Ever since Tao Yu had taken the life of the Beast Tamer noble with the mane-like hair, he had not returned home.
All the necessary warnings had been given, and all that needed to be said was said; Tao Yu did not leave behind any fixed area where he might be found.
Put bluntly, even if there were suspicions or even sufficient evidence that it was his doing, then so be it—it was his doing. After all, the important thing was not to leave behind any pattern or fixed area for his appearances!
It’s not to say whether they’d dare to take action or not, but either way, he wasn’t going to take that risk.
As long as he was not around, his family would actually be safer.
That night, Tao Yu once again used Demonization to change his appearance, transforming into a towering and burly figure, and wearing a cloak, he made his way to a bar which had not been relocated by the Thieves Guild yet.
Perhaps because it was a bar out in the open, it could provide a modicum of ’safety’ that was somewhat greater than what the sewer could offer.
Although from the outside it still looked dilapidated, the people inside had not changed; it was still the same person as last time.
Indeed, it seems those with strength are the ones to survive longer.@@@@
As Tao Yu entered, a figure cloaked in a mantle hastily departed, giving Tao Yu a wary glance but not lingering to speak, quickly disappearing into the night.
Upon entering, Tao Yu’s attention instantly focused on the bartender wearing the ridiculous mask, sensing no particular emotions from the man.
While not ruling out the possibility that the bartender had some special Skill of concealment, it appeared that on the surface, at least, he did not recognize Tao Yu in his newly changed appearance.
"I want some of the latest information," Tao Yu said, altering his voice.
"Do you have a specific request? What’s your price range?"
"No specific request, a thousand should suffice," Tao Yu replied, his tone calm.
The bartender was not the least bit concerned by this kind of request; fugitives who couldn’t obtain information from the mission halls coming to the Thieves Guild for updates was far too common, to the point where the bartender simply pressed a button and out came a printout of the latest information.
But since Tao Yu had still spent a thousand, in addition to these printed regular reports, the bartender also verbally supplemented with some news.
"There are a few more pieces of recent information that Your Excellence might want to be aware of for preparation, the most important being that the ’Eight-Armed Vajra,’ enraged by an accident that involved his younger brother, unleashed his fury, incapacitating the head of the Qian family and two experts of the Jin family from one of the three great families of Sky City, suspected of having mastered a Domain..."
It did not surprise Tao Yu to find himself the headline of the front page; after all, being a senior partner was already a status of prominence, to say nothing of Qian Hao who was a notable figure even among senior partners.
"Moreover, it is suspected that the way he acquired the Domain came from the newly developed ’Inner Strength’ channel in the Development Zone. The Scripture Depository’s reservations have become increasingly popular, and a new batch of instructors has reached the Development Zone, generally possessing greater strength.
Among them, experts such as ’Song Que’ and ’Zhang Sanfeng’ are able to overpower ordinary senior partners, potentially having early access to learning channels for obtaining a Domain," the bartender continued.
Tao Yu nodded in acknowledgment.
"Tell me more," he urged.
"I apologize, but with only a thousand, you can only get the superficial details. For deeper understanding, it would cost more."
Tao Yu seemed to hesitate for a moment but then shook his head.
"Any other information?"
Seeing that Tao Yu did not wish to pay more, but still seeking the standard information, the bartender did not display disappointment but continued,
"The teleportation device for the new Development Zone has been approved and should be installed soon. Additionally, a new world has fallen near the old Development Zone, carrying a high danger rating, with senior partners already reported dead or injured. A fire broke out at the old mansion of the Beast Tamers in North City District, and it’s still unclear what happened..."
These were tidbits he specifically highlighted, considered as additional information for the price of a thousand Yuan Force.
The pages in Tao Yu’s hand contained information that was nearly all accessible through the mission halls—the common version of reports.
Those who couldn’t openly go to the mission halls often came here to occasionally purchase some, to stay informed about the latest situations.
The young heiress seemed to have spotted Tao Yu, and with the sanctified air of the Sword Canon of Mercy about her, she waved him over. That untouchable aura made Tao Yu’s heart flutter slightly.
But since there were strangers nearby, and it seemed some of the Suns’ elders were present, Tao Yu behaved with humble deference.
After jogging over, he respectfully greeted her.
"Miss, I’m sorry for being late."
"You’re not late, just on time. This is my third uncle, the person in charge of this transport mission."
The young heiress introduced him, and Tao Yu looked toward the middle-aged man.
His demeanor was somewhat feminine and his appearance handsome, a true middle-aged beauty.
Tao Yu could feel that the man’s shadow energy was extremely active, but beyond that, his Unity of Heaven and Man sense detected not a hint of danger! Instead, there was a sense of familiarity, of trustworthiness.
This gave Tao Yu a chill of foreboding.
He did not believe that the leader of such a force would simply be a kindly next-door uncle.
It could only mean that the middle-aged man’s mental and all other abilities were suppressing Tao Yu’s own!
But that was to be expected. The importance of the young heiress and Treya to the Suns was clear, so the family was sure to arrange for a sufficiently prominent expert to escort them all the way.
Looking at Tao Yu, Sun Guangyao smiled warmly, displaying a very approachable demeanor.
"Brother Tao’s Spirit Perception isn’t weak at all. You don’t have to be so tense. I actually think very highly of you," he said.
After speaking, he even winked at Tao Yu meaningfully.
Tao Yu didn’t quite grasp what kind of approval was implied, but gave an awkward laugh and respectfully said,
"I have seen the elder, Mr. Sun."
No matter what, Tao Yu had discovered Inner Strength early on and found the Great Tang, which brought substantial benefits to the Suns.
Before profit levels saturated, the earnings were quite significant.
Added to that his demonstrated strength and potential, he had certainly gained the Suns’ attention.
Even according to the young heiress’s intentions, if he were merely seeking to marry into the family, Tao Yu already qualified.
It was just that the young heiress, considering the current situation of the Suns, had started to play her cards a little differently.
"You few will ride with me later. The road might get a bit rough," Sun Guangyao said casually, waving his hand.
However, hearing him dismiss the danger so lightly made Tao Yu’s heart tense.
If someone as powerful as he described something as ’a bit rough,’ it probably wasn’t referring to the two hundred-plus kilometers through the Mist.
Though the Mist hid many legendary dangers like Mist Whales and Abyss currents,
such perils were unlikely to occur within the span of two hundred kilometers. Cities that ignited the Flame of Civilization themselves served as anchors against the Abyss, and in areas where these flames were densely packed, the Mist was much thinner.
Great threats found it difficult to ply their might in regions where the Flame of Civilization was so ’dense.’
Obviously, even the likes of the Mist Titans would be nothing but fodder in the face of someone like Sun Guangyao.
So, the ’roughness’ might be coming from somewhere else...
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