thing would be ruined.
But she wasnt always with the wolf. Sometimes it went off with one of the other girls, and sometimes it even left the city on its own. Rhys thought about following it and removing it, but that would just tip people off. Besides, he didnt want to traipse through the wilderness after a mangy, overgrown dog. Thing was missing fur everywhere, who knows what kind of diseases it might have?
Better to just leave it alone. The young woman was an archer, and there werent good places to practice inside the city. They needed a lot of space, and the young woman would sometimes head out with the old man. Maybe a grandfather, some elder in her sect. Though his status was weirdly hard to pin down, since some sources said he was just a normal disciple.
Either way, that old man had keen eyes. It was a good thing Rhys was good at acting innocent. He could always find some excuse or other for why he might be around, and he avoided following when any of the stronger members were present.
But the only one leaving the building now was just the young woman. Alva or something. A quick bash over the head, a few broken limbs so she couldnt cause trouble, and then shed be dropped off for the Adamant Chain to deal with. They had some plan for how to leverage a hostage. If they forced the lawyer woman and her group to attack first, they could wipe this group out and smooth over the damage later with more bribes.
Rhys walked along, blending himself in with the stone streets and buildings, feeling just like part of the scenery. Rocks could be many things. Durable, fanciful, or just plain heavy. But the thing that most rocks shared in common was that they were just rocks. Something people could pass over and ignore. Even a hunk of marble in the right spot was just scenery. Not that Rhys would do anything so stupid as to make a complicated pattern instead of just dulling perceptions. That kind of unnecessary flaunting got people killed.
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Chapter 254
While many might have wished for a fire to warm their food, it was simply not a luxury that they could have. Cecilia sat with one arm wrapped around her legs, happy that they even had food. It had just appeared in the morning, with no idea where it came from. Some of their group thought it might be poisoned, but that didnt dissuade anyone from trying it. If it was poisoned, they would just die. Probably better than living in the sewers, hungry. Though both were better than being a slave. At least, in the opinions of everyone present.
The sewers were warm enough. For the most part, the temperature rarely rose or fell by that much throughout the year. Along with the hidden nature, that was what caused the group to try to live in the sewers despite the massive unpleasantness.
Cecilia munched on a bit of bread, still held in the small cloth wrapping it came in. She didnt want to get her dirty hands on the food and ruin the taste, even if it was a bit stale. A bit stale was the best thing shed had in months. The best any of them had, unless someone wasnt sharing. Though nobody in their group had enough meat on their bones to have gotten much they didnt share.
Hello there, a loud, confident voice announced itself. Cecilia immediately wrapped up the morsel of food in her hand and leapt to her feet, keeping her back against the wall. She would have moved to flee, but the figure was standing in the only entrance. The others glanced around as well. Bit dark down here.
Of course it was dark. They couldnt exactly light a torch, even if they had one. The air was already bad enough without burning away all the good bits and filling the rooms with smoke. And there was always the chance of a gas explosion.
Then suddenly there was light, as the figure held out his hand. Streaks of light lit up a wrinkled face, with eyes that seemed to have no end to their depth. Cecilia felt like she was falling into them as she pressed against the wall.
Hmm, that didnt go as well as I wanted. The light brightened, and the mans face was revealed more clearly. It was just an old man. Except for the fact that he could make light from nothing, he might have been ignored up above. How is everyone doing today? He looked around the room. His tone was kind. But there was no way he was here for anything good.
Martin stepped forward. He was the oldest among them. The first to find this place, at least of those still alive. Sometimes there wasnt enough food, and those with the weakest bodies faded away first. What do you want sir? Martins voice was clearly trying to be firm, but he was tired and weak. And obviously afraid. Why wouldnt he be? This was a cultivator, come to take them back.
I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Did you eat well? the intruder asked.
That voice was trying to lull them into letting their guards down. Cecilia bit her lip, trying to ignore the feelings coming over her. The thought of safety. Something they could never have.
I promise you sir, Martin continued. We have nothing of value that you might want.
I know, the wrinkled man answered straightforwardly.
Rhys was one of the founding members, so he very clearly knew their origins. Tearing up backstreets, ambushing people on the road, and dealing in the drug trade were all things theyd had as their roots. As they grew in size they added on more legitimate business, including working for slaving groups to help with acquisitions.
