Pillar of Yita

The Female Swordsman paused slightly, glanced back, gritted her teeth, and dashed through them with the little girl.

After a few steps, she realized Fang Hong and the others hadn’t stopped her. Turning around, she looked at them somewhat surprised.

”Don’t worry, we are not Redeemers.”

The Female Swordsman hesitated for a moment, dropped this line, and then quickly disappeared into the alley from that direction.

Redeemers?

Fang Hong stood in place, staring in that direction for a while, then heard a soft voice from the side: ”Mr. Ade, I believe you did the right thing.”

He turned around to see that it was Miss Mei speaking, who also participated in this journey with them.

However, Fang Hong was slightly surprised because, as Ouli’s Knight, he thought Miss Knight would express her opinion earlier.

But from the start of judgment until now, Miss Knight only supported her sword and remained calm throughout.

”Miss Mei, what do you think of those people?”

”I am not sure if they are Dark Followers; I won’t act rashly without evidence.”

Fang Hong nodded, as that was also his thought.

People from Silver Forest Spear quickly arrived because someone saw them let the Female Swordsman go.

The one coming to inquire was a young man who was startled upon seeing him: ”Have we met somewhere before?”

Fang Hong paused slightly, not expecting to be so well-known among Silver Forest Spear. However, he indeed had dealt much with them, at Elf Ruins, at Traveler’s Rest, and even formed a team with Wu Di and Liuli Yue later.

In Dolifen, he again had contact with Silver Forest Spear people and even recruited Liuli Yue into his team, dominated at the craftsman contest, and took first place.

In a sense, he had quite some connections with Silver Forest Spear.

But now, he was certainly not showing his true face because Seven Seas Travel Group was still listed on Colin Ishurian’s Wanted Order, and everyone disguised themselves before going out.

To the inquiries, Fang Hong was not surprised and answered matter-of-factly: ”Many people know me.”

This reverse tactic left the young man momentarily stunned, not tying Fang Hong to a person on the Wanted Order but only assuming he might be a well-known Invoker locally.

After momentarily hesitating, he hurriedly asked: ”Did you see which direction those Dark Followers escaped to?”

Even though Fang Hong had previously let the Female Swordsman escape, he didn’t hide it now, merely pointing in the direction they left.

After such a long time, the alley was complex, and releasing the Clockwork Fairy may not help find them, let alone these people. Therefore, he wasn’t worried about them genuinely finding the Female Swordsman and the little girl.

”Thank you for your trouble.”

The young man didn’t make things difficult for them, merely expressed thanks before leading people toward that direction.

They didn’t stop the Female Swordsman, but that was to be expected—why do anything with no benefits for Invokers?

...

”Can you tell us specifically about those Dragon Worship Sect spies?”

Back at the inn, Fang Hong directly asked.

And hearing this question, the innkeeper set down his cup before looking up at them.

Nearby, the inn’s hall was much livelier than before.

People gathered in threes and twos around tables, still whispering about the recent disturbance, dark red firelight casting shadowy outlines on each face.

”What’s the most expensive drink you have here?”

”Gledo, sir.”

”Then give me a cup.”

Fang Hong placed a gold coin engraved with an anchor on both sides on the counter.

The innkeeper hesitated for a moment before taking the money, then went to the back to retrieve a bottle of Elf Qinjiu from the shelf.

He carried the bottle back, paused for a moment, then spoke: ”I’m not sure if you know this, but those people brought the Shadow People.”

”Shadow People?”

Fang Hong saw a fleeting, indescribable expression on the innkeeper’s face, his face turning extremely pale, beneath dark curls cast in shadow, his eyes hiding flashes of fear:

”Almost no one saw them; some described them as a floating light shadow that devours people and becomes their form.”

”No one knows when they appeared, but since Charter City fell, these creatures began appearing in various places. They can silently infiltrate our world, waiting for opportunities.”

”In fact, before methods to identify them were discovered at Crow’s Claw Sanctuary, these monsters almost plunged Gula Port into extreme passive circumstances.”

A pale blue liquor was poured into a glass, shimmering with ethereal light.

The innkeeper raised the bottle, continuing:

”Just a few days ago, Shadow People infiltrated the town guard, killing the gatekeeper in his sleep and bringing Dragon Beast over. If not for the timely discovery by Holy Guards, you’d see nothing but ruins here today.”

Fang Hong had never heard of such things, a highly intelligent, human-transforming monster?

Does Eteliria have such creatures, or is it another henchmen of Nikopolas, twisted entities born from dark will?

”That little girl?”

”Shadow People often prioritize assimilating relatives of the assimilated.”

Fang Hong just pieced it together.

But he couldn’t help but fall silent; was the seemingly innocent little girl truly devoured by a monster, transformed into Nikopolas’ henchmen?

Yet those people seemed very different from the Dark Followers, Dragon’s Claw, he imagined. It was hard to believe they were irrational cultists.

”I lived in Gula for years, but never heard of such things,” Miss Ship’s Officer suddenly spoke.

The innkeeper shook his head: ”I never heard of these monsters before either; they seemed to appear suddenly.”

”In recent months, several villages have been internally breached for these reasons; ask the refugees, and they’ll give you similar answers.”

”How are those knights sure of this?”

”They have their methods, but this time someone reportedly witnessed these people contacting that woman not long ago.”

”Woman?”

”Dragon Witch, wherever she exists, monsters are present.”

Fang Hong paused slightly.

As expected, are Shadow People truly followers of Nikopolas? But isn’t the Dragon Witch now Lady Misu?

...