NOVPUB
Chapter 137: Set Off to Find the Blueprint
As the afternoon sun leaned toward the west, Dalahan City remained bustling, but Aldrian paid no mind to the commotion. He was now staying in the most luxurious inn in the city. King Douwin had offered him a place in the royal palace, but Aldrian had politely declined, citing reasons such as his desire for more freedom. However, his real motive was to meet with whomever he wished without the need to secretly infiltrate the royal palace.
At this moment, Aldrian sat cross-legged on the bed in his room, eyes closed, waiting in silence. A few minutes passed when suddenly, he sensed a disturbance in the flow of energy around him. He knew that someone had arrived and was fully aware of who they were.
"Come in," he said calmly. "I know you’re there—two men in black cloaks."
A moment later, two figures materialized before Aldrian. Their faces were hidden behind black masks, with only their eyes visible. Even so, their eyes revealed astonishment. For this young man to detect them while they used their stealth technique—one they believed even Low Emperor-stage cultivators would struggle to notice.
Their leader had given them a new mission, one unlike any before. They were to travel to Forgeheart Kingdom and meet a young man named Aldrian Aster. Their leader orders were strict, they were to obey every command he gave and assist him by any means necessary. Though confused by the importance placed on this mission, they had no choice but to carry it out.
"So, you are the First and Second Finger?" Aldrian’s question snapped them out of their amazement.
The first figure responded promptly. "Yes, young master. I am the First Finger, and beside me is the Second. We are here by the leader’s orders to assist you."
The First Finger knew exactly who Aldrian was. After all, he had been the one to take the assassination request from the Golden Swan Commerce’s leader and hand it to their group. Yet, something had changed. Ever since their leader returned from the Demon Territory, he had been insistent that they keep their distance from Aldrian and anyone connected to him.
In the end, their attempts to eliminate the Yu family or any of Aldrian’s closes one had been half-hearted at best. Eventually, their leader abandoned the mission entirely and refunded the spirit stones back to the Golden Swan Commerce. To this day, the First Finger and his companion remained curious about what had transpired between their leader and Aldrian, as their leader seemed determined not to mess with the young man.
"You guys, come here and lower your heads. I have something special for you," Aldrian said with a smile.
They obeyed without question. Aldrian placed his fingers on their foreheads, and a sudden sensation coursed through the First and Second Finger’s head. They felt their very souls being bound by an invisible force. They realized what had happened, but it’s already too late. Aldrian had cast the Everlasting Demonic Follower spell on them—enslaving their souls with a seal before they could react!
The First Finger’s voice was sharp with rage as he demanded, "Young master, what is the meaning of this?" Both he and the Second Finger felt the same, and a growing killing intent brewed within them.
But before they could hear Aldrian’s answer, a surge of extreme pain assaulted their souls. It was as though their very essence was being torn apart, forcing them to clutch their heads in a desperate attempt to alleviate the agony. Although they had been trained to withstand all kinds of torture, soul torture was different—after all, the soul is the most fragile part of any living being.
Aldrian let them suffer for a few seconds before finally releasing them from the torment. The First and Second Finger gasped for air, feeling a wave of relief after the unbearable pain had subsided. They looked at Aldrian, who was now smiling like a demon, and a deep sense of horror filled them. This young man could control their very lives with ease.
"So, this is why the leader changed! He’s already become this young man’s slave!" they both realized in shock.
"Yes," Aldrian confirmed. "Your leader is just like you. Consider yourselves lucky that I didn’t kill you after all the assassination attempts your group made against me and my people. I made you slaves because you’re still useful for my purposes."
The two fingers gritted their teeth in frustration. They wanted nothing more than to strangle Aldrian, but as soon as they thought of acting on their anger, the threat of that soul-crushing pain returned, making them quickly suppress their murderous intent. In silence, they bowed their heads, unwilling to speak further.
Aldrian watched them for a moment before finally addressing them again.
"You don’t need to be upset about your life being in my hands. You see, I’m not an unreasonable master. If you do your job well, I’ll even reward you," Aldrian said.
"Now, for your first assignment, I’ll be leaving soon. While I’m gone, one of you will guard this place, especially the three women in the next three rooms to my right. Report to me if anything unusual happens. The other will blend into the city, become my eyes and ears, and look for any strange movements. Is that clear?"
The two fingers nodded silently.
"I didn’t hear an answer," Aldrian said sharply.
"Yes, master!" they replied in unison.
"Good. Now, I expect you to do your jobs properly," Aldrian said, rising from the bed with a slight smile. "Because if you don’t, it’ll be... painful." He flashed them a knowing smile before vanishing from sight.
Stunned by his sudden disappearance, the two masked figures exchanged uneasy glances. They realized Aldrian had comprehended space laws and used teleportation to leave.
"Where on earth did this guy come from?" the Second Finger muttered. "His abilities are terrifying. To enslave Emperor-stage cultivators like us, while he’s only at the High Earl stage? It doesn’t make sense."
Suddenly, a thought struck the First Finger. "Two years ago, I checked his cultivation, and he was only at the Low Earl stage."
The Second Finger’s eyes widened in shock. "You’re telling me he broke through twice in just two years?!"
The First Finger hesitated, but then nodded. It was unbelievable, even to him. To advance twice within the Earl stage in two years was unheard of.
They stood in silence for a few moments, absorbing the reality of their situation, before letting out a sigh.
"Let’s go," the First Finger finally said. "We have our tasks to complete."
Without another word, he vanished, utilizing his mastery of darkness laws to blend with the shadows, even in daylight. The Second Finger followed closely behind, disappearing just as swiftly.
----------------------------------
Aldrian now stood on the side of a bustling road, with Xin Haotian at his side. They waited patiently until a short figure, cloaked in brown, approached them. When the figure revealed a bit of his hood, Duke Valiard’s face came into view.
"I’m ready. Let’s go," Duke Valiard said.
Aldrian and Xin Haotian nodded, and the three of them moved, blending into the crowd effortlessly.
"What are the places to the west with an estimated distance of more than 10,000 kilometers?" Aldrian asked Duke Valiard through voice transmission.
"To the west? That would be the Dukedom of Badin. Beyond that, there are smaller noble families like Marquess Ringad and Baron Buwan. Beyond them is the territory of the Buddhist sect," Duke Valiard replied.
"Then we’ll need to use the teleportation station to get closer. The Dukedom of Badin will be our first stop. I can detect the blueprint more accurately once we’re nearer," Aldrian responded.
With their plan set, they made their way toward the teleportation station. Moving discreetly, they were cautious not to draw any unwanted attention. Each of them had slightly altered their appearance to ensure they wouldn’t be recognized, even by those who had already seen them arrive in the city. Their changed in disguises were also to erase their traces and confuse anyone who might try to follow them.
After arriving at the teleportation station, they quickly took a number and told the operator their destination: the Dukedom of Badin. As they waited for their number to be called, Aldrian suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if he had just missed something. He couldn’t quite place it, but the feeling lingered.
Frowning slightly, he scanned his surroundings, his senses subtly extending outward to pick up any unusual activity. However, everything appeared normal. Nothing stood out as suspicious, yet the the feeling persisted.
When their number was called, Aldrian shook off the odd sensation and stepped toward the teleportation portal with Duke Valiard and Xin Haotian. But just before entering, he glanced back one last time.
"Strange... why do I feel like this?" he thought, before stepping into the portal.
What Aldrian didn’t realize was that, if he had arrived just ten minutes earlier, he would have crossed paths with his father!