Sometimes that was purely on the up-and-up. Even if someone was being enslaved for debt or a crime they wouldnt usually just give themselves up. Someone had to bring them in in that case. But of course enough people were enslaved without trouble that it was hard to be employed full time that way. Especially when someone with lower cultivation would do the job for half the price.
That was where people like Rhys came in, people who were willing to find extra bodies that could be sold for a decent price. Where they found them didnt matter, as long as it wasnt easily traceable. A few people going missing from the slums or a village wouldnt be missed, and people died on the roads all the time.
The young woman that was Rhys target would definitely be missed, but they werent planning to try to make her a slave. The final member of the group was a young woman in mid Spirit Building, which was a pretty impressive accomplishment. That meant she would be important, so capturing her would provide a significant amount of leverage. Ultimately it would probably result in a bloodbath to retrieve her, but Rhys wasnt going to be around for that. He was going to capture her, turn her over, get paid, and leave the country. Unless they made him another deal for being involved in the fighting, which would also require convincing him they had a good chance to win.
Versus a handful of Essence Collection cultivators, it could be done but Rhys wanted more than a simple assurance on their side. Theyd need more.
But first he had a job to do.
The young woman was very alert to her surroundings, just like the rest of the troublesome group. She was an archer, but that wouldnt matter if she didnt know there were enemies until they got close. The problematic part was that damn wolf. She liked to ride it around the city, and the aura it produced indicated it matched her in strength. The pair of them together would be hard for Rhys to deal with quickly, and if he was discovered the whole thing would be ruined.
But she wasnt always with the wolf. Sometimes it went off with one of the other girls, and sometimes it even left the city on its own. Rhys thought about following it and removing it, but that would just tip people off. Besides, he didnt want to traipse through the wilderness after a mangy, overgrown dog. Thing was missing fur everywhere, who knows what kind of diseases it might have?
Better to just leave it alone. The young woman was an archer, and there werent good places to practice inside the city. They needed a lot of space, and the young woman would sometimes head out with the old man. Maybe a grandfather, some elder in her sect. Though his status was weirdly hard to pin down, since some sources said he was just a normal disciple.
Either way, that old man had keen eyes. It was a good thing Rhys was good at acting innocent. He could always find some excuse or other for why he might be around, and he avoided following when any of the stronger members were present.
But the only one leaving the building now was just the young woman. Alva or something. A quick bash over the head, a few broken limbs so she couldnt cause trouble, and then shed be dropped off for the Adamant Chain to deal with. They had some plan for how to leverage a hostage. If they forced the lawyer woman and her group to attack first, they could wipe this group out and smooth over the damage later with more bribes.
Rhys walked along, blending himself in with the stone streets and buildings, feeling just like part of the scenery. Rocks could be many things. Durable, fanciful, or just plain heavy. But the thing that most rocks shared in common was that they were just rocks. Something people could pass over and ignore. Even a hunk of marble in the right spot was just scenery. Not that Rhys would do anything so stupid as to make a complicated pattern instead of just dulling perceptions. That kind of unnecessary flaunting got people killed.
Chapter 254While many might have wished for a fire to warm their food, it was simply not a luxury that they could have. Cecilia sat with one arm wrapped around her legs, happy that they even had food. It had just appeared in the morning, with no idea where it came from. Some of their group thought it might be poisoned, but that didnt dissuade anyone from trying it. If it was poisoned, they would just die. Probably better than living in the sewers, hungry. Though both were better than being a slave. At least, in the opinions of everyone present.The sewers were warm enough. For the most part, the temperature rarely rose or fell by that much throughout the year. Along with the hidden nature, that was what caused the group to try to live in the sewers despite the massive unpleasantness.Cecilia munched on a bit of bread, still held in the small cloth wrapping it came in. She didnt want to get her dirty hands on the food and ruin the taste, even if it was a bit stale. A bit stale was the best thing shed had in months. The best any of them had, unless someone wasnt sharing. Though nobody in their group had enough meat on their bones to have gotten much they didnt share.Hello there, a loud, confident voice announced itself. Cecilia immediately wrapped up the morsel of food in her hand and leapt to her feet, keeping her back against the wall. She would have moved to flee, but the figure was standing in the only entrance. The others glanced around as well. Bit dark down here.Of course it was dark. They couldnt exactly light a torch, even if they had one. The air was already bad enough without burning away all the good bits and filling the rooms with smoke. And there was always the chance of a gas