Chapter 28: The Bar Owner

"It's a signal flare..." Ling Xiaolei said.

"I remember we covered that in class," Shen Zhaiguo replied. "There are usually four kinds of signal flares: green means safe, yellow means support is needed, red means very dangerous and urgent support required, and blue means retreat." Ling Xiaolei explained, "It seems there are other mages active in the Twilight Forest besides us. Judging by the direction, it's coming from the heart of the forest."

"Mages from the Holy City? Or from other villages?" Blackfeather asked.

Suddenly, a red flash burst above the forest where they had just been, exploding in the night sky.

"A red signal flare—they need assistance. Should we go check it out?" Blackfeather was about to head over, but Ling Xiaolei grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"Large-scale training like this usually involves several squads of cavalry and a dedicated instructor. There's no need for us to worry. I haven't heard of our college organizing this kind of exercise recently, so it could be an academy from the Divine Realm."

"An academy from the Divine Realm?" Shen Zhaiguo mused.

"In the Divine Realm, there are hardly any monster-infested jungles, so their intermediate magic academies come to these woods near the old battlefield of the Central Continent for training. Here, the dark aura raises the beasts’ levels. We'd better head for the forest's edge and avoid being discovered."

Soon, four trails of green smoke rose in response to the red, surrounding it—signifying that the crisis had passed.

As they walked, Ling Xiaolei took a delicate little box from her pack. Inside, perfectly arranged, were several purple spherical signal flares.

"These are special flares crafted by our Dark Elf clan. When one explodes, it emits an infrasound only we dark elves can hear. No matter when or where, firing one of these will bring any nearby dark elves to your aid. Here, this is for you."

"Oh," Blackfeather accepted it.

"Let's exchange signal flares," Shen Zhaiguo suggested, pulling out two metal boxes from his backpack and handing them to Blackfeather and Ling Xiaolei. A dragon emblem was etched on the lid.

"These are Dragonkin signal flares. They're most useful near Dragon Isle. If you ever find yourself in danger, set one off, and Dragonkin nearby will come to help. Consider it a token of our friendship."

"Then I'll gladly accept it!" Blackfeather said. "Let’s hunt a few more beasts, then head home!"

During breaks from training, Yixin would occasionally intern with the Holy City Guard. She’d don her custom-fitted silver armor, drape a red cloak over her shoulders, and take on whatever guarding or training duties she could manage. To officially join the Guard, however, she’d at least have to become a high-level mage.

Her father would one day grow old; sooner or later, she would have to shoulder the weight of the Holy City and protect it well.

Yet, there was an agreement between the Chiyan clan and the royal family: the city lord was forbidden from maintaining a personal army. The Holy City Guard was a civilian militia, not under the lord's direct command. If a member of the Chiyan family insisted on joining, their only option was to serve in the army stationed at the border's Great Wall.

Yixin knew this, but her resolve to join the Guard had never wavered. She firmly believed that whether defending the old battlefield or the border wall, it was the unchanging honor and duty of the Chiyan clan through the ages.

That evening, clad in silver armor, Yixin patrolled along the night market street. It was late spring, the season of frequent rains. Out of nowhere, a fine drizzle began to fall, slanting down in silver streaks. Yixin ducked beneath an eave for shelter.

Coincidentally, a pair of guards on duty for that street also took cover beneath the eaves of a nearby tavern, chatting as if no one else were around.

"They say the owner of this bar is rather odd."

"Really?" the other asked.

"I’ve heard plenty of rumors about him. Someone once saw him more than a decade ago in another place. Later, they happened to pass through the Holy City, and when they saw him again, his face hadn’t changed at all—not a bit!"

"That strange?"

Yixin glanced up through the curtain of rain. The dazzling neon sign read 'Empire of Demons'—the hottest bar on the street.

Inside, the lighting was soft and warm. The young owner stood behind the counter, his skin pale, his gaze icy, chestnut hair brushing his brow, exuding an aloofness that kept all at arm’s length.

Yixin looked away, watching the rain shower the earth, shimmering silver in the lamplight.

She’d seen this owner a few times and never warmed to him; he seemed as cold and cunning as a snake.

Some people wore their scheming openly for all to see; his lay deep and still as an ancient well, with nothing visible on the surface—making him all the more unsettling.

The two guards went on:

"Think about it—he’s lived here all these years, and have you ever noticed his face aging? Not a single wrinkle!"

"Now that you mention it…"

"I used to think it was nonsense too, but the more I saw him, the more unnerving that face became. Who stays young forever? Seven, eight years go by without the slightest change? And his smile—there’s always a chill in it that makes your skin crawl."

"Maybe you’re just jealous he’s good-looking!"

"Not at all—everything I’m saying is true! There’s even a rumor he’s practiced some evil art that lets him drain people’s life essence, keeping him young and undying!"

Those listening nearby drew sharp breaths.

Seeing no one else around, the man continued in a low voice, "There’s something else strange. When he first came to the Holy City, the neighbors all heard bizarre beastly howls coming from his tavern’s cellar."

"Beastly howls?"

"Yes! The guards investigated again and again and found nothing. Then the howling simply stopped, and the matter was dropped. Isn’t that odd?"

"Don’t go spouting nonsense. If Commander Lin hears you slandering people, you’ll be in trouble!"

"I’m hardly the only one saying so, so what’s there to fear? Wasn’t everyone talking about the recent demon invasion? Some say the owner of the Empire of Demons bar is involved, maybe even in league with the Demon Realm…"

Yixin listened for a while, but the more they talked, the more outrageous and baseless it all sounded—just shadows and rumors.

Without any evidence, Yixin never believed such things, and saw no reason to keep listening.