Chapter 608

Chapter 436: Inquiry

On the north shore of Conquer Sea, in Trua.

In the afternoon, Trua’s large harbor was still bustling incessantly. Amidst the continuous sound of whistles, numerous ships of varying sizes were coming and going at the lively docks. This, the largest port city of Castia, showcased its vitality under the early spring sun.

Places near the docks seemed more prosperous than other parts of the city. Streets were bustling with traffic and people, lined with countless shops. The many people brought ample customers to these shops; however, not all busy places could support businesses in this city.

Not far from the lively dock area, on the western side of the city, in the depths of the construction zones, there were narrow alleys intertwined. These alleyways, where sunlight could not reach directly, appeared dim, damp, and cold. Water ditches under the stone slabs emitted foul odors, and the walls on both sides were peeling off.

In the dark alleyway, a woman dressed in a dark windbreaker, wearing a low hat, and covering her face with a mask was slowly walking. She occasionally glanced left and right, keeping an eye on the few pedestrians in the alley, while moving forward quickly. After turning several corners, her eyes focused on a shop by the side of the alley not far away.

This was a small, dilapidated shop with old storefronts. The shop had no signboard, only a few stalls displaying medicinal herbs or peculiar powders, or strange minerals.

After pausing for a moment in front of the old herbal shop, the woman quickened her pace and entered. After a brief exchange with the elderly female owner, she purchased some powdered medicine ground from dried herbs. After putting the packaged powder in her pocket, she gave the elderly woman several bills.

Having finished shopping, the woman left the herbal shop and returned to the alley. After looking around, she chose a direction and walked forward. Just as she took a few steps, she suddenly noticed that a stray dog was blocking her path. At that moment, a lean golden medium-sized dog was sniffing her intently.

“Go away!”

Facing the stray dog, the woman frowned and made a shooing gesture. The dog immediately moved aside, neither showing aggression nor barking.

Seeing this, the woman did not think too much about it. After the dog left, she quickly continued her journey through the maze-like city alleys. Soon, despite the twists and turns in various alleys, each step she took was without hesitation, as if she was very familiar with the terrain.

After walking for some time, the woman turned into an even narrower alley. At the end of this alley was a dirty wooden door.

The woman quickly passed through the alley and approached the wooden door. She began to knock rhythmically. After knocking, she stood quietly waiting. However, after a while, the door remained closed.

Seeing this situation, the woman furrowed her brows. Just as she was about to knock again, a voice sounded behind her.

“Miss Wuyan…”

Hearing the voice behind her, the woman turned around and saw a man standing in the alley behind her. The man was short, wearing a brown cloak and a wooden mask, similar to her own disguise. Upon seeing his appearance, the woman was slightly stunned before speaking.

“You are… Mr. Redline?”

“Yes, it has been quite some time, Miss Wuyan. It’s been over a month since our last gathering.”

The man referred to as Redline spoke to the woman. Hearing his words, she responded with caution.

“Mr. Redline… Are you here for this month’s gathering as well?”

“Of course, but as you can see, no one is here. Mr. Jieshi isn’t here either. We can’t hold this month’s gathering.”

Redline, wearing a mask, addressed the woman he called Wuyan. Hearing his words, her frown deepened further. She continued,

“Mr. Jieshi isn’t here? How could this happen? Usually, when the gathering is canceled, Mr. Jieshi would have made it clear the previous month. But last month, he didn’t say anything.”

Wuyan said, and Redline added,

“I don’t know the details… Usually, when the gathering is canceled, Mr. Jieshi would inform us in advance. But now, as you can see, there’s no one here, and there’s no message. This can only mean that something must have happened to Mr. Jieshi.”

Redline said, and hearing this, Wuyan replied incredulously,

“What could happen to Mr. Jieshi? That’s impossible… Mr. Jieshi is such a powerful Extraordinary Being. What problem could he have?”

“That’s hard to say, Miss Wuyan. Mr. Jieshi once told us that in the Secret World, anything can happen,” Redline replied. Hearing this, Wuyan muttered in disbelief,

“It can’t be… If even Mr. Jieshi could run into trouble, then what exactly happened?”

Observing the obvious surprise on Wuyan’s face, Redline stepped closer and lowered his voice.

“In fact, I’ve been feeling that things are strange lately. In my circles, two people have mysteriously gone missing without any reason. And today, with Mr. Jieshi’s situation… I have a bad feeling…”

Redline said cautiously. After hearing his words, Wuyan responded worriedly,

“A bad feeling? What could be happening?”

“I don’t know, but from what I’ve heard, things aren’t peaceful in various circles recently. You should be careful.”

After a brief conversation, Wuyan and Redline tried knocking on the door at the end of the alley again, but received no response. They then gave up and left after a simple farewell.

After leaving the alley, the woman, with a worried expression, continued wandering around the city’s outskirts. After wandering for a while, she finally reached a bustling main street. Here, she removed her mask and took a deep breath, then looked at the numerous carriages passing by.

She raised her hand and stopped a taxi. After the carriage stopped in front of her, she quickly opened the door and got in. After sitting down and closing the door, she said to the coachman,

“Please go to the South Gate of Autumnwood Lu Jin Community.”

“Sure, please sit comfortably, Miss.”

After a simple agreement, the coachman drove the carriage forward quickly, weaving through the city towards their destination. In the swaying carriage, the woman gazed out the window and pondered the encounter she had just experienced.

Amidst her jumbled thoughts, the carriage soon arrived at its destination, a residential area by the river in northern Trua. The environment was tranquil, indicating that the residents here were well-off.