The sky had not yet fully brightened when He Lian led Xue Yin and Jin up the stone steps in front of the Cloud Ruins Bazaar.
The intertwined wheat-ear emblem on the window lattice flickered faintly in the glow of the ceramic lamps under the eaves.
The servant standing guard at the door recognized He Lian’s figure from afar, slightly bowed, and silently stepped aside without blocking them.
The bazaar’s main door opened, and the smell of old paper and pine resin rushed forward.
Inside the hall, documents were piled up year-round.
The scent of pine resin-sealed letters mixed with the dry odor of aged pages, creating a unique smell for this room.
This scent was not unfamiliar to He Lian.
It was the unique sense of order belonging to the Cloud Ruins Bazaar:
Calm, restrained, carrying a coldness that quantified everything into data, even including herself.
The hall’s furnishings were simple.
A rough wooden table took up most of the room, and iron shelves were stacked with documents.
Lady Bai Li stood by the table, her dark green qipao outlining her full curves, the tip of her tail lightly wrapping around her ankle.
She was looking down at an account book.
Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned.
Her gaze first fell on He Lian, the corners of her lips slightly raised, and a faint purple light unique to succubi glowed in her eyes.
“So early in the morning, and Lord He Lian comes in person? What a rare guest. I can’t even remember the last time I saw you in person.”
He Lian cupped his fists in a salute, the gesture rough but solemn.
When he spoke, his voice was a notch lower than usual, and the pauses between words were uneven, as if he were weighing his words.
“Forgive my intrusion again. This is Miss Xue Yin…”
He stepped half a step to the side.
“And the young man accompanying us is Sir Jin.”
Bai Li slowly closed the account book in her hand and placed it on the corner of the table.
“You only come when you need something?”
Her tone carried a hint of resignation, more like the frankness one has with an old acquaintance.
She paused, then turned to Xue Yin and Jin, her tone gentle but not allowing evasion.
“You two have come from the Slag Highlands. What business do you have?”
Xue Yin’s heart tightened, but her face remained calm.
He Lian beat her by half a beat.
“How about we all sit down and talk about it?”
Bai Li glanced at him and said flatly, “Every time you come, you bring trouble.”
Despite the barb, she clapped her hands to order tea.
A snake-maid servant brought out three bowls of light tea from the side door.
At the bottom of each bowl were a few pine needles.
The tea was murky, carrying the clear, cold fragrance unique to pine needles.
Xue Yin recognized this tea as identical to what she had seen at the Lithoid camp last night. She remembered He Lian had said he only drank this kind of tea.
“We are entrusted by Lord Laine to investigate the disappearance of five people from his territory.”
Xue Yin took the opportunity to speak, setting down her tea bowl, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.
“Those five had different backgrounds, but all possessed extremely thin rare bloodlines, which even they themselves were unaware of. Currently, all clues point to the Cloud Ruins Bazaar. Does President Bai Li have any information on this matter?”
Bai Li listened quietly.
After a moment, she turned her head and called out to the hall.
“Go check the past month’s trial work records, transaction records in West Alley, and whether these five names appear in the rosters of all departing merchant caravans.”
“Yes.”
The one-eyed steward silently withdrew after receiving Bai Li’s instruction.
“Searching the documents will take some time. Please wait a moment.”
Bai Li’s gaze paused for an instant on a faded indigo cloth band on He Lian’s wrist, a trace of softness flickering in her eyes that was hard to detect.
“…You still haven’t thrown it away?”
He Lian followed her gaze and looked down at his own wrist, as if savoring something long past.
“I’ve kept it for so many years. Throwing it or not doesn’t make much difference anymore.”
But Bai Li did not continue this topic.
Instead, she asked about something else that concerned her.
“I heard you went to the Frost Snow Wasteland the other day?”
He Lian’s hand holding the tea bowl paused, then he smiled apologetically.
“News travels to Madam’s ears faster than I can return myself. There were some issues at the camp over there, so I went over to handle them.”
“Handle them? You always have different excuses. All these years, you’ve been wandering around, piling burdens on yourself one after another. Don’t you find it heavy?”
“Some things, once seen, can’t be ignored. Isn’t that how it was when Madam saved me back then? You also took on a burden.”
He Lian lifted his head, meeting Bai Li’s gaze directly.
“I would rather you go far away and never come back…”
Bai Li began thoughtfully, her tone lighter than any previous words, but she didn’t finish the sentence.
A silence fell over the hall.
Xue Yin and Jin lowered their eyes to drink tea, taking in everything.
That cloth band was the only ornament on He Lian’s left wrist.
The fabric was old, tied for who knows how many years.
That button was the only non-decorative old item on Bai Li’s entire qipao, worn shiny and never replaced.
At this moment, a soft tapping came from outside the door.
The one-eyed steward returned quickly from the side door, holding an extra document in his hand.
“Madam, I’ve found it.”
He lowered his voice, leaning forward to hand over the document.
Bai Li didn’t even look at it, just chin-pointed toward Xue Yin.
“No need to give it to me. Give it directly to them.”
The document landed on the rough wooden table with a muffled thud.
—The document was intelligence from “Green Vine Book Post.”
The merchant caravan had background from the Human Realm Magic Association.
On the surface, they sold medical texts and runes here, but in reality, they secretly scoured the Cloud Ruins Bazaar for individuals with rare bloodlines.
At the end, a line of small print:
“Target left the bazaar this morning. Due to the need to transport live samples, they are moving cautiously and slowly.”
Xue Yin’s gaze paused on the four words “live samples” for a moment.
A wave of disgust rose in her heart, and her fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the document.
Bai Li had already turned her back and walked to the window.
Her tone was indifferent, as if stating an unrelated old matter.
“People from the Magic Association have been active frequently in the Fifth Ring of the Demon Realm recently. They secretly capture individuals with rare bloodlines and take them back to the Human Realm for live experiments.”
She paused, not turning around.
“I’ve given you the document. The stakes involved are too great. The Cloud Ruins Bazaar only provides intelligence and does not wish to get involved. As for whether to pursue, whether to rescue, the rest is your own affair.”
Xue Yin closed the document, stood up, and bowed slightly.
“This is enough. Thank you, Lady Bai Li, for the information.”
Jin also rose, nodded solemnly, and said in a low voice.
“Thank you. We’ll take the intelligence.”
The two spoke respectfully, but after finishing, their eyes unconsciously exchanged a brief glance.
Bai Li stood straight, but the tip of her tail tightened subtly—
An unconscious sign of tension.
Perhaps the owner of the Cloud Ruins Bazaar was not as cold as she appeared.
He Lian also stood up, cupped his fists in a salute to Bai Li.
“In that case, we must set off immediately. Saving people is like putting out a fire—we can’t afford a single moment’s delay.”
After bowing, the three turned and walked out the door, their pace steady but carrying an unspoken urgency.
Bai Li let the footsteps fade away until they disappeared at the end of the stone steps.
She slowly turned, the hem of her dark green qipao sweeping the floor.
Gazing through the window at the three figures melting into the thin mist, she pressed the mismatched copper button lightly and murmured in a low voice.
“Since the candle flame has been lit, just watch the path ahead. Going further, each person has their own karma…”
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