explosion.Then suddenly there was light, as the figure held out his hand. Streaks of light lit up a wrinkled face, with eyes that seemed to have no end to their depth. Cecilia felt like she was falling into them as she pressed against the wall.Hmm, that didnt go as well as I wanted. The light brightened, and the mans face was revealed more clearly. It was just an old man. Except for the fact that he could make light from nothing, he might have been ignored up above. How is everyone doing today? He looked around the room. His tone was kind. But there was no way he was here for anything good.Martin stepped forward. He was the oldest among them. The first to find this place, at least of those still alive. Sometimes there wasnt enough food, and those with the weakest bodies faded away first. What do you want sir? Martins voice was clearly trying to be firm, but he was tired and weak. And obviously afraid. Why wouldnt he be? This was a cultivator, come to take them back.I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Did you eat well? the intruder asked.That voice was trying to lull them into letting their guards down. Cecilia bit her lip, trying to ignore the feelings coming over her. The thought of safety. Something they could never have.I promise you sir, Martin continued. We have nothing of value that you might want.I know, the wrinkled man answered straightforwardly.Rhys was one of the founding members, so he very clearly knew their origins. Tearing up backstreets, ambushing people on the road, and dealing in the drug trade were all things theyd had as their roots. As they grew in size they added on more legitimate business, including working for slaving groups to help with acquisitions.Sometimes that was purely on the up-and-up. Even if someone was being enslaved for debt or a crime they wouldnt usually just give themselves up. Someone had to bring them in in that case. But of course enough people were enslaved without trouble that it was hard to be employed full time that way. Especially when someone with lower cultivation would do the job for half the price.That was where people like Rhys came in, people who were willing to find extra bodies that could be sold for a decent price. Where they found them didnt matter, as long as it wasnt easily traceable. A few people going missing from the slums or a village wouldnt be missed, and people died on the roads all the time.The young woman that was Rhys target would definitely be missed, but they werent planning to try to make her a slave. The final member of the group was a young woman in mid Spirit Building, which was a pretty impressive accomplishment. That meant she would be important, so capturing her would provide a significant amount of leverage. Ultimately it would probably result in a bloodbath to retrieve her, but Rhys wasnt going to be around for that. He was going to capture her, turn her over, get paid, and leave the country. Unless they made him another deal for being involved in the fighting, which would also require convincing him they had a good chance to win.Versus a handful of Essence Collection cultivators, it could be done but Rhys wanted more than a simple assurance on their side. Theyd need more.But first he had a job to do.The young woman was very alert to her surroundings, just like the rest of the troublesome group. She was an archer, but that wouldnt matter if she didnt know there were enemies until they got close. The problematic part was that damn wolf. She liked to ride it around the city, and the aura it produced indicated it matched her in strength. The pair of them together would be hard for Rhys to deal with quickly, and if he was discovered the whole thing would be ruined. But she wasnt always with the wolf. Sometimes it went off with one of the other girls, and sometimes it even left the city on its own. Rhys thought about following it and removing it, but that would just tip people off. Besides, he didnt want to traipse through the wilderness after a mangy, overgrown dog. Thing was missing fur everywhere, who knows what kind of diseases it might have?Better to just leave it alone. The young woman was an archer, and there werent good places to practice inside the city. They needed a lot of space, and the young woman would sometimes head out with the old man. Maybe a grandfather, some elder in her sect. Though his status was weirdly hard to pin down, since some sources said he was just a normal disciple.Either way, that old man had keen eyes. It was a good thing Rhys was good at acting innocent. He could always find some excuse or other for why he might be around, and he avoided following when any of the stronger members were present. But the only one leaving the building now was just the young woman. Alva or something. A quick bash over the head, a few broken limbs so she couldnt cause trouble, and then shed be dropped off for the Adamant Chain to deal with. They had some plan for how to leverage a hostage. If they forced the lawyer woman and her group to attack first, they could wipe this group out and smooth over the damage later with more bribes. Rhys walked along, blending himself in with the stone streets and buildings, feeling just like part of the scenery. Rocks could be many things. Durable, fanciful, or just plain heavy. But the thing that most rocks shared in common was that they were just rocks. Something people could pass over and ignore. Even a hunk of marble in the right spot was just scenery. Not that Rhys would do anything so stupid as to make a complicated pattern instead of just dulling perceptions. That kind of unnecessary flaunting got people killed.
